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In regards to food, the Chinese are known to eat almost everything edible on earth, including snake, frog, dog, reptiles, fried pupa etc, however, the Chinese have added another special breed of chicken to their menu, an unusual breed of domestic birds with black bones and even black internal organs.
The breed called Chinese silky has very soft fluffy feathers, and inside it differs from other chickens in the sense that it has a skin of a bluish-black shade, dark meat, as well as black bones.
In the West, Chinese silky chickens are bred as a rule for decorative purposes, but in China and some other eastern countries their meat is considered a delicacy and is not available to everyone.
The breed has been known since the 7th century, and it is believed that eating these chickens, known in China as gu chi, 'chicken with black bones,' has a beneficial effect on human health.
For example, Chinese women traditionally eat Chinese silky chickens after childbirth to restore energy, in addition, the Chinese say that black chicken dishes have a positive effect on blood, lungs, and the stomach.
As a rule, so that the meat of gu ji fully manifests its unique properties, it is used to make broth with the addition of ginseng, dried wolfberry, and Chinese dates, and such hens are rarely fried.
In 2011, genetics discovered that the unusual color of the meat and internal organs of these birds, a phenomenon called fibromelanosis, is associated with the mutation of the endothelin-3 gene, which is responsible for the development of pigment, producing cells, which causes an excessive amount of blackening of not only the skin but also the bones and the internal organs.
However, scientists have confirmed that there are unique healing properties in Chinese silky meat. There is an increased level of carnosine, a peptide, in the chicken which is sold as food additives.
People take carnosine to grow mass muscle, slow aging, diabetes, and even autism, and studies have shown that black chicken meat is one of the richest natural sources of this compound. Would you try it when in China?
Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the oldest treatment systems in the world, its history dates back over three thousand years and many of the treatment principles used by Chinese medicine recognized as effective are being actively introduced into the practice of Western doctors. | https://www.modernghana.com/news/906635/why-china-breeds-black-chicken.html | 492 | Food | 3 | en | 0.999992 |
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued an advisory on the use of cloth face masks.
The disease control agency in a tweet via its official handle said on Wednesday that physical distancing remains vital in protecting oneself from COVID-19.
The agency added that face mask alone is not the form of protection because the virus is primarily spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
READ ALSO: Don’t Indulge In Unauthorised Treatment Of COVID-19 Patients, Minister Tells Doctors
“Remember, cloth face masks are to be used as an additional layer of physical distancing; a mask alone cannot protect you from #COVID19
“Please continue to maintain a distance of 2 metres between yourself and others at all times to stay safe,” the NCDC tweeted
The use of cloth face mask ranging from Ankara fabric to other fabrics has been on the rise in Nigeria.
The NCDC in its full advisory urged Nigerians to continue to wash their hands frequently, avoid large gatherings and adhere to other guidelines which are listed below;
1. Avoiding large gatherings.
2. Physical distancing by maintaining a distance of 2 metres between yourself and others.
3. Regular handwashing with soap under running water.
3. Frequent cleaning of surfaces with soap and water or disinfectants.
Who should not wear a cloth mask?
According to the NCDC, cloth face masks, which are a convenient substitute to medical face masks for COVID-19, should NOT be worn by individuals who are at high risk for complications due to the disease.
The following groups are advised to wear MEDICAL face masks instead of cloth face masks.
1. Health care workers and those caring for the ill.
2. Those experiencing respiratory symptoms like coughing and sneezing.
3. The elderly and those with chronic medical conditions.
Dos and Don’ts of cloths face masks
1. DO wash your hands frequently with soap under running water to avoid contamination.
2. DO adhere to social distancing measures and stay at home as much as possible.
3. DO wear a mask before leaving your home for essential services.
4. DO wear masks made with at least 3 layers of fabric.
5. DON’T use a cloth face mask on children under the age of 2 years.
6. DON’T try on new masks from vendors or wear immediately after purchasing; Wash before first use.
7. DON’T reuse a cloth face mask before it has been washed and dried.
8. DON’T leave a used face mask on uncleaned surfaces or in the reach of small children while not in use.
9. DON’T pull down your mask to cough or sneeze. Use a tissue or your bent elbow over the mask until you can safely remove the mask for washing.
Handling and care of cloth face masks
Since cloth face masks are reusable, it is very important to handle properly to avoid the further spread of infectious agents.
1. Make sure the mask has been washed and is unused before first wear.
2. Wash your hands with soap under running water before touching the mask.
3. If water is not available, use a hand sanitiser.
4. Cover your nose and mouth completely with the mask making sure it fits snuggly with no open gaps.
5. Avoid touching or adjusting the mask while it is on.
6. Wash or sanitise your hands before removing the mask by the straps.
7. Wash the mask immediately with soap or detergent.
8. Before reuse, iron the mask. | https://www.channelstv.com/2020/05/07/mask-alone-cannot-protect-you-ncdc-issues-advisory-on-use-of-cloth-mask/ | 766 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999996 |
NIGERIANS are tired of stories about why they cannot get constant power supply. They have become too familiar with the constraints and the more depressing stories about how the country would have made progress if power supply improved.
All they want now is for government to do everything it can – from the tomes of studies and billions of dollars it has invested – to ensure that electricity is available to Nigerians.
The discovery that the N30 billion ($220 million) Olorunsogo Power Plant is not working will not be news to many. It would have been news if it worked. The 304mw project, commissioned in 2007, works in fits. Of its eight turbines, six have broken down. It produces about 60mw.
Professor Barth Nnaji, Minister of Power, learnt at the plant that it worked for three years then the turbines stopped. Other complaints were lack of spare parts and operating manuals were in Mandarin – a Chinese company built the plant – without English translations.
Nigerians running the plant spoke of their frustration at the hands of the Chinese who were to teach them how to maintain the plant. The Nigerian team could also not access the agreement – which hopefully is written in English – to know their responsibilities. Of course, the Chinese could argue they were protecting their investment, since a loan from the Chinese government was part of the funding for the project.
However, all these point to how serious government is about electricity, which it admits is central to the development of the economy and personal life. The verdict is that the Olorunsogo project, still in its first phase, is as good as doomed. Nnaji promised to take the findings to the President, to explore the possibility of re-negotiating the project that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned a little before leaving office.
Olorunsogo is a metaphor for how government businesses work. It also tells part of the story about the faithlessness of our leaders to the country. Who could have signed an agreement that would make Nigerians unable to operate the plant? Was improvement of electricity supply really the motive for Olorunsogo, which after commissioning is bisected by other challenges, including availability of gas to power the plant?
Its location in Ogun State, far from the gas it uses, produced in fields in the Niger Delta, was a political decision that still suffers from the resources to construct the gas pipelines, and safeguard them to the source of the gas.
Another is that government officials do not have the channels to report progress, if any, in their work. Where such reports are made, they are lost in the morass of documents that snake their way to the responsible officials who make the decisions. Why did it take four years for the Minister of Power to know the challenges working with the Chinese posed? Nigerian officials say the issue of spare parts was not new.
“Our problem is not with the plants but the distribution companies,” Nnaji said. “About 40 per cent of the power generated gets lost on transmission because the distribution companies are unable to pay for the power generated from the plants. It is worrisome that the distribution companies are not doing enough to justify the power generated because of over bloated staff,” Nnaji said.
Nigerians want the challenges, whatever they are, resolved. Nnaji should wade through them, including new ones, and improve electricity supply. He would be so shocked as he moves around that the discovery in Olorunsogo, will soon pale to insignificance.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/nnaji-%E2%80%93-you-have-work-to-do/ | 743 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999981 |
What does Russia and Arab oil cut back, a United States Supreme Court Justice, a former Secretary of State, Britain Chancellor of Exchequer have in common with African Politicians? They are all minorities used as accomplices of oppressive and draconian policies that adversely affect the vast number of poor, minorities and weaker countries. Most of these conservative policies are from an old entrenched belief that the best way to rule the majority is to use token minorities against their self-interest to implement oppressive Agendas.
The war in Ukraine has exposed the hypocrisy of oil politics. Russia gained the support of developing countries because Russia became the lesser devil just like China, compared to the higher cost of European and American technical and financial support. They all provide odious loans. These loans and aid are always in exchange for cheap resources or land. Despite the number of skillful and talented Africans, they cannot wait and labor at home to develop them.
No matter how African countries try to tread the fine line, they get the short end of the stick. World Powers care very little about developing countries and are willing to go any distance to exploit their natural resources. There were active Non-Aligned countries that tried to be neutral between Communist and Capitalist countries for very good reasons. We do not want the United States, Russia and China to be on the same side against any developing country.
The Arab oil embargo in the seventies was the first time poor countries were able to determine the price of their commodity. The windfall benefited Arab countries turning desert into pockets of Paradise. The African oil producing countries also benefited up to a point until Military rulers and politicians turned into chronic kleptomaniacs. They divert pipelines and funds to their pockets. Actually, none of the African oil producing countries can account for the windfall made from oil.
While Saudi Arabia could monitor every drop of oil leaving the oil field, African countries can neither account for their oil nor how much they make from it. Russia and the United States have more oil reserves than most African countries. They keep their oil in case of unforeseen events as the USA concentrates on renewable energy production. They can alway revert to licensed oil fields if need be. Indeed, they are willing to import oil while they keep theirs in reserves.
Therefore, when African countries join Arab countries and Russia to cut the production of oil and raise prices in the Western World and Africa, who benefits? We must admit that Arab countries, despite their dictatorial policies against their people, have used the money made from oil to develop their countries. The case in point was Libya where they enjoyed good infrastructure and social benefits. They gave it up for “freedom” from the West and the country has yet to recover. Who else than President Barack Hussein Obama to overthrow Muhammed Gadhafi?
Venezuela pumped oil to the USA, Cuba and other Caribbean countries cheaper, yet the United States conservatives were bent on pauperizing the country. There are speculations that the United States may have to relax its ban on International Oil corporations in the Country to make up for OPEC cuts. A poor neighbor becomes a liability sooner or later. Apart from the need for Venezuela oil after Russia and Saudi Arabia cut back, poor Venezuela migrants trying to evade poverty as a result of the U.S sanctions, are flooding into the United States border.
The most conservative Justice on the U.S Supreme is a Black man that has ruled either with the conservative majority of the Justices or wrote extreme conservative dissent opinions. His wife still maintains that the last U.S Election was stolen and encouraged the insurrectionists. The only time the Justice cried out racism was during his confirmation. He called accusation of sexual inuedoes during his hearing by liberals; as "high tech lynching". Suddenly, Black again!
The United States late Secretary of State was a former Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, an honorable soldier and a gentleman. In order to convince the world at the United Nation that an immediate invasion was necessary because Iraq possessed nuclear weapons, the best face to send was General Colin Powell. The reputation of a respectable statesman was tainted forever. It turned out, as many world experts suspected, that Iraq had no such weapon. It was a pretext!
Britain had to make a U turn after the Stock Markets, respectable financial experts and former Conservative cabinet members revolted against Tax Cut for the rich. Mind you, Conservatives think Tax Cut is the only way to grow the economy in order to send crumbs to the working class. It has been a long held economic policy prompting the late David Lewis, the leader of National Democratic Party of Canada in the 70s, to call them Corporate Bums.
Therefore, the Prime Minister of Britain Liz Truss was confident that she would gain the support of her fellow Conservatives and the Stock Markets with her Tax break for the rich. After all, her respected Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng is the Chancellor of Exchequer, the best Cabinet member to implement it. Kwarteng came from a middle class family that emigrated to the United Kingdom from Ghana. His parents sent him to all the best schools in the U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss killed two birds with one stone. She rocked the financial Markets and stained a reputable man.
Some of you may remember Italy's first black senator, a Nigerian immigrant. Mr. Toni Iwobi was elected in Brescia, Italy. He was a member of the country’s far-right, anti-immigrant League party and became the Italian Minister in charge of the party’s immigration department. Another Nigerian Kelechi "Kaycee" Madu was Minister of Justice before he serves as the provincial minister of labor and immigration for Alberta since February 25, 2022.
The point here is that no matter how great and conscientious a Black man or woman is, the conservatives are lurking around the corner to make him “great again”. This is why they can easily lure Africans. African politicians and African Chief Executive Officers in International Corporations expressed their duty to deliver dividends to their Shareholders outside their countries and ignore the interest of their people, if they want to retain positions and power!
Kwasi Kwarteng sacked as Britain Chancellor. They always make Black men the postal boy for their bad and unpopular behaviors. | https://www.modernghana.com/news/1188254/opec-cut-african-oil-producing-countries-gain.html | 1,286 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999905 |
By Yemie Adeoye and Charles Kumolu
Before 1999, the National Electric Power Authority,NEPA, had the sole monopoly of power generation and distribution in Nigeria. While there were suggestions on how to break that grip, Lagos State became the first state to do so with the initiation of Enron Power Project on August 1, 2009.
Consequently, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, Yinka Folawiyo Power Limited and Enron Corporation of the United States signed an agreement for an Independent Power Plant, IPP, with the Federal Government as the guarantor.
The barge-mounted electricity generating plant was to be located adjacent NEPA’s Egbin Power Station, Nigeria’s biggest power plant.
This idea later became contentious following claims that the power generated was being transmitted to the National Grid for the use of the entire country, instead of only Lagos and this bordered on alleged failure by the parties to honour contractual and business obligations.
Despite the controversy surrounding the Enron power project, the Federal Government accepted the wisdom in breaking the monopoly of NEPA, which has since rechristined itself the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. Hence the massive construction of power plants across the country and the planned privatisation of the ailing utility giant.
The impetus for this must have been the sustained calls for uninterrupted power supply in the country. Indeed not a few Nigerians have become impatient with the government over this highly embarrassing subject matter and this anger can only be felt with a short walk through the streets of major cities and towns across the country.
Angry mobs have attacked PHCN (the nation’s power utility company) stations in the past; some have waylaid and attacked official vehicles and personnel of PHCN, some have even killed staff of the utility company over electric power interruption during football matches. The list is endless.s
Faced with a situation that has seemingly defied every proposed solution, even as they keep paying for non-existent electricity supply they can only vent their anger on these innocent government workers who apparently are also experiencing incessant power outages in their various homes.
Assurances by the Federal Government at different times of planned improvement in the nation’s power generating capacity have all ended on a note of disappointment. Lanre Babalola, a doctorate degree holder was saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the Ministry of Power under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua administration. The very articulate, soft-spoken minister told the nation that there would be available to Nigerians before the end of December 2009, 6000 megawatts of electricity. That was never achieved before he got the boot after the demise of the President. Now the Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government has assured Nigerians of 13,000 Mw by 2013. But if the prevailing feeling is anything to go by, only few Nigerians have any confidence that the promise in this respect will ever come to fruition.
But the Lagos State government under the leadership of Governor Babatunde Fashola has decided to join the fray by embarking on an ambitious independent power project, with a targeted delivery time of about 18 months. According to the Governor, the target time frame “makes it the fastest ever executed Independent Power Project in Nigeria”.
The project which was done in conjunction with the Negris group immediately puts out of use a minimum of 30 diesel generating sets of between 100–1,000 KVA each, eliminating the inevitable pollution, noise and carbon monoxide caused by generators.
Speaking during the commissioning, Governor Fashola noted that the regulatory framework in the country had earlier made it difficult for state participation in such projects. “As you may be aware, the regulatory and statutory framework until recently restricted the involvement and participation of state governments in the provision of electric power. This constraint extended to both generation and distribution of electricity. Happily, as from the enactment of Electric Power Sector Reform Act, ESPRA, state governments and private investors alike may now partake in the business of provision and supply of electricity.
“With the change in the legal order we are able to use our innovative abilities to discharge our responsibility as a government to provide an enabling environment for the advancement of quality life style, trade and commerce, law and order, essential social services and the growth of small scale businesses, a crucial limb to the continuous development of any economy.
“In Lagos State today, industrialisation and general improvement in income and living conditions have resulted in increased demand for electricity. Recent date reveals that the power requirements of Lagos today is estimated at about 10,000-12,000 MW. This is in sharp contrast to the less than 1,000MW available to Lagos State from the national grid.
“The death of electricity has propelled our citizens to self-help, compelling them to be generators of their own electricity, resulting in emergence of all manners of domestic power generating sets. This has resulted in very high cost of electricity which unfortunately accounts for 30 per cent of operating costs of any business.
“This has many adverse social costs that are almost limitless in their dimension, erosion of disposable income for fuel to provide power, frustrations, health hazards, security failures, unemployment and so much more. Unfortunately, the provision of electricity and the management of power remains regrettably a matter of responsibility for the Federal Government which it is yet to discharge satisfactorily.
“As a Government that cares, we have refused to fold our arms. We have constantly kept to our promise to deliver; to continue to provide for the needs of the people of Lagos State. It is in keeping to this promise and the necessity to provide a platform for the promotion of the socio-economic well-being of the people that we commissioned the construction and development of this power plant,” he said.
An elated Governor Fashola further informed that this was the third Independent power plant following the 270MW at Egbin, and the 12.5MW at Iju that the Lagos State Government is undertaking.
“As the bedrock of any development agenda, this administration has always considered the provision of stable power supply as being of the utmost priority. The provision of potable water, functional telecommunication services, security operations, traffic management, healthcare and education are all dependant on the availability of constant and stable electricity.
“Without recourse to any scientific analysis, it is without doubt that the demands for all of these services have tremendously increased in Lagos State, although we have had to improvise to provide power for their services. We have therefore by necessity become the laboratory for evolving home-grown solutions, through thinking and planning for our domestic challenges.
“We thought through the problem of powering critical public facilities like court houses and hospitals. We searched diligently for practical solutions. We subsequently found and collaborated with a reputable independent power producer. The result of that partnership is this 10MW electricity generating facility, the Island Power Project.
“The initiative of this project was induced by the necessity to consolidate the Justice Sector Reform agenda of the Lagos State Government. It was originally designed as a scheme which we tagged, “Powering Justice” proposed to supply electricity only to the Lagos State Government Court facilities in the Lagos Island axis, that is: High Court (Igbosere and Annex at TBS) and JIC Taylor Court House at Igbosere. The project was subsequently expanded to accommodate government health facilities and street lights on 20 streets along that corridor.
“This facility, built to highest global thermal operating plant standards will now provide 24 hours constant power supply to public facilities within the Lagos Island axis. The project, which includes an 18km dedicated underground distribution network, will supply power to the General Hospital (Lagos Island), the High Court, High Court Annex (TBS); JIC Taylor Court House, Igbosere; Maternity Hospital and the State House (Marina).
“The power plant will also provide electricity for the street lights on Broad Street, Tinubu Square, Bamgbose Street, Igbosere Road, Lawson Street, Moloney Street, Strachan Street, Okesuna Street, Hawley Street, Catholic Mission Street, Ganiyu Smith Street, Glover Street, Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Street, Brook Street, Joseph Street, Campos Street, Campbell Street, Ajele Street, Odunlami Street and Kakawa Street. In order to achieve this, the street lighting furniture on all of these 20 streets has been refurbished. The plant is powered by gas engines with diesel engines as backup.
“The commissioning of this plant immediately puts out of use a minimum of 30 diesel generating sets of between 100 – 1,000 KVA each, eliminating the inevitable pollution, noise and carbon monoxide caused by generators. This plant also has a vast cost-saving component to the state government of 46 per cent over project whole life cycle.
“An obvious benefit of the Island Power Project is its ability to drastically improve the reliability of power supply to the above mentioned government facilities from 35 to 100 per cent with the corresponding reduction in the operating costs and increased efficiency in this government facilities. It will also significantly improve the delivery of essential social services to the people of Lagos State.
“In a study recently carried out in the United Kingdom, it was demonstrated that street lighting is a more effective strategy of crime prevention as compared to CCTV. We expect therefore that since street lighting is an essential ingredient for improving security of any society, those streets covered by this project will only become more secure. The underlying advantage, however, is the improvement of law and order and the rejuvenation of night life economy in the axis.
“Cumulatively, the Island Power Project will be powering over 230 street light installations, 40 court rooms, eight operating theatres, a 153 chamber mortuary, 16 clinics/centres which include two HIV/AIDS clinics, two emergency centers that harbour three fully-equipped Lagos State emergency ambulances and a special babies unit.
“This project from conception to its commissioning today was undertaken in less than 18 months. This makes it the fastest ever executed Independent Power Project in Nigeria. It is also a further demonstration of the appreciation and commitment of the Government of Lagos State to the procurement and provision of infrastructure using the Public Private Partnership model.
“An interesting innovation of this project is that it comes with a 24 hour dedicated call centre for street light queries. This will ensure the immediate attention of relevant officials to issues relating to the street lights leading to the optimum utilization of the infrastructure.
“The people of Lagos State have been deprived of one of the essentials of decent living: constant, uninterrupted, affordable and clean electricity power supply for too long. This problem has its roots, amongst other things, in the lack of accurate data as to the actual power/energy requirements of the people of Lagos State. It is in view of this that the present administration in Lagos State has now embarked on a comprehensive state-wide power audit programme.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/power-again-lagos-sets-the-pace-in-ipp/ | 2,295 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999979 |
Michael Kevane, an economics professor in San Jose, Calif., didn’t give a second thought to parking his 2005 Prius in his driveway one rainy evening last month. But the next morning, when his son Elliot went to start up the car, “it sounded like a jackhammer,” Mr. Kevane said. “The whole block could hear the noise.”
The reason for the ruckus: A thief in the night had made off with the car’s catalytic converter, a critical emissions-control device that contains precious metals more valuable than gold.
Two days later, Mr. Kevane’s sister, Jean, who lives in Los Angeles, had the catalytic converter stolen from her 2003 Honda Accord LX. “I thought, ‘This can’t be a coincidence,’” Mr. Kevane said.
Stricter car emissions rules around the world — particularly in China, which has scrambled in recent years to get its dire air pollution problem under control — have sent demand for the precious metals in catalytic converters surging. That has pushed up the asking price for some of the precious metals used in the device — like palladium and rhodium — to record highs.
From about $500 an ounce five years ago, the price of palladium quintupled to hit a record of $2,875 an ounce last year, and is now hovering between $2,000 and $2,500 an ounce, above the price of gold. Rhodium prices have skyrocketed more than 3,000 percent from about $640 an ounce five years ago to a record $21,900 an ounce this year, roughly 12 times the price of gold.
The soaring prices may be accelerating the shift to electric cars, analysts said, noting that catalytic converters now make up a much larger proportion of a gasoline-powered vehicle’s cost than they did even just a year ago. | https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/climate/catalytic-converter-theft.html | 404 | Car Talk | 2 | en | 0.999935 |
Jen has taught Science in accredited schools in North & South America for twenty years and has a degree in Sociology (Epidemiology & Aids Research). Her work in quantitative data has been published in the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America & Cambridge University Press.
Quantum physics is tricky, even for the most brilliant of scientists, but you got this. Put on your favorite thinking cap, and here we go!
Quantum physics is the study of things that are very, very small. This branch of science investigates the behavior of matter and the activities happening inside of atoms in order to make sense of the smallest things in nature.
Before we move any further, let's clarify two key things that quantum scientists are attempting to understand:
- Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. In other words, it's the amount of stuff inside of an object. Yep, that pretty much describes everything. That's because everything in the universe is made of matter.
- Atoms are the smallest unit of matter. The universe and everything around us is made of atoms. Even our bodies have billions of atoms.
One reason quantum physics is so complex and has boggled the brains of scientists for years is that humans have limited experience with these teeny tiny objects in their day-to-day lives. These objects are always around us; however, they cannot be seen without the help of powerful microscopes and other science instruments.
The discovery made about waves and particles demonstrates how wonky and complex quantum physics really is! Physicists, the scientists who study quantum physics, discovered that everything in the universe behaves like both a particle and a wave. This concept revealed one of the most powerful ideas in the world of quantum physics. Here's why:
- Particles are small pieces of matter. For example, a piece of a rock is a particle.
- Water, sound, and light are all made of waves.
Ocean waves and rocks don't really seem to have anything in common, and scientists never thought to classify them together until Albert Einstein expanded upon the work of another scientist named Max Planck. During the early 1900s, most people believed light traveled in waves; however, Einstein discovered light is actually a flow of photons.
Waves are very different from photons because photons are individual particles that look like little marbles, and waves are long, curvy lines. This big discovery (or, should I say, very small discovery, since we are discussing quantum physics) demonstrated that if particles act as waves, then they do not have an exact position. This idea also makes it difficult to know how fast the particles move. Einstein's findings opened the door for more research and changed the way humans think.
Another scientist, an Austrian named Schrödinger, is famous for an experiment he never actually did. Rather, he asked a question: ''What would happen if a cat was placed in a closed box with something that had a fifty percent chance of killing it within an hour?'' Remember, he didn't actually do this experiment. Instead, he wanted to know what state of matter the cat would be in. He concluded:
- Just before the box is opened, the cat is in two states: equally alive and dead.
- One state of matter is only present when the box is opened.
- His experiment claims the experiment is ruined by the observer opening the box.
The purpose of his experiment was to prove that large objects should not be thought of in tiny quantum states because you end up with ridiculous results, like a cat that's dead and alive at the same time.
In this lesson, we learned everything that takes up space is called matter and the smallest unit of matter is an atom. Quantum physics investigates the behavior of matter and atoms. Two important facts were also discussed:
- Schrödinger showed that experiments do not work when combining large objects with quantum objects.
- Einstein proved photons travel as both particles and waves.
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I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline. | https://study.com/academy/lesson/quantum-physics-lesson-for-kids-explanation-facts.html | 908 | Religion | 4 | en | 0.999992 |
Canoes glide through the black, stinking water as children run along an overhead maze of precarious walkways through Makoko, a growing slum on stilts in Nigeria’s sprawling commercial capital, Lagos.
Many of the original residents of Makoko are fishermen attracted from across the region to hopes of a better life in Nigeria, West Africa’s oil-rich economic powerhouse. But life is tougher than they had imagined.
“I moved here to fish, to set up a business,” said Martins Oke, in his 70s, who left his village on the Benin border when he was a small boy. “But some days I don’t even catch a single fish.”
Many Makoko residents have been here for generations, losing touch with family back home. Pride stops others from returning to their communities empty handed.
Despite the hardship, every year more and more people come to Lagos.
It is already one of the world’s mega-cities – a crime-ridden, seething mass of some 15 million people crammed into the steamy lagoons of southwest Nigeria. Two out of three Lagos residents live in a slum with no reliable access to clean drinking water, electricity, waste disposal - even roads.
As the city population swells by up to eight percent every year, the slums and their associated problems are growing. The government estimates that Lagos will have expanded to 25 million residents by 2015.
“By 2015 Lagos will be the third largest city in the world but it has less infrastructure than any of the world’s other largest cities,” said Francisco Bolaji Abosede, Lagos Commissioner for Town Planning and Urbanisation.
Abosede is keen to emphasise that his is not a political appointment – a euphemism for corruption. His desk is piled high with maps and proposals for new developments and regeneration projects for Lagos Island – the city’s central business district.
A world away
Sunday Merunu rarely ventures from his stilt-home in Makoko into downtown Lagos, although he can see it from where he sits amongst his fishing nets.
Merunu shares a two-room shack with three other adults and eight children. The family buys water by the bucket for drinking, cooking and bathing. Like the estimated 15,000 other residents of Makoko, all the family’s waste and raw sewage go directly into the inky water beneath their homes.
Merunu’s house has a couple of light bulbs and even a television, but electricity supply by the state power company, NEPA, is at best erratic and most nights the family has only kerosene lamps for light.
“We spend 20 naira [15 cents] to buy water every couple of days and divide the electricity bill between a few families,” said Merunu. “There isn’t enough money left over to send the kids to school.”
The World Bank has identified nine of Lagos’ largest slums, Agege, Ajegunle, Amukoko, Badia, Bariga, Ijeshatedo/Itire, Ilaje, Iwaya and Makoko, for upgrading with a US $200 million loan to improve drainage and solid waste management.
An estimated one million people will benefit from the loan, which is the largest single project backed by the World Bank in Nigeria.
Since President Olusegun Obasanjo’s elected government came to power in 1999, ending 15 years of military rule, millions of dollars have been spent on urban regeneration and projects aimed at reducing crime, but results have been poor.
Security forces rarely venture into Makoko, except perhaps for the occasional demolition of shanty houses. Instead, security is provided by “Area Boys”, self-styled vigilante groups made up of unemployed young men that defend their territory with threats and often violence.
Corruption at the root
Like the Area Boys, at every level of society in Lagos someone is looking to make their levy.
Nigeria is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to international NGO Transparency International. Since independence in 1960, billions of dollars of Nigeria’s oil revenue have been siphoned from state and government coffers into Swiss bank accounts of the country’s rulers.
Nigeria’s rampant corruption and lack of enforced regulations have enabled buildings to go up unchecked – only 30 percent of houses in the city have an approved building plan.
The Ebute-Metta area of Lagos is a short drive inland from Makoko. New buildings are falling down almost as fast as they are going up. Poor workmanship and corrupt inspectors means that buildings less than five years old are collapsing, sometimes crushing to death whole families inside.
“We had noticed the cracks in the walls, but we never thought it would collapse,” said Debola Igbosanmi, who had a shop on the ground floor of 71 Bola Street before it caved in without warning in mid-July, killing about 20 people.
According to Abosede at the Lagos Town Planning office, 199 buildings in Ebute-Metta alone have been identified for testing for poor workmanship. Many still have people living inside.
Abosede says his office is cracking down on corruption. It’s a crusade that President Obasanjo says he is spearheading since taking up office nearly eight years ago. Although Obasanjo has won praise overseas for his anti-corruption drive, his critics say that the president has used his Anti-Corruption Bill only against his opponents.
In August, the woman at the forefront of his government’s anti-graft campaign, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, quit as foreign minister after being relieved as finance minister in June. This was evidence, critics said, that she had been a little too good at her job.
Okonjo-Iweala led negotiations that resulted in Africa’s biggest debt write-off of US $18 billion. She also initiated reforms which saved Nigeria US $500 million by forcing the renegotiation of contracts that had already been awarded.
But Okonjo-Iweala’s successes merely scratch the surface in a country where corruption is not just a government pursuit but has seeped into the very fabric of society.
Abutting Makoko is Iwaya, one of the oldest slum areas of Lagos. There, Chief Murtiala Aremu Oloko sits in this three-storey home rising out of the haphazard sprawl.
When asked to list the needs faced by his “subjects”, Oloko laughs, “It would take all day.” The problems are too numerous, ranging from healthcare shortages to schools shortages and more, he says.
When asked what he was doing as the traditional leader in Iwaya to help his people, Oloko didn’t pause: “That depends what they give me.”
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions | http://www.irinnews.org/news/2006/09/05/lagos-mega-city-slums | 1,532 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999752 |
Unification Of African Currencies Will Increase Its Local Value
Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa
Africans traded with one another before the arrival of the Europeans. Trade by barter was the world's most common form of exchanging goods and services, locally and across the seas. Cowries replaced trade by barter. Later, coins and gold replaced cowries. The way to strengthen African currency is to increase its buying power within our big population. What we are doing right now is weakening each African currency with euro and US dollar exchange to trade with one another.
Illogically, we are making foreign currencies our common currency. Once we have our one currency, there will be an adjustment period since some countries think their currencies are worth more in value. This is based on the amount their currencies presently exchange for in overseas markets. If Western and Eastern Germany had relied on that notion, there would have been no currency unification there. Currency by itself has no value, it is only when price is put on goods and materials that we come up with currency worth.
People forget that American dollars became the dominant world currency as a means of exchange because Europeans, their cousins and financial partners transfer the power from Pounds to their Dollar. Before then, we had to labor hard to get cowries as the means of exchange for our goods and services. After cornering African gold into their vaults but could not get enough to back their currencies, gold standard was abandoned.
Western world started printing pretty papers without gold backing and made it available worldwide in exchange for their Treasuries, Futures, goods and services. Devaluation worked so well for China, Western countries cried foul! Countries devalue their own currencies to boost demand for locally manufactured goods and services. Reducing the cost of a country’s exports makes them more competitive on a global scale as a member of a trading block.
Imports become more expensive, discouraging consumers with foreign tastes. While Western countries may weaken or devalue their currencies slightly to boost their exports, African countries have no artificial or finished goods that are allowed to enter their markets except cheap raw materials which are sold at the price foreigners dictate.
Even when President Obama was able to allow some African products into the market, AGOA regulations only allow a few in. Indeed, most of the food products allowed into their market rot before clearance. This creates double losses of depriving African exporters of income and limiting available food at home; setting local food prices higher and unaffordable to the poor.
If Africans are forced to purchase goods domestically at a lower price, the increase in domestic spending is supposed to stimulate money circulation within one’s own economy. As exports begin to increase with local production of finished manufactured goods and services, there African and foreign markets to sell into. Due to cheaper prices at home for domestic consumers and high imports prices, it ultimately decreases trade deficits. Unfortunately, a country that shunned its domestic production in preference for foreign imports burns itself from both ends. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/devaluation/
If African countries had unified currencies and traded with one another primarily before outsiders, it would have been more difficult to pick on each country one by one to destroy our economy. The Western countries are even going further into social issues that are not acceptable in their own countries, threatening economic sanction unless they dictate to Africans who they can marry. We have to ask Africans after colonization, religious and cultural conquests, where does it end?
It was many years ago when the Nigerian pound and naira were traded in African countries and overseas. The Nigerian Government had to change its money by a certain date to discourage selling naira overseas. The big boys hurriedly brought back their naira into the country for exchange to the new notes. Before then, there was a Civil War, Nigeria did not have to borrow its way through. When Naira was introduced in 1973, it remained one to a dollar and a half US dollars.
Foreigners branded pop culture from Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley to Michael Jackson; cars, clothing and ammunition. It worked so well, even Japan became rich on automobile exports. The Asians who Americans thought could not make luxury cars came out with Acura, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, and Genesis worldwide. These are exports trading in American dollars. When the American Auto Workers revolted against Japanese made cars, Japan started building automobile plants in the United States blurring the preference for local and imported cars!
Divide and rule is not a new phenomenon, it has always been used to disrupt and gain upper econonmic advantageous relationships. Individual African currencies are not the exception. Every country in Africa has been manipulated through its currency. The only sin Zimbabwe committed was demand that promises after promises be kept on land reforms. The Zimbabwe dollar has become almost useless. Developing countries should not float their currencies https://hal.science/hal-02432744
Awards bestowed on Mugabe to postpone land reform could no longer work unless Mugabe wanted to risk the anger of his people. It is obvious that Western and Asian countries have dominated the exports of finished goods in artificially manufacturing goods like plastics, used goods and garbage into African countries. This enabled the Western world to determine how much to pay by manipulating exchange rates that put African currencies at the lowest trading currencies in the world.
Until the early 70s Oil Embargo, Africans had no say in the determination of prices of overseas goods and materials since foreigners also determine the prices of our goods and materials which they buy cheaply at any price they want. Consequently, with foreign currencies the flow of trade is limited within Africa and exploded with countries overseas whose currencies we use.
Unfortunately, covenants of goodwill play a crucial role on how labor, goods and material are determined in disadvantageous relationships between stronger and weaker partners. Kwame Nkrumah had tried Cocoa Embargo well before the Arabs, but it failed because some African and South American gave up. Embargo worked when the Arabs with a few developing countries held on and were able to determine the price of their natural resources.
Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa | https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/323164/unification-of-african-currencies-will-increase-its-local-va.html | 1,267 | Sports | 2 | en | 0.999971 |
The peculiarity of the African continent qualifies it as a viable hub for Blockchain solutions.
Although lagging in most areas of development, the opportunity offered by Blockchain technology in its versatile form presents the continent with the opportunity to leapfrog several transitional processes and join its peers in the comity of states.
Africa needs Blockchain
Since Blockchain finds application in every system where data is managed, stored or transferred, solving the lingering developmental problems in Africa now appears to be an achievable task in the near future.
In order to achieve the numerous solutions made possible by the Blockchain, certain fundamental processes must be put in place as soon as possible, and this can only be achieved through proper education.
If there is any aspect of Blockchain development in Africa that must be taken very seriously, it is the knowledge acquisition/transfer.
A continental deficiency
The continent presently suffers from the lack of adequate education in several areas of development. Little wonder the rate at which citizens travel overseas to seek proper training and education even in conventional fields.
The absence of proper education is responsible for the wrong interpretation of concepts and innovations finding their ways into the continent. The blanket ban on Bitcoin, OneCoin and other Ponzi schemes by the Nigerian government a few months ago is an example of the consequence of inadequate knowledge.
In the above-mentioned scenario, the authorities hurriedly made a proclamation without understanding the difference between such concepts that they put in the same basket. However, after being criticized by indigenous users, the blanket ban was reversed and modalities put in place towards understanding the entire concept of digital currencies.
Hence, the current wave of educational programs and startups charged with the responsibility of bringing the continent up to pace in matters concerning Blockchain and decentralized technology is not a surprise.
Partnership with government
Prior to this time, we have seen organizations like the Cryptographic Development Initiative of Nigeria (CDIN) take on the responsibility of sensitizing participants within the crypto space and promoting the awareness of differentiating between genuine products and elements of fraud.
The organization also boasts of a strong representation in various departments where the Nigerian government is developing the functional environment for digital currencies and decentralized technology.
Also in its emerging stages is Blockchain startup Cryptogene. Comprised of experts from across the African continent, the startup claims to be on a mission to provide Blockchain-based solutions, especially for African countries seeking to create better integration and development using the plethora of advantages the Blockchain technology offers.
Cryptogene claims to work towards bringing cryptocurrency and Blockchain technology to the mainstream on the African continent through education, adoption and implementation.
The startup takes it a step further by creating a multi-platform hub for hands-on learning that supports cross-border interaction, usage and development of Blockchain tools for individual and organizational goals.
In March 2017, Johannesburg, South Africa hosted on of the biggest Blockchain events yet in the continent, a conference which featured Andreas Antonopoulos as keynote speaker. The conference also brought together a diverse range of local and international experts that discussed the challenges and exciting possibilities in innovation and disruption that can be leveraged in Africa using this Blockchain technology.
The litany of startups communities and events in Africa working towards Blockchain awareness and development can go on and on. The bottom line is that the continent appears set for the advantage of leapfrogging lost years of non-development by taking advantage of the prevailing global Blockchain disruption. | https://cointelegraph.com/news/africa-can-catch-up-by-implementing-blockchain | 687 | Education | 2 | en | 0.999952 |
SILVER SPRING, Md. — A drug already used to treat H.I.V. infection should also be approved to prevent it, an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. The recommendation is the first time that government advisers have advocated giving antiviral medicine to healthy people who might be exposed through sexual activity to the virus that causes AIDS.
One panelist called approving the drug “an amazing opportunity to turn the tide on this epidemic.”
Studies have shown that people who take the medicine, Truvada, every day have a greatly reduced risk of infection.
The F.D.A. usually accepts the advice of its advisory panels, which are made up of outside medical experts.
On Thursday, after evaluating studies of the once-a-day pill and hearing scientific presentations, the panel recommended that Truvada be prescribed for people at high risk of infection, like gay men who have multiple sex partners, especially those who do not always use condoms, and people in relationships with someone who is H.I.V.-positive. Young black men who have sex with other men are at highest risk. The drug would also be recommended for other high-risk people, like prostitutes.
The drug is meant not to replace condoms and other safe-sex measures, but to be used with them for added protection.
Experts say better methods of prevention are needed because there are 50,000 new H.I.V. infections a year in the United States. Several speakers emphasized Thursday that that number had not budged in 15 to 20 years. Counseling and condoms are not doing the job, they said, and many of the newly infected are men whose sexual partners do not realize they are H.I.V.-positive. | http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/health/policy/fda-panel-weighs-preventive-use-of-hiv-drug.html | 360 | Health | 2 | en | 0.99999 |
The Senate has called on government at the federal and state levels, as well as relevant Ministries and Agencies to sustain the immunization of infants and children in the country.
The call was made against the backdrop of a motion considered to commemorate the declaration of Nigeria as a polio virus free nation by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, 11th June, 2020.
The upper chamber while congratulating the Federal Government for the feat, urged the Federal Ministry of Health to adopt guidelines and other measures to prevent the transmission of polio into Nigeria by foreign tourists or Nigerian travelers.
Sponsor of the motion, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP – Enugu North) said, “the attainment of polio virus free status by Nigeria is historic and remarkable not only to Nigeria, but for the entire continent of Africa considering the contagious nature of the virus.
“This achievement also serves as a major boost to the realization of the goal of eradicating polio globally for good”
According to the lawmaker, “since 1998 when the World Health Organization first declared the polio virus a disease of international concern that must be eradicated by the year 2000, more than 350,000 children were reportedly paralyzed on account of the virus in more than 125 countries. As recent as 2012, Nigeria accounted for more than half of the reported cases globally.”
He added that, “Nigeria in the recent past successfully contained and defeated the dreaded Ebola virus and also moved on to contain the spread of Lassa fever and monkey pox.
“However, the recent declaration of Nigeria as a polio free nation calls for special tribute to health workers, health administrators and other stakeholders and further action such as immunization to forestall a reversal of this success”, Utazi said.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/07/polio-senate-wants-immunization-of-children-sustained/ | 383 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999958 |
A study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics has found that babies who were introduced to solid foods early slept longer, woke less frequently at night than those exclusively breastfed for around the first six months of life.
Researchers from King’s College London and St George’s University of London studied 1,303 exclusively breastfed three-month-olds from England and Wales and divided them into two groups.
One group was encouraged to exclusively breastfeed for around six months.
The second group, while continuing to breastfeed, was asked to introduce solid foods to their infants’ diet from the age of three months.
Parents completed online questionnaires every month until their baby was 12 months, and then every three months up to three years of age.
The questionnaires recorded the frequency of food consumption and included questions about breastfeeding frequency and duration, as well as questions about sleep duration.
A total of 94 per cent (1,225) of them completed the three-year questionnaire, among which 608 from the exclusive breastfeeding group, and 607 from the early introduction of food group.
The study found that infants in the group which had solids introduced early slept longer and woke less frequently than those infants that exclusively breastfeed to around six months of age.
Differences between the two groups peaked at six months, with the early introduction group sleeping for a
quarter of an hour (16.6 minutes) longer per night and their night waking frequency decreased from just over twice per night to 1.74.
Feedback about maternal wellbeing showed that sleep problems were reported less frequently in the group introducing solids before six months.
The results of this research support the widely held parental view that early introduction of solids improves sleep, said the paper’s lead author Gideon Lack with King’s College London.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/07/babies-fed-with-solids-early-sleep-longer-wake-less-frequently-study/ | 388 | Family | 3 | en | 0.999977 |
Gynaecologist urges women not to remove their pubic hair
A gynaecologist has urged women not to remove their pubic hair.
Dr Jen Gunter, author of The Vagina Bible, warned against waxing or shaving because it can cause “microscopic trauma” that can lead to infections.
While the purpose of pubic hair is somewhat of a mystery, going “au naturel” is necessary to protect the skin by acting as a barrier against the outside world.
Getting a Brazilian may also reduce sexual pleasure, with pubic hair being connected to nerve endings that might help arousal, Dr Gunter added.
Pubic hair “grooming” has almost become the norm, with many blaming the porn industry.
Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), asked more than 3,300 women about their downstairs grooming.
Of which, 83.8% claimed to wax, shave or epilate their pubic hair, with just 16.2% leaving it intact.
“Hygiene” was the most commonly reported reason (59%) for women removing their hair.
But Dr Gunter warns waxing, shaving or “sugaring” – mixing sugar, lemon juice and water to create a wax-like gel – may do more harm than good.
“You are causing microscopic trauma to the skin,” she told the BBC.
The gynaecologist added she sees women with cuts, grazes and even infections when hair removal goes awry.
“Pubic hair has a function, it is probably a mechanical barrier and protection for the skin,” she said.
“It may also have a role in sexual functioning because each pubic hair is attached to a nerve ending, that’s why it hurts to remove it.”
Why do we have pubic hair?
The role of pubic hair is not fully understood.
Most experts think it is involved in the release of pheromones, chemicals that trigger arousal.
Pheromones are thought to be “get trapped in pubic hair when glands release an odourless secretion on the skin that combines with bacteria decomposed by the secretion of (other) glands”, according to an expert from Columbia University in New York.
This produces a scent that varies from person-to-person.
Some studies suggest women are attracted to pheromones that differ significantly from their own because it suggests genetic diversity, the expert added.
Other theories as to pubic hair’s purpose include warmth or helping the vagina stay “clean”.
“Pubic hair prevents dirt and particles from entering the vagina,” the Columbian scientist reported.
Critics argue, however, if warmth was the reason, men would surely have more hair along their penis and around their scrotum.
The protection theory also falls short because men do not have similar cushioning around the opening of their urethra.
Humans are thought to have removed their hair as far back as prehistoric times.
“Tweezers” made of shells have even been found in ancient caves.
The Egyptians also reportedly associated body hair with uncleanliness.
Removing pubic hair may have some benefits, by protecting against body lice.
The tiny insects live on coarse human hair, like that found around the genitals, according to the NHS.
Find out about pubic lice, including what they look like, how you get them, symptoms, when to seek medical advic…
Body lice spread via skin-to-skin contact, usually sex.
As well as thriving on the genitals, the insects can also set up home on the armpits, legs, chest, abdomen, back, face, and even the eyebrows and eyelashes.
Basically, anywhere with hair, aside from the scalp.
These days, women are less likely to remove their pubic hair out of a fear of lice.
“The increased prevalence of pornography that depicts bare genitalia, popular magazines and television are primary drivers of the trend in the United States,” the UCSF scientists wrote in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
In their study, 875 women (31.5%) claimed they groomed their pubic hair because they felt it “made their genitals more attractive”.
And 586 (21.1%) said it is their “partner’s preference”.
Asked when they would remove their pubic hair, most (55.6%) said before sex.
This was followed by before a holiday (45.7%) and to prepare for a “healthcare professional visit” (40%).
For those who still want to go hair-free “down there”, Dr Gunter urges them to use a clean razor and shave in the direction of the hair.
Going “against the grain” increases the risk of ingrown hairs, which can become infected.
And for those who go for a wax, ensure the technician does not “double dip” the wooden sticks used.
This could spread bacteria between clients, Dr Gunter added. | https://thenationonlineng.net/gynaecologist-urges-women-not-to-remove-their-pubic-hair/amp/?__twitter_impression=true | 1,087 | Health | 2 | en | 0.99996 |
Kindly guide me based on the blood electrophoresis report.
Please suggest the future prognosis of a child with abnormal hemoglobin pattern.
Is my friend's beta thalassemia screening test normal?
My daughter has beta-thalassemia major. Will she be transfusion dependent?
Is it too risky for me to marry someone with sickle cell trait if I have beta thalassemia trait?
Kindly guide me about beta thalassemia.
Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries. | https://www.icliniq.com/qa/beta-thalassemia/is-it-too-risky-for-me-to-marry-someone-with-sickle-cell-trait-if-i-have-beta-thalassemia-trait | 189 | Family | 2 | en | 0.999924 |
BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE
SINCE 1953, exactly seven years before independence, which was consummated on October 1, 1960, Nigeria has been a haven for flurry of political and ethno-religious mayhem, which have claimed about 3.5million lives.
After the Kano riots of 1953 that claimed many lives, violence has become a recurring decimal in the country. If two or three of the estimated 400 ethnic groups are not on one another’s throats, members of the two dominant religions – Christians and Moslems would be slaying each other.
The first and perhaps the biggest threat to Nigeria’s unity came less than six years after independence following political crisis in the the then Western region. The crisis led to the first military coup, which later degenerated to a full-blown 30-month war between Nigeria and the Eastern region, which seceded and declared itself Republic of Biafra. The East lost the war after an estimated three million lives were lost on both sides and Nigeria as a united country was preserved.
Thereafter, the country did not cease to be a killing field. Self-determination pursuits did not also cease. We experienced the Maitatsine uprising of the early 80s. Between 2000 and 2001, the adoption of sharia law by 12 northern states led to a wave of violence during which about 2000 Nigerians were killed, a host of others were displaced and property worth billions of Naira were destroyed.
The once peaceful Jos, the capital of Plateau State became a beehive of mayhem. Scores of northern states are not immune to the recurring violence, which often target southerners, especially the Christian Igbo, who are prolific travelers and migrants.
In the late 90s, violence resurged in the Niger-Delta, a region that accounts for over 85 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign revenue through its huge petroleum and natural gas deposit. Militants protesting neglect and devastation of their area through oil exploitation held the country at the jugular as they insisted on self-determination or 100 per cent control of their resources.
It took the amnesty programme initiated by the Federal Government in 2009 for the militants for peace to return to the Niger-Delta. The amnesty programme is expected to end in 2015. There is fear that militancy may return if the political and socio-economic needs of the region are not met.
Already, there are subtle threats from Niger-Delta youths that if President Goodluck Jonathan is forcefully prevented from seeking a second term in office, they would end oil exploitation in the region. There has been a groundswell of opposition to Jonathan’s perceived second term ambition especially from a section of the North with ample support from some southern politicians.
Currently, the country is passing through another deleterious phase second only to the civil war. The Boko Haram insurgency that started in 2002 and blossomed in 2010 has rendered the Northeastern part of the country unsafe and socio-economically unstable. The sect’s murderous bomb attacks have been witnessed in many northern cities including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Suleja, etc, during which an estimated 10,000 lives have been snatched.
Last wednesday a car bomb exploded near a petroleum tank farm in Apapa, Lagos killing four persons and injuring scores of others. The explosion is suspected to be the handiwork of Boko Haram, which is against western education and wants full-blown sharia law introduced.
These demands are not acceptable to Christians and most of the ethnic groups drawn from all parts of the country especially in the South and this leads us to these questions: How can we end this bloodshed? Instead of remaining together in what is panning out as a deadly marriage conducted by the British in 1914 without the consent of the various tribes and ethnic groups, is it not better to go our separate ways in peace?
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/06/unceasing-bloodshed-nigeria-remain-united-part-peacefully/#sthash.RbUFJ1Xp.dpuf | 819 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999985 |
Which countries have a high power distance?
Examples of countries with high power distance include China (80), Mexico (81), Romania (90), Russia (93), and Malaysia (100). Additional examples include Slovakia (100), Panama (95), Guatemala (95), the Philippines (94), Serbia (86), Venezuela (81), Indonesia (78), Ecuador (78), and India (77).
Who is Hofstede and what did he do?
Hofstede is an organizational behavior expert who developed the cultural dimensions theory, which identifies six dimensions that every culture exhibits. His theory set the foundation for further study into cultural norms and values.
What is an example of high power distance?
An example of a culture with high power distance is one within which a small group of people retains all the power. The remaining population accepts that they have little to no power over decision-making.
What is power distance? The power distance definition is used to identify the distribution of power among individuals within a culture and how well unequal levels of power are accepted by those with less power. Cultures exist at many levels within a society and can encompass large numbers of people, such as our global culture, and small numbers of people, such as the culture within a family. Whether large or small, the culture will always have some level of power distance. The distribution of power is determined by the leaders and the acceptance of that power distribution by the population determines the power distance of that culture.
The concept of power distance was first identified by Geert Hofstede, a social psychologist and an expert in organizational behavior, as part of his cultural dimension theory. Hofstede began developing this theory while he was working as a personnel researcher at IBM International in the 1960s. Through his research, he found cultural variations within IBM, primarily based on the countries in which the employees lived. Those variations were around four dimensions: power distance, individualism vs collectivism, masculinity vs femininity, and uncertainty avoidance. Hofstede continued to study these cultural variations both within and outside of IBM throughout the 1970s. He worked diligently to publish the results of his studies on cultural dimensions and share his theory with the rest of the world, but it was considered taboo and was rejected by most publishers. However, in 1980, Hofstede was finally able to publish the cultural dimension theory in his book, Culture's Consequences.
Throughout the years following the publication of Culture's Consequences, researchers (including Geert Hofstede and his son, Gert Jan Hofstede) continued to study cultural variabilities. These studies led to the identification of two additional cultural dimensions: short-term versus long-term orientation and indulgence versus restraint.
Hofstede's theory set a solid foundation for understanding how individuals interact with each other within their culture and with others outside their culture. The cultural dimension theory can be used to identify differences between national, regional, and local cultures. At the same time, it helps when identifying or building organizational cultures. Identifying power distance is important when working with external organizations, particularly at the global level. It can help one to understand the proper channels for communication and authorization. When establishing an organizational culture, one must ensure alignment between the organizational values and the expected power distance. For example, setting "innovation" as a corporate value within a high power distance culture may lead to ineffective results.
While one can sometimes gauge the power distance within a culture through observation, it can be officially measured through a questionnaire called the power distance index. The results from the index identify numerically how accepting the culture's population is of unequal levels of power. The index ranges from zero to 100. A culture with a score on the lower side of the index is called a low power distance culture. Similarly, a culture with a score on the higher side of the index is called a high power distance culture.
High Power Distance
High power distance can be found in a culture with a significant inequality of power that is accepted by (and sometimes even encouraged by) the culture's general population. According to Hofstede's power distance index, from a national perspective, countries like China (80), Mexico (81), Romania (90), Russia (93), and Malaysia (100) have a high power distance. In these countries, it is generally found that the power resides with a small number of people compared to the overall population. However, remember, this does not mean that the general population within the culture is averse to their lack of power. Additionally, Hofstede found that the high power distance that resides in the country's culture translated to the organizational culture within which the individuals worked, impacting the way they interacted with their managers.
Understanding high power distance as a concept can lead one to identify traits of organizations with a high power distance culture. Within this culture, employees maintain a sense of respect for people in positions of power, solely because they are in positions of power. They accept autocratic work environments, in which they passively complete the work given to them by their superiors. They are not encouraged to work autonomously, but instead, are encouraged to work heteronomously. Authority is not questioned, and loyalty to the organization and its leaders is paramount. Communication generally flows one way; from the top of the hierarchy downward. Upward movement within an organization does not happen as easily (and may be less desired by employees) when there is a high power distance.
Low Power Distance
A culture with low power distance tends to have power distributed more equally amongst its population. Within this culture, individuals expect a more democratic society, where everyone has a voice and can participate in the decision-making process. Nationally, Hofstede identified Austria (11), Norway (31), Sweden (31), Great Britain (35), Australia (38), Canada (39), and the United States (40) as countries with low power distance. All of these countries have a form of government in which the citizens vote for their leadership, indicating that the population has a voice. Within a low power distance culture, conflicts would erupt if the leadership tried to reduce the equality of power distribution.
Organizations with low power distance may exhibit traits such as a flatter hierarchal structure, communication flowing in all directions, and managers who encourage participation among their teams. Leaders in these organizations often seek out feedback from their employees, particularly to gauge their satisfaction with their work environments. They may also seek suggestions from employees on how to improve business processes. Employees are actively involved in decision-making in terms of the work they do and the teams on which they participate. They expect a certain breadth of freedom within their work and are willing to leave a department or an organization if they are not given that freedom, leading to higher levels of employee turnover in low power distance cultures. The importance of human resource departments becomes greater in low power distance organizations as they liaison between management and employees to ensure laws are followed correctly and conflict within the manager/employee relationship is handled effectively. A low power distance culture is more likely to see labor unions within the workforce.
While power distance is often discussed at the national level and then translated to the organizational level, it is also visible at the work team level. When people from cultures with high power distance join organizations with cultures of low power distance, problems will ensue. A power distance example is if someone is part of a work team that is creating a new product for their organization. The team has worked well together over the past six months, with an equal distribution of power amongst the members. The organization recently hired a new vice president who was most recently the director of product innovation at a large, international organization and held that position for a little over a year. This vice president is now in charge of the team. They come into the organization with a plan for improving the product innovation process. They immediately halt the current process and tell all members of the team to start using the new process. The new process requires that all decisions are funneled through them. They must approve all communication going out to other teams in the organization and require that all official communication comes only from them. They identify one team member as their right-hand person and then re-organize the workload of the team. They discourage feedback from their team members and discipline those who try to speak up. Eventually, members of the team who are not willing to transition into a high power distance work culture will leave the team and potentially the organization.
Looking at this example from the opposite viewpoint, where the workgroup functioned with one leader who distributed work to all group members. Each employee completed the work with no questions asked. The group members did not participate in the decision-making and had little say over what they worked on, but they were a productive workgroup. The leader was moved to a different workgroup and a new leader was brought in. This leader held meetings with all employees, asking for ideas and input on how to improve work processes. The employees refused to suggest ideas and didn't engage in the meetings. The group leader became frustrated that the group members expected them to make all of the decisions and accepted no accountability for how the work was done. The employees became frustrated that they were being asked to work in a way that was outside of their traditional work culture. The group's productivity slowed down. Eventually, the leader realized they must either adjust to the desired distribution of power within the work culture or seek work with a different group.
Power distance is one of six cultural dimensions within the cultural dimension theory, originally developed by Geert Hofstede, social psychologist, and organizational behavior expert; the five other dimensions are individualism vs collectivism, masculinity vs femininity, uncertainty avoidance, short-term versus long-term orientation, and indulgence versus restraint. Power distance is a measure of how accepting individuals are of the power distribution within a culture, and from an organizational standpoint, it impacts the way employees view power relationships within the organization. Understanding power distance is important for managers and employees who work with people from cultures different from their own.
A culture's power distance is measured using the power distance index, which identifies the culture as either high power distance or low power distance. A high power distance culture is one in which individuals acknowledge an unequal distribution of power. Within organizations, employees understand and accept that their superiors hold the power within the relationship. Employees respect authority based solely on a person's position. A low power distance culture is one in which individuals expect an equal distribution of power. Within organizations, employees expect to participate in decision-making and assume an equal level of power as their leaders. Employees tend to view leaders more as consultants than as directors of their work.
Definition of Power Distance
Power distance is a term that describes how people belonging to a specific culture view power relationships - superior/subordinate relationships - between people, including the degree that people not in power accept that power is spread unequally.
Individuals in cultures demonstrating a high power distance are very deferential to figures of authority and generally accept an unequal distribution of power, while individuals in cultures demonstrating a low power distance readily question authority and expect to participate in decisions that affect them.
Power distance is one of the dimensions of Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory. The other dimensions include individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance index, and long-term orientation.
Hofstede & Importance of Power Distance
Geert Hofstede was a Dutch social psychologist who focused his work on the study of cultures across nations. He has published books on culture entitled Culture's Consequence (1980) and Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind (1991). His original study of cultural dimensions involved a study of IBM employees from across the world that formed the basis of his cultural dimensions theory. He's important because he helped introduce the idea of cultural differences between people in the business context. Understanding the differences in cultures is becoming ever more important as we continue to become an integrated global economy.
Specifically, how one views power relationships will affect how that person will act in business negotiations, as managers, and as employees. Using a low power distance management or negotiation approach on someone accustomed to a high power distance viewpoint may very well backfire and be counter-productive. The reverse is also true.
Power distance is based upon answers to a questionnaire filled out by business employees in each country. A score can range from 1 to 100. A score of greater than seventy is considered being high, and a score below forty is considered low. For example, the United States scored at forty, which is considered a low score for power distance, while Guatemala scored an amazing ninety-five, indicating a very high score for power distance.
Key Concepts of Power Distance
You can generally divide power distance into high power distance and low power distance. If you belong to a culture displaying high power distance, you will tend to view power as a reality of life and believe everyone has a specific place in the hierarchy of power. You will expect that power will be distributed unequally. You will more easily accept autocratic and paternalistic power relations. If you are a subordinate, you simply acknowledge the power of your superior based merely upon their relative position in the hierarchy of authority. You follow a leader because that is their social position in the family, business, or government. Orders are seldom questioned and are followed simply because your role in the hierarchy is to follow orders.
On the other hand, if you belong to a culture that demonstrates a low power distance, you will have other traits. You will expect power relationships to be participatory, democratic, and consultative. You view your leader as an equal, regardless of his or her formal position or title. You feel you have the right to participate in decision-making and are not afraid to state as such. If you are an American, you probably demonstrate low power distance. You believe you have a right to participate in political and work decisions. Leaders exist to guide and help you, not to order you around. Respect for leaders is earned by leaders rather than an entitlement by right of office or position.
Example of Power Distance
Let's say you are an American citizen working for a multinational company that has just transferred you to a production facility in Guatemala. You are used to treating your employees as relative equals and seeking their participation and thoughts in work matters directly affecting them. You are personable and informal with your employees. Upon moving to Guatemala, you quickly discover that your management techniques do not work and you cannot gain the respect of your workers.
After work, you and a fellow manager head over to the local bar and you ask for some advice since he's been at the facility for a couple of years and appears to be successful. You begin to explain your management approach, but your colleague interrupts you, seeing the problem immediately. He explains to you that your workers expect you to have power over them and expect you to use it. They expect you to give orders to be followed. They are confused by your attempts to be informal and to allow them to participate. Such actions don't match their cultural view of power relations and have caused them to question your authority because you are not acting like a person with authority. You need to adjust the way you manage your new employees in light of the cultural differences.
Power distance is one of five cultural dimensions developed by Geert Hofstede. It basically measures how a culture views power relationships between people.
Cultures demonstrating high power distance view power as distributed unevenly, according to a hierarchy of authority. Individuals in this culture will tend to accept authoritative or paternalistic power structures.
Cultures demonstrating low power distance will tend to view power as a participatory, democratic, or consultative process. Individuals view leaders as equals regardless of formal positions and may expect the right to participate in decision-making.
Hofstede's Power Distance Key Points
- Power Distance: Developed by Geert Hofstede, this describes how a culture views the power relationships around them
- High Power Distance: Uneven distribution of power in a hierarchy of authority
- Low Power Distance: Sees the world as democratic and leaders are equals
Students who complete this lesson should be able to:
- Describe how Geert Hofstede developed his philosophy of power distance
- Define the high power and low power concepts of distance
- Recall examples that represent each type of Hofstede's power distance
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I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline. | http://study.com/academy/lesson/hofstedes-power-distance-definition-examples-quiz.html | 3,432 | Politics | 3 | en | 0.99999 |
A-29 Super Tucano – A Force Multiplier in COIN
Air power cannot win wars. But without it, land forces rarely prevail. This was true for Allied forces in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and, of course, the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It is equally true for today’s struggle against insurgents and terrorist groups such as ISIS, al Qaeda, and Boko Haram.
Counterinsurgency warfare requires a different complement of aerial platforms than is the case for major conflicts between modern states. Coalition air forces are not required to seize control of the air in the face of hostile fighters and advanced ground-based air defenses. Thus, they can concentrate on missions that support ground operations: intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), close air support, battlefield interdiction and pilot training. Modern, high-performance aircraft such as F-15, F16 and F18 fighters, B-1 bombers, and EA-18G electronic warfare planes have performed extremely well in Iraq and Afghanistan. But so too have relatively simple platforms including unmanned aerial systems.
The explosion of jihadist insurgencies across Africa, the Middle East and Asia has created an almost insatiable demand for airborne ISR and close air support. The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have conducted tens of thousands of sorties in the battle against ISIS in Iraq and Syria alone. But there is only so much air support that the U.S. and its Western allies can provide to multiple counterinsurgency conflicts. Moreover, in countries where the U.S. cannot operate, their own militaries need to acquire aerial capabilities. Most Western combat aircraft are too expensive and complex for many countries fighting insurgencies to acquire, operate and maintain. Counterinsurgency air missions generally require aircraft to operate low, slow and for protracted periods of time.
After the conclusion of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the U.S. Air Force recognized the need to rebuild an Afghan Air Force (AAF) and provide it with combat aircraft suited to both that country’s operational environment and its limited financial, technical and human resources. Since it was anticipated that the U.S. and its coalition partners would one day leave the country, whatever aircraft the AAF acquired would have to be ones they could operate and sustain with indigenous resources. The U.S. Air Force defined a requirement for a light air support (LAS) platform that could provide the Afghan military with reliable close air support, convoy escort, reconnaissance, and training.
Based on a competitive procurement, in 2013 the U.S. Air Force awarded the LAS contract to a team headed by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) for the A-29 Super Tucano. Based on the proven Embraer aircraft, the A-29 is a relatively simple, sturdy, propeller-driven aircraft, able to operate from austere airfields. However, the LAS is equipped with advanced electro-optical sensors, modern avionics, a laser target designator, a 20mm cannon, two 12.7mm machine guns and the ability to carry a wide variety of munitions including precision-guided ordinance. One of the most effective weapons is BAE’s Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System, a 70mm laser-guided rocket with a three-foot miss distance. The Sierra Nevada/Embraer team also is providing training for Afghan pilots and mechanics, mission planning stations, mission debrief systems, long lead spares, Afghanistan base activation, site surveys and flight certification support.
The A-29 first began operating in Afghanistan in 2016. Twelve aircraft have been delivered, seven are in the U.S. for training, and another six will be provided to the AAF by 2018. Over the past eighteen months, the LAS have conducted hundreds of missions across the country including at high altitudes and in regions with extreme temperatures. Afghan maintainers, trained in the U.S, have demonstrated a growing ability to support a high operational tempo. It is likely that over time additional aircraft will be bought in order to allow the AAF to provide air support throughout Afghanistan.
The capabilities the A-29 provides has drawn the attention of other nations facing similar challenges from terrorist organizations, as well as the need to surveil and secure long land borders. The U.S. government has agreed to sell six Super Tucanos to Lebanon which is dealing with a number of threats to its security. Recently, the U.S. government approved Nigeria’s request for twelve A-29s. This country is in a deadly struggle with one of the most vicious ISIS-affiliated groups, Boko Haram, but lacks the appropriate aircraft to conduct ground attack/ISR operations over the heavily forested terrain in which the terrorist group operates. With its advanced sensors and laser designator, the A-29 will enable the Nigerian Air Force to conduct precise close air support strikes in populated areas while reducing the risk of collateral damage. The A-29 is the perfect aircraft for Nigeria.
While attention has naturally been focused on the A-29’s abilities for weapons delivery, it is equally useful as an ISR platform. The LAS is currently deployed with a turret mounting sophisticated electro-optical/infrared sensors and a laser designator. SNC has been developing additional options for the A-29’s avionics and sensor suites. With its ability to operate from austere airfields and in a wide range of environmental conditions, the A-29 is well suited to the border security mission. There are many countries dealing with long, porous borders that would find the A-29 a useful addition to their national security capabilities.
The A-29’s growing popularity reflects the fundamental soundness of the aircraft itself and the value provided by its various electronics and sensor systems. Nations acquiring the SNC/Embraer variant of the Super Tucano get a cost-effective and versatile aircraft that can support a wide variety of missions. Based on its performance in Afghanistan, it is likely that other countries battling insurgents and terrorists will want to take a serious look at the A-29.
Daniel Gouré, Ph.D., is a vice president at the public-policy research think tank Lexington Institute. Goure has a background in the public sector and U.S. federal government, most recently serving as a member of the 2001 Department of Defense Transition Team. | https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2017/09/07/a-29_super_tucano__a_force_multiplier_in_coin_112245.html | 1,309 | Politics | 3 | en | 0.999994 |
Ask yourself these questions before reading further!
You discovered one of your siblings, children, relatives or family member always act feminin. Would you because of that hate the person? hurt the person or kill the person because of feminism? The same way you love them, kindly spread the love to the ones you're not blood realated with and protect them.
What Is Feminism Behavior In Male?
The behavior you're referring to is often described as gender nonconformity or gender atypical behavior in children, where a male child may exhibit interests, behaviors, or preferences that are typically associated with females. This can include playing with toys stereotypically associated with girls, preferring activities traditionally considered feminine, or expressing a gender identity that differs from their assigned sex at birth.
There is ongoing research into the causes of gender nonconformity in children, and it is likely influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors:
There is some evidence to suggest that genetic factors may play a role in gender identity and expression. For instance, studies have shown that certain genetic variations may influence behaviors that are more typically associated with one gender over another. Genetics can influence personality traits such as empathy, aggression, openness to new experiences, and conscientiousness. These traits can affect an individual's susceptibility to feminist ideals:
- Empathy and Compassion: Genetic predispositions toward higher empathy and compassion may make male children more receptive to feminist ideas, which often emphasize understanding and supporting others, particularly marginalized groups.
- Aggression and Dominance: Lower genetic predisposition to aggression and dominance might correlate with a higher likelihood of embracing egalitarian views, as these traits can be antithetical to feminist principles that advocate for equality and non-violence.
Prenatal hormone exposure is thought to have a significant impact on gender identity and behavior. The levels of androgens (male hormones like testosterone) that a fetus is exposed to can affect brain development in ways that influence gender-related behaviors. Conditions like Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), which involves higher levels of androgens in genetic females, have shown that hormonal exposure can lead to behaviors that are more typically associated with males.
Brain Structure and Function
Neuroimaging studies have identified differences in brain structures and functions that correlate with gender identity and expression. For example, some research suggests that the brain structures of transgender individuals more closely resemble the brain structures of the gender they identify with rather than their biological sex.
Psychological and Social Factors
1. Gender Socialization
Children learn gender roles and behaviors from their environment, including parents, peers, and media. If a child is encouraged or permitted to explore behaviors typically associated with the opposite gender, they may adopt these behaviors more readily.
Parental attitudes and behaviors play a significant role. Children who grow up in environments where non-traditional gender behaviors are accepted may feel more comfortable expressing these behaviors.
2. Cognitive Development
As children grow, they develop their own sense of identity, which includes gender identity. This process involves integrating information from their surroundings and their internal experiences. Some children may explore a wide range of behaviors before settling into a gender identity that feels most authentic to them.
3. Peer Influence
Peer groups can significantly impact a child’s behavior. Acceptance or rejection by peers can either reinforce or discourage certain gender-related behaviors.
4. Individual Temperament
Children have unique temperaments that influence their preferences and behaviors. Some may naturally gravitate towards activities and behaviors typically associated with the opposite gender due to their individual interests and personality traits.
The reasons why some male children might exhibit behaviors more commonly associated with females are multi-faceted, involving genetic, hormonal, neurological, psychological, and social factors. It’s important to recognize that gender expression is diverse and that behaviors typically associated with one gender or another are part of a broad spectrum of normal human behavior. Understanding and supporting children in their exploration of gender can help foster healthy development and self-esteem.
Traumatization refers to the process or state of experiencing or being affected by trauma. Trauma can result from events or circumstances that are extremely stressful, frightening, or harmful, and it can have profound and lasting impacts on an individual’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Key aspects of traumatization include:
1. Exposure to Traumatic Events: This can include a wide range of experiences such as physical or sexual abuse, natural disasters, accidents, war, violence, or witnessing a traumatic event.
2. Psychological Impact: Traumatization often leads to psychological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts. It can also result in emotional numbness, detachment, and a persistent sense of fear or helplessness.
3. Physical Responses: Trauma can trigger a range of physical reactions including hyperarousal (heightened state of alertness), changes in sleep patterns, appetite disturbances, and various stress-related physical symptoms like headaches or stomach problems.
4. Behavioral Changes: Individuals who have been traumatized may exhibit changes in behavior, such as increased irritability, aggression, withdrawal from social activities, or engaging in risky behaviors.
5. Impact on Functioning: Traumatization can affect an individual's ability to function in daily life, including their performance at work or school, relationships with others, and overall quality of life.
6. Long-Term Effects: In some cases, traumatization can lead to long-term conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which involves chronic symptoms of re-experiencing the trauma, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, negative changes in thoughts and mood, and heightened arousal and reactivity.
Overall, traumatization is a complex process that affects individuals differently, and its impact can vary widely depending on various factors such as the nature of the traumatic event, the individual's previous experiences, resilience, and available support systems.
In Male Feminism;
When male children exhibit behaviors traditionally associated with females, they may face various forms of trauma stemming from societal expectations and attitudes toward gender roles. Here’s an overview of the potential sources of trauma, the natural aspects of gender expression, and possible solutions to support these children:
Sources of Trauma
Social Stigma and Bullying
- Rejection by Peers: Children who deviate from traditional gender norms often face bullying, teasing, and exclusion from their peers, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
- Discrimination: They may experience discrimination in social settings, such as school, sports teams, and extracurricular activities, where rigid gender roles are enforced.
- Lack of Support: Some families may struggle to accept their child's non-conforming gender behavior, leading to negative reactions ranging from subtle disapproval to outright rejection.
- Pressure to Conform: Parents or caregivers may pressure the child to conform to traditional gender expectations, causing internal conflict and stress.
Internalized Shame and Low Self-Esteem
- Internal Conflict: The child may internalize negative messages about their behavior, leading to feelings of shame, guilt, and confusion about their identity.
- Mental Health Issues: Prolonged exposure to stigma and rejection can result in anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.
- Rigid School Policies: Schools and other institutions may have policies that do not accommodate gender non-conforming behaviors, leading to further marginalization.
- Lack of Representation: Media and cultural representation that adheres strictly to traditional gender roles can make it difficult for children to see themselves positively reflected in society.
Natural Aspects of Gender Expression
- Diverse Expressions: Gender expression exists on a spectrum, and it is natural for some individuals to exhibit behaviors that are traditionally associated with the opposite gender.
- Individual Differences: Just as interests and talents vary among children, so do their preferences for certain types of play, dress, and activities, irrespective of gender.
- Normal Exploration: It is normal for children to explore different gender roles as part of their developmental process. This exploration helps them understand their own identities and the world around them.
Solutions and Support Strategies
Creating Supportive Environments
- Parental Support: Parents and caregivers should provide unconditional love and support, affirming the child’s interests and behaviors. Open communication and education about gender diversity can foster a supportive home environment.
- Inclusive Education: Schools should implement policies and curricula that promote diversity and inclusion, ensuring that all children feel safe and valued.
- Positive Reinforcement: Encourage and celebrate the child’s unique qualities and interests. Help them build confidence in their identity.
- Role Models and Representation: Expose children to diverse role models and positive representations of gender diversity in media and literature.
Mental Health Support
- Therapeutic Support: Access to counselors or therapists who specialize in gender issues can provide a safe space for children to express themselves and address any trauma they may experience.
- Peer Support Groups: Connecting with other children who have similar experiences can provide a sense of community and reduce feelings of isolation.
Educational Programs for Parents and Educators
- Workshops and Training: Programs aimed at educating parents, teachers, and caregivers about gender diversity can promote understanding and reduce prejudice.
- Advocacy and Awareness: Advocating for broader societal acceptance and legal protections for gender non-conforming individuals can help create a more inclusive society.
Addressing the trauma faced by male children who exhibit traditionally female behaviors involves creating a supportive and understanding environment both at home and in broader society. Recognizing that gender expression is a natural and diverse aspect of human identity is crucial. By providing unconditional support, promoting inclusive policies, and ensuring access to mental health resources, we can help these children thrive and develop a healthy sense of self.
Learn to love, motivate and not to oppress the less priviledge!!!
About the Creator
As a Nigerian author, My pen wields the power to transport readers into vibrant landscapes rich with culture, tradition, and human complexity. With a keen eye for detail and a heart that beats to the rhythm of my homeland Nigeria | https://vocal.media/pride/is-feminism-in-male-natural | 2,069 | Health | 4 | en | 0.999865 |
Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with skyrocketing inflation, a national currency in free-fall and millions of people struggling to buy food. Only two years ago Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria is projected to drop to fourth place this year.
The pain is widespread. Unions strike to protest salaries of around $20 a month. People die in stampedes, desperate for free sacks of rice. Hospitals are overrun with women wracked by spasms from calcium deficiencies.
The crisis is largely believed to be rooted in two major changes implemented by a president elected 15 months ago: the partial removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the currency, which together have caused major price rises.
A nation of entrepreneurs, Nigeria’s more than 200 million citizens are skilled at managing in tough circumstances, without the services states usually provide. They generate their own electricity and source their own water. They take up arms and defend their communities when the armed forces cannot. They negotiate with kidnappers when family members are abducted.
But right now, their resourcefulness is being stretched to the limit.
No Money for Milk
On a recent morning in a corner of the biggest emergency room in northern Nigeria, three women were convulsing in painful spasms, unable to speak. Each year, the E.R. at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city, received one or two cases of hypocalcemia caused by malnutrition, said Salisu Garba, a kindly health worker who hurried from bed to bed, ward to ward. | https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/11/world/africa/nigeria-economy-strike.html | 329 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999989 |
The most objective way to tell the history of a people or ethnic group like the Bini is to look at historiography from their perspective. In other words, in light most favorable to them: in Jacob Egharevba Ekhere vb' Itan Edo. No historian could have worked harder on Bini. Despite Jacob’s effort from the 1st to the 4th Edition of his books. The facts that Ogiso and Oba Dynasties came from Ile-Ife, never changed. Adumu as common ancestor of Ijaw, Edo and Yoruba was revealed!
It was Adumu/Oduduwa’s folks, today’s Ijaw, Edo and Yoruba progenitor that intermarried with autochthonous Ooyelagbo in Ile-Ife, Efa in Bini and Oru in Delta. The relationship between Ile-Ife, near Nupe then, and Bini heralded the Oduduwa or Adumu Dynasty in Ile-Ife. Casting away myths or fantastic stories substituted with archaeology and other scientific facts as radiocarbon dated burial of Ogiso body parts in Ife, it became clear that both dynasties came from Ile-Ife.
When the Ujo or Ijaw left Ile-Ife, Adumu or Oduduwa had established over the autochthonous Ugbo or Ooyelagbo. Adumu/Adimu/Oduduwa as a “multiracial” of Ugbo and Tapa from Nupe area and certainly had the blood of Ooyelagbo to rule. This was depicted in the power struggle between Adumu and Obatala descendants. It suffices to understand that the mythical Adumu existed well before Christ compared to his recent descendants in Bini, Ijaw and Yoruba history.
It boils down to waves of migration from Sudan north and south, the builders of Egypt mixed with autochthonous Rain Forest people that claimed they never migrated from anywhere but were created on their land. So it is the Bantu that mixed with autochthonous Nri Ibo/Igbo Oru, Osu claiming they never left their land or had no king. Just as Ugbo/Ooyelagbo in Ife and Efa in Bini. There is a distinction between Oba or Obi ruling class and land owners they intermarried.
Ijaw like others, mixed and left many lands of Kumoni, Efa in Edo to Bantu, Osu in Delta regions before the 2nd Dynasty of Oba from Ugbo Ile-Ife to Edo. Urhobo and Ijaw had left Aka (Edo) before the 2nd Bini Dynasty of Oba arrived. According to Prof. Peter Ekeh: Urhobo language yields clues to the profile of the society and culture which the Ogisos ruled. Urhobo know this king by his usual name Ogiso, without any other titles. He was their king. On the other hand, Urhobo know the kings of the House of Eweka more distantly as Oba r' Aka, the King of Benin .
“Ogiso ma miemwe efiagba" Ogiso never convened meetings but in times of trouble or crises. Moreover, the Oduduwa/ Adumu that sent the Ogiso could not have been the same Oduduwa that sent Oba. Oba of Bini banished his son, Kaladerhan with his mother from the city instead of killing him and he eventually became the Founder of Guwatto (Ughoton) on the bank of a river, after wandering in the forest. Yet many Edo that celebrate the banishment of Ekaledarha with establishment of Ughoton have not spoken up that he was never lost to Ile-Ife and his time or that of his father could never have been the same with that of the ancient Oduduwa/Adumu.
As this writer had asked in – The Father Of All Nigerian Ethnic Groups ” – on their way from and to Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Israel, Nigerians never met one another? They all found themselves in the same location or split into sub-ethnic groups claiming suzerainty over one another. In the case of Bini and Ife, Ekalarhan son of the last Ogiso that fled and established Ughoton has been reincarnated in 2004 as ancient the Oduduwa/Adumu known to other ethnics before Ogiso.
Note the migration waves of rulers as Ogiso, Oba and Obi to landowners: Eri, Osu, Efa and Oru. The Yoruba or Yooba today claimed the world started in Ile-Ife. But Bible writers claimed Eden Garden with Adam and Eve. Scientific evidence has brought the first humans closer to Ife closer to Sudan than the Bible story. This is important because Ile-Ife had moved 8 times according to Prof. Obayemi further away from Sudan and Nupe to the safer Rain Forest. The earliest date so far was the Yoruba artifacts in Iwo Eleru confirmed as around 10,000 B.C. This contradiction in religious belief leads to condemning infidel, kaferi as unbelievers by fanatics on religious opium.
Foreign religious dates have changed African history pandering to European belief, be subjected to ridicule, denial of missionary hospitals and schools for those that refused to convert to Islam, Christian, or Jewish religion. Even when there is no radio carbon verified dates of Christian or Islamic dates of life origin based solely on faith. Compared to African oral history held up to scientific standard. Non-believers on faith could lose their lives in the hands of charlatans and extremists on religious opium or those seeking converts.
In Ekhere, Egharevba wrote that the Obagodo, the first Ogiso, came to Benin from Ife with charm in form of a snail shell; afterwards cast in brass, containing some earth which vested power over land on him. He had written that "Ewedo was the one who put then reigning Ogiefa as the priest of the earth at the place the snail shell container of sand which Ogiso brought from Ife was buried and the place is also the shrine of the earth deity.”
Ogiefa had repeatedly come from Uhe to Benin city for the practice of medicine prior to his accompanying his master Prince Oranmiyan, hence every member of the family of Ogiefa is flattered ever since by the title "Ovbiaronto" (child of the pioneer). This account was discarded as it does not fit into the Hamitic hypothesis account (that everything of value ever found in Africa was brought by Caucasians) on origin of the empire and kingship of his later editions.
The foreign religions and ancestors infused in African history started with another fanciful claim by Sam Johnson. He earlier rejected it: Yoruba are certainly not of the Arabian family, and could not have come from Mecca -- that is to say the Mecca universally known in history, and no such accounts . . . are to be found in the records of Arabian writers or any kings of Mecca; an event of such importance could hardly have passed unnoticed by their historians (Johnson 1921: 5).
Ogherevba also compromised his work to incorporate the committee's work-Intelligence Report on Benin City in 1938, it became the first application of the Hamitic hypothesis to Benin history by an indigenous elite. Jacob Egharevba initial story both in Edo and later in English changed to accommodate some of these foreign “contributions”.
Every ethnic group seized on it claiming kinship to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel ignoring the scientific data that it was Africans that moved around to those foreign lands. It is a case of old countries claiming to be from new areas: reverse migration contrary to scientific facts. Yet, some Africans still see themselves as Egyptians, Arabs and Jews!
It is not surprising to see rich Edo sculpture and language compared to that of Egypt and claims that they came from Egypt. What did not change was sojourn through Sudan and Ile-Ife. So, it is not only the Edo that ignored their neighbors they mixed with in their Rain Forest, each ethnic group claim autonomy or not knowing the same neighbors they had inter-married producing what is now referred to as new ethnic groups!
Olokun that Bini had in common with its neighbors as worship of the "Sea" (Olokun) was translated to Egypt: "Orao, Orao, Olokun N'oba as "Pharaoh, Pharaoh, the Red Sea" and is an invocation of King Pharaoh in the Red sea. ("Orao" as corrupt form of Pharaoh! Even the brass casting work common to Ife and Bini. Oba Oguola that had asked the Oni of Ife for a Brass smith and had Iguegha sent to him from Ife is now a matter of dispute between Edo historians.
For more study: http://about.jstor.org/terms | https://www.modernghana.com/news/798752/the-ogiso-of-bini-ijaw-came-from-ile-ife.html | 1,940 | Politics | 3 | en | 0.999868 |
Those 546 million gallons of crude oil spilled in the Niger Delta
The figure is startling, in two regards. One, in terms of the foreign exchange the country could have made from them; and two, the damage they must have wreaked on the health of the people and the environment. A whole 546 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Niger Delta over the last 50 years. The quantity amounts to 11 million gallons a year. Waoh!
The revelation was made in a letter written by 13 local and five international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) Bill before the Senate.
Among those who endorsed the letter were Thelma Diwari, representing CBNHRSD; Head of Centre for Environment Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), Zabbey Nenibarini; Nick Hildyard of Cornerhouse; and the Executive Director of Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), Nelson Nnanna Nwafor.
The letter called for the passage of the NOSRDA Amendment Bill 2012 into law and remediation and protection of the environment in the Niger Delta.
“The reform of the NOSDRA Act 2006 will provide clearer regulations and a strong response mechanism to deal with oil spills which will save millions of lives and improve the livelihoods of all the communities living in the Niger Delta,” it said.
They also called for an end to the spilling and destruction of the environment and the unacceptable devastation on the lives of local communities in the areas of oil exploration.
“This can be achieved by strengthening the institutional and regulatory power of NOSDRA, and enshrining the ‘polluter pays’ principle in law, which the NOSDRA Amendment Bill 2012 will do,” it added.
The Niger Delta has been through a lot. It was the frustration with the system that led to the declaration of an Independent Niger Delta Republic by the late Isaac Adaka Boro during late Aguiyi Ironsi’s administration, just before the Civil War.
The quest for justice was later championed by the late Ken Saro-Wiwa. He was killed as a result of his agitation by the late Sani Abacha regime.
The alarm raised by the NGOs over the spillage is another phase of the quest for justice and it must be taken serious.
The bill must become law soonest to end the evil oil spills do to the people, the environment and the economy. No right thinking person should waste time in getting this bill to become law and when it becomes law, it must be implemented to the latter. And only then can we truly say never again to the burying of 546 million gallons of crude oil into the soils of the Niger Delta and only then can the people, the environment and the economy stop bleeding to death as a result of this negligence and sabotage.
The spillages have robbed children of playground; robbed farmers of farmland; robbed fishermen of fishes; robbed the economy of cash; robbed the people of their health; and on and on. The time to pass the bill is now.
The National Assembly must show that it cares by passing this bill and the president must follow through by assenting to it after it has been passed. Anything short of this will amount to compromise and at the end, all will suffer for it. | http://thenationonlineng.net/banks-ex-ceos-indicted-as-n720b-cash-disappears/Those | 704 | Business | 2 | en | 0.999882 |
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Western Pacific region on Thursday endorsed a 10-year action plan to further reduce smoking in the region.
It said in a statement that it would reduce smoking by dismantling major impediments to effective tobacco control measures.
“Tobacco industry interference is a major impediment to implementation of effective tobacco control measures,” WHO said.
In recent years, WHO said the industry had attempted to rebrand itself as being committed to a so-called smoke-free future, through aggressive marketing and development of new products.
This also including heated tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems, such as electronic cigarettes or “vaping” devices.
WHO said that the products, which had already addicted millions of people, threaten to reverse gains made against traditional tobacco products and derail progress towards achieving tobacco reduction goals.
According to WHO, tobacco smoking prevalence in the WHO Western Pacific region fell from 29.9 per cent in 2000 to 24.8 per cent in 2015.
However, with current tobacco control efforts, WHO said the projected decline is expected to fall short of the 2025 target.
Delegates endorsed the Regional Action Plan for Tobacco Control in the Western Pacific (2020 to 2030) at the 70th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific being held in Manila since Monday.
The resolution calls on WHO to support governments in accelerating tobacco control measures set out in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its guidelines for implementation.
It also calls on WHO to ensure that governments prioritise tobacco control in all relevant policies by applying a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
Moreover, the resolution also stressed the need to prepare for emerging challenges in tobacco control, such as the concerning proliferation and use of electronic nicotine delivery systems and heated tobacco products – especially among young people. (NAN)
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/10/just-in-armed-men-attack-kwankwaso/amp/Who | 396 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999947 |
THE Federal Government has no apologies for borrowing at home and abroad to finance the 2012 budget which it calls “the Budget of Fiscal Consolidation”. Only those who coined the phrase can explain it. The level of borrowing to fund the budget and the fact that 72 per cent of the budget would be spent on recurrent expenditure qualifies it for the tag of “Budget of Consumption”.
Nigeria is attaining a new level of borrowing to fund the budget. Sadly, most of the money would be spent on the bloated civil service, political appointees, and the bludgeoning budgets of the National Assembly and other government agencies that have become pipes for draining the nation’s resources.
Other areas of interest for the budget are maintenance of existing bureaucracies, creation of new ones and fanciful schemes that bear little relevance to the sustenance of the economy. Electricity remains elusive. Roads and rails are designed and built on those glossy publications that are reserved for road shows. The reality shows in an economy that grows on receipts from crude oil, but unemployment and inflation remain high.
Nigeria would borrow $1.712 billion (about N265.36 billion) from India, China and France. Another N1.394 trillion to be borrowed from the domestic market, will make up the N1.659 trillion loan required in the budget of N4.74 trillion which has been condemned for having provisions of only N1.327 trillion for critical infrastructure the economy needs. How many roads can that amount maintain in a year? Where would government get money for electricity?
The domestic components of the loans include N600 billion to be used in re-financing loans that are due. Borrowing would constitute about 35 per cent of the financing for the budget. It is higher if some foreign loans that would be drawn in 2012 are added.
New borrowings should worry those who care about the total national debt of $40 billion, according to the Debt Management Office, DMO. Experts say that the current borrowing levels which are below 20 per cent of GDP are in order. Their position is based on the internationally accepted borrowing level of 40 per cent of GDP. Is that all?
Where Nigeria is the borrower, the considerations should widen. It would be wrong to judge Nigeria by standards that do not follow through in the operations of its economy. A key question is how the borrowed money is used. Why does government borrow to pay salaries and cannot finance infrastructure with the same zest? Nigerians are concerned about the expanding appetite of government for more loans mainly for its daily operations.
The danger in foreign borrowing, whether through governments, international agencies or commercial banks, is that the lenders would want them attached to projects that they want to support, not necessarily projects that Nigerians need. Those are projects they would rate viable, but they would get back their money with interest, no matter what happens in the end.
Government borrowing, as heavily as it is doing in the domestic market, soaks up funds private sector concerns would have borrowed to improve their businesses. These borrowings constitute another way government hurts the pace of the economy similar to the waste government creates from its systems that maintain unverifiable pay rolls.
In the midst of government’s unquenchable hunger for more loans, Nigerians are being asked to curtail their expectations. Government does not have the resources to provide infrastructure. It is simply managing to harness resources from all possible sources to remain in office.
Government lives above its means and makes no effort to check the profligacy. It uses borrowed money for non-productive ventures, investing in a gloomy future that even increasing price of petrol cannot reverse.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/04/covid-19-were-living-in-fears-kyaris-aides-lament/Living | 765 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999958 |
Poaching African Talents Princes & Queens In 21st Ad
Poaching has been going in Africa well before the Slave Trade. It never stopped. Artifacts, cultural carvings and loss of different animals' parts have depopulated the numbers. Yet, African population has increased over the years. Lack of Population control and Planning has generated the usual problem China faced some years ago.
When you are hungry, it is hard to realize that money is not everything or that man cannot live by bread alone. However, there remain some morale boosts about the majestic message of African blood, ceremony and regalia. You have to miss donning the complete suit for a while to realize the honor it bestows on you. On the next occasions you put it on, you feel the full grandeur. Even outside Africa, folks look at you twice as someone full of culture, glory and state. You feel like a Prince or Queen.
There were Chiefs and Kings that sold slaves to Europe and America but as local raids turned against them, they were also sold into slavery. When the chiefs arrived at the sugarcane plantation, the slaves they sold could not believe it. Chiefs were scones and ridiculed by their subjects. When Jews were fleeing the bondage in Egypt, they complained that they were hungry and tired. Some slaves were indifferent with their lives and content with what they were fed in Egypt.
Fast forward, children of politicians would rather sell their talents and training that they acquired at the expense of the poor Africans to the highest bidders in Europe and America than retain the privilege of power as prince and princess in Africa. African Americans and African Europeans are now ridiculing the arrivals of the children of men of timber and caliber whose forefathers sold them into slavery. They deserted countries impoverished by their greedy fathers and mothers. How African American and Europeans wish they could have a functional country managed by the likes of Nkrumah and Marcus Garvey they could return to. They could define their own destiny as managers and controllers of socioeconomic and independent lives. The reason for the Marcus Harvey Movement.
On the other hand, are the children of the poor that have never enjoyed peace of mind, only see their parents struggling from dawn to dusk. Some of these children helped their parents sell while growing up with the hope that someday and somehow they will liberate themselves and their parents from poverty. So it is hard to blame them for taking the risk to seek better lives anywhere they can.
The lure of salaries much greater than their lower GDP countries can afford to pay, can be too much to reject even in an hostile environment. "The number of deaths recorded by consular officials suggests that Zimbabweans may constitute well over 10% of all frontline workers who have died during the coronavirus crisis" in the UK. https://dearborn.org/315311/coronavirus-zimbabweans-particularly-vulnerable-to-covid-19-in-the-uk-embassy-warns/
Consequently, Africans are risking their lives to get out of the reality of poverty that has moved from Asia to Africa. When you have overcrowded cities being invaded by surrounding rural areas in search of better lives, the infrastructure can hardly keep up for new arrivals and locals, resulting in squalor and pockets of luxurious estates within the same cities.
The privileged competition, rivalries and ostentatious display of wealth create crimes at a rate that becomes unbearable for decent people. The more they try to protect themselves in secured estates, the more desperate the criminals become. These criminals improvise and devise new methods to make money by any means. As hard crimes increase in these overcrowded slums, pen robbers and internet fraudsters increase their activities within slums and the protected estates. Unfortunately, so are ritualists, psychopaths, pastors, imams and activists under the guise of saviors of the masses looking for relief.
Now, the local agents and foreigners taking advantage of them see desperate slave labor and the local traders ready to sell their people into the markets promising good lives for them in Britain and in the United States, their most desirable destination. Brainwashed that any life outside of Africa is "luxury", as far as they are concerned. By the time they realize their folly, it is already too late. Even worse, these Mafia and Asma Boys ask them to call home demanding money from parents and relatives if they want to buy back or see their children again.
It is not unusual to deny oppression, discrimination and privileged class by the very victims selected as the chosen token few in exchange for crumbs. They are used as members of the same Party against their interest to sacrifice their own people. Indeed, used to defend the same policies against their people. Some Africans have joined far Right extremist parties in Italy, Britain, USA and Canada that are hostile and demeaned Minorities or Immigrants.
Window shopping inside or outside the country in a virtual world is very intoxicating. Though educated but uninformed, those relatively poorly paid in Africa and those that think they are not adequately paid for their services ignore either Gross National Product, National Domestic Products, Median or Average Income of African countries. But those should have been taken into account before dishing such outrageous remuneration to the politicians as well. What is so important about politicians epileptic services and how much brain cells do they have that are lacking in our Engineering, Law or Medical students?
In China, more than 3,000 health workers were infected and at least 22 died. In the USA, Dr Megan L. Ranney: “It is frustrating and anxiety-producing, I was a Peace Corps volunteer. I’ve worked in resource-poor settings. I never imagined my daily practice in the U.S. would be similar to how medical workers sometimes must work in low and middle-income countries. The US pandemic may be unprecedented but it was certainly predictable. We did not have to be in this situation"
"I've seen what bullets do to us. I'm worried the virus will do even more," St. Louis trauma surgeon Dr. Laurie Punch said. | https://m.thenigerianvoice.com/news/290342/poaching-african-talents-princes-queens-in-21st-ad.html | 1,254 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999994 |
United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has warned that unless proper actions are taken, millions of Nigerians will suffer from famine between June and August 2021.
This is a worse outlook from the estimated 9.2 million currently experiencing food insecurity between March and May this year amid armed conflicts, COVID-19’s effects and climate change.
FAO said 3.2 million of the 9.2 million are in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, FAO said in a statement.
“This figure is expected to increase to over 12.8 million people, of whom 4.4 million are in the three northeastern states, during June–August 2021, unless resilience-focused and humanitarian actions are taken,” it warned.
“Increased violence and forced displacement continue to affect the humanitarian situation in northeastern Nigeria – the key hotspot of the armed conflict in the country – that has been further aggravated by trade disruptions and an economic decline linked to the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” the FAO said.
Regarding climate change’s impact on the West African country, the FAO said it affects food security and nutrition in the northeastern states.
“With the deterioration of the food security situation and an increased risk of famine in areas of Borno state, providing agricultural inputs to the most vulnerable households in time for the planting season starting in June is crucial to quickly increase food availability and access,” it added.
It advised Nigerians to embrace diversification as a means of livelihoods, production and income sources. | http://thenewsguru.com/facebook-messenger-adds-group-video-chat/12 | 328 | Politics | 3 | en | 0.999971 |
Theresa May, the new Conservative Party leader, will become Britain’s second female prime minister on Wednesday, entering 10 Downing Street three weeks after Britain voted to leave the European Union.
A shrewd politician who was described favorably by a colleague as a “bloody difficult woman,” Ms. May, 59, takes power at a tumultuous moment in her country’s history.
Here are five things you need to know about her.
She has been a long-serving home secretary
Ms. May has served longer in the difficult cabinet post of home secretary, overseeing the nation’s domestic security and immigration agencies, than any since the 19th century. She has held the post since 2010, 13 years after she was first elected to Parliament.
She is considered a moderate in the Conservative Party and has been compared to Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany; both are known for their pragmatism. As home secretary, Ms. May was criticized for failing to meet a Conservative pledge to sharply reduce the net number of immigrants to Britain.
She has promised to lead Britain out of the European Union
Though Ms. May supported Prime Minister David Cameron’s stance in favor of remaining in the European Union, she said little publicly during the referendum campaign, leading to some speculation that she privately favored leaving, known as Brexit. That ambiguity helped her to emerge as a compromise candidate who might promise to unify the party’s factions.
She has ruled out holding a second referendum, saying that the people have spoken and that “Brexit means Brexit.” Still, she is not in a hurry: She said she would not invoke the legal mechanism that begins the withdrawal process until later in the year.
She wants to give workers a seat on corporate boards
Ms. May has said that people want more than just a “Brexit P.M.,” and has pledged “a bold new positive vision for the future of our country, a country that works not for a privileged few but for every one of us.” She has promised to address inequality, give workers greater representation on corporate boards and limit tax cuts.
She was introduced to her husband by Benazir Bhutto
Like Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, Ms. May was born into a middle-class family. She was educated at Oxford, where she belonged to the Conservative Association and the Oxford Union, a debating society known for producing future leaders.
At a Conservative Association dance in 1976, she was introduced to Philip May, her future husband, by Benazir Bhutto, a fellow student who would go on to become the first female prime minister of Pakistan.
She is an avid cookbook collector
To relax, Ms. May has said she enjoys cooking (she owns more than 100 cookbooks) and taking long walks in the countryside.
She is known for her eclectic footwear, and often wears leopard-print shoes. | http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/world/europe/5-things-to-know-about-theresa-may-britains-next-prime-minister.html?_r=0 | 606 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999981 |
GENEVA (AFP) – The World Health Organisation on Friday declared the killer Ebola epidemic ravaging parts of west Africa an international health emergency and appealed for global aid to help afflicted countries.
The decision after a two-day emergency session behind closed doors in Geneva means global travel restrictions may be put in place to halt its spread as the overall death toll nears 1,000.
The WHO move comes as US health authorities admitted on Thursday that Ebola’s spread beyond west Africa was “inevitable”, and after medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that the deadly virus was now “out of control” with more than 60 outbreak hotspots.
WHO director Dr Margaret Chan appealed for greater international aid for the countries worst hit by the outbreak, which she described as the most serious in four decades, echoing an earlier claim by MSF that the “epidemic is unprecedented in terms of geographical distribution, people infected and deaths”.
States of emergency were in effect across overwhelmed west African nations, including Libera, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Soldiers in Liberia’s Grand Cape Mount province — one of the worst-affected areas — set up road blocks to limit travel to the capital Monrovia, as bodies reportedly lay unburied in the city’s streets.
Two towns in the east of Sierra Leone, Kailahun and Kenema, where put under quarantine on Thursday, as nightclubs and entertainment venues across the country were ordered shut.
Public sector doctors in Nigeria suspended a month-long strike with fears rising that the virus is taking hold in sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous country. The deadly tropical disease has already killed two and infected five others in Lagos.
Ebola has claimed at least 932 lives and infected more than 1,700 people since breaking out in Guinea earlier this year, according to the WHO.
– ‘Africans should get new drug’ –
As African nations struggled with the scale of the epidemic, the scientists who discovered the virus in 1976 have called for an experimental drug being used on two infected Americans to also be made available for African victims.
One of the three, Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said “African countries should have the same opportunity” to use ZMapp, which is made by US company Mapp Pharmaceuticals.
Ebola causes severe fever and, in the worst cases, unstoppable bleeding. It is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, and people who live with or care for patients are most at risk.
Spain flew home a 75-year-old Roman Catholic priest, Miguel Pajares, the first European victim of the epidemic, on Thursday. Officials said his condition was stable.
– Families separated –
In Liberia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said people should expect certain rights to be suspended as the country imposes “extraordinary measures” necessary for “the very survival of our state”.
In Sierra Leone, which has the most confirmed infections, 800 troops were sent to guard hospitals treating Ebola patients, an army spokesman said.
The outbreak in Nigeria has been minor compared to those in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The densely-packed city of more than 20 million people has a poor healthcare system and officials say that if Lagos sees a rise in infections, public hospitals will need to be operational in order to avert a catastrophe.
Benin said it had placed two patients with Ebola-like symptoms in isolation and was waiting for test results to establish if the pair were infected.
– Americans ‘improving’ –
The two infected Americans, who worked for Christian aid agencies in Liberia, have shown signs of improvement since being flown to a specialist hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. They are being given ZMapp, according to reports.
There is no proven treatment or cure for Ebola and the use of the experimental drug has sparked an ethical debate.
US President Barack Obama said it was too soon to send the experimental drugs to west Africa.
“I think we have to let the science guide us. And I don’t think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful,” he said Wednesday.
Nigeria’s Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu has asked the US about getting the drug, but Spain has voiced caution about the serum.
US regulators meanwhile loosened restrictions on another experimental drug which may allow it to be tried on infected patients in west Africa.
Canada-based Tekmira said the US Food and Drug Administration changed the classification of its drug TKM-Ebola from full clinical hold to partial hold.
US health authorities also warned Ebola’s spread to the United States was “inevitable” due to the nature of global airline travel, but that any outbreak was not likely to be large.
The worsening outbreak prompted the United States to order the families of embassy staff in Liberia to return home, with the State Department also warning US citizens not to travel to Liberia.
First discovered in 1976 and named after a river in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ebola has killed around two-thirds of those infected, with two outbreaks registering fatality rates approaching 90 percent. The latest outbreak has a fatality rate of around 55 percent.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/ebola-declares-global-emergency/ | 1,121 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999941 |
A man in China is found to have H10N3 bird flu, a reminder of a continued ‘concern for pandemic flu.’
The World Health Organization said that such an infection was “a vivid reminder that the threat of an influenza pandemic is persistent.”
A 41-year-old man in China’s eastern Jiangsu Province is the first known human to be infected with a strain of bird flu known as H10N3, China’s National Health Commission said on Tuesday — a development that experts said merited close monitoring because of an underlying continued risk of pandemic flus.
Avian viruses do not typically spread among humans, but they can pose a danger if they mix with a human virus, said Raina MacIntyre, the head of the biosecurity program at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales in Australia.
“If someone has human flu and is infected with bird flu, the two viruses can swap genetic material,” she said. “That’s why you see the concern for pandemic flu arising in countries where humans and livestock have very close contact.”
The Health Commission’s announcement said that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission in the Jiangsu case. Contact tracing and surveillance have not uncovered any other infections, officials said.
Influenza viruses differ from coronaviruses, and the World Health Organization is working with the Chinese government to monitor the case, according to a statement from the W.H.O. division in Beijing.
The man began feeling feverish at the end of April and was hospitalized on April 28, the Chinese government statement said. On May 28, genome sequencing by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention determined that he had been infected with H10N3.
The government announcement did not say how the man had been infected, and the W.H.O. said the source of infection was still unknown. The man’s condition has stabilized, and he is ready to be discharged, the government said.
Professor MacIntyre said that usually the people infected by avian viruses are those who are in prolonged close contact with the birds, such as poultry handlers.
The W.H.O. said that H10N3 had “been detected periodically in birds in live bird markets as early as 2002,” but that the virus was unlikely to kill birds or lead to many signs of illness.
“As long as avian influenza viruses circulate in poultry,” the organization said, “sporadic infection of avian influenza in humans is not surprising, which is a vivid reminder that the threat of an influenza pandemic is persistent.” | https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/02/world/asia/h10n3-bird-flu.html | 567 | Health | 3 | en | 0.99996 |
Once upon a time, millions of children all over the world were afflicted by a crippling, incurable and fatal infectious disease known as poliomyelitis (polio). Today, the world is heaving a sigh of relief because polio is on the verge of eradication. While experts note that ending polio will be an historic feat for humanity, and also a huge part of efforts to reach every child with a range of life-saving vaccines, one organization that has relentlessly pursued the dream of global polio eradication is Rotary International.
It has a simple strategy – prevent infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free. According to Dr Tunji Funso, Chairman, Nigeria National PolioPlus, this is a mission possible. Funso, who is also past District Governor, Rotary Nigeria, says with consistent vaccination, the world would soon be free of polio just like it did with small pox. He speaks on Rotary’s polio eradication drive. Excerpts:
The polio virus
Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that affects the nervous system. Children can be infected with polio when they eat or drink food and water contaminated with the virus or when they come into direct contact with an infected person’s faecal matter. The virus enters the body orally, and travels to the intestines where it multiplies. Eventually, the virus passes into the blood stream and attacks the nervous system – the spinal cord and brain. The virus damages nerve cells and can cause crippling paralysis, sometimes overnight. Generally polio affects children under three, but adults can contract it as well.
Rotary International has been at the forefront spearheading concerted global efforts to eradicate polio from the world. With its over 1.2 million-member volunteers’ network base, it collaborates with various governments, partners and agencies to stem the devastating onslaughts of the polio scourge around the world. It was estimated that the deadly virus which attacks children below age five was responsible for about 350,000 deaths globally in 1998 and infects about 1,000 children daily.
The most substantial structure and alliance forged in this direction and saddled with the responsibility to coordinate total polio eradication was the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) led by Rotary International, WHO and UNICEF, and launched by the World Health Assembly in 1988 where all governments of the world made commitments to work towards total eradication of polio. The initiative was inspired by Rotary International’s 1985 pledge to raise $120 million toward immunising all of the world’s children against the disease. Rotary set out to raise $120 million but raised $240 million.
Essence of eradication
The whole world cannot afford to be idle about the polio virus because it has come so far and must strive to win the war completely. We are 99 per cent on our way to eradicating polio but, as every long distance runner knows, it is that last mile that is most difficult and requires bringing out not only physical resources but mental as well.
Failure to eradicate polio from these last remaining strongholds could result in as many as 200, 000 new cases every year, within 10 years, all over the world. This is why the World Polio Day is so designated to focus on the polio disease. In previous years, WPV has spread from polio-endemic countries to neighbouring countries and sometimes beyond. 12 previously polio-free countries had WPV circulation in 2011.
Of the three polio viruses WPV1, WPV2 and WPV3, only WPV1 still exists. The other two have been eradicated. WPV 3 has ceased to exist anywhere in the world since November 2012. Today, only three countries are polio endemic, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, a significant shift from the 125 endemic countries in 1998, and 223 reported cases in 2012.
As at October 2013 just about one case of infection is recorded in two days on the average and more than 100 countries have stopped transmission. The progress made so far was possible due to the relentless efforts of Rotary International in driving the largest public private partnership in history by advocacy using its over 1.2 million-member volunteers around the world. While we advocate, raise funds and actively participate in immunizing children, our partners the governments of the world, WHO, UNICEF, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been providing financial, technical and human resources to get the job done.
As of October 4, 2013, there were 49 cases of confirmed Wild Polio Virus in nine states compared to 101 cases in 11 states same period 2012. A total of 122 WPV cases (103 WPV1 and 19 WPV3) were reported in 2012 – a 97 percent increase from 62 cases (47 WPV1 and 15 WPV3) reported in 2011. As at October 4, 2013, Nigeria had only one confirmed circulating vaccine derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) in one state compared to five cases in two states same period in 2012. There has been a remarkable progress.
World Polio Day
Though the impact of the joint efforts (GPEI) is quite substantial and has been pegged at 99 per cent success rate, children would only be free when polio has been totally eradicated from the world like the small pox. In view of this, October 24, globally earmarked as the World Polio Day continues to serve as a veritable tool in drawing attention to this all important issue across the world and reminding all of the commitments and dire need to rid the world of polio.
Rotary is passionate and committed to the annual programme which serves as a good platform to generate interest and increase awareness towards total eradication of polio.. Currently, Nigeria requires one billion doses of the oral polio vaccine annually and NNPC is striving to raise $500million for the total eradication of polio in Nigeria alone. We are working with various partners this year, we are therefore partnering Cycology, a foremost cycling club in Lagos to remind everyone of this important issue and also strive to raise $500million funds to support Rotary’s global efforts in this direction.
As part of activities to mark this year’s edition, Rotary, on October 19, organized a charity cycling event tagged Rotary Bike-a-Thon to highlight the strategic importance of raising awareness level, collaboration and embracing the oral vaccinations to aid complete eradication of the virus in Nigeria and globally. It was to remind all and people in the southern part of the country that polio is still with us and we need to get the job of polio eradication done by working to end polio now.
The event tagged the “ThisClose campaign” featured registered and well kitted riders including Rotary Club members, Cycology Riding Club members and others in a 5km, 10km and 50km exhibition ride. Star actress Funke Akindele was appointed by Rotary in Nigeria to join other notable global Rotary polio icons, Bill Gates, Desmond Tutu, Isabella Fontana, Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan, Dan Maraya, Sani Dana and many others in creating awareness for polio in a fun and practical way. Akindele would also be spearheading the grassroots enlightenment outreach in the rural areas.
It was Rotary international coming from the experience of successful immunization campaigns in the Philippines who in the early 80s proposed to the World Health Organization (WHO) to consider a programme to eradicate polio from the world. Hitherto the strategy was just to protect children from getting polio by giving routine immunization. The end game strategy for polio eradication requires that we continue to keep our eyes on the ball.
Tremendous progress has been made in the high risk states in the north but we court disaster if we do not ensure all children in Nigeria are immunized against polio otherwise even most of the southern states that have been polio free for a few years now can see a re-emergence of polio with catastrophic consequences. Everyone needs to join hands with others as polio free areas stand a great risk of infection as long as there are still cases of infection in any other location. The recent outbreaks in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan which have been polio free for some years are quite instructive in this regard. For as long as polio exist anywhere in the world no child is free from polio no matter where they live.
End of polio
America still continues to immunize its children against polio though it has been polio free for about 40 years. I urge every Nigerian parent and guardian to embrace immunization as it is very safe and necessary to fortify children against polio.
Let parents, guardians and care givers continue to take their children for immunization until polio is eradicated from the world.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/10/subsidy-removal-a-history/COUNTRY | 1,815 | Politics | 3 | en | 0.999929 |
Scientists Confirm That There Is Life After Death
Scientists say they have found proof that people are still alive even after they have been declared clinically dead. The research studied over 2,000 people and around 40% of them confirmed that even after they were already ‘dead’, they were aware of all that was happening around them.
The research was carried out at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.
After years of massive studies, scientists have finally confirmed in a ground-breaking research that there is indeed, life after death. According to report in Daily Star UK, scientists at the University of Southampton found that consciousness continues even once someone dies. The scientists reached this conclusion after studying more than 2,000 people. They say that thoughts remain after the heart stops.
Daily Star reports that the extraordinary research also uncovered the most convincing evidence of an out-of-body experience for a patient declared dead. It wrote: “Of 2,060 patients from Austria, the US and the UK interviewed for the study, who had survived cardiac arrest, almost 40 per cent said that they recall some form of awareness after being pronounced clinically dead. Of all those who said they had experienced some awareness, just two per cent said their experience was consistent with the feeling of an outer body experience – where one feels completely aware and can hear and see what’s going on around them after death. “Almost half of the respondents said the experience was not of awareness, but rather of fear. But the most significant finding of the study is that of a 57-year old man who is perhaps the first confirmed outer body experience in a patient. “The man was able to recall with eerie accuracy what was going on around him after he had “died” temporarily,” Daily Star wrote.
In the past, it was believed that the brain stopped all activity 30 seconds after the heart stops pumping blood about the body and with that, awareness ceases too.
But lead researcher, Dr Sam Parnia says, things are now seen differently as the new study now shows people still experience awareness for up to three minutes after they had been pronounced dead. “Contrary to perception, death is not a specific moment but a potentially reversible process that occurs after any severe illness or accident causes the heart, lungs and brain to cease functioning.
If attempts are made to reverse this process, it is referred to as ‘cardiac arrest’; however, if these attempts do not succeed it is called ‘death’,” he said.
How believable is this, slide in your comments below.
By Ibizugbe Osahon | http://allure.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/scientists-confirm-life-death/Scientists | 540 | Religion | 3 | en | 0.999996 |
A Maryland resident in the United States, who just travelled from Nigeria, has tested positive for the rare virus monkeypox.
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) said the unidentified patient, has not been hospitalised.
He is said to be currently recovering in isolation with mild symptoms, reports Mail Online.
No details are available regarding the resident’s age, sex, where he or she lives, and where he or she traveled to in Nigeria.
At the moment, health officials said that the general public does not need to take any special precautions.
‘Public health authorities have identified and continue to follow up with those who may have been in contact with the diagnosed individual,’ Dr Jinlene Chan, deputy secretary for public health at MDH, said in a statement.
‘Our response in close coordination with (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) officials demonstrates the importance of maintaining a strong public health infrastructure.’
The CDC released a media statement revealing its scientists confirmed on Tuesday that the traveler had a case of monkeypox.
What’s more, the strain that the patient contracted matches the strain that has been re-emerging in Nigeria since 2017.
Currently, CDC is working with the airline and health officials to contact passengers who were on the same flight as the patient and may have come into contact with him or her.
Other cases of monkeypox have been detected recently including in a Texas man in July.
The Texas man also just returned from Nigeria.
In June, two persons in Wales also came down with the virus in the northern part of the country.
Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 when outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in crab-eating macaque monkeys kept for research.
The first-ever human case was detected in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since spreading to many central and western African nations.
It is believed that the virus transmits from animals to humans when the primate bites or scratches a person.
It can also spread person-to-person by respiratory droplets in the air – similar to the way humans spread COVID-19 to each other.
People with more serious cases of the virus will often develop skin lesions, among other symptoms such as rash and fever, and it kills about one percent of those infected.
The disease had largely vanished, until a 2003 flare-up in the U.S. saw the virus return among humans.
There are no specific treatments or vaccines available for monkeypox, though the smallpox vaccine is believed to have helped make it a non-problem in humans for many years. | https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2021/11/17/traveller-from-nigeria-hits-america-with-monkeypox-cdc-on-alert/?amp=1Lalasticlala | 538 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999983 |
The Kudirat Initiative for Democracy, KIND, has implored political leaders to cushion the plights of families of persons living with disabilities in the country by ensuring the provision of quality inclusive education with easy access to school.
Making this appeal while speaking at an event organised by KIND in Lagos to access the functionality of the 31 inclusive schools in the state, President/Founder, KIND, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, said Nigeria is losing if persons with disabilities were left without adequate education, training and support.
Reacting to the lamentations of parents and pupils of the inclusive schools, who shared their ordeals at the event where they decried lack of teachers for vocational skills, absence of toilet facilities and problem of access to school among others, she argued that persons with disabilities should not be condemned to living a sub-human life just because they were born in Nigeria.
According to her, “they can contribute to the society like every other person and can be innovators and leaders in their fields. Working with research experts, we have administered questionnaires in all the 31 inclusive schools in Lagos State. We are also paying visits to communities and associations of people with disabilities.
Stating that Nigeria currently has over 11 million persons with disabilities, Consultant to KIND on Social Protection, Professor Aderibigbe Olomola, said the plight of persons with disabilities was a national burden that required urgent intervention.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/Kind | 311 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999977 |
During the opening match of the qualifying round for the 2018 World Cup, Chinedu Gabriel, 27, refused to stand in honor of Nigeria’s national soccer team.
“I’m not a Nigerian,” said Mr. Gabriel, a motorcycle parts dealer in a suburb of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. “I’m a Biafran.”
Almost 50 years after Nigeria’s brutal civil war put down a secessionist movement among the nation’s Igbo community — one of Africa’s largest indigenous groups — sentiments such as those expressed by Mr. Gabriel remain common among the Igbo who crave a state of their own, known as Biafra.
And over the past year, the uptick in armed robbery, ritual killings, kidnappings and separatist agitation has sent tremors across the country as the deep-seated frustrations of the Igbo mount against the central government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
And with the economy in crisis and the fight against the violent Islamist movement Boko Haram still being waged in the north, the cohesion of Africa’s largest nation is being stretched to the limit, say analysts.
“With the Nigerian military trying to contain Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, opening another front in the southeast may prove expensive, particularly now that oil revenue has fallen sharply,” said Jeff Okoroafor, a political analyst in Abuja and head of Opinion Nigeria, a citizen’s rights group.
The Igbo of southeastern Nigeria first attempted to secede back in the mid-1960s, triggering a three-year civil war that ended in 1970 and killed more than 1 million people. A famine that struck the Igbo region attracted global attention and condemnation of the government’s handling of the conflict.
Beginning in the early 2000s, new secessionist calls ramped up again amid frustration over the handling of postwar reintegration efforts. But the new impetus for Igbo unrest comes from more recent grievances: The level of development and economic opportunity in Igbo strongholds mainly in the south pale in comparison to those in Nigeria’s north, say locals.
“The Igbo feel they are not part of the government, that government is too far away from them, and they are not getting the dividends of democracy,” said Mr. Okoroafor, who himself is Igbo. The Igbo are estimated to be almost 20 percent of Nigeria’s 186 million people.
Most of all, with a deteriorating economy that is hitting their strongholds hard, Igbo leaders say they are driven to fight due to the bleak future facing their children.
“Under the present Nigerian government, the Igbo are staring face to face with the brutal reality that the full energy and potential of their youth will never be realized in Nigeria but only in Biafra,” said Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, leader of Biafra Independence Movement.
The latest surge in pro-secession sentiment centers around Nnamdi Kanu, a Nigerian-Briton who in 2015 founded the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to rally independence supporters. He was arrested soon after on charges of treason and spent 18 months in jail before being released on house arrest.
Despite his jail term, he continues to taunt the federal government from his stronghold in the south, inciting unrest, say military officials.
’Operation Python Dance’
To quell the dissent, the Nigerian government has launched a string of military actions in the region over the past year — especially targeting Mr. Kanu. Authorities have imposed dusk-to-dawn curfews in Igbo strongholds following clashes involving the military and members of IPOB, as well as at his residence.
“Operation Python Dance,” as the military calls it the operations, are merely training exercises meant to “sharpen the skills of participating troops,” according to Army Chief of Training and Operations, Major General David Ahmadu.
But the Igbo disagree.
“The invasion of Nnamdi Kanu’s home was brazen show of military [highway robbery and plunder] and sheer prostitution of power without authority,” said Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga, spokesperson for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural Igbo organization. “Operation Python Dance is a deliberate ploy to [tie up] the southeast like a conquered territory.”
Peter Okpara, director of internal conflict prevention and resolution at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Abuja, says the government is just doing its job by quelling dissent and keeping the peace.
“If care is not taken, it may lead to something much more sinister,” said Mr. Okpara.
Some believe all this will come to a head as the country heads for elections in 2019. Mr. Buhari thwarted a boycott of local elections in Anambra state in the Igbo south in November. A candidate from the opposition All Progressive Grand Alliance was elected governor.
“After Anambra 2017, in 2019, there’ll be no elections on Biafra land,” Mr. Kanu warned in November. “My message is that there’ll be no elections in Biafra land ever again until they give us date for a referendum” on independence.
Some say that while the pro-independence fight is so far confined to Igbo lands, it is having an impact nationally.
“It was because of the IPOB agitation that the issue of restructuring Nigeria is now a national debate — people are now asking for resource control, that power should not be concentrated at the center but with the federal states,” said Mr. Okoroafor. “Politicians are now bringing up the issue of restructuring as part of campaign promises as they seek to win elections.”
He predicts that within the next two years there will be growing pressure to devolve power from the federal government in “a bid to make the states stronger.”
Meanwhile, people worry about the insurgency’s current impact on the country. Combined the struggle with Boko Haram, softness in global oil markets that has led to mass unemployment and a rise in crime and unrest, they say the government is falling behind.
“There are structural challenges that are leading to some of this,” said Mr. Okpara. “The hope is that the nation will address those structural problems and come up with solutions.”
Some believe there is a good chance that, unlike the debilitating Biafra civil war of a half-century ago, Nigeria will come out stronger from its current travails.
“At the end of the day, it is about leadership — I see a prosperous nation that has the capacity to advance, that has the ability to move ahead in terms of development,” said Mr. Okoroafor. “But we need leadership that can give the people that sense of belonging.”
On the street, though, the mood is less optimistic.
“The way things are going in Nigeria, I’m afraid we may experience another major conflict,” said Chukwudi Abel, a civil servant working in Abuja. “The government needs to act fast to stop the drift toward anarchy.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting. | https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/31/in-nigeria-igbo-people-crave-own-nation-as-tension/ | 1,551 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999975 |
In the modern West, people often consider ideas that are new, novel, and more recently discovered through the most up to date studies and methodologies to carry the most weight. In the Buddhist East, however, this is not the case. It is common among Asian Buddhists to consider the fact that Siddhartha Gautama (the man known as “the Buddha”) lived and taught around 500 years before Jesus walked the earth to be an argument in favor of the truth and value of Buddhism over Christianity. These cultures generally see wisdom that is more ancient and time-tested to be more venerable and more likely to be true. The truth is that neither novelty nor ancient origin are, in fact, good arguments in and of themselves for the truth of an idea or teaching. Still, it is worthwhile to note for the sake of Buddhist friends that the Christian gospel is actually more ancient wisdom than Buddhism.
The Prophets and the ancient gospel
While it is a plain fact of history that the founder of Buddhism did indeed teach centuries before Jesus’ earthly ministry, this is not the full picture. The gospel was preached by the prophets of God even earlier than that. Long before Siddhartha Gautama was born in India, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed that:
- The Messiah would be God in the flesh (Isaiah 9:6)
- He would be born of a virgin and called “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14).
- He would be sinless, but would die for the sins of others and would rise from the dead unto glory, power, and victory (Isaiah 53).
- Salvation would be found in repentance and quiet trust (Isaiah 30:15)
- The repentant will be redeemed, and those who remain in their sins will be judged (Isaiah 1:27-28).
This is the Christian gospel, preached not only before the coming of Jesus Christ but also before the life of Buddha as well. Jesus did not come to introduce this reality, but to fulfill it.
This is why the apostle Paul writes:
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Note the Paul does not merely report that these things occurred, but that they occurred “according to the Scriptures.” The gospel is that which was written about long before and later fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself taught us this in saying:
“‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things,'” (Luke 24:44-48)
We can look at Balaam’s prophecy in the time of Moses of the victorious star that would come forth from Jacob (Numbers 24:15-19). We can go back even further to Jacob’s prophecy of Shiloh to come (Genesis 49:10). We can trace the message earlier still, to the time of Abraham and Isaac where it was foretold that, just as God had provided a ram in Isaac’s place, God would one day again provide a substitute for his people on the holy mount (Genesis 22:13-14). Indeed, we can look back to the beginning of time at man’s very first sin and see the promised seed of the woman would one day crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15). In all ages, it was foretold that the promised one would come. The gospel is as old as sin and suffering itself. There is no wisdom and no hope more ancient than this.
The Commandments, Jesus, and Buddha
There is a well-known story in the gospels in which Jesus is approached by a wealthy man desiring to inherit eternal life. Jesus questions the man on his keeping of the commandments, to which the man retorts by asking Jesus to which commandments he is referring. Jesus replied:
“You shall not commit murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” Matthew 19:18-19
If you tell this much of the story to a Buddhist monk, he will likely smile in agreement. While the terminology of “eternal life” is quite the opposite of the Buddhist hope, the commands listed here he would generally find quite familiar and agreeable. Five centuries before Jesus spoke these words to that young man, Buddha laid out the eightfold path to enlightenment and Nirvana. He taught that “right action” was necessary, which specifically included abstaining from killing, stealing, and adultery. He taught that right speech was necessary, which specifically included abstaining from deceit and false witness. The Buddhist would see Jesus as merely affirming what Buddha had already established long before Him. But the Buddhist would be mistaken.
While there are certainly basic ethical teachings in Buddhism that are also found in Christianity, Christianity holds to them based on sources far older than the time of Siddhartha Gautama. Six hundred years before Buddha ever spoke a word, God revealed all of these commandments to Moses. They were written down in the Torah and expounded upon in the prophets and other biblical writings all before Buddha was ever born. If ancient origins give one faith greater claim to these commands than the other, then Christians certainly hold the stronger claim.
The Manuscripts on Jesus and Buddha
It is also interesting to note that the earliest fragments of manuscripts reporting the words of Buddha that we still have today are from around the first or second century AD.1 This is roughly the same period from which our earliest fragments of the gospels come. Our earliest approximately complete manuscript of a comprehensive collection of Buddha’s teachings is from the middle ages, some 2,000 years after Buddha actually lived.2
By comparison, the first manuscript preserving nearly all of the text of all four gospels is a copy from about 220 AD.3 The reality is that we possess today a far more ancient witness to the words of Jesus than to those of Buddha. Buddha may have lived at an earlier date than Jesus’ earthly life, but we do not have a present witness to his words that is more ancient than the time of Jesus, or even than the time of the earliest Christian manuscripts.
The mere age of an idea does not make it true or false. While Buddhist cultures do tend to put great weight on what is old and time-tested over what is new and think that this gives Buddhism greater authority than Christianity, this assumption is flawed. First of all, it is flawed on the obvious grounds that older ideas are not always better than newer ones. Buddha himself came offering new ideas his culture had never heard. In doing so, he openly corrected the ancient traditions that were then prevalent around him. If the older idea is always better, Buddhism should never have been taken seriously in the first place.
Second of all, it is flawed because it wrongly assumes that the Christian gospel is less ancient than Buddhism simply because Jesus physically walked the earth at a later date than when Buddha lived. As we have seen, the manuscript witness to the teachings of Jesus are older than those of Buddha The teachings of Jesus are rooted in commands and wisdom revealed long before Buddha lived. The Christian gospel fulfilled in Jesus was promised by God for as long as men have lived and were written down by His prophets centuries before Buddha was ever born. If one does insist on giving special weight to what is ancient and time-tested over what is more recent, the Christian gospel ought certainly to be the more greatly revered of these teachings.
Return to the Buddhism Page
1↑ | Richard Salomon, “Ancient Buddhist Scrolls from Gandhara” (University of Washington Press, 1999) 152-154 |
2↑ | Oskar Von Hinuber, “A Handbook on Pali Literature” (Walter de Gruyter, 2000) 4 |
3↑ | Craig Evans, “Jesus and His World: The Archeological Evidence” (Westminster John Knox Press, 2012) 76 | | https://carm.org/does-it-matter-that-buddha-came-long-before-jesus | 1,836 | Religion | 3 | en | 0.999998 |
Legal framework for the prevention of terrorism in Nigeria
The topic for discussion: Legal Framework for the Prevention of Terrorism in Nigeria is, undoubtedly, one of utmost importance to the peace, security and stability of this country and the global community at large. Terrorism, it is to be admitted, is however, an emerging and recondite aspect of our jurisprudence. There is yet a dearth of judicial authorities on the subject in Nigeria, as our courts have not been sufficiently engaged to proffer views and opinions on it.
Be that as it may, the legal framework for the prevention of terrorism in Nigeria is essentially embodied in two enactments: the Terrorism Prevention Act (TPA) 2011 and Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013. The two laws shall hereinafter collectively be referred to as Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 (as amended) or simply TPA 2011 (as amended), as the context so admits. The TPA 2011 (as amended) was enacted, essentially, to prevent and deal with the wave of terrorism erupting in Nigeria. Section 4 (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the National Assembly to make laws for the peace, order and good government of Nigeria. Section 11 also provides that the National Assembly may make laws for the Federation or any part thereof with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order and providing, maintaining and securing of supplies and services as may be designated by the National Assembly as essential supplies and services.
1 Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004. 2 Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963
Before the enactment of the TPA (as amended), the Criminal Code (in the South), and the Penal Code (in the North) and other statutes dominated the criminal justice system in creating, defining and prescribing punishment for criminal acts. Significantly, while both the Criminal Code and Penal Code do not contain specific provisions for counterterrorism, they criminalise specific acts of violence such as murder, homicide, rape, riot e.t.c.
Background to the enactment of anti-terrorism legislation in Nigeria
The road leading to the enactment of TPA 2011 (as amended) has been long-winding, dilatory and chequered. It took Nigeria a period of 10 years after the devastating September 2011 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre (Popularly known as 9/11 attacks) to come up with a comprehensive anti-terrorism legislation in the form of TPA 2011 (as amended). Some writers have attributed Nigeria’s delay in enacting an anti-terrorism legislation to the relative newness of terrorism to the country . This position certainly overlooks certain national and international events that took place between 2001 and 2011.
In attempting to trace the historical antecedent of the making of the law, we must necessarily take our bearing from the point of the 9/11 attacks, as the event marked a turning-point in the global perspectives of what terrorism portends and the necessity to wage a concerted war against it globally. One direct consequence of the attacks is that it spurred the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to pass Resolution 1373 by which all the member-states were required to make terrorism a serious crime in domestic legislation along with terrorist funding and other ancillary offences. UNSC also set up the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) to follow up progress in the implementation of the resolution by member-states. It is on record that many member-states, including African countries complied with the resolution, without delay, by amending their existing counter terrorism laws or enacting new ones.
The initial reaction of the Nigerian government to the resolution can simply be described as ambivalent, engendered by political bickering and parochial ethno-religious sentiments. Between 2001 and 2004, no step was taken by Nigeria to give effect to Resolution 1373 in spite of the fact that there was no counterterrorism law in existence then. Rather than enact a new law as demanded by the resolution, the National Assembly, in a half-hearted manner, perfunctorily inserted two sections in the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) (Establishment) Bill that was then undergoing legislative processes.. The two sections now form sections 15 and 46 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004. Section 15 of Act merely creates some offences relating to terrorism while section 46 attempts to define terrorism.
Suffice it to say that as far back as 2003, there were pockets of violent acts in Nigeria, of the nature that signalled imminent dangers, capable of snowballing into terrorism. In late December 2003 and early January 2004, a group, calling itself “the Taleban” raided police stations in the north-eastern states of Borno and Yobe, and reportedly took officers hostage, stole weapons and killed at least seven people.The United States of America Department of State Country Report on Terrorism 2004, in respect of Nigeria, also noted that, Osama bin Laden went on record as identifying Nigeria as ‘fertile ground for action”. Around the same time, it was revealed that some individuals and private groups in Nigeria had ties with terrorist sources in Sudan, Iran, Pakistan and Libya; and that, members of terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda had operated and recruited in Nigeria. Also, by 2006, the Niger Delta militant group were becoming restive and violent. Attacks on oil pipelines by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta had been recorded . There were also threats of further attacks to destroy all oil facilities until their demand for justice in their struggle against poverty, marginalisation, underemployment and environmental degradation were met.
Prominent amongst the groups are Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta led by Henry Okah and the Niger Delta Volunteer Force led by Alhaji Asari Dokubo
Oil Pipelines in Isaka and Abonema in Rivers State were attacked early 2006 by the militant groups.
These were clear indices of the vulnerability and susceptibility of Nigeria to terrorist attacks. Given the prevailing situation and circumstances, it might be expected that an anti-terrorism bill would be introduced, subjected to vigorous legislative and public debates and passed without any procrastination. This was not to be, as all initial steps at legislating against terrorism, most strangely, met with stiff opposition at the National Assembly. In 2005, the cabinet of the Obasanjo administration approved a draft counterterrorism bill and sent it to the National Assembly for consideration. Under the proposed legislation, anyone convicted of a terrorist offence could be sentenced up to 35 years imprisonment. The bill was withdrawn the day of its second reading in the Senate due to opposition from northern senators who argued that the motivation for such a bill was anti-Muslim sentiment . In 2006, Senator Ben Obi, proposed a private member bill, the Prevention of Terrorism Bill as a comprehensive national legislation on terrorism. Again, it aborted, as it did not receive the requisite support to scale through legislative processes. Sampson, I. T. and Onuoha, F .C. (2011) articulate the opposition against the bill in the following words:
“…differing perceptions and interpretations of lingering militancy in Niger Delta region (South) and Islamic extremism (North) presented the main challenge to Nigeria’s endeavour to enact comprehensive terrorism legislation. People from the Niger Delta and some member of the Muslim Community had denounced the draft PTA for what they described as an open-ended definition of terrorism with the potential of subsuming the activities of the Niger-Delta and Islamic militants under its definition. On the other hand, the Niger Delta people steadfastly opposed the PTA, which they interpreted as an attempt to criminalise their struggle for equity in the distribution of oil, resources produced from their region… On the other hand, the manifestation of militant Islamism in northern Nigerian presented another challenge to the criminalization of terrorism. For example, some Islamic clerics had criticized the proposed PTA as targeting Muslims.”(Pp 39-40.)
Therefore, sharp cleavages and jaundiced views of Nigerian lawmakers, in a way, delayed the passage of counterterrorism legislation in Nigeria. Basically, laws are meant to foster order and create conditions for peace, equality and security of lives and property to thrive in. This point underscores the fact that lawmakers are obligated, at all times, to enact laws that will advance and support this noble cause. This is quite apart from their constitutional responsibility “to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof” Lawmakers should also appreciate that there is accountability in the process of law- making such that demands of them, the need to strike a balance between the protection of the people they represent on the hand and their personal or religious and ethnic inclinations on the other hand.
By 2010 and the early months of 2011, terrorism had evolved in Nigeria, full blown, in scope and shape. Boko Haram insurgency had emerged and continued to escalate in sophistication. In a research conducted by Ioannis Mantzikos, a research assistant, with Terrorism Research Initiatives, it is revealed that between September 2010 and May 2011, Boko Haram successfully carried out over fifty attacks It then dawned on the law-makers that terrorism has no borders, religion, gender, race, ethnicity or nationality; but a true manifestation of evil that defies human nature which must be combated. On December 10, 2010, an Executive-Sponsored counter-terrorism bill was read and swiftly passed with an overwhelming majority votes in both chambers of the National Assembly. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives harmonised their differences and passed the Terrorism Prevention Bill in May 2011 while President Goodluck Jonathan signed it into law on June 3, 2011(25). It is of great significance to mention here that the TPA 2011 (as amended) was enacted at the twilight of the legislative term of the 6th National Assembly. Indeed, it is clear that the bill was hurriedly packaged and passed. The manifestation of this assertion reflects in the fact that the Act was amended barely two years after its enactment in such a way that, more than 20 sections were either substituted or deleted.
An event of international significance deserves to be mentioned here as one of the factors that eventually compelled Nigeria to enact an anti-terrorism legislation. On December 25 2009 (Christmas Day), a young Nigerian, Umar Abdulmutallab, who was associated with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, attempted to set off an explosive aboard Delta/ North West Airlines Flight 253, with 274 passengers. The plane was an Airbus 330 which originated in Nigeria and had a stop-over in Amsterdam. The attempt was unsuccessful as he was overpowered by passengers . Consequent upon this event, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued new security measures which included blacklisting Nigeria by classifying it “Country of Interest” on the US Terror Watch list. This blacklist placed Nigeria on the same pedestal as countries like Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Sandi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. The implication of blacklisting a country is that citizens of the designated and affected countries will be subjected to enhanced screening techniques such as body scans, pat-downs and a thorough search of carry-on luggage for traces of explosives, no matter where they are travelling from.
The Nigerian government wasted no time in taking the necessary diplomatic steps to avert a face-off with the U.S. The US gave four conditions to be fulfilled by Nigeria before it could be delisted. These conditions included: public condemnation of any form of terrorism anywhere in the world; improvement of security in the nation’s airports; deployment of air marshals on board aircraft and legislation geared towards combating terrorism in the country. It was in fulfilment of these conditions and further pressures from the U.S. that culminated in the enactment of TPA 2011.
The TPA contains Provisions covering the following areas: (1) prohibition of acts of terrorism: (2) the procedure for proscribing terrorist organisations; (3) terrorist meetings: (4) support for terrorists: 5) banning the provision of training for terrorists: 6) information about acts of terrorism: 7) obstruction of terrorism investigation: 8) international terrorism: 9) suppression of financing of international terrorism: 10) hostage taking: 11) seizure of terrorist cash: 12) terrorist funding: 13) obligation to report suspicious transaction relating to terrorism: 14) dealing in terrorist property: 15) attachment of property: 16) property tracking: 17 requests for foreign States: 18) request to foreign States 19) evidence pursuant to a request 20) form of requests: 21) extradition: 22) exchange of information relating to terrorist groups and terrorists acts: 23) issuance of warrant and search without warrant 24) intelligence gathering: 25) detention of a conveyance: 26) custody of records and video recording: 27) prosecution of offences: 28) witness protection: 29) jurisdiction: 30) penalties: 31) evidence by certificate: 32) refusal of application for registration and the revocation of charities linked to terrorist groups: 33) provision of information relating to passengers of vessels: 34) aircraft and power to prevent entry and order the removal of persons: 35) power to refuse refugee application: 35) regulations and interpretation and a lot more.
The shape of terrorism in Nigeria between 2009 and to date
Since 2009, the Boko Haram, a so-called Islamic sect, has engaged in series of brazen attacks and heinous acts that have imprinted the word ‘terrorism’ on the nation’s conscience such that the word has become a household name and entered into the daily lexicon of the average Nigerian. The mention of the word terrorism today readily suggests to one’s mind, the image of the atrocious acts engendered by Boko Harm The origin of Boko Haram has been traced to 2002 when Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf founded the sect. The official name of the sect is Jama’atu Ahlis Suna Lidda’awati wal Jihad, an Arabic name which in English means ‘People Committed to the Propagation of Prophet’s Teaching and Jihad. The sect is however popularly known as Boko Haram, a Hausa name which translates into ‘Western education is prohibited’. Mohammed Yusuf was born on 29 January, 1970 in Girgir village, Yobe State. | http://thenationonlineng.net/legal-framework-for-the-prevention-of-terrorism-in-nigeria/ | 2,942 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999908 |
Ososgbo – A Medical Practitioner with Federal Medical Centre, Ekiti, Dr. Kayode Oyebode, on Saturday said that constant use of mobile phones could damage the brain.
Oyebode said this while fielding questions in Osogbo.
He said that the heat generated by cell phone was capable of damaging brain cell.
“The use of mobile phones excessively can cause brain cancer because the composition of the brain tissues is more prone to chemical changes if exposed to radiation.
“Certainly, this radiation from mobile phones adversely affects our nervous system, especially memory. When making call, do not put your mobile closer to your ears,” he warned.
He advised that after dialling, left ear should be used because using the right ear can affect the brain directly.
Oyebode advised people to use ear piece, wireless headphone and other preventive measures while making or receiving calls.
He also advised Nigerians to always stick to medical instructions as many tend to turn deaf ears to what they knew was harmful to them.
Oyebode said many Nigerians indulged in making use of phones, especially motorists and pedestrians while driving, warning that the action was risky.
He urged Nigerians to be agents of societal change by laying good examples for others.
“Prevention is better than cure; it is better to do what is right so that others can learn from you than to cause harm to yourselves and others.”(NAN)
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/constant-mobile-phone-usage-a-threat-to-brain-cell-expert/ | 323 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999943 |
Moscow stirs fear of American germs
Russian military officials renewed their scare campaign about a U.S. research lab in Georgia, this time bringing Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan into it, as well.
The onset of fall has brought to Russia, as it often does, flu and conspiracy theories. Back in the news is Moscow’s seasonal talk of an imminent American biological attack, to be launched from medical research labs in Russia’s neighborhood.
In this telling, Russian pigs have become the first victims of a test run for a future offensive on humans. That was the insinuation from a recent press conference by the Russian Defense Ministry, which has noted that swine flu has been spreading to Russia from neighboring Georgia, home to a U.S.-sponsored medical research laboratory known as the Lugar Lab.
As Russia’s chief TV propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov is famously wont to say: “Coincidence? I don’t think so.”
And Moscow is bracing for things to get worse. “The U.S. is systematically building its biological potential and is getting control over national collections of pathogenic microorganisms” around the world, Major General Igor Kirillov told the October 4 press conference.
Russian defense officials described the U.S.-sponsored medical laboratory in Georgia as a mothership in a network of similar facilities built around Russia, “in Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan,” that can serve as launching pads for a germ war on Russia.
These accusations are not new. The epidemiological surveillance lab in Georgia, created to prevent outbreaks of epidemics, has long been the reason for paranoia outbreaks.
The U.S. government spent $350 million to set up the facility in Tbilisi, equipping it with a regionally unmatched capacity to detect and mitigate infectious disease threats. The lab – formally known as the Richard G. Lugar Public Health Research Center – is named after the former U.S. senator and non-proliferation activist, hence the Lugar Lab sobriquet.
But the U.S. funding and the involvement of American military medics turned the lab into one of Russia's favorite information war punching bags, aimed at spoiling its neighbors ties with Washington. State-run Russian media has regularly targeted the lab in a vigorous scare campaign portraying the facility as a Pentagon-run petri dish of biological and chemical weapons, where unsuspecting Georgians serve as lab rats.
“Local residents tell us terrifying stories about the Lugar Lab,” ominously began one recent report by Russia’s Sputnik news network. “The wind brings a terrible stench, as from a stinky outhouse, [from the lab],” one elderly local woman told Sputnik.
An earlier report by Russia’s REN TV featured an elderly Georgian citizen who lives in the vicinity of the lab and “is wasting away before everyone’s eyes.” REN TV’s correspondent said that the woman’s health troubles began after “the former flight attendant sensed an unpleasant odor coming from the streets. She breathed in the air and immediately fainted.”
The story went on to claim that from 2014 the lab unleashed giant mosquitos and bats carrying viral infections across Georgia.
These tales tend to be laced with images of dead animals, biohazards signs and spooky video effects, and sci-fi horror tropes (think Andromeda Strain or Kiss Me Deadly). This correspondent visited the Lugar Lab last year and was disappointed to find a prosaic-looking research facility with no terrible stench, dead animals, or human subjected to experiments, but Russia can always argue that journalists don’t to get to see everything.
Russian news stories about the lab rely heavily on “revelations” coming from one eccentric American living in Tbilisi, a certain Jeffrey Silverman, who says that the U.S. will use bioweapons developed in Georgia to depopulate the Middle East and take over its oil. Despite a lack of evident expertise or knowledge, Silverman is held up as a bona fide American whistle-blower in the Russian media. “That lab is a time-bomb,” he intimated in an interview with REN TV.
But the source of the latest outbreak of ex-Soviet mysophobia is a shadowy former Georgian security minister, Igor Giorgadze. In September, Giorgadze called a press conference in Moscow to declare that the American military was conducting lethal experiments on humans in the Lugar Lab and that it is all part of Washington’s Strangelovian plans for Moscow. Giorgadze based his claims on documents that he allegedly obtained from the lab.
Giorgadze claimed that he had asked U.S. President Donald Trump to look into the work of the Lugar Lab. Trump has not said or tweeted anything about the lab, but Russian security and defense ministries followed up with a warning for Washington.
In Georgia, Giorgadze is widely seen as the KGB’s point man that late former President Eduard Shevardnadze was forced by Moscow to have as minister in his government. Giorgadze fled Georgia in 1995 after being accused of orchestrating an attempt on Shevardnadze’s life. Russian propaganda watchers are now saying that Giorgadze and Russian officials’ statements are part of a carefully planned information campaign, spread and amplified by Russian and pro-Russian international media.
“The reemergence of Russian media interest in the Lugar case coincides with charging [of] two Russian citizens in Britain with attempted poisoning of Sergei Skripal, [a] former Russian GRU office, and his daughter, Yulia,” said the Media Development Foundation, a Tbilisi-based non-profit group that keeps tabs on Russian propaganda. Some also linked the recent Russian preoccupation with biolabs with the series of indictments against Russian spies in the U.S., Britain and the Netherlands.
The Pentagon echoed that analysis, with spokesman Eric Pahon saying that the Russian defense ministry’s claims were an “attempt to divert attention from Russia’s bad behavior on many fronts,” AP reported.
Officials in Georgia and Azerbaijan also refuted Moscow’s accusations. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said the country has no foreign government-operated medical laboratory, while Georgian officials said that the Lugar Lab, although built with American money, is now fully controlled by Georgian authorities. U.S. military medical researchers continue to work at the Lugar Lab and insist that their work is entirely public health-oriented, but Moscow is not buying it.
In an unsuccessful attempt to assuage Russian concerns, the Lugar Lab’s Georgian management has repeatedly invited Russia journalists to tour the facility, but it hardly helped matters. “When Russian media representatives come visit the Lugar Center, they are all smiles,” said Paata Imnadze, head of Georgia’s National Center of Disease Control, which operates the Lugar Lab, in an interview with local news site ipress.ge. “But then they go back and spread dirt.”
Giorgi Lomsadze is a journalist based in Tbilisi, and author of Tamada Tales.
Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none. | https://eurasianet.org/moscow-stirs-fear-of-american-germs | 1,567 | TV-Movies | 2 | en | 0.999886 |
By Emeka Anaeto, Emma Ujah & Peter Egwuatu in Washington
The International Monetary Fund, IMF, said yesterday that Nigeria’s Debt-to-GDP ratio though good but risky and cannot be guaranteed going forward.
Debt-GDP ratio compares the size of a country’s debt to its economy with a view to determining the sustainability of the debt profile as well as the vulnerability of the economy to creditors and repayment obligations.
The ratio which stood at 21.1 percent early last year was projected to reach 25 percent at full year 2018. But the Fund indicated that the range is already risky and cannot be guaranteed.
The Fund also harped on the use of the funds borrowed saying that the channelling of the fund to productive sectors is necessary to achieve significant impact on the economy.
Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor & Director of Monetary & Capital Markets Development of IMF, at a press briefing on “Global Financial Stability Report” at the ongoing World Bank/IMF 2019 Spring Meeting in Washington DC, USA, stated: “Nigeria’s borrowing to GDP is still low but we cannot guarantee the risk going forward given the global economic downturn. The prudent use of the money borrowed is significant to improving the economy.”
While commenting on the global economy, he stated that political and policy risks, such as an escalation of trade tensions or a no-deal Brexit, could affect market sentiment and lead to a spike in risk aversion.
He advised that amid rising downside risks to global growth, policymakers should aim to avoid a sharper economic slowdown, while keeping financial vulnerabilities in check.
“Policymakers should clearly communicate any reassessment of the monetary policy stance that reflects either changes in the economic outlook or risks surrounding the outlook. This will help avoid unnecessary swings in financial markets or unduly compressed market volatility.
“In countries with high or rising financial vulnerabilities, policymakers should proactively deploy prudential tools or expand their macro prudential toolkits where needed. These countries would benefit from activating or tightening broad-based macro prudential measures, such as countercyclical capital buffers, to increase the financial system’s resilience.
“Efforts should also focus on developing prudential tools to address rising corporate debt from nonbank financial intermediaries and maturity and liquidity mismatches in the nonbank sector.
“Regulators should also ensure that more comprehensive stress tests (that include macro-financial feedback effects) are conducted for banks and nonbank lenders.
“Emerging market economies should ensure resilience against foreign portfolio outflows by reducing excessive external liabilities, cutting reliance on short-term debt, and maintaining adequate fiscal and foreign exchange reserve buffers.”
Adrian further stated: “Looking ahead, there is a risk that positive investor sentiment could deteriorate abruptly, leading to a sharp tightening of financial conditions.
“This will have a larger effect on economies with weaker fundamentals, greater financial vulnerabilities, and less policy space to respond to shocks.
“Possible triggers include the following: A sharper-than-expected growth slowdown could lead to tighter financial conditions as risk asset prices fall, reflecting a weaker outlook for corporate earnings, even as policies turn more accommodative.
“An unexpected shift to a less dovish outlook for monetary policy in advanced economies could trigger a reprising in markets, especially if investors realize that they have taken too benign a view on the monetary policy stance.”
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/imf-says-nigerias-debt-to-gdp-ratio-is-risky/ | 731 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999983 |
Archaeology supports the Bible’s claims about three great kings: King David, Hezekiah, and Belshazzar. This interview elaborates on the findings that show the Bible is historically accurate, even overturning the views of critics. Plus, there is bonus content discussing the evidence for the elusive “Darius the Mede” of the book of Daniel. New discoveries continue to vindicate the Bible. Keaton has spent countless hours researching archaeology and visiting major museums around the world. He’s also helped to lead multiple tours of both Egypt and Israel. | https://creation.com/creation-videos?fileID=5FbHWEe7fLg | 120 | Religion | 2 | en | 0.999766 |
By Francis Ewherido
Monday, December 1, is World AIDS Day, a day set aside since 1988 to beam the searchlight on HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). There are divergent opinions and efforts on how to curb and stop the spread of HIV and AIDS. You might not agree with some of the opinions and methods, but you cannot fault the commitment of people who over the years have contributed to curbing the spread of HIV. As usual there will be various activities, including talks, to mark the day. The position canvassed by a guest on a radio show last year informed this article. He said secondary pupils should be taught how to use condoms and contraceptives, as part of sex education, to curb the spread of AIDS because some of them are sexually active.
It got me thinking; after learning how to use condoms, whose daughters are they going to sleep with? Where are they going to engage in their sexual activities since many parents will not allow it under their roofs? Which hotels let rooms to children? Are affected parents not entitled to sue such hotels? Where will they get the money to fund their amorous affairs since they do not earn incomes? Oh, okay, they can do it nicodemusly (surreptitiously) in school, uncompleted buildings, bushes and when they are home alone. If our teenage sons are going to mess around with other people’s daughters, what moral rights do we have to protect our underaged daughters from being messed around with?
Why should we introduce our daughters to contraceptives with attendant side effects including infertility? After teaching them how to use condoms/contraceptives how do they reconcile the contradictions when they pray and study portions of the Bible condemning sexual immorality especially where they are told their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and not for fornication? Please I need help; I need answers.
More questions, beyond the marriage ceremony and official stamp, what is the difference between teenage sex in marriage and out of marriage? Why would you crucify the lawmakers who said once a girl reaches puberty she is ripe for marriage and at the same time encourage your teenage daughters to engage in teen sex or turn a blind eye when they do so? Our daddy, Sir Gabriel Adoghe, reminded me last week that in Warri, they say “die na die.” In this case, sex na sex. Our problem with under-aged marriage is that it is disruptive; their reproductive organs might not cope with pregnancy and childbirth and they are not physically, economically and mentally ready for parenthood. When teenagers engage in sex, is this not the lot that awaits them? Encouraging teenagers to use condoms and contraceptives begs the issue. Their inexperience and anxiety will even make the effort epileptic. Campaigners against AIDS always tell us that abstinence, with mutual fidelity, remains the best form of protection; why should we teach our children to aim for bronze (use contraceptives) instead of gold (abstinence)?
One of my friends feels inhibited in parenting when it comes to the issue of sexuality because he became a parent in his teens. I tell him that the fact that he was caught in the farm does not make him the only thief; others only escaped. This should not be a stumbling block in properly molding his children. If St. Paul had allowed his defective past to inhibit him, we would have been robbed of so many great books in the Bible. As long as old things have passed away and the new has taken over, I do not see any issue or hypocrisy there. The essence of following another driver on a pothole-ridden road is to avoid the potholes he dodges and those he falls into. We should not allow our children make the mistakes we made. Okiemute (there is a time for everything) and Edirinverere (patience has rewards) are popular names in Urhoboland. We should knock the essence of such names into our children’s heads and write the spirit in their hearts rather than just giving children native names to identify them with their ethnic origins. Ultimately, our children will have their way, but let us at least have our say, so that we can be
at peace with our creator.
One major danger of encouraging children to use contraceptives is that you make them emotionally dependent on others rather than being independent. Being without spouses, money and homes of their own, they are severely handicapped in satisfying their sexual urge. If we do not encourage them to fan into flame the gift of self control God has deposited in them, we make them vulnerable; we also put their younger siblings, other children around and even domestic animals at risk of sexual abuse. If they do not start learning self control now, when are they going to learn it; after marriage? I said it before; marriage is no ticket to unbridled sex. Work, travels, ill health and many other factors mean that your spouse is not available 24/7. It is the grace of God and the gift of self control that keep faithful spouses going. We need to educate our children that sexual urge is a “burden” all humankind bears. We are all involved, except children who have not reached puberty, exceptionally gifted adults and those whose battery cells are dying or completely dead. We should help and encourage them to bear their cross, we should teach them to live responsibly.
The theme for this year is “Getting to Zero”; in other words, achieving an HIV/AIDS-free world. This is a tall order for varying reasons and there will continue to be divergent views on how to achieve it, but we must all continue to push on at individual and collective levels. The pervasive desperation to find a cure makes you to keep quiet and wait whether even methods you are opposed to will work. Meanwhile abstinence and mutual fidelity remain the best form of protection against the spread of HIV through sex.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/aids-teen-sex-education/?_e_pi_=7%2CPAGE_ID10%2C8276310760 | 1,236 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999989 |
By Ochereome Nnanna
TODAY I have decided to answer a question from a reader. The person who asked this question sounds like a young man.
It is important to bring our youth up to date with history. Here is the question: “I have just read your piece: “Politics of TA’s PDP return†in today’s ( Monday, August 9, 2010 ) Vanguard newspaper. Quite an interesting read.
Could you do an expose on your assertion that ‘…South-South is a creation of the Igbo intelligentsia’. I am sure not a few people are uninformed on this”.– Chijioke Ononiwu.
The questions now are: How did the Igbo elite create the idea that resulted in the birth of the South-South zone? And why?
The answer starts from the 1940s. The various minority groups in Nigeria were never happy to be lumped with their majority neighbours because they feared that they would fall into local colonisation after Nigeria gained her independence.
The creation of the regions by the British colonial masters for administrative convenience had put them under the control of the Igbo in the East, Yoruba in the West and Hausa/Fulani in the North. The uneasy cohabitation held but not for long.
The carpet crossing in the Western Regional House of Assembly forced Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe to relocate to Enugu, and the process of creating room for him to become the first Premier of the Eastern Region generated bad blood between the Igbo and the minorities.
The minorities started asking for the creation of the Calabar-Ogoja-Rivers(COR) state. Majority of the leaders of the Eastern minorities started supporting rival political parties from the North and West against the Igbo. The Western minorities and their colleagues in the North were also fighting for autonomy, and the Western minorities succeeded in the getting their own region created in 1963 (Mid-Western Region).
The sad events of 1966 which saw a military coup and counter-coup being painted in ethnic and sectional colours led to an attempt by Eastern Region to pull out of Nigeria and declare an independent state of Biafra.
However, the British ex-colonialists helped the North in building a national coalition to prevent the actualisation of Biafra. The Eastern minorities pulled out of Biafra when General Gowon created the 12 states and gave them Rivers State and South Eastern State.
It became possible for the federal side to win the war with a blockade of the seaboards which were home to the minorities.
When the war ended, relations between the Igbo and those who fought them during the war remained suspicious. Particularly the West and the Eastern minorities probably felt that the recovery of the Igbo would affront the gains they made while the Igbo were absent from the system.
The minorities appeared to have discovered some gain in siding with the North or West to protect their new-found political space.
The South-South idea was, therefore, a deliberate gambit hatched by the Igbo intelligentsia to give the Southern minorities their own turf in order to reduce the national gang-up against the Igbo. With their own home zone, they would be able to project their own interests rather than being the cat’s paw of Igbo rivals from the North or West.
When the June 12 presidential election was annulled and General Sani Abacha convened a constitutional conference to seek ways of restoring confidence in Nigeria, the Igbo leadership seized the opportunity to put their ideas into action.
At the Mkpoko Igbo pre-Conference summit in Enugu in April 1994, a document that called for the creation of six geo-political zones, the zoning of top political offices (especially the presidency) and rotation of power among the six zones was fashioned out.
There would be three zones in the North, including a separate zone for Northern minorities, and three in the South, including another separate zone for the Southern minorities.
The Igbo elite mandated former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, to lead the presentation of this agenda at the Conference, with Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and Dr Sam Mbakwe as his able lieutenants.
Ekwueme did a fantastic job, but the North, which opposed the geo-political zones and zoning of the presidency, accused him of trying to break up the North and whittle down its influence, which was not far from the truth, anyway. This was one of their reasons for dumping him for Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999.
It was also due to the efforts of another group of Igbo intelligentsia led by retired Commodore Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe that led General Sani Abacha to create Bayelsa and Ebonyi states on October 1, 1996 , while also approving the geo-political zones, even though it is not (yet) in the Constitution as the Igbo recommended.
The creation of an all-Ijaw state was meant to give the Igbo-speaking groups in Rivers their own area of influence; a struggle that the late Dr Obi Wali, a disciple of Dr Azikiwe political school, symbolised. The original script for the creation of Bayelsa State was written by Azikiwe and handed over to Ukiwe to actualise.
Today, the Igbo gambit has worked to the benefit of both the Igbo and the minorities. The minorities now have their own region, a separate identity and economic and political interests of their own to pursue.
That is why a Goodluck Jonathan presidency became possible with full support from his home zone, the South-South. Now, rather than the Minorities ganging up against the Igbo with their Northern “traditional allies†they are bidding directly for power.
The truth or otherwise of that “alliance†has been proved and both sides now know who their real enemies or opponents are.
The creation of the zones is a charter of full independence and the equitisation of relations between the minorities and their majority neighbours.
It is working, and Nigeria will be the better for it in the long run.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/08/how-igbo-created-south-south/ | 1,333 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999619 |
By Abiodun Alade
American business magnate and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has reiterated the need for higher education, noting that although he dropped out and got lucky but getting a degree is a much surer path to success.
Earlier this year, Gates was named the richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine’s Annual list of the world’s Billionaires, the 16th time that the founder of Microsoft has claimed the top spot.
“ Although I dropped out of college and got lucky pursuing a career in software, getting a degree is a much surer path to success.
College graduates are more likely to find a rewarding job, earn higher income, and even, evidence shows, live healthier lives than if they didn’t have degrees,” he wrote on his blog.
He added that “It’s always moving to sit down with students and hear the stories of why they decided to drop out.
Many of them are poor and often the first person in their families to go to college. They arrive on campus with big aspirations to get a degree and start a career that would earn a good salary. Then their dreams unravel.
Many quit when they realize that their high schools didn’t prepare them academically for college.
Some don’t make it because they can’t afford tuition. Others leave after getting overwhelmed trying to navigate the college system without enough personal guidance from their college.
All leave school with a lot of debt and, even worse, a diminished sense of themselves. Their entire sense of what they can achieve in life is damaged.
The fact that a high percentage of people who don’t finish college are from low-income backgrounds should be a concern for all of us.
Without degrees, they are more likely to stay trapped in poverty”.
Bill Gates like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Oprah Winfrey — dropped out of college.
Read his article here
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/01/2023-why-presidency-should-remain-in-north-for-another-4-years-%e2%80%95-owie/Although | 420 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999992 |
Seeing Buckingham Palace is a must for anybody visiting London. Whether you're a massive fan of the Royal Family, or you simply want to see one of Britain's biggest historical landmarks, you'll find something to love inside its large, lavish walls.
Buckingham Palace is located in Westminster, in the heart of central London, and with St. James's Park and Green Park as its backyards. It serves as the official London residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom.
The palace has a long and colorful history - it wouldn't be British without one. So, without further ado, here are some fascinating facts about Buckingham Palace you may not have known.
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When was Buckingham Palace built?
Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House, and was built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. King George III then bought it in 1761. Construction of the 775-room palace we see today began in 1825, and it's been the official London residence for all reigning monarchs since Queen Victoria took up residence in 1837.
The Palace went way over budget
The original Buckingham House was transformed by the esteemed architect John Nash into what it is today. However, he accidentally went over budget and was fired for overspending. Take a look at the gilded detailing and it's no surprise.
Nash transformed Buckingham House - as it used to be known - into the grandest possible version of itself, rebuilding the two east wings and adding in the triumphal arch, originally for ceremonial processions into the palace. That arch now lives at Marble Arch - yes, that's the Marble Arch.
After Nash, a new architect called Edward Blore completed the work on the palace.
Which British Royal was the first to live in Buckingham Palace?
Before the palace as we know it was built, the history of the site goes as far back as the Middle Ages, when the site formed part of the Manor of Ebury. (We haven't heard of it either.) It was used for different buildings by different people, including Henry VIII back in the 16th Century. However, once King George IV's planned work was completed, he never even had the chance to call it home.
Queen Victoria moved in in 1837, and was the first British Royal to live in Buckingham Palace, followed by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Throughout WW2, the royals refused to leave the palace
London was bombed heavily throughout World War Two. And, with Buckingham Palace being the cultural landmark it is, it became a massive target.
Despite being advised to leave for their own safety, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth kept calm and carried on, refusing to leave - even though the palace was hit nine times over the course of the war.
There are over 700 rooms in the palace
Buckingham Palace has hosted thousands of visitors throughout the years. And with a whopping 775 rooms, it's not hard to see how.
Among the 775 rooms are 19 grand State Rooms for events, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 78 bathrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, and 92 offices for the King, Royal Family, and staff.
Of the State Rooms, the Throne Room is for ceremonial and official events - and the Prince and Princess of Wales took their wedding photos there. Most opulent is the White Room, where the King receives guests.
When are the State Rooms open?
The State Rooms are only open to the public in the summer.
Since Buckingham Palace is very much still a functioning royal residence, throwing its doors open to the public isn't always practical. That's why they only open up during August and September when Queen Elizabeth heads off to Scotland for the summer holidays.
Of course, that means you won't catch a glimpse of the Queen at any point of your visit.
What kind of art can be found in Buckingham Palace?
Buckingham Palace is home to a vast collection of masterworks, including paintings, sculptures, and other beautiful objects. Some of the most widely recognizable pieces include works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Canaletto. The Royal Collection Trust, which manages the art collection, offers tours of the palace where visitors can view many of these masterpieces
One of the highlights is the massive painting of Queen Victoria's coronation, which has to be seen to be believed.
A massive fan of the royals managed to break in three times
As a kid, little Edward Jones was pretty fascinated by the Royal Family. So much so that he managed to sneak into the residence three times. Well, at the very least he was caught three times.
He managed to steal Queen Victoria's underwear (!), as well as food from the kitchens. He even boasted to the press that he'd sat on her throne.
Without breaking in, it's possible to visit the Throne Room and see the three gilded royal seats for yourself.
Does King Charles III live in Buckingham Palace?
As head of 'The Firm', King Charles III prefers to be based at Clarence House (also in London), but doesn't live at Buckingham Palace. He does carry out official engagements there, however.
Tradition tends to dictate that the monarch lives at Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh lived in the private apartments on the north side of the Palace. Other members of the Royal Family have lived in rooms on the upper floors of the north and east sides.
Royal Family members, such Princess Anne, and Prince Edward and Sophie Countess of Wessex, hold private apartments at the palace but don't live there full-time. So it's unlikely you'll bump into any of them making a cup of tea in the kitchen while you're visiting!
Over 800 people work for the Royal Household, and a lucky few do live in suitably posh apartments (which are said to be lovely, but obviously not as grand as their royal bosses'). There are also staff quarters for a range of household workers, some of whom might live there too.
There's a way to tell if the King is there
If you're passing by and wonder whether the King is in, well, you're in luck. Want to know what to look out for?
It's all to do with a flag. If the Union Flag is flying over the palace, then you're out of luck - he's not there. However, if the Royal Standard flag is flying, then he is in the building, or at least making a visit.
Buckingham Palace is like an opulent mini-village
Besides the Throne Room and the sprawling grounds, there's a lot going on, inside and outside of the main building.
The Royal Mews, built in 1824-1825, are home to luxurious vehicles, and horses that work during special events.
The garden alone, filled with beautiful plants and trees, covers 42 acres, making it the largest private garden in London. You'll be able to see some of it, but most of it is closed to the public.
There's also a cinema and a swimming pool, a Post Office and police station, a clinic and even an ATM.
See London's magnificent palaces and everything it has to offer
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✈️ Buy The London Pass® ✈️ | https://buckinghampalace.londonpass.com/tickets.htmlYou | 1,642 | Politics | 3 | en | 0.999992 |
‘Having sex makes men more likely to believe in God’
A new research has proven that having sex could spur some sort of connection with divinity in us as human beings.
According to a Semester talk delivered by Christopher West and titled: “God, Sex and The Meaning of Life”, sex releases a chemical that is vital love and affection sharing.
West, a best-selling author, helped to explore the ancient but forgotten truth that our deepest desires of body and soul are meant to lead us to the infinite, to God.
The chemical, oxytocin, which plays a crucial role in social bonding, sexual reproduction in both sexes, and during and after childbirth, is also known as the “hug hormone” and “cuddle chemical”.
Oxytocin was discovered by an English pharmacologist and physiologist, Sir Henry Dale in 1906.
This bonding chemical occurs naturally within us and is stimulated during sex, childbirth, and breastfeeding.
For a long time the chemical has been known to promote social bonding, trust, and even altruism.
Now, scientists at the North Carolina university in America say it could also incite spirituality in men too. | https://thenationonlineng.net/sex-makes-men-likely-believe-god/ | 248 | Romance | 2 | en | 0.99999 |
By Reno Omokri
It has been proven time and again that if your body language conflicts with your words, people subliminally believe the body language not the words.
What then are Nigeria’s body language and what are her words.
Nigeria’s words, especially from the government at the center, are that we are a Federal Republic of Nigeria with a Federal Government. From that pedestal, the Federal Government rightly advocates for unity amongst the multiple ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
Right from the cradle, the official word communication we get from the government is that we are one people and it does not matter where you come from.
As impressionable children, we believe those words and it works fine until we start formal education and that is when the words begin to conflict with the behavior.
At the Local Education District’s primary school, the first thing the officials and their paper work want to find out is not whether you know your ABCs or your 123s, no! They want to know where you come from. Are you an indigene or a settler?
If you are an indigene you have easier access to primary schools and your school fees are likely to be free, but if you are not an indigene of the state, your parents may have to consider enrolling you in a private school as you might be faced with several obstacles in your bid to enroll in a public school.
But then, some may still believe the words that where you come from does not matter as long as you are a citizen of Nigeria. In your formative years, you really want to believe that.
And then it is time for secondary school and your parents enroll you for the Common Entrance Examinations. You take it and wait for the results to come out and when they do you rush to your best friends house. ‘Guess what, I scored 98 in my exams’. What did you score’? He responds, ‘I scored 59’.
Then, it gets interesting. You cannot get admission into the Secondary School of your choice though you scored 98 points, however, your friend who scores 59 gets in.
‘Daddy, how could this have happened’ you asked your dad, who does his best to explain but ends up stammering, unable to find the words to explain the manufactured reality where 2 + 2 = sometimes 5 and sometimes 7 but never 4.
Your young mind tries to reconcile the reality you are faced with with what you have been told all your life up to that point.
Slowly but surely, the incongruence between Nigeria’s words and her body language begins to take its toll on your psyche.
Well, you end up going to a school that was not your first, second or even third choice.
And then you finish secondary school and apply for a place at any of the public universities through the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board’s University Matriculation Examination (UME) and it is the same old story.
Your cut off mark is specific to your state and not specific to your intelligence.
By this time, you are no longer surprised at Nigeria. Your cynicism is gradually reaching the point of no return. But then the best is yet to come.
After spending six years studying a four year course (ASUU strikes are more common than thunder strikes in Nigeria) you graduate, serve your country for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corp and then try your luck with the civil service.
You go to your commissioner at the Federal Civil Service Commission’s Head Office in Abuja where you find out that your state has no more quotas.
At this point your understanding of Nigeria is complete. You know where you fit. You know the cards Nigeria has handed to you. From that point on when you hear the current set of leaders mouthing out the platitudes that ‘it does not matter where you come from in Nigeria’ you roll your eyes and mutter a barely audible puh-leeze!
You are now wise to the fact that their moral compass does not always point in the same direction.
This is the reality of Nigeria. I can say this because I am not angling for any political position. I am content with where God has put me. If anybody is foolhardy enough to investigate me for financial misappropriation I will open all my accounts to them.
Many others know that this is the truth, but because it is not politically expedient, they will never say it.
We keep on deceiving ourselves that Nigeria is a genuine Federation and that where you come from does not matter but we all know that is not true.
A friend of mine had a case with the police and he would go to his local police station only to be told they were waiting for Abuja.
That same scenario plays out itself in multiple government agencies be it the Corporate Affairs Commission, or the Nigerian Immigration Service.
Governors are deceived into believing they are some sort of Chief Security Officers of their state when they cannot even command the least police officer in their domain.
The central Government does not even trust the states with vehicle registration.
Even the term states is a misnomer when applied to Nigerian states because how can you call an area a state when its financial dependence and literally its existence is tied to the central government?
A state that does not have the power to exploit minerals within its domain is no state. Nigeria’s states are little more than liaison offices of the Central government if truth be told.
States that do not have any ability to enforce their state laws beyond an appeal to a central police are no states. They are completely at the mercy of the center.
Go through our federal constitution and search out where a state governor is entitled to police protection. It will surprise you that there is no such provision in Nigeria’s constitution!
State governors merely enjoy the protection they do at the mercy and pleasure of the President.
If the President chooses, he can legally withhold police protection from a governor and no court of law can compel him to restore it. It’s his privilege and not the governor’s right.
Even a unitary system like the United Kingdom does not function in this manner. Local boroughs in the UK have more powers and authority than a Nigerian state not to talk of towns in the United States of America.
Yes, it might surprise you that every American town has its own police!
And it did not always use to be this way in Nigeria.
Most Nigerians do not have a sense of history and are surprised to learn that before the military struck in 1966, the regions enjoyed many of the freedoms that today’s states have not even began to dream of.
The regions also had their own police. They were known as Native Authority police. It was not until the 1960s that these police formations were first regionalised and then nationalized.
But most surprising to modern day Nigerians is the fact that until the military coup of 1966, it was the regions that gave money to the Central government not vice versa!
As a matter of fact, each region kept 50% of its revenue and paid 25% to the Central government then paid the last 25% to a common account which was then shared amongst the three regions (four after the creation of the Midwest Region in August of 1963).
Our Founding Fathers knew what a truly Federal Government should look like and bequeathed that to us at independence. It is no mistake that Nigeria made her most visible economic progress during the years between 1957 when two of the regions attained self government and 1966 when the military struck and introduced a unitary system which they later Christened a Federal Government while leaving the unitary structures in place till today.
I am sure Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Owelle Nnamdi Azikiwe would be turning in their grave every time they hear this system of governance being called a Federal Government.
Alas, we prefer to keep pretending rather than look ourselves in the face and say the truth to each other.
We import food because our population exploded after the discovery of oil. Now that a world without oil is becoming more than a possibility, do we have the courage to ask ourselves what would happen to us?
The United States has reached a deal with Iran and it is only a matter of time before Iran would be allowed to sell its oil to the West without restrictions.
What does this mean for Nigeria? What does this mean for the Organization Of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC?
Reverend Thomas Malthus in his magnum opus, An Essay on the Principle of Population, warned of what would happen in a nation where population growth grew faster than her resources. Even worse is what could happen when those resources face a sudden loss of value rather than a gradual one.
But we keep pretending that all is well without considering that if the mould is not reshaped it will keep producing the same vessel no matter whose hand pours the fillers into the mould.
Yet we keep pretending.
How long will that last? Your guess is as good as mine.
Reno Omokri is the founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center. Formerly Special Assistant on New Media to President Jonathan of Nigeria, he is author of Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God, and the new book Why Jesus Wept.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/who-will-federate-nigeria/ | 1,977 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999998 |
NELSON Mandela Rolihlahla Mandela, much loved 94-year-old icon of the anti-apartheid struggle is in the news again over his health.
The world wants to see him back on his feet again. We wish him a quick recovery while we ponder what would have happened if he had been a Nigerian leader, former or present.
At his age, rumours of his death have become routine. Two years ago, the South African government was castigated for concealing his illness for as long as it thought necessary. Criticisms about the media gag could have forced government to finally issue a statement.
It detailed the patient’s progress, respecting his privacy, but allayed public fears about the state of the former South African President, who has distinguished himself with his care for humanity. Worries about his health are global, with millions of internet users searching the web for the latest information on Mandela.
Mandela’s medical treatment in South Africa raises important points in the light of the secrecy of our governments, the penchant of government officials for medical facilities abroad, and the consistently deplorable state of our health services. Are Nigerians told about ailing public officials who are flown abroad at public expense?
Why do our officials neglect our health facilities and government officials only visit them at commissioning or to commiserate with victims of major emergencies? How would our health system work when those who supervise it do not use it?
Mandela would not be flown to any foreign hospital. He had series of tests in South Africa, under the guidance of “The Defence Force which is responsible for all medical requirements and care of current and retired presidents,” according to a government statement, issued when he was ill in January 2011. Nothing has changed. He is still being treated in South Africa under the watch of the Defence Force.
How do our leaders, past and present feel, when they read these lines that indict their parochial policies? Do they realise the security implications of their medical treatment abroad?
Concerns over Mandela reflect global adoration for a man who gave so much to free South Africa from apartheid. Mandela was jailed for 27 years for plotting an armed struggle against South Africa’s whites-only government. His release facilitated processes that ended apartheid and the first all race elections which the African National Congress won in 1994 and Mandela became President. He voluntarily stepped down in 1999.
Nigerian leaders should have cause to worry about Nigeria. They are not building a country that will adore them as it adores Mandela, nor one with facilities that can treat its leaders even if they suffer something as minor as a headache.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/had-mandela-been-nigerian/ | 561 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999985 |
Obesity is the condition in which a person is overweight and has a high degree of body fat.
Obesity is measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI), calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms with your height in meters squared
A person with BMI 25-29 is considered as overweight; if your BMI is between 30 and 40, you are considered as obese. Obesity can lead to various life threatening diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, some cancers, stroke etc. Consumption of more calories and sedentary lifestyle are the major cause for obesity.
It is possible to control obesity or get rid of it using various home remedies and lifestyle changes. The following home remedies will not just control obesity but help you maintain a healthy body and mind.
Green tea has been found to be very effective in weight loss and will help in treating weight loss without any dieting or weight loss pills. Boil the green tea leaves and let it simmer for a few minutes. Drink two to three times a day to see visible results in days.
Apple cider vinegar & lime juice
Mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon of lemon juice in a cup of lukewarm water. Drink this glass of water on an empty stomach every day for two to three months. You will see visible results as water will keep you hydrated, apple cider vinegar will boost your metabolism and lemon will help in improving the taste of water.
Start your day with honey
Take a teaspoon of honey and mix it in a glass of hot water. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to this water mixture. Drink this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Repeat daily for two to three months to see an effective weight loss.
Drink hot water
If you have the habit of drinking cold water, try to replace it with warm or appreciably hot water. Hot water will help in eliminating the fat deposits in your body. Drink hot water after every meal and make sure that you leave a gap of half an hour between the food and the water. Never drink water immediately after eating.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/home-remedies-beat-obesity/ | 434 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999992 |
Sunday Vanguard investigation shows that only a few laboratories in the world can diagnose Lassa virus which often leads to delays in commencing treatment
How a poorly understood disease kills 5, 000 people annually
By Chioma Obinna
50 years after Lassa fever was discovered in a Nigeria village called Lassa, the disease has continued to wreak havoc in communities across the country.
Statistics show that about 300,000 people across West Africa are affected and about 5,000 lose their lives annually due to the deadly disease caused by multimammate rats.
While the disease has been adjudged to be endemic in Nigeria following its occurrence throughout the year, experts say Lassa fever remains a poorly understood disease that is challenging to diagnose and treat. For them, to stop the raging outbreaks and improve patients’ survival, there is need to better understand the mechanics of the disease, develop better tools to diagnose cases early, evaluate vaccine candidates to prevent future outbreaks as well as improve treatment molecules.
One event that will remain evergreen in the minds of health-conscious Nigerians and stakeholders in 2018 will be Lassa fever outbreak. This is a year adjudged to have recorded the largest Lassa fever cases both in affected and the number of deaths.
In 2018, statistics from the 23 states of the country reported 3,498 suspected cases of Lassa fever with 45 healthcare workers among the 633 confirmed cases. Since then, the disease has continued to wreak havoc despite efforts of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other stakeholders.
Sadly, the deadly outbreak took a new twist in January which led the NCDC to officially declare, on January 22, 2019, another outbreak. Many Nigerians have been admitted in hospital due to Lassa fever. And these patients arrive in advanced stages of the disease, which require more specialised care. At the Federal Medical Centre Owo alone, reports say more than 50 suspected patients have been admitted in the Lassa ward recently.
Currently, in the country, the high number of cases has stretched the treatment capacity while the NCDC and other health workers continue to do their best to care for patients.
Health facilities are now in need of continued support, especially human resources, medical supplies and drugs.
For instance, at the Federal Medical Centre Owo, where a medical Non-Governmental Organisation, Alliance for International Medical Action, ALIMA, is offering support for victims, Dr Marie Jaspard, in a report, called for urgent support for more resources following the increase in cases. According to Jaspard in that report, if the caseload continues to increase, without further funding, the support they are providing to the Owo hospital will stop within a month.
Meanwhile the NCDC says although the country is recording a slight drop in cases when compared with the cases recorded in January when the outbreak hit the rooftop, in the week ending March 3, 2019, 39 new confirmed cases were reported from six states of Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Taraba, and Kogi, with eight new deaths in Edo, Ondo, and Kogi.
Overall, 33 states and the FCT have reported a total of 1,447 suspected cases since the onset of the 2019 outbreak with 93 deaths in confirmed cases. At least, 21 states have recorded one confirmed case across 66 local government areas.
According to the NCDC situation report, in the reporting week 09, no new health care worker was affected but a total of 15 health care workers have been infected since the onset of the outbreak in seven states with one death in Enugu, 69 patients are currently being managed at various treatment centres across the country. A total of 4,902 contacts have been identified from 19 states.
However, many Nigerians keep wondering why it is so hard to terminate this outbreak despite huge resources being deployed by government and other partners.
They worry that the disease used to be seasonal but recent outbreaks has taken a new twist as it has continued unabated.
They ask if there no end to Lassa fever outbreak.
However, Sunday Vanguard investigation shows that the fever, a viral haemorrhagic fever that spreads through humans contact with infected multimammate rats, continues to pose a big challenge due to the nature of the disease and the source of infection.
Also, managing Lassa fever entails a lot. But, unfortunately, 50 years after the discovery, Nigeria lacks the necessary equipment to diagnose and treat the disease.
Why outbreak persists
In an interview with Sunday Vanguard during a workshop organised by the Lagos State branch of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, explained that the primary source of infection, which is through rat that usually comes in contact with humans during planting season, has made it impossible to eradicate or prevent the outbreak.
Ipaye, who noted that Lassa fever has become a consistent epidemic in Nigeria, said Nigeria will continue to experience the epidemic unless the country is able to establish the multimammate rats in their natural hood.
“Lassa fever is no longer new in Nigeria and we should be able to manage Lassa communications in a very effective well”, he said.
“So what we should be focusing on is to be prepared to prevent the multimammate rat during Lassa epidemic season. We understand the epidemiology of Lassa and because the source is not man it would be difficult to eradicate.”
According to him, the virus does not traditionally affect the multimammate rat which carries them even if they live with it. So as long as there is man-animal contact, there will be an epidemic.
Ipaye identified preparedness as one of the strategies to respond to the epidemic response, stressing the need for Nigeria to start early communication and information provision for people, particularly farmers in rural communities who displace these multimammate rats when they clear bushes which serve as their natural habitation.
“When these rats are displaced from their natural habitations, they will come close to man and live. And when they come close to man, they contaminate our food items and, when the food items are contaminated, we consume them and get infected. Through education, we can enlighten our people. What we should do is to start early education more than we do before the epidemic started.
“And after every rainy season, we should try to educate our farmers on how to dry their foods to make sure that foods in our kitchens are well covered to make sure that the foods and drinks are not contaminated. We must maintain good environmental hygiene. Stop putting dirt around our homes because it attracts rats,” he stated.
“Every fever that exceeds three days after treating malaria should be investigated. Healthcare providers must maintain a high level of caution and ensure that universal precaution is adopted as they manage every patient. Once we do all of these, we will be able to limit the impact of Lassa fever but to say Lassa will not come that is not possible. Until we vaccinate everyone and make sure that their immunity is very high. At the national response level, what we need to do is to commence early education of our people and also expect that Lassa will come and when it comes we should be prepared to manage it”.
Stating that government had been offering free dry season vaccination in epidemic-prone areas, he noted that until the country develops level health immunity for people, Lassa will continue to live with the people.
Reasons patients die
Sunday Vanguard investigation shows that only a few laboratories in the world can diagnose Lassa virus which often leads to delays in commencing treatment.
According to Dr Hilde De Clerck, who spoke during the first-ever international conference on Lassa fever, held in Abuja in January, despite half a century since the fever was discovered in Nigeria, healthcare workers in West Africa still urgently need appropriate equipment and training to safely manage patients of all ages affected by the disease.
While the NCDC recently announced the review of its Lassa fever outbreak response which, it claimed, was yielding positive results, health watchers are of the view that to effectively tackle outbreak, Nigeria needs not only better understanding of the mechanics of the disease but also needs to develop better tools to diagnose cases early, evaluate vaccine candidates to prevent future outbreaks and improve treatment molecules, in order improve patients’ chances of survival.
Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Umezurike Daniel, pointed out that one of the major challenges of treating Lassa fever is the nature of the disease itself because, at the onset, it mimics ailments like malaria
He explained that a lot of time is wasted before the patient actually presents for treatment, and the prognosis gets very bad if treatment is not commenced within six days from the onset of symptoms.
Also, treating Lassa fever requires appropriate use of personal protective equipment and other infection prevention and control measures, to protect healthcare workers and relatives of patients.
Efforts to curb disease
The Nigerian government, through the NCDC, may not have relented in its efforts to tackle Lassa outbreaks. Only last week in a report, the NCDC Director General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the body had launched an intensive response to the latest outbreak.
According to him, in the last three weeks, there has been a downward trend in new cases.
Ihekweazu said the number of new cases being reported has become lower compared to the same period during the 2018 outbreak.
He added that despite the reduction in new cases, response activities were being intensified at the national and state levels. “Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), which include officials from the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Environment, are supporting the response in high burden states like Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Plateau and Bauchi”, he said.
Ihekweazu noted that NCDC was also supporting states in ensuring full availability of drugs, personal protective equipment, reagents and other supplies required for case management and diagnosis of Lassa fever.
The Centre has also attributed improvements to various factors including the early deployment of One-Health national RRTs, strengthening of Lassa fever treatment centres, enforcement of environmental sanitation, the introduction of the Infection Prevention and Control among others. NCDC further noted that the surveillance data from previous outbreaks indicate that the typical peak transmission season for Lassa fever has not passed, calling on Nigerians to practice preventive measures to avoid infection.
“Prevention of Lassa fever relies on promoting good community hygiene to discourage rodents from entering home”, he said.
Prevention and control
According to WHO, prevention of Lassa fever relies on promoting good ‘community hygiene’ to discourage rodents from entering homes. Effective measures include storing grain and other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers, disposing of garbage far from the home, maintaining clean households and keeping cats. In health-care settings, staff should always apply standard infection prevention and control precautions when caring for patients, regardless of their presumed diagnosis.
Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Lassa fever should apply extra infection control measures to prevent contact with the patient’s blood and body fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials such as clothing and bedding.
Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from humans and animals for investigation of Lassa virus infection should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories under maximum biological containment conditions.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/93-dead-as-lassa-fever-rages/ | 2,430 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999975 |
SOUMOUNI, Mali — The half-dozen strangers who descended on this remote West African village brought its hand-to-mouth farmers alarming news: their humble fields, tilled from one generation to the next, were now controlled by Libya’s leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, and the farmers would all have to leave.
“They told us this would be the last rainy season for us to cultivate our fields; after that, they will level all the houses and take the land,” said Mama Keita, 73, the leader of this village veiled behind dense, thorny scrubland. “We were told that Qaddafi owns this land.”
Across Africa and the developing world, a new global land rush is gobbling up large expanses of arable land. Despite their ageless traditions, stunned villagers are discovering that African governments typically own their land and have been leasing it, often at bargain prices, to private investors and foreign governments for decades to come.
Organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank say the practice, if done equitably, could help feed the growing global population by introducing large-scale commercial farming to places without it.
But others condemn the deals as neocolonial land grabs that destroy villages, uproot tens of thousands of farmers and create a volatile mass of landless poor. Making matters worse, they contend, much of the food is bound for wealthier nations.
“The food security of the country concerned must be first and foremost in everybody’s mind,” said Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, now working on the issue of African agriculture. “Otherwise it is straightforward exploitation and it won’t work. We have seen a scramble for Africa before. I don’t think we want to see a second scramble of that kind.” | http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/world/africa/22mali.html?ref=africaI | 387 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999971 |
Eight side effects of not getting enough sleep
By Samuel Oamen
Sleeping adequately often helps maintain a healthy body balance.
Not getting enough sleep can lower your sex drive, weaken your immune system, cause thinking issues and lead to weight gain.
When you don’t get enough sleep, you may also increase your risk of certain cancers, diabetes, and even car accidents.
Here are the side effects of not sleeping adequately:
· Prone to sickness
Losing sleep can impair your body’s ability to fight off illness. This makes it easier to get sick.
Researchers uncovered a reciprocal relationship between sleep and your immune system. You may lose additional sleep while your body fights off a bug if you get sick and haven’t had enough shut-eye.
· Cancer risk increases
Shortened sleep is associated with higher rates of breast cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer, according to the AASM’s sleep statement.
Overnight shift workers may take the brunt of this burden. The good news is that men and women who slept seven or more hours per night had the best mortality rates in the group.
· Causes serious health problems
Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:
- Heart disease
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Irregular heartbeat
- High blood pressure
· Kills sex drive
Sleep specialists say sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame.
· Ages your skin
Most people have experienced sallow skin and puffy eyes after a few nights of missed sleep. But it turns out that chronic sleep loss can lead to lackluster skin, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic.
· Makes you forgetful
Trying to keep your memory sharp? Try to get plenty of sleep.
In 2009, American and French researchers determined that brain events called “sharp wave ripples” are responsible for consolidating memory. The ripples also transfer learned information from the hippocampus to the neocortex of the brain, where long-term memories are stored. Sharp wave ripples occur mostly during the deepest levels of sleep.
· Sleeplessness is depressing
Over time, lack of sleep and sleep disorders can contribute to the symptoms of depression. In a 2005 Sleep in America poll, people who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety were more likely to sleep less than six hours at night.
· Sleeplessness causes accidents
Studies show that sleep loss and poor-quality sleep also lead to accidents and injuries on the job. In one study, workers who complained about excessive daytime sleepiness had significantly more work accidents, particularly repeated work accidents. They also had more sick days per accident. | https://thenationonlineng.net/eight-side-effects-of-not-getting-enough-sleep/ | 617 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999698 |
President Muhammadu Buhari has declared the resolve of the Nigerian government to ensure implementation of policies that will address climate change.
He says Nigeria will emerge as one of the world’s best examples of how reducing emissions could benefit the environment and the economy.
In his speech at the 22nd Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) taking place in Marrakech, Morocco, President Buhari outlined the plan of the administration towards aligning with the global objectives on climate change and ensuring inclusive growth and environmental sustainability.
“In Nigeria, we are launching a strategic plan for the implementation of our Intended Nationally Determined Contributions and we have equally embraced the issuance of green bonds as an innovative means and alternative way of raising climate finance both locally and internationally.
“We cannot afford to wait until 2020. We are already making far reaching changes to all sectors of our economy including through: Substantially increasing the use of climate smart agriculture, diversification of our energy mix through renewable and efficient gas power, creating a more efficient, cleaner and lower-carbon oil and gas sector especially through a gas to energy programme and initiating the implementation of the clean-up of the Ogoni-Land in the Niger-Delta region,” he said.
President Buhari also announced Nigeria’s ambitious but achievable commitment to ‘green growth’.
“We have reflected our determination for green growth in my country’s ambitious Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. We have also announced our plans to reduce emissions by 20% by the year 2030, with the intention of raising this target to 45%, with the support of the international community. This is one of Africa’s most ambitious Intended Nationally Determined Contributions – covering all emissions from all parts of the economy,” he told the gathering.
President Buhari also affirmed that Nigeria had no choice but to key into the global action on climate change.
“In Nigeria for instance, the impact is being felt by the more than 2.1 million people displaced by devastating floods that the country has continued to suffer since 2012. If not addressed by 2050, the human and financial cost would be colossal. For us in Nigeria, the larger dimension of the challenge goes beyond emission rights. Survival rights are also at stake,” he explained.
The Nigerian President equally reminded the gathering of the agreement at the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly that climate threats and security threats go hand in hand and called for concerted efforts on them.
“The Lake Chad Basin for example, has shrunk to a mere 10% of its original size, and this has seriously affected the livelihood of over five million people and contributed to the growth of insecurity in the region, including the emergence of Boko Haram as a terrorist group. Hence the urgent need to resuscitate Lake Chad.
“In this regard, I seize this opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation to those who have responded to our call and to encourage other well-meaning partners to join in our efforts to revive the Lake Chad Basin,” President Buhari said.
He expressed the readiness of Nigeria to join hands for the change that the whole world is working towards.
“We, therefore, stand ready to engage in meaningful partnerships to tackle the menace, and call on our neighbours and developing partners to fulfil their financial obligations in support of efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change,” the President declared.
He also called on world leaders to recommit themselves to the achievement of the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement which they collectively signed in 2015 for the benefit of this and future generations.
“Nigeria has submitted its instrument of ratification for the new global agenda on climate change. We urge others to do the same in order to make the world a safe place,” he added. | https://www.channelstv.com/2016/11/15/climate-change-buhari-commits-nigerias-reduction-emissions/ | 800 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999975 |
Oil spill in the river
By Clara Nwachukwu and Sebastin Obasi with Agency reports
The Gulf Coast states and the United States Government have reached a tentative settlement with British oil company, BP, to pay about $18.7 billion over 18 years, to compensate for damages from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, state officials said Thursday.
“This is a landmark settlement,” Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama said. “It is designed to compensate the state for all the damages, both environmental and economic.”
The Associated Press, AP, reported that the settlement covers suits filed by Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas as well as the federal government.
Furthermore, if accepted by a federal judge, the settlement would end a year’s long battle between BP and the U.S. Government over Clean Water Act penalties after a judge ruled that BP was grossly negligent in the nearly 134 million gallon spill.
The settlement will also resolve the states’ natural resources damage claims and settle economic claims involving states and local governments in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, according to an outline filed in a federal court.
“If approved by the court, this settlement would be the largest settlement with a single entity in American history; it would help repair the damage done to the Gulf economy, fisheries, wetlands and wildlife; and it would bring lasting benefits to the Gulf region for generations to come,” U.S. Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, said in a statement.
Nigerians react, urge FG to strengthen institutions
Reacting immediately against the backdrop of numerous oil spill cases in the country, including the infamous Ogoni oil spill, some Nigerians Thursday urged the Federal Government to emulate the United States of America in strengthening institutions, so as to protect the citizenry.
Reacting to the judgment, Senator Lee Maeba, a former Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum, said that it is a wakeup call for the federal government to strengthen our institutions.
“Government should strengthen our institutions; this is the key. We don’t have the institutions that can give us the benchmark. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency, FEPA, should not have been scrapped in the first place. It is the equivalent of the FEPA in the United States that calculated the damage that was awarded to BP.
“In Nigeria, Shell was billed to pay $1.5 billion for the damage done to the environment in Niger Delta communities. Till now, that money has not been paid. Our justice department is weak in Nigeria. Government should show commitment to the welfare of the people,” he added.
Also speaking, Mr. Ledun Mitee, Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, argued that communities ravaged by oil spill should be compensated accordingly.
He said: “We have always made the point that lives of people are sacred no matter where they are. The system here is appalling and not encouraging. Nigeria should rise to the occasion
“It is a sad commentary on our system that people in authority – the courts, the executive and law enforcement agencies are not living up to their responsibilities.
“The agencies should be challenged so that those who suffer deprivations should be compensated commensurately because lives of people, whether in the US or Nigeria are the same,” he added.
Facts on Deepwater Horizon spill
The BP settlement in the US will likely mark the end of major litigation against BP, following the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April 2010, it killed 11 people on board and spread miles of black oil across the Gulf Coast before the underwater well was capped a few months later.
Online social change activist, dosomething.org, identified 11 major facts surrounding the oil spill, which it posted on its website, as followed:
*More than 200 million gallons of crude oil was pumped into the Gulf of Mexico for a total of 87 days, making it the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.
*About 6,000 total miles of coastline have been affected, including the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
* Even though the gushing well was capped in July 2010, oil is still washing up on shores, which might cause long-term damages to people living in the area.
* The initial oil rig explosion killed 11 people and injured 17 others.
*President Obama announced that his administration would create a $20 billion spill response fund.
* Responders used 5.5 million feet of boom, a barrier placed in water, to collect and absorb oil.
*Of the 400 miles of Louisiana coast, approximately 125 miles have been polluted by the oil spill.
*A method of treating the oil spill is “in-situ burning” or burning oil in a contained area on the surface of the water, which has negative effects on the environment.
*Over 8,000 animals (birds, turtles, mammals) were reported dead just 6 months after the spill, including many that were already on the endangered species list.
*BP is responsible for close to $40 billion in fines, cleanup costs, and settlements as a result of the oil spill in 2010, with an additional $16 billion due to the Clean Water Act.
*Over 30,000 people responded to the spill in the Gulf Coast working to collect oil, clean up beaches, take care of animals and perform various other duties. As of 2012, the Gulf was still polluted with oil.
Events and happenings over the last six years, including responses from the US Government, its agencies, and other governmental and non-governmental organisations are pointers to what is expected of the Nigerian government to protect life, property and the environment.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/oil-spill-bp-to-pay-18-7bn-in-18-years/#sthash.qin5ROhP.dpuf | 1,222 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999854 |
As good as modern medical technology is, it can never save you from the problems caused by a life style that is unhealthy. Instead of getting a modern medical fix for every problem, it is far better to live in such a way that you will hardly ever fall ill.
An ounce of prevention is certainly better than a pound of cure. Here are seven tips on how to live a long and healthy life. In addition, the same life style that helps you to avoid illness also helps you to lose weight.
1. Get Enough Exercise
In the past people had to use their physical bodies in the course of their normal work. But today someone may get up, go to work in a car, then sit down, get up to go home in the car and when arriving at home, sit down again for the rest of the day. In such a life there is no physical labor. This physical inactivity is one of the main reasons for a host of diseases. Sport, running. walking and other things must be added to our life if our normal work does not require us to exert ourselves physically. I
2. Go to sleep when you feel sleepy
This may sound simple, but many people stay up late even when their body is telling them that it is time to sleep. Yoga and Ayurvedic doctors also say that it is better to sleep in the night and be active during the day. However, people such as students will take coffee and stimulants to study late into the night. Others develop the habit of remaining active at night and sleeping during the day. While we can do this, it eventually takes a toll on health. Alternative health doctors say that this kind of unnatural living is one of the contributing factors in the causation of cancer and other diseases
3. Eat when you feel hungry
This is also a simple idea, but once again we often go against the messages of the body. If you eat out of habit or due to social pressure at certain time of the day, even when you have no real appetite, then you will not digest your food properly. Acidity and indigestion begin, and this contributes to the likelihood of other more complex diseases taking root. Having an appetite is actually a sign of good health, but if you have no appetite you should wait a bit and then eat. (If you have no appetite even after awaiting a reasonable amount of time, then you should consult a doctor because something is wrong.
4.Fast on a Regular, Systematic Basis
If you would ask any person to work 365 days per year without any rest, they would complain and say that they must have some rest or else they will break down. But we have never bothered to ask or to think about our digestive organs which we compel to work day after day without a rest. They cannot protest the way a person would to his boss, but they do give us signals that they cannot work non-stop. When we ignore those signals and still compel them to work, those organs break down. That is why periodic fasting is necessary. Refrain from eating for one complete day. This gives a rest to your digestive organs and also helps in the elimination of wastes from your body. Regular fasting allows a person to gain extra time for intellectual or spiritual pursuits. Fasting is not for hermits in a cave, but is a sensible practice that anyone can practice.
5. Wash with cool water before going to bed
As mentioned above, proper sleep is essential for the maintenance of health. If you wash your important motor and sensory organs (hands, arms, eyes, legs, mouth, genitals) before sleep using cool water, this will relax you and prepare you for deep sleep.
6. Perform meditation on a regular basis
Your body is linked to your mind. Many of the diseases of this era are psychosomatic. Stress and anxiety take their toll on our physical health. Meditation is a mental exercise which, among other things, allows you to detach yourself from the worries of life. Learn a simple technique and do it regularly.
7. Get up early every day
Once again the old proverb, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise.” I don’t know if it will make you wealthy, but it will certainly make you healthy. Your body needs just enough sleep, not too much and not too little.
Follow these tips and you can’t go wrong.
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A growing Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has killed 101 people, as West Africa battles to contain a flare up of the virus, according to data from the nation’s health authorities released Saturday.
Nigeria Centre for Disease (NCDC) statistics show that reported cases of the haemorrhagic disease — both confirmed and suspected — stood at 175 with a total of 101 deaths since August.
“As at today, 19 (including Abuja) states are currently following up contacts, or have suspected cases with laboratory results pending or laboratory confirmed cases,” the NCDC said in a statement.
Deaths from the virus were recorded in the nation’s political capital, Abuja, Lagos, and 14 other states, the NCDC said.
While health authorities assure Africa’s most populous country of more than 170 million they have the virus under control, there are fears the actual scale of the outbreak is under-reported.
The outbreak of Lassa fever was only announced in January — months after the first case of the disease happened in August — with subsequent deaths reported in 10 states, including Abuja.
Last year, 12 people died in Nigeria out of 375 infected, while in 2012 there were 1,723 cases and 112 deaths, according to the NCDC.
In neighbouring Benin at least nine people have died in a Lassa outbreak, with a total of 20 suspected cases, health authorities said Tuesday.
Benin was last hit by a Lassa fever outbreak in October 2014, when nine people suspected of having the virus died.
The number of Lassa fever infections in West Africa every year is between 100,000 to 300,000, with about 5,000 deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections
with fever, vomiting and, in worse case scenarios, haemorrhagic bleeding.
Its name is from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria where it was first identified in 1969.
Endemic to the region, Lassa fever is asymptomatic in 80 percent of cases but for others it can cause internal bleeding, especially when diagnosed late.
The virus is spread through contact with food or household items contaminated with rats’ urine or faeces or after coming in direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/101-die-in-nigeria-from-lassa-fever-outbreak/ | 522 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999981 |
The 64-year-old patient arrived at a hospital in Brooklyn with symptoms looking like those seen in patients having a serious heart attack.
An electrocardiogram revealed an ominous heart rhythm. The patient had high blood levels of a protein called troponin, a sign of damaged heart muscle. Doctors rushed to open the patient’s blocked arteries — but found that no arteries were blocked.
The patient was not having a heart attack. The culprit was the coronavirus.
The Brooklyn patient recovered after 12 days in the hospital and is now at home. But there have been reports of similar patients in the United States and abroad, and the cases have raised troubling questions for doctors.
What should doctors do these days when they see patients with apparent heart attacks? Should they first rule out coronavirus infection — or is that a waste of valuable time for the majority of patients who are actually having heart attacks?
Should every coronavirus patient be tested for high blood levels of troponin to see if the virus has attacked the heart?
“I don’t know what the right answer is,” said Dr. Nir Uriel, a cardiologist at Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. | https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/health/coronavirus-cardiac-heart-attacks.html | 251 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999985 |
By Arize Nwobu
THERE are four things of strategic importance which are lacking largely in most African economies and have resulted in the retardation of growth and development and prevalence of poverty in the vastly endowed continent.
They are, industrialisation, ‘’agriculture miracle’’, robust financial systems and inspiring leadership. Industrialisation is the key driver of modernisation and development. It helps to improve the living condition of the people. But it has been noted that there is little industry in Africa- the continent has failed to industrialise in the 25 years since the first African Industrialisation Day.
Also, the ‘’agriculture miracle’’ which transformed other developing countries has not been witnessed in Africa even as African financial markets lack depth and breadth, without creative financing mechanisms and developed capital markets. Above all, leadership in Africa has not been inspiring, and grossly short changed development and raped the people.
Effective leadership results in productivity and positive change. Lee Kuan Yew transformed Singapore and has become a case study in leadership. Gandhi challenged India when he announced that if India could not clothe its citizens by producing needed textiles locally, they should all go naked. India transformed to become a super power in textile manufacturing. It is the same for most East Asian countries – the Asian Tigers – which emerged through inspiring leadership to be reckoned with in the global economy.
The narrative is different for Africa, thus the high rate of poverty and low Human Development Indices, HDI, that are pervasive in the continent. It has been reported that Africa is the poorest continent on the planet and half of the African population live in poverty. The rate of poverty in Nigeria is 62.60 per cent with about 100 million people living below US$1 per day. The Misery Index is 48 per cent, ranking Nigeria as the fourth on the global index according to the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS.
Nigeria’s population growth rate outstrips economic growth. And it has been projected that the population will hit 234 million in 2025 at a cumulative average growth rate, CAGR, of 2.5 per cent which poses a threat to national security vis-à-vis unemployment rate and youth unemployment.
In a report on Monetary Policy and Unemployment: Is there a Dynamic Relationship?, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, noted that ‘’with global unemployment projected to reach 215 million by 2018 experts fear for Africa, particularly Nigeria’s share of the global scourge might increase disproportionately, with attendant unsavoury consequences unless the country immediately adopts pro-active and holistic approach to halt the rising youth unemployment.’’
Nigeria’s high rate of poverty has been linked to petrodollar. The country has been over dependent on oil, but it has been postulated that no country becomes rich by exporting raw materials without an industrial sector. Experts have noted that Nigeria had a good head start in the beginning with a robust plan towards industrialisation but lost the trajectory because of petrodollar.
The economy needs to be redirected based on knowledge and understanding of economic dynamics, creative strategies and political will. Four key sectors which constitute the dynamics of an economy are the financial, fiscal/government, external and real sector. The financial sector is the lifeblood of the economy which channel funds from surplus to deficit ends.
A robust financial system ensures stable macro-economy which enables businesses to plan conveniently, and helps to attract foreign capital. Though Nigeria’s financial system has undergone transformational changes which enhanced the landscape, there is need to evolve more creative financing mechanisms and optimally utilise the instrumentality of the capital market to close financing gaps and catalyse industrial growth faster for greater job opportunities.
The fiscal/government ensures enabling environment and macro-economic stability by sustaining aggregate demand which also enables economic agents to plan with confidence. The fiscal authority may need to harmonise and synergise more with the monetary authority for quantum leap developments in the economy.
The external sector interacts with economies of the other countries as in exports and imports. Nigeria as an import-dependent economy is disadvantaged in this regard because of unbridled importation. We import virtually everything such that we have been described as the ‘’junk yard’’ of the world. Unbridled importation creates jobs abroad to our detriment.
The real sector is the engine and driving force of the economy. It comprises manufacturing and agriculture where goods and services are produced through the combined utilisation of raw materials and other production factors such as labour, land and capital. According to the CBN, ‘’the real sector creates more linkages in the economy than any other sector. It has capacity to generate high employment and income generating potential. It satisfies aggregate demand and is connected to the standard of living of the people and used to measure the effectiveness of macro-economic policies.’’
The key to industrialisation is a combination of robust financial system (encapsulating creative financing mechanisms and optimal utilisation of the capital market), and well funded and vibrant real sector, all things being equal.
At its July 2018 Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, the Central Bank of Nigeria stressed the need to channel greater and long-term capital flow to the real sector of the economy through the Real Sector Support Facility, RSSF, and Corporate Bonds, CBs, to encourage local manufacturing, bolster economic recovery and stimulate growth and reduce poverty. The RSSF would be for the financing of Greenfield (new) and Brownfield (new/expansion) projects in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors only, and such projects would have high local content, foreign exchange earnings, potential for job creation and import substitution among others. Trading activities and refinancing of existing projects are prohibited from accessing the facility.
The RSSF would be accessed through the Cash Reserve Requirement ,CRR of deposit money banks at an all-inclusive interest rate of 9 per cent per annum.
Cash Reserve Requirement is ‘’a specified fraction of the total deposit of customers which commercial banks have to hold as reserves either in cash or as deposits with the central bank.’’ It is one of the monetary tools used to regulate money supply in the financial system to avoid banks from over extending themselves so they would not create a knock on effect on other over extended banks.
According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, banks that are interested in financing projects should request the freeing of funds from their CRR. The maximum facility would be N10 billion per project with a minimum tenor of seven years and two years moratorium. For Corporate Bonds, which are financing instruments issued by corporate bodies, the guidelines stipulate among other things that ‘’such requirements would include publishing through printing of an Information Memoranda spelling out details of the projects for which funds are required together with terms and conditions showing that these are long term projects that are employment and growth stimulating.’’ Also, the tenor would not be below seven years and with a moratorium as specified in the Information Memoranda.
The Real Sector Support Facility has been commended as a creative initiative which will trigger credit flow to the real sector to impact growth. Though some economy watchers have noted that CBN would have crashed the interest rate holistically for all sectors of the economy, but it is believed that the apex bank adopted the targeted action approach for strategic reasons. Some experts have noted that it would be dangerous to crash interest rate and create easy money ahead of election time because it would turn expansive in the short-run and trigger long-run inflationary consequences – a development most central banks dread.
The objectives of the RSSF and CBs are in line with some other policies of CBN such as the exclusion of 41 items from interbank foreign exchange market which are, to reduce unbridled importation, conserve foreign reserves, encourage local manufacturing, achieve self-sufficiency, create more jobs, reduce poverty and redirect the economy towards industrialization, all things being equal.
Nwobu, a Chartered Stockbroker and Business Journalist wrote via [email protected] Tel: 08033021230
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/09/rssf-supporting-real-sector-for-poverty-reduction/ | 1,688 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999743 |
The Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to kick-start advocacy for full autonomy of local governments in the country to curb insecurity, rural-urban migration, decaying infrastructure, and widespread unemployment.
The upper chamber also asked the President to convene a national dialogue involving governors, state legislators, local government officials, civil society organizations, and community leaders to discuss the road map towards achieving full local government autonomy.
Other lawmakers, who have described the local government as the most abused system, have equally called for an amendment of the 1999 constitution to catalyze such independence.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Inaugurates Critical Gas Infrastructure Projects, Reassures Investors
The senate minority leader, Senator Abba Moro, recalled that over 17 states are currently operating a caretaker committee in the local government, creating an impasse in the administration of the LG.
He insisted that no effort should be spared in investigating the abuse of the system.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who represents Anambra South, revealed that Anambra State has not conducted local government elections in the last 18 years.
He asserted that the non-implementation of the 1999 framework has become a major impediment to the independence of the local government system. | https://www.channelstv.com/2024/05/15/senate-asks-tinubu-to-start-advocacy-for-full-lg-autonomy/ | 254 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999799 |
Astrophysicists from the University of Hawaii have discovered Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a meteorite found in the Nevada desert in 2010.
Researchers who analyzed meteorite fragments in search of micro-bacterial data found the presence of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is found in a variety of plants, but most famously in the cannabis plant.
Astrophysicist (specialized in astrobiology) James Hun, head of the research team said:
The discovery of THC on meteorite fragments will have huge impact on the science of astrobiology. If chemical substances, that change brain functions and result in alterations in perception, mood, or consciousness in humans, find their origin in outer space, what role then has cometary impacts played on the human species? Or on life on the planet as whole? This discovery ultimately leaves us with more questions than answers
It gives a whole new meaning to the term getting high” he told local reporters, with a pinch of humor.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary ingredient in marijuana responsible for the high. It was first discovered in 1964 by a scientist in Israel named Dr. Raphael Mechoulam.
Mostly used to get high, THC also has medical benefits like relieve pain, nausea, depression and many other. Currently it is being analyzed if marijuana can cure cancer.
While THC is still illegal in most of the U.S. and most countries around the world, synthetic versions of the chemical have been legally prescribed for decades.
Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) were also found in a meteorite fragment in 2009 by a research team from the University of Mexico but the findings were dismissed at the time because of the “controversial nature of the discovery”.
Currently scientists and researchers are further analyzing the sample and so they could shed some more light on this latest finding. | http://notallowedto.com/marijuana-in-space-nasa-discovers-thc-on-meteorite-fragment/ | 398 | Politics | 3 | en | 0.999977 |
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic medical condition in which the levels of sugar, or glucose, build up in your bloodstream.
Typically, the hormone insulin helps move glucose from your blood to your cells, where it’s used for energy. But with type 2 diabetes, your body’s cells aren’t able to respond to insulin as well as they should. In later stages of the condition, your body may also not produce enough insulin.
Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes can lead to chronically high blood glucose levels, which can cause several symptoms and potentially lead to serious complications.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes
In type 2 diabetes, your body isn’t able to effectively use insulin to bring glucose into your cells. This causes your body to rely on alternative energy sources in your tissues, muscles, and organs. This is a chain reaction that can cause a variety of symptoms.
Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly. The symptoms may be mild and easy to dismiss at first. The early symptoms may include:
a lack of energy
pain, tingling, or numbness in your hands or feet
As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe and can cause some potentially dangerous complications.
Diet for type 2 diabetes
Diet is an important tool to help maintain optimal heart health and blood glucose levels that are within a safe range.
The diet recommended for people with type 2 diabetes is the same diet just about everyone should follow. It boils down to a few key actions:
Choose a variety of foods that are high in nutrients and low in empty calories.
Work on being mindful about portion sizes and stopping eating when you’re full.
Read food labels closely to understand the amount of sugar or carbs you could be ingesting in a serving size.
Foods and beverages to limit
If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, or even if you’re trying to avoid diabetes and manage your weight, there are certain foods and beverages that you should limit if possible. These include:
foods heavy in saturated or trans fats (like red meat and full-fat dairy products)
processed meats (like hotdogs and salami)
margarine and shortening
refined baked goods (like white bread and cake)
high-sugar, highly processed snacks (packaged cookies and some cereals)
sugary drinks (like regular soda and some fruit juices)
While no one food, enjoyed every so often, should knock you off your healthy path, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor about dietary restrictions based on your blood sugar levels. Some people may need to monitor their glucose more carefully than others after eating these foods.
Causes of type 2 diabetes
Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone. Your pancreas produces it and releases it when you eat. Insulin helps transport glucose from your bloodstream to cells throughout your body, where it’s used for energy.
If you have type 2 diabetes, your body becomes resistant to insulin. Your body is no longer using the hormone efficiently. This forces your pancreas to work harder to make more insulin.
Over time, this can damage cells in your pancreas. Eventually, your pancreas may not be able to produce any insulin.
If you don’t produce enough insulin or if your body doesn’t use it efficiently, glucose builds up in your bloodstream. This leaves your body’s cells starved for energy. Doctors don’t know exactly what triggers this series of events. It may have to do with cell dysfunction in the pancreas or with cell signaling and regulation.
While lifestyle choices are typically what trigger type 2 diabetes, you may be more likely to be diagnosedTrusted Source with it if:
there’s a genetic predisposition to developing type 2 diabetes in your family
there’s a genetic predisposition to developing obesity in your family, which can increase the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes
you are at least 45 years old
you are Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, or of Alaska Native descent
While the definitive trigger of type 2 diabetes is your body’s resistance to insulin, there’s usually a combination of factors that increase your risk of that resistance occurring.
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes
While there are some risk factors for type 2 diabetes that are out of your control (like your age and heritage, as mentioned above), there are certain lifestyle choices that can also put you at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Some of these include:
Living with excess weight. When you’re living with excess weight, you most likely have more fatty tissue, which can make your cells more resistant to insulin.
Living a more sedentary lifestyle. Regular physical activity helps your cells respond better to insulin.
Eating a lot of highly processed foods. Highly processed foods can have a lot of hidden sugar and refined carbs. If your life requires a more “grab-and-go” type of eating style, talk with your doctor or a dietician about nutritious swaps.
You may also be at increased risk if you’ve had gestational diabetes or prediabetes, two conditions caused by elevated glucose levels.
Tips for preventing type 2 diabetes
While you can’t always prevent type 2 diabetes, there are a few lifestyle tweaks can help delay, or even prevent, the onset. This is true even if you have increased risk factors like prediabetes.
Diet. The best kind of diet to prevent type 2 diabetes is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy carbs, healthy fats, and very little refined sugar.
Exercise. According to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for AmericansTrusted Source, the optimal amount of exercise a week for adults is 150 minutes, which can translate to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The Physical Activity Guidelines also recommend a combination of muscle strengthening and aerobic activity.
Weight management. Keeping a moderate weight is a good way to avoid chronic complicationsTrusted Source, including type 2 diabetes.
Complications associated with type 2 diabetes
For many people, type 2 diabetes can be effectively managed. If not properly managed, it can affect virtually all of your organs and lead to serious complications, including:
skin problems, like bacterial or fungal infections
nerve damage, or neuropathy, which can cause a loss of sensation or numbness and tingle in your extremities as well as digestive issues, like vomiting, diarrhoea, and constipation
poor circulation to the feet, makes it hard for your feet to heal when you have a cut or an infection and can also lead to gangrene and loss of the foot or leg
Hearing impairment retinal damage, or retinopathy, and eye damage, which can cause deteriorating vision, glaucoma, and cataracts cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure, narrowing of the arteries, angina, heart attack, and stroke
Women with diabetes are more likely to have a heart attack, at a younger age, than women without diabetes
Men with diabetes are 3.5 times as likely trusted Source to develop erectile dysfunction (ED)
Hyperglycemia can happen when blood sugar is high. It’s typically characterized by frequent urination and increased thirst. Monitoring your blood glucose carefully, and staying active, can help prevent hyperglycemia.
Complications during and after pregnancy If you have diabetes while you’re pregnant, you’ll need to monitor your condition carefully. Diabetes that’s poorly controlled may: complicate pregnancy, labour, and delivery harm your baby’s developing organs cause your baby to gain excess weight
It can also increase your baby’s risk of developing diabetes during their lifetime.
Managing type 2 diabetes
Managing type 2 diabetes requires teamwork. You’ll need to work closely with your doctor, but a lot of the results depend on your choices.
Your doctor may want to perform periodic blood tests to determine your blood glucose levels. This will help determine how well you’re managing the condition. If you take medication, these tests will help gauge how well it’s working.
Your doctor may also recommend a home monitoring system to test your own blood glucose levels between visits. They’ll explain to you how often you should use it and what your target range should be.
Because diabetes can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, your doctor may want to monitor your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. If you have symptoms of heart disease, you may need additional tests. These tests may include an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) or a cardiac stress test.
It may also be helpful to bring your family into the loop. Educating them about the warning signs of blood glucose levels that are too high or too low will allow them to help in an emergency.
Type 2 diabetes in children
Type 2 diabetes in children is a growing issue. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), around 193,000 Americans under age 20 have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
One 2016 study found that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in youth has increased to about 5,000 new cases per year. Another study from 2017 also showed a significant increase, particularly in minority races and ethnic groups.
If your child has been diagnosed with diabetes, their doctor will need to determine if it’s type 1 or type 2 before suggesting a specific treatment.
In the same way that lifestyle choices can help adults manage or even reverse their type 2 diabetes diagnosis, you can help lower your child’s risk by encouraging them to eat well and to be physically active every day.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that’s created when glucose levels build up in your bloodstream. It’s a common condition that’s often triggered by certain lifestyle choices. But the likelihood of a diagnosis can also be increased by genetics, age, and heritage.
Type 2 diabetes can be managed — and even reversed — with certain lifestyle changes. For more severe cases, medication is available.
If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, talk with your doctor about developing a treatment plan that works for your lifestyle. Because this condition is so common, there’s a plethora of resources and first-person accounts to help you on your journey towards managing — or breaking free from — type 2 diabetes.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/03/understanding-type-2-diabetes-and-how-to-cure-it/ | 2,165 | Health | 4 | en | 0.999992 |
Five mistakes you make while charging your phone
Many phone users tend to complain that their device’s batteries discharge quickly. They also typically blame the product manufacturer for this issue; however, the manufacturer isn’t always at fault. Here are some five mistakes that users typically make when charging their phones.
Waiting for the Battery to reach low levels before charging
Avoid waiting for your battery to reach a critically low level before charging. The effect of this on your phone battery is not immediate, but over time it begins to manifest and it eventually stresses out your phone battery (yes, batteries get stressed too) and shortens the battery life. Think of your battery as a human body, you really don’t need to wait until you’re about to die before you rest and eat to recharge yourself.
Keeping your phone case on while charging
Your phone typically emits heat when charging. To avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures, it’s advisable to remove the phone case while charging your phone so that the heat emitted from your phone while charging can escape. This way you can prevent your device from becoming hotter and potentially overheating when charging. Charging your battery at uncomfortable temperatures can permanently damage battery capacity.
Read Also: How to make your bank reverse your money
Charging your phone in the wrong places
You should mind where you charge your phone, because not doing so can negatively affect your battery capacity. Phones have a temperature range they can function normally and charging your phone in a hot area can raise the temperature and stress the battery out. Also, charging your phone in especially low temperature areas, like in front of an air conditioner, can also cause problems for your battery that will eventually affect its optimum performance.
Charging your phone overnight
The least you’ll sleep throughout the night is most likely going to be between 5 to 8 hours, your smartphone battery typically only needs 2 to 3 hours to fully charge. Charging your phone overnight, constantly stresses your phone battery each night. Sooner than later, your phone is likely to have battery problems. In addition, the temperature rises when the battery is overcharged, so apart from shortening battery life, it can also threaten user’s safety in the event it quickly heats up and explodes. It’s better to charge your phone before you sleep and switch it off while sleeping to preserve the battery till the next day.
Plugging whatever charger fits
This especially applies to smartphones. Most smartphones use a micro USB for its chargers and for this reasons most people tend to switch and swap chargers since it fits into and works on their phones. However, this is not appropriate and in the long run it can negatively affect your phone battery. The fact that most smartphones have the same micro USB doesn’t mean all chargers and phones are compatible. Some chargers function differently and that difference can be detrimental to your device if care is not taken. | https://thenationonlineng.net/five-mistakes-you-make-while-charging-your-phone/ | 600 | Phones | 2 | en | 0.999996 |
The INS Vikrant is the first indigenous aircraft carrier design being undertaken by the nation of India. It is one of two planned vessels in the new "Vikrant-class" of surface warships and has seen construction begin in 2009. It is expected to undergo its sea trials in 2014 though program has since fallen some three years behind schedule and commissioning will most likely be post-2017). Her sister, the INS Vishal, entered construction in July of 2012 with no commissioning year set as of now. Once reliant on procurement of outside military solutions from Russia and the West, India is now attempting to take drastic steps to become a major world military power through indigenous means. The Vikrant-class carriers is one such step in that direction.
For decades, the Indian Navy made use of ex-Soviet or ex-British aircraft carriers of various types. To principle models - the first Indian aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant (R11), and the follow-up INS Viraat (R22) - were British in origin and formed the backbone of the Navy's air defense fleet. However, these became aged ships with time and technology progression, ushering in thought for their replacements. In 1989, the Indian government announced the building of two new "Air Defence Ships" (ADS) of 28,000 ton size primarily for the fielding of the BAe Sea Harrier Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft received through British procurement orders. Economic woes then struck the project dead and India's modern carrier hopes were squashed with it.
It was not until 1999 that the situation had improved to the point that the idea of an indigenous Indian carrier was brought back to life. However, by this point in history, the Sea Harriers were aged mounts (currently just 9 in service with the Indian Navy with a total of 11 available in 2012) with no viable future VTOL prospects on the horizon to which replace them with. As such, the new Indian carrier would be of a different overall design than the previously anticipated ADS vessels planned. The carrier would be outfitted with a ski-ramp at the bow and recover its returning aircraft via a conventional arrestor line configuration in what is known as "STOBAR" ("Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery") (the configuration was used successfully by European powers and the Soviets decades prior and proved the concept sound). India's purchasing of the Russian Mikoyan MiG-29K Fulcrum )navalized versions of the land-based Fulcrum counterparts) meant that the new 40,000-ton Indian carrier would field more conventionally-minded aircraft from its flight deck (as opposed to VTOL types like the Sea Harrier). Design concepts of the new Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) emerged in 2001 to which the project was formally acknowledged by the Indian government in 2003 with proper funding to see it through. The vessel class was bestowed the name of "Vikrant" (not to be confused with the preceding INS Vikrant R11 carrier of which the new INS Vikrant is named after).
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The IAC program will eventually field two ships in the Vikrant-class - the INS Vikrant as the lead ship and her sister, the INS Vishal. However, while the Vikrant will be completed as a 40,000 ton design with ski-ramp flight deck, it was announced in August of 2012 that the Vishal will sport a more conventional "flat top" deck arrangement with catapult launching facilities (known as "CATOBAR" = "Catapult-Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery"). With this design initiative, the Indian Navy will be allowed to launch larger and heavier fixed-wing aircraft such as Airborne Early Warning (AEW) types which are not possible with the limited STOBAR configuration - drastically broadening the Indian Navy's power in local waters (particularly in regards to neighboring Pakistan and Pacific-Asian powerhouse China). The changes to the Vishal will make it a 65,000-ton vessel with an all-new flight deck.
In all, it is expected that the Vikrant will be able to field up to 30 fixed-wing aircraft as well as a further 10 rotary-wing designs. The Mikoyan MiG-29K Fulcrum is expected to take the fixed-wing lead but these may be supplemented (or perhaps supplanted) by the indigenous HAL Tejas (a navalized version of the land-based model) in time. Helicopter types under consideration include the British Westland Sea King and the Russian Kamov Ka-31 series. Despite the procurement of 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia, the Indian Navy has entertained the idea of launching navalized French Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters due to their inherently greater capabilities (the Indian Air Force has already committed to the Rafale to replace its aged MiG-21 "Fishbed" fighter line). Conversely, the INS Vishal will field with dimensionally larger aircraft and quite possibly led by the Sukhoi Su-33 series - navalized forms of the excellent Sukhoi Su-27 "Flanker" family.
As of this writing (2012), the Vikrant will be defensed by 4 x 76mm Otobreda dual-purpose cannons and backed by several surface-to-air missile emplacements . For short-ranged work against incoming aircraft or missiles, a digitally-controlled Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) will be installed. A Selex RAN-40L L-band early warning radar system will be part of the defensive network of sensor and systems processing.
Dimensionally, the INS Vikrant will sport a running length of 860 feet with a beam of 200 feet and a draught of 28 feet. She will be conventionally-powered by 4 x General Electric LM2500+ series gas turbines developing power to two shafts. Maximum speed in ideal conditions is estimated at 28 knots with an operational range out to 7,500 miles. Her crew complement will consist of 1,400 officers, sailors, airmen and mechanics.
Make no mistake, the Vikrant endeavor is of great importance to the Navy of India. In terms of national pride, the initiative cannot be understated. However, this being its first "true" indigenous carrier-design-and-building attempt undertaken by the country, it has seen (and will continue to see) its fair share of challenges regarding available materials, experience, technological and engineering know-how to see the project to completion in a satisfactory way. To this end, the program has already surmounted several logistical obstacles presented though supply delays have been noted. Until the Vikrant gains further traction in its quest to become India's first home-grown carrier, the Navy will make due with its aging INS Viraat and fleet of outgoing Sea Harrier aircraft. The rise of the Chinese aircraft carrier fleet and commitment of the US Navy in the Pacific should do well to push the Indian initiative along.
October 2013 - The INS Vikrant was formally launched on August 12th, 2013.
August 2021 - INS Vikrant has begun sea trials off of Kerala as noted in an August 5th, 2021 release.
August 2022 - INS Vikrant was formally commissioned into Indian Navy service.
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one sea-going vessel design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for INS Vikrant (R11).
4 x General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines generating power to 2 x shafts. Propulsion
28.0 kts 32.2 mph Surface Speed
7,473 nm 8,600 miles | 13,840 km Range
Structure The bow-to-stern, port-to-starboard physical qualities of INS Vikrant (R11).
1,400 Personnel Complement
860.0 ft 262.13 meters O/A Length
200.0 ft 60.96 meters Beam
28.0 ft 8.53 meters Draught
40,000 tons Displacement
Armament Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of INS Vikrant (R11).
4 x Otobreda 76mm dual purpose cannons.
Surface-to-Air Missile Launchers.
Close-In Weapon System (CIWS).
Air Arm Available supported fixed-wing / rotary-wing aircraft featured in the design of INS Vikrant (R11).
29 x Mikoyan MiG-29K Fulcrum air defense fighters OR HAL Tejas multirole fighters.
10 x Kamov Ka-31 "Helix" AEW helicopters OR Westland Sea King multirole helicopters.
Ships-in-Class (2) Notable series variants as part of the INS Vikrant (R11) family line as relating to the Vikrant-class group.
INS Vikrant; INS Vishal
Operators Global operator(s) of the INS Vikrant (R11). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national naval warfare listing.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content. | http://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.asp?ship_id=INS-Vikrant | 1,986 | Politics | 3 | en | 0.999975 |
Being financially prudent is more a thing of habit than anything else. There are certain ways (habits) people who desire financial independence and freedom live to ensure they achieve this desire. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 of these habits of financially smart people.
They Have a Budget
The concept of budgeting might be daunting but it is extremely important to help efficiently and effectively manage your finances. Without a budget, you are going to end up falling into the pit of financial irresponsibility. A budget is just too important to be ignored. Having a budget will make it easier for you to see where your money is going and help you better direct it to where you want it to go. Just be sure to be disciplined with your budget and actually let it guide your spending, as opposed to it just being drawn up for decoration.
They Avoid Impulse or Emotional Purchases
Impulsive purchases might indeed be very tempting but financially smart people have mastered the art of overcoming these temptations and delaying purchase until they’re sure that they really want the item (s) and can afford it. Typically, they apply the 24-hour rule (which is one of the best ways to combat the habit of impulsive purchases) when they want to make such impulsive or emotional purchases. Before making the purchase, they go home, think about the item and if they really need it, and then they check their budget to be sure they can afford it before they eventually return the next day to make the purchase or decide it is unnecessary and not make the purchase.
They Don’t Take Their Debit Cards Along With Them Everywhere They Go
This is one of the smartest financial moves that you can make to ensure that you restrict your spending to what your budget stipulates. It is just way to easy to spend more than anticipated when you carry your debit cards. However, if you stick to carrying cash most of the time, it will be easier for you to restrict your spending to the amount you have on yourself at that moment.
They Live Within Their Means
This can really not be overemphasized. Living within your means is such an easy concept that is unfortunately so hard for most of us to employ, mainly because it requires a lot discipline. There is simply no better mark of financial smartness than being able to successfully live within your means. Living outside your means is actually a bad habit that can end up drowning your finances and leaving you in a financial mess. Financially smart people know to ensure that in all circumstances they live within their means, and within what they can conveniently afford.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2017/11/4-habits-financially-smart-people/amp/ | 550 | Business | 2 | en | 0.999989 |
igmGuru's Cyber Security course online program will help you learn all key Cybersecurity concepts from the scratch. Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting information systems, networks, and devices from digital attacks, unauthorized access, and other security threats.
Throughout the Cyber Security Training online, you will grasp necessary concepts such as ethical hacking, cryptography, computer networks & security, application security, idAM (identity & access management), vulnerability analysis, malware threats, sniffing, SQL injection, DoS, session hijacking, and various security practices for businesses, along with hands-on demonstrations. Our training program is also aligned with the Cyber Security Certification exam.
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting information systems, networks, and devices from digital attacks, unauthorized access, and other security threats. Our Cybersecurity course will cover the following topics, among others:
1. Network security and architecture
2. Operating systems and software security
3. Cryptography and encryption
4. Firewalls and intrusion detection systems
5. Vulnerability management and penetration testing
6. Identity and access management
7. Compliance and industry standards
8. Incident response and disaster recovery
9. Cybercrime and cyber law
10. Emerging threats and trends in cybersecurity
Cyber security is the combination of various processes, practices, and technologies designed to protect networks, computers, programs, data, and information from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. In this program, you will grasp the aspects of Cyber security from the defensive as well as the offensive side, along with the methodologies that must be practiced to ensure the information security of an organization.
igmGuru's course covers concepts such as ethical hacking, cryptography, computer networks and security, application security, idAM (identity & access management), vulnerability analysis, malware threats, sniffing, SQL injection, DoS, session hijacking, and various security practices.
These logics will train you for roles such as Network Administrator, System Administrator, Security Analyst, Security Engineer, Pen Tester, and many more. It covers practicals using a wide variety of cyber security tools, which is common for security experts and not just specific to pen testers.
As more and more businesses and government organizations embrace digitalization to use and store huge volumes of data, the threat of cyberattack is getting bigger. Companies and governmental organizations across the globe are spending millions of dollars on software and hardware protection systems to secure their precious digital assets.
When it comes to safeguarding a company's digital space, hiring experts in cybersecurity is the first line of defense. All cyberwarfare like data breaches and data leaks can be avoided with the right software and equipment.
To ensure that you are appropriately equipped to understand and effectively deal with today's cyber issues, we provide you online security classes and cyber security training. We provide variety of cybersecurity classes ranging from introductory to advanced that will help you meet your different cybersecurity needs.
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This cybersecurity training course online program is crafted to cover a broad range of fundamental topics in the cybersecurity domain, that will help freshers as well as IT professionals with 1 to 2 years of working experience. The online cybersecurity course emphasizes, the ideas of cybersecurity and ethical hacking. Cybersecurity program can teach you the skills you'll need for a career prospect in cyber security, such as encryption and ethical hacking in IT.
Cybersecurity is a set of technology, procedures, and practices aimed at preventing attacks, harm, and illegal access to networks, computers, and data. Cybersecurity programs teach individuals how to identify weaknesses, defend against threats, and respond quickly in emergency situations.
This program is built to cover a holistic and a wide variety of foundational topics of cybersecurity domain which will be necessary to lead freshers as well as IT professionals having 1 to 2 years of experience, into the next stage of choice such as
This Cybersecurity program focuses mainly on the concepts of Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking. In this training program, we are going to deal with cybersecurity, ethical hacking, cryptography, computer networks & security, application security, idAM (identity & access management), vulnerability analysis, malware threats, sniffing, SQL injection, DoS, session hijacking and various other security best practices for every businesses.
Who should Opt?
The demand for cybersecurity professionals are increasingly high in IT world. Security has never been more reliant on technology, according to the US National Security Agency. Jobs in cybersecurity pay high salaries and are in high demand in an increasing range of IT fields.
Cyber shield is critical not only for the national security but also for corporate companies as almost all organizations are moving their storage to cloud-based solutions. All of these data files and systems later on require security against breaches and leaks. Almost every industry in today's world relies on digital files, emails, and websites, which require a high level of cyber security protection. These increasing malware attacks have pushed the demand for cybersecurity experts along all businesses across the length and breadth of the globe.
Cybersecurity abilities are required in various types of software development, not just in cybersecurity positions. Learning cybersecurity can be bit difficult, but it doesn't have to be, particularly if you are interested in technology. Develop an interest in the technologies you work with and you will discover that difficult abilities become easier. A career prospect as a cybersecurity expert professional may be suitable for you if you enjoy programming and problem solving and desire a fast-paced, challenging job.
Enroll in an introductory cyber security online course program to learn more about this lucrative and in-demand career. This course includes hands-on projects and cyber labs to give students practical experience in working with security tools and technologies such as Wireshark, Nmap, Metasploit, and more. The principle goal of this course is to prepare professionals for a career in cybersecurity field, such as a cybersecurity analyst, penetration tester, or security engineer.
It is important to note that Cybersecurity is a broad and constantly evolving field and that there are many different areas of specialization within it, such as Network Security, Cloud Security, and IoT security.
Cybersecurity certifications that are available for cybersecurity professionals include
There are many different certifications available for cybersecurity professionals, each with its own specific focus and requirements. Some of the most popular and widely recognized cybersecurity certifications include:
Each of these cyber security certifications have different prerequisites and requirements. Some cyber exams require a certain time of professional working experience, or any other certifications before taking the exam, while others have specific educational requirements or even higher education requirements.
It's important to note that certifications can be a skilled addition to a cybersecurity professional's journey in 2024. Real-time working experience, continuing learning, and participation in the cybersecurity communities play important roles for cybersecurity professionals.
Steps to becoming a cybersecurity skilled employee
The demand for cybersecurity specialists has increased as we keep more of our data on clouds and servers throughout the world. Cybersecurity experts design the frameworks that keep hackers out and protect our machines from malware like viruses and Trojan horses. If you are interested in Cybersecurity jobs then here is a complete pathway to becoming a specialist.The following career path is recommended by us for cybersecurity aspirants:
You can become an excellent cybersecurity specialist if you've completed these steps.
The best course for cyber security is by igmGuru. Here, you have the chance to learn from industry experts with more than a decade of hands-on working experience.
Gaining prowess in cyber security can be a challenging task but it does not mean that it has to be outright difficult. Enrolling in igmGuru’s online cybersecurity training is all you need to become proficient in this field. Make it an easy process with our experts!
Most job roles related to cyber security do not need coding. However, coding is still considered to be a key skill in this field. If you become an IT security professional who has good coding skills, you will be able to implement, maintain, and design security systems for any organization’s networks. | https://www.igmguru.com/cyber-security/cyber-security-course/ | 1,641 | Programming | 3 | en | 0.99999 |
By Owei Lakemfa
CHINA is an ancient civilization with such breath taking achievements like the Great Wall. However, it fully blossomed with its revolution which was sixty years yesterday, October 1. But China did not just take on the world; it was already ripe before the rest of humanity knew what was afoot.
One of the most enduring creeds which continues to guide its actions is the 1957 one crafted by Mao Tse-Tung who in his usually flowery style  wrote: “Let a hundred flowers blossom, let a hundred schools of thought contendâ€. It was his contention that only ideas and its contestation can advance the revolution and not closed minds.
His submission was that: “Different forms and styles in art should develop freely and different schools in science should contend freely. We think it is harmful to the growth of art and science if administrative methods are used to impose one particular style of art or school of thought and to ban another. Questions of right and wrong in the arts and sciences should be settled through free discussions in artistic and scientific circles and through practical work in these fields. They should not be settled in summary fashionâ€.
This creed was to assist China later to embrace some capitalist modes of production and trade while holding on to its socialist principles. This also partly explains why there are no visible challenges to the future of the Chinese socialist system. Rather, China is teaching the capitalist world some basic lessons in economics.
Another basic Chinese principle enunciated by Mao is that which formed its philosophy on education. It was directed at teachers, scientists, technicians and professionals. He said: “ Being educators and teachers, they themselves must first be educated. Naturally, we have to learn while teaching and be pupils while serving as teachers. To be a good teacher, one must first be a good pupilâ€.
Based on these clear ideas situated within socialist ideals and adapted to national peculiarities, China launched itself on the path of development. It used the same basic strategies it employed in the revolutionary struggles when first, it gained strength in the rural areas, gathered speed like an hurricane and swept the old order away.
This time, it built a strong, self sufficient country, and having gained much strength, including ideological coherence, unshakable patriotism, good industrial foundations and a self-reliant economy, it emerged out of its cocoon and absolved all that was thrown at it. These included the strong capitalist economic system and a world dominated by its chief antagonist, the United States and China’s ally, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
One of the first challenges of the revolution was its huge populace which was a quarter of humanity. It turned this to an advantage by producing for itself and providing a market that consumed its own products.
It ensured that the country’s populace was not an indolent one that needed to be fed on a diet of external food aid. Unlike countries like Nigeria where population is essentially used to corner larger share of national wealth, in China, population is essentially a factor of production.
Mao said on February 27, 1957: “…We have a population of 600 million people, that is an objective fact, and that is an asset. Our population is a good thing, but of course it also involves certain difficultiesâ€.
In abandoning the so-called market forces and rubbishing the claim that government has no business in business, China set out on a centralized, government -controlled economic system. In espousing this, Mao said: “Whatever the problem – whether it concerns food, natural calamities, employment … we must always proceed from the standpoint of overall planning which takes the whole people into considerationâ€.
With most socialist countries collapsing and few allies to do favourable trade with, the fourteenth Party Congress in 1992 approved a “Socialist Market Economyâ€. With that, China fully took on the capitalist world; rejecting basic capitalist principles and dictating terms. While the capitalist creed is not to fix exchange rates, China insists on fixing its rate.
While all countries, according to capitalism, must allow their currencies to “float and find their level†which led to the currencies of countries like Nigeria drowning, China refuses to float its currency. While the dominant capitalist system dictates that foreign investment must be allowed unrestricted access all over the world, China controls foreign investments and has been the better for it.
One of the most notorious investors in the world is the American Wal-Mart chain of stores which all over the world, including Europe, forbids staff unionization. When it got to China, the government educated the company that trade unionism is a basic right of all Chinese.
The company threatened to pull out of China if it was forced to accept workers unionization and the Chinese bade it farewell. It remained in China.
In international politics, China from onset made Asia, Africa and the Socialist countries its centre of focus.
After the revolution, America refused to allow China seat in the United Nations; giving the seat to secessionist Taiwan. China bided its time and 12 years later, took the seat, sending Taiwan packing. It used similar deft diplomatic steps to play the United Kingdom out of capitalist-controlled Hong Kong on July 1, 1997 after 100 years of British occupation.
Like all countries, China had its low ebbs such as the June 4, 1989 crackdown in its Tiananmen Square when a march to demand a high profile burial for former Communist Party Secretary, Hu Yaobang degenerated into chaos and the imposition of martial law.
China provided military support for liberation movements like the ANC and provided the impetus for many revolutionary movements in the world such as the Peruvian, Filipino and Nepalese movements. There is hardly any country that has not felt the impact of the Chinese revolution; herein lies its strength and its lessons.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/arrest-any-hate-preacher-now-sultan-tells-security-agencies/amp/LET | 1,257 | Culture | 3 | en | 0.999975 |
Awolowo: Founded Action Group and Azikiwe: Succeeded Macaulay as NCNC president
I am pleased to see that we are now all agreed that the Federal system is, under present conditions, the only sure basis on which Nigeria will remain united. We must recognize our diversity and the peculiar conditions under which the different tribal communities live in this country – Tafawa Balewa, 1957
- One of the monsters which menaced the public life of this country up to 14th January, this year (1966) is OPPORTUNISM with its attendant evils of jobbery, venality, corruption, and unabashed self-interest. .. a truly public-spirited person should accept public office not for what he can get for himself — such as the profit and glamour of office — but for the opportunity which it offers him of serving his people to the best of his ability, by promoting their welfare and happiness.
* A quote from Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s letter from prison to Major General John Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi pressing for his release and that of his colleagues dated March 28, 1966.
- The influence which a nation exerts, the respect which it enjoys, and the prestige accorded to it on the world scene,depend on two important factors: the size of its wealth and the calibre of its leadership. Granting an incorruptible, courageous, public-spirited, enlightened and dynamic leadership,the wealth of a nation is the fountain of its strength. The bigger the wealth, and the more equitable its distribution among the factors and agencies which have helped to produce it, the greater the out-flow of the nation’s influence and power.
* Chief Awolowo in a speech he delivered in London on November 3 1961.
- If rapid political progress is to be made in Nigeria, it is high time we were realistic in tackling its constitutional problems. Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English’, ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French’. The word ‘Nigerian’ is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria from those who do not.
* Obafemi Awolowo in Path to Nigerian Freedom (London: Faber and Faber, 1947), pp. 47–48.
- Violence has never been an instrument used by us, as founding fathers of the Nigerian Republic, to solve political problems. In the British tradition, we talked the Colonial Office into accepting our challenges for the demerits and merits of our case for self-government. After six constitutional conferences in 1953, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960, Great Britain conceded to us the right to assert our political independence as from October 1, 1960.
- None of the Nigerian political parties ever adopted violent means to gain our political freedom and we are happy to claim that not a drop of British or Nigerian blood was shed in the course of our national struggle for our place in the sun. This historical fact enabled me to state publicly in Nigeria that Her Majesty’s Government has presented self-government to us on a platter of gold.
- Of course, my contemporaries scorned at me, but the facts of history are irrefutable. I consider it most unfortunate that our ‘Young Turks’ decided to introduce the element of violent revolution into Nigerian politics. No matter how they and our general public might have been provoked by obstinate and perhaps grasping politicians, it is an unwise policy.
Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s reaction to Nigeria’s fisrt military coup of January 15, 1966
- In these days of rapid communications, we cannot live in isolation, apart from the rest of the world, even if we wished to do so. All too soon it has become evident that for us, independence implies a great deal more than self-government.
This great country, which has now emerged without bitterness or bloodshed, finds that she must at once be ready to deal with grave international issues. This fact has of recent months been unhappily emphasised by the startling events which have occurred in this continent. I shall not belabour the point but it would be unrealistic not to draw attention first to the awe-inspiring task confronting us at the very start of our nationhood.
When this day in October 1960 was chosen for our Independence, it seemed that we were destined to move with quiet dignity to our place on the world stage. Recent events have changed the scene beyond recognition, so that we find ourselves today being tested to the utmost. We are called upon immediately to show that our claims to responsible government are well-founded, and having been accepted as an independent state, we must at once play an active part in maintaining the peace of the world and in preserving civilisation
Excerpts of The Speech declaring Nigeria’s Independence Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa – October 1, 1960
- My parents are natives of Eastern Nigeria, the arsenal of republicanism in Nigeria. Although I am Ibo, yet I speak Yoruba and I have a smattering of Hausa. I am now Premier of Eastern Nigeria, the land of my fathers, which lies five hundred miles from Lagos and almost a thousand miles from the place of my birth in Zungeru, in Northern Nigeria.
- Each of our three Regions is vastly different in many respects, but each has this in common: that, despite variety of languages and custom or difference in climate, all form part of one country which has existed as a political and social entity for fifty years. That is why we believe that the political union of Nigeria is destined to be perpetual and indestructible. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe to the National Association
Nnamdi Azikiwe in an address to the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) at its 50th anniversary celebration at the Polo Grounds, New York City, July 19, 1959.
Since 1914 the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any sign of willingness to unite, Nigerian unity is only a British intention for the country.
* Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa speaking at the Legislative Council in 1948
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/quotes-founding-fathers-nigeria/ | 1,363 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999998 |
Disney presents the inspiring true story of one little girl whose strength and dignity during the racially charged 1960s helped change history! When bright six-year-old Ruby is chosen to be the first African-American student to integrate her local New Orleans elementary school, she is subjected to the true ugliness of racism for the very first time. But guided by the love of her mother (Lela Rochon) and father (Michael Beach), Ruby's heroic struggle for a better education becomes a lesson for us all.
An acclaimed and entertaining motion picture also starring Penelope Ann Miller and Kevin Pollak-- you'll want to share this remarkable story of courage and pride with your family!
For several stories for young readers about Ruby Bridges' inspirational story, visit our Ruby Bridges Collection.
This 89-minute film offers surprisingly complex portraits of many of the adult characters and an admirably frank look at the less-than-positive reaction from her own community. Even her father (Michael Beach) waivers in resolution, especially when his white boss fires him. Superior acting, writing, and production mark this look at one of the uglier periods in American social history and the little girl who helped the country take a giant step in the right direction. Somewhat scary situations and use of racial slurs make parental guidance advisable for young children. -- Kimberly Heinrichs
Media Type | Movie |
Recommended Age | 7 and up |
Actors | Chaz Monet, Penelope Ann Miller, Kevin Pollak, Michael Beach, Lela Rochon |
Director | Euzhan Palcy |
Running Time | 96 minutes |
Studio | Walt Disney Home Entertainment |
Release Date | Feb 3, 2004 |
Language | English | | http://www.amightygirl.com/ruby-bridges | 353 | Education | 2 | en | 0.99995 |
BY EMMANUEL EDUKUGHO
ABOUT 80 per cent of students are positive to the dreaded Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which caused AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), a disease that has killed millions of people world-wide including Nigeria.
This was disclosed at the 2nd Edition of Catch Them Young (CTY) 2011 programme agenda organised by Shell Women’s Network (SWN), held in Lagos recently.
Over 500 secondary school students from 28 colleges attended the programme at MUSON Centre, Shell Hall, Onikan, with the theme as — “Your Future is in your Hands” Shell Women’s Network is a volunteer organisation consisting of Shell companies in Nigeria employees who seek to create an enabling platform for its members to develop, mentor others and grow professionally.
Mrs. Sarah Ajose-Adeogun, National Co-ordinator, SWN, said that through the programme, they hope to inspire
Nigerian youths to make good choices.
“In education, in life partners and in a great future in general, by making a conscious decision today that no matter the obstacles, you will achieve because you have the power to do so, because your future is in your hands and the decisions you make today will decide what that future will be — good or bad,” she told the audience in her welcome address.
Giving the HIV/AIDS talk, Mrs. Jennifer Olorunsola of Peer Health Educators, said the first reported case of AIDS in Nigeria was in 1986.
“Now, 4.1 per cent of the population, that is about 6.15 million are HIV positive, which are only reported cases. The figure is higher than this, which is more than the entire population of Sierra Leone.”
According to Jennifer, 5.1 per cent of Lagos population are HIV positive higher in Lagos Island with 9.1 per cent affected, while 80 per cent of students are positive.
“This can be scaring, not only for education, but can also terminate your life as well. If you get AIDS, one becomes very ill, because the HIV has weakened your immune system, leading to loss of weight, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, diarrhea, etc.”
She advised students to avoid sexual intercourse which must be discouraged, pointing to other sex-related diseases or STI (Sexual Transmitted Infections) such as gonorrhea, syphilis, vaginal discharge, herpes.
“Think very well. HIV is not transmitted casually, but through specific act of sex – oral, anal or direct, body fluid, blood transfusion, mother to baby by breast-feeding and use of unsterilized instruments like needles, syringes and even razor blades.
Most effective way however is abstaining from sex. Students must not get involved in sex, if even to avoid pregnancy. HIV not transmitted by hugging, handshake, sneezing, toilet, nor in swimming pool”.
She asked the students: “Can you care for a baby at your age after delivery?
For the boys, can you be a father? Definitely not. Please abstain, stay safe, complete your education and be future leaders.”
Mrs. Beatrice Spaine, a graduate of Chemical Engineering, UNIBEN, now GM, Business Planning and Performance Management, Shell Sub-Saharan Africa, who spoke briefly on role model, said that we all have idea of what we want to be, and the choice made today will determine .
“I believe you can be whatever you want to be. Believe in your self. Read books, if you want to do well. Learn early to organise yourself. Do what is right always. Do home work. Discipline will bring bright future.”
Avoid distractions, be focused, have a dream, work hard, make well cut out choices, take good decisions and when in doubt, talk to your parents, teachers, elders because one can make errors.
Mr. William Udofia, a maintenance/reliability engineer, Shell, spoke on opportunity, reminded the students that, “today, you’ve been given opportunity on what to decide your future. Be focused, be disciplined.” He urged the youths to make the best out of any opportunity.
Miss Okoh Ehimhen, a Petroleum Engineer, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, who holds First Class degree in Chemical Engineering and M.Sc Environmental Engineering from Cambridge University, UK told her own success story to encourage the students.
“One must be very competitive and then try to prove a point by being successful in your chosen profession. Look at the future and say what will I be at a given time and what will I do to get there. Be focused,” she told the young ones.
Mr. Fela Durotoye, an OAU graduate of Computer Science and Economics, holds MBA and Mphil; author of acclaimed academic transformation book titled: “The 17 Secrets of High Flying Students,” described as prolific business strategist and corporate activator, a nation builder, also fired the zeal and imagination of the students with his highly motivational talk.
“The future is everything you can be, but has not become, anything you can have, but not yet possessed. Future not in your minds, but in you hands.”
He asked the students to introduce themselves to each other “in your future capacity”, and then inviting them to come out and say what they want to be. Some said MD World Bank, Governor, President, UN Secretary-General, Astronaut, and so on.
“Know what to do, do it. You can not win a Pulitzer Prize if you just think about a book without writing it, nor win a Grammy Award for a movie or hit song not made.”
Others who spoke during the Role Model sessions were Mrs. Yemisi Ayeni, MD, Shell Nigeria closed Pension Fund Administration Limited, Mrs. Abayomi Adeleye, Head Strategy and Planning, Shell Nigeria Communication, Afueri Edeki, IT Project Manager, Engineering Applications, (SNEPCo) and Crockett W. Oaks III, Regional Head of Business Integrity Department — Africa, SPDC of Nigeria Limited.
In summary, a distinction was made between destiny and future. That parents may not necessarily choose professions for their children,but can guide, because now possibilities are many. Parents can be supportive, not dictatorial.
Need for counseling was stressed. It does not matter what you want to do, but be the best. Be good citizens, worthy citizens, bear in mind that hard work pays and at the end, success will come.
Pray, work with God, do what is right. Education is the key. Don’t take anything for granted.
Former First Lady of Cross River State, Mrs. Onari Duke was the Special Guest of Honour, who also gave some stimulating remarks. Others present were Mrs. Risikat Akiyode, representing the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bimpe Martins representing the First Lady of Lagos State and Mr. Austin Olorunisola, representing the chief executive of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/revelation-at-swn-catch-them-young-agendahivaids-80-students-are-positive/ | 1,523 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999208 |
By SOLA OGUNDIPE
A list of food products and ingredients banned in several places around the world was released recently. Surprisingly, many items on the list are still available in Nigeria.
It is not unexpected that a host of the banned ingredients are disguised and passed off as “safe” and “healthy”. Here are tips for avoiding the offending ingredients.
Artificial food colourings – Today, many companies are removing artificial colours from their products, so a little research should help you find safe alternatives. Many common snack foods contain Yellow #5 in their ingredient list, but it’s not the only artificial food colour that is banned in other countries. Blue #1, Blue #2 and Red #40 may also cause health problems.
Brominated vegetable oil Banned in over 100 countries world-wide because it contains toxic bromine, brominated vegetable oil is used in many brands of beverage drinks to prevent the flavouring from separating and floating to the surface.
In Nigera, many kinds of bread (notably the agege variety) are still made from bromate flour, which is banned in Europe, Canada and China, and linked to kidney damage, cancer and nervous system damage.
BHT and BHA
Japan, the United Kingdom and other European countries have banned these preservatives because they have been shown to cause cancer in rats. To avoid BHT and BHA, best option is purchasing food that is fresh and natural.
Though a known poison, arsenic was used in some chicken feed to make the meat appear fresher. Chickens raised for meat are no longer given feed additives containing arsenic, but that didn’t stop the European Union from putting a ban on it. If you eat poultry, particularly the frozen variety, make sure you know where it is coming from and how it is raised.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/beware-of-these-banned-food-products/#sthash.u95Rgjqn.dpuf | 399 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999987 |
Concern over low quality of local rice
When people are given the opportunity to make a choice between foreign and local rice, what usually comes to mind is the local product because of its unique taste and nutritional value. The case seems to be different with the Nigerian local rice. JULIANA AGBO, in this report, examines consumers’ opinion on local rice production.
IN Nigeria, rice has become so prominent that the average meal in a day will predominantly comprise one of rice or a meal whose main or base ingredient is rice.
Rice is no longer a luxury food in Nigeria as it has become a major source of calories for both the rich and the urban poor.
As such, the consumption of rice has since the mid-1970s risen tremendously to about 10 per cent per annum. This figure, according to research, is predominantly due to changing consumer preferences thereby accounting for a large chunk of the Nigerians’ food basket.
Rice importation constituted a major source of the country’s depleting foreign reserve with over N1billion spent daily on imported rice.
Currently, the government is strongly discouraging rice import by promoting local production for import substitution.
Recall that the Federal Government, in April, 2018, said Nigeria will achieve self-sufficiency in rice production by 2020 with sustained implementation of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme launched on November 17, 2015.
Also in August, last year, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the closure of land borders between Nigeria and Benin Republic in long-running effort to boost rice production.
President Buhari also said the partial closure of Nigeria’s border with the Benin Republic, was due to the massive smuggling activities, especially of rice, taking place on that corridor.
Annual production and consumption
In 2019, the President of Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, said Nigeria had hit annual eight million metric tons of rice production, with a target of 18 million metric tons by 2023.
Goronyo said the feat was achieved with the disbursement of N40 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (CBN/APB) to over 12.2 million rice farmers.
However, Nigeria is the 6th highest consumer of rice in the world with over six million metric tons of milled rice consumed annually.
Despite government’s action on border closure to boost local rice production, there is influx of foreign rice in the market due to consumers’ preference.
Although, Nigerians have come to accept local rice as a better alternative to the imported brands, they are of the view that most of the brands of local rice in the market are yet to meet international standard due to poor processing and packaging.
However, they are also of the view that the price of local rice per bag should not go above N15, 000 so as to have competitive advantage over imported rice.
Research by Journal of Agricultural Extension revealed that the major constraints to rice consumption preference for Nigerian rice were presence of husk, dirt and stones (90.0%), poor quality (85.8%), broken grain (75.0%), low swelling capacity (72.50%) breakages (71.60%), lack of competition advantages (68.33%).
It also noted that the constraints to imported rice consumption were high cost (73.33%) and affordability of the products (62.50%), adding that factors that significantly influence the household consumption preference for imported and Nigerian rice were price, nutritional value, ease of preparation, cleanliness and taste.
It is observed that poor finishing and high cost of local rice per bag which goes for N20, 000 hinders its acceptability.
Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Governor Godwin Emefiele, in October, last year, told rice farmers not to increase the price of the product as a result of the border closure.
Emefiele also reiterated the need to increase rice production, promising that the CBN would support the rice millers to stem off smuggling and grow the rice sector for food self–sufficiency.
The CBN Governor maintained that the closure was done for the benefit and well-being of the people as most of the “imported rice had chemicals for preservation”.
However, a foodstuff seller at Mararaba Market, Nasarawa State, Ifeanyi Onuigbo, said he is still struggling to sell off the bags of rice he bought due to poor processing.
“If we can improve on our locally processed rice, it will be more beneficial to Nigerians than reopening the border because the money will now be within the country,” Onuigbo said.
Another foodstuff seller, Mary Okoh, said rice processed in Nigeria could compete with any variety in the world if Nigerian farmers could process the product better.
“There is no problem with our locally processed rice in terms of taste but the problem lies in the processing and packaging. There is no difference between our local rice and the imported ones, except in the processing of our rice. We still have a long way to go.
An entrepreneur, Moses Omoikhoa, who noted that he preferred the consumption of imported rice to local ones, also blamed the poorly processed rice on inadequate processing technology.
Omoikhoa said government has major role to play in forming strong policies that will favour production of local rice as it is being practised in the advanced world.
“The Nigerian rice industry is currently not doing so badly. It is just that our local rice processors need to improve on their final product. I believe that it is the increase in the demand for locally processed rice, following the border closure that has resulted in the recent poor processing of local rice.
“The price of local rice is also discouraging. If I can get foreign rice for N22, 000 per bag in the market, why won’t I abandon local rice which goes for 20,000 per bag for the imported rice that is not stressful to prepare.
“I get scared of eating local rice because of the presence of stones and dirt in it; this means we still have a long way to go.
“Most Nigerians will still go for the foreign rice if it is available because of the poor processing of our local variety,” said Omoikhoa.
A survey carried out by The Nation across major markets and restaurants in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and some markets in Nasarawa and Niger states revealed that most Nigerian rice processors lack adequate technology of rice processing to meet international standard.
Matthew Ayaka, a Keffi-based rice miller blamed the low quality production on poor quality and insufficient paddy rice.
Ayaka said equipment constraint and use of outdated milling technology are also major challenges.
“Money is another big issue. Rice farmers in Nigeria have limited access to credit facilities. Those who obtain loans often default on repayments, and are not able to use the money to build their enterprises. Furthermore, rice farming is an expensive business: machinery, seeds, fertilisers and other agro-chemicals cost a great deal of money.
“Nigeria also hasn’t invested enough in training farmers. There’s a lack of knowledge about how to use pesticides and herbicides; how to handle rice once it’s been harvested; and how to market one’s produce. Traders are reluctant to go out and purchase produce from rice farms in the rural areas because the state of the roads is so bad,” Ayaka said.
An off taker, Clement Omonu, told The Nation in Abuja that Nigerians are paying more for local rice, not necessarily because it is scarce but due to the high cost of production.
Omonu, who also blamed government’s interference in agriculture, poor marketing infrastructure, financial constraints and lack of well-trained machine operators on the challenges associated with quality rice production, urged government to invest in Nigerian rice production by providing loans facilities for Nigerian rice farmers and encourage mechanisation.
“The reasons people still go for imported rice is because government at all levels do not practice what they say.
“Government said they don’t want to see foreign rice in the market, but the same people don’t want to give us incentives to produce rice locally. You don’t get equipment, you don’t get loans and you don’t get seeds.
Support for farmers
The government is trying to boost its agriculture sector, especially in rice production as it can be cultivated in all the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The support include government’s grants, loans offered at cheap interest rates to farmers, grants and technology given by non-profit organisations and funding from foreign agencies such as the World Bank.
Despite these supports, some farmers are lamenting that Federal Government’s policy on assistance to enhance rice production is not getting to the grassroots.
On poor processing and packaging, the Chairman, Rice Millers’ Association, Mr. Peter Dama said most Nigerians condemning the rice in the market have refused to change their appetite for local rice.
Mr. Dama said despite some challenges faced by some local rice millers, especially in having access to complete rice equipment to clean up their rice, does not mean that the rice is bad.
“Nigerians are used to foreign rice and they find it difficult to change their appetite for local rice. There are some challenges with some millers, because some of them are the smaller ones that bring in rice into the market without going through the appropriate processing procedure.
“We as an association are trying our best to make sure that our members can have appropriate equipment for rice milling.
“It may also take some time before we can get the appropriate milling we are talking about.
“The government has assisted by asking our members to apply for special intervention funds to purchase equipment so as to mill rice properly. We are all in the process and we are engaging our members who are out of funds for them to be able to purchase their own equipment.
“Also, our millers are still receiving trainings on how to use the modern equipment available for milling because it is computerised. All they need is to be familiar with the equipment and how they operate,” Dama said. | https://thenationonlineng.net/concern-over-low-quality-of-local-rice/ | 2,184 | Food | 2 | en | 0.999607 |
For quite some time, the issue of slavery, as found in the Bible, has become a topic of discussion among the critics of the Christian faith. Atheists, in particular, attempt to denigrate the Bible as a whole by bringing up the issue of slavery recording within its pages. So, I thought it was time to research and write on this topic.
Slavery is an important topic because it deals with morality. Why is slavery permitted in the Bible? Does the Bible sanction it? Or, does it describe it as a reality in the ancient Near East, the context in which the Bible was written? When we look at Scripture, and the claim that it is authored by God, we see many instances of it mentioned therein. But, unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about biblical slavery. For one, it was never something that God desired. Instead, it is a reality of the fallen world. He permitted it and in the case of Israel, designed civility into its unfortunate reality. Also, slavery was practiced all over the ancient Middle East. This fact doesn’t make it right or wrong. It is just the way it was. And, given that Western civilization practiced slavery in the past three hundred years, it is necessary that we address it.
So, I’ve written about slavery in order to answer criticisms raised by those who deny the Christian faith. And, in so doing, I have discovered that though slavery was a reality as recorded in the Bible, it was nothing like the slavery that was perpetrated upon the people of the African continent just a few centuries ago.
I desire to provide answers, biblically-based responses, and, hopefully, answers to difficult questions. I hope you enjoy this section of articles.
Return to Slavery Page | http://ow.ly/z3fZ50MCMSS | 364 | Religion | 3 | en | 0.999996 |
By Adesina Wahab
THE World Bank has said that the new wave of COVID-19 pandemic that has seen a variant of the virus, Omicron, ravaging the world, may lead to governments across the globe being tempted to shut down schools again.
The World Bank has said this in a report titled: “Reversing the pandemic’s education losses”, recently released.
In the said report, the bank also said no fewer than 647 million school children are yet to fully resume for either physical or online learning.
It added that school children in developing nations are the hardest hit regarding the negative effects the pandemic has had on education globally.
“When schools around the world moved online due to COVID-19, children in developing countries suffered the most.
“Even though digital learning does not produce the same outcomes as in-person education, technology used effectively can close educational gaps and prevent learning loss.
“As the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic approaches, classrooms remain fully or partially closed for as many as 647 million schoolchildren around the world.
“Even where schools have reopened, many students continue to lag behind. It is now abundantly and painfully clear that children have learned less during the pandemic.”
According to World Bank estimates, pandemic-related school closures could drive up “learning poverty” – the share of 10-year-olds who cannot read a basic text – to around 70% in low- and middle-income countries.
This learning loss could cost an entire generation of schoolchildren $17 trillion in lifetime earnings.
“As the Omicron variant takes hold, more governments may be tempted to close schools. Without the online infrastructure in place to support learning, doing so would extend the educational losses and deny children many other benefits of daily school attendance, like the possibility to connect with classmates and develop social skills for personal growth.
“Interactions with teachers and peers are essential to develop the abilities necessary to work collaboratively. Being part of a class promotes a sense of belonging and helps build self-esteem and empathy.
“Throughout the pandemic, marginalised children have struggled the most. When classrooms around the world reopened this fall, it became clear that these children had fallen even further behind their peers.
“Before the pandemic, gender parity in education was improving. But school closures placed an estimated 10 million more girls at risk of early marriage, which practically guarantees the end of their schooling.
“Unless this regression is reversed, learning poverty and the associated human capital loss will hold economies and societies back for decades. Children must be given a chance to recover the education they have lost.
“They need access to well-designed reading materials, digital learning opportunities, and transformed education systems that help prepare them for future challenges. Well qualified teachers and effective use of technology are fundamental to this process.
“Many countries have deployed massive stimulus packages in response to the health crisis. But, as of June 2021, less than three per cent of these funds was devoted to the education and training sector.
“And most of these resources were spent in advanced economies. For many low-income countries, elevated debt-service payments crowd out essential social spending – including for education.
“The resulting weakness in investments to support education and training threatens to deepen the disparities in learning outcomes that existed prior to the pandemic.
“And while narrowing the education gap will require using resources more efficiently, the bottom line is that more resources are needed.
“For the world’s poorest countries, in particular, an acceleration in debt relief under the G20’s Common Framework, would provide fiscal space to increase support for human capital.
Investment in education must include funding for educational technology, taking into account what has worked well in different contexts around the world,” the report said.
The Bank called for improved investment in infrastructure to move education to the digital level and commended countries such as Uruguay and India for making giant strides in that direction.
“By investing in learning recovery and using technology wisely, it is possible to use the pandemic experience as a catalyst to improve education for all children.
“The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank Group are working together to ensure that all education systems use technology effectively to close gaps and help reverse learning losses.
“Embedding the use of technology within an overall strategy for ending learning poverty can help improve foundational skills, increase instructional time, and make the most efficient use of resources.
“This is particularly critical in low-income countries, where technology can provide teachers with the support they need quickly.
“Digital access can serve as a great equalizer. Resources must be invested wisely, taking into account countries’ electricity infrastructure, internet connectivity, digitally enabled devices for the most disadvantaged students, and data-management and implementation capacity.
“Without a carefully considered process to increase the use of technology, good intentions and well-designed policies will fail to achieve the recovery and acceleration of learning that developing countries need.
Access to quality education was uneven before the pandemic, and now it is even more so.
“By investing in learning recovery and using technology wisely, it is possible to use the pandemic experience as a catalyst to improve education for all children,” the report added.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/12/omicron-govts-may-shut-down-schools-647m-children-yet-to-fully-resume/ | 1,140 | Education | 3 | en | 0.999992 |
Swedish authorities said Thursday that it could take as long as a year to clean up an oil spill in the Baltic Sea caused by a passenger ferry running aground.
The Marco Polo TT-Line passenger ferry ran aground south of the southern city of Karlshamn early Sunday, with the vessel’s 75 passengers safely evacuated.
Sweden’s coast guard on Thursday said the ship was still stuck and leaking oil, and it was unclear exactly how much oil had leaked.
The authority added it would likely take days before a salvage operation for the ship could be started.
“The oil spill… will require large and extensive resources for a long time to come and will soon affect all parts of municipal operations,” the Solvesborg municipality said in a statement.
Speaking at a press conference, Anders Borgman, crisis coordinator for the municipality, said the clean-up could last “up to a year,” according to news agency TT.
Earlier in the week, the coast guard said a streak of spilled oil stretched over five kilometres (three miles) out at sea.
However, by Thursday, aircraft could no longer detect oil at the surface as it had sunk and begun to reach the shores.
“Right now, everyone involved is working hard to recover oil from beaches and bays, where the oil lies among rocks in shallow areas,” the coast guard said in a statement.
It added that the work was hampered by poor weather conditions.
A criminal investigation has been launched and two people are formally suspected of “recklessness in maritime traffic” in relation to the accident.
Neither their identity nor nationality was disclosed. | http://www.channelstv.com/home/2013/10/21/pdp-anoints-ukachukwu-for-november-16-poll/Clean | 344 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.99999 |
Excitement was visibly written on the faces of some primary school teachers in Kaduna State on Monday as they touched and operated the computer for the first time ever.
The 25 teachers had undergone a five-day digital literacy training programme organised for primary school teachers in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
The training was organised by Emerald-Isle Foundation (EIF) under its “Train-the-Tutor’’ project, designed to improve the capacity of teachers.
It was organised in partnership with the Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism, IHIFIX Foundation, Queen Amina College, and Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism (LEAP) Africa, a youth-focused leadership development non-profit organisation.
The Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development is another partner in the training programme
One of the teachers, Ms Kasham Tanko, who teaches a Primary Four class at Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Sabon Tasha, said the training was a game changer for her.
The visibly-excited Tanko said: “Oh! Wow! Oh! Wow! To God be the glory. I participated in the training that has completely transformed me from a digital novice to a digital-savvy teacher.
“Whenever I see a laptop computer, I used to ask myself, what is this? Not that I haven’t seen it before, but I had wondered how people operated it.
“To God be the glory, I have participated in the training and I am now able to do so many things on the computer.
“It is a rare privilege for me because I have never undergone any computer training before,’’ she said.
Tanko added that the training had improved her capacity to use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint applications to prepare lesson plans, notes and prepare presentations.
She commended EIF for the opportunity, which enabled her to know how to source materials online to prepare rich lesson plans and notes using different online platforms.
Other participants told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they had also seen computers in the past, but it was their first time of operating one.
Head Teacher of UBE Primary School Sabon Gida, Udawa, Mrs Debora Solomon, said her experience was “beyond description’’ having had the opportunity to operate a computer for the first time.
“This is my first time touching a computer since joining the teaching profession in 2007. Now I have learned how to use different tools and applications, including Google tools and other e-learning platforms.
“I have also learned how to use Google tools to interact with my teachers and hold online classes.
“The experience is so amazing, and thanks to Emerald-Isle Foundation; now I can do all these things on a computer,’’ she said.
The experience was not different for Mrs Dorcas Dare, a Primary One teacher at Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Nasarawa I, who described the training as an “eye opener’’.
Dare said that the last time she touched a computer was after her secondary school when she enrolled for an Introduction to computer class where she learned a little about the computer.
She added that the digital literacy training had opened her eyes to so many possibilities in the digital space that would make teaching delivery easy and in the long run, improve learning outcomes.
“Besides learning some of the basics of computers, I also learned how I can source materials by logging to Ignite, the inspired e-platform and Nigerian Learning Passport.
“These are websites with rich educational resources that can be downloaded and used to prepare rich lesson notes that will improve learners’ knowledge on any topic or subject.
“I never knew how possible it was to teach pupils using online platforms and applications, but now I know how, and I am looking forward to exploring them in the future,’’ she said.
One of the instructors, Mr Isaac Sunday, a digital expert with Ihifix Technology Ltd., Kaduna, said the training was hectic because he had to take participants through the very basics of computer appreciation.
He added that because most of the teachers were operating a computer for the very first time, he had to take them through how to use the mouse, and how to switch a computer on and off.
“I also taught them how to use the keyboard; how to create a folder and how to use Google collaborative tools so that they can learn how to interact with themselves and with their pupils,’’ he said.
The digital expert described the non-availability of computers in most public primary schools in Kaduna State as a “serious challenge’’ that would affect the ability of the teachers to put the digital skills to use.
He said pupils also needed to have access to computers to be on the same page with their teachers for improved learning experiences and outcomes.
EIF Chief Executive Officer, Ms Evelyn Ode, said the training packages included computer appreciation, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Google Collaborative Tools, and e-learning platforms.
Ode stressed that the goal was to improve teaching and learning outcomes in public and private schools in Kaduna State to be in tune with the current digital age.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/04/excitement-as-kaduna-teachers-operate-computer-for-the-first-time/ | 1,124 | Education | 2 | en | 0.999689 |
Along a quiet residential street on the outer edges of Beijing, a yellow and black cube about the size of a small washing machine trundles leisurely to its destination.This “little yellow horse” is an autonomous delivery robot.
It ferries daily essentials like drinks, fruit and snacks from the local store to the residents of the “Kafka” compound in the Chinese capital.
Equipped with a GPS system, cameras and radar, the robots are seen by their creator as the future of logistics in China, where he says one billion packages will eventually be delivered every day.
Travelling at a less than overwhelming three kilometres (two miles) per hour — a slow human walk — the robot has room for improvement, said one customer as she removed a packet of nuts from its bowels.
“The weak point is that it cannot deliver directly to the door like a human,” said the customer, who does not live on the ground floor.
“But it’s still quite practical. The robot delivers relatively quickly,” she said.
The robot takes advantage of Chinese consumers’ love of cashless payments and smartphone shopping.
China is the world’s biggest online shopping market with more than half of its population making at least one smartphone purchase per month, according to professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. This compares to 14 percent in the rest of the world.
Whether buying electronics or toilet paper, avocados or clothes, Chinese are used to simply tapping a button on their smartphone and getting a home delivery — sometimes several per day.
To get a delivery via the “little yellow horse”, the customer selects the desired products, taps in the address and pays via their phone.
The supermarket staff place the items in the robot, and the robot bustles off.
Liu Zhiyong, founder and CEO of Zhen Robotics, which manufactures the robot, sees a bright future for his yellow creation.
“At the moment, there are 100 million packages delivered every day in China. It will be one billion in the future,” Liu told AFP.
“There will not be enough humans to make the deliveries. We need more and more robots to fill this gap in manpower. And to reduce costs,” added the CEO.
These costs are especially high in the last kilometre of a delivery, where precision is key and a customised service is required to get the product to the front door.
At the moment, the yellow robots in the Kafka compound have little to trouble them, moving along a wide pavement with no obstacles — and no cars.
Weighing 30 kilograms (around 65 pounds) and with a theoretical top speed of 12 kilometres per hour on their six wheels, the robots have four cameras constantly scanning the world around them and a laser tele-detection system allowing them to avoid obstacles.
Liu’s firm has already signed up Suning, a large electronics firm that also runs a network of small supermarkets.
But not everyone is convinced the robots are a long-term logistics solution.
Shao Zhonglin, former deputy secretary-general of the China Express Association, noted they were useful “over a short range”.
“It’s not certain however that they can be a broad solution for the final kilometre of delivery. Because the client still has to come down to get his package,” added Shao.
“Plus the costs remain quite high: buying and maintaining the robots, operating costs, etc.”
But Zhen Robotics is convinced the costs will come down over time.
CEO Liu also says the robot will soon be equipped with the necessary technology to operate a lift, meaning it will no longer be confined to ground-floor deliveries.
In the meantime, deliveries in China are increasingly being made by autonomous means. In recent months, several firms have received the green light to operate drones, either to deliver directly to the customer or to ferry goods between hubs.
And Liu has a warning for anyone trying to vandalise or steal the yellow robot.
“With GPS, we are constantly tracking them, cameras are filming and it can sound an alarm,” he said.
“Anyway, what would a thief do with it? It’s not exactly resellable.” | https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2018/07/18/delivery-robots-replace-delivery-men-in-china/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter | 903 | Travel | 2 | en | 0.999949 |
Nearly 70 drugs and experimental compounds may be effective in treating the coronavirus, a team of researchers reported on Sunday night.
Some of the medications are already used to treat other diseases, and repurposing them to treat Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, may be faster than trying to invent a new antiviral from scratch, the scientists said.
The list of drug candidates appeared in a study published on the web site bioRxiv. The researchers have submitted the paper to a journal for publication.
To come up with the list, hundreds of researchers embarked on an unusual study of the genes of the coronavirus, also called SARS-CoV-2.
To infect a lung cell, the coronavirus must insert its genes, co-opting the cell’s own genetic machinery. The cell begins to produce viral proteins, which are used to produce millions of new viruses.
Each of those viral proteins must be able to latch onto the necessary human proteins for the process to work. | https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/science/coronavirus-drugs-chloroquine.html?smtyp=cur&smid=fb-nytimes&fbclid=IwAR3i0MHZWE73E-zwoJkdX2S0pDIK9TDWorVOeTIveq1vKwQUi5BvbUYnlYQ | 213 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999985 |
UNVEILING OF ‘GULMA’ NIGERIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE IN KADUNA
Kaduna – President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday in Kaduna unveiled the country’s first indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle, GULMA, designed and constructed by the Nigerian Air Force.
Speaking at the ceremony, Jonathan said that the unveiling of the vehicle marked another landmark moment in the nation’s history.
He said that besides its diverse military application, the vessel would provide a range of benefits in disaster management, power line surveys and law enforcement.
Jonathan said that the vehicle would also be useful in aerial imaging/mapping, telecommunications and weather monitoring.
“It is also rapidly becoming an important tool in news coverage, environmental monitoring, and oil and gas exploration.
“Considering the potential impact of its benefit and versatility, I cannot but say how proud I am of the men and women of our Armed Forces.
“Apart from their commitment to the protection of our sovereignty, they are helping to keep our nation ahead in military science and technology and to keep their civilian counterparts on their toes.
“Today, as we stand in appreciation of the gallant men and women of our Air Force, we are reminded that hard work and diligence can break many barriers,’’ he said.
Jonathan commended the Chief of Air Staff and all officers and men of the Nigerian Air Force for the achievement, noting that it would strengthen the country.
He said it would also enhance the nation’s role in peace keeping and conflict prevention.
The president said he was optimistic that this stride by the Nigerian Air Force would mark a turning point for indigenous technology in every sector of the nation’s life.
“Let me assure the Air Force of the Federal Government’s support for this and all other research projects.
“We will encourage and assist private sector concerns to key into mass production of the project to achieve the highest and best commercial use of this prototype Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
“As I said in my Independence Day address, our nation is made great by the big and small efforts of regular citizens.
“Indeed, indigenous initiatives remain indispensable in achieving national greatness.
“To retain the country’s importance on the global stage, we must continue to produce leaders in science, technology, and engineering, and invest more in ideas,’’ the president said.
In his remark, Supervising Minister of Defence Labaran Maku said the development of a surveillance aircraft by the Nigerian Air Force was a bold statement of government’s resolve to provide security for the Nigerian populace.
Maku, who is the Minister of Information, said that the GULMA UAV would potentially afford the armed forces a window of immense opportunities in its task of acquiring timely intelligence and combating criminality.
“Although the UAV was a brainchild of the Nigerian Air Force, it is important that other services and security agencies incorporate it into their operations, if its potential is to be fully harnessed.
“There is therefore, the need for a comprehensive policy on UAV acquisition and operation to optimise the employment of GULMA UAV by all services and security agencies,’’ he said.
Earlier, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, had said that the GULMA was designed to meet vast expectations and needs.
Badeh said that the GULMA could be employed by the armed forces and security agencies for the protection of the country.
He explained that the air force envisaged partnership with agencies such as NEMA and the Nigeria Air Space Management Agency for weather forecasting.
“Furthermore, the GULMA, as a qualitative, timely and reliable source of information could serve as a powerful tool for media practitioners.
“To sustain the current tempo of development, the NAF would require the assistance of government in infrastructure and human capacity development. (NAN)
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/jonathan-unveils-nigerias-first-indigenous-unmanned-aerial-vehicle/#sthash.4JrEZfso.dpuf | 856 | Education | 2 | en | 0.999937 |
Black Power: Photographs by Donald MacLellan
13 February – 14 June, 1998
This fascinating new exhibition of a series of twenty-four powerful portraits of leading black achievers in British society, is the culmination of a project undertaken by the Scottish-born photographer Donald MacLellan between April 1996 and November 1997. The project profiles the achievements and contributions of professional British black people who have attained positions of power and influence within their own professions and in British society. A set of prints have recently been acquired for the NPG’s permanent collection.
Avoiding the already well-documented areas of sport and popular music, the subjects photographed come from many different professions including politics, science, law, media, business, medicine and the church. They include Paul Boateng MP, Professor Stuart Hall, comedian Lenny Henry, T&G Union general Secretary Bill Morris, Lord Taylor of Warwick, broadcaster and journalist Trevor Phillips, senior civil servant Heather Rabbatts and poet Benjamin Zephaniah. Each portrait is accompanied by a comment from the subject outlining their feelings on their achievements, contributions, thoughts on being black and British or a short story that illustrates a particular period of their life.
Adopting full-face close-up format and printed slightly larger than life-size the portraits are beautifully sculpted, uniquely toned images emerging out of a darkened background creating a strong and lasting impression that remains with the viewer long after they have been seen.
Born and raised in the West Highlands of Scotland, Donald MacLellan studied photography at Salisbury College of Art and subsequently spent several years assisting established photographers before setting up on his own as a freelance photographer for national newspapers and magazines.
Preface to Black Power (National Portrait Gallery, 1998)
During the past two years, while carrying out this project, I was continually asked why I was doing this. There are various reasons, such as our perception of the black achiever in Britain as a sports personality or a pop musician, My wish was to redress the balance by showing the wide range of other areas and professions, including politics, the Church, medicine, the sciences and the arts, in which black people have made such an important contribution to UK society. My choice of subjects includes not only well-known names, but also some less well-known and some who have achieved success more recently.
Along with each portrait, I invited each subject to supply a comment on how they assessed their own achievements and their thoughts on being black and British, or something that illustrated a particular time in their life. I found these comments enormously interesting and thought-provoking.
It is very difficult to spend two years of one’s life on such a project without feeling close to the subject. I will, of course, never know what it feels like to be Black in Britain but I hope, by being invited to show this project in such a prestigious location, that I will have made some small contribution towards a better mutual appreciation and understanding.
‘The average IQ level of the prominent men and women hanging side by side would be sure to impress Mensa’s boffins...Called ‘Black Power’, the shots taken by up-and-coming Scottish photographer Donald MacLellan aim to highlight success stories and contribute towards a better mutual appreciation among cultures’.
‘Enter the hall of frame’, by Georgia Williams, South London Press, 24 February 1998
‘Pop music, business and food have been transformed by immigrants and ethnic minority Britons. In fact it is a sign of the (relatively) good times that a photographic exhibition of famous blacks at the National Portrait Gallery left out Trevor Macdonald because planners were spoiled by choice.’
‘Let us now praise the surprising success of multicultural Britain’, by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, The Independent, 2 June 1998
1. Professor Ian Hall
‘On one occasion while I was a freshman at Oxford, another student asked me what I was reading. When I told him ‘music’, I recall, he looked a little startled. ‘Oh, really!’, he said, ‘did you bring your drums with you?’ There was no malice in the question, only astonishment’.
Born in Guyana, educated at Archbishop Tenison’s School in London. First black music graduate from Oxford University in the early 1960s. He has taught in eleven schools, both in the UK and in Ghana. His Bloomsbury Mass has been televised live, and as an organist, he has served in four London churches, including St Martin-in-the-Fields. Founder and President of the Bloomsbury International Society to advance international, inter-ethic understanding.
2. Baron Taylor of Warwick (b. 1952)
Solicitor and politician
‘My father was born in poverty in Kingston, Jamaica. He played county cricket for Warwickshire and, when I was a boy, he hoped to make it to Lords one day. Although he meant Lords cricket ground, I know he would have settled for other Lords! I am proud to be Afro-Caribbean and British. Black Britons will continue to play a positive part in all aspects of British life. I hope my thoughts and actions will be helpful in this process.’
Born in the West Midlands in 1952. Educated at University of Keele. Called to the Bar in 1978. Began political career as a borough councillor for Solihull (1986-90). Subsequent appointments include Special Advisor to the Home Secretary on Inner City Business, Charities Legal Services and Crime Prevention (1990-1). Stood as a Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham in 1992. Created a Life Peer in 1996.
3. Professor Stuart Hall (b. 1932)
Photographs are as much a ‘taking up of position’ as a revelation. They occur at the unstable point where the ‘unspeakable stories of the subjectivity meet the narratives of a history, of a culture. And since he/she is positioned in relation to cultured narratives which have been profoundly expropriated, the colonized subject is always ‘somewhere else’: doubly marginalized. Displaced, always other than where he or she is, or is able to speak from.
Born in Jamaica in 1932. Won a Rhodes Scholarship to Merton College, Oxford, where he obtained his MA in 1951. Editor of the New Left Review (1957-1961), then Lecturer in Film and Mass Media Studies at Chelsea College, London University, until 1964. Appointed as Resident Fellow at the Centre for Cultural Studies at Birmingham University (1964), Acting Director (1972) and Director (1972-1979). Has published numerous key works on culture and politics during the past thirty years. Professor of Sociology at Open University since 1979.
4. Ozwald Boateng (b. 1967)
Tailor and fashion designer
‘Dad was always driven by politics in Ghana and taught me to believe everything is possible so I’m not afraid to try new things. My mother was more business-oriented so I got my acumen from her. I was 17 when I sold my first suit with my name on it to a shop in Covent Garden and I was so proud. In Savile Row I deliberately set out to attract very different clientele. I suppose the other tailors thought I was too eccentric, but we have mutual respect for each other now and I have proved useful to them’.
Born in 1967. Trained at Hepworth’s, Milford Haven. Known for his radical approach to style, cut and adornment of suits which reflect his Anglo-Ghanaian heritage. Winner of the prestigious Best Male Designer Award at Trophées de la Mode in Paris in 1996. Featured in The Cutting Edge exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum and has a shop in Savile Row.
5. Christopher B-Lynch (b. 1947)
Physician and Surgeon
‘I applied for a very senior post in my post-graduate training. I was encouraged to apply by my peers. The interview went well and I was appointed by a majority verdict, only to be told the following day by a senior consultant that it had been changed. Little did he know that I had secured a written accreditation of the post from the Royal College before submitting my application. Without this document, the consequence would have been a translation of my rightful post to one occupied by a failed white contestant. I remain eternally grateful to my wife Julia. Without her love and support I could not have coped with the various vicissitudes of life. She is white British.’
Born in 1947 in Sierra Leone. Chief Assistant to the Queen’s Gynaecologists from 1991 to 1993 and a Member of Council for the Royal Society of Medicine. Currently a consultant to the NHS, Oxford Region and has a private practice in Harley Street.
6. Trevor Phillips (b. 1953)
Journalist and TV presenter
‘The day my dad took me to show me his work, I was awed by the respect and admiration of his workmates. But as we stood on the edge of the sorting office floor, I realised he would never be one of the ‘guv’nors’ because I could see they were all white. Today, we have come a long way because of the struggles of our fathers and mothers. My daughters need have no fear that their abundant talents and ambitions will be thwarted by their colour – rather, it is a badge of their pride in a rich heritage’.
Born in London in 1953. Attended Queen’s College, in Georgetown, before completing his education at Imperial College, London, obtaining a BSc in Chemistry. Well known media presenter for such programmes as The London Programme (LWT), Crosstalk (LNN) and In Living Colour (BBC). A distinguished journalist, he contributes a weekly column for The Independent and writes regularly for The Guardian and Prospect.
7. Baroness Scotland of Asthall
‘I have been particularly blessed. I was fortunate to have the encouragement of my parents and, later on, my bellow lawyers in my career at the Bar...My father used to say that every man or woman is the arbiter of his or her own good fortune, every single one of us is given a talent and the challenge is to find and hone that talent and to use it for the benefits of others. I believe him to be right’.
Studied for a law degree at London University and was called to the Bar, Middle Temple in 1977. Now a partner in a Gray’s Inn practice, also a member of the Antigua Bar, and a former member of the Commission for Racial Equality. Appointed member of the Millennium Committee (1994) and made a Life Peer in 1997.
8. Bill Morris (b. 1938)
‘By the efforts of others, I have been afforded privileges well beyond what I expected or deserved, the greatest of which is to lead my Union. Like the late John Smith, all I ask is the chance to serve and provide a choice for those who are without one’.
Born in Jamaica in 1938, Bill Morris came to live in Handsworth, Birmingham in 1954 working for several years in the engineering industry. General Secretary of Transport and General Workers Union, the UK’s largest trade union since 1992. Also serves on the General Council of TUC and many other public bodies including the Commission for Racial Equality, the General Advisory Board of the BBC, the Independent Broadcasting Authority and the Prince of Wales’ Business trust. Professor of Sociology at the Open University since 1979.
9. George Kelly (Fowokan) (b. 1943)
‘While others search for the key that will reveal the answers to all our ills, we salute and pay homage to the lives of those ancestors who left the warmth of their island homes to become pioneers and settlers in this strange and hostile land. We must remember that in their death lies our purification and renewal, for death is the sacred food of rebirth. We must not forget that their deeds and bones nourish the soil of the land that make it our own’.
Born in Jamaica in 1943. Mainly self-taught, he has been a sculptor since the early 1980s and involved with projects to take African art into schools around the UK. His many commissions include works for the Greater London Council and the African people’s Historical Monument Foundation. He has exhibited regularly since 1893 in London, New York and Havana.
10. Sonia Boyce (b. 1962)
‘I have become accustomed to the wider British society seeing every black person who steps outside the ‘normal space’ and occupation ascribed to them as seemingly peculiar and, therefore, a social phenomenon. I, myself, just feel that I am doing a job that I have some skill for and am part of a culture I have contributed to’.
Born in London in 1962 to West Indian parents. Obtained her BA in Fine Art (1983). Came to prominence as one of the leading visual artists of the Black Art movement that emerged in the 1980s. Included in over 50 exhibitions throughout the UK and overseas, with examples of her work in public collections at the Arts Council, the British Council, the Cleveland Museum, the Tate Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Currently Co-director of the African and Asian Visual Artists Archive at the University of East London and Artist-in-Residence at the University of Manchester.
11. Chief Inspector Dalton McConney (b. 1940)
‘I have enjoyed some of the good and positive things about the service. I have endured some of the frustrating and disappointing aspects of it. I, however, benefited tremendously from the experience. Despite the contributions and achievements black officers have made, only a few have managed to crack the ‘glass ceiling’ in promotion. Having cracked it, however, there was no surprise that the ‘ceiling’ was reinforced with concrete. With steely determination, we must continue to chip away’.
Born in Barbados in 1940, and moved to England in 1960. Working in industry before joining the Metropolitan Police Force in the 1970s. As Metropolitan Police Borough Liaison Officer to Lambeth Council, McConney is one of the UK’s most senior black police officers. Promoted to Chief Inspector (1992) and awarded an MBE (1994) for his services to the Brixton community.
12. Heather Rabbatts (b. 1959)
Local government executive
‘If you aim for the stars, you might get the moon’ so my mum told me when I was a little girl. Those words have been a constant inspiration even when school went badly or when I felt alone in an alien world. I never lost a sense of hope that life could be different. Now, when I present projects at local schools, I tell this story. Why? Because belief in who you are, daring to dream what, at times, feels impossible, breaking out of the shackles of the stereotypes of others, is what set us all free’.
Born in Jamaica in 1959 and educated in England. Called to the bar in 1981. Began local government career as a policy officer in 1893, moving to Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council in 1987 as Head of Women’s Department, and subsequently Director of Personel and Deputy Chief Executive. Governor of the London School of Economics and Director of the Public Management Foundation. Appointed Chief Executive of the London Borough of Lambeth in 1995.
13. Margaret Busby
‘I remember turning up for an interview and being asked to wait while the receptionist rang upstairs to say ‘Mr--, there’s a black girl who says she’s got an appointment’. We have always been here and this is what we are living through and what we have lived through. I do not get up in the morning, look in the mirror and think ‘Oh no, black again!’
Born in Ghana, graduated in English at Bedford College, University of London (1987). Co-founder and editorial director of Allison and Busby, publishers of leading black writers. Journalist, editor, reviewer and broadcaster since 1990. Won the Pandora Prize (1993) for the most positive contribution to the status of women in publishing.’
14. Trevor Robinson (b. 1964)
‘I love being black. I know it sounds a strange thing to say but I do think I was born lucky. It’s always been easier to have a life which is extraordinary when you’re born contrary to the norm. My blackness is what defines me. Also, it’s easier dealing with people treating you like a freak when there’s around three million other ‘freaks’ in this country just like me’.
Born in London in 1964, Trevor Robinson is probably best known in the advertising world as the pioneer, along with his one-time creative partner Alan Young, of ‘guerilla advertising’. With Young, he set up Quiet Storm, an independent creative agency, which produced the Operation Black Vote adverts for the 1997 General Election as well as campaigns for fashion designer Ozwald Boateng and Virgin Vie. Robinson has also recently directed a series for Paramount Comedy Channel and is working on his first feature film.
15. Denise Everett (b. 1965)
‘To me, racists are people that are ignorant, misinformed or want to blame someone ‘different’. Recently, I got out of my car and one of a group of white teenagers shouted ‘Why don’t you go back to where you came from?’ Maybe I should get a tattoo that says ‘Made in England’.
I am from a one-parent family and I lived on a council estate for a while. Yet I have never been mugged or arrested, done drugs, nor been a prostitute. Today, I work in one of the most successful IV units in the UK. There is no secret to achievement – everyone can do it so long as they really want to.’
Born in 1965 in Finchley to Jamaican parents. Started her career at London Chest Hospital as a Junior MLSO in Chemical pathology. Appointed to her present position as Senior Embryologist at the Lister Hospital (1992), she has travelled extensively in Jeddah, Atlanta, Hamburg, Ohio, Cairo and elsewhere.
16. J. Kofi Bucknor (b. 1955)
‘Being a Black in Britain, I see each day the sense of under-achievement and desperation that many gifted young people feel. Many of them are bright, well educated and ambitious but usually have nowhere to turn for advice, guidance or professional opportunity. I see doors, especially in my profession, closed to them even before they have had a chance to knock. Much talent is wasted in this process and I have tried to spend as much time as I can to address this issue’.
Born in 1955 in Ghana where he graduated at the University of Ghana (1976). Studied at Columbia University (1977) and then appointed as a Vice President of Chemical Bank, New York. Executive Director of Corporate Finance at the merchant bank Lehman Brothers (1994-6) before taking his present position as Managing Director of CAL Merchant Bank in Accra, Ghana. Member of the Policy Committee of the Centre for the Study of African Economies at Oxford University.
17. Professor Lola Young (b. 1951)
‘My motivation for participating in this kind of work is that we are not simply discussing a series of comforting or disturbing images but attempting to discover what might be read off about a particular moment in a culture of society from the way in which these (meta-) narratives are constructed and disseminated, and the impact on social relations of these representations and the cultural forms in which they appear’.
Born to Nigerian parents in the UK in 1951. Studied drama at New College of Speech and Drama in London and after acting experience in the theatre and television, attended Middlesex University. Continuing with post-graduate courses, she began teaching and cites her greatest achievement as being one of the very few black women appointed as a university professor in the UK. Lola Young is Professor of Cultural Studies at Middlesex University.
18. Joan Riley (b. 1958)
‘Not so many years ago, I worked under an anti-Black manager in a Tory flagship borough. He insisted on correcting any document drafted by the black staff, in red ink, even though his spelling was atrocious and he had no grasp of basic English grammar. As a writer, I could see the comic absurdity of it all, but I also saw how much damage the work environment did to many people’.
Born in St Mary, Jamaica and came to the UK after completing her secondary education to study at Sussex University and obtain her BL and MA in sociology. First novel, The Unbelonging, published in 1985, followed by Waiting in the Twilight (1987) and Romance (1988). Literary awards include the Voice Award for Literary Excellence (1992), the MIND Book of the Year Prize (1993) and, recently, the prestigious Voice Literary Figure of the Decade Award.
19. Barbara Tomlin-Lindsay
‘I would like to see a world without distorted images of black people. We have made enormous contributions – too often these have not been recognised. I am black and I am proud of my heritage’.
Born in the Caribbean, and had worked for twenty years in public service, at the Cabinet Office and the Treasury. Now a Middle Manager at the Board of Trade, she provides briefings for ministers and senior officials on environmental issues. A qualified member of the Institute of Personnel and Development. Has three sons and fosters a five-year-old child.
20. Paul Boateng MP (b. 1951)
‘I am black. I am British. I can, and do, draw on a rich and diverse variety of cultural, social and political influences that span the continents. I decline to be stereotyped ‘Black Politician’. I am a politician. I am what I am. I want a world where my children will be free to be judged, not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character’.
Born in Hackney, east London but brought up in Ghana before returning to England to study law at Bristol University and the College of Law. Called to the Bar (1979). Labour member of GLC for Walthamstow (1981-6). Member of Parliament for Brent South since 1987, and Junior Minister after 1997 election. A Methodist Lay preacher and a member of the World Development Movement. In 1988 won the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize for his contributions to social, economic and racial justice.
21. Dr John Anthony Roberts (b. 1928)
‘My wish is to help others not to experience the social imbalances which have confronted me over the years and which I continue to see out with determination, and to educate those who blatantly refuse to recognise the rights and aspirations of black people. I believe the world will be a better place with black and white people working together to achieve peace, love and respect for each other’.
Born in Sierra Leone in 1928 and educated there at St Edward’s RC Secondary School and the Inns of Court Law School. Joined the RAF in 1952 and qualified as an Air Traffic Control Officer (1962). Called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn, London (1969). Head of Chambers at Lincoln’s Inn (1975-92). Appointed a Judge at the Supreme Court of the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla (1992). Recorder of the Crown Court since 1987 and QC (1988).
22. The Rt Rev Dr John Mugabi Sentamu (b. 1949)
Bishop of Stepney
‘It seems surprising to me, looking back, that in fact, I never actively sought any office. It may be that being black helped but it’s difficult to say how much. I have, of course, experienced racism and injustice wherever I’ve been. When I came to Britain from Uganda, confident in who I was, seeing people being excluded because of their colour was a rude awakening to the reality of what the colour black could be made to mean – the denial of our common humanity and our equal partnership as God’s children’.
Born in Uganda in 1949, educated at University of Cambridge (Selwyn College). Chief Magistrate (1971-2), Judge of High Court, Uganda (1972-4). Ordained deacon and priest (1979), and Bishop of Stepney since 1996.
23. Benjamin Zephaniah (b. 1958)
I used to think nurses were women
I used to think police were men
I used to think poets were boring
Until I became one of them’.
Born in Handsworth, Birmingham in 1958 of Jamaican parents. Began to create poetry at a very early age, being strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls ‘street politics’. Since moving to London in 1970, has published nine collections of work, including two for children, and had recorded and toured worldwide. His recorded tribute to Nelson Mandela, in prison at the time, led to an invitation to work with children in South African townships and to hosting the President’s Two Nations Concert in London in 1996.
24. Lenny Henry (b. 1958)
‘My main achievement is to remain sane in this crazy world of show business. One of my most treasured achievements was buying my mum a house and sending her back to Jamaica on holiday’.
Born in 1958, Lenworth George (Lenny) Henry was educated at the Bluecoat Secondary Modern School, the W R Tewson School and Preston College. Won the New Faces Talent Show in 1975. On television, his impressive range of appearances have included his own show, the Lenny Henry Show, which ran from 1984 to 1995, and the popular Chef. Has appeared in several films, including Coast to Coast, Work Experience, Alive and Kicking, and True Identity. Managing Director of his own TV production company. | http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/about/photographs-collection/national-photographic-record/black-power-photographs-by-donald-maclellan.php | 5,477 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999973 |
After examining climate data extending back nearly 100 years, a team of Government scientists has concluded that there has been no significant change in average temperatures or rainfall in the United States over that entire period.
While the nation's weather in individual years or even for periods of years has been hotter or cooler and drier or wetter than in other periods, the new study shows that over the last century there has been no trend in one direction or another.
The study, made by scientists for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was published in the current issue of Geophysical Research Letters. It is based on temperature and precipitation readings taken at weather stations around the country from 1895 to 1987.
Dr. Kirby Hanson, the meteorologist who led the study, said in a telephone interview that the findings concerning the United States do not necessarily ''cast doubt'' on previous findings of a worldwide trend toward warmer temperatures, nor do they have a bearing one way or another on the theory that a buildup of pollutants is acting like a greenhouse and causing global warming. He said that the United States occupies only a small percentage of Earth's surface and that the new findings may be the result of regional variations.
Readings taken by other scientists have suggested a significant warming worldwide over the last 100 years. Dr. James E. Hansen, director of National Aeronautic and Space Administration's Institute for Space Studies in Manhattan, has reported that average global temperatures have risen by nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit in this century and that the average temperatures in the 1980's are the highest on record.
Dr. Hansen and other scientists have said that that there is a high degree of probability that this warming trend is associated with the atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases that absorb and retain radiation. | http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/26/us/us-data-since-1895-fail-to-show-warming-trend.html?pagewanted=1 | 352 | Politics | 4 | en | 0.999977 |
Lagos: Indigenous Omo Eko-ile Are Descendants Of Ile-ife
It is indisputable who the owners or Omo-Onile of Lagos are: The Olumegbon, Suenu, Ojora, Onitolo, Onitana, Onido and others. They know their own history before the first Europeans or Arabs set their foot in Africa on their mission to pillage our resources, capture slaves, debase African cultures and people with religious platitudes. Most historians trace the Ogunfunminire Awori, Aresa, Onikoyi and Olugbon from Ife to Oyo, Ilesa, Oshogbo, Ogbomoso, Abeokuta to Lagos. Ife is the cradle of Yoruba Civilization.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348907760_Igbon_Iresa_and_Ikoyi_A_Pre-Historic_Relationship_Till_Present_Time Leyin Orun Olugbon, Orun Aresa, Orun OnIkoyi, Orun oun lori ile: apart from the authority of Olugbon, of Aresa and of Onikoyi, there was no other authority on earth. There is historical and geological evidence by Professor Babajide that Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba Civilization had moved about seven times before the present location. The evidence of the Yoruba spread from the present North Central of Nigeria to the Atlantic Ocean.
Some are named Aromire (ocean friendly) and Oloko (ship builders). This is the reason Yoruba have a visceral reaction to any attempt to dispute their origin in Lagos. Whatever your ethnic group, you cannot take Yoruba amicable relationships with others for granted. You call them Unity Beggars only to become Unity Beggars when contesting for the President of Nigeria. You cannot have it anyway you want. We must appeal to attract votes beyond our ethnic groups with love not with force or hate.
We got along better before the foreign Oil income. The African culture facilitated by Yoruba relationship of accommodation between each ethnic group: later abused in Lagos, resulted in a melting pot of all Africans. Each ethnic group has great qualities that outshined the bad eggs within them. The Igbo were known to be hard working, Hausa honest, Ghanaians neat, South Africans dedicated, some Europeans obsequious to make amends and Yoruba tolerance for all.
So, where are the hard working proud Igbo our parents told us about? Indeed, Ndi-Igbo had no better friends and supporters in the world than Yoruba. You must then wonder why they would rather ally with anybody against Yoruba interest. While parents in Lagos were telling their children to welcome every stranger in their midst and made sure anyone that entered Lagos by dawn must be fed, clothes and given a place to sleep by dawn. Igbo parents were telling their children not to trust Yoruba.
A great deal changed after the unexpected Arab Oil Embargo that earned Nigerians more money than God! Nigerians lost their heads and bearings. All the viable and budding industries that fed the whole of West Africa paused in favor of any import that foreign income could buy; including pins, pencils, used clothes, even garbage stuck at the high seas!
The same country where its Western Region managed meager Cocoa Income to create many First in Africa attracting many Africans and Europeans joined the rat race for money at the Federal Level and began losing their heads too. Skilful managers of primary industries and natural resources from Lagos to Ilorin became Federal politicians. None of you could have done what you did for Western Nigeria in a Nigerian context.
Gullible Jaja Wachukwu, tolerated in Lagos in 1947, provoked his hosts that Lagos is No Man's Land as the Federal Capital. During the Ojukwu Ore Debacle they thought: Lagos was at Reach. These were dreamers nobody took seriously then until it became the mainstream cry of Igbo Youths on Yorubaland. They even made up fake stories to justify it as the developer of Lagos whose taxes built their newly discovered virgin land. Do we expect the Owner of the land most Africans were welcomed warmly into, to accept their aspiration or provocation?
It is in the spirit of tolerance that in the last Election, their Presidential candidate came first in Lagos beating Yoruba Presidential candidate because of his opprobrious character. Yet, those who voted over 90% for their Presidential candidate at home, are accusing those who voted against their son so that Igbo came first in Yoruba state: as tribalistic and intolerant. Haba, see logical thinking O! During the choice for President between Hausa/Fulani Obasanjo and Falaye, Yoruba Choice. Igbo voted with the Hausa/Fulani choice.
They actually claimed that it was out of their love for Yoruba. Yoruba have never stopped criticizing their own, especially when anyone regardless of ethnicity is unfairly treated. A case in point was how they championed the fight for Jonathan to become Acting President when Yar'Adua was incapacitated. Yoruba also voted for him to become President. Obasanjo was the first President to assign Igbo to powerful positions after the Civil War.
Yoruba love Igbo but the Youths with a different experience would not love Igbo to death at their own detriment. Wole Soyinka almost died in prison for Igbo cause, they called him a traitor. Fajuyi actually died with Ironsi rather than surrender him to mutiny. Yet, Igbo called him a traitor. Banjo led the Biafran Army against his fatherland until he was stopped at Ore. They called him a traitor. When asked why Igbo kidnappers operate freely in Yorubaland but Yoruba kidnappers would not dare it in the East, they claim it is because Yoruba are cowards
So, what did the Yoruba do apart from producing every prominent rich Igbo old money in Lagos? After voting for Azikiwe to represent Lagos in the Western House, he wanted to become their Premier. NCNC, the Party that nominated him to represent Lagos in the Western House was founded by Herbert Macauley. The Party became Igbo Party after Azikiwe became the Leader. The same way Western Region could have become Igbo controlled Region if Azikiwe had become the Premier with Yoruba votes.
They hated Awolowo who had insight of their God ordained mentality to rule others. The Yoruba Youths used that to point out that their parents were foolish to accommodate those whose intentions were to dominate, rule and take over their land. Indeed, both Nnamdi Azikiwe and Emeka Ojukwu never hid their intentions since Zik wanted to become the Premier in Western Region and Ojukwu wanted Banjo to capture Ore for him first before naming an Administrator for Lagos. Both believe Igbo are destined to rule Yoruba.
Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa | https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/324474/lagos-indigenous-omo-eko-ile-are-descendants-of-ile-ife.html | 1,488 | Culture | 2 | en | 0.999874 |
By Owolola Abiola O.
Oranmiyan is an important character in Yoruba and Benin mythology. Though the youngest of Oduduwa grandchildren according to Ife oral tradition, he eventually became the most powerful and famous of them all. According to Ife’s list of kings compiled in Oonis Palace, Oranmiyan, the sixth Ooni of Ife had the singular honour of founding two existing dynasties of Oyo and Benin via two of his sons: Ajaka and Eweka.
Oranmiyan staff, located at Mopa along Arubidi Road, Ile-Ife is dedicated to Oranmiyan. On global positioning system, it is situated on an elevation of about 28 meters above sea level. The staff is the most spectacular antiquity in Ile-Ife and is believed to be one of the tallest stone sculptures in the south of the Sahara. It is a granite column of about 18feet (5.5cm) in height and about 4 feet square in width at the base. Several iron studs were driven into it. The belief is that it was erected on the spot where Oranmiyan was originally buried. However, an archaeological investigation has proven otherwise.
The iron studs on Oranmiyan staff had been interpreted at various times as a diary of events in the life of Oranmiyan as a warrior. Some believed it represents record of festivals in Ile-Ife. Chief Eredumi Akinyemi, Priest of Oranmiyan, believes that the iron studs represent the number of bullets fired at Oranmiyan during war of expansion.
According to Johnson (1921:146), the iron studs are suggestive to represent Hebrew letter Resh and Yod. Johnson further interpreted the 62 iron studs in the middle of the stone monolith to mean the number of years Oranmiyan spent to fight war of expansion, while the 31 iron studs on either side of the staff represent the number of years he stayed in Oyo and Benin respectively. However, a cursory look at the topmost part of the staff actually depicts a vivid picture of the sacred Aare crown.
The written character on the staff actually gave us a clue to the fact that Yoruba at a point in history had developed some forms of ancient writing that is evident in Ifa corpus (signatures) walls of Oluorogbo, Akire and Obalejugbe Shrines in Ile-Ife. Oranmiyan staff equally suggests that carving in stone is part of the artistic tradition in Ile-Ife. The concept and quality of the art demonstrates the richness and sophistication of Ife cultural tradition. The style and technique further reveals that Ife must have had knowledge of iron working long before the advent of Europeans.
Aside from Oranmiyan staff, Ore stone mud fish in National Museum, Ile-Ife is another example of Ife stone object with iron drilled into it. The number of iron smelting sites in Ife and its environ in the time past are physical evidence that the technology behind the combination of stone objects with the iron studs is indigenous to Ife. According to Johnson, it is on record that between 1884 and 1953, the stone monolith fell down on two occasions as a result of heavy rain storm.
The cultural significance of Oranmiyan staff lies in the fact that it is connected to the installation rites for Ooni of Ife and Alaafin of Oyo. In the past, before an Alaafin was enthroned or crowned, part of his installation rites requires that he must come physically to Oranmiyan grove for a very important rite and the ceremony of receiving sword of authority before he could be crowned as Alaafin. Thus, the rites symbolise his authority and legitimacy on the throne.
According to Ife oral tradition, corroborated by Chiefs Eredumi, Apata and Akogun, Yoruba Obas and Are Ona Kakanfo (Yoruba generalissimo) before going to war in the time past, usually come to Ife and offer sacrifices to the deity of Oranmiyan and the staff to ensure victory. Till today, people still come to pray before the staff. According to Chief Eredumi, it is believed that whatever prayer that is offered before the staff would be answered. The healing power inherent in the staff is what had been attracting visitors to the grove and this explains ritual items found in the vicinity of the staff. The associated festival to Oranmiyan staff is Olukere-mude celebrated in the month of April and Olojo festival celebrated in October.
The importance of museum in today’s world
By 1974 definition of the International Council of Museum (ICOM), Museums is a “non-profit making permanent institution in the service of society and its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and its environment.
From the foregoing, it’s obvious that Museum, especially in Africa is a cultural establishment, whose primary responsibility is concerned with the collection, preservation and exhibition of both natural and cultural objects for the purpose of knowledge and education.
In the past, Museum settings had been misconstrued and their philosophies misrepresented by people and scholars as well, especially in Africa. It is no gainsaying that, in the olden days, the Museum was best described as fascinating but fearful by people who had little or no attempt was made by early scholars in examining the Museum as a socio-cultural centre.
Generally speaking, Museums all over the world serve a wide range of useful purposes. Because they are custodians of man’s natural and historic objects, they have equally become the custodians of man’s cultural heritage. As a result of this, Museums have become firmly entrenched features of all civilized and informed societies all over the world. There is no doubt about it that Museums are suitable habitants for collection, preservation and interpretation of objects both natural and man-made. By so doing, they have become veritable sources of information on research and reference.
In addition to this, Museums, as treasure houses of the human race, are seen to be repositories of cultures, histories, memories among others, of a people. Today, the attention being given to cultural facilities all the world over is as a result of the quest for international tourism and its concomitant economic benefit, which has, therefore, resorted to the increasing demand for the establishment of Museums all over the country.
Further, Museums, by their nature, offer formal and informal education to the public through various collections and knowledge, giving a unique opportunity to interpret appropriately different names of objects displayed. Not only this, Museums, unlike other media that often tend to dish out digest opinions to the public, offer more insight and reflections on historical phenomena and cultural objects as well.
As a matter of fact, Museums, in the area of information, speed up the process of acquiring information because collection of authentic objects involves discoveries and it pulls together threads of what is already known. Thus, Museums can be seen as reliable avenues for international communication in a multicultural and multi-linguistic world.
Museums are useful through their educational role of exhibiting cultural and natural objects, which depict socio-cultural life of the people. Museums remain the only institution which makes use of objects as a universal language of communication. As a result of this, the Museum has become an instrument of socio-cultural integration, as Museums in Nigeria are using objects in their custodies to speak to members of the international community with a view to enhancing better socio-cultural understanding and offer more insight and reflections on their people.
- Mr. Owolola Abiola works at the National Museum, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/04/significance-oranmiyan-staff-ife-immovable-heritage-resource/amp/ | 1,660 | Culture | 3 | en | 0.999992 |
The Federal Government is leveraging the innovative capacity of Fintechs to accelerate interventions, especially those under its Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), including programmes on renewable energy, agriculture, improving access to credit and direct cash transfers, among others, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo said on Friday.
Professor Osinbajo stated this at the official launch of the Nigeria Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Fintech Hackathon in Abuja.
“This is incredibly powerful for our efforts at resolving the climate crisis, transitioning to cleaner energy, but it also introduces a tremendous opportunity for Fintech companies for payments systems,” he said.
The vice president added, “Being able to manage that whole process, collect monies in some case, and in many cases, payout to owners; I think that there are tremendous opportunities there.
“This is something we are starting now. Of course, several companies have already shown some interest. So, as we address climate concerns, there are major opportunities for Fintech companies and their creativity is going to be very crucial here.”
Speaking about leveraging innovations by Fintechs to address challenges in the agricultural sector, he stressed the need to expand the scope of sustainable farming and farming techniques.
According to him, this has become crucial because the people now realise that with deforestation and all the issues with farmer-herder clashes, it is important to look more closely at how to be more creative with farming techniques, engage and educate farmers, and use more extension workers actively.
Professor Osinbajo noted that this was the case, especially as the government tries to implement an aspect of its Economic sustainability plan.
“So, we have to first find out where these new farmers work and we have to geo-tag them to their farms. But more importantly, we had to get credit to them one way or the other because many of them are in far-flung areas of the country.
“But not just credit, also information that they would need for choosing the right type of fertiliser, and other farm input. There is no question at all that Fin-Tech is crucial and would even be more crucial, especially as we pursue goals of financial inclusion and try to reach hitherto unreachable parts of the country,” he said.
The vice president believes there is no better way to address the issues of poverty and others around the SDGs if the country is unable to reach those who need to be reached with credit.
In ensuring a smooth transition to clean energy, he explained that such a process required those who could facilitate the movement of money quickly – such as the Fintech companies.
Professor Osinbajo, therefore, appealed to young Nigerians to aspire to achieve their dreams and take advantage of the exciting opportunities that abound in the tech systems.
The event was organised by the Financial Centre for Sustainability Lagos (FC4S Lagos), Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), Access Bank and AfricaHacks.
The Naija SDGs Hackathon aims to facilitate the development of Fintech solutions that have a direct impact on the realisation of the SDGs.
Guests at the event included the Senior Special Assistant to the President SDGs, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on SDGs, Solape Hammond; and the former Special Adviser to the UK Prime Minister on Social Justice, Young People & Opportunities, Mr Nero Ugwhujabo, among others. | https://www.channelstv.com/2021/03/26/fg-leveraging-fintech-innovation-to-address-agric-energy-challenges-osinbajo/ | 733 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999983 |
The WHO said Wednesday that Covid-19 deaths had dropped by 95 percent since the start of the year — but warned the virus was still on the move.
The World Health Organisation said Covid-19 was here to stay and countries would have to learn how to manage its ongoing non-emergency effects, including post-Covid-19 condition, or Long Covid.
“We’re very encouraged by the sustained decline in reported deaths from Covid-19, which have dropped 95 percent since the beginning of this year,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference.
“However, some countries are seeing increases, and over the past four weeks, 14,000 people lost their lives to this disease.
“And, as the emergence of the new XBB.1.16 variant illustrates, the virus is still changing, and is still capable of causing new waves of disease and death.”
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19, said XBB sub-lineages were now dominant worldwide.
They have an increase in growth advantage and are also showing immune escape, meaning people can be reinfected despite having been vaccinated or previously infected.
She called for increased surveillance through testing “so that we can monitor the virus itself and understand what each of these mutations means”.
That knowledge could feed into vaccine composition and inform decisions on handling the virus, she said.
Tedros reiterated that the WHO remained hopeful of declaring an end to Covid-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, with the committee that advises him on the status due to convene next month for its regular quarterly meeting.
“But this virus is here to stay, and all countries will need to learn to manage it alongside other infectious diseases,” he added.
Tedros meanwhile said that an estimated one in 10 infections resulted in Long Covid, suggesting that hundreds of millions of people would need longer-term care.
The WHO chief also noted how the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted vaccination programmes, with an estimated 67 million children missing out on at least one essential jab between 2019 and 2021.
Following a decade of stalled progress, vaccination rates are back to where they were in 2008, he said, leading to rising outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever.
All countries must address “the barriers to immunisation, whether it’s access, availability, cost or disinformation”, he said. | https://www.channelstv.com/2023/04/26/covid-deaths-down-95-percent-this-year-who/ | 531 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999958 |
By Omoh Gabriel, Business Editor
Economists, geologists and surveyors have long agreed that under the Nigerian soil are wealth and riches untold. But majority of Nigerians are wallowing in poverty. The Nigerian Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative, NEITI report suggests that there are about 40 different kinds of solid minerals and precious metals buried in Nigerian soil waiting to be exploited. The commercial value of Nigeria’s solid minerals has been estimated to run into hundreds of trillions of dollars, with 70 per cent of these buried in the bowels of Northern Nigeria.
President of Miners’ Empowerment Association of Nigeria, Mr. Sunny Ekosin, reveals that Nigeria loses a whopping N8trillion annually in unexploited gold alone. He also says that Ajaokuta remains the key to Nigeria’s industrialisation and that getting it back to work is a matter of patriotism for President Buhari and his team.
Ekosin in an interview with Vanguard said: “If Nigerians were taking data seriously, we would have built a database, where we have authentic information. In 2012, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Steel, came before the nation and said, that from our precious metals alone, specifically from gold exploitation alone, Nigeria is losing N8 trillion ($50 billion) annually.”
The failure of Nigeria, since independence in 1960, to put in place a structure that will make the benefits of the exploitation of solid minerals available to all Nigerians has been the bane of the nation. At the moment mining of minerals in Nigeria accounts for only 0.3 per cent of its GDP, due to the influence of oil resources. The domestic mining industry is underdeveloped, leading to Nigeria having to import commodities it could produce domestically, such as salt or iron sheets and billets.
According to NEITI’s audit findings, solid mineral deposits are scattered all over Nigeria, with more deposits in certain areas than others. Over 40 million tonnes of talc deposits have been identified in Niger, Osun, Kogi, Ogun and Kaduna states. There are huge deposits of coal ranging from bituminous to lignite in the Anambra Basin of South-Eastern Nigeria.
There are lead-zinc ores within the Asaba Area of Niger Delta, while tin, niobium, and lead, are to be found around Oyo and Igbeti, with as much as over a billion tonnes of gypsum spread around Sokoto, Niger, Ondo and Ekiti states. Nigeria’s potentially most beneficial solid minerals are spread around the nation but most of them are in the North.
Limestone deposits occur in Cross River, Ogun, Benue, Gombe, Ebonyi, Sokoto, Edo and Kogi states; magnesite in Adamawa and Kebbi states; coal in Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Delta, Plateau, Anambra, Abia, Benue, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Adamawa and Kwara states; wolframite in Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi and Niger states; silver is found only in Kano, with kyanite in Kaduna and Niger states; manganese only in the Northern states of Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara with diatomite found only in Yobe State, while ilmenite-rutile is only in Bauchi, Plateau and Kaduna states;
fluorite only in Taraba State with gold in Niger, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara and Zamfara and a little in Osun. Nasarawa State in the North has been appropriately tagged as Nigeria’s home of Solid Minerals. The state is one of the most naturally endowed states in Nigeria in terms of the availability of economically and commercially viable natural resources.
These include clay, columbite, ilmenite, mica, barytes, pyrite, galena, limestone, sodium chloride, ephalerite, silica sand, granites, tantalite, mica, sphalerite, talc, gemstone (tourmaline, aquamarine and sapphire), halcopyrite, topaz, cassiterite, columbite, tantalite, emerald, heliodor, amethyst, quartz, coking coal, marble, and iron ore. Bauchi is another richly endowed state in the North with metal ores, non-metallic ores and gemstones.
Other untapped mineral resources in Bauchi include kaolin,talc,tin,quartz,iron ore, gypsum, zircon, calcite, tantalite, chalcoprite, mica, copper ore, limestone, tourmaline, beryl, garnet, columbite, muscovite, aquamarine, topaz, marble, bismuth, wolfromite and others. Yet with these potential money spinning resources, states in the country are starved of funds and are currently facing a cash crunch. Nigeria as a nation is passing through economic hardship as a result of fall in oil prices.
The low activity in the solid mineral sector is not yielding the desired financial benefit as there are no records of payment of taxes and royalty to the government. Nigeria is losing lots of resources from untapped mineral deposit as well as from the little that is being mined mostly by illegal miners who smuggle the products out of the country.
According to NEITI audit report on solid mineral operation in Nigeria, there are six buying center, nine dredging companies, eleven exporters of solid minerals, fourteen medium scale mining companies, thirty-five commercial quarry, fifty-four construction quarry, eight quarry for manufacturing giving a total of one hundred and thirty-seven activities in the solid mineral sector of the Nigerian economy.
Report on the Physical and Process Flows in Nigeria Solid Minerals Industry 2011 prepared by Haruna Yahaya & CO (Chartered Accountants) indicated that there are no adequate records of operations in the sector. The report said “A review of Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigeria Customs Service records on exported minerals showed that there were discrepancies in the value of exported minerals as well as the associated company.
From available records of Central Bank of Nigeria, 15 companies exported 9,068.70 metric tonnes of minerals valued at N577, 768,456 while Nigeria Customs Service records showed that 30 companies exported 7,107,099.80 metric tonnes of minerals valued at N11,496,070,691.
“Despite the fact that Gold and Barites were being mined across the nation, there is no record to show that these minerals are among the mined or exported minerals. Further finding shows that barites are mined in Benue and Nasarawa states, they are also purchased by multinational oil companies as drill fluids, despite high activities of miners there are no record of royalty payments.
“From the available records of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, there were no evidence of royalty payment on these exported minerals. The Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act 2007 requires that any exporter of solid minerals must request for permit to export minerals. But in defiance to the Act, there was no available evidence of request for permit or approval to export minerals by the companies,” the report stated.
The report further said “The informal players are mostly artisan miners, medium scale operators and illegal miners who hardly keep any record. Some of the minerals mined in Nigeria are exported out of the country by both formal and informal players. There are no official records from ministry of Mines and Steel Development on the actual volume of minerals exported out of Nigeria within the period under review.
However, the few records available relates to transactions that were done by the formal players as they passed through the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Export Promotion Council”. NEITI 2012 report conducted by Moore Stephens of LLP 150 Aldersgate Street London signed by Tim Woodward on 31 December 2014 on Nigeria solid mineral said “Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Department failed to report revenues collected from mining cooperatives and from the Minerals buying Centre.
These revenues were selected by the NSWG in the EITI scope through unilateral disclosure of the Government Agency. “This situation led to a significant amount of the discrepancies. Total revenue from the Solid Minerals Sector amounted to N31.449 billion in 2012. The revenue stream from the Solid Minerals Sector is composed of 84.18 per cent of taxes received by FIRS. Mining taxes received by MID and MCO represent 3.48 per cent and 2.24 per cent respectively.
“According to the data collected from extractive companies and Government Entities, after reconciliation work, revenues generated from the Solid Minerals Sector amounted to N31.449 billion. These revenues include, in excess of the reconciled revenue amounting to N28.736 billion, unilateral disclosures of companies amounting to NGN 2,003 million and unilateral disclosures of Government Entities amounting to NGN 710 million:
Government Revenues from the Solid Minerals Sector increased from NGN 26,925 million in 2011 to N31.449 billion in 2012. Large sector mining was higher in 2012 due to an increase of granite and limestone production respectively to 12 million tons and 18 million tons compared to 8 million tons and 15 million tons in 2011. This was a result of the increase of the consumption of granite and production of cement in Nigeria during 2012.
“The Solid Minerals Sector accounted for an average of 0.02 per cent of total export earnings for the year 2012. Zinc and Lead ores account for more than 48 per cent of the Solid Minerals Sector exports. All companies operating under a mining or quarrying license and which make payments to MID in excess of NGN 2 million ($ $12,500) were required to report their payments in accordance with EITI Requirements.
As a result, cash flows reconciled for Solid Minerals Sector represent 89.43 per cent of royalties received by MID from the Solid Minerals Sector. MID also collected over 3.41 per cent of the entire Nigerian flows from the Solid Minerals Sector. The selection resulted in 65 extractive companies listed with the Nigerian authorities. For extractive companies operating in the Solid Minerals Sector and which have made royalty payments below the N2 million threshold, cash flows are included in this report through unilateral disclosure by Government Entities.
The report said “At the beginning of the reconciliation, the total amount reported by the Government Entities of Nigeria from the Solid Minerals Sector amounted to N49.759 billion.
We note, however, that the total net difference between the amounts declared by reporting companies’ and those of the Government Entities amounted to NGN 6,535,199,305 (13%), At the end of the reconciliation, a total amount of N27.560 billion was reported to have been received by the Government of Nigeria between 1st of January and 31st of December 2012. A net difference of N (2.004 billion)
(7.3%) remained unreconciled. According to the data collected from Solid Minerals Companies, we have calculated the royalties that should be paid to the MID based on quantum reported during the reconciliation work. The difference between amounts really paid and those calculated amounting to N (12,089,562) and represents (1.4%) of the total royalties as declared by MID”. The inability of states to exploit the resources in their domain is partly traceable to the 2007 Mineral Act which has vested the ownership of solid mineral on the federal government.
Organized mining began in 1903 when the Mineral Survey of the Northern Protectorates was created by the British colonial government. A year later, the Mineral Survey of the Southern Protectorates was founded. By the 1940s, Nigeria was a major producer of tin, columbite, and coal. The discovery of oil in 1956 hurt the mineral extraction industries, as government and industry both began to focus on this new resource. The Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s led many expatriate mining experts to leave the country.
The exploitation and exploration of solid minerals are governed by The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 (“the Act”) which was passed into law on March 16, 2007 to repeal the Minerals and Mining Act, No. 34 of 1999. The Act vests control of all properties and minerals in Nigeria in the states and prohibits unauthorised exploration or exploitation of minerals.
According to the Act, all lands in which minerals have been found in commercial quantities shall from the commencement of the Act be acquired by the Federal Government in accordance with the Land Use Act. Property in mineral resources shall pass from the government to the person by whom the mineral resources are lawfully won upon their recovery in accordance with provisions of the Act.
The Minister, amongst other things, is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the orderly and sustainable development of Nigeria’s mineral resources, creating an enabling environment for private investors, both foreign and domestic, by providing adequate infrastructure for mining activities and also identifying areas where government intervention is desirable in achieving policy goals in mineral resources development.
The Act also provides for the establishment of the Mining Cadastre Office, MCO, which shall be responsible for the administration of mineral titles and the maintenance of the cadastral registers, and empowers the Minister, by regulation, to determine areas eligible for the grant of an exploration or mining lease based on a competitive bidding process.
The MCO shall collect a fee for processing of applications for mineral titles and an annual service fee established at a fixed rate per square cadastral unit for administrative and management services. In other words, the FG owns, controls, monitors the exploitation and exploration of natural solid mineral resources.
In economic development mineral resources are the foundation upon which an industrialised economy is built, and industrialisation is essential if Nigeria is to reduce over-dependence on the oil industry – an industry which, despite the revenue it generates, provides employment for just 6 per cent of the Nigerian labour force.
The schist belt that covers the western half of Nigeria has proven reserves of gold. Although gold production in this region dates from 1913, colonial mining companies abandoned their activities following the onset of the Second World War. The gold mines have since remained dormant, aside from an abortive attempt at extraction by the Nigerian Mining Corporation in the 1980s, which floundered due to a lack of funds.
Artisan miners now account for most gold extraction, but primary deposits that could support mechanised mining have been identified in the north west and south west parts of Nigeria. These deposits are of a relatively high grade, and it is estimated that extraction costs could be as low as $50 per ounce, due to the shallow depth at which they are found. An estimated 10 million tonnes of lead and zinc veins straddle eight of Nigeria’s states, with the 700,000 tonnes in Abakiliki in Ebyoni State representing the most favourable prospect.
In the non-metallic minerals category, riches also abound: the building industry is supplied by crushed rock, gravel and sand; glass-making grade sand has been established in many parts of the country; and Niger, Osun, Kogi, Ogun and Kaduna states collectively boast up to 100 million tonnes of talc, a mere fraction of which is used in several medium-sized talc processing plants.
Gemstone mining is one area that has seen something of a boom, though again the level of exploitation is running well below potential. Gemstones present include sapphire, ruby, aquamarine, emerald, tourmaline, topaz, garnet, amethyst, zircon, and fluorspar. Bentonite and barite – both of which are constituents in the mud used when drilling oil wells – are also in abundance, with 7.5 million tonnes of barite in Taraba and Bauchi states and 700 million tonnes of bentonite across the country.
Reserves of bitumen represent another under utilised resource, with estimated reserves of 42 billion tonnes or twice the country’s existing reserves of crude oil. Paradoxically, most bitumen used in road construction in Nigeria is currently imported. Coal and tin were among the natural resources mined on a massive scale, with the former being used to generate electricity, power the railway network and meet the demands of regional and international markets.
Lead and zinc were a significant source of export revenue, and Nigeria was the world’s largest exporter of columbite. Stagnation in the solid minerals sector cannot simply be attributed to the meteoric rise of oil: poor management by state-owned enterprises – compounded by corruption and an incoherent exploitation of resources – has also played its part.
Precious metals are also present in quantities that make them commercially viable. But for all this mineral wealth, Nigeria’s mining industry remains in the shadow of the oil industry. Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada former Honourable Minister of Mines and Steel Development said in an interview while in office that the World Bank project institutional frameworks such as Nigeria’s Minerals and Mining Act of 2007 was put in place to bring mining industries in the country to be in line with global best practices.
He said Nigeria’s Steel industry has to be resuscitated for Nigeria to realise its vision of becoming one of the first top 20 industrialised nations in the world by year 2020 The solid minerals sector in Nigeria has long been treated as the poor relation of the oil and gas sector. Compared to the level of investment and development in oil and gas extraction – which has grown exponentially since Nigeria joined the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Companies (OPEC) in 1971 – mining activity has suffered stagnation, and even decline.
While petrol dollars dominate the economy, the National Bureau of Statistics lists solid minerals as contributing less than 1 per cent of GDP, despite significant coal and iron ore reserves, and known deposits of gold, uranium, tin and tantalum. But the vast potential of Nigeria’s mineral wealth has not always been so ignored. Before the oil boom of the 1970s, the economy was largely sustained by the exploitation of solid minerals.
International blue-chip mining companies have long since given the sector a wide berth due to its reputation for inefficiency. President Mohammadu Buhari has acknowledged its potential as an alternative to the petroleum industry for foreign exchange earnings, and said he would revitalise its fortunes. The rationale for Nigeria’s renewed interest in exploiting its natural resources is simple.
The government recognises that over dependance on oil also leaves the economy vulnerable to international oil politics and fluctuations in oil prices. A simplification of the procedures for attaining mining licenses is key to future development of the solid mineral sector. In the past, efforts to generate growth in the industry have been thwarted by bureaucracy and the absence of a focused federal policy. The emphasis is on providing transparent procedures that will help develop an industry led by the private sector.
Tax concessions, deferred royalty payments and 100 per cent foreign ownership of mining enterprises are among the incentives it is hoped will encourage investment. In September 2009 the national president of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Mr Sunday Ekosin, announced that illegal mining had declined by 30 per cent com-pared to previous years, thanks to a renewed commitment by the association and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to integrate illegal miners into the mainstream.
If the government’s plan to revitalise the solid minerals sector is to succeed, it must first boost confidence in mining titles among potential private investors. In September 2009, Mines Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke told a conference at the London Stock Exchange that Nigeria will soon start addressing a backlog of new mining licenses and will complete a review of existing licenses aimed at weeding out speculators by the end of October 2009.
The review aims to open up new areas for qualified mining companies, which will build on new legislation that makes the sector more accessible to investors. But so far this has not been realized. Though the potential rewards for both investors and Nigeria are high, so too is the cost of regenerating the solid minerals sector. If the substantial known reserves of industrial minerals are to be exploited, significant finance and expertise must first be ploughed into the sector.
It is estimated that the industry would require an investment of $10 billion a year if Nigeria is to achieve its aim of becoming one of the top 20 world economies by 2020. The government must also take measures to ensure that the exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral wealth benefits a greater proportion of the population than the oil sector has. Further challenges include an inadequate infrastructure and the environmental impact of large-scale mineral extraction.
However, offsetting these challenges are the immense rewards a successful revitalisation of the industry would bring: a huge boost to the national coffers; a means of halting the drift of labour from poor rural areas to more affluent urban concentrations; and, most significantly, a viable alternative to the oil and gas revenue that has dominated the Nigerian economy for three decades.
If foreign investors are willing to bear the start-up costs of large-scale mining operations – and if the federal government can cement a favourable policy framework to make foreign investment both attractive and tenable – Nigeria’s solid minerals sector could finally shake off the status of oil’s ‘poor relation’ and provide a lucrative, sustainable drive that will set the economy on the road to industrialisation.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/neglect-of-solid-minerals-why-nigeria-remains-poor/ | 4,452 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999784 |
Lagos is the second worst city to live in the world, according to an annual report from the Economist published Thursday.
The city was only ahead of Damascus, the capital of war-torn Syria, which retained its place as least liveable city on the planet.
Meanwhile, the Austrian capital Vienna made a comeback as the world’s most liveable city.
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv was not included this year after Russia invaded the country in late February, while Russian cities Moscow and St Petersburg fell in the rankings over “censorship” and the impact of Western sanctions.
Vienna snatched the top spot from Auckland, which tumbled down to 34th place due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, according to the report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
“Vienna, which slipped to 12th place in our rankings in early 2021 as its museums and restaurants were closed, has since rebounded to first place, the position it held in 2018 and 2019,” it said.
“Stability and good infrastructure are the city’s main charms for its inhabitants, supported by good healthcare and plenty of opportunities for culture and entertainment.”
Europe boasted six out of the top ten cities.
The Austrian capital was followed by the Danish capital Copenhagen and Switzerland’s Zurich. Fellow Swiss city Geneva came sixth, Germany’s Frankfurt seventh, and the Netherlands’ Amsterdam ninth.
Canada also did well.
Calgary came in joint third position, followed by Vancouver in fifth place and Toronto in eighth.
Japan’s Osaka and Australia’s Melbourne shared the tenth place.
France’s capital Paris came 19th, 23 places up from last year.
The Belgian capital Brussels was 24th, just behind Canada’s Montreal.
The United Kingdom’s capital London was the world’s 33rd most liveable city, while Spain’s Barcelona and Madrid came 35th and 43rd respectively.
Italy’s Milan ranked number 49, the US city of New York 51, and China’s Beijing came 71st.
Lebanon’s capital Beirut, which was ravaged by a 2020 port explosion and is battling a crippling financial crisis, was not included in the ranking of business destinations.
Neither was the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, after the Russian invasion on February 24 forced the the EIU to abort its survey of the city.
Russia’s capital Moscow saw its liveability ranking fall by 15 places, while St Petersburg slipped by 13 places.
“Increased censorship accompanies the ongoing conflict,” the report noted.
“Russian cities are additionally seeing restrictions on culture and environment as a result of Western economic sanctions.”
Other cities in eastern Europe cities were considered less stable following “raised diplomatic tensions” due to the war in Ukraine. | https://www.channelstv.com/2022/06/24/lagos-ranked-worlds-second-worst-city-to-live/ | 593 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999891 |
WHO warns Nigeria, 15 others on listeriosis outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned Nigeria and 15 other African countries of a listeriosis outbreak that started in South Africa in 2017, confirming its support for their preparedness and response to the disease.
The other African countries are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Listeriosis is a bacterial infection most commonly caused by Listeria monocytogenes.
It can cause severe illness, including severe sepsis, meningitis, or encephalitis, sometimes resulting in lifelong harm and even death.
Listeria is ubiquitous and is primarily transmitted via the oral route after ingestion of contaminated food products.
According to WHO data, nearly 200 South Africans have died since January 2017 as a result of contaminated ready-to-eat meat products that are widely consumed in the country and may also have been exported to two West African countries and 14 members of the South African Development Community (SADC).
South African health authorities recently declared the source of the outbreak as a factory in Polokwane, in the country’s northeast.
This prompted a national and international recall of the food products.
However, in light of the potentially long incubation period of listeriosis and the challenges relating to large scale nationwide recall processes, further cases are likely to occur. | http://thenationonlineng.net/warns-nigeria-15-others-listeriosis-outbreak/ | 314 | Health | 3 | en | 0.999947 |
When couples in the Texas LGBTQ community marry, they are not thinking of the end of that union. However, they might be interested in the rates of divorce for LGBTQ couples and what data focusing on same-sex couples in England, Wales and Scotland has found.
Divorce rates for lesbians and gays
According to data from the Office for National Statistics, in 2019, 56% of same-sex marriages were between women. However, the divorce rate for lesbians was much higher, with 72% of same-sex divorces in 2019 coming from lesbian couples, about 3 times higher than gay male couples. The lesbian divorce rate was 78% in 2016, 74% in 2017 and 75% in 2018. Interestingly, while same-sex marriages have increased drastically since 2014, when same-sex marriage was allowed in England, Wales and Scotland, the rate of divorce has remained consistent. For most divorces, the reason seems to be “unreasonable behavior,” including adultery.
Considering that marriages between lesbian and gay couples that end in divorce last for similar amounts of years, 4.1 for women and 4.3 for men, it is important to consider the factors that lead to higher rates in dissolution of marriage for lesbians. According to one family law professional, the factors that lead lesbians to divorce are the very same ones that lead women in heterosexual marriages to petition for divorce at a rate about twice as high as men. These factors include:
- Feeling ignored in a marriage
- Unequal relationship with one partner pulling the weight in the marriage
- Domestic violence
Ending a marriage is not an easy decision. However, if you find yourself having to make that choice, you should prepare even before you file. Preparation might include gathering evidence and documents related to the marriage and your assets and liabilities and speaking with a lawyer about your options. | https://www.friendswoodfamilylaw.com/blog/2021/05/divorce-rate-higher-for-lesbians-than-gay-men/ | 374 | Family | 2 | en | 0.999975 |
By Femi Fani-Kayode
The Yoruba people of south-western Nigeria are a nationality of approximately 50 million people, the vast majority of whom are concentrated primarily within Nigeria, but who are also spread throughout the entire world. They constitute probably the largest percentage of Africans that live in the diaspora and they have made their own extraordinary contributions in virtually every field of human endeavour throughout the ages.
Descendants of the Yoruba and indeed various ancient derivatives and forms of the Yoruba language can be found and are spoken in places like Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, the United States of America and various other parts of the western world.
Today, first, second and even third generation Yoruba have settled down and spread all over the world and are amongst the best and most sought after lawyers, nuclear scientists, doctors, industrialists, academics, writers, poets, playwrights, clerics, theologians, artists, film producers, historians and intellectuals. Wherever they go they tend to flourish and excel.
This is nothing new and indeed has always been the case. The first Nigerian to be called to the Bar was a Yoruba man by the name, Sapara Williams, who was called to the English Bar and started practising as a lawyer in 1879. Yet Sapara Williams was not a flash in the pan or a one- time wonder.
Other Yoruba men followed in his footsteps in quick succession and were called to the English Bar shortly thereafter. For example, after him came Joseph Edgarton Shyngle who was called in 1888, then came Gabriel Hugh Savage who was called in 1891, then came Rotimi Alade who was called in 1892, then came Kitoye Ajasa (whose original name was Edmund Macauly) who was called in 1893, then came Arthur Joseph Eugene Bucknor who was called in 1894 and then came Eric Olaolu Moore who was called in 1903.
Ironically Sapara Williams was not the first Nigerian lawyer though he was the first to be called to the English Bar. In those days you did not have to be called to the Bar to practice law and the first Nigerian lawyer that practised without being called to the Bar was a Yoruba man by the name of William Henry Savage. He was described as a ‘’self-taught and practising lawyer’’ and he was a registered Notary Public in England as far back as1821. These were indeed the greats and every single one of them was a Yoruba man.
My friend and brother, Mr. Akin Ajose-Adeogun, who is a historian by calling and a lawyer by profession, is a man for whom I have tremendous respect. I have often described him as the ‘’living oracle of Nigerian history’’ simply because he has a photographic memory, a knack for detail, first class sources and has read more books on Nigerian history than anyone that I have ever met before in my life.
Akin has an extraordinary mind, he is a living genius and I have often urged him to write a book. You can ask him anything about anyone or any event in any part of our country, since or before independence, and he will give you names, dates and the sequence of events immediately and without any recourse to notes, books or sources.
After he has given you the information he will then cite his sources and tell you which books to go and read in order to confirm what he is saying. I have learnt so much from him that I must publically acknowledge the fact that I owe him an enormous debt of gratitude. He once told me something that I found very interesting and that reflected the semi god-like status that our earliest lawyers, including some of the names that I mentioned earlier, enjoyed amongst the people.
These men were not only revered but they were also admired by all, including members of the British intelligentsia, legal fraternity and elites. Akin told me that many years ago in the mid-80s, Sir Adetokunboh Ademola, who himself was one of the legal greats, who was called to the English Bar in 1934, who was the third Nigerian to be appointed as a magistrate in 1938, who was the third Nigerian to be appointed as a High Court judge in 1948 and who was the first Nigerian to be appointed Chief Justice of the Federation in 1958, said the following words to him.
He said, ’’When you saw the way the earliest Nigerian lawyers conducted themselves in court and argued their cases you would have been filled with pride and you would have wanted to become a lawyer yourself. Members of the public used to fill the court rooms to the brink and sometimes even the forecourts and passages just to watch these great men perform and enjoy their brilliance and oratory.
They spoke the Queen’s English and they knew the law inside out. It is not like that today’’. This is a resounding testimony from an illustrious Nigerian and it speaks eloquently about where the Yoruba, as a people, are coming from and the stock and quality of minds that they are made of.
Yet the dynamism of the Yoruba and their innovations and ‘’firsts’’ did not stop there. It went into numerous other spheres of human endeavour. Permit me to cite just two examples. The first lies within the field of medicine. Dr. Nathaniel King was the first Nigerian to become a medical practitioner.
He graduated from Edinburgh University in 1876 and he was a Creole of Yoruba origin. Next was Dr. Oguntola Sapara who was the second Nigerian to become a medical practitioner and who also graduated from Edinburgh University in 1884.
He was followed by Dr. John Randle who graduated from Durham University in 1891, then Dr. Orisadipe Obasa who graduated from Edinburgh University in 1892, then Dr. Akinwande Savage who graduated from Edinburgh University in 1900, then Dr. Curtis Adeniyi-Jones who graduated from Durham University in 1901. Others like Dr. Oyejola who graduated in 1905, Dr. Kubolaje Faderin, Dr. Sesi Akapo and Dr. Magnus Macauly who all graduated in 1912, Dr. Moyses Joao Da Rocha who graduated from Edinburgh University in 1913 followed.
The second example lies within the ranks of the clergy. The first African Anglican Bishop and the first man to translate the Holy Bible and Book of Common Prayer to any African language (outside of Ethiopia) was a Yoruba ex-slave who gave his life to Christ, won his freedom and rose up to become one of the greatest and most respected clerics and leaders that the African continent has ever known by the name of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther.
Unknown to many his original name was Rev. John Raban but he changed it in his early years. Crowther got his first degree at the famous Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone (which at that time was part of Durham University). He was ordained as an Anglican Bishop in 1864 and in that same year he was awarded a Doctorate degree from Oxford University.
This extraordinary man who was blessed by God with an exceptionally brilliant mind was, as far as I am concerned, one of the greatest Africans that ever lived. He not only translated the Holy Bible and the Book of Common Prayer to Yoruba (an extremely difficult, complicated and painstaking venture which he began in 1843 and which he completed in 1888) but he also codified a number of other Christian books and he translated them into the Igbo and Nupe languages. He was literally the pillar and foundation of the Anglican Church in West Africa.
Throughout his adult life he courageously stood up and fought for the rights and the dignity of the African and he, more than anyone else, was responsible for the spread, influence and power of the Christian faith in Nigeria in the late 19th century. He was also the maternal grandfather of the great nationalist Herbert Macauly who, together with Nnamdi Azikiwe, founded the political party known as the NCNC in 1944.
Crowther was also the father-in-law of Rev. Thomas Babington Macaulay who founded the Christian Missionary Society Grammar School (CMS Grammar School) in 1859 in what was then the Lagos Colony. CMS Grammar School was the epitome of excellence and a citadel of great learning in those days.
It was also the oldest secondary school in Nigeria and the main source of African clergymen and administrators in the Lagos Colony. It is not surprising that it was the son-in-law of the great Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther that founded such a school and that it was his grandson that founded one of the greatest political parties that the African continent has ever known.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/05/who-are-the-yoruba-people-1/#sthash.ogZ4nfRB.dpufMy | 1,834 | Culture | 2 | en | 0.999981 |
The United State of America under President Donald Trump just announced on Friday that immigrants from seven more countries will be restricted from it visa entry.
Countries affected in the new list includes; Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Sudan and Tanzania.
The new restriction comes three years after Donald Trump travel ban was first announced, which barred people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the U.S.
What this means is that it will not place travel ban for those coming to the U.S, but Nigerians and the other countries will be restricted from permanent immigration visas, which include some family and employer-sponsored visas, as well as the diversity visa lottery.
It also does not affect visas given to people travelling to the U.S. for temporary stay such as tourists, businessmen and women, medical treatment.
Sudanese nationals and Tanzanians will only be excluded from the diversity visa lottery and the restrictions will be effective by February 22.
The administration says the ban is necessary to protect the U.S against potential acts of terrorism. | https://www.bloglovin.com/@victormoses/new-us-visa-ban-what-it-means-to-nigerians-4429045 | 219 | Travel | 2 | en | 0.99995 |
Female genital mutilation is another barbaric cultural practice of so many African communities which was mostly practiced in the olden days but is still being carried on today. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons, which leads several health conditions such as infertility, infections and even death. This harmful tradition was often considered an essential part of raising a girl properly, a requirement for marriage and necessary to control women’s sexuality in Africa. It has been recognized by the international community as a violation of the human rights of girls and women but is still known to be carried out on newborn female children in many African homes.
Today, the national prevalence rate of FGM is 41% among adult women with evidence showing that the prevalence of FGM is declining. However, the continuing strong prevalence of FGM in Africa is a major cause of concern which shows that it is not declining enough within the continent, with its prevalence ranging from 91% in Egypt to 74% in Ethiopia, 89% of women in Mali and 76% in Burkina Faso and Kenya at 27%, which are just part of the many other African countries with communities who practice the act.
The ongoing mission to eradicate FGM is driven by the World Health Organization, United Nations International Children Emergency Fund, Federation of International Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO), African Union, The economic commission for Africa, and many women organizations. Twenty-five African countries have legistlations/decrees against FGM, namely; Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan (some states), Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, and Gambia.
However, its complete eradication can not successfully occur without the total prohibition of the practice all around African countries both from religions and traditions. The Federal and State governments in African countries need to not just enact the laws and sanctions against the practice of FGM but to device effectice measures to implement these laws and sanctions to put a stop to this evil practice. Below are 3 African communities who are still known to practice FGM stemmed from culture, tradition or religion, despite being banned in their countries:
- The south-western communities in Osun and Oyo states are known to have the highest prevalence of FGM, Ekiti state, and the eastern communities within Ebonyi and Imo state.
- The Somalian, Hadiya, and Afar communities in Ethiopia are known to still have the highest prevalence of FGM within the country.
- Communities in Gambia such as Sarahule known to have the highest prevalence, following Mandinka, Djola, Serer, and Wolof. | https://olatorera.com/3-communities-in-africa-that-still-conduct-the-dehumanizing-practice-of-female-genital-mutilation/ | 612 | Culture | 3 | en | 0.999977 |
This article is going to split your brain into two. Be prepared to get either pissed off, mind blown, or bored. If you are not capable of logical thinking. Leave now. I don't knock anyone having their own beliefs. If you want to believe Jesus is white then goodbye and have a happy life. I on the other hand deal with research and evidence. First I will give you a history on when white people began destroying black images and then how they made the image of Jesus white. Please don't take my word for it, I promote doing your own research.
In order to understand this article better you might want to check this article first. The Real Jews
Alexander the Great
Iconoclasm- A Brief History of the Hellenization Period
Iconoclasm- Greek for "image-breaking", is the deliberate destruction within a culture of the culture's own religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives.
-the action of attacking or assertively rejecting cherished beliefs and institutions or established values and practices
As the definition states, Iconoclasm is derived from the Greek. Why? Because the whole destruction of "Black" culture began with the Caucasian race coming into power and Hellenizing every nation it encountered.
Hellenization or Hellenisation is the historical spread of ancient Greek culture and, over foreign peoples. The Greeks, starting under the ruling of "Alexander the Great" Sent out decrees to the nations that everyone should leave off from the customs of their fathers and all be one people. If one examines this thoroughly this sounds like integration. If one examines it even further, Assimilation. In order to integrate all participating parties must provide a part of their culture and become one. In Assimilation, all give up their culture and take up the Oppressors culture. I will cover this more in another article that I will write in the future. The Hellenisation of a major Negroid race was the Hellenization of the Jews between 334 B.C. and 70 A.D. They were even taking their images in their history books and whitewashing the people of the bible even in Greek times.
Iconoclasm- The Destruction of Black Byzantine Images
Now that we have a bit of background knowledge we can fast forward to the fall of Rome in which an Israelite slave gladiator by the name of Septimius Severus rose up and took over. One might be confused by history books that call this man a "Greek" but one must understand that firstly the Greeks had passed many decrees against the Jews. One being that it was unlawful for one to call themselves a Jew. If one could not call himself a Jew then he was forced to call himself a Greek. This is actually a very overlooked detail which causes confusion when religious people read the New Testament. A lot of times when Greeks are mentioned it's talking about Hellenized Israelites. After this The Byzantine Empire rose. Very religious and rich with Icons, some opposed the use of images interpreting one of the Ten Commandments to mean no images. So you might think, if they opposed it then obviously they would destroy those images right? What they do not tell you though is that there was third Iconoclastic period and that was the Renaissance. Not all the images were destroyed, and a lot of the surviving ones were white washed. In the following you will witness a slew of Black Biblical images found in Russia and in the next paragraph I will discuss the Renaissance, which was, a desperate attempt of white-washing the prior rulers and promoting white supremacy.
Black Images in Russia from the Byzantine Empire
Woman Saves Icons Pre-Renassiance Black Icons
Does anyone ask themselves what they were being reborn from? Yes they tell you it was an illumination, a time of philosophical revolution, Artistic inspiration, but is that the rebirth they were talking about? No it was the rebirth of Caucasians finally coming out of slavery once more and being in power. This is why the prior era was called the "Dark Ages" and it was because the "Dark" races were ruling. You have just seen the archeological evidence of it. If you still wish to believe otherwise then so be it but do your research. Do not take my word for it. Now we will get into the itty gritty of the Renaissance and the origin of the Caucasian image of Christ.
Root of White Depiction of Christ
The root of this image lies in one man, the infamous and at the same time famous Cesare Borgia. His life was from circa 1475 to March 12 1501. When you read about his life (and please do your research don't take my word for it) he is filled with all sort of conspiracies and apparent criminal practices that have never really been declared. At the same time though he belonged to a powerful family "The Borgias". His father Pope Alexander VI was willing to spend riches upon riches to make his son a true living prince. It's been recorded that when Cesare traveled he had 50 mules, 16 stallions, and 48 attending men on horseback with him. Talk about daddies little boy huh. Any who at one point there was a competition between Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci to see who could impress the king with their painting of his son the best. The image was supposed to recreate his son to deceive the world Coincidentally Cesare already had connections with Leonardo da Vinci and apparently was his secret lover. Leonardo da Vinci won the competition. Another point I want to bring out is: Has anyone ever asked themselves how anyone could painter a painting of a man that lived 1400 years before his time? Leonardo might have been a bit smart but he wasn't time travelling. So what about the shroud! The shroud! It has Christs image on it! You can't deny that! Well actually that "Shroud" That the Vatican is holding was used to wrap Cesares body with when he died. Either that or they painted it or some other foolishness. So if that's Cesare Borgia's image, then what does the Christ of the bible look like? The Israelite one. The Jew, which means you are of the tribe of Judah. Well if you read the article I posted in the first paragraph you would know that the true Israelites of the bible today are the so-called negroes and people of indigenous descent of the Americas which include Hispanics. Again you might think what in the heck is this guy talking about and if you didn't read it I suggest you read it now before continuing this article.
Cesare Borgia A.K.A "Jesus"
John The Revelator and The Prophet Daniel: Depicting Christ
The image of the Christ of the Bible. Let's let the bible speak because this isn't what I say. This is what the bible says and could easily be proved if you did your research and knew real history.
Revelations 1: 1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
So here is the revelation of Jesus the Christ of the Bible.
Revelations 1:10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
So John at this point was on an island, and he heard someone speaking to him from behind telling him to write everything he saw and to send it to the seven churches.
Revelations 1:12And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
So John had to PHYSICALLY TURN around to see who was talking to him. The reason I emphasize this is because a lot of people claim he was having a vision. No he wasn't. So when he turned he saw seven candlesticks which is talking about the Menorah.
Revelations 1:13And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
So he saw a man (which is Christ according to verse 1) standing behind the Menorah and he was wearing a priestly robe, reached down to his foot and had a golden belt.
Revelations 1:14His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
So ladies and gentlemen, the Christ of the bible has white woolly hair. When you look up a 1950s dictionary which you can find in a library, the word Woolly is used to describe Negroid hair. Nowadays they've taken it out the dictionary, hmm wonder why. But let's look up the dictionary anyways.
Woolly:- covered with dense often matted or curly hairs; "woolly lambs"
Here is an excerpt from the book
The cyclopaedia of anatomy and physiology, Volume 4
Edited by Robert Bentley Todd: Page 1338, Lines 12 and 13, First column:
"The African and Oceanic Negroes alone are characterized by "woolly" hair;"
So Christ of the bible, the real one, had white woolly hair. His head meaning the hair on his head, and the hairs meaning his beard, were all white and woolly. But what about his eyes? What do that mean, as a flame of fire? His eyes were red people. He drunk wine, remember? I know you all have known or at least seen in the media the stereotypical rich Italian who drinks a cup of wine with his dinners. After a while your eyes begin to turn red if your drinking it daily like these stereotypical Italians do. It was prophesied as well since the beginning.
Genesis 49:10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
11Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
12His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
So it's obvious Shiloh is Christ. His eyes will be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk. So so far we have that Christ had white woolly hair, and had bright red eyes.
Revelations 1:15And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
So his feet were like brass. What color is brass? I'm talking about pure brass not that mixed metals stuff. It is a reddish brown color. Now what happens to brass when it gets passed through fire? It gets smooth shiny and darker rich brown. Look at the picture below. Also his voice was as many waters, ever gone to Niagra Falls? Imagine Christ's voice that powerful.
So we have the description of a dark skinned, white woolly haired, red eyed man. Does that look ANYTHING like Cesare Borgia. I think not. Now maybe you're not convinced. Good thing the bible is a repetitive book. Let's see what the prophet Daniel saw in one of his visions.
Daniel 10:4And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
So Daniel was on the side of a river named Hiddekel in the time of our April. How do we know it was April? Daniel was an Israelite of the tribe of Judah, the first month to the Israelites is the month Abib. Let's see what the scholars had to say about it in the Zondervan Compact Bible Dictionary.
Abib :(â'bíb an ear of corn) The pre-exilic name for the first month of the year (Exod. 13:4; 23:15; 34:18). After the exile the name was changed to Nisan. It fell about the time of our March and early April.
Why is the time not exact? Because the Israelites count their months by New Moons. So Daniel looked up and saw this man clothed in linen, and once again he had that gold belt.
Daniel 10: 6His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
Beryl is a precious stone that is green. His body looked like beryl because his clothes of linen were green and shiny. Mind you he is coming with all glory that is why is appearance is of lightning. Very very bright. Again his eyes were as lamps of fire, they were red and shining. This is the kicker here because it say his feet and arms were like the COLOR of polished brass. In order to polish brass you have to pass it through the fire. That means Christ was dark and shiny.
This is the true description of the Christ that the bible speaks of.
Let's touch on God himself though. The father of Christ.
Image of Christ According to the Bible
Burning Brass- Brass Turns Black
Christ The Messiah and The Prophet Daniel: Describing God
John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
So Philip asked Christ, what does God look like?
Christ Answered- He looks like me. Which means God is black!
Now lets see what the prophet Daniel said God looks like!
Daniel 7:9I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
So he saw a vision, all the kingdoms got destroyed, and the Ancient of days did sit, who is the Ancient of days? Older then old, the one who made up days? God himself. He had pure white clothes on, and his hair was like the pure wool. Notice it didn't even say white wool this time so you can't use the excuse it's only talking about color. His hair was like pure wool. That means it's the whitest and nappiest of hairs. Read it and weep. For the Israelites though, read it and feel good. This man looks like you.
Wool! Negro Hair
Footnotes on Christ
Matthew 2:13 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
So an angel told Joseph to take Mary with Christ to EGYPT to ESCAPE
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
Christ ordered Israelites to ESCAPE into the mountains when Jersalem would come under attack
When did this happen? 70 A.D. under General Vespacia
Where did the Israelites Run to? EGYPT.
Now hold on. Why would the Israelites want to ESCAPE into EGYPT?
They had everywhere else they could go.
Africans are black too so they could camoflauge!
Think about it, if Christ was white Rome could've easily gone to Egypt and said, if you see a white couple running around ere with a baby we want them. They would've stuck out like sore thumbs in Egypt!.
As we know now though the Israelites are black so they easily blended in.
For More Hardcore Facts Click The Following Link:
Hollywood Washington, DC on October 31, 2020:
I believe that Jesus was black too because I don't understand why white people hate us so. What have we done to you that you continue to hate us. It must be spiritual connected they kept the Bible's from us so we didn't know the truth but nothing hidden in the dark will stay there long. Jesus was hung on a cross and black peoples was hung on a tree. When will this stop Jesus didn't care what color we was he died for everyone. God is of love who are you serving your Father God or the Devil!
Richard Gerber on October 24, 2020:
Ok, If Jesus is black what do you think is going to happen to white people or any people when the time comes. This is a test being here on earth and guess what we all failed it terribly. So keep on arguing and waste you lives with it. good bye
L.A.W. on October 24, 2020:
Black, white or somewhere in between, Jesus is the Son of God, our Savior. Believe on Him and thou shalt be saved.
Marcello Mola on October 16, 2020:
I dont see any pics of christ where he is black. The dude here wanted to manipulate us with pics from St.Moses the egyptain (black). There is one mistake he did in revelation he says that his hair is white like wool not white and have woolly hair! Wool is white thats why they said it they never said his hair is like this only the colour of his hair.
There is also a verse where they say his skin is like bronze and we all know that black people already got called black in these days.
They said Bronze cause the middle eastern people who are all the time in the sun are bronze.
And we all know that all black people got transported back to africa from the romans before jesus borned.
So there is no way that Jesus was black or ultra white either.
U can already see it cause Judas said that Jesus was difficult to find in the town cause the look he had was like everybody had with the skin colour and the hair texture.
Do these people who think Jesus is black want to say me that everyone in Jerusalem was Black? They brains are weird.
People are just sayin it cause of the BLM Protest.
Emily and all BLM supportors should stfu cause they are doing a sin with their BLM shit and they want to tell me or the pope or any priest how Jesus looked like.
People are dumb.
Even science said Jesus looked middle eastern.
Pauline on October 05, 2020:
I believe hiStory is repeating itself by DNC-Pelosi & cronies promotion of lawlessness & using whitewashed fake lgbt-BLM protesters to change history by tearing down statues & images - they hold nothing sacred nor believe in our Creator God! Same could be said for ISIS destroying od artefacts in lraq...
"For that day will not come until two things happen: first, there will be a time of great rebellion against God, and then the man of rebellion will come—the son of hell.
george mourkidis on September 10, 2020:
first of all israelites were semetic people like the arabs they were not near africans they came from north africa and arabia you ignoramus man as for the bizantine ikons they look black becouse thru the years they aquiared a drk patina with candles burning in the churches have you ever being to kstantinople or rusia to see them your self and then make stupid asumptions ?
Sarah Israel on August 23, 2020:
I saw Jesus in my dream he was black with curly hair, his look was iike the Ethiopians, thank you I already know, the white people want to argue it doesn't matter, it matters big time image speaks a thousand words.
God bless you
Richard Gerber on August 23, 2020:
People, people, people. Listen to yourselves.. If Jesus is black do you think when he comes back he is going to enslave all the white people. WRONG. He is not going to enslave anyone. If there is going to be any punishment it's going to be you idiots arguing about his skin color. I'm not a religious person. I do not believe in Jesus or God. When you die, that's it. Your energy goes somewhere, I don't know where... But from what I understand your Jesus is a compassionate, understanding and loving entity. He already knows what is happening here, don't you think??? Do you think he is going to say" OK, Black people it's your turn, let's see how you do" . NOT. You will have to wait and see what he does, if anything.
Mijobo4u2cme on June 12, 2020:
Although I am awear that the
original Israelites are people of a darker hue this article Proving Jesus is Black, provides unbelievers with Biblical truth as evidence to this fact. I honestly enjoyed reading and researching this article.
Genevieve GreenGray on May 20, 2020:
I do agreed with the Biblical evidence which gives clarity(woolly hair,eyes red as blood,feet like burning brass).You Sir,I salute for you are honest to hight-light truth.No matter what language truth written would always remains the same truth.Salem
Chantel on May 04, 2020:
As an Israelite I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article. There was a time where this kind of knowledge wouldn’t have dared to be shared publicly, sharing it amongst close friends and family, you would be considered crazy. Times are changing and I’m happy to see the truth coming out!
Wayne on February 02, 2020:
Thanks for sharing ...
Mary Beth on November 28, 2019:
I am sooooo hurt that our people was the head of everything and the white people came to steal, kill, and destroy it. The white people brain washed us and their own people and thas why they don't want us to have nothing, be ahead, they even keeps passing on the lies to eat generation its just crazy
Marquisha Jerry on October 22, 2019:
Never mind on that message that I've sent. Nobody knows what Christy looks like, especially if their not a true believer in Christ. If Uzziah died from touching the ark of the covenant(which was the holy spirit)that right there shows you how powerful God is, and he says you would die even trying to look on the face of Jesus; let alone doing it.
Marquisha Jerry on October 22, 2019:
How you go from Scripture that says he has: his eyes was like a flame of Fire, to him having bright red eyes? like really!!
Carol on July 04, 2019:
Just confirmation of something i knew long ago. Got the revelation when i was in my teens. I'm in my sixties.
Maria on September 26, 2018:
This is good info, can I share?
Francis on March 31, 2018:
in the bigining was black. Genesis.
Yehoram on October 09, 2017:
All praises, bringing out the truth.
Blakksage on July 29, 2017:
Christ and His Father (Yah) are in fact BLACK! Get over it white people. You may as well enjoy the remaining time that you have to rule the earth because it"s going to be a long time coming before you guys, white people come back into power, approximately 1,000 years. (Revelation 20:3)
James E. Rogers II on June 30, 2017:
Christ is Black and Handsome.
Oluyemi Stephen from Ado-Ekiti on June 29, 2017:
May be you should look at the indepth meaning of Jehovah. "Love personified who will make himself of whatever requires to save his own".
In this case God can change color from black to white, to brown, red etc. That's why he told Moses in Exodus that his name is " I Am that I Am".
Colour is meaningless to the God of the heaven and earth. What is of paramount to God is Love. Let's love each others equally regardless of your skin colour and background.
We should be one. That's the request of the Father of all.
Also, thanks for your finding.
Stephen Folsom on June 04, 2017:
I agree with factual information. I won't debate the issue, i will refer you to my source.
Maggy G. on April 19, 2017:
Thank You Michele Travis.
moss on January 30, 2017:
back in time before earth was hit by a meteor, a day was only 6 to 8 hours. so yes it is possible to be 33 and have white hair.
Arthur Thomas on January 22, 2017:
These points and comments above are very true and good, I am white skin and blue eyes , but my love for the black people are the people of the Bible. The commandments have been changed to suit the white man's views of history. The true Sabbath of the Bible is the Seventh Day to remember the Creation of Elohim. .....King Arthur of Wales
Kodi on September 11, 2016:
You all are completely dumb, anybody that lives in hot dessert places are darker from the sun beating on there skin constantly and as for God being black, we are all made in the image of God and I'm not black so how does that workout.
Leo on October 30, 2015:
interesting article. Lots of self-study and research is knocking down the doors of misinformation lies and deception that are rampant in the current version we have had crammed down out throats for the last thousand years of a.c.e.
Sil Degen on June 11, 2015:
Of course Jesus was black, and you don't need all of this disquisition to prove it. The proof is in the Bible!
The Bible says "God created man in his image", and as the first man was an Australopithecos Afraensis, here is what God looks like: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carlos_lorenzo/21643...
It is therefore clear and evident that if God is a black African primate, so was Jesus, who is his son.
Sanxuary on February 08, 2015:
If the color of Gods skin matters then you have a real problem in the interpretation of the Bible. God can be any color he wants, any race he wants and does not care what the politics are on Earth. Only people steeped in attempting to disclose the Bible on Earthly terms and human agendas would care. This has been the folly of all faiths on Earth, since all interpretations are based on the requirements to be in heaven and not on what you might be on Earth.
alexis Castillo on December 11, 2014:
I'm proud of my mother African back gound. And I also love Yahoo my God
as a spirit and ya shut Ben Joseph here with us.
blkorchid on October 19, 2014:
THE GOD OF Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the true and living God's name Exodus 3:15, he indeed is a black man Revelation 1:14-15. Black people were put into slavery by our God because we wanted to be as other nations, and we consistently rebelled and sinned against him, you can go through the entire old testament to see our track record. So called white people didn't come to African as enslave us, sons and daughters of ISRAEL wake up, that's right ISRAEL, because that is who we truly are. The people in our land right now pretending to be jews but are not but the synagogue of Satan Revelation 2:9 and 3:9, that is Esau over there, inhabiting black people (the true Jews) land, while we are in America otherwise known as Babylon begging for equal rights and justice. There won't be any of that for us here because we are still in captivity for our sins against our God, but there is good news for us as a people The God Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is getting ready to bring us out of our captivity from America and throughout the world and return us to our rightful place in our land the land of Canaan/Jerusalem (Jeremiah 30) where we have all that we want so badly here in America.....our own government, wealth, peace, we will live in peace with our God forever, Revelation 21. So called white people have lied to us about so much, why would you believe anything that comes out of their mouths? About who God is, what color he is, because trust me sisters and brothers they know, they don't want you to wake up and find out because that would reveal other big secrets, like who they really are. I will stop there, I could go on and I just thank The God of Israel he lead myself and my family to the truth, it is a blessing to know who God is, you are and to know who the devil is.
light bringer on October 15, 2014:
Yeshua ben yoseph was a jew not black . jesus gonna looks out for uses blacks folks we struggle the most lol. at that one pal. rape rob and steal?that's why blacks are in jail right?
Prince and priests levi on September 13, 2014:
His description is right there . Just because it don't fit the white supremacy . Don't means it's a lie .so called white people history and everything you have . Is a lie . Everything you have was built on rape robbing and murder . That's nothing to be proud about . And you guys never paid that . 100 million black slaves . 77 million native Americans . 200 central America . That's y god hates you . And your people . Family . Etc. Romans 9 13 . You guys are esau . Gen. 25 25 ,gen 36 1 . Obadiah . The whole chapter . Isiah 14 21 . Those that take people into capivity ,shall go into captivity .Those that kill with the sword must die by the sword . Oh yeah fake jews rev 2 :9 , rev 3:9 . The bible is for the Israelites . Not for everybody . Duet 28 the whole chapter tells you who are the Israelites . And the curses are till to this . Jeremiah 14 2 jews are black . There's to form of Gentiles. One who is not a Israelite. And a Israelite foreigner. That's who paul was preaching to .not the Roman . Etc . Salvation is only for the Israelites . You other nations are in your salvation . Especially the so called white people . When ww3 happens . Jesus will come and conquer all nations and you be slaves in the kingdom . God is black and so is Jesus . All those who don't wanna worship him or be a slaves . Will utterly destroyed . Israelites . Lets come back to our god . And the only true one . Let's come back to the laws statues and commandment . Theres more commandment . Then the 10 commandment . Shalom
mxm on September 07, 2014:
And you gotta think about the disease of leprosy in the bible. It was a curse, that made the skin white. You can't make something that was already white even whiter than it already was so how can people of the bible be white and not black or of darker skin tone. Think about it at least.
beena on September 04, 2014:
jesus gone look out for us black ppl cus we struggle the most
pierre on June 09, 2014:
I caught that too if jesus only gets to 33 then why would/could his hair be white a sign of old age
777Bible Man777 on May 25, 2014:
What they do is so good me I am from the tribute of Levi black Haitian and African origin yes it is true the real CHRIST was black and is name is not jesus that is an invention from the supremacy the white come from them nephilims ok but what I don't like on the site web is to saying then GOD is black that is not true because GOD for me is not a human but He is a SPIRIT and my GOD is the GOD of the Sabbath and the 10 commandments He is invisible He don't have a skin body like CHRIST who was also a Spirit before He s Creator the GOD Father give Him a physic body of a black man to come on the humans planet . The black CHRIST don't were long hairs are dred locks but maybe afro hair and a looking good man .A good looking Spirit inside a black Body with wool hair with a nice cut hair ok because if you represent The GOD Creator The Father of all humans black or white you suppose to have a good looking cut hair and dress also man.
The Watcher on May 23, 2014:
BAAAAM! I knew it, I told em all the time. The Lord is black. Thanks for making it clear to errybody. I mean He walked on water, and the only reason He did that was because He couldn't swim. You know most of our people can't swim. And if you think that's weird, here's another fact. Aint no twelve white men gonn' follow one guy all the time going around the country side...that's black falk behavior.
So thanks a lot my man, you just ended the speculation.
Jimmy barley on May 09, 2014:
JESUS was very dark with hair of wool, God was much older thus the white wool hair not hard to figure out at all. My bible has always read as such! doesn't yours??
jim dandy on April 27, 2014:
Christ only lived to be 33 doubtful that he had a white head of hair at all.
jonathan on April 23, 2014:
The truth will set us free we have been lied to for so long let the truth be spoken shalom
Ronin on February 03, 2014:
Jesus says that only came for the house of Israel.
The Analyzer (author) from Babylon The Great on December 13, 2013:
what scripture is that?
veronica on September 20, 2013:
god can represent himself, as how he wants he has all the power! jesus doenst wants us to diffrentiate from others, if your a real christian your supposed to love others no matter what color they are we where all created upon gods image remember that.
raef black on January 31, 2013:
everything matters about Jesus. even the length of his finger nails. For people to say his color is irrelevant is pure stupidity in light of the lies that we have been fed about him
Michele Travis from U.S.A. Ohio on January 03, 2013:
There is not much description of Jesus in the New Testament before He was crucified. Well, in terms of the color of his skin. He was born Jewish, He had been in Egypt, and Israel. People in those areas have dark skin. If He was white, He would have looked very different from all other people in those areas. Since He did not look different, He must have had dark skin. If His skin was white, the bible would have written about it, because it would have been one of the ways that made Him different from all the men around Him. The bible has written about His miracles. But, before He was crucified, the color of His skin is not written about at all.
So Jesus did not have white skin. At least that is what I believe. The color of His skin is written about in Revelation.
People should try to understand that God does not lie. Jesus does not care about the color of our skin, so why do people deny the color of Jesus skin? I do not understand that. Jesus allowed himself to be crucified for our sins!!!!! That is amazing!!
I thank God for Jesus, we all should. White people need to understand that the color of Jesus' skin does not matter. The fact that Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified for our sins is amazing, We do not deserve it, but He did it anyway.
This is a very good hub. Thank you for writing it.
B_Dawg on November 13, 2012:
I am looking for black men to donate their sperm to my Race change movement! PEACE!
The Analyzer (author) from Babylon The Great on June 06, 2012:
Once again simpleton:
Let's pretend you were right, (pretend)
the man still has skin of polished brass that is put through the furnice, that's pretty danm dark.
If that's not enough let's see what God himself looks like.
Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
-As you can see God has hair of pure wool, that's the nappiest of hair and whitest of hair.
Now to back up Christ image lets read
John14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
-So Christ looks like God, and if God has hair of pure wool, then guess what, Christ too had nappy white wooly hair.
Jesús A.C. on May 26, 2012:
Your twisting of what revelations truly says is totally outrageous! That hair of Jesus is also compared to snow! So what should we then think? Should we twist it to say that Jesus' hair was icy and flaky like Corn Flake cereal? ...Give me a break! Yo, you're doing just like those you criticize. They try to whiten Jesus and you ppl try to blacken him. What a joke! | http://theanalyzer.hubpages.com/hub/The-Christ-Conspiracy | 8,208 | Religion | 3 | en | 0.999998 |
Her Purification or Their Purification?
For most King James Onlyists, the English of the KJV is the ultimate standard and no Greek text or manuscripts really matter. They may use the Greek manuscripts as convenient tools in their arguments, but when pressed it always comes out that they don’t really care what the manuscripts say. For example, if modern translation sides with the earliest manuscripts (which are smaller in number, as fewer had yet been produced in the early days and even fewer survived from that long ago until now) over against the later majority of manuscripts produced in large numbers in medieval Eastern Orthodox monasteries, the KJV Onlyist will attack the modern translation for relying on “a minority of manuscripts.” Yet, when one points out, for example, that the Comma Johanneum of 1 John 5:7-8 in the KJV is found only in a tiny number of Greek manuscripts (and all of them 16th-century or later) they will change their tune and claim that a few apparent allusions (not even actual direct citations) by some early church fathers trump the entire Greek manuscript tradition. Far from a majority, one now does not need to have any manuscripts to support a reading. If one points out places where those same church fathers explicitly cite texts differently than King James, they suddenly return to the “majority of manuscripts” again, or else retreat somewhere else.
It is a shell game. None of the evidence really matters, so it need not be used in any consistent way. If the KJV English says it, that is all that matters to many King James Onlyists, and they will twist all reason to defend whatever reading they find. Any argument is a good argument if it seems to support the KJV. The exact same argument is a bad argument elsewhere where it seems to show the KJV to be incorrect. This is the M.O. of the majority of King James Onlyists. It almost has to be, as there is no consistent methodology that can defend the strict King James Only position.
Luke 2:22, while representing only a minor variant, is an important case study in KJV Only methodology. It is a clear demonstration of the lengths to which the King James Onlyist will go to defend the indefensible.
Her or their?
The issue here is a rather simple one. In Luke 2:22, the KJV uses the singular pronoun “her” while the vast majority of modern translations use the plural pronoun “their:”
“And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord,” (KJV).
“And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord,” (NASB).
This actually does have implications on the interpretation of the text, but our main issue here is simply this: which of these two reflects what Luke actually wrote? If every word inspired by the Holy Spirit matters (and every King James Onlyist will say that it does) then it matters which pronoun Luke used. The truth is that the Greek manuscript tradition is virtually unanimous that the pronoun was plural. The earliest manuscripts read “their” and the late majority text agrees completely. The printed editions of Erasmus read “their,” as do those of Stephanus after him. This is why the early Protestant English texts before the KJV read:
“And when the time of their purification (after the law of Moses) was come they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to ye Lord,” (Tyndale New Testament, Matthew Bible, Great Bible).
“And when the days of their purification after the law of Moses, were come, they brought him to Jerusalem, that they might present him unto the LORD,” (Coverdale Bible).
Beginning in Geneva, however, the last couple translations before the KJV read differently:
“And when the days of her purification after the Law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord,” (Geneva Bible, Bishops Bible).
Likewise, the Roman Catholic Douay Rheims translation came out, reading:
“And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord,” (Douay Rheims).
Thus, by 1611, against the Greek evidence, this had become the popular English reading, and the KJV adopted it. Where did it come from? What were the grounds for this sudden change? And what does that tell us about King James Onlyism? The answers are most enlightening!
Theodore Beza and the Complutensian Polyglot
When Queen Mary took the throne in England in the mid 16th century, she sought to lead the nation back into Roman Catholicism. Protestants suffered violent persecution, and many Protestant scholars fled to the Swiss Canton of Geneva where they would be free to continue their work. It was here that the famous Geneva Bible, the most important English Bible before the KJV, was translated by these exiled Christian scholars.1 This is where the work in textual criticism by Theodore Beza, a significant leader in the church at Geneva who would later become John Calvin’s successor, first found its direct influence on English Bible translations. The translators in Geneva had personal access to Beza and his influence as a scholar. They also made particular use of his 1556 Latin New Testament.2 Thus, even before Beza had formally published his Greek New Testament (the first edition of which didn’t come out until 1565), his textual choices had already begun to shape Bible translations.
It was through Beza that the Geneva Bible adopted the reading “her” instead of “their” at Luke 2:22. The later Bishop’s Bible and King James Version followed suit (by then having Beza’s Greek NT available to them as well). But what led Beza to make this change? On what basis did he conclude that the original text said “her” in this place? He doesn’t leave us to guess. Theodore Beza notes in his text that all the Greek manuscripts do indeed read “their” rather than “her,” but that this reading did not make sense to him as, strictly speaking, the law of Moses required only the mother to be purified. He, therefore, explains that he followed the Complutensian polyglot, which possessed the reading “her.”3 So, what is the Complutensian Polyglot?
The Complutensian Polyglot is a 16th-Century printed edition of the Bible. The Complutensian New Testament was printed in Greek and Latin in parallel columns. The project was one of the chief accomplishments of Francisco Jimenez de Cisneros, a Roman Catholic Cardinal in Spain. Indeed, while the first edition of Erasmus’ New Testament was the first printed Greek edition to be published, the Complutensian was actually the first to be printed. With it’s Old and New Testaments together, the Complutensian was a massive work, taking up six whole volumes.4 The Complutensian text differed in numerous places from that of Erasmus and what would later come to be known as the “Textus Receptus” or “TR,” (the printed Greek texts often defended by King James Onlysists as the only true Greek New Testament.) Thus, when Beza opted to follow the Complutensian printed text over the Greek manuscripts and every previous edition of the TR, he was making a text-critical decision to disagree with the TR here, and so were all the translators who sided with him (including the KJV translators in 1611). Ironically, this is exactly what King James Onlysists forbid modern translators the right to do.
But the bigger question is, where did the Complutensian Polyglot get its reading? The Complutensian text contains the reading “her” in both its Greek and Latin texts,5 Specifically, the Greek pronoun “αὐτῆς” is used alongside the Latin “eius.” Every manuscript known to have been available to Jiminez read “αὐτῶν” or “their” rather than “her.” So why did Jiminez choose “αὐτῆς” for his Greek text? Unlike Beza, Jiminez doesn’t tell us so we cannot know for sure, but there are good reasons to think he would be biased toward this reading.
[EDIT: This article originally repeated here the often-published claim that Minuscule 76, a 14th-century manuscript that is believed by some to have been one of the manuscripts used by Jiminez and his team, contained the “αὐτῆς” reading. However, it has been shown to me through scans of Minuscule 76 that even this late manuscript agrees with the mainstream “αὐτῶν” reading. I stand corrected, and though this information only further reinforces the point of this article, I still admit that my originally-published statement on Minuscule 76 was incorrect.]
Cardinal Jimenez, the man behind the Complutensian Polyglot, held the office of supreme inquisitor in Spain,6 He was zealous and unyielding in the execution of his office in the Spanish Inquisition against the perceived “heretics,” but he was highly regarded for having never used his position to promote his own personal wealth or power.7 This means he was acting out of Roman Catholic conviction rather than a personal lust for self-aggrandizement, as some others in the age did. He really believed Roman claims. This matters because the Roman Catholic church was convinced that the Latin Vulgate was the true, infallible sacred Scripture. Jimenez had a very high view of the Latin Vulgate, in which the reading is unanimously “her.” Thus, it is unsurprising that Jimenez and his team would prefer their Greek reading to match the text they already presume to be correct. Of course, Jimenez may have had additional arguments to support his choice, perhaps even ones similar to Beza’s. We cannot be sure because he and his team did not plainly tell us, but the fact of the matter is that, before the printing press, the reading of “αὐτῆς” is not found anywhere in the Greek manuscript tradition. Every ancient or even medieval Greek source is against it.
The Latin tradition
The Latin tradition is almost unanimously in favor of the reading “her.” While one Old Latin witness (itq) supports “their,” the rest of the Old Latin and all of the Vulgate tradition contain “her.” A minority of Latin manuscripts actually contain the name “Mary” rather than the pronoun, but even these point back to “her” as their basis. This is why the Roman Catholic Douay Rheims translation, based heavily on the Vulgate, reads:
“And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord,” (Douay Rheims).
And why the 14th-century John Wycliffe Bible, based on Latin rather than Greek manuscripts, reads:
“And after that the days of the purgation of Marie were fulfilled, after Moses law, they token him into Jerusalem, to offer him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord,” (Wycliffe Bible).
Not surprisingly, then, the Latin Fathers also tend to quote or allude to the passage this way:
“And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord,” (Jerome, The Perpetual Virginity of Mary, Section 12).
“When the days of her (His mother’s) purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord,” (Augustine, Harmony of the Gospels, Book 2, Chapter 5).
“when they had gone with Him to Jerusalem after the purification of His mother, and when those things had been performed in the temple which are recounted by Luke,” (Augustine, Harmony of the Gospels, Book 2, Chapter 11).
The seventh-century apocryphal “Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew” (or “the Infancy Gospel of Matthew”), which is also preserved only in Latin, similarly reads:
“Now, after the days of the purification of Mary were fulfilled according to the law of Moses, then Joseph took the infant to the temple of the Lord,” (Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, Chapter 15).
Thus, we can confidently establish that “her” was the Latin reading from an early date, at least as far back as the 4th century and maybe earlier. The reading is quite old, at least in translation, but does it go back to the Greek or did it originate with the Latin translators? The overwhelming evidence seems to be toward the latter, as we have such early and so many manuscripts that uniformly read “their.” When we put it all together, “her” appears to almost certainly be a reading of Latin origin. Ancient, sure, but not original to Luke’s gospel.
A third option?
So, at this point, the King James Onlyist may begin to argue that we should ignore the earliest Greek manuscripts because they are all corrupt. Contradicting their usual approach, they may also tell us that we should ignore the majority text. They will be unlikely to give too much praise to the Vulgate, but they may say that the presence in an early translation like the Old Latin is, in this particular case, highly important and outweighs anything that any Greek manuscript might say. More than likely they will latch onto the existence of quotations in the early church fathers like Jerome (never mind that he is here merely another witness to the Latin). They will also likely try to obfuscate by claiming that modern translators pick readings on this limited kind of evidence all the time. Even if that were true, are they then saying it is okay for modern scholars to do so? Yet, more importantly, even if we temporarily grant them these things for the sake of argument, it doesn’t solve the KJV Onlyists problem.
First of all, the traditional Greek reading of “their” also appears in equally ancient translations (Syriac, Coptic, and, as noted above, even one Latin witness). It appears in other ancient translations, too, like the Armenian, Gothic, Georgian, and Ethiopic. It appears in church fathers earlier than Jerome, like Tatian8, and Ephraim the Syrian.9 Even on the KJV Onlyist’s new set of special rules for this passage, the reading “their” has just as early translational witnesses (and more of them) and even earlier church fathers. “Their” still wins out no matter how you reset the rules.
Yet, there is still another problem for the KJV Onlyist. There is yet another available reading we have not yet discussed. Some witnesses to Luke 2:22 have no pronoun at all! Instead, they read more like the NIV:
“When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,” (NIV).
It does not say “her purification” or “their purification.” It doesn’t specify whose purification at all! Now, the NIV may have simply been paraphrasing here or trying to avoid the issue, but maybe not. There actually are ancient witnesses that concur! The 12th or early 13th century Greek Minuscule 435 has no pronoun, so this reading has one Greek source, which is one more than we can say for the “αὐτῆς” reading! The no-pronoun reading is likewise found in the Bohairic Coptic tradition, a rather early translation. It is also notably cited by Irenaeus, a church father of the second century:
“When the days of purification were accomplished, they brought Him up to Jerusalem, to present Him before the Lord,” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 10, Section 4).
Thus, the no-pronoun reading found in the NIV has a Greek manuscript witness, a much earlier church father, and an equally early ancient translation on its side. Why should the KJV Onlyist reject the NIV here? They can’t appeal to the majority of Greek manuscripts. The majority are, in this case, on the side of the NASB and other modern translations in holding to the reading “their.” They can’t appeal to the earliest Greek manuscripts. Those, too, are on the side of the reading “their.” They can’t even appeal to the alleged superiority of the TR! Before Beza, the TR also said “their,” and Beza openly pulled his reading from outside the TR to make the change! No, the KJV Onlyists must here admit to themselves that they believe the reading is “her” not based on manuscripts, ancient versions, or church fathers. No, they believe it only because the King James English says it. They have, without fully realizing what they were doing, effectively imparted a group of 17th-century English translators with a sort of papal infallibility that supersedes even the Scriptures themselves, at least as they were possessed by all earlier generations. The KJV Onlysists are not defending the inspiration of the first-century Apostles but rather the inspiration of the 1611 translators alone (and perhaps those behind the 1769 Blaney Revision printed today). This is a problem that my KJV Only brothers must-see and begin to overcome. But if they overcome this problem, they will cease to be King James Onlyists.
1↑ | David Norton, The King James Bible: A Short History from Tyndale to Today (Cambridge University Press, 2011) 19 |
2↑ | ibid, 20 |
3↑ | https://www.originalbibles.com/Zip/Zippy.php?../SpecialBibles/Zip1/BezaNewTestament1598.zip?BezaNewTestament1598_Part135.pdf (Page 2155, accessed 3/27/2018). |
4↑ | Justo Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity – Vol. 2 (Harper Collins, 1985) 112 |
5↑ | http://bdh-rd.bne.es/viewer.vm?id=0000013439&page=1 Volume 5, Page 2155, line 6 (Accessed 7/6/2018) |
6↑ | Phillip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 6 (Hendrickson Publishing, 1907) 539. |
7↑ | ibid. |
8↑ | Tatian, the Diatessaron, Section 2, Verses 30-31 |
9↑ | Ephraim the Syrian, Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh, Hymn 19, Verse 13 | | https://carm.org/jehovahs-witnesses/responding-to-the-jehovahs-witness-attacks-on-the-deity-of-christ-father-god/Luk | 4,180 | Religion | 2 | en | 0.999949 |
…creating jobs for youths, women
•Govs to be honoured at SME SUMMIT AND AWARDS 2018
Many stakeholders, including Governors Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Ifeanyi Ugwanyi (Enugu), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba), are using small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to give succour to the army of unemployed youths and women in their states.
They are creating jobs not only to boost their states’ respective economies but also providing the atmosphere for businesses to thrive. The governors seem to be working out of the conviction that SMEs are the engine of economic growth.
The expert opinion that SMEs provide the shortest route to economic prosperity sounds true in many countries, especially the advanced countries, where SMEs have been used to build strong and sustainable economies. For instance, SMEs in Canada are seen as the lifeblood of Canada’s economy.
There are over 1.1 million SMEs in the North American country constituting more than 99 per cent of Canadian business and employing more than 90 per cent of workers in the private sector. Promoting SMEs’ capacity and growth is essential for the future health of the Canadian economy. The situation is not different in the US as majority of the firms in the economy are not big multinational corporations but SMEs defined as businesses employing up to 500 workers.
Generally, small and medium-sized businesses are important for job creation and innovation. Although things have not been particularly rosy for the SMEs operating in Nigeria as it is in advanced economies, many stakeholders recognize them as the engine of economic growth. Our SMEs operate in a hostile environment and the challenges they face include poor infrastructure and lack of access to funds.
Across the country, the cost of doing business is high because infrastructural facilities like electricity and goods roads that ordinarily should be taken for granted are lacking. Business owners reel under exorbitant and multiple levies and taxes imposed by different tiers of government.
But the journey to setting our SMEs on a sound footing began with the establishment of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development of Nigeria (SMEDAN). Established under the SMEDAN Act 2003, the mandate is to stimulate, monitor and coordinate the development of the micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs, sub-sector in Nigeria. It initiates and articulates policy ideas for SMEs growth and development in the country.
Meanwhile, the Buhari administration, analysts say, has done more than any other administration in the history of Nigeria to move the SME sector forward. For instance, the Economic Management Team, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has been in the forefront of moving the economy out of the doldrums especially with the inauguration of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (EPGP) using SMEs as the peg. The result is that Nigeria has moved up in the global ranking of the ease of doing business while foreign investors are said to now consider the country as a business destination.
In a nutshell, things appear to be looking up. Beyond the efforts of the Federal Administration, state governments have been engaged in all sorts of initiatives aimed at creating an atmosphere for businesses to thrive.
That is not all. The latest initiative to reposition our SMEs is designed to showcase the giant strides of SMEs operators in the face of the odds, promote excellence among the operators and recognise stakeholders who have helped to advance the cause of the sector. Driven by Lakewhyte Communications and significantly endorsed by SMEDAN, the Nigeria SME Summit and Awards 2018 is designed to showcase the giant strides of SMEs operators in the face of the odds, promote excellence among the operators and recognise stakeholders who have helped to advance the cause of the sector. It also promises to be a platform to brainstorm on the challenges inherent in the sector and point the way forward.
The ceremony, according to the organisers, is scheduled to hold on November 29, 2018 in Abuja.
The organisers pointed out that the event is to retune our SMEs in such a way that they act as the engine of economic growth and thus help to take Nigeria out of the cesspit.
Apart from the SMEDAN endorsement of the project, Vice President Osinbajo is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour. The choice of the VP to play the role at the Nigeria SME Summit and Awards 2018 is understandable, given the huge attention MSMEs have been getting from the Buhari administration through his headship of the EMT.
Of particular interest is the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) under which Osinbajo, in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, has been reaching out to micro enterprises with funds.
Significantly, five governors who have been adjudged as standing out of the pack in their pro-SME schemes will be honoured at the event.
Umahi, Masari, Ugwuanyi, Okowa and Ishaku, among others, will receive awards for being SME-friendly.
“The Awards Committee of the SME Summit and Awards 2018 has found Govs Umahi (Ebonyi), Masari (Katsina), Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okowa (Delta) and Ishaku (Taraba) worthy to receive awards for their pro-SME activities”, the organisers’ statement said.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/11/how-umahi-masari-ugwuanyi-okowa-ishaku-are-transforming-lives/ | 1,143 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999996 |
Over the past two centuries, there has been a powerful increase in the global population, which demographers call it population explosion. The world's population will reach seven billion but it is noteworthy that despite the global trend towards demographic stabilization, the birth rate in Africa is not falling.
On average, there are 5.6 children per woman in Nigeria, 6.4 in Somalia, even during the civil war, and 7.6 in Niger. There are many reasons: thanks to modern medicine, infant mortality has fallen, but Africans are in no hurry to limit the number of children.
Women are still regarded as sex objects to breed or make babies, therefore, Africans practically do not use contraceptives and family planning does not exist.
This approach is characteristic of both the Muslim and Christian communities in Africa. There is an exponential growth of the young population, which 'eats' all the fruits of economic growth.
A frightening figure alerted all Muslim countries, especially Arab ones and experts predict an increase in the population of the Earth by 2045 to 9 billion people.
In a dominantly Muslim country like Nigeria, it is practically impossible to pursue a birth control policy at the government level, thus, overpopulation has taken its toll on Nigeria today, forcing them to leave the country in large numbers.
According to ‘WorldOmeters,’ the current population of Nigeria is 201,971,724, as of Wednesday, September 11, 2019, based on the latest United Nations estimates. Like many African countries, the fact that corruption has increased sharply, also the lack of knowledge to utilize resources have deepened the woes of common Nigerians, forcing them to spread like a virus.
Nigeria, according to Transparency International, is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, ranking 136th out of 175 countries with a CPI score of 27/100. Corruption in this country is no longer a scandal and now considered an integral part of the system.
The sad part of Nigeria’s crisis is that many of its population can’t live peacefully in any country without committing a crime. Almost in every country overseas, there is a criminal Nigerian community.
They make wars among themselves; trade-in drugs and do prostitution. There is no European country free from crime perpetrated by Nigerians.
The alarm on the Nigerian phenomenon is in the violent nature like the mafia method, combined with sacrificial rites. Like parasites, they feed on the masses of migrants from Africa and often heavily in human trafficking. Even though other African nationals commit crimes, the disturbing part is by Nigerians.
The Nigerian Gang Targeting Refugees In Sicily, Italy
This has portrayed Nigerians to be the worst criminals on the surface of the earth today but are they? The true fact is Nigeria nationals in prisons across Asia and Europe are more than any African nationals.
Apart from drugs, human trafficking, and prostitution, in Europe and other places, many have to fall victims to false lottery and fake currencies transactions.
What is happening in South Africa today, shouldn’t have occurred but the criminal activities of some Nigerians have escalated the violence to affect the decent once. The important question which we can’t ignore is how can Nigeria prevent more babies in such a populated country?
While African leaders don’t often see overpopulation as a threat, it is always an issue of concern to Europe and the United States of America. Europe is now chocked with African immigrants without any solution, yet thousands are leaving the continent daily in dangerous ways towards Europe. This is creating pressure for the Europeans.
The truth has never been spoken about Aids, Ebola, Lassa fever and other biological weapons to reduce the world population which have taken a devastating impact on Africa today but that's not the end.
If African leaders don’t find a way to control their population, God only knows the strange disease which will wipe out multitudes of Africans after Aids and Ebola. | https://www.modernghana.com/news/954766/the-devastating-impact-of-overpopulation-and-corr.html | 809 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999931 |
By Owei Lakemfa
A COALITION of political parties in Catalonia, Spain, backed by the Regional Government on Tuesday, July 3, 2017 introduced a bill for a referendum on independence in October. The bill provides for a declaration of independence within 48 hours if the “Yes’ votes win, or an early election to form a new Regional Government if the “No” votes win.
It is a tough challenge which the Spanish Government has been brazing up for since 2014 when in a non-binding referendum, over 80 percent of the electorate voted “Yes” for independence from Spain. Catalonia with seductively beautiful Barcelona as capital, has for decades, fought for independence. As part of efforts to stave off separation, the Spanish Constitution granted Catalonia, the more restive Basque and Galicia, the status of separate nationalities. The Government also staged the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
In its years of struggle for separation, the people have built their region into an economic power house. Barcelona, the second largest city in Spain and the seventeenth most populous urban centre in the European Union, is a developed city. Standing on the balcony of the Barcelona Princess Hotel where I stayed during a 2011 visit, I soaked in the city and its history of struggle and stiff resistance to fascism. Back in the late 1930s, its streets were turned into streams of blood as the Republicans and freedom lovers from many parts of the world, fought the fascist military led by General Francisco Franco. The fascists had on July 16, 1936 overthrown the elected Republican Government. The ‘democracies’ in Europe stood aside, while the coup plotters were supported militarily by Germany’s Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini of Italy. This led to volunteers from various parts of the world streaming in to fight fascism.
It was in the streets of Spain that many young men especially from Europe stood their ground and never returned home. It was in those streets that the famous English writer, George Orwell fought, first as a Private, then Corporal, and later as Lieutenant in the volunteer army. It was there he was shot in the neck by a sniper. Orwell was to write in his “Homage to Catalonia” his memoirs on that war: “There are occasions when it pays better to fight and be beaten than not to fight at all…If you had asked me why I had joined the militia I should have answered: ‘To fight against Fascism,’ and if you had asked me what I was fighting for, I should have answered: ‘Common decency.”
As Orwell analyzed, it was the failure of the rest of the world to stand up to Franco and his German and Italian allies that gave the Fascists the impetus to launch the Second World War.
Spain has everything to fear if Catalonia goes for referendum; a new country is likely to emerge. More unsettling is the fact that Catalonia is not the only part that wants to leave. The Basque Region with its separatist military wing, the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna better known by its acronym, ETA, fought a bloody fifty-year insurgency in what became known as Europe’s longest war. It is likely to follow Catalonia out of the Spanish union.
It is not Spain alone that faces such prospects; its old rival, the United Kingdom also does. Some Scots had made a bid for separation on September 18, 2014. The direct question was: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” The “Yes” votes of 1,617,989 or 44.7 percent, were crowded out by the “No” votes of 2,001,926 or 55.3 percent. The talk of a second referendum has taken a beating with the superlative performance of the Corbyn-led Labour Party which swept the Scottish polls in this year’s general elections. There are also those in North Ireland who want to leave. Like the Basque, the rebels had an armed wing, the Irish Republican Army, IRA. Not also comfortable in the British union are the over three million Welsh whose lands were annexed by the English under the Wales Acts of 1535 – 1542.
The defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics USSR, with Moscow as capital, seemed impregnable, but centrifugal forces succeeded in breaking it into fifteen new countries. However, that in itself has not stopped separatist agitations in the emergent countries. Ukraine for instance, is embroiled in a civil war with the East fighting to break away. Yugoslavia broke into seven new countries, yet the separatist agitations did not stop.
After decades of armed struggle, South Sudan broke away from Sudan as an independent country on July 9, 2011 becoming the 55th country in Africa and the 193rd Member of the United Nations. After a few years of statehood, a war of separation is on in the new state with many parts of the country laid waste, populations displaced and an expected oil prosperity turning into abject poverty.
Ethiopia experienced a thirty-year civil war from 1961 before Eritrea broke away to become a new country on May 24, 1991. The latter remains poor and almost forgotten while what is left of Ethiopia itself, is struggling against new separatist agitations especially by the Oromo.
Almost all separation of countries are bloody. A notable exception is the defunct Czechoslovakia which on January 1, 1993 broke into Czech and Slovakia in what was called the ‘Velvet Revolution’.
No country is a natural creation; all countries are artificial and many tend to behave like the Amoeba Proteus producing asexually by splitting into two parts in an endless binary fission. All countries tend to be work in progress and the challenge is to build states with people having a sense of belonging based on social justice, feeling wanted, and, addressing basic concerns including want and hunger.
There is power in numbers, strength in unity and prosperity in collective wealth. Any country where some sections feel like the landlords and others are treated like tenants, cannot but be a troubled one.
Since all countries have majority and minority groups; the challenge is how to manage relations in such a way that all sides feel at home. Every new country will produce its own majority and minority groups or nationalities; there can be no end to agitations. Even a country with the same language, culture and religion can become a failed one if its contradictions are not well handled. This is the case with Somalia which has had no central government for 26 years after the uprising against General Mohammed Siad Barre.
Generally, countries are like a marriage; swimming against low and high tides with beautiful times and not so beautiful moments. In almost all cases, it is better to stay in a marriage than seek separation or divorce.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/07/homage-catalonia-separation/amp/ | 1,412 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999903 |
Gloria Tumwijuke (with microphone), Alice Ngonzi Isoke (folding hands in red dress), Diana Alinaitwe (behind Alice), Mrs Isoke (Alice’s mother), an unidentified health worker(on Gloria’s right) and a granddaughter to Mrs Isoke – all Ebola survivors narrating their ordeal at Kagaadi Hospital during the function to officially declare Uganda Ebola free. Photo courtesy WHO
By Sola Ogundipe, Victor Ahiuma-Young, Chioma Obinna, Henry Umoru, Olasunkani Akoni & Gabriel Olawale
LAGOS — Following the recovery and discharge of the first Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patient from the isolation centre at the Mainland Hospital in Lagos, facts have emerged as to how the patients are recovering.
Meanwhile, more patients undergoing medical treatment at the centre may be discharged this week, investigations revealed.
Experts, who commented on the development, said although 60-90 per cent of people infected with the Ebola virus die, some people do recover from infection.
“Doctors don’t know for certain who will survive Ebola, and there is no specific treatment or cure for the disease. But studies suggest there are some biological markers linked with a higher chance of surviving Ebola,” the experts say.
In the view of Derek Gatherer, a Bioinformatics researcher at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, who studies viral genetics and evolution, “when a person becomes infected with Ebola, the virus depletes the body’s immune cells, which defend against infection.
“In particular, the Ebola virus depletes immune cells called CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, which are crucial to the function of the immune system”, Gatherer noted, arguing that “if a person’s immune system can stand up to this initial attack — meaning their immune cells are not as depleted in the first stages of infection — then they are more likely to survive the disease.
“The patients that survive it best are the ones who don’t get such a bad immune deficiency. But if the body is not able to fend off this attack, then the immune system becomes less able to regulate itself”, Gatherer said.
Another marker linked with people’s ability to survive Ebola is a gene called human leukocyte antigen-B, which makes a protein that is important in the immune system. A 2007 study found that people with certain versions of this gene, called B*07 and B*14, were more likely to survive Ebola, while people with other versions, called B*67 and B*15, were more likely to die.
Some people may be resistant to Ebola infection entirely, if they have a mutation in a gene called NPC1. Studies show that, when researchers take cells from people with the NPC1 mutation and try to infect them with Ebola in a laboratory dish, these cells are resistant to the virus.
Gatherer said in European populations, about 1 in 300 to 1 in 400 people has this mutation.
“But in some populations, this mutation is more common: in Nova Scotia, between 10 and 26 per cent of people have this mutation. But the frequency of this mutation in African populations is not known,” he said.
Also giving an insight, Lagos state Governor Babatunde Fashola remarked: “This is a virus that will run a maximum of 21 days. What we must do is people who show some signs of illness should come in very early so that we can continue to hydrate them, give electrolyte balance so that their nervous system do not go into shock and wherever it is necessary to provide antibiotics for patients; and their body can fight the virus which in the event last no longer than 21 days.”
More to be discharged this week — Fashola
Fashola, who spoke at a media briefing where he indicated that more patients were likely to be discharged this week, noted: “There is silver lining in all of this, as report reaching me shows that many of the critical patients are responding positively to treatment and are likely to be discharged next week, (this week).
“At the moment, 61 people have been certified negative and they have been freed.
“Aside the treatment for those who have full grown cases, the more important work is tracking all those who have had contact with them in order to know how far the virus has spread. It is when we have finally reach everyone that we can say that we have control over the virus. From that place we can go back to sleep.”
Also speaking at a different forum, Director, Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control, NCDC, Prof. Abdulsalim Nasidi said the likelihood of more patients being discharged arose from medical reports indicating that they are showing signs of full recovery from the disease.
Nasidi, who spoke on the probability of more patients being discharged, had earlier affirmed that there were chances of surviving the deadly disease if treated early.
“Yes, we have some of the patients who have fully recovered from the disease after intensive medical treatment and they are likely to go home and reunite with their family members soon,” he affirmed.
On the downing of tools by the health workers attending to quarantined patients at the Control Centre in Lagos, last Friday, he said the workers had resumed work after appeals and meeting held with some of the aggrieved workers.
Their decision to stop work followed allegations of negligence by family members of one of the patients’ nurses that died of EVD last week.
It was also gathered that more essential medical kits have been made available for distribution to hospitals in anticipation of more health workers and volunteers that will be joining the joint medical team already on ground.
Death toll rises to 1,145 globally — WHO
Meanwhile, death toll from the worst ever outbreak of Ebola has risen to 1,145, the World Health Organisation, WHO, has said, even as 76 new deaths were reported in two in the four West African nations affected by the epidemic.
The WHO said that a total of 152 confirmed, probable and suspected new cases of the deadly hemorrhagic fever were reported in the two day period in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, bringing the total for the outbreak to 2,127.
Chukwu addresses concerns of Ebola relatives
Minister for Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu who met with the concerned friends and families of the Ebola afflicted victims following their complaints about the welfare of their wards said: “As you know, we have a serious situation and anyone that has a relative is bound to be anxious, and when relatives complain, we must listen.”
Chukwu admitted that all the complaints were being investigated, adding that he had been briefed on the development and recommendations were being put in place.
“I’m a doctor myself and I’m behaving now more as a doctor than as a Minister. Normally, when relatives of patients complain, I want to see them, working together, sometimes they do not have the full information, and who knows, sometimes they themselves can add valued to what we are doing.”
He said the Federal Government was open to suggestions and contributions.
“We knew the former place was only temporary and we knew we could do better and that was why the Lagos State government made every effort to get the new isolation unit ready. Penultimate Friday, I visited the Lagos State Governor and he personally assured me the new facility will be ready this week. He kept to his word. Of course as soon as it was ready it was made available and the patients have been moved to the new facility, which is better than where they were before.”
Pointing out that no stone was being left unturned, he said hopefully all shortcomings they may have observed were actually being addressed by the new place.
“I had to personally discuss with the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof Akin Oshibogun, when I was told they were not satisfied with facilities for critical care. That is why we have reinforced what is available. New equipment has been put in to reassure the patients that we would do everything humanly possible to keep them alive and to return them to their families and work,” the Minister explained.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/ebola-patients-survived-experts/ | 1,746 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999987 |
Lassa fever has claimed 110 lives in Nigeria since the beginning of the year, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said Tuesday, in one of the worst outbreaks since 2016.
The World Heath Organisation last week said the epidemic had reached record highs with 317 laboratory confirmed cases and 72 people dead.
“Since the onset of the 2018 outbreak, there have been 110 deaths: 78 in positive-confirmed cases, 8 in probable cases and 24 in negative cases,” the NCDC said in its latest report.
A total of 1,121 suspected cases were reported, “353 are confirmed positive, 8 are probable, 723 are negative (not a case) and 37 are awaiting laboratory results.”
The NCDC said cases have been reported in 18 of Nigeria’s 36 states while 16 health workers had been affected in six states.
Health Minister Isaac Adewole told local media on Tuesday that the government would soon take delivery of vaccines to tame the virus.
“We are doing everything possible to fight and address the outbreak of lassa fever on all fronts,” he said.
Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with fever, vomiting and in worst-case scenarios, haemorrhagic bleeding.
The name comes from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria where it was first identified in 1969.
More than 100 people were killed in 2016 in one of the nation’s worst outbreaks of the disease, affecting 14 of the 36 states, including Lagos and the capital Abuja.
The virus is spread through contact with food or household items contaminated with rats’ urine or faeces or after coming into direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/lassa-fever-deaths-rise-110-nigeria-official/ | 384 | Health | 2 | en | 0.999939 |
Fascinating movie spans the globe to reveal recent discoveries about water, the most amazing yet least studied substance in the world. Witness as researchers, scientists, philosophers and theologians try to understand this unique liquid and all its miraculous properties still waiting to be discovered.
It was there that Heisenberg and Bohr came to Einstein to tell him it looked like the minds of the researchers were affecting the results of the experiments. Mind was inexorably linked to matter. Einstein later said, "Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble."
In this amazing film, Water, the Great Mystery, we can see that science has made a quantum leap into understanding how mind can be recorded by the most simple element in nature (water) and on the periodic table: H20. If water has memory, and its main component being hydrogen, then the whole universe would have memory. Hydrogen was born between 100 and 1,000 seconds after the big bang. It makes up 75% of the known mass of the universe and now is part of the missing mass equation.
Whatever the comments positive or negative, what cannot be ignored is the extant to which the bible mentions water. Beginning from the very first scripture in Genesis where we are told the first element to exist was water. 'and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.' and then to the last scripture where we are told that the fountain of youth does indeed exist:
Rev.22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
So the bible connects eternal life with water? So water is important extremely important and look when Christ Jesus was crucified we are told what? When His heart was pierced blood mixed with water poured forth from Him? Luke 23:46
So Life no question started in water and even the womb brings forth life in an envelope of water. So water is a key to understanding the beginning of life no question.
Further to this we also have some interesting questions in the book of Job where we are told or asked rather Does the rain have a Father? Who fathers the drops of dew? Job 38:28
Surely rain falling from the sky bespeaks an intelligence of enormous creative power yes? Without water gardening and hydrating this planet life wouldn't exist now would it?
Of all of the questions though found in the book of Job imagine this one:
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle? Job 38:22-24
What is this? God is a military commander with his own weapons? Does this then explain this?
And lastly, climate change is taught throughout the bible and it even gives us the solution to our climatological problems! That's got to be the most amazing thing of all.
And there is a book written covering and proving it totally and completely and verifiable so at that to. Climate Change the Work of God by Gerry Fox.
But as was mentioned the most profound and exciting thing of all is that there is indeed a fountain of youth reserved for the believer in Christ Jesus though of course it gets mentioned as Eternal Life!!!!
If water does indeed have memory it is because of that ultimately and it may even be the reason behind the long ages of people in the Old Testament. Three rivers we are told went out from the Garden of Eden with one of them being destroyed by God in the great flood. Was there a reason why?
Great scientists think outside the box and consider the possibilities and that which has yet to be proven true. Evidently many of the people commenting here are small minded and as such, would never achieve anything Great!
I encourage anyone interested to read all 177 comments w/out even seeing the documentary and see what you conclude about what has been shared. This is what I did. In summary, I concluded that everyone has a right to their opinion, that some people seem to have more constructive information to offer than others, that every comment was useful, and my personal summary impression, is that a closed mind stifles growth and improvement for those who possess it. Life and the universe/god? is amazing and we have a lot of process to experience and share as we continue to seek ever more awesome information about the ultimate truth of existence. Thanks you all for. sharing! Have a wonderful trip.
Videos with background music playing while someone is talking is absurd. I usually exit the video when this happens. When I'm listening to someone speak, I don't want to hear music!
We mock what we can't understand. Fear what we cannot explain. The point of this is that we know so little about our Eco system and what really makes it work. And for those of you who think you do, Sorry you have such small minds!!
These comments... On my god. lol. Wow.
I would like to ask the producers of this documentary to provide me with the references upon which just 5% of the posited correlations in this "work" are based... I have access to university libraries in a couple of countries, so I can look up the original articles...
This so-called "documentary" juxtaposes and correlates so-called "observations" between completely unrelated things...
It purports to show "experiments" that are absolutely NOT controlled for purity (for instance) of chemicals and of vessels...
Data on reproducibility of experiments are not provided, nor are the justifications for allegedly measuring parameters with equipment designed and used in other arenas...
To people familiar even with only the most very basic understanding of introductory high school level of chemistry, physics, and biology... please, please do not watch it...
After about 10 minutes (or so) you will develop massive headaches, with the pain intensity characteristic of a small stroke, and you begin to bleed from your eye sockets...
This is simply utterly horrible.
But, I suppose we do have the first amendment to permit freedom of speech (expression) and thus this so called "documentary" could legally could be made...
Please see the comments of ClockClockClock above for more details...
On the other hand, this since this "documentary" is based entirely on pseudo-pseudo-pseudoscience, it can potentially serve as a jumping off point for an "industry of misinformation" for those of us familiar with real science...
I already hear this "documentary calling me to violate personal ethics and produce, publish and sell utter unadulterated garbage...
As WC Fields said: "There's a sucker born every minute"...
So I am issuing a small advert to those who want to make a lot of money... Just think of the riches (and the villas on the Medditeranean) that could be obtained by peddling this nonsense...
Looking for just a few volunteers to help with the writing so we all can retire there...
The description for this film shows that the filmmakers have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.
1. To call water "the least studied substance in the world" is such a blatant lie. There are many scientific sub-disciplines spanning various fields devoted almost entirely to the study of water in some form or another!
2. The idea that philosophers or theologians have any useful insight about the science of water is just silly.
3. You are totally misunderstanding the observer effect.
4. Water's "main component" is not hydrogen. The molar mass of water is ~18 g/mol. Hydrogen accounts for ~2 grams of that.
5. Water is not an element. H2O is not on the periodic table.
Edit: Spirituality is great; in fact, I consider science to be a very sincere and spiritual pursuit. That said, there is nothing laudable about pretending to know things you can't know under the guise of spirituality. Science (especially that which pertains to water) is already beautiful and does not need to be 'enhanced' with mumbo-jumbo.
I want science to stop the rotation of the earth.
can you explain the proven observer effect - mr scientist ?
have watched this twice and am so intrigued and appreciate the simplicity of waters power
I'd like to see a water crystal after a jewish prayer or some prayer from a new age type religion.
I'd love to know what frequency that Dr Alexander Solodilov used to separate the oil from the water.
dont agree with everything , but it was awesome , God is awesome and above all and is the creator of the universe and he knows all the mysteries about water , we are only human and we only think we are intelligent but not compared to God almighty, he protects what is His and He is worthy to be Praised honored and glorified , because he is bigger than man science , i love water absolutely love it and this video was really really cool.
When people say things like "science has made a quantum leap" it demonstrates a lack of understanding. A quantum leap is actually one of the the smallest measures of increment possiible.
where can I view, rent or buy this movie "water"
Strange to just have aliens as a similar film! Wonder have long we gonna think that :)
maybe one should not agree with water having memory, after all I wrote in my fantacy story in which has its authentic ink and paper, as part of a story in which is only in transcript form, I will keep your book and youtube in mind when needing to pull it up for reference. thanks
I actually managed to watch through the whole vid. But I was expecting somekind of notification in the credits that i just got punk'd.
Where did it come from? Well the main accepted theory is with comets.
Who bestowed water on our planet, and why? Mysterious...
The only such planet in the universe? Funny.
Only substans on the planet that can exist in three states? funnier.
No scientist knows why water expand when it cools. Funniest? Ask anyone who has read some chemistry and they would probably pretty easy explain the intermolecular bindings causing this.
The experiment with the nice looking water formed crystals caused by spoken words and mozart tones compaired with the ones caused by "bad" words and hard rock is just hilarious.
So looking at it this documentary was actually really funny. But Im going to watch the Richard Dawkins one now
Well another, I can't watch. I guess they don't want it seen
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Faith is the hole in the mind that lets the manipulators in. The greatest trick the religioso ever pulled, was convincing the world that doubt should not exist, that faith is the fundamental power of human experience. Doubt is what takes us forward, faith can only hold us in place, blind and unquestioning. Doubt is essential, for survival and progress. Doubt is the siser of curiosity and the mother of logic. Doubt authority, doubt holy men and politicos alike, make doubly sure you doubt my words and the words of others, that appear like magic before your eyes. IT IS NOT MAGIC!
:) aaahh, I feel better now.
In regard to the doc, water is a very interesting substance, and there is vast amounts of real science involving it, and the work continues. The universal solvent. We are the aliens with acid for Blood! In your face Ridley Scott! Err, anyway, this video has been removed on copyright grounds... thus proving that its root purpose is too make money.
With sincere doubts,
Well, Atheistic/anti-theists who are scientists can "debunk" all they want, and label it "pseudo-science" but what they are missing that this film transcends the limits of science. Instead, It goes into the area of faith, something that is not easily controlled or understood. That is what threatens those who are irreligious and nonspiritual. I watched this movie and I think people should watch this film with an open mind and heart as there is much in it that can inspire and ultimately help us as a human race. I think it's sad that people have such a dismissive and casual attitude about water when what is really at the center of our lives and plays a huge role in it. Water should be respected as it is a source of life but also can cause death and destruction.
....wasnt the whole water has memory thing debunked??
I have been influencing the weather in my area for many years I have watched on the weather channel hurricanes change directions as I sent love and peace and a new direction to them as to the route to take and instructions to cause no harm. I watch take a sharp turn up between two islands, bend away from Florida and go out into the Atlantic. The guy on TV said they had never send anything like that. I thanked God and I went to bed.
It is great to follow his instructions and see them work.
an amazing expression of the shamanic way....
By the way, thank you very much to the hosts for making this movie available in English on this site. Finally had the chance to show it to my husband.
This documentary as well other movies or books on this subject have been very popular and widely discussed in Russia for several years, as probably, Russians are more open minded and more view flexible than Americans who would rather stick to their rigid doctrines than to open their minds and hearts to something new and unusual. "I know that I know nothing". The world is so endless in its miracles and so rich of its secret knowledge, but it is not going to reveal them to us unless we will be ready to accept them. This documentary is an attempt to do an interesting research on one of them. You can shut yourself down and stay in your comfortable box, but the space inside this box would not turn into the whole universe with this, even for your own... There was time when the statement that the Earth is round was a horrible crime to say... Do you want to join the World History Inquisition gang?!
Nice to see alot of comments in here. But most naysayers stick to just saying it's bullshit. You put yourself on the forground like someone who knows alot about this subject. That's exactly what 90 percent of the world said about Darwin 100 years ago and many "smart" Americans still do today. So you better start listening to these doctors, professors and NOBEL PRIZE winner!
To all you self fullfilling scientiest, you don't have any phd's. You don't have any idea of the research put in this documentary, so i suggest you come back here with REAL arguments, facts or experiences. Such as the makers of this documentary did. Yet the same goes to some believers of the doc.
That's the way grownups discuss...
I have seen professors argumenting this doc. from Russia, England and USA. Don't know your job is fellahs, but these guys are just more credible than you guys! You better stick to your job and let the scientist do the talking...
I did the rice test myself and it worked. Can anyone explain this to me, or does your vocabullary only goes to "i don't believe or bullshit". Because saying that these days clearly is scientific enough to become credible.
I especially get disgusted by people who think this is a Christian doc. promoting Christianity, then I think you should finish your 1st grade. Or start a course to learn to reason. Because you have just no idea mate... BTW most scientists aren't believers of any faith and holy water is the only water that doesn't come out of our tap or in little bottles. It gets handled with care and that's what it gives it structure. That's just something to proove that even today we can have and create structrurised water. They also talked about water rituals and other stuff such as holy water. They are just showing the fact water was very important to all societies and cultures around the world. And since we lost most of them, we know how and when they do these things. But whe don't know why our forefathers did them. Is therefore this water really holy and ready to perform miracles, does it cure cancer? Nobody said anything like this, so keep your atheistic mindblock to yourself. BTW i'm not a believer of any faith myself, but i know my place in society. And I think especially the non-believers should keep an open mind to things that aren't explained or decently researched by science. This may be just the baby steps.
On the other hand, i'm not saying it's thrue and all of it makes sense! But i just want to see some arguments peepz! Wether you are pro or contra, I don't give a sh*t! The experiments worked for me and other people, that's what makes this doc. very credible. But this doesn't mean the whole explenation in the doc. is 100% right. The rest time will tell and in the meantime we make our own thought and story about it. That's what we should be discussing.
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Yes, this docu makes too many wild statements, but it also raises valid points and ideas. The existence of water memory is controversial at best, with good double blind experiments seeming to argue against it so far.
On the other hand, 'structurized' water is known and proven to exist. Also known as water clusters, these are bonded configurations of water molecules in varying number. That means charge distribution is different on clusters of different sizes - and that will change how it interacts with other atoms, molecules, compounds.
Note, these clusters form and break up extremely fast, in tiny fractions of a second they come and go. Can words or emotions change the net number of 'good' clusters in a water sample? Maybe. There's definitely a need for solid research on this.
This docu is worth watching as a source of ideas for further study; it is *not* a source of reliable information.
Hi. Everything's life is due to water. It forms two third of our bodies. Homeopathy has used the most mysterious, though simple looking substance to make its curative remedies.
Always use healthy water and food to insure your health.
Be Well and Good Luck , Seyedaghanoor Sadeghi M.D. & homeopath
So many errors in the first 5 minutes, I can't take this seriously. #1, water is not an element. Who bestowed water on this planet? Comets. Comets did. One can not say that Earth is not the "only such planet in this universe".
1 atom in a hundred million will kill "all the germs"? Way too many claims here without evidence to back this up. "The President of the US uses this water"; suuuuure he does.
Argh. What a waste.
Nathan Kagan I totally agree with you. That we as humans have to accept that we in fact no absolutely batshit about things. And you can often sense the direct opposit, that people dismiss anything new, because "hey we already know this, AND THEN ITS FACT", which is completely nonsense.
And to be honest, i hate when scientists say "this is how it is" no matter how convincing they are, cause you always need to keep an open mind, cause its not like we know when we have reached the right conclusion. Just look at history, we have been wrong so many times before, who says we cant be wrong about some of our major beliefs/theories, and yes i do believe we are completely wrong about most stuff we know. I mean how could we be right? We dont even know anything close to the source of everything, we just know a pinch of the tip of an iceberg.
tldr: we dont know anything, better start living with an open mind, cause truly when and if we find the answers, it will be something f--ked up that will be hard to wrap your head around anyway.
Thats actually the big flaw of many critits, they want the world and our reality to fit into something simple and easy to understand, cause if it isnt then its a lie, when in fact everything points to our and the existence of everything is truly complex beyond any understanding we have.
Yeah, this is a total embarrassment. So fantastical and pseudo-scientific, it's actually hard to sit through.
Absolute total BULLSHIT for UNEDUCATED LUDDITES !!!
this doku mixes up facts with lies. The holy water of the church is emotionally charged with guilt, fear, suffering etc. It is charged with the information of people, who commit their crimes to the priest (from pocket thief's to murderers) This documentation is Propaganda for christianity and the church. Wake up!
i'm shocked I can't play this, the producer has frozen us out of the equation. Water for the rich!
There are theories that life in the Universe is spread by water.
I really respect people who admit that we as humanity know very little about the Universe.
Very interesting and inspiring documentary! Now i'm making my own pure water with a special bottle that has written positive things on it. Each time i fill it up i put my headphones on the bottle and put binaural and relaxing music to it. :) Thank you for this!
Thanks for great doco..... google .... What is Life? A Non Particle View another interesting take on this subject.
Very thought provoking.
This is a catching beautiful idea. Affects deeply the emotional side. Wouldn't it be great if this was truth? By the end of the film you may be in such an "extasy" state that the idea of rationally analyse all you've seen is not very seductive. A lie told often enough becomes the truth. And it really may be truth, i'm not putting this hypothesis aside, but it is important to digest the info. Go and make your own experiences with rice bowls and water!
There are some ideas that are so poorly exposed: where are the reasonable facts regarding the telepathy experiment? After all, the both men were being exposed to the same experience/conditions and it is normal that their brains were presenting similar behaviors... Among lots of other things... And why does this doc is sponsored by a bottled water company, who says sells water with properties of love, prosperity, etc., but uses eco-mother-earth-friendly plastic bottles? And what's the point in producing water with love properties? Should it be truth i think each one should achieve it by himself. By the way, just as the plumbed water (as they put it in the movie), i don't think that bottled water is a very happy water, after traveling in dark trucks, and so on...
Anyway, thanks for providing lots of interesting information!
I found the information presented in this documentary were fascinating. I thought the experiments showed without a doubt the damage we do to each other by all of our abuse and bad feeliings.... it explains all of the sickness we have, I thought this doc was mindblowing, and i am thinking about water in a hole new light now..... would recommend it to anyone with an open and curious mind
This is a strange doc. There seems to be some interesting ideas here, but in my opinion the claims I saw made here do not seem to be presented very well.
Sadly, I was only able to make it through about 25 minutes of this doc so far due to it's lack of ability to hold my attention. I hope to finish it later, as I am usually curious about unorthodox viewpoints on any subject.
This is the fantastic perspective on the element water, this clearly shows how we are abusing the elements with ignorance, There is always more than science and science don't know how to explain it, This doesn't mean it is not there, but that is only felt with consciousness of self.
Science only says how it works, but science so far never said why it works.
I had worked in many countries in many projects, but so far I have never seen such a ignorant people like in USA. It is not the problem with the people, it is the way they were bread and brought up by the American society.
"when the students are ready, the teacher will appear" this is an amazing documentary, and so true...Unfortunately they are people spiritual immature which lead to all this "ego" comments below that you can read... thanks God science is been merge with spirituality.. so we can see the real truth... i will recommend this documentary 100% off course for people that are talking with wisdom no intelligence but wisdom... another one very god is quantum communication!i would say the narrator is boring but the information is priceless and very true.
I haven't watched this documentary yet, but I just wanted to say thank you for providing it free of charge to everyone! I can't wait to check out the other documentaries on this site. Oh, and I subscribed.
I stopped watching at 1:41 when the narrator asks the inane question, "Who bestowed water on our planet?" | http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/water-great-mystery/ | 5,335 | Culture | 2 | en | 0.999992 |
By Akoma Chinweoke
Two students of Doregos Private Academy, Lagos, Olajumoke Adebayo and Eniola Adewale has invented a fueless power generator. The invention was showcased at the Pan-African Women Inventors & Innovators Network Symposium, Expo & Awards at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja.
The event titled Innovative Women with Innovative Solutions for Africa was witnessed by the minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili, and Mrs Josephine Anenih., minister for Women Affairs, It was indeed a commemdation galore for the students as other youths were advised to emulate them.
The students both in SS3 and members of the Junior Engineers, Technicians & Scientists (JETS Club) said the idea was born out of a need to minimize the cost spent of the usage of fuel generators as an average amount of N10, 000 is spent on fuel weekly adding that their invention does not emit any toxic and poses no threat to human health.
According to them, the idea was conceived through the JETS club to which they belonged as coordinators. “We used magnetic flux to generate electricity which the conventional magnet cannot. It consists of a shaf fixed with eight neodymium magnets which rotates when an initial current is passed through the field coils. The electricity is then passed from the copper coil to a step-up transformer which steps up the power voltage from 32 volts to 200 volts to power the output of the generator”. They said.
The young stars noted that JETS club afforded them a vantage avenue to think, analyze and work on scientific research before embarking on the project based on their scientific knowledge that a generator can still exist without using fuel. They stated that it is possible to produce cheaper and more dependable source of electricity for both domestic and industrial use.
The invention the students admitted was not an easy scale through as they had to make several presentations and seminars on the project to the audience comprising their teachers and the school authority before they were finally selected to defend the significance of their project.
Both students hinted that they intend pursuing a career in Engineering in the near future, to develop a bigger generator that can power the whole school.” This is just a prototype to showcase our endowments and potentials.”
The materials used for the invention according to them are a locally fabricated step up transformer, capacitors with total capacity 400,000 uf, neodymium magnets, copper wires transistors battery, oscillators, bulbs and several other materials.
The coordinator Junior Engineers, Technicians & Scientists (JETS Club), of the academy, Mr Lawal Olaide noted that the problem of high cost usage of fuel generators and unemployment in the country coupled with the burning desires of the students to make something unusual was responsible for the feat. according to him, “the main objective of this project is to produce a generator that can produce cheap and sustainable electric power to solve the problem of power supply permanently in the country, adding that it is also of great importance as it does not emit any waste (toxic) products as with conventional generators”.
The Principal of the academy, Mr Jide Adebayo said the school is committed to its mission of creating a learning environment which maximizes individuals’ potentials to meet the challenges of education and life.
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof. | http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/2-students-invent-fueless-power-generator/ | 716 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.999916 |
Nigeria Was Not Formed to Benefit Minorities such as Jonathan: His Emergence is a Threat to the Status Quo...Care Must be taken to Protect him from Northern Cabals and others
From the outset, Nigeria was created not to work for nor include the so-called minorities (the President Jonathans) as equal members of the nation. Being the contraption it's, Nigeria was created by oppressors, crooks and exploiters of Britain who used all mean necessary and available to achieve their aims and objectives. These means included the killing of emerging stars, oppositions or any person who summed up courage to speak out or ask questions.
The British colonialists, having used about 2,000 soldiers mostly from the north (plus Middle-belt) to invade, kill and conquered the independent peoples/nationalities, which formed both Northern and Southern protectorates (against their wishes) to submission decided to use Northerners as errand tools. What the errands gained in return was power and an indoctrination of how to continue the crooked scheming, killing, exploiting and controlling.
To succeed, however, the north has to stay in connection (like brothers) and in agreement with colonial Britain. The Northern-British relationship climaxed in the 1800s, when the British tax-payers reportedly used their money to run what is now Northern Nigeria or the Hausa-Fulani. Why did this happen? Research shows that the north had (and still has) vast space of dry land (with cows from Niger) and knew nothing to do with it that could help them create revenues.
Implying, they couldn't even raise a budget to run their local councils. At a time when British tax-payers became fed up helping to run them with their resources the north was dropped from the help list. What also engendered this move was when the colonial masters realized that the south, which comprised of what is presently Yoruba/Lagos, Benin kingdom areas, Igbo and today's south-south (Niger delta) had abundant riches.
By the time help stopped coming from Britain the devilish colonialists had perfected their craft of how to exploit the south to run the dry and poor north. This trend happened successfully with a semblance of balance. That is, the south still got some benefits until the advent of oil. All these periods the independent nationalities considered minorities today were played out of everything and so knew nothing going on nor did they had a say, as they don't have today.
The worst of the disrespect, abuse, cruelty and exploitation was during the unfortunate and illegal amalgamation (forcing of independent nationalities/nations against their wishes to form a union in the interest of Britain and the north especially) of the southern and northern protectorates in 1914. Note that, like the application of British tax-payer's money for the upkeep of the north, this aforementioned amalgamation was primarily orchestrated as a source through which resources from the south will benefit the north to relief Britain and also help the imperialists fulfill dream for their empire.
Again, of all these moves and maneuvers, the forced groups which form the colonies before the birth of Nigeria, on Oct. 1, 1960, nearly 98% of them didn't play any role nor have any say, yet they're distinct and had pre-colonial independence or sovereignty.
The above analogy has been the reason Nigeria locked out on minorities. The fact that some of the minorities have had and still have the natural resources especially crude oil and gas, the nation depends on had made no impact. It's when Ken Saro-Wiwa emerged in the early 1990s that the oil issue, Niger delta, the people's rights and environment resurfaced. His launching a nonviolent agitation to right the wrongs of the past led to his hanging on Nov. 10, 1995.
Of course, his live and death shall be celebrated nine days from today (on Nov. 10) to mark the 15the anniversary of his (and 8 others) hanging by $hell, a British company and the Nigerian government of the north. Why did these people die for demanding their rights? They're minorities who challenged the British and Northern politician's status quo ante. Some stooges from the West (Yoruba) East (Igbo) and South-South (Niger delta) served as accomplice.
The British-Northern Nigeria's collaboration had perfected their murder industry that will kill any opposition or perceived threat to their drilling of minority oil to build British companies, government and the Northern Nigerian cabals, etc.
Isaac Adaka Boro, upset with the status quo and treatment of the Niger delta people decided to take up arms and declared what was known as the Niger delta Republic from Nigeria in 1966. He's murdered by the aforementioned murder squad like the Ogoni Nine. This arms struggle resurfaced in 2004, given credence to both Boro and Saro-Wiwa's protest.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who became the first Niger delta or minority president of Nigeria by a means Northern cabals are yet to fathom is also seen as a threat like Saro-Wiwa and Boro. Although President Jonathan, a Niger deltan may have been accepted by PDP as a means of quelling down or putting out the intensity of Niger delta (MEND) insurgency which is the same method the colonialists dealt with oppositions. The north sees him as a Niger deltan or minority threat now that he's the president and attempting to control power for another four years. This period is like 50 years to the north even though they've ruled Nigeria than any group. Their fear is that they are losing grip on the multi-billion dollars oil industry they've depended on for decades.
As usual, and based on their agreement with Britain (like America and Israel), Northern cabals which includes Ibrahim Babangida, who dashed the hope of Nigeria in 1993 by annulling the freest and fairest presidential elections, are poised to protect what they believed is their birthright-of course, it isn't!
They will do anything including attempts on the life of President Jonathan, to protect their fortresses, maintain the status quo that is exploiting the Niger delta to keep the north running like they've been taught by the British. Therefore, proper care must be taken to protect Jonathan because this is a life and death battle between Northern cabals, British interest and the south especially for the oilfields and gas reserves. It isn't about elections or doing anything that will help the Nigerian people, but oil and gas wealth. Any obstacle or perceived threat shall be taken out-so says the British and Northern (Hausa-Fulani) interest. They will use their stooges from the south-west, east and south-south (Niger delta) to perfect their diabolical plans.
Babangida alone knows how the killer quad operates, not to mention all others and their British interest mercenary. I repeat, Jonathan should be extra smart and careful. If he didn't believe it before (after the bombs of Oct. 1 and the many shipments of arms reportedly entering the country), he should by now that he's a minority not fit according to this cabals to rule and possibly take their birthright away.
Finally, no gain saying the fact that the north has most of the 36 states (followed by the west-Yoruba and East-Igbos), which are about 90% nonviable. What keeps these states is the oil from Niger delta. This ethnic method of creating states against viability is informed by the majority's bid to keep the nation in their control. The north had of course relished in this mentality of using guns to threaten, control and kill any "baga" from Niger delta or elsewhere who comes up raising an eye-brow. This mechanics have worked best with the national assembly framework too. By this design, two members come from each state.
The north has the most members of both houses of representatives and the senate which forms the national assembly. Politics is a game of number and so this arrangement isn't in any conceivable way working in the interest of the minorities. No wonder nothing is changing! The presidency of Jonathan can only succeed if he's honest, extra smart to present issues that will work for the entire nation and also reward the minorities of Niger delta (his region) for decades of exploitation and deaths-including environmental catastrophes caused by oil exploitation that's polishing the majority-northerner cabals indeed.
It's also possible that new people-elected representatives from the majority groups especially the north may rethink and work with Jonathan for programs that will serve the benefit of all the groups that willy-nilly formed Nigeria. Change and new beginnings are always possible so long as the people are determined to effect this change even with their lives. This change is possible in this present situation. The problem is that the north would have accepted a candidate from anywhere else, whether on zoning basis (which is undemocratic) or otherwise.
Their heart-beating worry is that a member of the oppressed Niger delta they've exploited and killed is the one raising his head. Think a about it! What a threat, they're thinking! Jonathan may not even be concentrating on righting the wrongs against his people nor could he be thinking a revenge but what may work best for all. The likes of his advisers may even point to his direction.
Because of the history, intent and greed, and a bid for Britain through their companies ($hell Oil, etc.) to maintain their colonial hostage, it's less than likely Jonathan would succeed as the first minority/Niger delta president of Nigeria. The problems and threats he's getting from Northern politicians who feared their grip to the nation and wealth would vanish are exponentially high. This fear is heightened by the fear of fears; fear that they may face reprisal for decades of terror and sorrow, deaths unleashed on the Niger delta and others. Yet Jonathan may be doing his best to carry every group along against the historical sectional trend.
Jonathan and the people around him must therefore be very careful and smart. He must be protected to alter the status quo and also fulfill whatever mission he's. This warning shouldn't be thrown away with a wave of hand because of historical facts and a laid down design for Nigeria not to work for the oppressed minority but the so-called majority and Northerners in particular. There is serious danger ahead, as there is also hope and victory over evil.
I stopped reading this piece when I got to the part where the writer wrote "Finally, no gain saying the fact that the north has most of the 36 states (followed by the west-Yoruba and East-Igbos), which are about 90% nonviable. What keeps these states is the oil from Niger delta" The Igbos or South East has the least number of states in the country so what is this ethnic bigot talking about? The Niger Delta is not the same thing as South South. The Niger Delta region comprises of 9 stat... | http://www.modernghana.com/news/302697/1/nigeria-wasnt-formed-for-the-jonathans-of-niger-de.html | 2,266 | Politics | 2 | en | 0.99999 |