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The Naira yesterday depreciated in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM, to N1,300.15 per dollar exceeding the parallel market rate by N45.15.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM rose to N1,300.15 per dollar from N1,234.49 per dollar last week Friday, indicating N65.66 depreciation for the naira.
Similarly, the Naira depreciated to N1,255 per dollar in the parallel market, from N1,1250 per dollar on Monday.
Consequently, the margin between the parallel market and NAFEM rates widened to N45.15 per dollar from N15.51 per dollar the previous day.
Maryam, the student of the Lead British School caught on tape bullying her classmate, Nassita Bwala, has tendered a heartfelt apology.
In a video she made, Maryam said
‘’I am sincerely sorry. I wish this never happened''
A video of Maryam assaulting Namsita sparked national outrage after it surfaced online. The school has now been closed for three days during which a detailed investigation will take place.
Watch her apology video below
Media
Pop star Rihanna has shared her reflections on past decisions, expressing a newfound perspective shaped by motherhood.
The 36-year-old singer, who shares two sons, RZA Athelston Mayers and Riot Rose Mayers, with her partner A$AP Rocky, opened up about certain outfit choices she now views with mild regret.
During an interview with British Vogue at the Tobacco Dock launch of Fenty X Puma’s new brown creeper shoe, Rihanna discussed her past fashion “icks.”
She admitted to feeling regretful about instances where she went topless in public and allowed her “panties to be out” at red carpet events.
“It’s going to sound hypocritical because I did so much s**t in my life, I had my nipples out, I had my panties out.
“But now those are the things, I guess as a mom, and an evolved young lady, emphasis on young, it’s just things that I feel I would never do, or I’m just like ‘oh my god, I really did that? Nips out?'” she confessed.
In a recent cover story for Interview Magazine, Rihanna shared insights into her relationship journey with A$AP Rocky, her partner and the father of her children.
Rihanna revealed that although she first met Rocky, 35, in 2012, their romantic relationship began to blossom in 2019.
“We saw fashion the same. We saw creative the same. We ended up in the same circles a lot.
“And past that, when we grew up, we ended up supporting each other’s brands and products and creative all the time.
“We’ve known each other for a long time. I’ve seen him in relationships. He’s seen me in relationships. We’ve seen each other outside of relationships.
“We knew what we’re capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other’s lives. We can make or break each other’s hearts.
“And so, we started dating with a lot of caution … I just let whatever was supposed to happen, happen. It was just, ‘This is a flower. It’s either going to die or blossom. But I’m going to let it decide itself,'” she recalled.
Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, has said he did not apply to be the team’s next head coach because of two reasons.
Since Jose Peseiro’s contract elapsed, several former Nigerian players have been linked with the job.
Enyeama has admitted he would have also applied if he had secured his coaching certificate and wasn’t focused on his hotel business.
He told Afrik-Foot: “For you to be able to coach the Super Eagles, you must be certified. That’s the minimum standard.
“That’s the number one reason, and then for the fact that I have been very busy developing and managing my hotel has taken a lot of my attention, and that business is the most important thing for me now.”
[DailyPost]
The ongoing drama at Lead British International School, Abuja, took a new dimension, on Tuesday, when a parent slapped the student involved in the video which has gone viral.
An X user, @mooyeeeeeee, posted two videos where the victim she identified as Maryam Hassan was repeatedly slapped by another female student.
The video generated thousands of comments by netizens who called on the school authorities to investigate the matter.
On Tuesday, some parents stormed the school with the hope to resolve the incident.
However, the student, who was captured slapping her colleague, was seen walking into the premises accompanied by elderly males.
A lady identified as one of the parents walked up to the student, asking her, “She is proud of what she did. You are proud of what you did! You are proud right? Someone’s child; innocent child, you beat her, did you give birth to her? I am asking you, did you give birth to her?”
The student was trying to walk away so as to avoid confrontation, but the angry parent shoved her, saying, “I’m asking you: did you give birth to her?” The student muttered some incoherent words and the angry parent responded with a slap, before other elderly person around moved in to douse tension.
Meanwhile, the student who was slapped went down on her knee.
The Lead British International School had earlier said it has launched investigation into the matter.
In a statement issued earlier on Monday, it said the counselling unit of the school is helping the victimised student overcome the emotional and psychological impact.
The statement read, “We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students. Hence, upon learning of the incident, we initiated the process of reaching out to the victim and family with a view to providing support, including access to counselling services to help them cope with the emotional and psychological impact of the incident.
“Additionally, we will be working with the perpetrators and their families, offering counselling and disciplinary measures to address their behaviour which has no place in society.
“We have also immediately initiated an investigation, appointing a dedicated team to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. The team has been gathering information, including reviewing video footage and interviewing witnesses, to understand the full scope of the incident and identify the immediate and remote causes.”
The school also said it is providing a safe environment for students to learn and working against bullying of students through its policies.
It also appealed to the general public to stop sharing and posting of the videos to help the students in stabilising their emotional consciousness.
It continued, ““In line with our commitment to preventing bullying and ensuring a safe school environment, we will be reviewing and updating our extant Anti-Bullying Policies and procedures to determine areas requiring improvement, with a focus on prevention and early intervention. LBIS will also be implementing educational programmes and workshops for students, staff, and parents to raise awareness about bullying and its consequences.
“Lead British International School Abuja, established since 2007, is a renowned education brand with a proud history of producing thousands of alumni who continue to make the institution proud through their accomplishments around the world. These achievements testify to the sound academic and moral grounding they received during their formative years in the school.
“We want to reassure our school community and the public that we are taking all necessary steps to address this isolated incident and prevent a recurrence. We are committed to fostering a culture of kindness, respect, and empathy at Lead British International School Abuja, where every student feels safe, valued, and respected.”
Media
Take a look at Maryam, the face of the bu!!y , she was brought to the school just now by her parent, the school has also been shut down for three days and minister of women affairs is there to address the issue#JusticeForNamtira #LeadBritishSchool pic.twitter.com/U1zP9uivVF
— Studentconnect (@Studentc0nnectv) April 23, 2024
The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has reacted to the statement credited to the Inspector General of Police on the formation of state policing.
Recall that IGP had earlier declared that Nigeria isn’t yet ripe for state police despite the readiness of President Tinubu’s administration to implement it.
In a statement signed Tuesday, Primate Ayodele stated that Nigeria is ripe for state police because it will help complement the efforts of police officers in the country to curb insecurity.
He explained that if the government utilizes the process properly, state policing will assist the NPF tremendously in terms of providing local intelligence to protect the lives of Nigerian citizens.
The prophet made it known that it would create more employment opportunities and if well utilized and used for citizens, it would improve insecurity.
‘’Nigeria is having so many security issues but the state police will add value to the police. If we utilize the process properly, state police will help. It will help to provide local intelligence and create faster means to curb insecurity in the country.
‘’Apart from creating employment, state security will assist in curbing insecurity. It will complement the work of policemen; it will improve our insecurity if it is used for the generality of humanity.’’
However, he advised the federal government to ensure that the process is managed properly to avoid being used to oppress ordinary citizens by politicians and state governors
‘’All the government needs to do is work on funding and manage the process properly by ensuring they are not used for selfish needs by politicians and state governors.
‘’Nigeria is ripe for state police; they should do the funding well and put necessary things in place and not oppress people,” he added.
..may peg age for intake into university, others at 18 years
The Federal Government has revealed that only 20 per cent of the candidates sitting the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) might be offered admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
The government is also contemplating a review of the current age requirement for entry into tertiary institutions in the country, which is likely to be pegged at 18 years.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman made the disclosures on Monday in Abuja while monitoring the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), alongside the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede.
More than 1.9 million candidates registered to participate in the examination that commenced on 19th April and is expected to end on 29th April 2024.
Mamman expressed concerns about about some parents who exert unnecessary pressure on their children, warning them against pushing the children and wards “too much,” to allow them to attain some level of maturity to be able to better manage their affairs.
There have been concerns about the carrying capacity of the existing public tertiary institutions while private institutions always find it difficult to fill their admission quotas because of high tuition fees.
Mamman, while commenting on the high number of candidates seeking admission into the limited slots available in tertiary institutions, said skills acquisition remains a critical component in preparing the youths for a brighter future.
“It is not a question of being employed but how many will be admitted from this set. I think the figure overall on average is about 20 per cent; universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
“The question you ask is where are the 80 percent? They are our children, our wards living with us. This is why the issue of skills acquisition is terribly important because any student who is not being able to proceed to tertiary education, should be able to have a meaningful life even after secondary school, even primary education actually.
“The only solution to that is skills; by taking skills right from the time they entered school, for the primary right through the educational trajectory. Somebody should finish with one skill or another. That is part of the assumption of the 6-3-3-4.
“It is assumed that by the time a student finishes up to the JSS level, he will have acquired some skills. If he does not proceed to the senior secondary level, he will have acquired some skills that will help him navigate life and cease to be a burden on his parents and society.
“That’s why this skill is just the most important skill for us now that we are going to drive through the education sector for both public and private sector to empower the young ones.”
Speaking on the age requirement for intake into tertiary institutions, he said: “The other thing which we notice is the age of those who have applied to go to the university. Some of them are really too young. We are going to look at it because they are too young to understand what a university education is all about.
“That’s the stage when students migrate from a controlled environment where they are in charge of their own affairs. So if they are too young, they won’t be able to manage properly. That accounts for some of the problems we are seeing in the universities.
“We are going to look at that. 18 is the entry age for university but you will see students, 15, and 16, going to the examination. It is not good for us. Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards, or children too much.”
The Minister commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for a seamless examination process, noting that the adoption of technology had helped in reducing the cases of examination practices.
“Right from screening to those who are here, the examination process is seamless. The environment is comfortable for students. That’s how it should be, especially the use of technology in our affairs and the educational system. It makes life easy for everybody and seamless.
“As we know this examination is going on throughout the country. It is being monitored everywhere seamlessly and from the report I have heard, the malpractice level is very low. Just a 100 out of the 1.2m. It has gone down drastically and I believe that it is the use of technology that has made that happen so this is very good.”
Minister of State for Education, Dr Tanko Sununu, who was excited the UTME was also ongoing in Saudi Arabia as a result of the standards set by JAMB’s management, noted that the examination has transcended to a very high level of objectivity and reliability of results.
“Right from when the candidates arrive, they would be seated comfortably in the waiting room, screening and other necessary instructions will be given and they will proceed to do biometrics.
“There are some instructions that will be pushed that even if you are just coming into contact with a computer for the first time, provided you have been using the handset or smartphone, that will properly guide you to have access.
“One of the major things I see here, which is a major characteristic of online exams, is the speed. The speed in the centre is really excellent; pages are turned as at when candidates need them without any delay of booting.
“Also in the exam, there are lots of steps to prevent examination malpractice, candidates that are adjacent will be taking different subjects and even when you are answering the same questions, question number one will be different from question number two from the next person.
“The standard of the examination is commendable. I am not surprised that JAMB has to go outside Nigeria to go to other countries to conduct exams, they were in Saudi Arabia and right now the exam is also going (on) in Saudi Arabia.
“I have not heard people complaining of answers leaked, it shows that with online exams we can do a lot.”
The governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, has come under heavy backlash after a video of him throwing naira notes at his supporters surfaced online.
In the video, he was spotted standing through the roof of a moving vehicle and throwing the notes in the air as his supporters scrambled to pick them up.
His actions have infuriated citizens of the state, including civil society, opposition political parties, and clerics.
They described his action as unacceptable, wrong, dehumanizing, and constituted the abuse of the naira.
Speaking on the development, the North Central Zonal Chairman, Campaign for Democracy, Human Right Advocacy Civil Society of Nigeria, Mohammed Abdullahi Jabi, told Daily Post that the governor seemed unaware of the consequences of his actions.
Jabi noted that though the governor had immunity, his actions could breed potential beggars in the state.
The activist said, “His action is sad and unfortunate. It is dehumanizing, shameful, and making a mockery of an already bad situation.
“There is the need for Governor Bago to show maturity like his counterparts in other states in learning the rudiments of governance and decorum. It is on this note that we are calling on him to desist from this zealousness that is negatively affecting his image and that of the state.”
Also, the Niger North Zonal chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yahaya Ability, while speaking with newsmen, condemned the governor’s public spray of money and blamed his Special Advisers on Security and that Political Affairs who he claimed were not adequately performing their responsibilities as they ought to.
According to him, “We condemn in strong terms the unrepentant action of degrading the masses by Governor Bago. It’s unfortunate that because he has access to the public fund he has decided to use it to the detriment of those who elected him.
“We believe this is not the only way to make himself popular among the people as a sitting governor of the state. He should treat people with dignity, respect as well as have listening earsears to their cries”.
Lambasting Bago, a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, the Tambarin Kagara, Umar Danladi Abdulhamid, observed that Bago had violated the nation’s constitution.
“Let the Governor look for better ways of sharing public funds in a more mature manner rather than endangering the lives of the people as they struggle at once for the money he throws around, ” he said.
The former director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign, Doyin Okupe, has spoken about his and Peter Obi‘s relationship with the Labour Party, describing it as a “special purpose vehicle” (SPV) for the presidential election.
This statement was made during his appearance on Arise Television on Tuesday.
Okupe, who stepped down from his role in the party in January citing ideological differences, elaborated that neither he nor Peter Obi, the LP presidential candidate in the last year’s election, were fully aligned with the party’s ideologies.
According to Okupe, his association with the LP effectively ended when Obi lost the presidential race, indicating a strategic rather than ideological commitment to the party.
He said, “The LP for us — for Peter Obi and I — and those in the leadership of the movement… the party was a special purpose vehicle (SPV).
“I have never been a labour person, I have never operated on the left before but we needed a platform and this was the only platform readily available to us.
“We thought that if we won the election… there are no fast and hard rules about ideologies. You can always find a shade between the left and the right. You can always move to the centre.
“We were hoping and praying that if we won we would find a way to come to some consensus with the labour.
“Peter Obi is not a labour person. He is not a leftist person, he is a trader, he is a businessman just like me. I am a liberal democrat, I believe in liberal democracy, I believe in free enterprise.
“I am not a social worker. As far as I’m concerned, my membership of labour expired the moment we lost that election.”
Okupe added it was “unreasonable” for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his former party, to present a northerner as its candidate in the buildup to the 2023 election.
Videos capturing a distressing scene of a female student being subjected to bullying by a group of her peers have circulated widely across social media platforms, igniting a wave of outrage and demands for justice.
The victim, identified as a student of the prestigious Lead British International School located in Abuja, has become the focal point of a disturbing incident that has drawn widespread attention online.
The alarming footage came to light when a concerned individual took to Twitter on Monday, sounding the alarm and urging action to address the violent behavior witnessed in the videos.
“I need you guys to help me get justice. She was bullied in her school by her classmates at Lead British School, Abuja,” the tweep captioned.
The user shared two videos depicting the female student being struck on the face amidst an apparent discord.
In the first video, the victim endures repeated slaps from a female classmate, who is heard questioning, “who broke my heart?”
In a second video, the victim sits beside a male classmate who confesses, “I spoilt her relationship.”
Nigerians have flooded the comments section, denouncing the incident and sharing their own experiences, underscoring the widespread concern and outrage sparked by the footage.
Media
Pls repost ?#justiceformaryam. https://t.co/JUt0Wr8mbD pic.twitter.com/K8pRkH5dxo
— Pinkypromi3s?? (@mooyeeeeeee) April 22, 2024
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The US Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on whether cities can ban homeless people from sleeping outside, as the country grapples with increasing rates of Americans living on the streets and a lack of shelter beds.
The case centers around laws in the city of Grants Pass, in the western state of Oregon, which banned camping or using any kind of bedding on public property as tents, blankets and cardboard filled its public parks.
Homeless advocates have argued that banning people from camping when there is nowhere else to sleep amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment” — prohibited by the US Constitution’s Eighth Amendment. The Ninth Circuit Court agreed in a 2022 ruling, which is now being appealed to the country’s high court.
The ruling from the nine justices will carry high stakes, with a record 653,100 people homeless across the country according to a 2023 count, as cities struggle to manage poverty, mental health issues, addiction and housing shortages.
Cities across the country use camping bans to sweep homeless people out of parks and other public property.
“The cruel and unusual punishments clause governs which punishments are permitted, not what conduct can be prohibited,” Grants Pass’s lawyer Theane Evangelis said in oral arguments.
“This court should reverse and end the Ninth Circuit’s failed experiment, which has fueled the spread of encampments while harming those it purports to protect.”
Grants Pass, population 40,000, does not have a municipal homeless shelter and instead relies on private charities.
Lawyers challenging the law argued to the conservative-majority Supreme Court that Grants Pass sought to “force its homeless residents into other jurisdictions” via the camping ban.
“The plan was to inflict fines and jail time on the City’s homeless residents until they were ‘uncomfortable enough’ that they left Grants Pass,” they wrote in written arguments.
The ordinances “nominally prohibit camping, but in reality make it unlawful for homeless people to sleep or rest anywhere on public property at any time with so much as a blanket to survive the cold, even if they have no access to shelter,” the lawyers argued.
Asked by Chief Justice John Roberts what the city would do if its appeal failed at the Supreme Court, Evangelis said its “hands will be tied.”
“It will be forced to surrender its public spaces,” Evangelis added.
In addition to poverty, drug addiction and a lack of shelter beds propelling homelessness, economists argue the country’s market-rate housing stock is woefully behind target — leaving the United States short of millions of homes needed to meet demand and increasing prices for existing housing.
[AFP/VANGUARD]
ThankGod Ikoma, a survivor of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of Nollywood actor, Junior Pope, Engr Precious Ofurum, and others has received a life-changing donation of N2 million from Billionaire Prophet, Jeremiah Fufeyin.
In a remarkable display of compassion and selflessness, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, who is the Senior Prophet of Christ Mercy Land Church and renowned for his philanthropy, recently donated N10 million to the family of the late Engr Precious Ofurum.
The senior prophet also extended his kindness with a substantial sum of 2 million naira to Mr. THANKGOD Ikoma, to take care of his needs.
The news of these extraordinary acts of kindness has resonated deeply across social media platforms, with Nigerians from all walks of life expressing admiration and gratitude for Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin’s generosity.
Netizens have flooded online platforms with prayers and blessings, acknowledging the senior prophet’s unwavering commitment to supporting individuals in times of adversity.
@CHIBUZOR_Nelson shared his sentiments, stating, “TBH, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin is just one of a kind. This is so amazing; he blessed Engr Precious’s mother with 10 million naira, and now Mr. THANKGOD with N2 million.
An Abuja based food content creator, Brian Nwana is set to embark on an attempt to break Guinness World Record for most fast food restaurants visited in 24 hours.
The challenge tagged, “Brian Abuja Food Quest” is schedule to begin April 24th to 25th, 2024.
At a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, Brian Nwana revealed that the current record for the most fast food restaurant visited in 24 hours stands at 100 and was achieved by Airrack in New York, in December 2023.
“Our target is to surpass this record by visiting a minimum of 120 fast food restaurants within a 24 hour timeframe.”
Speaking on the reason for embarking on the attempt, he said, “I want to put Nigerian food on the map by show casing the different kinds and varieties of food that we have in the country.
“As a food content creator, I have seen how economic situation in the country has affected food businesses, so I want to use this attempt and opportunity to promote food businesses in Abuja. Also, I want to use the attempt to give back to my community by collaborating with the spots I visit to give free meals to people in the community who really need it.”
Nwana overtime has established a massive audience in the Nigerian food and entertainment industry by conducting restaurant reviews across various States in the country.
Also speaking, CEO of A.S. Management Agency (the management company behind the quest), Rhoda Kusimo, said the quest will help to put Abuja businesses on the global map as many of them are presently not known beyond their localities.
On his part, the Project Manager, Edoh Franklin, said the team has applied to the GWR and will follow all the rules and regulations recommended by the GWR, especially with regards to live tracking and map.
He called on Abuja residents to come out and cheer Brian to victory.
[Leadership]
UEFA are set to increase squad size for this summer’s European Champions to 26 players.
This follows a vote on Monday, which gave the green light for expanded squads.
The idea was first brought up during a meeting of all the nations’ coaches in Dusseldorf a fortnight ago.
But at a meeting of the UEFA national competitions committee on Monday, delegates voted in favour of increasing the squads from a 23-player limit to 26.
Enlarged squads were used at Euro 2021, to help teams cope with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the decision is not yet set in stone, as the UEFA executive committee (EXCO) needs to sanction the rule change – but it is expected that will simply be a rubber-stamping exercise.
[DailyPost]