Television Nigerian

South African TEENAGERS BUILD THEIR OWN PLANE

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May 31, 2019

South African TEENAGERS BUILD THEIR OWN PLANE

A group of teenagers has built an aeroplane in South Africa.

The 20 teenagers, from various backgrounds and across South Africa, plan to travel in their four-seater aircraft from Cape Town to Cairo in June.

They plan to cover over 10,000 km (6,213 miles) flying through Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea before they reach Egypt.

The operation is part of a programme called U-Dream Global, an aviation outreach initiative that aims to inspire young South Africans.

Agnes Seemela, one of the teenagers building and flying the aircraft, spoke to the BBC’s Newsday about the experience. She was involved in building the wings of the plane and the horizontal and vertical stabilizer.

“I’m like a kid in a candy store. The plane takes off on the 15th June in Cape Town.”

Like most teenagers, Agnes had no previous experience in aviation.

“I learnt it all during this amazing journey,” she told Newsday.

Kim Jong-un executes his envoy to the U.S. and four others for ‘betraying’ him over failed Trump summit

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May 31, 2019

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Kim Jong-un executes his envoy to the U.S. and four others for ‘betraying’ him over failed Trump summit

Kim Jong-un has executed his envoy to the U.S. and four others as part of a purge of officials after Jong-un’s failed summit with Donald Trump.

The North Korean dictator executed Kim Hyok Chol by firing squad for “betraying the supreme leader”. Chol was killed in March at Mirim Airport for being “won over to the US,” during nuclear negotiations with Trump.

Chol and the four other senior foreign ministry officials executed at the airfield were accused of becoming U.S. “spies” after the failed second negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong-un ended abruptly in February.

Kim Hyok Chol was the North’s counterpart of U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun in the run-up to the Hanoi summit in February.

“He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions,” a source told South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reports that Kim Jong Un’s interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a botched translation to Trump at the summit. She failed to translate Kim’s new proposal when Trump declared ‘no deal’ and walked away from the table, the paper reported.

Shin was charged with making critical interpretation mistakes, including missing an unspecified “last-minute offer” Kim Jong-un supposedly made as Trump was about to walk out, Chosun reported.

Another senior official, Kim Yong Chol, who had been in nuclear discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, was sent to a forced labour camp for ideological re-education. Kim Song Hye, a woman who worked with Hyok Chol in talks with Pompeo was reportedly sent to another prison camp.

News of the purge came as North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, mouthpiece of the ruling party, warned that officials who committed anti-party or anti-revolutionary acts would face the “stern judgement of the revolution”.

North Korea has previously executed citizens to atone for high-profile political flops but both South Korean media and the South Korean government have a history of reporting about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong. Supposedly executed officials have been seen later walking alongside Kim on state TV after their reported demise.

SEYI MAKINDE PROSCRIBES NURTW IN OYO STATE

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May 31, 2019

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SEYI MAKINDE PROSCRIBES NURTW IN OYO STATE

Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has proscribed the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state until further notice.

This was made known in a press release personally signed by the governor and read to journalists by his Chief of Staff, Bisi Ilaka, at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan on Friday.

The prescription followed the reports of threats to public peace in the state as two groups within the union have been immersed in leadership tussle that returns the state to the era of brigandage.

Makinde said: “While appreciating the good people of Oyo State for your steadfastness overtime and support for our administration, I want to reiterate our stand on the need to maintain peace and tranquility in our state in order to engender commercial and human development.

“After today’s deliberation with security stakeholders meeting, involving security chiefs and the government, we have resolved to proscribe the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) until further notice.

“All activities of the union remain illegal henceforth and we urge the people of the state to go out about their lawful duties without fear of molestation, as combined security task force in every community of the state, have been charged to take care and maintain peace and order.”

Makinde said all parks in the state have been taken over by the state government with immediate effect.

KANYE WEST DETAILS STRUGGLES WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

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May 31, 2019

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KANYE WEST DETAILS STRUGGLES WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

Award-winning rapper, Kanye West has bared details on his struggles with bipolar disorder.

West, who has been campaigning against the stigmatisation of people with mental health issues, opened up in the new season of David Letterman’s Netflix show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.”

In a clip of the episode, which is set to drop Friday, Letterman asks West, “What is the mechanism that is malfunctioning or is taking a break in your brain, do you know?”

West replied, “I wouldn’t be able to explain that as much just because, you know, I’m not a doctor.

“I can just tell you what I’m feeling at the time, and I feel a heightened connection with the universe when I’m ramping up. It is a health issue.

“This — it’s like a sprained brain, like having a sprained ankle. And if someone has a sprained ankle, you’re not going to push on him more.

“With us, once our brain gets to a point of spraining, people do everything to make it worse.

“You have this moment [where] you feel everyone wants to kill you. You pretty much don’t trust anyone.

“When you’re in this state, you’re hyper-paranoid about everything, everyone. This is my experience, other people have different experiences.

“Everyone now is an actor. Everything’s a conspiracy. You feel the government is putting chips in your head. You feel you’re being recorded. You feel all these things,” West said.

West recounted being diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years ago and described his experience with an involuntary psychiatric hold in 2016.

Further explaining his experience, he said, “They have this moment where they put you, they handcuff you, they drug you, they put you on the bed, and they separate you from everyone you know.

“That’s something that I am so happy that I experienced myself so I can start by changing that moment,” he said.

West first shared his bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2018 on his album, ‘Ye’. He referenced taking medication to treat his condition in his conversation with Letterman.

“If you don’t take medication every day to keep you at a certain state, you have a potential to ramp up and it can take you to a point where you can even end up in the hospital.

“And you start acting erratic, as TMZ would put it,” he said in reference to his impromptu visit to the celebrity gossip website’s headquarters, which sparked headlines.

West told Letterman he’s choosing to speak about his diagnosis because of a “strong stigma” around mental health.
“People are allowed to say anything about it and discriminate in any way,” West said.

He said he is under a doctor’s care, that he uses alternative treatment methods, but he thinks medication may work with others with bipolar disorder.

Fans had speculations about his condition for years, particularly after he was hospitalized for a “psychiatric emergency” in November 2016 just after cancelling his Saint Pablo tour.

West seemingly confirmed that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018 with the release of ‘Ye’.

In April, his wife Kim Kardashian West also confirmed his diagnosis in an interview with Vogue, saying the couple had reached a “pretty good place” with his mental health.

“It is an emotional process, for sure,” the 38-year-old reality mogul told Vogue. “Right now everything is really calm.
“But we can definitely feel episodes coming, and we know how to handle them.”

The rapper took steps towards normalizing mental health issues with the release of his latest album cover which read, “I Hate Being Bipolar. It’s Awesome.

Infrastructure tops manufacturers’ wish list for Buhari

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May 31, 2019

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Infrastructure tops manufacturers’ wish list for Buhari

Manufacturers have listed their expectation from the new government and infrastructure occupies the top of the list.

In separate interviews with our correspondent on Thursday, the manufacturers said major infrastructure like road, rail, and seaports would make the manufacturing sector function well and enable operators to create employment.

“One of the key things that we have been hammering on is infrastructure deficit,” the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Technoglass Industries Limited, Mr John Aluya, said.

“We still generate our own electricity, we build our own roads. We cannot do this and compete with products that come from the rest of the world.

“The transport situation is a problem, coupled with the chaotic situation at the ports.

“As long as we keep being a mini-government, we will continue to face competition challenge.”

He advised the government to limit recurrent expenditure and make greater provision in the budget for capital projects.

Aluya said the operators had a minimal challenge with import duties because of the Import Adjustment Tax that made allowance for goods that could be produced locally. But he advised that when there was an adjustment in tariff from the Federal Government, it should be communicated to all the agencies of government in all the states.

“Implementation is another problem. Whatever tariff comes from the government should be communicated to all sectors and agencies of the government. When you go to the Customs, they will just tell you that they don’t know about the adjustment. They will ask you to pay first and if you don’t, your goods will lie there and accumulate demurrage.”

Also speaking, the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mansur Ahmed, advised the government to scale up efforts to revive the economy, increase growth rate and address some of the challenges facing the manufacturing sector.

“Improvement of the business environment should be sustained. Also, the security situation is another major issue and it needs to be controlled,” he said.

The Group Managing Director of Flour Mills Plc, Mr Paul Gbededo, said the expectation was that the government would focus on the economy that would be inclusive and impact people.

“We expect the government to focus on infrastructure, road, rail and other means of transportation that will impact manufacturing and reduce the cost of doing business.

“They should also look at corporate taxes, streamline multiple agencies and put the right people in the right places.”

Earlier, MAN had released a survey that sampled the opinions of chief executive officers of manufacturing firms, seeking to know the level of confidence they had in the business environment in Nigeria.

The report titled, Manufacturing CEO Confidence Index, showed that most of the manufacturers did not agree that the government’s capital expenditure implementation encouraged productivity in the manufacturing sector.

“This claim can be justified with the available poor economic infrastructure such as inadequate power supply, bad road network, high cost of abstracting water, low patronage and many more, suggesting the need to pay urgent attention to initiatives that would improve economic infrastructure, especially those that support productivity in the real sector.”

The manufacturers also agreed that multiple/over-regulation by all tiers of government ministries, departments and agencies depressed productivity in the manufacturing sector.

“Quite often, the federal, state and local agencies regulate the same manufacturing processes resulting in man-hour losses and multiple regulatory charges. It is imperative that the sphere of regulation for MDAs of each tier of the government should be properly delineated, streamlined and where possible harmonised,” the report noted.

NIGERIANS BECAME POORER UNDER BUHARI’S FIRST TERM – The Economist

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May 31, 2019

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NIGERIANS BECAME POORER UNDER BUHARI’S FIRST TERM – The Economist

The Economist reviewed the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari and concluded that Nigerians became poorer during his first four years in office.

The magazine, in the publication, which was posted on its website on Thursday, said while the Nigerian economy was “stuck like a stranded truck,” average incomes fell during the four-year period covering 2015 to 2019.

Opposition parties led by the Peoples Democratic Party agreed with the magazine’s damning report, saying it confirmed their belief that Buhari was clueless and could not run the country efficiently. They advised Nigerians to prepare for another disastrous four years, which Buhari started on May 29.

The Economist in its report said based on the thinking of the International Monetary Fund, the average income of Nigerians “will not rise for at least another six (years).”

The report partly read, “The Nigerian economy is stuck like a stranded truck. Average incomes have been falling for four years; the IMF thinks they will not rise for at least another six (years).

“The latest figures put unemployment at 23 per cent, after growing for 15 consecutive quarters.

“Some 94 million people live on less than $1.90 a day, more than in any other country, and the number is swelling.

“By 2030, a quarter of very poor people will be Nigerians, predicts the World Data Lab, which counts such things.”

The report said the naira was overvalued, adding that this was because the government had spent decades neglecting basic public goods such as roads, schools and electricity.

It said, “Where urgency is needed, Mr Buhari offers only caution. Few are holding their breath for any more drive in his second term, which began on May 29th.

“Yet officials are postponing a crisis, not averting one. Consider borrowing. The debt-to-GDP ratio is 28 per cent, but Nigeria collects so little in tax that interest payments swallow about 60 per cent of federal revenues.”

The Economist said that public finances would be healthier if the government raised the price of fuel, which is imported by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation and sold on at a loss.

GTB, MASTERCARD, 7 OTHERS TO TESTIFY AGAINST NAIRA MARLEY

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May 31, 2019

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GTB, MASTERCARD, 7 OTHERS TO TESTIFY AGAINST NAIRA MARLEY

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to present nine witnesses in its case against musician Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley.

According to court documents obtained by our correspondent, the witnesses would give evidence of their investigation, tender exhibits and reveal their findings to the court.

Three of the witnesses were said to have taken the defendant’s and witnesses’ statements.

The remaining are representatives of Mastercard, Visa Inc and Guaranty Trust Bank, who are expected to tender relevant card and account details of the defendant to the court.

The artiste was arrested on May 10 at 9 Gbangbala Street, Ikate, Lekki, Lagos, together with Omomniyi Temidayo (aka Zlatan Ibile) and three others for alleged advance fee fraud.

After his arrest, the anti-graft agency filed 11 charges against Naira Marley bordering on alleged cybercrime and identity theft.

The alleged crimes were in contravention of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the Cyber Crimes Act, which the artiste risks seven years in jail if found guilty.

Section 33 (2) of the Act, which Naira Marley was accused of contravening reads, “Any person who uses: a counterfeit access device; an unauthorised access device; an access device issued to another person; resulting in a loss or gain commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not more than seven years or a fine of not more than N5,000,000.00 and forfeiture of the advantage or value derived from his act.”

The charges with suit number FHC/L/178C/19 were filed before a Lagos State High Court.

Ten days after his arrest, Naira Marley was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Justice Oweibo ordered that the artiste be remanded in custody until May 30 to take the bail application filed by the defendant’s counsel, Mrs Taiwo Oreagba.

He was subsequently granted bail to the tune of N2m.

NIGERIAN CUSTOMS RELEASE LIST OF PROHIBITED ITEMS

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May 31, 2019

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NIGERIAN CUSTOMS RELEASE LIST OF PROHIBITED ITEMS

Nigeria Customs Service has provided a long list of items/goods that are prohibited from being imported to the country.

The ban, amongst other factors, was put in place to control imports and also protect locally produced goods from unhealthy competition with foreign products.

List of prohibited or restricted imports is as follows:
1. Live or dead birds including frozen poultry.
2. Pork, beef, bird’s eggs, excluding hatching eggs
3. Refined vegetable oils and fats (includes mayonnaise). Crude vegetable oil is NOT banned from importation.
4. Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form in retail packs.
5. Cocoa butter, powder and cakes.
6. Spaghetti/noodles.
7. Fruit Juice in retail packs.
8. Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters containing added sugar or sweetening matter or flavored, ice snow, other non-alcoholic beverages and beer and stout (bottled, canned or otherwise packed, but excluding energy or health drinks (liquid dietary supplements).
9. Bagged cement.
10. Medicaments as indicated below:
Paracetamol tablets and syrups;
Cotrimoxazole tablets and syrups;
Metronidazole tablets and syrups;
Chloroquine tablets and syrups;
Haematinic formulations; ferrous sulphate and ferrous gluconate tablets,
Folic acid tablets,
Vitamin B Complex Tablets (except modified released formulations).
Multivitamin tablets, capsules and syrups (except special formulations);
Aspirin tablets (except modified released formulation and soluble aspirin);
Magnesium trisilicate tablets and suspensions.
Piperazine tablets and syrups;
Levamisole tablets and syrups;
Clotrimazole cream; Ointments – penicillin/gentamycin; Pyrantel pamoate tablets and syrups; and Intravenous fluids (dextrose, normal saline, etc.). Waste Pharmaceuticals.

11. Soaps and Detergents in retail packs only.
12. Mosquito Repellent Coils.
13. Sanitary Wares of Plastics and Domestic Articles and Wares of Plastics (but excluding Baby Feeding bottles) and flushing cistern and waterless toilets.
14. Rethreaded and used Pneumatic tires but excluding used trucks tires for rethreading of sized 11.00 x 20 and above.
15. Corrugated Paper and Paper Boards, and cartons, boxes and cases made from corrugated paper and paper boards, toilet paper, cleaning or facial tissue, excluding baby diapers and incontinent pads for adult use.
16. Telephone Re-charge cards and vouchers.
17. Carpets and other textile floor coverings.
18. All types of Foot Wears, Bags and Suitcases but excluding Safety Shoes used in oil industries, sports shoes, canvass shoes all Completely Knocked Down (CKD) blanks and parts.
19. Hollow Glass Bottles of a capacity exceeding 150mls (0.15 liters) of all kinds used for packaging of beverages by breweries and other beverage and drink companies.
20. Used compressors and used fridges/freezers.
21. Used Motor Vehicles above fifteen (15) years from the year of manufacture.
22. Furniture, but excluding baby walkers, laboratory cabinets such as microscope table, fume cupboards, laboratory benches, Stadium Chairs, height adjustments device, base sledge, seat frames and control mechanism, arm guide and head guides.
Also excluded are; skeletal parts of furniture such as blanks, upholstered or unfinished part of metal, plastics, veneer, chair shell etc.
Also excluded are Motor Vehicle seats and Seats other than garden seats or camping equipment, convertible into beds.
23. Ball Point Pens and parts including refills (excluding tip)
24. Tomato paste or concentrate put up for retail sale In addition.

NCS lists items whose importation is “absolutely prohibited as:
Air Pistols
Airmail Photographic Printing Paper.
All counterfeit/pirated materials or articles including Base or Counterfeit Coin of any Country.
Beads composed of inflammable celluloid or other similar substances.
Blank invoices. Coupons for Foreign Football pools or other betting arrangements.
Cowries.
Exhausted tea or tea mixed with other substances.
Implements pertaining to the reloading of cartridges.
Indecent or obscene prints, painting, books, cards, engraving or any indecent or obscene articles. Manilas.
Matches made with white phosphorous.
Materials of any description with a design which, considering the purpose for which any such material is intended to be used, is likely in – the opinion of the President to create a breach of the peace or to offend the religious views of any class of persons in Nigeria.
Meat, Vegetables or other provisions declared by a health officer to be unfit for human consumption. Piece goods and all other textiles including wearing apparel, hardware of all kinds’ crockery and china or earthenware goods bearing inscriptions (whether in Roman or Arabic characters) from the Koran or from the traditions and commentaries on the Koran.
Pistols disguised in any form.
Second-hand clothing.
Silver or metal alloy coins not being legal tender in Nigeria.
Nuclear Industrial waste and other Toxic waste.
Some spirits
The items listed altogether in the two categories are 44.

BREAKING: PENGASSAN President, Johnson is dead

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May 31, 2019

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BREAKING: PENGASSAN President, Johnson is dead

The President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Mr. Francis Johnson, has died, it has been learnt.

Johnson, it was learnt, died in the wee hours of Friday.

The deceased, who became President of the union in 2014, was said to have passed on after an ailment.

The General Secretary of PENGASSAN , Okugbawa Lumumba, confirmed the development to our correspondent on the telephone.

SARAKI SACKED AS AMBASSADOR TO U.N

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May 31, 2019

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The outgoing Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has been stripped of his position as Ambassador-at-large of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) for not being forthcoming with the required protocols demanded of the office.

The ugly development was communicated to the veteran politician through a letter issued and signed by the head of the Nigerian Office, Dr. Friday Sani in Abuja on Thursday.

Dr Saraki was alleged to have fallen short of the nuances of the office despite several entreaties by officials of the International body.

It was also contained in the letter that the lawmaker had been put on prior notice by the Nigerian Central Office and Africa of IHRC. The body while regretting the withdrawal of the nomination noted that it’s hands has been forced by the protocol demands of the Organisation tow this path.

Part of the letter states: “In view of recent event towards perfection of the intended decoration and the overall interest of the organization in Africa and the world, we hereby withdraw your nomination as Ambassador-at-large.”

The letter also disclosed that the International Human Rights Commission’s World Secretary-General, Mr. Rafal Marcin Wasik has been informed of the development and has since given the body the necessary approval for the withdrawal.