FRSC explains why NIN is compulsory for vehicle registration, licence renewal

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has explained that the introduction of compulsory provision of the National Identification Number (NIN) by applicants for the National Driver’s License (NDL) is in full compliance with the directives of the Federal Government on the harmonisation of citizens’ data. FRSC Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has also made the provision of NIN mandatory for all categories of vehicle registration, effective from the second quarter of 2021. Disclosing that the development was in compliance with a Presidential directive, the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, said in a statement that all applicants for vehicle registration are expected to present their National Identification Number as a precondition for the registration of their vehicles. Kazeem warned that there would be no waiver for anyone irrespective of their status in the society. The FRSC spokesperson further emphasised that the exercise has become very imperative in view of the critical role a harmonised database on citizens’ information will have on national development in terms of resolving the challenges of identifying individuals to assist security agencies in data collation and speedy retrievals to address critical national security challenges. Kazeem stated that the Corps Marshal also enjoined members of the public who have not enrolled in the ongoing NIN registration at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to make haste while the sun shines as the corps would not register any vehicle whose owner is not captured in the NIMC database. According to the Corps Marshal, “Beginning from the second quarter of this year (2021), if you want to register your vehicle, it is going to be compulsory for you to provide your NIN. This is part of the security checks. “So once you provide your NIN, it makes the matter easier and helps the government in national planning, critical decision making and also enhance adequate Intelligence gathering for security of lives and properties”. In another development, the Corps Marshal, has advised fleet operators, other commercial drivers and patronisers of night trips, including private vehicle owners to desist henceforth from it, emphasising that the journeys which are often characterised by poor visibility, fatigue, sleeping on wheels, excessive speed among others, are not only unsafe, but dangerous. Oyeyemi gave the warning while reacting to some reports of fatal crashes recorded at night at the beginning of the year, which led to the death of several road users and left others with different degrees of injuries. The Corps Marshal lamented that on January 5, 2021 alone, an avoidable fatal crash occurred in Kabba, Kogi State where two vehicles were caught up in a head-on collision as a result of a combination of some factors revealed to be fatigue and sleeping on the steering. The crash involved the driver of a white Toyota Hiace bus ( MSA 942 XA) that contravened COVID-19 protocols on physical distancing by overloading the bus with 18 passengers instead of the prescribed eight, and a green Iveco trailer carrying seven passengers. It was learnt that out of the 25 passengers on board the two vehicles, eight were killed while 17 sustained various injuries. Similarly, while maintaining that crashes that occur at night are more fatal than the ones that happen in the day time, Oyeyemi also recalled that just on January 9, 2021, two vehicles; a white Sienna and a Sharon bus without a number plate were involved in a fatal crash on Akwanga-Keffi road leaving the entire 17 passengers on board burnt beyond recognition. Speaking further, he disclosed that intelligence report revealed that most fleet operators and other vehicle owners, including private vehicle owners, who are addicted to night journeys, do so for selfish economic gains

The Force PRO, CP Frank Mba, has been promoted to the Commissioner of Police

The Force PRO, CP Frank Mba, has been promoted to the Commissioner of Police by IGP Mohammed Adamu. He was decorated with his new rank by the IGP and assisted by DIG Aminchi Baraye on Wednesday 30th Dec 2020 at Force Headquarters, Abuja. Congrats to him! See more photos below https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2020/12/police-spokesperson-frank-mba-promoted-to-the-rank-of-a-commissioner-of-police-photos.html

The House of Representatives has proposed a bill that will legalise the cultivation, sale and use of cannabis

The House of Representatives has proposed a bill that will legalise the cultivation, sale and use of cannabis better known as marijuana or Indian hemp in Nigeria. The bill, which has already been read the first time and was slated for second reading before the House proceeded on Christmas and New Year break is sponsored by Hon. Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo). Onuoha, who represents Isiala Mbano/ Onuimo/ Okigwe federal constituency of Imo State, is a firsttimer in the lower chamber after defeating her closest rival Obinna Onwubuariri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the rerun election that was held in 18 polling units in the constituency in January this year. It is titled “A bill for an act to decriminalise the growth and use of cannabis, to establish a system for the registration and licensing of cannabis growers, users and control, to legalise the growth, sale and use of cannabis and set out a legal framework for the registration and licensing of cannabis growers and producers in Nigeria; and for related matters.” Although the bill was listed on the order paper on December 21, it could not be debated due to the absence of the sponsors on the floor of the House. New Telegraph investigation revealed that the proposed legislation will be considered when the House reconvene on January 26, 2021. A synopsis of the bill obtained by New Telegraph shows that it is “to regulate the cultivation, possession, availability and trade in cannabis for medical and research purposes.” The objectives of the bill include to: “Provide for a registration and licensing system for cannabis farmers and processors; establish a registration and licensing system for cannabis farmers and processors; regulate the cultivation, processing, availability and trade of cannabis for medical purposes and promote public awareness about the cultivation, processing, availability and trade of cannabis for medicinal and research purposes and its use in relation to medical or health purpose.” The bill, however, prohibits issuance of cannabis licence for medical use if such a person is without a proof that “he is either a medical doctor and intends to use it for medical purposes or a pharmaceutical company who intends to use an amount of cannabis, which may be determined as required, in producing a medicine for the cure of a certain disease or an epidemic.” When this bill is passed, Nigeria will join the league of 30 other countries that have legalised the use of cannabis. They include Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech, Denmark and Finland. Others are Germany, Greece, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Italy, Poland, Jamaica, Lesotho, Romania and Dan Marino. The rest are Luxemburg, Switzerland, Macedonia, Tury, Malta, Mexico, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. https://www.newtelegraphng.com/reps-move-to-legalise-use-sale-of-cannabis-in-nigeria/

Most important Indian' Hank Adams dies

Hank Adams, one of Indian Country’s most prolific thinkers and strategists, has died at age 77. Adams was called the "most important Indian” by influential Native American rights advocate and author Vine Deloria Jr., because he was involved with nearly every major event in American Indian history from the 1960s forward. He was perhaps best known for his work to secure treaty rights, particularly during the Northwest “fish wars” of the 1960s and ’70s. Henry “Hank” Adams, Assiniboine-Sioux, died Dec. 21 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Olympia, Washington, according to the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. “Hank’s a genius. He knows things we don’t know. He sees things we don’t see,” attorney Susan Hvalsoe Komori said when Adams was awarded the 2006 American Indian Visionary Award by Indian Country Today. “Adams was always the guy under the radar, working on all kinds of things,” said the late Billy Frank Jr., Nisqually and chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. Adams was born in Wolf Point, Montana. Toward the end of World War II, his family moved to Washington state, where he attended Moclips-Aloha High School near the Quinault Nation. He played football and basketball and served as student body president and editor of the school newspaper and yearbook. In 1963, Adams joined the National Indian Youth Council, where he began to focus on treaty rights just as the fish wars were beginning and Northwest tribes were calling on the federal government to recognize their treaty-protected fishing rights. Adams had so many personal connections with people from that era, such as Mel Thom, Clyde Warrior and Willie Hensley. It was while Adams was working with the youth council that he first met Marlon Brando. The actor would be prominent later in the Frank’s Landing protests. Also through the youth council, Adams began working at Frank’s Landing, on Washington’s Nisqually River, with Billy Frank and others who were striving to advance the treaty right to fish for salmon. “That turned into a civil rights agenda,” Adams said in an interview. “It had been brutal from 1962 onward, and there were just a few fishermen down there, fighting with their families for their rights.” To make a point, Adams refused induction into the military because the U.S. was failing to live up to its treaty obligations. (He eventually served for two years in the U.S. Army.) As Washington state’s fish wars heated up in the 1960s, Adam was often working with Frank and other Northwest leaders on a strategy of civil disobedience through “fish-ins.” Frank told a story about a 1968 fishing protest in Olympia “where all the police are.” But not everyone was supposed to be arrested. Frank said it was the job of Adams, the “visionary,” to protect them all. But when the arrests were made, “here comes our visionary.” "I said, ‘What are you doing here? You’re supposed to get us out. You’re the strategist, thinking way out into the future,’” Frank said. It was from those many trips to jail that eventually treaty-protected fishing rights were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Boldt decision affirmed the tribal right to fish in the usual and accustomed places in common with other citizens. Adams’ role in the trial, which took place in Tacoma, Washington, was unprecedented. He was a lay-lawyer representing tribal fishing people and the last person to speak at trial. The judge considered Adams the most informed person to explain both the treaty and the people. As the court case made its way through the process, Adams and Billy Frank found a way to meet with Judge George Boldt in chambers. “We don’t want to talk to you about the case,” Adams recalled at the 40th anniversary dinner of the Boldt decision. Instead, the pair met with the judge to tell them that Montana Sen. Lee Metcalf was an admirer of the judge, who was also from Montana. They swapped Montana stories. And, the joke was the case could be resolved if it was just Montanans in the room. The Supreme Court affirmed treaty rights and the Boldt decision in a series of cases in 1975. Shortly before the 1972 election, a caravan of American Indians traveled from points across the country to Washington to protest broken treaties. After failed negotiations for housing, the protest ended up at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And when the bureaucrats left for the day, the protestors remained. Adams was also instrumental in resolving the 1972 takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Richard Nixon’s special assistant, Leonard Garment, said Adams’ role was essential. He said the story could have been tragic, with some in the administration calling for a military assault on the building. Adams was both a public foil and a behind-the-scenes negotiator. The Trail of Broken Treaties submitted a plank of 20 proposals. Adams called the Nixon administration’s response “almost totally devoid of positive comment.” But privately Adams and Garment worked on a resolution. Adams’ reward for being an intermediary? He was arrested in 1973 and his home searched for “government documents.” “Plus they took my typewriter, which I’d had since 1968 during our encampment on the Nisqually River,” Adams said. A federal grand jury refused to indict Adams (along with journalists who had been reporting on the incident), and eventually Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus ordered the material returned. He “directed the FBI to return everything that they’d taken from me and particularly my typewriter,” Adams said with a laugh. Adams played a similar role during the standoff at 1973 Wounded Knee. He said a government helicopter flew him to White Clay, Nebraska, where he was to meet with the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service. After that meeting, Adams was set to meet in Denver with Marlon Brando. The Justice Department was supposed to drive Adams back to the airport, but “they ran out of gas within sight of the airport.” Adams laughed. “The federal government doesn’t run out of gas. They didn’t want me to meet with Marlon Brando” and stir up public support for the occupation. Using social media, Adams was meticulous over the years in his documentation of family histories, often used to help people grieve over the loss of family, or to call out people who lied and claimed Indigenous ancestry. He continued to monitor and press for treaty rights. And for Leonard Peltier’s release from prison. Adams' family said a funeral is not possible at this time, but it will coordinate a memorial in the near future.

Musa kwankwaso is dead

Alhaji Musa Saleh Kwankwaso, the father of a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is dead. Kwankwaso, who is the Majidadin Karaye and district head of Madobi, died at the age of 93. He left behind two wives, 19 children, and many grandchildren. In a statement on Thursday, Mohammed Inuwa, the principal private secretary to the former Kano State Governor, said the traditional ruler died after a brief illness. The statement read, “It is with a heavy heart and reverence to Allah (SWT) that we announce the passing away of our father, Alhaji Musa Saleh Kwankwaso the Majidadin Kano/Makaman Karaye at the age of 93 in the early morning hours of Friday 25th December 2020 in Kano. “The late Makaman Karaye Alhaji Musa Saleh Kwankwaso was father to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano state. He left behind two wives, 19 children (9 male & 10 female) and many grandchildren. “The burial rites will be held at 3:00 pm on Friday, 25th December 2020 at Miller road, Bompai Kano. “Owing to the security alert that was raised by security agencies; the family is urging sympathizers, especially those from other states, not to travel for the funeral rites. We hope you will pray for the repose of the soul of our late father from your home state. “May Allah (SWT) rest the departed soul of Alhaji Musa Saleh Kwankwaso in eternal peace in Jannah and give us the fortitude to bear this monumental loss – Ameen.”

Northern elders have disowned Professor Ango Abdullahi, over his recent statement about Igbo

Northern elders have disowned Professor Ango Abdullahi, over his recent statement that many people from the Northern part of the country were killed in the South East during the #EndSARS protests. The elders, who strongly condemned the statement, asked Nigerians to ignore it, stating that it was a personal opinion of Abdullahi and not the general position of Northern elders as he erroneously portrayed. The Northern elders operating under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development, in a statement, described Prof. Abdullahi’s statement as “false, unfortunate, insensitive, callous and meant to instigate Nigerians against one other”. It insisted that the statement is capable of igniting ethnic killings and asked Nigerians not to fall prey to his antics. In the statement signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni and National Women Leader, Hajia Mario Bichi, the northern elders said Abdullahi acted alone in his statement, insisting they were not part of it. They said the elder statesman’s unfounded claim of killing, at a time Nigerians had put past the ugly civil war experiences and were building bridges and working on consolidating national reconciliation was the least unfortunate. “We wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the statement credited to a well-read and respected elder statesman from our region, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, to the effect that Igbo people killed many northerners in the South East during the #EndSARS protest which was hijacked by some sponsored criminal elements. “This statement is false, unfortunate, insensitive, callous and meant to instigate Nigerians against one other. Making this unfounded claim, especially at a time Nigerians had worked past the ugly civil war experiences and are building bridges and consolidating on national reconciliation, is the least unfortunate. “We wish to let Nigerians know that Prof. Ango Abdullahi’s statement was his personal opinion and did not represent the position of Northern Elders as he had portrayed, “the statement read. It added that, “we expect that an elder statesman of his status with such level of education ought to have known the difference between criminality and ethnic agenda. “What happened in some southeast states was a pure act of criminality and not an Igbo agenda and was not peculiar to the region. “How can he say Igbo people killed Northerners? Nothing can be more misleading than this.” According to the statement, “People were killed and properties destroyed in several parts of the country including some parts of the North. It is unfair to attribute this act of some misguided deviants as a collective Igbo agenda.” “It is an established facts that during and after the uprising, so many Igbo group rose to condemn the attacks by these criminals and even shared intelligence with security agencies which led to the arrest of so many of these misguided youths. “Prominent groups in Igbo land also condemned the activities of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in public. So we wonder where Prof. Ango got his fact from. “It is our humble appeal that we guide our comments especially those capable of igniting hate across the country.” “We must continue to preach national unity and work together to defeat criminality in our country instead of attributing such act to a particular region,” they tasked. “We, therefore, call our Northern and Southern brother to ignore this statement in its entirety.” https://thenationonlineng.net/endsars-northern-elders-disown-ango-abdullahi-over-statement-against-igbo/

The United States Mission to Nigeria has celebrated Dr Onyema Ogbuagu, for his role in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The United States Mission to Nigeria has celebrated Dr Onyema Ogbuagu, for his role in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. . Ogbuagbu, who graduated from the University of Calabar in 2003, migrated to the US and rose to become Associate Professor of Medicine and Infectious Disease Specialist at Yale University. . He was part of the team that helped pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, to develop the vaccine. . In a Facebook message on Monday, the US mission wrote, “Nigerians contribute to the world in so many ways. Our hats off to Dr Onyema Ogbuagu at Yale who helped develop a COVID-19 vaccine.” . Ogbuagu is the son of a former Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University, Prof Stella Ogbuagu. He also has a twin brother who is an engineer. . The need for a vaccine has become more urgent globally and nationally with Nigeria recording over 60,000 COVID-19 infections and over 1,000 associated fatalities, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

Carbon dioxide levels keep rising despite industrial lockdown

Carbon dioxide levels keep rising despite industrial lockdown Carbon dioxide levels hit new highs last year and are expected to keep growing in 2020, despite coronavirus-related restrictions that forced a global industrial slowdown. The alarming patterns were published on Monday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), crushing hopes that lockdowns across the world would have pushed emissions, the main driver to climate change, to a record low. The United Nations agency said measures to curb the spread of the pandemic had indeed cut emissions of many pollutants and greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. But it warned the industrial slowdown due to the coronavirus crisis had not curbed record concentrations of the greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in the atmosphere, raising temperatures, causing sea levels to rise and driving more extreme weather. The WMO said the change in carbon dioxide concentrations – the result of cumulative past and current emissions – is, in fact, no bigger than the normal year-to-year fluctuations in the carbon cycle and in the amount of carbon being soaked up by vegetation and oceans. It said preliminary estimates indicate a reduction in annual global emissions of between 4.2 percent and 7.5 percent – a “tiny blip”, according to the WMO, with no bigger effect on global warming than the expected annual fluctuation. “An emissions reduction this scale will not cause atmospheric CO2 to go down. CO2 will continue to go up, though at a slightly reduced pace,” the WMO said. ‘It’s getting worse’ In a video shared on social media, Patricia Espinosa, the UN’s climate change executive secretary, said” “COVID-19 hasn’t put climate change on hold. “It’s getting worse and our window of opportunities is closing,” she added. The annual report released by the Geneva-based agency measures the atmospheric concentration of the main gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – that are warming Earth and triggering extreme weather events. Levels of carbon dioxide, a product of burning fossil fuels, reached a new record of 410.5 parts per million (ppm) in 2019, it said. The annual increase is larger than the previous year and beats the average of the past decade. “Such a rate of increase has never been seen in the history of our records,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said, referring to a rise of 10 ppm since 2015, calling for a “sustained flattening of the [emissions] curve”. WMO’s head of atmospheric environment research Oksana Tarasova said the magnitude of the increase in carbon dioxide levels during the past four years was comparable to changes seen during the shift from an ice age to more temperate periods but, back then, the transition happened over a much longer timeframe. “We humans did it without anything, just with our emissions, and we did it within four years.” Methane and nitrous oxide levels The second-most prevalent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is methane, emitted in part from cattle and fermentation from rice paddies, which is responsible for about 16 percent of warming. In 2019, methane levels were at 260 percent of pre-industrial levels, at 1,877 parts per billion (ppb), with the rise from 2018 slightly lower than the previous annual increase, but still higher than the 10-year average, WMO said. Concentrations of nitrous oxide, the third major greenhouse which is gas caused largely by agricultural fertilisers, meanwhile stood at 332 ppb last year, or 123 percent over pre-industrial levels. Its rise from 2018 to 2019 was also lower than the observed from 2017 to 2018, but on par with the average annual growth rate for the past decade.

China accuses ‘dangerous’ US of ‘creating chaos’ in Asia

China accuses ‘dangerous’ US of ‘creating chaos’ in Asia Embassy in Manila condemns US after visiting White House envoy pledges support to the Philippines over maritime claims. China has accused the United States of trying to “create chaos” in the Asia-Pacific, a day after US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, on a visit to the Philippines, backed countries in maritime disputes with China and accused Beijing of using military pressure to further its own interests. During his trip to Manila, O’Brien told the Philippines and Vietnam, both countries in disputes with Beijing cover the South China Sea: “We’ve got your back”. He also reiterated the US commitment to self-ruled Taiwan. China said his remarks were “unreasonable” and exaggerated regional tensions. “We firmly oppose these remarks which are full of Cold War mentality and wantonly incite confrontation,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement posted on its website. “It shows that his visit to this region is not to promote regional peace and stability, but to create chaos in the region in order to seek selfish interests of the US.” China condemned comments by O’Brien, seen in Manila with Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr, left, offering US support over the South China Sea [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] China claims almost the entire South China Sea under its so-called nine-dash line and over the past few years has built military installations on several disputed reefs and outcrops despite an international court ruling that found the line – which overlaps with claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia – illegal. The Philippines took its case to The Hague after a two-month standoff with Chinese fishing vessels over Scarborough Shoal in 2014 and the court ruled two years later that, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Philippines had exclusive rights to the resources within 370.4km (200 nautical miles) of its coast. The ruling has not deterred China, which has continued to build bases in the sea, while the US has repeatedly sent warships through the area to highlight freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest trading routes. The Chinese embassy accused the US of “provocative” behaviour. “Facts have proved that the US is the biggest driver of the militarization of the SCS and the most dangerous external factor endangering the peace and stability of the SCS,” it said in the statement in reference to the waterway. The US regularly sends its navy through the South China Sea to highlight freedom of navigation [File:Samuel Hardgrove/US Navy via AFP]China has been building military bases on reefs and outcrops in the South China Sea to reinforce its claim [File/CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/DigitalGlobe/Handout via Reuters] China also hit out at O’Brien’s comments on Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own. O’Brien warned China it would face a “backlash” if it attempted to use military force to coerce the island. The statement said Taiwan was an “internal” affair for China. “There is only one China in the world,” it said. “Both Taiwan and Hong Kong are inalienable parts of China. This is an objective fact and a basic norm governing international relations.” Relations between China and the US have deteriorated since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, with the two sides at odds over issues from democracy and human rights to technology and trade. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to take a more diplomatic approach to China, but a more assertive approach to Beijing has broad bipartisan support in Washington, DC.

9 ways to save light by NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission have put together 9 ways to save your electricity consumption. This is in light with the recent increase in electricity billing. Can you share some of the ways you save electricity consumption in your residence or place of business? 1. Turn off lights and electrical appliances when not in use: don't leave your electronics or lightbulbs on all day long. 2. Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs: Traditional light bulbs waste 95% of the energy they use giving off heat, with only 5% going toward the light. Switch them out or use them sparingly. Leaving them on for long periods is highly wasteful. Halogen incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), and light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) use anywhere from 25-80 percent less electricity and last 3 to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs. 3. Reduce the use of water heaters: Water heating is a major contributor to your total energy consumption. Other than purchasing an energy-efficient water heater, there are two methods of reducing your water heating expenses, you can simply use less hot water or turn down the thermostat on your water heater. 4. Purchase energy-efficient appliances: Appliances account for a large amount of enemy consumed in households, offices, and industries. With this in mind, it is important to be intentional about purchases made to the ensure that energy-efficient appliances are installed. 5. Set refrigerator temperature to the manufacturers recommendation: This is important to avoid excessive cooling and wasting energy 6. Unplug battery chargers when not in use: Many devices including battery chargers draw power continuously even when not in use. 7. Plug home electronics into power strips: Use power strips such as adaptors and extension boards to reduce energy consumption Turn the power strips off when equipment is not in use. You'll stop these devices from using energy when idle with one convenient switch. 8. Bring in sunlight: During daylight hours, switch off artificial lights and use windows and skylights to brighten your home. 9. Service your air conditioner: Easy maintenance, such as routinely replacing or cleaning air filters can lower your cooling systems energy consumption. https://twitter.com/NERCNG/status/1310119927718776833/photo/1

Re: 9

Abiola Ajimobi Buried At Residence In Ibadan Amid Tight SecurityOgun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Thursday, described as "end of an era" the death of the former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi.

The late former governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi was buried at his Oluyole country home at 10 am on Sunday.

The burial took place amid tight security from the Oluyole main road to the Yemoja street residence of the late former governor.

Cleric at the burial include, Alhaji Kunle Saani, Shik Muideen Bello, Chief Imam of Ibadan land, Shik Abubakri Abdleganiyu Agbotomokere, among others.

The 70-year-old who died in Lagos was on life support machine at First Cardiology Hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos before his final breath.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi confirmed he died of multiple organ failure.

Earlier, the family had informed the general public that the remains of the former governor would be taking to his Oke-Ado mosque and his Oja-Oba family house.

But the story was different when Vanguard correspondent noticed that some Islamic cleric who performed the burial in Islamic rite moved out of his house after the burial.

No journalist was allowed to near the graveside of the former governor.

At 12 noon, prayers would be offered for his repose at the Sen. Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi Mosque, Oke-Ado

FG submitted proposed guidelines for reopening of schools

The Federal Government has submitted proposed guidelines for the reopening of schools across the country to the National Assembly.
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The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba made the presentation on Tuesday during a meeting with the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education.
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According to the News Agency of Nigeria, he intimated the lawmakers of the ministry’s plans for students to resume across the country
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The FG had in March shut schools across the Federation as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease.
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At the presentation today, the minister said, “In the document provided, we have suggested how we can move our education sector forward during this pandemic.
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“We don’t want to make it known at this time so that some people will not take our proposed guidelines for school reopening.
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“Even if the Senate has not called us, we would have come to you to discuss with you because we have already discussed with the House of Representatives.
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“The documents were presented to you so that you can criticise and make inputs as major stakeholders.”
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Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Akon Eyakenyi, who presided over the meeting, expressed fears that the academic calendar could be distorted in public schools where no visible arrangement was being made to teach pupils and students at home, unlike their private school counterparts.

Heated protests across US as many call for charges against officers

98Two days after the death of an unarmed black man at the hands of a police officer, protesters marched in the streets of at least three major US cities.

In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed Monday, the second night of protests were marked by looting and buildings on fire as crowds of protesters clashed with police, who fired back with tear gas, according to observations from CNN's team on the scene and police.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who warned Wednesday night of an "extremely dangerous situation" at the protest, urged demonstrators to remain peaceful -- a plea echoed by Floyd's family members.

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Early Thursday morning, police said a man was fatally shot near the scene of the protests. One person was arrested and police said they're investigating the nature of the incident.

In Los Angeles, hundreds of people marched to protest Floyd's death and police brutality. At one point, some demonstrators attacked a California Highway Patrol car.

"Peaceful demonstrations are a hallmark of our country. Violence is unwarranted and takes away from the message. I urge all of us to protest peacefully for the sake of everyone's public safety," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a statement.

In Memphis, Tennessee, police responded to a protest in riot gear and at least two people were arrested, CNN affiliate WHBQ reported.

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The unrest followed the shock and anger that poured through communities across the country as video of Floyd's last moments alive began circulating on social media. The 46-year-old man was handcuffed and on the ground as he pleaded that he couldn't breathe while a police officer held him down with a knee on his neck. Three others were also at the scene.

Who the four officers are

The four officers involved in the man's death have been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. But Floyd's family say they want murder charges against all four. The mayor of Minneapolis also called for charges against the officer who kept his knee on Floyd as the man begged for help.

"For five straight minutes a white officer on our police department pressed his knee into the neck of a black man who was handcuffed, who was no threat and was articulating very clearly how he was impacted, how his physical health was being damaged and how he couldn't breathe," Mayor Jacob Frey told CNN Wednesday night.

In an earlier news conference, Frey called for criminal charges to be brought against that officer who was identified by his attorney Tom Kelly as Derek Chauvin. Kelly has not released a statement on Chauvin's behalf.

"For the last 36 or 48 hours I've been asking myself that core underlying question 'Why is the officer that killed George Floyd not in jail right now.' And I can't answer that question," Frey said Wednesday night.

The other three officers were identified by police as Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng.

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Thomas Plunkett, representing Kueng, said, "At this time, out of respect for Mr. Floyd, we are declining all invitations to discuss these painful events."

Earl Gray is representing another of the officers involved but has declined to say who his client is. CNN has not determined the attorney for the fourth officer.

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Officers told witness Floyd resisted arrest

Donald Williams, a witness in the incident, told CNN he was about to walk into a store when he noticed commotion. He said he saw Floyd "panting for his life, begging for his forgiveness."

Williams said Floyd said he couldn't breathe and that his stomach and nose were hurting.

Williams' description of events matches a video captured by one bystander in which Floyd can be heard yelling for help, saying, "I can't breathe," and that his body was hurting.

At one point Floyd says, "Give me some water or something. Please. Please."

Williams said he tried to approach an officer and ask what was happening because he noticed Floyd's nose was bleeding and his "eyes just turning a different color."

But the officers didn't give an explanation as to why one police officer's knee remained on Floyd's neck and instead told Williams Floyd was "resisting arrest."

"I said 'officer, he's not resisting arrest, you have your knee on him and you have handcuffs on him, he's detained at this moment,'" he said. One officer responded by saying "this is what drugs do to you," according to Williams.

Floyd was declared dead at a nearby hospital shortly after. A medics team that responded to the incident worked on an "unresponsive, pulseless male," according to a Minneapolis Fire Department narrative released by police.

"(Engine) 17 encountered an off-duty firefighter who had witnessed the end of the struggle and witnessed the patient go from struggling to unresponsive on the ground while handcuffed and subdued by (police officers)," the narrative said.

Police have not released bodycam footage

Minneapolis police have not yet released bodycam footage from the officers involved.

But more pieces are coming together from the moments before the man's death -- one coming from surveillance footage from a nearby store that captures Floyd's initial encounter with police.

Floyd is removed from a car, handcuffed and escorted by officers to a sidewalk and then out of the frame. He does not appear to be resisting arrest.

Bodycam footage was also released by the Minneapolis Park Police -- a separate entity from Minneapolis police -- which is heavily redacted.

The only visible people are police officers. The officer from the Minneapolis Park Police responded to the scene and assisted the Minneapolis Police Department but the officer was not facing the direction where the incident with Floyd occurred.

In a statement, the Minneapolis Park Police said the officer was about 118 feet away from where Floyd was pinned to the ground and not in a position to intervene.

Pakistan passenger plane with 98 on board crashes on homes

A Pakistani plane with nearly 100 people on board crashed into a residential area in the southern city of Karachi on Friday, killing several people on the ground.

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane was close to landing when it came down among houses, sparking an explosion and sending plumes of smoke into the air that could be seen from some distance away.

Rescue workers and local residents pulled people from the debris, as firefighters tried to extinguish the flames. An AFP reporter witnessed charred bodies being loaded into ambulances.

Seemin Jamali, a director from Jinnah Post Graduate Medical College in the city, said eight dead and 15 injured people had been brought to the facility.

"They were all from the ground, no (plane) passengers have been brought here," she said.

Residents near the scene said their walls shook before a big explosion erupted as the plane slammed into their neighbourhood.

"I was coming from the mosque when I saw the plane tilting on one side. The engines' sounds were quite weird. It was so low that the walls of my house were trembling," said 14-year-old witness Hassan.

Karachi resident Mudassar Ali said he "heard a big bang and woke up to people calling for the fire brigade".

PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez said there were 91 passengers and seven crew on board the flight, which lost contact with air traffic control just after 2.30pm (0930 GMT).

Interior minister Ijaz Ahmad Shah said the plane had developed a technical fault and that the pilot had said the craft had lost an engine and issued a mayday call.

The disaster comes as Pakistanis across the country are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, with many travelling back to their homes in cities and villages.

Abdul Sattar Khokhar, a spokesman for the country's aviation authority, said the Airbus A320 was travelling from Lahore to Karachi.

- 'Prayers & condolences' -

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was "shocked and saddened" by the crash, tweeting that he was in touch with the state airline's chief executive.

"Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased," he wrote on Twitter.

Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the plane crashed into a residential area minutes before it was due to land.

The Pakistan military said security forces had been deployed to the area and helicopters were being used to survey the damage and help ongoing rescue operations, while offering condolences over the "loss of precious lives" in the incident.

Commercial flights resumed only days ago, after planes were grounded during a lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.

Pakistan has a chequered military and civilian aviation safety record, with frequent plane and helicopter crashes over the years.

In 2016, a Pakistan International Airlines plane burst into flames after one of its two turboprop engines failed while flying from the remote north to Islamabad, killing more than 40 people.

The deadliest air disaster on Pakistani soil was in 2010, when an Airbus A321 operated by private airline Airblue and flying from Karachi crashed into the hills outside Islamabad as it came into land, killing all 152 people on board.

An official report blamed the accident on a confused captain and a hostile cockpit atmosphere.

PIA, one of the world's leading airlines until the 1970s, now suffers from a sinking reputation due to frequent cancellations, delays and financial troubles. It has been involved in numerous controversies over the years, including the jailing of a drunk pilot in Britain in 2013.

Virginia governor signs bill decriminalizing marijuana

 

 

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation on Thursday that decriminalizes marijuana possession, joining a majority of states that have ceased treating the drug as a criminal offense.

The new law, which goes into effect July 1, is the latest progressive action taken by state Democrats since taking full control of Virginia's government in November for the first time in more than two decades.

On Thursday, Northam, a Democrat, signed Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 972, creating a civil penalty of no more than $25 for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, with no jail time.

Under current Virginia law, possession of marijuana is punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and a maximum 30-day jail sentence for a first offense. For a second offense, the individual is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor -- meaning up to 12 months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.

The two bills were passed by the state legislature at the end of their session in March. The governor last month proposed recommendations to the bills that the General Assembly approved during their reconvened session amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The new law states that any violation will be charged by a summons, which looks the same as the uniform summons for motor vehicle law violations, and that no court costs can be assessed for these violations.

The law also provides that possession of low amounts of marijuana won't be recorded in a person's criminal history and that records of any charges or judgments won't be reported to the state's Central Criminal Records Exchange.

But if a violation happens while a person is driving, it will be reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles and included on the individual's driving record.

Under the new law, records relating to arrests, charges, and convictions for marijuana possession will be sealed "except in certain circumstances." Employers and educational institutions will be prohibited from asking individuals to disclose such arrests, charges or convictions.

Virginia is now the 27th state to decriminalize simple cannabis possession, according to the cannabis legalization organization, Marijuana Policy Project.

"We applaud the legislature and the governor for implementing a policy that will allow law enforcement to focus resources on more serious crimes and prevent Virginians from having their lives derailed for possessing cannabis, a substance that is safer than alcohol," Steve Hawkins, the group's executive director, said in a press release Thursday.

Advocates of the legislation applauded it as another step for the state toward the full legalization of marijuana.

Back in February, in urging her House members to vote for the bill, Del. Charniele Herring, the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said that "the reality is, in Virginia, we are not ready for equitable legalization of marijuana" but that her bill "is better than the status quo in Virginia."

The bill also creates a work group to study the impact of legalization of marijuana and report its findings to the General Assembly and Northam by November 2021.

"We're thrilled to see that public opinion is one step closer to becoming public policy," Jenn Michelle Pedini, the executive director for the Virginia branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said in a press release Thursday.