​Rapists to face 14 year jail term in Kano

The Kano State Solicitor General, Mukthar Daneji, has said the state has finally put a 14-year jail term without option of fine as minimum punishment for rape culprit​s​.

Speaking during Justice for All Conference in the State, Wednesday, the Solicitor General note

​d​ that ​the ​punishment for rape which used to be one or two years or fine ​was changed with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

He said the punishment was increased because of the rapid rise in rape cases in the state.

Mr. Danije, while not giving official figures, explained that many parents now come forward to report their children being raped. He attributed it to the awareness campaign put forward by the state.

The Solicitor General disclosed that so far, they have disposed hundreds of cases and many people have been convicted after found guilty.

The Country Director of the Justice for All, Bob Arnot, said his organisation is working in collaboration with the police and judiciary to increase safety, security and justice reform aspect of sexual gender violations.

He noted that the J4A was assisting NGOs and CSOs to establish referral centers for victims of HIV and other sexual abuse problems.

Bob Anort worried that J4A has recorded minimal successes in terms of getting justice for the over 1000 cases it has come across.

SOURCE: Premiumtimesng

How 14-year-old girl was lured with N30, raped by school teacher in Lagos

A secondary school teacher, Cosmos Ubaja, was on Monday arrested by the police in Lagos State for allegedly raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Ikorodu area of the state.

The unnamed teenager had gone to Ubaja’s shop to make photocopies after school hours when the accused lured her into sleeping with her.

The suspect, who owns a computer centre in the area, was contracted by the school to teach the junior pupils computer studies.

According to the Punch, the victim, a Junior Secondary School, Class 3 student in a public secondary school in the Owutu area of Ikorodu, had been allegedly raped by the suspect on several occasions in eight months and was always given peanuts such as N50, N100 and N30, each time.

Ubaja, a father of one had been raping the girl for months and the girl kept the secret away from her parents.

The last straw which broke the camel’s back was on June 1 when the girl complained to her mother that she had stomach pains and her menstrual cycle was affected.

She was then taken to a private hospital where it was discovered that she had been raped several times.

The teenager confessed that it was the computer instructor who raped her and he was arrested.

The matter was reported at the Owutu Police Division and also to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, Alausa.

The DSVRT team took the victim for a checkup at the Mirabel Centre, Ikeja.

The group’s Coordinator, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the matter had been transferred to the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command.

According to her, “The 14-year-old girl was raped by her computer teacher near the school’s premises.

“The teacher and some individuals around the school initially pleaded with the girl’s parents not to report to the police. Fortunately, they rejected the plea.

“The perpetrator is in police custody and the case has been transferred from the division to the Gender Unit at the police headquarters, Ikeja. The Directorate of Public Prosecutions has also requested the duplicate case file.”

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said Ubaja has confessed to the crime and will be charged to court soon.

SOURCE: Punchng

Lionel Messi Retires From International Football Amidst Tears

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international duty after missing in a penalty shootout as Argentina lost a fourth major final in nine years.

“It’s not meant for me. For me the national team is over. I’ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,” the 29-year-old said after defeat by Chile at the Copa America.

With Barcelona, Messi has won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

But his only major international honour is 2008 Olympic gold.

Argentina were beaten 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup final by Germany before two Copa America final defeats by Chile on penalties. Messi was also on the losing side against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final.

“It’s been four finals, I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over,” he added.

“I think this is best for everyone. First of all for me, and then for everyone. I think there’s a lot of people who want this, who obviously are not satisfied, as we are not satisfied reaching a final and not winning it.

“It’s very hard, but the decision is taken. Now I will not try more and there will be no going back.”

SOURCE: Nigeraimonitor

Lionel Messi Retires From International Football Amidst Tears

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international duty after missing in a penalty shootout as Argentina lost a fourth major final in nine years.

“It’s not meant for me. For me the national team is over. I’ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,” the 29-year-old said after defeat by Chile at the Copa America.

With Barcelona, Messi has won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

But his only major international honour is 2008 Olympic gold.

Argentina were beaten 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup final by Germany before two Copa America final defeats by Chile on penalties. Messi was also on the losing side against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final.

“It’s been four finals, I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over,” he added.

“I think this is best for everyone. First of all for me, and then for everyone. I think there’s a lot of people who want this, who obviously are not satisfied, as we are not satisfied reaching a final and not winning it.

“It’s very hard, but the decision is taken. Now I will not try more and there will be no going back.”

SOURCE: Nigeraimonitor

Tension In Police Force As New IG Recommends Immediate Retirement of 30 Senior Officers

According to reports on Monday, the new acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Friday, allegedly wrote a letter to the presidency to retire 30 senior officers.

The officers who are of the rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police, were said to have been penned down for immediate retirement.

A source who spoke to THISDAY Newspaper said, “There is serious tension at the Police Headquarters in Abuja. We have heard that the new acting IG wants to retire both his seniors and course-mates.

“On Friday, he wrote to the presidency, through the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and it was approved and forwarded to the desk of the President for final approval.

“According to what Idris wrote, his reason why he asked for their retirement is that he cannot work with them. He said he wants to in all sense of the word take charge of the police.

“He said since he has been given the responsibility to provide security, it was imperative that these AIGs be removed because they might be a clog in his wheel of progress.

“With this move, there is a tendency to make 14 Commissioners of Police AIGs since the available and compulsory vacancy for AIGs is 26.

“Already before now, 12 AIGs were promoted. From the 12, they will take seven of them to become Deputy Inspector General (DIGs) of Police and then they will be forced to go to the CP rank to fill up the AIG rank of 26.

“We wonder why they are removing experienced hands that would have helped him steer the police to greater heights.

“These officers that will be retired, are the last set of senior policemen that were trained abroad, or have gone for short courses.

“I don’t know why we are wasting manpower. By removing these old hands, we will have to expend huge amount of money to train the new crop of AIGs and CPs.”

SOURCE: Nigerianmonitor

Court Orders Governor Ikpeazu Of Abia To Vacate Office Immediately

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, to vacate office immediately for submitting false information to his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, for the party’s governorship primary in December 2014.

Justice Okon Abang in a judgment on Monday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately issue a certificate of return to the plaintiff, Uche Ogah, who polled the second highest number of votes in the primary.
SOURCE: Punch

Folorunsho Alakija Makes Forbes List Of Most Powerful Women Of 2016

Africa richest woman, Folorunsho Alakija has been named among one of the 100 Most Powerful Women of 2016 according to a list released by Forbes.  The magazine released its annual, and Folorunsho Alakija’s whose net worth as of yesterday, June 6, 2016 is $1.72 billion was among those listed.

The 66-year-old married mother of four is the vice chair of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration company that has a 60% participating interest in block OML 127, part of the larger Agbami field, one of Nigeria’s largest deepwater discoveries, about 70 miles offshore. It partners include Chevron and Petrobras. Her first company was a fashion label that catered to Nigeria’s elite women, including the wife of former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, who awarded Alakija’s company an oil prospecting license. Alakija’s net worth has fallen in the past year as a result of lower oil prices.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped the list for the second time in a row, while US White House hopeful Hillary Clinton came in second, also steady in her ranking, and has a clear shot at the number one spot if she wins the Presidential election, Forbes said.

US Fed Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, philanthropist Melinda Gates and General Motors CEO Mary Barra rounded off the top five.

SOURCE: Nigerianmonitor

David Cameron resigns as British Prime Minister

David Cameron has resigned as Prime Minister of Britain in an emotional speech outside 10 Downing Street.

His resignation followed a landmark referendum that saw the country voting to leave the European Union.

Mr. Cameron voice broke as he announced the cabinet would meet on Monday to draw up a time-table for his exit as leader of the world fifth largest economy.

A new prime minister is expected to be elected in October.

A majority of British voters (51.7 percent) followed the call of Pro-Leave campaigners who had described the vote as an independence from the European Union oppression and bureaucracy that has resulted in mass migration into the island country.

While England voted overwhelmingly for Brexit, Scotland and Northern Ireland backed the Remain camp.

With Over 72.2 percent voters’ turnout (last general election in the country has 66.1 percent turnout), many pro-Leave campaigners, led by leader of far-right UKIP party, Nigel Farage and former mayor of London Boris Johnson, are already seeing the referendum as a rejection of the leadership of Mr. Cameron, who campaigned vigorously for Britain to remain in the EU.

David Cameron has resigned as Prime Minister of Britain in an emotional speech outside 10 Downing Street.

His resignation followed a landmark referendum that saw the country voting to leave the European Union.

Mr. Cameron voice broke as he announced the cabinet would meet on Monday to draw up a time-table for his exit as leader of the world fifth largest economy.

A new prime minister is expected to be elected in October.

A majority of British voters (51.7 percent) followed the call of Pro-Leave campaigners who had described the vote as an independence from the European Union oppression and bureaucracy that has resulted in mass migration into the island country.

While England voted overwhelmingly for Brexit, Scotland and Northern Ireland backed the Remain camp.

With Over 72.2 percent voters’ turnout (last general election in the country has 66.1 percent turnout), many pro-Leave campaigners, led by leader of far-right UKIP party, Nigel Farage and former mayor of London Boris Johnson, are already seeing the referendum as a rejection of the leadership of Mr. Cameron, who campaigned vigorously for Britain to remain in the EU.

Despite a strong showing for the Pro-remain campaign in London and Scotland, majority of British cities voted to quit the EU.

Mr Cameron’s Tory party rival, Boris Johnson, who hasn’t hidden his desire to become PM is seen by many as a possible successor.

“I think the Boris Johnson momentum will be unstoppable,” Steven Fielding, a professor of political history at the University of Nottingham told the Washington Post.

“Cameron will try to find a dignified exit. But it’s not clear how long the backbenchers will give him to do that.”

Mr. Farage, who already admitted that the Pro-remain were going to win the referendum, recanted and claimed victory for the historic decision.

“We have got our country back,” he tweeted. “Thanks to all of you.”

Let June 23rd go down in history as our Independence Day,” he shouted with arms held high to his supporters.

Although Mr Farage is claiming this as a personal victory, many political analysts see the possibility of his anti-immigration far-right party occupying No 10 Downing Street as far-fetched.

Gisela Stuart, Vote leave campaigner and Labour MP, addressed Manchester Town Hall this morning.

She says, “We have just taken control. 33 million people went to the ballot box and made a democratic decision. They reflected on our 40 year history and by a majority they have decided to leave.

“I think that is democracy at work.”

Pound crashes to three-decade low

The news of the Britain exit from the EU caused immediate backlash to the country’s economy as the sterling crashed to 9 per cent against the dollar – its lowest value since 1985.

Financial analysts also fear more debilitating consequences of the decision on the world’s fifth largest economy in the coming days.

“People will be waking up this morning to turmoil in the markets and the pound crashing, and fearing the emergency budget the Chancellor threatened to hike their taxes and cut public services, said shadow chancellor, John McDonnell.

“The Government must now take steps to stabilise the economy, and to protect jobs, pensions and wages. Labour will not allow any instability to be paid for by the working people of this country,” he added.

SOURCE: Premiumtimesng

“We are happy our daddy is back hale, hearty”

President Mohammadu Buhari yesterday returned to Abuja, saying he was completely healed, stronger, more energetic and now fit to resume presidential duties. Recall that the president penultimate week proceeded on a 10 day leave and later jetted out to London, United Kingdom where he had gone to treat a persistent ear infection. He was due to come back to the country on Thursday but failed to do so.

The Vice President as the Acting President then told Journalists that the president would be returning to the country on Sunday (Yesterday) as he needed to rest after the medicals. The president whose aircraft touched down at exactly 5:35 pm at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Sunday said he was now fit. In a sure-footed manner, the president spoke to the State House Correspondents after inspecting a guard of honour by the Nigeria Armed Forces. 

“You have seen me. You saw me when I was going. You can do the assessment yourself. “I am okay. You can see me inspecting the guard of honour. You can see I am taller than you. Do you want to wrestle with me, you can do so”, he said. 

Also, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said he would resume duty today. “Mr President is fit and will resume work on Monday”, he said. 

On his part, the Chairman of Governors Forum and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari expressed gratitude to God for bringing the president home safely. “We thank God for bringing him (Buhari) back to his country. 

It is a good thing he went on break and returned to his people hale and hearty.” “Our daddy is back. He has gone to take a rest we are happy that he is back”, he said.

 Meanwhile, among government officials who were on hand to welcome the President were members of the cabinet including the Minister of the Environment Amina Mohammed, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of the Niger Delta affairs, Usani Usani. Others included Minister of Water Resources, Minister of State for Education, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning; Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe; Minister of Budget and National planning, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Health, Minister of Interior, Gen. Dambazzua; Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari; Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

 Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello and Chief of Army Staff, Bruntia were also on hand.
SOURCE: Vanguardngr

Air Force To Commence Deployment Of Troops For Northeast Clean Up

Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, says he will commence a heavy deployment of air troops from Friday, June 17, to Maiduguri for mop up operations on Boko Haram insurgents.

Speaking to reporters in Kano State, North West Nigeria, the Air Force boss disclosed that already, a significant number were deployed in Niger Delta to counter the Avengers’ destruction of Nigeria’s oil pipelines.

The Air Staff boss believes that the most important machinery to air theater in the contemporary security threat to Nigeria is the ability of the defence to employ air power that will make the ground hold-able for the land Army to move into action.

The Operation Lafiya Dole jointly carried out by all security agencies across the country has yielded much needed results as air officers are only being deployed to clear the ground for mop up operations by sister security agencies.

He further assured officers that henceforth, their welfare packages would include the provision of a conducive atmosphere to settle their families at the barracks. He added that making them comfortable at the war front will always come first.

The Air chief also commissioned staff quarters and pilot students hostels at the Air Force Base in the state.

Commissioning the projects, a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Mukhtar Muhammad, said that with the commitment shown so far by Nigeria’s defence mechanism, he was optimistic that the activities of Boko Haram insurgents would soon be a thing of the past.

In order to ensure continuity and sustainable security development in Nigeria, the former Chief of Air Staff advised officers and men of the Nigeria Air Force to put all hands on deck, to ensure the actualization of the NAF vision of protecting Nigeria’s Air Defence system.

FG saving N1.4trn annually from subsidy removal – Kachikwu

The recent removal of subsidy from the pump price of premium motor spirit is saving the federal government over N1.4 trillion that would have been expended on subsidy claims per annum, the minister of state for petroleum resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, has said.

Speaking when he visited the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the minister explained that the deregulation policy has also re-awakened the downstream sector and would help the nation become a net exporter of petroleum products in a few years.

“We now have a lot of people who are interested in investing in our refineries and building more refineries and we will remain committed to the goal which is to reduce importation of petroleum products by 60 per cent by the end of 2018 and become a net exporter of petroleum products by 2019,” he said.

Kachikwu in a statement yesterday by the board noted that with the fall in crude oil prices and reduced investment in the sector, the NCDMB must re-strategise and transit from its role of just propagating local content and local participation to one of finding commonality with industry stakeholders to encourage investment.

Kachikwu also stated that the corporate restructuring initiated in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reduced the average monthly loss recorded by the corporation from N40 billion in the recent past to N3 billion, while efforts remained on target to achieve profitability before the end of 2016, a feat that had not been recorded in 20years.

He also announced plans to carry out infrastructural re-graphing of Nigeria’s petroleum sector, adding that plans were afoot to review Nigeria’s ageing pipelines, depots and gas infrastructure and begin the process of replacing them.

On gas flaring, the minister stated that the new thinking was to move away from a penalty-based gas regulation which had largely failed over the years to a zero tolerance gas flaring regulation with year 2020 as the new target deadline.

Admitting that the entire spectrum of petroleum industry required strategic intervention, Kachikwu harped on the need to see the challenges as opportunities to transform the sub sectors into income earners for the populace.
SOURCE: TodayNG

IMF welcomes Nigeria's decision to end currency peg

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it welcomed the decision by Nigeria's central bank to abandon its currency peg and adopt a flexible exchange rate policy, saying this was important to reduce fiscal and external imbalances.

IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told a weekly news briefing the Fund wanted to see how effectively the naira exchange market functions once the new float system is put into effect next Monday.

Nigeria's central bank governor said in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari the bank expects the naira to settle at around 250 to the dollar after it abandons the peg of 197 to the dollar it has supported for 16 months.

"I think the announcement yesterday to revise the guidelines for the operation of the Nigerian interbank foreign exchange market is an important and welcome step," Rice told reporters. "It will provide greater flexibility in that market, the foreign exchange market."

Senior IMF officials, including Managing Director Christine Lagarde, have urged Nigerian officials to allow the naira to fall to absorb some of the shock to the economy from a plunge in oil prices and revenues. OPEC member Nigeria is a major oil producer. IMF officials have said that Nigeria has not requested IMF financial assistance, but has been in consultation with the Fund on dealing with budget shortfalls.

"As we have said before, a significant macroeconomic adjustment that Nigeria urgently needs to eliminate existing imbalances and support the competitiveness of the economy is best achieved through a credible package of policies involving fiscal discipline, monetary tightening, a flexible exchange rate regime and structural reform," Rice said. "Allowing the exchange rate to better reflect market forces is an integral part of that."

Ex-gov Goje approved N1bn for dictionaries – EFCC

Former governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, illegally awarded a N1bn contract for the supply of dictionaries to secondary schools while he was governor of the state, according to the EFCC.

A prosecution witness, Salisu Abaji, said this before a Federal High Court in Jos where Goje is being tried for alleged fraud, the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement.

According to the witness, the ex-governor awarded a contract for the supply of dictionaries for over N1bn to Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board without following procurement process.

Furthermore, he was alleged to have paid 85 per cent of the contract sum upfront to the supplier, Real and Integrated Hospitality Company, as against the prescribed 15 per cent as contained in the UBEB guideline when he was the governor.

The prosecution witness, who is a former Secretary to UBEB, gave this testimony against his former boss.

He further submitted that one Aliyu el-Naffty, a former UBEB chairman, also an accused person standing trial along with Goje, awarded the contract the same day and ordered the advance payment based on the directive of the ex-governor.

Another prosecution witness and a former storekeeper at the Gombe State Government House, Mr. Mohammed Aliyu, concluded his testimony by tendering receipts of all payments made to the food contractor to the government during the eight-year administration of Goje from 2003 and 2011.

Abaji, however, admitted that he played a role in the award and payment of the said amount as upfront to the contractor. This, he did, under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr. Adeniyi Akintola.

The trial has been adjourned till October 4 and 5, 2016 by Justice Quadri.

SOURCE: Todayng

Osun School Uniform Crisis: Religious battle enters physical, spiritual realm Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/osun-school-uniform-sagaa-religious-battle-enters-physical-spiritual-realm/

Osogbo—The face-off  between Christian and Muslim leaders degenerated, yesterday, but the timely intervention of Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Adewale Akanbi, saved what could have snowballed into major religious crisis as some Christian students of Baptist High School, Adeeke, Iwo for the second day appeared in church robes to attend classes for the day.


In defiance to Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s warning on Tuesday that any student found disobeying school rules and regulations risk expulsion, some students who arrived the school for the day’s lessons in church robes were turned back by security men manning the gate who however allowed female Muslim students who wore hijab as a complement to their uniforms into the school premises. 

However, some Christian leaders who initially kept a safe distance watching the unfolding event at this point moved to the gate to ensure that their children also gained access to the school premises. 

The Christians eventually gained access into the premises. Muslim leaders who were around the school premises also moved to the gate and a face-off ensued between the two groups. It was gathered that the paramount ruler of the town, Oba Akanbi, stepped in by personally visiting the school to douse the tension by inviting both the Christian and Muslim leaders to his palace for a meeting. 

The battle after a while, turned spiritual as Christians in the state, yesterday, organised an interdenominational prayer where they offered prayers to God to intervene on the issue of hijab and the court ruling. The prayer rally which was attended by over 200 pastors and thousands of Christian faithful across all denominations in the 30 Local Government Areas of the State including Ife East Area Office was held at Dominion Hall of Osun Baptist Conference, Gbodofon, Osogbo . 

The prayer called by the State CAN Chairman, Reverend Dr. Elisha Ogundiya and led by his Vice, Pastor Moses Adedeji Ogundeji, was meant to reject the court ruling on hijab and other alleged islamisation plot by the state government. Dr Ogundiya told Vanguard that the prayer was also meant to seek for peace from God and to “nullify anti-Kingdom laws and dealings with satanic forces that are tormenting the state for the past few weeks”. 

Meanwhile, Baptist High School, Iwo where students went to school, yesterday, with various choir and church apparels as well as hijab was condoned-off by the police after it was shut by the state government, as the Christian and Muslim leaders held meetings with the Iwo monarch, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi to find solution to the impasse. 

CAN condemns hijab ruling in Osun state Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, yesterday, expressed disappointment over recent High Court judgment in Osun State on the use of hijab in all schools including missionary schools, describing the development as unfortunate which may send a wrong signal that Osun State Government is clearly favouring one religion over the other. 

The meeting which was well attended, had in attendance the National Officers of the Association, all the five Heads of blocs, the zonal chairmen, the states chairmen and delegates representing the five blocs of the association; Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/ Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN/PFN), TEKAN/ECWA, and Organisation of African Instituted Churches

SOURCE: vanguardngr

Nigeria, 33 Others Depend On Family, Paid Donors for Blood Supply

As part of activities to mark the World Blood Donor Day today, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is encouraging all countries to establish blood services based on full voluntary non-remunerated blood donations.

It decried a situation whereby 34 countries including Nigeria, are still dependent on family donors and even paid donors for more than 75 per cent of their blood supply.

The WHO's goal is for all countries to obtain all their blood supplies from voluntary, unpaid donors by 2020.

The United Nations apex health body, in a statement, yesterday, said: "Today, only 62 countries get close to 100 per cent of their national blood supplies from voluntary unpaid blood donations, with 34 countries still dependent on family donors and even paid donors for more than 75 per cent of their blood supply."

The Guardian's investigation reveals that most hospitals in Nigeria still insist on family donors and encourage paid donors.

It was found that there are known, paid blood donors parading the corridors of most teaching and general hospitals. Relatives are asked to donate blood for patients before they are transfused and when they cannot, they are referred to patronise paid donors.

The WHO said voluntary unpaid blood donations must be increased rapidly in more than half the world's countries in order to ensure a reliable supply of safe blood for patients whose lives depend on it.

This year, the theme of World Blood Donor Day is "Blood connects us all", highlighting the common bond that all people share in their blood. The slogan, "Share life, give blood", draws attention to the role that voluntary donation systems play in encouraging people to care for one another and promoting community cohesion.

WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, said: "Although we have many external differences, the same vital blood pumps through all our veins. Voluntary, unpaid blood donation is the act of giving life - the greatest gift any person can give or receive."

SOURCE: GuardianNg

FG to allocate oil blocs to skilled people from Niger Delta – Kachikwu

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu has said the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government will consider people from the Niger Delta region when allocating oil blocs.

Speaking at a Town Hall in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, the Minister said though the President had not allocated any oil bloc since assumption of office but that when he eventually starts, only skilled people will benefit.

According to the Minister, the President will follow due process when he finally starts the allocation of oil blocs.

Kachikwu said, “In terms of the allocation of oil blocs to south-south indigene, since we came into position, the government has not allocated any bloc of petroleum. The president has not put any emphasis on that at all.

“He said we need to correct the mess before we begin to give advantage. Let me set something very clearly here; just like Udoma, I didn’t know the president before I got appointed here, never met him before, never spoke to him before.

“Recommendations and reputation brought me here. I haven’t been in government before, so I don’t know how it works, but since the day that I resumed, this president has never called me to give me the name of anybody, any Nigerian, north, south, east or west and say to me ‘you need to do some favour.

“On the contrary, his emphasis is that there should be no favours. Make the right decisions and be able to defend it. On the issue of oil blocs, when the time comes, it will follow very due process.

“I’m one of those who believe there’s a need to see how the south-south and corridors would benefit, because that is part of giving back. I am sure that at the appropriate time, those presented to him, he will listen to it.

“He will listen to it subject to the fact that those who have skills and the finances to develop the field will be allowed to develop the fields.”

SOURCE: Dailypostng

How assisted suicide is gradually becoming lawful in America

CALIFORNIA, America’s most populous state, became the fifth to sanction doctor-assisted suicide on June 9th. According to the End of Life Option Act, adult Californians of sound mind who have a terminal illness and less than six months to live are eligible to receive a prescription for a drug to bring about their deaths. The lethal dose is not quite as easy to procure as a course of antibiotics: the law requires patients to make a written request (verified by two witnesses and approved by two doctors) and to orally request the drugs twice, spaced out by at least 15 days. Doctors confer with the patients (reminding them not to take the drug while in public) and write the prescriptions; individuals wishing to hasten their deaths are obliged to ingest the drugs themselves. This means that patients who are unable to self-administer the medication are not eligible to receive a lethal dose of an “aid-in-dying” drug, whether or not they tell loved ones of their desire to end their lives before they become incapacitated.

In implementing this law, California largely cribbed from similar legislation in Oregon, Vermont and Washington. (The practice is also permitted in Montana due to a court ruling in 2009.) With the End of Life Options Act, the number of Americans potentially eligible to secure an early death rises to about 50m, or roughly one-sixth of the total population. But the option will likely remain the choice of few people facing the end of their lives. The law in Oregon, which pioneered doctor-assisted dying, has not spurred a rash of suicides: over nearly two decades with the Death With Dignity Act, only 991 patients have used the programme to end their lives. Another 600 or so who obtained the medication did not end up taking it.

Three-quarters of Californians support doctor-assisted dying; the law had a fairly smooth run through the state legislature, where it passed in September 2015 by votes of 44 to 35 and 23 to 15. Governor Jerry Brown, a former Jesuit seminary student, signed it the following month, noting that if he faced a prolonged and painful death, “it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill”. Opponents of the measure include disability-rights, religious and pro-life organisations, several of which are backing a legal challenge to the California law in court. The president of National Right to Life, Carol Tobias, condemns the law for having “no real safeguards”. The End of Life Option Act, she says, “shows a blatant disregard for the lives of California’s medically vulnerable citizens and sends a message to these citizens that their lives are less worthy to be lived”. The “real goal” behind the doctor-assisted dying movement, Ms Tobias claims, “is euthanasia on demand for any reason”.

This charge may be overstated, but national polls show strong support for medical aid in dying. The widely publicised case of 29-year-old Brittany Maynard—a California woman with brain cancer who travelled to Oregon to avail herself of doctor-prescribed suicide in 2014—may have pushed support even higher. Slim majorities supported the right to die from 2010 to 2013, but in 2015 a Gallup poll showed that 68% of Americans think terminally ill patients should be able to turn to their doctors for life-ending medication. This year, legislatures in 19 states and the District of Columbia have recently considered right-to-die bills. The Medical Aid in Dying Act was introduced last month in the New York Assembly. New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, is non-committal: “It’s obviously complicated and controversial and it’s going to depend on how the bill is written and what the provisions are”, he said. John Flanagan, the Republican majority leader in the state senate, seems more resistant. “This is an area where we need to be extraordinarily careful and circumspect”, he said. “We’re literally talking about life and death.”

SOURCE: The Economist

Five principal suspects in the murder of a 75-year-old market woman, Mrs Bridget Agbaheme, have been arraigned before a Kano State magistrate court. Dauda Ahmed and four others were presented before Justice Abubakar Jibrin on a 4-count charge which they all denied.

On June 2, 2016, over 3,000 youths were said to have gathered at the popular Kofar Wambai market to take part in a protest that eventually led to the killing of the woman for alleged blasphemy against the prophet of Islam.

Although, no clear evidence has linked the deceased to any blasphemous statement on the prophet of Islam, the 75-year-old Kano resident, who hails from Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, was beaten to death by the angry mob.

Leader of the Igbo community in Kano, Chief Boniface Ibekwe, said that it was not surprising that the suspects denied the charges against them because they understood the magnitude of their crime.

He expressed hope that the prosecutors and the Police would prove beyond reasonable doubt that the crime was indeed committed.

The presiding judge has fixed June 28 for hearing into the case. This he said, is also to allow the Police to conduct all necessary investigation into the matter.

SOURCE: Channelstv