Rape! Outbreak of a New Normal "I've Seen Dictators Rise and Fall. Beware, America"

100 Days of Coronavirus in Nigeria: Cross River Maintains Clean Slate ISSN-2052-1979

BOSS NEWSPAPER

Vol.2.48

A Publication of Ovation Media Group

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Rape!

Outbreak of a New Normal ...Victims Reveal Tales of Sorrow and Pain

BOSS OF THE WEEK

Valentine Ozigbo: Classic Achiever in Constant Pursuit of Excellence

PENDULUM

"I've Seen Dictators Rise and Fall.

Beware, America"

TikTok Sees More Than 2 Billion Downloads As Valuation Surges 33%

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Valentine Ozigbo: Classic Achiever in Constant Pursuit of Excellence

By Eric Elezuo

S

implicity is his watchword, just as achievement is his trademark. The man, who describes himself as 'multiple village boy' considering his triangular movement from Umuamaku to Apko and to Umesi, all in Aguata for his early education, is much more than commonsense can fathom in painstakingness, determination, commitment and eagleeyed focus. His name is Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (TRANSCORP). He is better known and addressed as Val by friends and contemporaries.

The July 20, 1970 born Anambra billionaire is many things in one. He is a product of countless encounters, all of each he triumphed in, coming out with his head held high, and like Ulysses, in Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem, seeking more worlds to conquer.

In his words: "My personality is simple.

I am a man in pursuit of excellence. I am out to impact lives. I believe there is enormity of grace of God in me. And freely, I received the grace, and freely I must pass on that grace.. This is one philosophy that guides me.

I am looking for better

ways, newer ways and more creative ways to do things; check through from my primary school days till today. I want to shine in everything I do and whatever I touch. I want to show a difference so that when I'm gone, people will talk about that.

behind me to what they say in my presence. That's actually what is important to me. I am a man who is built on the philosophy of continuous improvement, meaning that I must challenge the status quo. I am sold to looking for better and newer ways of 'I am a person who prefers doing things. Anything to hear what people say whatsoever! It can be

anything as trivial as washing plates at home to something big as changing the economy. So in anything I do, I want to make a great difference.

"I am also a man who has been blessed with multiple exposure in life. I have been moved from being a young student of Accounting to a Chartered

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Accountant to being a b a n k e r, e n t e r t a i n e r, entertainment promoter down to hospitality expert, power expert, soccer enthusiast and promoter to youth builder, philanthropist and hopefully, soon a governor of a state."

A first class business executive, Ozigbo was born in Umuamaku in Orumba, from where he moved to Akpo, also in Orumba before moving to his own village, Amesi, a small town in present-day Anambra State. This is where he was enrolled in the town's secondary school, Christ the Redeemer College, which according to him, was like going abroad. He came out tops in his O'levels. It was not a surprise as he had exhibited distinct intelligence, representing his school in various academic competitions.

Ozigbo did not leave this village until the age of 19 in 1989. He said that mere driving through the expressway on his way to Lagos later in life was a different kind of experience. He had not seen such sights before.

Passing through that lane gave him the faith of an already made man. And that is what he turned out to become.

While awaiting university admission, Ozigbo was admitted to teach Physics and Mathematics at his alma mater. It was a reward for hardwork, trust and integrity. He was later given admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to study

Accounting. As expected, he excelled, graduating in 1994 as the best student in both Accounting and Business Administration.

governor of Anambra days.

State in 2021, went While at the hospitality through the ladder of destination, he ensured struggle, dedication and the hotel's spread to other utmost success, taking cities across Nigeria and a Like a teacher he had grown life one at a time. consolidation of its status to be, Ozigbo couldn't B e f o r e h i t t i n g t h e as the leading hotel in the i d e n t i f y w h e r e h i s pinnacle of his business country. Nairametrics influence stopped, so he c a r e e r, O z i g b o h a d reported that under him, a p p l i e d , s t u d i e d a n d a m a s s e d 1 7 y e a r s the company announced obtained his Masters accumulated experience an N8 billion initial public Degree in Banking and in the banking industry, offering (IPO) in 2014, Finance, also from the with stints at NAL w h i c h w a s University of Nigeria, M e r c h a n t B a n k , oversubscribed. He is a Nsukka in 2000 and D i a m o n d B a n k , go-getter. followed it up with an M.Sc Continental Trust Bank, Between 1995 and 2000, i n F i n a n c e f r o m t h e FSB International Bank, h e w a s H e a d o f Lancaster University, Standard Trust Bank, Commercial Banking at United Kingdom, with United Bank for Africa Diamond Bank Plc before distinction, in 2004. and Bank PHB. He also proceeding to United Growing to become the worked as Managing Bank for Africa where he P r e s i d e n t a n d C h i e f D i r e c t o r a n d C h i e f worked functioned as the Executive Officer of Executive Officer of Business Manager.

Transnational Corporation TRANSCORP Hotels of Nigeria Plc, a diversified Plc, the hospitality His stay in the capacity c o n g l o m e r a t e w i t h subsidiary of Nigerian lasted only one year as strategic investments and c o n g l o m e r a t e m o v e d t o F S B core interests in the TRANSCORP Group, International Bank in hospitality, agribusiness w h e r e h i s a b i l i t i e s 2001 where he was the and energy sectors, in 2019, e x t e n d e d a v e r a g e , Acting Regional Director. was not a fluke. The agile creating a leverage for He made a dramatic return Igbo man, who is looking himself to head the to United Bank for Africa forward to becoming the conglomerate in the later in 2004, and served for www.thebossnewspapers.com

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four fruitful years as Head of International Banking.

His last banking industry was with Keystone Bank where he served as the General Manager of the bank's Global Transaction operation.

A British Chevening Scholar of 2003/04, Ozigbo's achievement's between 2011 and 2018 when he oversaw the activities of the TRANSCORP Hotels c a n n o t b e overemphasized. He, among other things, was also responsible for developing five new projects worth over $500 million including two hotels in Lagos and Port Harcourt, a 5000-capacity conference facility, luxury apartments and the upgrade of existing hotels with additional retail facilities.

The impeccable entrepreneur is not new to awards, honours and accolades. He has over 12 local and international

awards. He was inducted into the prestigious Seven Stars Pantheon hall of fame during the Pantheon of the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyles Awards which took place in the luxury Greek island of Crete. Ozigbo is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, which he obtained in 1998, Taxation as well as The Chartered Institute of Ta x a t i o n o f N i g e r i a , received in 2000. He also belong to the Institute of Credit Administration which he bagged in 2015.

In September 2018, he was conferred with the award of a Distinguished Alumni of the Lancaster University at a special convocation ceremony of the university held at its Ghana Campus.

Bank annual meetings in China; the World Bank/ International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings in Washington DC; Euromoney and Economist Conferences in London; Euromoney debates on Capital Flows to Africa in London; and SIBOS 2009. The experiences he gained are unquantifiable.

The man call Val is not just a boardroom guru, he is also endowed with milk of human kindness, lifting the youths of his Aguata locality up to the national level. As part of his efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, he donated a whooping N20 million, and has been involved in various developmental projects in his Anambra constituency. This has given him leverage as the next Anambra governorship election fast approaches.

Ozigbo also participated in many international conferences including: the World Economic Forum at Davos (WEF) and the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA) in Nigeria; In his bid to reach out to a the African Development great number of people,

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his Chineto Ozigbo Foundation is running several programmes focused on youth and women entrepreneurial development. This has empowered thousands of people in Anambra State as well as reduced poverty. It is no surprise that he is “King of the Youth� in the state.

The foundation is also giving out loan guarantee support of N100 million for small businesses in Anambra State as the COVID-19 pandemic bites harder.

His confidence is centred on the people who he believes have felt the impact of his philanthropy and believes he could do more given the privilege to preside over the affairs of Anambra State.

Ozigbo is married, and blessed with children.

Congratulations sir, you are our Boss of the Week!

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Top Officials Test Positive In Ebonyi As Cases Rise To 75 Some top officials of Ebonyi State Government have tested positive to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

This is as the state government on Thursday expressed worry over the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the state, which it said had climbed to 75 out of the over 3,000 sample tests conducted.

The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, who doubles a s t h e a c t i n g Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Uchenna Orji, said that 26 COVID-19 cases had been treated and discharged, while 49 cases were still receiving treatment and were in stable condition.

Although Orji, who spoke through a statement issued in Abakaliki, had hinted

that some Executive Council members had contracted the virus, did not give their names, investigation by The PUNCH revealed that a top government functionary at the Ministry of Finance and a close aide to Governor Dave Umahi had tested positive to the disease.

Umahi was said to be disturbed about “the way and manner some members of his cabinet were infected.”

According to Orji, the cabinet members, who tested positive were currently receiving treatment and were in stable condition.

Orji said in order to ensure effective contact tracing, Umahi had directed that all government offices be shut down from Thursday, June 4, 2020 and resume on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

“All civil servants shall

work from their respective homes within this period, but shall leave their phones open to respond to official imperatives.

“In view of this development, the state governor passionately appeals to all sons and daughters of Ebonyi State, who are living outside the shores of the state to avoid the risk of returning to the state, as records have shown that the positive cases hitherto recorded in the state were

those who returned from the epicentre states.

“The governor further pleads with our people to take seriously the NCDC COVID-19 protocol, especially all precautionary measures such as hand washing, use of hand sanitisers, use of face masks, social distancing and avoiding of crowded places, more so as we have entered into another phase of spread of COVID-19 called c o m m u n i t y transmission,” the statement read.

Osun To Create 15,000 Post-COVID-19 Jobs Annually

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s u n S t a t e Government has unveiled plans to generate 15,000 jobs annually through industrial development, technical and vocational centres in the state.

The State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Dr. Bode Olaonipekun, unveiled the plans during a chat with newsmen in Osogbo on Thursday.

Dr Olanipekun, who spoke after a meeting with the leadership of the Small

and Medium Enterprises Development Agency and the management of the Industrial Development Centre, explained that the initiative was aimed at empowering the residents

and generating employment for youths.

He said, “This is a postpandemic initiative to revive the economy and we are here particularly to address one of the focal

a r e a s o f t h i s administration – to rejuvenate the economy and empower the citizens.”

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Nigeria's COVID-19 Cases Now 11,844 with 328 New Infections

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28 persons were t e s t e d f o r coronavirus in Nigeria in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of infections in the country to 11,844.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known on Friday.

The 328 new fresh cases of #COVID19 are broken down as follows: Lagos 121; FCT – 70; Bauchi – 25; Rivers – 18; Oyo – 16; Kaduna – 15; Gombe – 14; Edo – 13; Ogun – 13; Jigawa – 8; Enugu – 6; Kano – 5; Osun – 2; Ondo – 2.

PDP Official Charged With Terrorism For Accusing Imo Gov Of Giving Land To Herdsmen

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he Imo State Government has arraigned the Imo State Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party's New Media Centre, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, for terrorism for accusing Governor Hope Uzodinma of “secretly approving Rural Grazing Reserves for Fulani herdsmen”.

Nwaogwugwu was also said to have accused Governor Uzodinma of planning to rename the Imo State University after the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

A copy of the charge sheet, marked 0W/217c/2020, stated that the 29-year-old Nwaogwugwu also accused the governor of constructing a Rural Grazing Area for Fulani herdsmen.

The defendant also allegedly accused Uzodinma of planning to divert N5.2bn meant for pensioners in the state.

The state government also slammed four other charges against the 29year-old.

The remaining charges b o r d e r e d o n cyberbullying,

defamation, and attempting to incite citizens of the state against Uzodinma, who became governor of the state in January following a Supreme Court judgment.

The defendant was said to have made the allegations on his Facebook page between March and May. He was subsequently arrested by the Department of State Services on May 28, 2020, but arraigned on Friday.

Part of the charges read, “That you, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, on April 20, 2020, in Owerri, within the jurisdiction of this court, knowingly and

intentionally posted on your Facebook wall through a computer network that Governor Hope Uzodinma is to rename Imo State University to Abba Kyari University for helping him out in the Supreme Court, which you know to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, injury, hatred, ill will and needless anxiety to the governor and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1)(a)(b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc) Act 2015.

“That you, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, on March 23, 2020, in Owerri, within

the jurisdiction of this court, knowingly published on your Facebook page that Governor Hope U z o d i n m a h a s inaugurated an undercover RUGA commissioner and has made available a large expanse of land for the takeoff of the RUGA project in Ngor Okpala which act is deliberately done with malice and which is seriously intended to intimidate Imo population and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(b)(II) of Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011.”

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Lagos Govt Confirms Prince Gbolahan Lawal as Oniru-elect

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he Lagos State Executive Council, under the leadership of Governor Babajide SanwoOlu, having satisfied all legal requirements, has approved the nomination and appointment of Prince Gbolahan Lawal as the new Oba-Elect of Iruland (the Oniru-Elect of Iruland).

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, on Friday stated that the appointment of Prince Lawal as the Oniru-Elect, which takes immediate effect was made on Friday afternoon, during the State's Executive Council meeting, where final ratification was made on his nomination.

Prince Gbolahan Lawal, succeeds late Oba Idowu Abiodun, former Oniru of Iruland, who passed on in year 2019 at the age of 82.

Gbolahan Wasiu Lawal born on July 24th 1970 to late Chief T. A. Lawal- Akapo, the Ojora of Lagos (19771993) and Olori M. A. Lawal-Akapo. Gbolahan is a Lagos Prince from the Ojora, Aromire, Shokun and Abisogun branch of Oniru Royal families of Lagos State.

He is a seasoned administrator with over 25 years postgraduate experience with an in-depth knowledge of the workings of the Public Sector. He is driven, focused, steadfast and passionate. Prince Lawal's excellent leadership, communication, collaborative and organizational skills have over the years sharpened his

ability to identify, analyse and proffer s t r a t e g i c transformational change.

Prince Lawal holds an Executive MSc in CITIES (LSE, Cities) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also obtained an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies [SOAS], University of London in 2008; a BSc Hons. in Botany from the University of Port-Harcourt in 1992 and a product of the famous St. Gregory's College, Lagos.

In addition, he has completed several courses and programmes amongst which are the International Housing Finance Program (IHFP) in 2018 and Advanced Management Programme (AMP) from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA in 2015.

He is also a product of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the World Bank Institute, Washington D.C. In the last 8years, he has been on the board of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund.

Prince Lawal started his career as a Scientific Officer with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council at the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in 1994. He later joined The Nigerian Police F o r c e a n d w a s commissioned as a Cadet

Assistant Superintendent.

While in the force, he held several duty posts amongst which was serving as an Aide-de-camp [ADC] to the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He retired voluntarily from the Nigerian Police in 2008 as a Superintendent of Police.

Prince Gbolahan Lawal was a Senior Special Assistant on Special Projects to a former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). In this capacity, he coordinated the Agriculture-Based Youth Empowerment Scheme (AgricYES). The success of the innovative Agric-Yes paved way for his appointment as the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives in Lagos State in 2011.

His impeccable public service record and his ability to address urban

challenges also led to his appointment as the Honourable Commissioner for Housing by former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State in October 2015, a position he held until May 2019.

A lot of programmes and landmark projects were achieved under his watch as the Honourable Commissioner such as the Rent-to-own home ownership program, Master Craftsman program, Lagos Affordable Public Housing (LAPH), and The 4-IN-14 days bungalow housing development.

In 2019, Gbolahan Lawal was reappointed as the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State by the current Governor of the State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu essentially based on his sterling performance and quality leadership he provided in his first stint in

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News the office. Suffice it to say that during his first reign as the Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives in Lagos State, Gbolahan was the brain behind programmes and projects such as the School Agric programme, the AgricYES summer school for senior secondary schools and the Eko Rice Mill, Imota.

During his second spell as the Honourable Commissioner, he has brought to bear his previous experience and expertise in the field. He came up with the idea of an Agricultural Stakeholders Summit in furtherance of the efforts of the State Government to make Lagos a 21st century economy with the agricultural sector playing a vital role in sustainable food security and diversification of the economy. Essentially, the Summit developed strategies that will ensure the State

attains sustainable food security, improved nutrition, generate employment and create wealth through a combination of business and development platforms in partnership with the private sector.

As an offshoot of the Summit, he also saw to the development of a five-year Agricultural Roadmap for the State (2020-2025). The roadmap focuses on the development of agricultural value chains where the State has competitive and comparative advantages including the provision and availability of improved inputs, increased productivity and production. Suffice it to say that he was similarly instrumental to the organisation of a roundtable discussion on the implementation of the Roadmap in order to ensure adequate planning to

circumvent risks and uncertainties in the sector.

Prince Lawal is also the brain behind the reforms and development of the Red Meat Value Chain in Lagos State; Agricultural Value Chains Empowerment Programme, a programme targeted at farmers, service providers, transporters, input manufacturers and suppliers within the system whose services are required for the successful implementation of increase productivity in Agriculture; an appraisal of Farm Estate and Settlements in the State; Lagos Agriprenuership Programme; the very popular Lagos Seafood Festival and the EKO City Farmers' Market.

Lawal also successfully midwifed and superintended the State Government's food security and palliative efforts during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Suffice it

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to say that to curtail the spread of the disease, the Lagos Tinubu State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared a lockdown in the state and initiated various interventions in the areas of health, food and security to ameliorate the pains that the lockdown had on the citizenry. And it was Lawal's Ministry of Agriculture that successfully coordinated and to the admiration of all, the twin efforts of the Emergency Food Response and the Temporary Food Markets.

He also has several awards in recognition of his outstanding performances in both sectors he served as H o n o u r a b l e Commissioner.

He is happily married with children, a sports, music and arts enthusiast.

FG Removes Antiviral Drugs From COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines

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he Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has issued a new set of guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in isolation centres.

The Director General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, stated this at a Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the decision to stop the administration of antiviral drugs on COVID19 patients was brought on by latest research on case management.

H e s a i d , “ We h a v e removed the use of antivirals from our

treatment guidelines,” adding that the trials for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine would still go on.

Speaking further on antiviral drugs removed from the COVID-19 treatment guidelines, Ihekweazu said, “We reached out to some antiviral drugs. One that was in our guidelines recently was the lopinavir/ritonavir combination, which is a combination of medicines we use for HIV. So, we look for whatever we have to try.

“As evidence emerges and science improves, then we have to start making hard

choices. There have been quite a number of studies now that have shown that they don't really improve the outcome of this illness, so we've withdrawn them from the g u i d e l i n e s o f management.”

T h e N a t i o n a l Coordinator, PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, raised the alarm over the lack of access to

care for chronic medical conditions, including h u m a n immunodeficiency virus, as well as the absence of maternal, newborn, and child health services.

According to him, persons with underlying medical conditions are unable to receive needed care.

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Okotie kicks, Abiara Backs Sanwo-Olu On Guidelines For Reopening Churches

he Senior Pastor of the Household of God Church, Oregun, Lagos, Rev. Chris Okotie, has rejected the latest guidelines issued by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide SanwoOlu, for the reopening of worship centres.

Okotie, in a statement on Friday, said the doors of his church would remain closed as long as the governor refused to review the guidelines which he termed as an 'abomination of desolation'.

Sanwo-Olu had on Thursday said that churches would begin services from June 21 as long as they abided by the new guidelines.

The governor explained that Muslim and Christian worshippers would be allowed to open at a maximum of 40 per cent from June 19 and 21, respectively.

He said, "We know that these places of worship have different sizes but even if your 40 per cent capacity is so large, you cannot have beyond 500 worshippers at

once, and keeping that maximum 40 per cent capacity is really important.

"We will also be advising very strongly that persons below the age of 15, because of how well they walk around and are difficult to hold down, should be excused from the places of worship and citizens that are above the age of 65 should not be allowed into these places of worship."

Okotie, however, said it was not in the place of the governor to reorder the mode of worship in the temple of God. He said, "These guidelines are an 'abomination of desolation'. Our doors will remain closed until these profanation and secularisation have been pulverised by the Emperor of heaven'.

"Beloved, yesterday, the abomination of desolation took a giant step towards standing in the holy place.

The fulfillment of Bible prophecy is being accelerated by the forces of Janes and Jambres.

"To reorder temple worship is to deny God the divine p r e r o g a t i v e o f congregational adoration and the holy genuflects of the saints in light. Let no man's heart be troubled by the vengeance of satanic antagonism.

Okotie had earlier blamed the Christian Association of Nigeria for not speaking for the church, describing them as Pharisees.

Meanwhile, a former General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church, Prophet Kayode Abiara, has urged pastors to abide by the guidelines of the governor as each of the guidelines was in the interest of the people.

Abiara made this known to Saturday PUNCH on Friday while reacting to the news of the reopening of religious centres in the state.

The cleric said the church does not have the right to dictate to authorities as the Bible clearly instructs that the people in government should be honoured as they have been appointed by

God. Abiara said, "We thank God for the life of our governor, he has been working very hard and we pray that God will continue to help him. It is good that he opened the churches as the house of God is the house of prayer and people should gather to pray.

"But on the issue of restricting members of a certain age, we will talk to the governor to revisit the issue as we believe that there is nothing God cannot do."

Abiara added that churches should devise means within their power to hold services in line with the government's guidelines and whatever objections they had should be humbly presented to the government as a piece of advice.

He added, "According to the Bible, we must not disobey those in government. We can only advise and device means to cooperate with the directives of the government.

Buhari Reappoints Danbatta As NCC Boss

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r e s i d e n t Muhammadu Buhari o n F r i d a y , reappointed Umar Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission.

In a press statement released by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the minister, Isa Pantami, said the reappointment was in

line with the NCC Act 2003.

He charged Danbatta to improve on the performance of the commission as well as ensure that adequate mechanisms are put in place to facilitate the implementation of all policies of the Federal Government through the agency.

The minister also enjoined

h i m t o ensure that the interest o f t h e telecommu nication consumers, Nigerians a n d investors a r e adequately protected. www.thebossnewspapers.com

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Cover

Rape!

Outbreak of a New Normal ...Victims Reveal Tales of Sorrow and Pain

By Eric Elezuo

H

ow would rape ever be extinguished?

Can victims ever get justice?

Rape has remained a recurrent decimal in the affairs of men despite the efforts of successive governments, human and civil rights organisations, non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies and even individuals. It has gained

prominence in the last couple of days in many cities across Nigeria, prompting the question if there is an outbreak of rape or is it the new normal.

In the space of one week, three girls were sexually assaulted with two of them getting brutally killed in the process.

M i s s Ve r a U w a i l a Omozuwa, 100-level Microbiology student of

the University of Benin was murdered after being raped inside the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Miracle Sanctuary Mega Parish, Edo Province 10, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City on May 27, 2020, where she had gone to study. His assailant(s) smashed her h e SKC a d Ogbonnia with a fire extinguisher.

Her killing sparked outrage and protests in

Benin, Lagos and Abuja, w i t h t h e hashtag,#JusticeForUwa, trending on the social media. It drew the irk of the government and other well meaning Nigerians with President Muhammadu Buhari ordering a speedy intervention into the matter with a view of apprehending the perpetrators as soon as

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possible.

Less than a week later, an 18-year-old student of the Federal College of Animal and Production Te c h n o l o g y, M o o r e Plantation, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State, Barakat Bello, suffered the same fate.

Bello was undertaking the National Diploma programme in Science Laboratory Technology.

Barakat's father, Kasimu Elepo, narrated that he was not at home when the incident occurred, adding that it was his other daughter who found Barakat's body in a pool of her own blood at the back of the house when she returned from Quaranic lessons.

Elepo said, "I was not at home when the incident happened. The victim's younger sister was not at home too; she went for Quaranic lessons, but when she returned home, she saw Barakat at the back of the house with deep cuts all over her body.

She had been raped and killed." Her murder also sparked protest on Twitter with the hashtag,

#JusticeforBarakat.

On the same day Barakat was brutally raped and killed, three armed men were reported to have allegedly gang-raped a 17year-old street hawker at the Oja-Oba Market, AdoEkiti, Ekiti State.

The Punch reported that the victim was hawking sachet water when the men, who were said to be armed with broken bottles, accosted her and took her to a corner in the market, and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her around 7pm.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, said two suspects had been arrested, adding that efforts were on to apprehend the third member of the gang.

While society has identified "weak institutions, poor enforcement, poverty and unacceptable social practices" as part of the reasons for sexual violence against women, no measure employed has seem to dissuade rapist.

And recently, they have

added killing of their victims as part of their itinerary.

As the news begun making the rounds, The Boss went to town, and investigation reveals that nine out of ten girls have been raped or escaped rape at one time or another in her life. The statistics sadly covered the age group of between 14 and 28 years. It is believed that some girls have either

been raped or escaped rape before their 16th birthday.

So scary!

Rape has taken place among siblings, fathers against their daughters, neighbours, relatives and so called family friends.

There are incontrovertible evidences of where extreme minors are also the victims. A video is currently trending on the social media where a grown man was seen kissing a three year old child. There's nothing to prove that such person has not penetrated or attempted to penetrate the child.

Sexual violence in Nigeria largely goes unreported because of the burden of proof necessary for conviction as well as the social stigma it brings, and threats that go with them.

Ordinarily, the Police have found it difficult to make arrests for sexual assault because of less reporting of

Vera Uwaila

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the act, and when reportage is made, most rape victims have complained that the police blamed them for the assault, asking why did you go there? Why did you dress the way you did?

These have made it difficult for girls, mostly the younger ones to report, even to their parents.

Koya is a student in Ibadan. She narrated her story as follows: "I had just recovered from an illness that kept me away from school for two weeks. On resumption, my classmate, who was also my friend, volunteered to lend me her notebooks so I could copy. So on this day, I went to her house to take the books, but on getting to her house, she was not home. Her brother told me that he knows where she was, and would take me there based on her instruction. So we went.

The place was her boyfriend's house. I met my friend there with her twin sister. I asked that one of them follow me to their house so I could rush up with writing the notes. Just then, my friend left, leaving me behind with her twin sister, and as she left, a knock was heard on the door. I was relaxed, thinking it was my friend coming back, but two boys marched in. Without any form of warning, they started beating us up mercilessly, tore our cloths and took turns on us. My friend, who supposedly went to collect the book, did not go anywhere. She was locked up in another

room, and another group of boys were also mercilessly raping her too.

At a stage, I fought my way out, and ran out of the house stark naked. That was when neighbours came to my rescue. I led them to the house. They cleaned us up and gave us c l o t h s t o w e a r. T h e neighbours encouraged me to go to the police, and I did. The police followed me to the scene and took us

cloth I wore that day covered my body from neck down. The only visible part of my body were my fingers.

At interrogation, my friend's boyfriend claimed that he planned it all. He said that he been asking his girlfriend for sex, but was constantly turned down.

On this day, the boy had invited his girlfriend and asked her to come along with her sister as

sisters for allowing their friend to report the matter to the police.

Another victim, this time a married woman, told a most pathetic story of how her 15 year-old daughter was brutally disvirgined under her watch by her step father, the very weekend before the lockdown.

She said: "Just before the lockdown, my daughter, who is 15 years was raped by my husband, a man she

to the hospital. The hospital confirm that all three of us were virgins.

Those boys brutally took our virginity.

The irony of the whole thing was that everyone blamed my friends and I. My parents scolded me for reporting to the police.

They queried my mission in the house of the boys.

My explanations did not make any meaning to them. The Police said we were the cause. I still don't know how. And the kind of

confidence that nothing called father, though not will happen to her. They her biological father. My actually made plans to rape husband was always in both sisters, and Koya need of sex, and I tried to walked into the trap. The fulfil his needs whenever police did not help matters he comes, even when I as they dismissed the case, can't. Each time I seem to heaping all blames on the give him excuses, he will girls. Koya further hinted threaten to go and get it that she and her friends are f r o m m y d a u g h t e r . no longer on talking terms Whenever I call his bluff, because they too blamed he will move to the door of her for taking the matter to her room, and I will the police, instead of reluctantly allow him to keeping quiet. This was have his way with me. a f t e r t h e b o y s h a v e But this particular night reorganised and beat the was different; there was no www.thebossnewspapers.com

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demand and no rejection.

When he left the bed, I thought he had gone to watch TV until I began to hear screams and threats. I got and discovered that the noise was coming from my daughter's room. The room had been locked from inside. This man violently and mercilessly raped her, beating her up severely for daring to resist. By daybreak when he opened the door, the girl

your daughter who you had before you married him, then you people should look for how to balance it.

It is not a new thing."

The girl is shattered, and in hiding just like her mother.

Gracious is a 22 years old young graduate of the University of Lagos. She told the Boss that though she cannot remember vividly how her incident occurred, she is very sure attempt was made at her

most people would say these are very common, she said.

When prodded to recollect incidences of such harassment, she hinted: "I remember meeting a top personality in the media one day at the radio booth of a well known broadcasting station, and in excitement, I requested to take a picture with him.

While we posed, his hand went too far down my hip

was a ghost of her former self. I took her to the hospital, where she was attended to. I managed to sneak into the house and took my two other children and disappeared. Not even a pin followed me out of the house. I was afraid of what he might do next. I don't even want anyone to know where I am.

Like most people who have been disappointed by the Police, she said the Police told her "that's your family problem. If your husband finds interest in

virginity when she was just five years.

"I believe I have a rape experience but I don't have any clear recollection of it.

I was very very little and I just have this suspicion of foul play by a neighbour but no evidence and nothing was noticed by mom, so I guess it probably didn't happen. But rape aside, there are several cases of sexual harassment: inappropriate touching and inappropriate advances, but we don't shout too loud because

and stayed fondling. He kept asking for the picture to be taken over and over again and his hand kept going further down with every picture taken. I didn't know how to react because of who he was, and the number of people there.

When he left, several people came to me commenting on how they had noticed what he had done. They told me how normal it was for him to do such," she narrated.

She also recalled incidences including

playing with his cousin, who out of instinct and "completely unprovoked, he put his hands into my trousers and into my pant. I didn't know anything then but I knew that was wrong so I pushed him away and we continued like nothing had happened. I haven't told my mom to this day.

"I also remember when I was also very very little, I couldn't have been more than seven, my dad had left me at home while I was sleeping to buy something outside. Somehow, my neighbours' sons (who were within my age bracket), got into my house and all I know is, I woke up to them looking and touching my nether regions almost as if curious."

She frowned at the attention the society pay to such deeds, saying that the society, families and the police justify rape act by blaming the woman, saying she might have put herself in the position to be raped or touched or molested.

She however noted that rape is not to women alone, adding that men are also raped though most men celebrate their rape.

"I remember having a discussion with some of my guy friends about this rape issue. This is a group that the age range was from 1925; out of four guys, three had a sexual assault story of different levels."

Juanita is a 27 years old mother of four, who said she can't count the number of times she had been raped because of her broken home status. She told the story of one her

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experiences: "There was this man, much older than me. I was 14 years then. He was a cousin to my friend. The said day, I had gone to see my friend in company of another friend. Her parents were not home. There was just herself, her brother, cousin and boyfriend at home. Three of us were just the girls in their midst.

"Shortly afterwards, our host was sent to buy recharge card. When she returned, she was sent out again. This time, she took the friend I came with along. I was then the only girl left. I felt uncomfortable with the environment, and then went into the toilet to ease myself. When I came back, my friend's council was already seated in the room, and on the waiting. I felt he wanted to try boys' stuff with me, so I was ready with my answers. But I was wrong. He wanted sex. No conversation nor preamble; he grabbed me.

He threatened me with horrible things. I was dumbfounded. He said he was going to soak my cloths in water and I will go home naked. We struggled but he had his way. even when the other girls came back, they were not bothered but peeped through the keyhole. That was it. I was raped. I couldn't tell anyone. I got pregnant, and was not even aware of it.

"That even shattered my entire life, because I visited one quack after another for abortion. What and where does a 14-year-

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs

old know. I tried a quack nurse, a herbalist, all to no avail until one day, I started bleeding profusely. And my family got to know."

She continued: "The beauty of the whole thing is that 13 years later, as this rape thing is making the rounds now, the guy has surfaced, asking for forgiveness. He said he had had no peace ever since, especially now. He traced me through Facebook," Juanita said.

This story brings tears to my eyes each time I remember it; it is one experience I don't wish for even my worst enemies, Peju, a 26 year-old woman said as she recount an experience when she was 17 when her boyfriend sold her out to be rape. Her MC boyfriend actually collected money from someone so the person could rape her.

This guy was an MC, and was about town, meaning we are always going out.

That day, we were hanging out by a poolside, when I noticed a particular guy was constantly staring at

me. Suddenly, he passed come out, he did not. The his number on a piece of pool guy suggested I come paper to me. I immediately to his house, and wait. I informed my boyfriend, agreed reluctantly. His who laughed it off, saying house was a full house so I felt comfortable. His sister, he knows the guy.

After the pool incident, we fiancĂŠ and another lady, planned to hangout at the were there. This was club later that night where already some minutes past he was performing, and midnight. I was trapped. agreed to meet somewhere The guy gave me two drinks before proceeding. options; either I sleep in his While there, the guy who house or he lodge me in a gave me a number at the nearby hotel till morning. I pool joined us to my chose the hotel option since surprise. He was formally I d i d n ' t c o m f o r t a b l e introduced. I did not know sleeping over in his house. the plans as my friend left He put me in a room, but on he pretense to buy refused to go, saying he something, and for three would finish his drink first. hours, he didn't come back. I kept insisting he leave so I Worried, I asked the pool could go to sleep. Then he guy where he had gone to told me it was too late and and when he would be h e c o u l d n o t l e a v e back. He said he did not anymore. He volunteered know but that he would try to sleep on the chair while I calling him. Meanwhile, I sleep on the bed. couldn't have called repeatedly but help it, so I asked him to h i s n u m b e r w a s sleep on the bed while I unreachable. sleep on the chair. I waited After sometime, he told me for him to sleep but he he had reached someone would not. Then he said else and they said my 'why are you acting like friend was very sick, that this? You ought to know he was at another friend's what is happening. In fact, place, so we went there. I let me tell you the truth, I waited outside for him to have paid your boyfriend to www.thebossnewspapers.com

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Oyo State Commissioner of Police

have you tonight so don't even try to resist'. It was the dirtiest statement I ever heard.

He locked the door and pocketed the key and he began following me around the room. The hotel is a popular place for prostitutes so shouting for help was futile, it was normal to them. I shouted.

I begged. But it was a waste of time. He told me his money would not go to waste. He pushed me onto the bed, tore my skirt, my underwear and had his way with me repeatedly.

Much as I hit his head with a bottle, he was not deterred. I was so scattered afterwards, even as I speak with you now, I'm shaking.

I hate to remember that experience. I was so scattered, I didn't know what to do with myself; my clothes were torn so how was I to stand up and find my way home? Who would listen to such a story? That's how I was disgraced. Who would I have told this story? I got home that day and cried my eyes out. It was a miracle I did not commit

suicide. I turned me into something else, I started smoking and misbehaving because I lost myself. It is really not a good experience but it is well and I thank God I'm still alive and strong.

If you think Peju's story was callous, hear what another student, Ijeoma told The Boss amid hiccups: "I was callously raped by a person I taught was my friend because he was close to my boyfriend. He claimed he was a student of OAU but I discovered later he was into Advance Fee Fraud (419). We were

close because he was always with my boyfriend.

One day, he invited my boyfriend to his house, and he took me along. This was already past 7pm. So I went with them because I had nothing doing. After sometime, both of them went outside, and came back shortly after. Just then, the guy started touching my leg in the presence of my guy. When I complained to him, he didn't say a word.

Emboldened, the guy jump on me, pinned me down and started tearing my cloths off. I knew I was practically on my own, so I

started begging and crying.

I told him to pity me that I was still a virgin, but he wouldn't listen. To cut a lo n g s to r y s h o r t, h e violently raped me both through my vagina and anus. He sodomized me.

When he was done, he ran off to wash off himself.

At that point, the one I call my boyfriend said he wanted to take his turn with me. I started begging again, reminding him that we were friends. He refused, boasting that if he could have sex with his own sister, there was no reason why he would not have sex with me. I must have raised my voice higher while I was begging because someone seemed to hear and was banging on the door. That saved me. A next door neighbour, who happened to be a doctor walked in. She took me to her room where I was given a pad, and the police was called. It was a very rough experience. I don't wish it upon my worst enemy. We, girls know what we go through on a daily basis; things that we cannot even

Barakat Bello

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speak of. We cannot say all that we go through."

Ijeoma added that she was consoled with the fact that her rapist has been killed.

She claimed he was killed during a cult war.

A lot of debates have been going on as regards the basic deterring measure to apply to curb this outbreak, which has remained endemic. Sadly enough, at Thursday's plenary session, members of the House of Representatives voted against castration as punishment for rapists as suggested by Hon. James Faleke from Lagos state.

They called for stiffer penalties against persons found guilty of rape.

The Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Julie OkahDonli, on their part, said it would publish the names and photos of sex offenders in the country as a deterrent to would-be

Edo State Commissioner of Police

offenders According to her, reporting cases of rape is the only way to curtail the abominable act, adding that the agency will act on reported cases.

A social commentator, who do not wish his in print said, every agency involved must find a way to make ladies understand that it is not their fault that they were raped before they can expect reports of rape. In the past, the raped woman has always been blamed for what she suffered.

He maintained that the length of rape action should not stop its prosecution, hinting that the case between Mrs Busola Dakolo and Commonwealth of Zion Assembly pastor, Biodun Fatoyinbo, resurfaced many years after it took place, and is still on.

Rape gives only five minutes of enjoyment to the rapist, and life of misery to the victim.

Human sympathy should play a role in curbing rape, the extant laws in place not withstanding.

It is not to be swept under the carpet most rape cases involve high capacity individuals, who 'cannot' be reported. There are stories of obas raping their interns, employers raping their employees or wouldbe employees, teachers raping their students, policemen raping the inmates and many more.

And has anyone bothered to know how models are recruited by the agents?

That's a story for another day!

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Pendulum - Dele Momodu -

Dele Momodu

Dele Momodu

Delemomoduovation

momodudele@yahoo.co.uk

"I've Seen Dictators Rise and Fall. Beware, America"

F

ellow citizens of the world, the above title is not original to me. It is the headline of a very profound and inspired article written on June 3, 2020, by one of the greatest novelists of the last century, Salman Rushdie, in the Washington Post.

I know many of today's readers may not know who Salman Rushdie is, so let me a give brief description of this prodigiously gifted writer and how significant he's been in the past three decades. I first encountered the novels of Salman Rushdie around 1989 as a reporter at the We e k e n d C o n c o r d .

Rushdie had just released his controversial book, Satanic Verses, which many Muslims found gravely uncomplimentary and deeply offensive to their religion and faith.

The book was banned by the Islamic faithful leaders. Riots took place all over the world as the heretical book was burnt and shops stocking it were attacked. On Valentine's

day, 14 February 1989, a death fatwa was proclaimed and issued on Rushdie's head by the then spiritual leader of Iran, the much revered and feared Ayatollah Sayyid Ruhollah Khomeini. For those who may not know the meaning of fatwa, let me quickly explain. It is a ruling under Islamic Sharia law which leads to a culprit who has committed heresy against Islam or the holy Prophet Muhammad, being declared a persona non grata who deserves to be killed wherever and whenever he is found. This sentence may be enforced by any Muslim faithful and such a Muslim immediately becomes a Martyr. This was certainly dangerous and perilous times for Rushdie.

He knew the faith, calibre and fanaticism of those whose faith he had abused and promptly went into hiding under the protection of the British Government.

The situation was so charged and inflamed that the British Government and Iran broke off diplomatic relations over the fatwa.

Rushdie himself was not to surface for many years, eventually doing so and appearing, at a U2 music concert in London in August 1993.

Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie was born in Mumbai, India, on June 19, 1947. By the time his second novel, Midnight's Children, won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981, he was already recognised and acknowledged as a distinguished writer.

The book was subsequently rated "the best novel of all winners" of the Booker Prize on two occasions, the 25th and the 40th anniversary of the prize.

But in September 1988, he bit more than he could chew when he wrote The Satanic Verses. The book as I have said attracted widespread criticism and protests across Muslim countries and other nations including the UK where Rushdie was then living, when some people realised what they claim

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“

In my life, I have seen several dictators rise and fall.

Today, I'm remembering those earlier incarnations of this unlovely breed.

“

to be the irreverent depiction of the holy Prophet Mohammed. He received death threats and ultimately a bounty and the fatwa were placed on his head. Incidentally, ironically, and by a quirk o f f a t e , Ay a t o l l a h Khomeini died on 3 June 1989 after having five heart attacks in ten days, barely only four months into the fatwa that he had proclaimed against

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Salman Rushdie. It is also significant that the Rushdie comment that I am reproducing here was written on the 41st anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's demise.

I first got hold of the highly controversial book in March 1989, through my boss at the Weekend Concord newspaper, Mr Mike Awoyinfa. It was

States in 2000 and has permanently lived there, acquiring American citizenship about four years ago.

I was excited to stumble on his essay yesterday as I was getting ready to write my weekly column. The article was lucid and logical and I decided to make it available to my African readers for the benefit of

is infallible, the unfortunate and unnecessary wasted blood and life of George Floyd seems to have united the world against the white supremacists of which Trump is the undisputed champion.

Let me allow you to read and savour the words of Salman Rushdie...

"In my life, I have seen

only when she called an election, believing she would win, and was annihilated at the polls.

Her arrogance was her downfall. This cautionary tale formed a part of my novel “Midnight's Children.”

In Pakistan in 1977, Gen. Mohammed Zia ul-Haq staged a coup against Prime Minister Zulfiqar

sacrilegious to be seen with the book at the time, although the hullaballoo was not that prevalent or ferocious in Nigeria. We are both greedy about books.

Since the Satanic Verses debacle, I've been a keen follower of Rushdie and purchased most of his works. He moved from England to the United

the strange acolytes of President Donald Trump in Africa who seemed to have been conned and scammed by the antics of a man who has never hidden his pathological hatred for people of colour. Some of the ugliest descriptions of colour were coined and "patented" by Trump. But for those who think Trump can do no wrong and that he

several dictators rise and f a l l . To d a y, I ' m remembering those earlier incarnations of this unlovely breed.

In India in 1975, Indira Gandhi, found guilty of electoral malpractice, declared a state of emergency that granted her despotic powers. The “ e m e r g e n c y, ” a s i t became known, ended

Ali Bhutto and executed him in 1979. This dark story was the inspiration for my novel “Shame.”

The circumstances of my life have given me some understanding of the dictatorial cast of mind.

Extreme narcissism, detachment from reality, a fondness for sycophants and a distrust of truthtellers, an obsession with how one is publicly

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Pendulum portrayed, a hatred of journalists and the temperament of an out-ofcontrol bulldozer: These are some of the characteristics.

P r e s i d e n t Tr u m p i s , temperamentally, a tinpot despot of this type. But he finds himself in charge of a country that has historically thought of itself — by no means always correctly — as being on the side of liberty.

So far, with the collusion of the Republican Party, he has ruled more or less unchecked. Now an election looms, and he is unpopular, and flails about looking for a winning strategy. And if that means trampling over American freedoms, then so be it.

I have lived in the United States for 20 years and been a citizen for the past four. One of the most important reasons for becoming a citizen was my admiration for the ideas of freedom embodied in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Trump, whose regard for the Second Amendment is well known, needs reminding of the First, which, if I may help, states in part that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

And yet, the man whose incompetence allowed the pandemic to tighten its deadly grip around our necks, and whose inflammatory language

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full of racist dog whistles has played a significant role in unleashing whitesupremacist bigotry upon us all, stands in the Rose Garden of the White House and announces without an iota of shame that he wants to protect peaceful protesters. At that very time, just down the street, his security forces, some of them on horseback, are attacking a peaceful protest with tear gas and rubber bullets. A moment later, he

house of worship, then holds up a Bible outside a church to demonstrate his piety, and if the bishop of the diocese denounces him soon after, accusing him of misusing the church in the service of “a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus,” what of it? Once again, he has the pictures, and they speak louder.

We are so inured to the behavior of this man, so used to his lies, his

actions of a tiny minority of criminals and white extremist infiltrators to invalidate the honorable protest of the vast majority against the murder of Floyd, the violence of the police toward the black community and the entrenched power of American racism, he will be on his way to despotism. He has threatened to use the Army against American

characterizes the demonstrators as terrorists and characterizes their protests as crimes against God. He has the pictures to prove it: the fleeing young people, the clouds of tear gas, the line of horses advancing in the name of the Law. If there's one thing Trump knows, it's how to construct an image the cameras will like.

This man who, before he got his present job, was almost never seen inside a

inexhaustible self-regard, his stupidity, that maybe we are tempted to think of this as just another day in Trumpistan. But this time, something different is happening. The uprising that began with the killing of George Floyd is not fizzling but growing. The man in the White House is scared, and even, for a time, takes refuge in the basement and turns out the lights.

What is such a person to do at such a time?

If he is allowed to use the

citizens, a threat one might have expected from a leader of the former Soviet Union, but not of the United States.

In my most recent novel, “Quichotte,” I characterized the present moment as the “Age of Anything-Can-Happen.”

Today I say, beware, America. Don't believe that it can't happen here."

Thank you, Sir. Nothing more to add with respect to the reckless and dangerous bully that Trump is. For me, his day

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Pendulum or reckoning is imminent, and he will get his comeuppance very soon at the conclusion of the November 3 election in America. Maybe then, the scales will fall from over the eyes of those black people, particularly Christians, who see Trump as some sort of Messiah who has come to provide them salvation from the heathens that other Americans represents to them. On the contrary, for me Trump is the archetypal Anti-Christ doing exactly as the Bible predicts and deceiving the shallow and the unwise.

However, it is important to draw lessons from the above piece by Rushdie for African leaders who think they can rule in

perpetuity by using ethnicity and religion to divide their people. It may work for them for some time, even a long time in some countries, but that time will finally end and the people will suddenly realise how much they have been brainwashed, hypnotised and hoodwinked by these selfish and unpatriotic leaders. The day is therefore coming, and very soon too, when the people of Africa will wake up from their deep slumber and reject the primordial sentiments, packaged as parochial bigotry and prejudice founded on the insular and divisive tenets and platforms of sectarianism, ethnicity and religious intolerance.

Unfortunately, these divisive policies have kept most of us in Africa in bondage almost forever.

Those who have ears to hear and eyes to see should watch out, listen, and see how the death of one man can ignite the fire of togetherness and unity across the world.

There have been too many deaths before now.

But this is obviously one death too many. The frenzy for equity and justice for George Floyd in particular, and people of colour in general, is reaching fever pitch all around the world. The fire will consume all in its wake who do not see the conflagration reaching out to tear the barriers,

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shackles, manacles, blinkers and blindfolds that have prevented Blacks from achieving real freedom, egalitarianism and emancipation for themselves. What is becoming clear is that Black people will not wait for these to be handed to them anymore, they will grab it themselves by fire, by force. George Floyd's blood was not a sweet blood for vampires and, so, it has turned into poison coursing through their infernal veins and internally and eternally w o r r y i n g a n d exterminating his killers and their ilk.

May George Floyd's soul rest in peace...

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Feature

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100 Days of Coronavirus in Nigeria: Cross River Maintains Clean Slate

By Eric Elezuo

T

oday marks exactly 100 days since the incursion of the dreaded coronavirus disease into Nigeria. The advent of Coronavirus, nicknamed COVID-19, in Nigeria on February 27, 2020 took many by surprise, but to many others, it was just the consequence of weeks of official indecision. The disease finally entered through the airport via an index-Italian, whose name is still unknown.

COVID-19 was first discovered in the Wuhan Province of China, and made public on December 31, 2019. It has been reported that the origin story of coronavirus says that someone at the now world-famous Huanan

seafood market in Wuhan was infected with a virus from an animal. All fingers have been pointed at pangolins; a scaly mammal that looks like an anteater, suggesting this animal was the staging post for the virus before it spread to humans.

The rest is still an undeveloped history, but the fact of the matter remains that the spreading from that first cluster in the capital of China's Hubei province to a pandemic that has killed over 315,000 people so far, globally.

In Nigeria, after 100 days of the first infection, the spread of the novel Disease continues to rise as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal

there are about 12, 000 confirmed cases.

Presently, with the 300 new confirmed cases and 8 deaths recorded on June 5, 2020, the country seems far from flattening the curve.

The NCDC said, "On the 5th of June 2020, 328 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.

"No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.

"Till date, 11844 cases have been confirmed, 3696 cases have been discharged and 333 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

"The 328 new cases are reported from 14 states-

Lagos (121), FCT (70), Bauchi (25), Rivers (18), Oyo (16), Kaduna (15), Gombe (14), Edo (13),Ogun (13), Jigawa (8), Enugu (6), Kano (5), Osun (2), Ondo (2)."

Total Number of Cases – 11,844 To t a l N u m b e r Discharged – 3,696 Total Deaths – 333 Total Tests Carried Out – 71,336± The latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 5644, followed by Kano (975), Abuja at 862, Katsina (400), Edo (364), Borno (322), Kaduna (320), Oyo (334), Ogun (363), Rivers (308), Jigawa (282), Bauchi (281), Gombe (184), Kwara (127).

Delta State has recorded

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Feature 116 cases, Sokoto (115), Plateau (113), Nasarawa (90), Ebonyi (80), Zamfara (76), Yobe (52), Osun (49) Imo (47), Akwa Ibom (45), Adamawa (42), Niger (41), Ondo (38), Kebbi (33), Bayelsa (30), Ekiti (25), Enugu (30), Taraba (18), Abia (15), Benue (13), Anambra (12), while Kogi state has recorded only 3 cases.

Of the COVID-19 related deaths so far recorded, President Muhammadu Buhari's Chief of Staff, late Mallam Abba Kyari, remained the highest official to bow to the disease. The likes Bauchi State government, Bala Mohammed, Kaduna State governor, Nasir, el-Rufai, Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, Chairman, Daar Communications, Raymond Dokpesi, and his family among others

have remained some of the big shots that tested positive to the disease, but got 'cured'.

While trying to contain disease in the last 100 days, President Muhammadu Buhari, among iterating the regular safety measures as authorised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) directed the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT and Ogun State for an initial period of 14 days, which took effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.

The lockdown was renewed for another 14 days at the expiration on April 13, 2020.

On April 27, 2020, when the second 14 days expired, President Muhammadu Buhari took different measures. He declared an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am across the country,

as part of new measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This comes along with the phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos, and Ogun States, which took effect from Saturday, 2nd May 2020, at 9am. The movement restrictions was partially put on hold with some businesses commencing operations from May 4.

By June 1, 2020, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force, Boss Mustapha, announced that business activities as well as places of worship would reopen, but at the instance of the state governments, who were expected to implement the guidelines following.

Consequently, Lagos, the epicentre of the disease,

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has declared Friday, June 19 for the reopening of religious centres with special emphasis to churches and mosques.

The reopening is inundated with strict guidelines.

Analysts believe that Nigeria may have fared well in 100 days in comparison to most European countries whose blew out of proportion within weeks of their index case. Others have however, said the situation in Nigeria could be worse if adequate testing is being carried out.

So far, Cross Rivers State remains the only state in Nigeria yet to record a COVID-19 case 100 days after.

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Which of These Public Officers Has the Best Boyish Swag?

One would never tell how his tomorrow will be when as a teenager, all he is concerned about is the pleasures and swag of the moment.

Below are double pictures of high profile Nigerian public officers. One of the pictures depicted their growing up days while the other presented them as they are today.

Who among them do you think had a vision of today then, and whose swag has a better definition...

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Trump and Twitter: Wrong Person Doing the Right Thing for Wrong Reasons

By Joel Popoola

W

hen Donald Trump suggested you could cure COVID-19 by drinking bleach, Nigerians could be forgiven for thinking his public statements should come with a health warning.

But a row has broken out in A m e r i c a a f t e r Tw i t t e r labelled two of the President's posts with a truth warning, describing them as "potentially misleading".

In response, the president used executive powers to attempt to limit liability protections for social-media companies –making them legally responsible for the content that gets posted on them for the first time.

As a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and digital democracy campaigner, I believe this is an example of the wrong person doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. It is overdue that social media companies take responsibility for the content that is posted on them, but not because one politician resents being shamed for using that platform irresponsibly and inaccurately.

Ironically, the controversial tweets; not even that controversial by this President's standards, accused postal voting of being "substantially fraudulent" with ballot papers "forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed", concerns some Nigerians will probably share!

But Nigerians are all-too

familiar with our own fake news crisis. Fake wars, fake terrorist attacks, fake cloned Presidents – we've had the lot. One state governor has even spoken of reading about how at that exact moment he was apparently in a coma, following a magic tortoise attack!

Social media allows these stories to be spread across Nigeria before the truth has even put its shoes on. And part of this problem is social media companies have historically refused to accept that the things that get posted on their platforms are anything to do with them.

To social media companies, their platforms are just blank canvases. If anyone writes something dangerous or misleading on those blank canvases, it's has nothing to do with them – even if what is written is dangerous or misleading.

Social media companies have historically refused to admit that they are not blank billboards. They are media providers. And imagine if any other media providers behaved this way.

Imagine the newspapers were just blank pieces of paper that whoever got to the shop first could write whatever news they wanted on, even if that "news" was politicallymotivated misinformation.

Imagine the nightly television news was people taking turns to read out their conspiracy theories, daydreams, and fantasies.

Dangerous nonsense, masquerading as credible

information.

As Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has himself said, social media platforms must do more to tackle the "fake news or provocative information" he believes "can cause chaos, civil unrest, war, and even death".

On the other hand, whilst social media companies should not be punished for belatedly taking steps to ensure that their users have access to the truth, who decides what the truth is?

With three of the largest social media organisations owned by the same people, doesn't that concentrate enormous power in the hands of very few (completely u n e l e c t e d a n d unaccountable) people?

Politicians need to ask themselves why social media provides such fertile soil for dangerous rumours to take root, and in Nigeria in particular, one of the main reasons is the lack of trust electors have for the elected.

Fighting the fake news which has become all too prevalent in Nigeria in recent years necessitates the public having reliable sources of information they can go to online – and where better than going direct to their

local representatives?

It is for these reasons that the Digital Democracy campaign created the free Rate Your Leader app – a direct (and abuse-proof) line straight to elected officials from the people who they serve.

Ask them anything, person to person, direct from your phone. And with that contact comes accountability. If you don't like the answer you get or you don't get an answer at all, Rate Your Leader lets you rate your local politician appropriately for everyone to see.

Voters aren't the only ones to benefit. The app helps politicians understand what matters most to the people who elected them, build relationships of trust with the electorate, and get important messages straight to them.

Nigerian voters need to know what information they can trust, and also that they can trust their local representatives. Digital engagement is the most effective and efficient way of delivering that.

To put it another way, politicians, do you want your local residents to be getting their information from you, or the man telling them to drink bleach?

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ADDING VALUE WITH HENRY UKAZU henrous@gmail.com

Distance Yourself from Negativity

G

reetings Destiny Friends, It is a well established fact that in life, there's time for everything. A time to sow, and a time to reap; a time to cry and a time to be joyful; a time to be born and a time to die; and a time to succeed and a time to fail.

The list is literally endless.

Amongst all these, the gateway of overcoming this challenge is having a positive mindset. When you diffuse your mind from negative thoughts, you give yourself the positive energy to live again.

In the journey of life, sometimes we are too c o m p l a c e n t . We sometimes hold onto sentimental attachment with our fellow human beings due to vested interest. Most of us kind of play along or flow when it comes to who we surround ourselves with.

Having a positive mindset is priceless. A positive mindset tells you that despite all the bullets that is thrown at you, it shall fade away if it's definitely not for you. A positive energy tells you that regardless of what is said about you, they don't decide your fate. A positive

mindset tells you that when they go low, you go high. A positive attitude empowers you to raise the price so that detractors will find it hard to rent a space from your mind.

You cannot underestimate the power of positive mindset. However, before you are able to appreciate the strength of positivity in your life, you must keep negative people out of your life. The question now becomes, how do I kick off negativity from my life?

Kicking out negativity does not only involve distancing yourself from friends and associations, it also entails distancing yourself from negative

thoughts. This is because chaff. that is where all negative As human beings, we all thoughts arise. have one form of chaff Just like how success and living in us. It's up to us to failure arise first from the weed out all the chaff in mind, distancing yourself our life. This chaff can be from the world starts from friends, family, insecurity, the mind as well. You'll associations, habits or have to conceive the idea even blind spots which you first before acting on it. It are not aware of. It's high should be noted that if you time you shook off any don't weed out negative chaff of disappointments thoughts and people from preventing you from your mind, they'll hunt possessing your passion. you. Let's take a case study You are in charge of your of a farmer who plants a life. Has it ever occurred to crop. He has to constantly you that you are the weed the farm in order to landlord of your life? If allow the crop grow and yes, then it's imperative for mature very well before you to raise the bar so that he/she can harvest. In the cheap people can't rent a same way, we need to spot in your mind. Don't separate our self from the allow people with no value www.thebossnewspapers.com

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to occupy a space in your brain which you can use to create ideas and solutions.

As human beings, sometimes, we always think human beings are the cause of our failures, but in reality, the reason is simply because we are still hanging out with negativity, free yourself by separating yourself from the crowd.

How to distance yourself from negativity There are several ways to distance yourself from negativity: Av o i d negative people because they literally have no value except envy and doubt. Set boundaries from strangers and people you are not comfortable with in order to keep your sanity of mind. Look out for solutions and not problems; and finally, don't take things personally and always practice self-love.

When you distance yourself from negative people, your thoughts become positive. When you're surrounded by other people's negativity, you may find it harder to regulate your own positive and negative reactions and emotions. When you are

surrounded by negativity, it will hard to find reasons to feel happy or positive.

H o w e v e r, o n c e y o u distance yourself from negativity, your positive emotions will start to show themselves again.

According to a Life coach and author, Tandee A. Victor, "Complaining can completely ruin your life by taking all the happiness out of it. When you constantly complain, you develop a negative mentality about everything. That leads to discontent and inner turmoil." This is simply what negative thought brings to the mind. It's easier to think, feel and stay positive when you're surrounded by such happy, good and positive energy.

You'll be surrounded by good people and good things, rather than an endless feedback loop of negative energy.

Sometimes, a lot of people don't notice that they're surrounded by negativity until they start to distance themselves from it.

Therefore, in order to separate or distance yourself, you must detach yourself from the crowd.

And finally, ask yourself

why? Ask yourself why now? Ask yourself what?

Ask yourself how? Ask yourself when? You can do this by finding the root cause and start looking at how it affects you, the people around you. Look around you, look at yourself. Food for thought: The one thing that happens immediately after distancing yourself from negativity is a shift in the way that you're thinking.

Release You can distance yourself from the crowd by releasing yourself and your mind from any distraction. You need to let it out whatever has been disturbing you. It would greatly help if you release feelings. The longer you keep it in, the harder it will get.

Forgive Pride can make you do things you'll regret. Pride will make you say words that can leave wounds deeper than any blade can ever do. Forgive them and forgive yourself. This will help you have peace of mind. And wouldn't it be calming to think that nothing else is holding you back from moving on,

from detaching yourself from the things that aren't good for you. Forgive.

One word, six letters, and a lifetime worth of work, forgiveness takes time..

Be grateful.

Be grateful for the pain and sorrow. Be grateful for the joy and hope. Be grateful for the memories. Be grateful for the smiles and scars, and the wounds and tears. Be grateful for realizing the reason you're detaching. There are so much other things, and many other people that you can be grateful for.

Amazing things happen when you distance yourself from negativity The simple question I have for you today is what's your own chaff?

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He's the author of the acclaimed b o o k D e s i g n Yo u r Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success and President of gloemi.com. He can be r e a c h e d v i a henrous@gmail.com

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Federal Government To Fully Deregulate Downstream Petroleum Sector

By VETIVA

W

hat shaped the past week?

Global: The global market space traded in a positive manner last week, as investors expressed optimism over the global economy, fueled by easing lockdowns in the U.S. and throughout the globe. In Europe, investor sentiment in the region, was further improved by an announcement of a

proposed 100 billion stimulus package from the German government; according to media reports, the measures in the new package are aimed at spurring growth and activity in car manufacturing and airline industries. In Asia, China's Markit Services PMI data, showed an increase in growth for services sector in the month of May, following the easing of

lockdowns in Wuhan.

Meanwhile, the ECB President Christine Lagarde, stated that the European Central Bank (ECB), would be expanding its €600 billion Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program, to a total of 1.35 trillion, stating that program has prevented a “spiral downwards in financial markets”; the President also stated that growth in

the region should contract by 8.7% for Q2'20. On Thursday, the South Korean Government announced a $29 billion stimulus package, to counter the impact of the COVID-19 virus, on its economy.

Markets ended the week, on a strong note following the release of the strong ADF Nonfarm payroll report from the U.S. which revealed

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that the U.S. added 2.5 million jobs in the month of May. Domestic Economy: Last w e e k T h u r s d a y, t h e Federal Government announced the move to fully deregulate the downstream petroleum sector. This means the price ceiling on the pump price of premium motor

other consumer products that are price elastic, petroleum liquids are inelastic and a deregulation could result in consumer exploitation if marketers' operations are left unchecked. The deregulation could offer consumers more competitive prices for petroleum products as

spirit (PMS) will be lifted and petrol marketers will be able to import and sell their products at prevailing market prices. The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) would take up a more advisory role, serving as an adviser to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and oil marketers in the price determination process. Downstream deregulation will require the PPPRA to keep a close eye on the pricing methods for petrol and other petroleum liquids. This is because, unlike many

marketers could adopt price competition as a strategy to outdo one another.

Equities: The local bourse closed in the red last week losing 98bps, driven by losses recorded in the Industrial Goods (314bps w/w) and Banking (-181bps w/w) sectors. In the Industrial Goods space, losses observed in BUACEMENT (-476bps w/w) and JBERGER (22.73% w/w) weighed on the sector. Meanwhile, in the Banking Space, profittaking activity in the s e c t o r , n o t a b l y, o n ACCESS (-634bps w/w), amongst others, saw the

index close the week as one of the worst performers. In the Oil and Gas space, loses recorded in TOTAL (-652bps w/w), was enough to see the sector shed 63bps w/w.

Finally, the Consumer Goods space was the lone sector, to close in the green, despite of the losses recorded in GUINNESS (-850bps w/w) and NB (-300bps w/w).

Fixed Income: The fixed income market witnessed increased activity in the space this week, as the level of system liquidity supported trades across the secondary market, notably in the OMO space. Yields in the OMO space eased 9 7 b p s w / w, w h i l e advancing 121bps w/w on average in the NTB space. On the other hand, the bond market traded in a positive manner this week, as the average yield on benchmark bonds eased 10bps w/w due to renewed interest across the shortlong end of the bond space.

Currency: The Naira appreciated ₦0.27 w/w at the I&E FX Window to settle at ₦386.50 and closed flat w/w at ₦445.00 against the dollar in the parallel market.

What will shape markets in the coming week?

Equity market: The equities market witnessed mixed sentiment in the week, with the Bulls controlling the trading

sessions at week start while profit taking were recorded at week end.

With the index trading in the over-bought region of the 14 day RSI, we expect some level of corrections upon resumption next week, while stability is expect to be restored as the week progresses.

Fixed Income market: We expect the secondary market to trade in a positive manner at the start of next week, as market participants seek to deploy idle funds following this week's OMO repayment.

Furthermore, we expect bond participants to remain on the sidelines, as they await the DMO auction for guidance on bond rates.

Currency: We expect the naira to remain largely stable across the various windows of the currency space as the CBN maintains interventions in the FX market.

Focus for the week NIGERIA MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE - CBN delivers 100bps surprise rate cut, lowers MPR to 12.5%e Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) joined the global easing cycle triggered by developed economies and unanimously voted to lower the monetary policy rate (MPR). 7 out of the 10 committee members in attendance voted to lower the MPR by 100bps - at its May'20 meeting – as there is a need to signal

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commitment to strengthening domestic output, as the pandemic persists. Of the other 3 members, two voted for a 150bps cut while the last member voted for a deeper cut of 200bps..

Votes in favour of the growth objective, amid mounting external risks Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members were at a crossroads of a coronavirus trilemma: a looming pandemic-led recession, rising inflation (Apr'20:12.34% y/y), and a fragile external position.

Although GDP growth in Q1'20 - reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) – bucked the global contraction trend, it was the slowest since Q4'18 at 1.87% y/y.

The lockdown has also resulted in a slowdown in economic activity, and is on course to plunge the economy into a recession.

Furthermore, partial lockdowns - in a bid to contain the spread of the virus - have disrupted food distribution channels and put pressure on food prices, and by extension the headline inflation while weak external demand and anticipated decline in remittance

inflows poses a threat to external stability. In such a situation, especially in oil–dependent countries with pegged currencies and limited external reserves to defend the peg, any monetary policy action is plagued with u n a v o i d a b l e consequences. However, the MPC made a bold move by voting in favour of a 100bps rate cut to try and revive animal spirits in the economy, while the unanimous cut voting pattern reflects the bank's pro-growth bias - given the crossroads of unintended monetary policy consequences. The unexpected outcome can be a result of the underestimation of mounting risks in the external sector that can also have adverse butterfly effects on critical real sector components (such as agriculture and manufacturing).

Therefore, a possible deterioration of the country's external profile could limit the ability of monetary policy to stimulate economic growth.

Limited scope for monetary policy action Countries that are a lot more reliant on oil receipts

for their FX earnings have limited monetary policy space to support economic growth. The situation is tighter for countries whose exchange rate regimes are somewhat pegged with limited reserves to defend the peg, as they do not enjoy the external shock-absorber effect that a floating regime provides. Countries like Nigeria and Angola are in t h i s c a t e g o r y. T h e Nigerian economy may face shocks - from the coronavirus outbreak that can be transmitted through wider sovereign risk premiums on commercial. borrowings.

Other channels of shock transmission may include a drop in resource earnings - on the back of weak external demand for the country's key export (i.e. oil) - and a sharp slowdown in GDP growth that could widen the country's foreign currency gap, weaken its external position, and raise its foreign debt burden amid volatile revenue streams. The possibility of lower remittance flows also doubles down the country's bleak external sector outlook and could

heat up the local foreign exchange market – putting pressure on the naira exchange rate.

With advanced economies experiencing a downturn, and immigrants supposedly the most affected by recession-induced layoffs, the outlook for remittance flows is clouded. Considering that Nigeria - ex oil - is a net importer of merchandise, the MPC may be compelled to maintain status quo on monetary policy parameters through the rest of the year as it tries to balance existing economic risks in both the real and external sectors of the economy.

Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document to ensure the accuracy of facts stated herein and that the ratings, forecasts, estimates and opinions also contained herein are objective, reasonable and fair, no responsibility or liability is accepted either by Ve t i v a C a p i t a l Management Limited or any of its employees for any error of fact or o p i n i o n e x p re s s e d herein.

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CBN Uses Inlaks Developed IT Platform For COVID-19 Funds Disbursements

he Central Bank of Nigeria ( C B N ) i s disbursing the N50 billion COVID-19 targeted credit facility to support households and micro, small and medium sized enterprises affected by the p a n d e m i c through the integrated N a t i o n a l Association of Microfinance Banks Unified IT platform (NAMBUIT) deployed by Inlaks for NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (MFB).

The NIRSAL National MFB is an initiative of the CBN, in collaboration with other major stakeholders like the Bankers Committee, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), and the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST). The purpose of the bank is to complement the efforts of the CBN towards addressing the needs of Nigerians at the bottom of the pyramid and deepen financial inclusion.

NAMBUIT is a unified information technology built by Inlaks to service micro finance banks on behalf of CBN and NAMBs. It aims to enhance financial access, i n c l u s i o n a n d

sustainability of the microfinance institutions on value chain financing and ensure the growth of the small and medium scale enterprises. The NAMBUIT platform has a sophisticated loan module for the management of the total life cycle of the over 80,000 loans that will be disbursed for this scheme.

The NAMBUIT platform runs on TemenosT24 Inclusive Banking Suite (IBS), and implementation is being managed by Inlaks, a system integrator in Sub-Saharan Africa, in line with global best practices, with support from the CBN. According to Femi Adeoti, managing director/CEO, African operations at Inlaks, 54 branches of NIRSAL MFB are currently connected on the platform.

“NAMBUIT is Software as a Service (SaaS)

platform that reduces operational costs as well as improves the bank's ability to provide necessary information to agencies such as CBN and NDIC. The unified platform comprises a core banking system and subsystems for agent banking, non-interest banking, and mobile payment among other services.

“A core benefit of the NAMBUIT platform is the smooth on-boarding of the microfinance banks (MFBs) into the national payment system lowering the operating costs of MFBs significantly. This has been significant, especially in the context of developing economies, where many low income households and microenterprises do not have ready access to financial services.”

The CBN had introduced

the N50 billion targeted credit facility as a stimulus package to support households and micro, small and medium scale enterprises affected by the COVID19 pandemic. The N50bn intervention is financed from the micro, small and medium enterprises development fund. The loan amount is determined based on the activity, cash flow and industry size of the beneficiary, subject to a maximum of N25million for SMEs. Households with verifiable evidence of livelihood adversely impacted by COVID-19 can access the loan to a maximum of N3million.

Inlaks is an information technology systems integrator, specialised in the deployment of dynamic and highly s c a l a b l e I C T infrastructure solutions.

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TikTok Sees More Than 2 Billion Downloads As Valuation Surges 33%

S

ocial video app, TikTok from ByteDance has been downloaded more than 2 billion times globally on the App Store and Google Play, according to reports.

The latest milestone comes just five months after TikTok surpassed 1.5 billion downloads.

In the first quarter, it generated the most downloads for any app ever in a quarter, accumulating more than 315 million installs across the App Store and Google Play.

The value of the parent company of Tiktok, ByteDance, has also ballooned by 33% from about $75 billion it recorded during a major round of funding two years ago to more than $100billion.

The valuation puts the Chinese company, as high as $140 billion; however, the transactions are done in the private market and may not fully reflect its real worth.

TikTok's latest surge comes amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen consumers drawn to their mobile devices more than ever as they look for new ways to shop, work, and connect with others, leading in part to an increase in downloads, engagement, and revenue.

Google Play has accounted for the vast majority of TikTok downloads to date, racking up more than 1.5 billion installs, or 75.5 percent of the total. The App Store, meanwhile, has generated 495.2 million

downloads, or 24.5 percent.

Lifetime user spending in TikTok has risen to $456.7 million, more than 2.5 times the $175 million the app had generated when it reached 1.5 billion downloads.

China is the clear leader for using spending in TikTok, generating $331 million, or 72.3 percent of total revenue. The U.S. ranked No. 2, with users spending

$86.5 million, or 19 percent, while Great Britain ranked No. 3, accumulating $9 million in revenue, or 2 percent.

The App Store accounted for most of the revenue, accumulating $435.3 million from user spending.

Google Play, meanwhile, generated $21.4 million in revenue.

Leadway Assurance Holds Virtual AGM, Pays N38.5bn Claims In 2019

L

eadway assurance company Limited has held its 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) via a virtual reporting an increase in claims paid to its policyholders, from N33.9 billion in 2018 to N38.5 billion in 2019.

The company also posted stronger balance sheet size which enlarged by 26 percent from N312 billion recorded in 2018 to N394 billion in 2019, just as Gross Written Premium (GWP) of N90.6 billion was recorded in 2019, an increase of 4 percent from N87.5billion in 2018. The company attributed the growth in its GWP to a boost in its composite business, specifically via the Specialty Life portfolio.

Speaking during the company's AGM, Tunde HassanOdukale, the managing director/ceo, reiterated Leadway's continued commitment to its policyholders through prompt claims payment, as the bedrock of the company's business. With this, the company has now paid over N136 billion in claims in the last six years. “ We c o n t i n u e t o demonstrate our commitment to our loyal customers through our customer services delivery channels, underpinned by a motivated team, outstanding brokers and agents, innovations and technology.

“I am proud that we have transmitted the principle of devoted customer-focus

into a five-decade legacy that would continue to be the compass with which we steer the next halfcentury of operational excellence. With our balance sheet strength and t e c h n o l o g i c a l innovations, we are confident of maintaining market leadership, whilst deepening insurance penetration to our youthful African p o p u l a t i o n , ” Tu n d e H a s s a n odukale said.

In his remark, Martin Luther A g w a i , chairman, Board of Directors, acknowledged t h e outstanding

strategic leadership qualities, vision, and the prudence the erstwhile managing director, Oye Hassan-odukale who retired from the company after 38 years of dedicated stewardship.

He welcomed Tunde Hassan-odukale “to chart the next path and phase of growth for Leadway to become a global competitor of the next generation's reference.”

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Naira Depreciates Against Dollar Across FX Markets

N

igeria's currency weakened against the dollar across foreign exchange markets at the end of the trading session Wednesday.

The depreciation was attributable to the activities of speculators as the Central Bank of

A

Nigeria (CBN) delays its dollar sales resumption to Bureau De Change (BDC) operators.

Consequently, Naira lost N2 to the dollar which traded at N442 at close of business on Wednesday compared to N440 traded on Tuesday on the black market.

The local currency also weakened at the retail Bureau, losing N3 to the dollar which closed at N446 at the end of trading on Wednesday from N443 on Tuesday.

CBN said on April 29, 2020 that it had made complete arrangements to resume foreign exchange sales to the BDC segment of the market for business travels, personal travels, and other designated retail uses, as soon as international flights resume.

On the same day, the Apex bank resumed dollar sales for school fees and Small

and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and directed users to access FX from the banks.

At the Investors and Exporters (I&E) forex window, Naira weakened by N0.83k as the dollar was quoted at N386.33k at close of trading on Wednesday as against N385.50k closed since Monday, data from FMDQ showed.

Against the opening rate on Wednesday morning, Naira gained N1.35k.

The market opened with an indicative rate of N387.68k in the morning.

9mobile Appoints Alan Sinfield As New CEO

fter about 18 months since the takeover of 9mobile by new o w n e r s , Te l e o l o g y Holdings Limited, the company Monday announced the appointed of Alan Sinfield as its new chief executive officer.

Sinfield, a seasoned telecoms expert, having held leadership roles at numerous mobile, fixedline and broadband data operators as well as retail, media, and wholesale distribution businesses across emerging markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, was appointed by the board of directors of Emerging M a r k e t s Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n Services Limited (EMTS), to take over from Stephane Beuvelet who has acted in the capacity of managing director since 9mobile's

new board took over in November 2018.

According to 9mobile, Sinfield brings a wealth of global operational expertise as he has been a chief executive officer since 2006. “He brings extensive international and operational experience from wireless telecom, fintech, and banking sectors to his new role at 9mobile.

His global experience covers countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, G e r m a n y, P o r t u g a l , Slovakia, Iraq, Qatar, Myanmar, South Korea, Cambodia and Hong Kong.

He was previously the CEO at Amara Communications Co. (ananda), a 4G LTE mobile broadband operator in Myanmar, and before this, he was the CEO of Cadcomms (qb), in Cambodia. Other earlier

roles included being CEO at Ooredoo (Starlink), a subsidiary of the listed Q a t a r i Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Group, operating in Qatar and regionally, and also as chief information officer and chief customer services officer at O r a s c o m Te l e c o m (IraQna), a subsidiary of the listed Egyptian Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Group, operating the first mobile network in Baghdad and surrounding territories providing voice and nascent data and satellite services,� the company said in a press statement received.

Sinfield began his career in the banking sector at Bank of America, where he was fasttracked through a management trainee programme, later

becoming a programmer and business analyst where his desire to work overseas allowed him to close out the IT systems at Bank of America in Frankfurt, Germany.

Afterwards, Sinfield joined Barclays Bank in South Africa and spent three years there as a technical manager. He also worked for various other banks in Portugal, Slovakia, and Hong Kong before his first foray into the telecom industry in Korea with SK Telecom, which led to an M&A role with the merger of SK Telecom and Shinsaegi Telecom.

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Boost For Dairy Industry As FrieslandCmpina WAMCO Hits 40-Ton Daily Milk Collection

F

rieslandCampina WAMCO, Nigeria's leading dairy company, has announced an all-time record of 40 tons (40,000 litres) daily fresh milk collection in the country through its Dairy Development Programme (DDP).

Ben Langat, managing d i r e c t o r , FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, made the announcement on Monday as part of the company's celebration of the World Milk Day 2020 in line with its grass to glass philosophy.

“We have been making steady progress in our commitment to the development of Nigeria's dairy sector through our Dairy Development Programme and our efforts are yielding good results as we continue to keep our promise of providing nourishing dairy nutrition to millions of Nigerians,” he said.

As the first dairy company to collect over 40,000 litres of fresh milk per day from local farmers, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has taken its thriving DDP, which it started with pastoralists in local communities in Oyo State, and replicated it across other states, according to Ore Famurewa, executive director, corporate affairs, FrieslandCampina WAMCO.“In addition to Oyo State where we started the Dairy Development Programme

10 years ago, we have expanded our investments and operations to Ogun, Osun, Kwara and Niger states, especially in the last three years a n d h a v e networked over 7,000 dairy farmers,” she saidFamurewa said the dairy maker remained committed to the goals of sustainable development, including poverty reduction, women empowerment and beyond as envisioned by the Federal Government.

“Our crossbreeding programme is yielding good results with over 400 F1 cows born to farms of local dairy farmers. We have developed dairy farms feeds to ensure all year round pasture for the cows and continued with our biannual F a r m e r 2 F a r m e r programme, facilitated by Dutch dairy experts, ” she further said.

Under its Dairy Development Programme, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has transformed the mindset, productivity and livelihood of both male and female dairy farmers across five states where it operates the DDP. In its response to the scourge of the COVID-19 global pandemic, especially among its DDP volunteers and extension workers,

FrieslandCampina WAMCO's mitigation strategy has been to consistently create awareness about the pandemic and what to do.

“We have sensitised our farmers on the hazards and symptoms of the coronavirus disease, what to do to keep safe and healthy, and the fact that it i s a p e r s o n a l responsibility to protect themselves and family against the virus,” explained John Adekunle , DDP manager, FrieslandCampina WAMCO. A winner of several awards in health and safety management, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has rolled out COVID-19 safety measures across its grass to glass process, providing face masks to staff and farmers, enforcing the washing of hands at various milk

collection centres, taking body temperature checks and practicing social distancing.

According to Langat, FrieslandCampina WAMCO is taking local milk sourcing to the next level. “We are currently expanding our DDP footprints by intensifying capacity building and constructing more milk collection centres, with the latest in Niger and Kwara states. A major investment is our new ultra-modern yogurt plant specific for raw milk utilization,” he said.

“We have set up farmer cooperatives and initiated partnerships with nonprofit organisations and academic institutions including 2Scale/IFDC, National Animal Production Research Institute, to accelerate dairy development in Nigeria,” Langat added.

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Business

BOSS NEWSPAPER

UPDC Lists N15.9bn Rights Issue on NSE

U

ACN Property Development Company Plc will today, Tuesday June 2, 2020 list its N15.9billion Rights Issue on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The Exchange streams live the Closing Gong ceremony.

UPDC had in the Rights offering to its existing shareholders issued 15,961,574,145 units at N1 per share. The Rights Issue held from Monday February 10, 2020 and closed on Friday March 13, 2020.

The Rights Issue was done on the basis of 43 new

ordinary shares for every 7 ordinary shares held by the company shareholders as at September 30, 2019.

The Board of Directors of UAC of Nigeria Plc (UAC) and UACN Property Development Company (UPDC) had last year informed the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), their shareholders and stakeholders that they were considering strategic initiatives involving recapitalisation and restructuring of UPDC. The strategic initiatives w h i c h i n c l u d e recapitalisation and restructuring of UPDC

ownership structure, involves UPDC's interest in UPDC Real Estate Investment Trust (UPDC REIT) being unbundled to UPDC shareholders via the allocation of REIT

units directly to shareholders of UPDC in proportion to their postRights Issue holdings in U P D C ( U P D C Unbundling).

NSE, IFC Highlight Gender Implications Of COVID-19

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he Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) l a u n c h e d t h e Nigeria2Equal Programme with an inaugural seminar on Monday May 25, 2020.

The virtual seminar, themed, “Gender Implications of COVID19: Supporting Women as Employees in the New Normal” highlighted the differential socioeconomic impacts the Coronavirus, COVID-19, will have on men and women, with women predicted to face more negative impacts.

In addressing concerns around women at home and in the workplace during this crisis, the Head, Shared Services Division, NSE, Bola Adeeko said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes in

our lives and businesses.

There is, however, the valid concern that the current economic challenges will exacerbate gender inequality, especially because women are inappropriately represented in the informal sector and they are equally underrepresented in more senior levels of management in the corporate world. This seminar, therefore, features a panel of seasoned and experienced experts to discuss best practices on how companies can develop the appropriate actions during and after this pandemic while re-aligning their business structures to the new realities.”

Speaking to the critical need to advance gender equality today, the Country Manager, IFC Nigeria, Eme Lore Essien share “In times of crisis, gender issues can sometimes be relegated to

the backseat. However, the insights shared today testify to the urgent need for us to think outside the box for more gendersensitive responses to the needs of the business, particularly in a postCOVID economy. The IFC is committed to providing a platform for knowledge sharing especially for female entrepreneurs who are successfully navigating t h e w o r l d o f professionalism whilst balancing home life. We are particularly thankful to the NSE for supporting us in providing one of such platforms today.”

The event featured thought leaders across business, academic and the civil society spaces including: Head, Trading Business Division, NSE, Jude Chiemeka; Director, Sustainable Business Initiative, University of Edingburgh, Professor Kenneth Amaeshi; Founder, Women at Risk International Foundation, WARIF, Anita Kemi DaSilva; Country Head, Human Capital, Stanbic IBTC, Funke Amobi; and Chief Executive, CSR-inAction, Bekeme Masade-Olowola.

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Business

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COVID-19: Cititrust Supports NGO To Procure PPE For Health Workers

C

ititrust Holdings Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting both public and private initiatives in the fight against the COVID19 pandemic with the donation of one million naira for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health care workers.

The cheque was handed over to a nong o v e r n m e n t a l o rg a n i s a t i o n , H e a l t h Emergency Initiative (HEI) at the company's corporate headquarters in Lagos, on Tuesday, June 2.

HEI, a recipient of Best Supporting NGO Award

by Lagos State Health Service Commission, partners the Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Ambulance Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and other relevant agencies to ensure that critically

injured accident victims receive prompt life-saving care in public health institutions.

Speaking during the occasion, Yemi Adefisan, Group Chief Executive of the company, said Cititrust Group had earlier donated food items to Lagos and Osun state governments, and cash to the CBN COVID-19 account.

Adefisan said the current gesture was Cititrust's contribution to an emergency trust fund set up

by HEI to provide much needed PPE for frontline health workers in Lagos State.

Also speaking at the event, chairman of Cititrust COVID-19 Response Committee, Mr. Kunle Adewole, said the company was proud to work with credible organisations like HEI in ensuring that critical needs of frontline health workers are promptly met.

According to him, records

show that the organisation has donated PPE to LUTH, LASUTH, FMC Ebute Metta, FRSC and ID H , Yab a, “h ence, Cititrust has no doubt that donated funds will be judiciously utilised”.

He said the company would continue to “explore other areas of critical needs in the COVID-19 response and healthcare sector in general with a view to rendering its corporate support”.

In his own comments, Paschal Achunine, the Founder/Executive Director of HEI, thanked the management of Cititrust for its “unrelenting support for

the social well-being of Nigerians”.

He disclosed that other services offered by HEI include assisting indigent patients in public hospitals, particularly children, who could have died of infections like malaria, sepsis, typhoid f e v e r, p n e u m o n i a , tetanus, diarrhea, cholera, among others.

According to Achunine, over 485 patients have benefited from HEI's intervention, including 210 children across 27 hospitals in Lagos State.

He used the occasion to solicit support of other corporate entities and individuals for the organisation.

Integrated Oil And Gas Ltd Loses Group Finance Officer

T

he Group Chief Finance Officer of Integrated Oil and Gas Ltd. Julius Sunday Akinwusi, aged 56, has passed away.

According to the privatelyowned indigenous company with operations in the petroleum marketing industry, Akinwusi passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2020 after a brief illness.

Expressing the sad occurrence as felt by the Chairman and Board of the company, the statement

disclosed that Akinwusi served in the Finance and Accounts department since 2007 and rose to the rank of Group Chief Finance Officer.

The late Akinwusi was described as a highly valued member of the company's management team, who was committed and expressed great leadership and knowledge of the industry, with which he brought value to the company.

The company recognises the late Akinwusi's contributions to its success

story, with a promise to r e f i n e d p e t r o l e u m keep his legacy of great p r o d u c t s , i n c l u d i n g s e r v i c e , p e r s o n a l Automotive Gas Oil r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d (AGO), Premium Motor outstanding stewardship S p i r i t ( P M S ) , D u a l alive and well.

Purpose Kerosene (DPK) He is survived by his wife, among others. children and host of other relatives.

Integrated Oil & Gas Limited vision was incorporated in1998; with over a decade years of experience in developing, operating and maintaining first-class facilities.

The company provides www.thebossnewspapers.com

ISSN-2052-1979

BOSS NEWSPAPER

Lifestyle

Vol.2.48

www.thebossnewspapers.com

A Publication of Ovation Media Group

TOP NOTCH

Celebrities, Politicians Storm George Floyd Memorial Service in US FASHION

Muffler: A Perfect Match for This Season

Ebube Nwagbo Flaunts Her Body In Sexy New Photos

Ighalo To Consider Super Eagles Return

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Entertainment

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TOPNOTCH ...Celebrity Gist Unlimited

The World Is Boring Right Now - Naira Marley

N

igerian singer, Naira Marley, shared how the world looks like to him, and how it is affecting him in his circle.

The singer shared that the world is boring right now and he refuses to be affected by it.

He took to twitter to made

this known as he also shared what he felt like doing to kick the boredom away in a later post.

On Twitter, he wrote: "The world is boring right now and I refuse to be bored. I just want to suck some tiddie"

Cristiano Ronaldo Celebrates His Twins With Costume Themed Birthday Party

C

ristiano Ronaldo, his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their kids donned fancy costumes to celebrate the third birthday of twins Eva and Mateo on Friday, June 5.

It was a cozy, private event held amid the lockdown and both Cristiano and Georgina shared a photo to Instagram.

In the photo, Cristiano, 35, wore an Aladdin costume while Georgina Rodriguez, 26, wore a Power Ranger costume.

The Juventus star's eldest son Cristiano Jr, 9, donned an Incredible hulk costume while

birthday boy Mateo wore a Spider-Man outfit.

The girls, Alana, 2, and birthday girl Eva, 3, wore princess outfits.

Happy Birthday to my two sweeties Eva and Mateo! We love you to the end of the world," C r i s t i a n o captioned the photo.

Ned Nwoko Celebrates Regina Daniels' Pregnancy With A House In London

B

illionaire businessman cum politician, Ned Nwoko has announced that his young wife and Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels is expecting a baby.

The ex-lawmaker, who took to his Instagram page to share the good news, also shared photos of the pregnant star with an ample baby bump

"It is now official. I am excited to announce that my baby is having a baby @regina.daniels," he wrote.

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Entertainment

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The

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Dbanj Didnt Lodge With Us - Glee Hotel Management Reacts To Dbanj's Rape Allegation

A

fter the rape allegation made by a Nigerian lady, identified as Seyi, against popular artiste, Dbanj, saying that she was raped by the singer in a hotel known as Glee Hotel, the hotel in question as reacted.

Glee Hotel has denied the claims of the alleged rape victim, in an official statement and has contacted their lawyers for further legal actions.

According to the management the room was not rented by her and there was no report of rape. They stated firmly that the allegation is 'FALSE' and can never happen at Glee‌

Actress Uche Elendu Shows Off Her Brand New Lexus SUV

B

eautiful Nollywood actress, Uche Elendu has showed off the brand new Lexus SUV she just bought for herself.

Uche shared photos of herself laughing while posing by her new whip, a Lexus SUV on Instagram, and her colleagues took to her comment section to congratulate her.

"BLESSED " she wrote on the caption.

Tonto Dikeh Shares Before And After Photo of Her Cosmetic Surgery

T

onto Dikeh doesn't have nice words for those who aren't comfortable with plastic surgery as she shares photos of her body before and after surgery.

The Nollywood movie star took to her Instagram page on Thursday, June 4, 2020, where she released the photos.

"Where are the aproko's that said surgery is not good ooo??? May my old body be your portion m, Rolling eyes...(if I slap you? Your eyes will shift) #ProudlyAcosmeticsurgerybaby #ConfidentandProud #teamIsurgery #Isurgery #Cokebottlebody," she wrote.

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Celebrities, Politicians Storm George Floyd Memorial Service in US Hundreds of people, including prominent celebrities and politicians, gathered Thursday in Minneapolis to honor George Floyd, the man whose death sparked nationwide protests against police brutality.

In his eulogy, Rev. Al Sharpton analogized Floyd's death — pinned under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer — to the experience of Black people in America.

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Entertainment

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Majek Fashek (1963-2020): The Triumphs, the Storm, the Travails

By Eric Elezuo

C

ould you believe that even age mates of late Majek Fashek believed he was 71 years, and was born in 1949. They claimed that was what the official record said‌such naivety.

One day, someone would tell them something different from their names, and they will believe because one supposedly 'impeccable' source has erroneously written it. I still wonder what we do with our brains, even with claims that we have been to school. Well, that is a story for another day!

He was only 25 years in 1988 when his glory filled not only the airwaves but the nook and crannies of the Nigerian music and entertainment circle. It didn't stop there, Majekodunmi Fasheke, known as Majek Fashek for short, took his epic arrival into stardom more than a niche further, covering the world with his own form of 'Righteousness'. He dished out hits after hits, making him the epicentre of Reggae music in Nigeria, competing favourably with the likes of Alpha Blonde and Lucky Dube in the Africa continent, and world icons like Robert Nester Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaac and many more. New York Daily News hailed him as the spiritual heir to Bob Marley.

Majek Fashek occupied the late 80s and early 90s like a colossus, as his hit album, Prisoner of Conscience with the track 'Send Down the Rain', became a national anthem of some sort. Every

child could sing the song; it was on the lips of every adult. And of course, it was interwoven with childlike chorus which heralds the arrival of mothers after a long absence. It was made for all ages; a product of long term planing. More so, its prophetic orientation and spiritual undertone made it a toast for all season.

In a 2013, when Fashek's former bandmate and cousin, Amos McRoy, granted an interview with n o w d e f u n c t Entertainment Express Newspaper, he claimed that the singer told him the song 'Send Down The Rain' had a spiritual force behind it.

"That was one of the things he told me in Cote d'Ivoire. Based on what he told me, I think he 'crossed the line' before he released the album," McRoy said in that interview.

"In Cote d'Ivoire, I asked him certain questions. His reply was: 'Amos, are you that naive? I released Send Down The Rain, everywhere that song was played, rain must fall. Even in summer while we were on US tour, I played Send Down The Rain and rain fell. I released Free Mandela and that month Mandela was released. I did fire (Majek Beware) the week that record was released was the week the Rodney King incident happened. That song, Fire o! Fire o! was played for almost two months in all the TV and radio stations in Los Angeles during that Rodney

King episode. So, are you that naive? Don't you reason?

He practically started a musical revolution in 1988, and by 1989, he carted away six awards at the PMAN Awards including two of the most important nominations; the prestigious Album of the Year and Song of the Year categories. His Send Down the Rain competed in the category of millennial hits such as Nico Mbago's Sweet Mother and Onyeka Onwenu's One Love in not only national,

but international appeals.

One thing is obvious, no Nigerian song has been so mythologized as 'Send Down the Rain' and by extension, Holy Spirit. He composed every song personally, and gave Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song' a touch of excellence when he remixed it. No one can deny that Fashek was a legend. A typical example of one who came during his time, saw and conquered.

Many believed he had room for more if not for Tbossconquest and daughter the self-destructive mode he

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Entertainment put himself. Reports had it that he dabbled into spiritism, not drug use, and ruined a God-given career.

This as much was confirmed

by McRoy thus: "Truth is Majek's problem is spiritual. Majek strayed into spiritism.

"Majek's problem is not drug-related. He took to alcoholism to get over his real problem. Failing to keep the rules of whatever he delved into, he started to hallucinate. He started seeing things. For instance, if he was in a room, he would tell you 'open the door, open the window'. If you tell him the air condition is on, he would say "Can't you see them spirits; you want to trap the spirits. Men, let the spirits move around."

In the peak of his career in 1991, Fashek visited New York for the first time, and that was when he released the track 'Mashek Fashek Inna New York'. The excited attached to the song would reveal his clear human nature, as he x-rayed life in the city that never sleeps in comparison to what is obtainable in other cities of the world. He was practically surprised to see that there were homeless people, beggars and destitute in New York.

Born in February 1963 in Benin City, Edo State, Mashek Fashek, who was known as Rajesh Kanal in the early 80s when he started music, was part of a group called Jastix along with McRoy Gregg, and Black Rice who was the lead singer.

They featured as the in-house band of a music show 'Music Panorama' which aired on

N TA B e n i n . O n e c a n confidently say he was motivated by The Mandators, led by Victor Essiet. The group launched Reggae in Nigeria with 'Sunrise' in 1979.

He featured as one of the session musicians for an upcoming female Reggae singer known as Edi Rasta.

To d a y, s h e i s f o n d l y remembered as Evi Edna Ogholi, arguably Nigeria's Queen of Reggae. He went solo after Jastix disbanded, and signed on to Tabansi where he released 'Send Down the Rain' in 1988.

He followed up the success of the debut album with I&I Experience under Tabansi Records in 1989. The successes he recorded drew the attention of CBS Records Nigeria (now Sony Music), which released the album 'So Long Too Long' in 1990. In the same year, he signed to Interscope Records and released the album 'Spirit of Love' in 1991.

In 1992, Fashek make history as the first Nigerian singer to appear on a late-night TV show in America, the David

Letterman Show, where he sang 'So Long, Too Long'.

Many believe that Majek Fashek was a victim of inability to manage success.

Though his success wasn't spontaneous cause he worked for it, it came like an avalanche when it did. And in a space of three to five years, he became a toast of the music world. By the end of the 1990s, he was nowhere to be found though his songs still reverberate on the airwaves; his personality was gone. When he was spotted, he was a shadow of himself, a vegetable; highly emaciated. At a time, he was reportedly spotted in Ikeja begging for alms to buy cigarrete. He was losing it!

In the midst of his crisis, he managed to release an album 'Rainmaker' in 1997, and collapsed into oblivion for years until he resurfaced, after spirited efforts by well meaning Nigerians including his manager, Umenka Uzoma Day, to release 'Little Patience' with November Records. His

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person was gone‌just the talent managed to showcase. People knew from the video that it was just a matter of time.

As at the time he visited Ovation Magazine in late 2017, he was practically inaudible; it was his manager who said most of the things on his behalf.

Until his death on June 1, 2020 as announced by Uzoma Day, in New York, the musical legend, Mashek Fashek, was battling to regain both his health and personality. He lost both!

But the gift he gave to the world in his lyrics will forever live, and never to be tampered with.

Speaking on his death, Chairman, Music Society of N i g e r i a , C h i e f To n y Okoroji, who was the PMAN president when Fashek carted away six awrds in 1988, said "Majek is not dead, he travelled" And like Majek himself said during the funeral of Ras Kimono, 'Rastas don't die' Adieu the Tboss andRainmaker, daughter Mashek Fashek!

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Entertainment

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Ebube Nwagbo Flaunts Her Body In Sexy New Photos

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Relationship

The

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Long Singleness: Signs You Are For A Relationship

T

here's really never a time when time when p e o p l e i n relationships do not bring their love stories to consciousness and their romantic activities flashed right in our faces.

Especially on social media where the tension and everything seems to be double, it can really be difficult for single people to cope sometimes. You may be forced into thinking you are ready when you actually aren't.

On the flipside, that could just be a reminder you need to actually get back into the dating game again.

If you have been single for a long time, these are signs that may signal to you that it is time to start dating again.

1. You have moved on If your last relationship

ended badly and broke your heart in so many places, it is right and OK to want to take time off relationships. If that is why you are single, that actually makes sense.

But if you have healed completely, and things that hurt you do not hurt anymore, it may be time to try again.

2. You are ready For those who have been single forever and have really never been in any relationship before, all you need is a personal conviction and a feeling of readiness. Once you get the vibe and you feel ready to do it, then there's nothing stopping you from dipping into the dating pool.

3. You meet someone who looks like the real deal Opportunity may come more than once, but people

don't. So if you meet When your emotions are someone who seems like stable, your understanding the real deal, if they treat of emotional intelligence you right and make is great and you've promises that you feel p r a c t i c a l l y m a s t e r e d good about, maybe it's taking care of yourself, time to actually let go of maybe venturing into a your fears and give love a relationship doesn't seem too far-fetched. try.

There are no assurances, 5. You always say 'God of course, but when a man w h e n ' o n c u t e or woman someone shows relationship posts on a reasonable amount of social media effort and commitment to If half your day and some being with you, maybe nights are spent on you should give them a checking out cute couples chance and see where that on social media and road leads you to. commenting 'God when' 4. You know yourself on numerous timelines, perfectly then maybe you should Ok, maybe not perfectly, just get into a relationship b u t y o u u n d e r s t a n d already. yourself enough, love This post could really be yourself enough and have God answering your become self-sufficient question. The time may e n o u g h t o i n v o l v e just be now. someone else in the picture. www.thebossnewspapers.com

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Fashion

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Muffler:

A Perfect Match for This Season By: Ajibade Morakinyo

s raining season and winters approach, it is A obvious that not all wares can help you in this time and season of the year. But mufflers are the fashion trend with the ability to make to you look stunning even as you prepare to guard yourself against cold weather. This trend is a simple shield against Mother Nature's extremes and compliments your outfits.

The necessity in the harsh conditions of cold paves way for mufflers in the fashion world. Mufflers come in all colors and styles to fit any latest in fashion styles. They can be from rich thick woven styles to silky and designer label ridden flashes.

Mufflers can be easily adorned over all types of dresses to flaunt as a fashion accessory.

The latest casual fashion trends focus on thick and chunky hand-woven wool scarves which crowd the neck area of the wearers. This performs the dual role of a fashion style accessory and a warmer. The mufflers can be wrapped around the neck, tied in a knot or just left hanging loose according to the need of the wearer. The right style and the right type of mufflers, if rightly worn can make the standing out difference in an outfit. The importance of scarves as a fashion accessory and a valid dressing option is vast.

There colors a many to compliment and adorn your dresses and ensure that you are praised to be stylistic and fashion conscious. It is too cold outside, don't go out without your muffler. Check some styles that can help you rock it better...

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Fashion

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Fashion

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Sermon

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Just Six Feet!

By Babatunde Jose

R

adix malorum est cupiditas: “greed is the root of evil”.

“Beware of greed, for it was only greed that destroyed those before you. It commanded them to be miserly and they did so. It commanded them to sever their family ties and they did so. It commanded them to behave wickedly and they did so.” Source: Sunan Abu Dāwūd 1698 “Thou wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life, even more than the idolaters: Each one of them wishes he could be given a life of a thousand years: But the grant of such life will not save him from (due) punishment. For Allah sees well all that they do.” (Quran 2: 96) Greed is an extreme or excessive desire for resources, especially for property such as money, real estate, or other symbols of wealth. A greedy person is covetous, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious and mean; having or showing a strong desire for, especially material possessions.

Covetousness will simply imply an inordinate desire often for another's possessions. Greed (Latin: avaritia), also known as avarice, cupidity, is like lust and gluttony, a sin of desire.

However, greed (as seen in religious terms) is applied to an artificial, rapacious desire and pursuit of material possessions. Their inability to empathize, their lack of genuine interest in the ideas and feelings of others, and

their unwillingness to take personal responsibility for their behavior and actions makes them very difficult people to be with. They are never satisfied. Greedy people look at the world as a zero-sum game.

Fear, insecurity, anxiety, tendency to betray or harm others and arrogance are the results of greed. Greed is rightly called a deadly sin because it kills the possibility of a proper human relation to the Creator.

In Luke 12:15 we read; “Then he said to them, “Watch out!

Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” According to the Bible, the seven deadly sins are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, which are also contrary to the seven heavenly virtues.

These sins are often thought to be abuses or excessive versions of one's natural

faculties or passions (for example, gluttony abuses one's desire to eat, to consume).

Plutomania: is defined medically as excessive or abnormal desire for wealth.

The root cause of greed is thinking of ourselves in isolation from others or as members of elite peer groups that define what we should want. We are members of larger communities with many kinds of people, on whom we depend and who depend on us.

This is where the attitudinal disposition of our leaders comes in. They are a race of men from another planet.

They are an embodiment of the 7 deadly sins and make no regrets about it. They are gluttonous, rapacious and will stop at nothing to convert the commonwealth to their personal property.

What is enough for one to lead a happy life? This question can be answered in

many different ways. In fact, the variety in answers is something that can be appreciated. Nonetheless, Islam has made it very simple by emphasizing the connection between one's wishes and desires and serving Allah. Allah has given human beings the full right to strive and achieve what they can from what He has allowed, and in our history we have examples of people who had tremendous amounts of wealth and enjoyed its benefits. But when the time came, they did not hesitate for even a moment to sacrifice it all in the way of Allah. Such an act of devotion though is only possible when a Muslim understands that real happiness is in pleasing Allah and the only thing worth being greedy over is success in the Hereafter.

Hence Allah says in Sura AlLayl: But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself

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Sermon self-sufficient, And gives the lie to the Best, We will indeed make smooth for him the Path to Misery; Nor will his wealth profit him when he falls headlong (into the Pit). Verily We take upon Ourselves to guide, And verily unto Us (belong) the End and the Beginning. (Quran 92:8-13) It is not just the greed of wealth and power that has resulted in the oppression of our Ummah; it is also the greed for life. This greed spread in the name of individualism and presents us with a choice where the value of our own selves is sized up against the value of others. So if one can save or benefit themselves, even if that comes at the expense of their brothers and sisters, then that is a fair choice to make.

Rasulallah said: “…and Allah will take the fear of you from the breasts (hearts) of your enemy and cast al-wahn into your hearts.” Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is al-wahn?” He replied, “Love of the world and dislike of death.”

This need for the material over the divine has taken over most all societies. We are primarily a brand and classconscious people. The greed that leads to needing to achieve a certain material standard unfortunately even pushes some Muslims to the Haram.

Some Muslims adopt cultural practices that involve extremely extravagant wedding celebrations where there is pride in spending the most money and outdoing others in their wedding spending. There is a greed in attaining possessions but then another type of greed

that seeks status, attention and the outdoing of others even if that is through sometimes unconscionable means.

We must remember that it is also greed that brought certain peoples to disobey Allah. Greed is selfish excessive or uncontrolled desire for possession, especially when this denies the same goods to others.

Imam Hassan Mujtaba said: “The annihilation of people lies in three things: Arrogance, Greed and Envy.

Arrogance causes destruction of the religion and because of it Shaitan (Satan) was cursed, and Greed is the enemy of one's soul, and because of it Adam was expelled from Paradise, and Envy is the guide to wickedness, and because of it Qabil (Cain) killed Habil (Abel) – the two sons of Prophet Adam.”

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir said: “In his love for the world, the greedy is like the silkworm: the more it wraps in its cocoon, the less it has of escaping from it, until it dies of grief.”

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: “If son of Adam were to possess two valleys of gold and silver, he would long for a third. Son of Adam, your stomach is but an ocean or a valley that cannot be filled in with anything except dust.”

Greed enslaves man and causes him grief. The greedy cares only for collecting fortunes without stopping at any limit. Whenever he achieves a goal, he works for achieving another and, so, he becomes the slave of avidity until death strikes him.

In school we studied a novel on defeating greed by Tolstoy

called “How Much Land does a Man Need?”

According to the peasant Pahom “Our only trouble is that we haven't land enough.

If I had plenty of land, I shouldn't fear the Devil himself”. In a continuous mission to find the 'more' that would be land enough, Pahom dies. His servant picked up the spade, dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in and buried him in it. Six feet from his head to his toes was all he needed. A GREAT LESSON TO ALL: The Bible said: “. . . nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:10 The Army Chief who embezzles the vote meant to procure arms and ammunition for the defenders of our territory will in the end get only six feet of land. The same goes for the Air and Naval Chiefs who are led by greed to criminal atavism. What then can one say of the Oil minister who stole so much money that could fund a luxury space travel to Venus with a stopover at the International Space Station but will eventually return and end up in her own portion of 'standard' 6 feet?

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That, my brothers and sisters, is the end of greed. It answers the question: How much land does a man need?

Good men too will not get a bigger portion of land. Six feet is all they will get; except that they will inherit the kingdom. Our big Uncle Dr Bolaji Kuti, who succeeded my late father as the Administrator of the Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Estate died last week, I went to his house to sign the condolence register only to find the place empty except the gateman who brought the book out for me to sign; Hmmmm! Baale'le ku ile d'ahoro! My uncle had already received his portion of 6 feet at the Vault and Gardens. Our friend and brother Senator Alhaji Munir Muse also passed on during the week and has since received his own portion. It confirms verse 2:156 of the Quran; Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, a phrase meaning “Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return.”

We pray that Allah obliterate the transgressions of the departed, forgive their sins and grant them Jannatul Firdous.

Barka Juma'at and Happy Weekend

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Sports

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BOSS NEWSPAPER

Barcelona Confirm Messi Injury

L

aLiga giants Barcelona have confirmed that the club's captain Lionel Messi has sustained an injury.

Messi, according to a statement by the club has a minor quadriceps injury and trained in isolation on Friday.

The Argentine is however expected to rejoin his teammates in a few days.

“Barca captain Leo Messi has a minor right quadriceps injury and trained in isolation, doing specific exercises to avoid unnecessary risks with just eight days remaining before Barca finally get back to playing matches. He should be able to rejoin his teammates in a few days time,” read a statement from the Catalan outfit.

Messi has already suffered both foot and abductor injuries this season.

The 32-year-old has scored 24 goals and recorded 16 assists in 31 games across all competitions for Barcelona this season.

The Blaugurana will resume their title defence against Real Mallorca on June 13.

Liverpool Voted UK's Favourite Football Club

P

remier League leaders Liverpool have been named as the United Kingdom's favourite football club following a poll produced

by YouGov.

Y o u G o v ' s FootballIndex tracker has Liverpool top with 8.3 per cent of the population ahead of bitter rivals Manchester United who occupy second with six per cent of the votes.

The study apparently took in 16 different metrics, tracking the opinions of the public every day. These metrics include the public's perceptions of clubs'

management, players and coaches, fan culture, tradition their record of success amd also the attractiveness of their football.

The poll enquired from supporters about the likelihood that they would watch rival side on television.

Chelsea were the next best club in the poll with 3.1 per cent – almost three times less liked than Liverpool and almost double of Manchester United.

Manchester City and Arsenal were next on the list with two per cent each. Arsenal's eternal enemy Tottenham followed them with 1.8 per cent – meaning Liverpool are four times more popular than this trio.

Wolves were the UK's next favourite team – with a rating of 1.5 per cent to place them in seventh.

Newcastle, Everton and Aston Villa round up the top 10 with 1.4 per cent of the votes.

Ighalo To Consider Super Eagles Return

N

igeria forward Odion Ighalo says he is open to a return to international football with the threetime African African champions.

Ighalo announced his retirement from international football after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The Manchester United striker was top scorer in the competition with five goals, while the Super Eagles finished in third position.

“I am still in contact with Gernot Rohr and Amaju Pinnick, and they congratulated me on my loan deal,” Ighalo told Brila FM on Thursday.

“I am still thinking about returning to the national team, but right now I want to concentrate on my club career.

“I left the national team because of the distance between Nigeria and China, but now that I am in

Manchester and just like life and in my career, you never can tell.”

Ighalo recently extended his loan deal with Manchester United until January 2021.

The 30-year-old scored 16 goals in 35 appearances for the Super Eagles before his retirement.

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The

Editorial

BOSS NEWSPAPER

Like George Floyd, Nigerians Can't Breathe

T

he video which went viral depicting a

or this time the knee to the neck of hapless

Minneapolis police officer kneeling on

Nigerians.

the neck of a suspect until he died did

In the education, Nigerians can't breathe as

not only sent chills down the spines of well

Academic Staff Union of Universities and

meaning individuals, it created a yet to be

other educational unions are constantly at

answered question on 'where is humanity'?

loggerheads with the government over one

On Monday, May 25, 2020, the Minneapolis

issue or another, and so strikes have become

Police department received a call from a

the order of the day.

store, reporting a supposed felon, who was

The health institutions have completely

allegedly issuing a fake cheque for his

suffocated the people, as hospitals are more

purchases. The man, 46 year-old George

like glorified mortuaries. The advent of the

Floyd, was immediately handcuffed and

COVID-19 pandemic has made matters

taken into custody at the arrival of the

worse as more deaths have recorded from

officers of the Police Department. The video

other sources other than the pandemic. No

did not show any evidence of a struggle

health worker seem to care about a patient for

between the black gentleman, and the

fear of the disease. No one is listening. The

officers.

only health matter at the moment is to listen

Floyd was later pinned to the ground, close to

to the new cases of coronavirus every night.

the tyre of the police patrol car, with his

Nigerians can't breathe!

hands cuffed behind his back. The arresting

The Police are out there snuffing life out of

officer, who was identified as Derek

citizens either from accidental discharge or

Chauvin, then placed his knees on his neck

outright shooting over refusal to part with

against the hard surface. Floyd protested in

bribe as low as N20. Nigerians can't breathe!

pains, but he couldn't move his body as the

In the last couple of days, almost all

entire weight of Chauvin flowing into his

Nigerians, especially in Lagos State, turned

knees rested on his windpipe in addition to

members of vigilance group as bold faced

the immobility of his cuffed hands. His

armed robbers, who called themselves one

protest now coming in muffled speech of 'I

million boys, threaten the peace of residents.

can't breathe' and his breathe coming in

Nigerians can't breathe!

irregular spasm, Floyd was gradually going

A journey of not more than 15 minutes will

numb. But Chauvin and his co travellers

take a motorist or commuter as much as three

showed no mercy. Onlookers, who noticed

hours to complete because of the dilapidated

the pains Floyd was in prevailed on the

nature of the roads which breeds

officers to release from his neck since he was

unprecedented traffic jam. Nigerians can't

already in custody and harmless, but they

breathe!

paid no heed. A particular bystander pleaded,

It is no longer news that every Nigerian

and asked that his pulse be checked, when he

resident is the sole provider of his own

noticed that Floyd was no longer moving, but

electricity, water, education, road and many

the officers refuse. And suddenly, the man

more. Nigerians can't breathe, and yet the

went completely numb. He was dead. They

knee is pressing harder down the neck. And

showed him no mercy. A visit to the hospital

like Floyd, the voice is becoming muffled,

afterwards was to fulfill all righteousness

the breath is coming in spasm, movement is

and get a confirmation. An innocent soul was

highly impossible, and soon silence may

killed in broad day light for no just cause.

occur. Who cares?

The death of Floyd for no verifiable offence

Please take urgent steps cause Nigerians, like

amid his pathetic plea of I can't breathe, is a

Floyd, can't breathe!

typical situation with Nigerians. For years, the government has compelled the citizens to tighten belts in the face of obvious hardship, dearth of infrastructure, social amenities and

The

ISSN-2052-1979

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EDITORIAL TEAM PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dele Momodu momodudele@yahoo.co.uk ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Mobolaji Momodu EDITOR Michael Effiong mikeffiong2009@yahoo.com mikeffiong@ovationinternational.com ASST. EDITOR Eric Elezuo PHOTO EDITOR Adekoya Adegbite PRODUCTION MANAGER/ART DIRECTOR Isaac Edoh-Philip GRAPHICS DESIGNER Ajibade Morakinyo PHOTO JOURNALISTS Colin Ramsay...Ade James (USA)...Dayo Adedayo Isaac Adegbite...Dragan Mikki (UK)...Bodise Wilson Soji Adekunle...Vera Odjugo...Tope Brown Segun Lawal...Ken Ehimen Guy L’Avenir (Benin Republic)...Ben Dzakah (Ghana) WEB DESIGNER/MANAGER Kwaku Yeboah Darteh MARKETING/ADVERTS Zed Dominic Okolue (Benin Republic) US CORRESPONDENTS Samantha Ofole Prince...Shola Orolugbagbe CONTRIBUTORS Jimi Akinniyi...Sanya Ojikutu...Isatou N’jie Dayo Olomu...Makeba Boateng LAGOS OFFICE Babatunde Martins - Head Admin Aderemi Abiola - Admin. Officer UK OPERATIONS 7, Du Maurier House, Lawn Road, London Nw3 2XE Tel: +447951026178, +447956967160 UK DISTRIBUTION/WORLDWIDE SUBSCRIPTION Jay Magazine & Newspaper Distribution, UK +44(20) 76358888, +447976628251 UK AND EUROPE DISTRIBUTION Quality Magazine Distribution Global Distribution MANAGING EDITOR BENIN REPUBLIC BUREAU Jeanne-Frances Maduakor Centre Commercial Xanadu-Ancien Pont, Wlacodiji Contonou Tel: +229 97221918, +229 98155422 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ike Okonta...Sunmi Smart-Cole...Okagbue Aduba Osasu Obayiuwana...Dupe Ashama Isha Tejan-Cole (West Africa)...Richie Dayo Johnson GHANA OPERATIONS 17, Asafoatse Afua Street, West Airport.

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all the rest including education. But the authorities, even with the plea we can't breathe, has continued to tighten the noose,

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