Change your style

Saturday 16 April 2016

THE FULL TEXT OF GOV FAYOSE'S LETTER TO THE CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING - DO NOT BE ONE OF THOSE WHO MORTGAGED THE FUTURE OF NIGERIA.

Your Excellency,
I write as one of the major stakeholders in the project Nigeria, and a governor of one of the federating units making up Nigeria, to draw your attention to report that the Federal Government of Nigeria is on the verge of obtaining a $2 billion loan from the Export-Import Bank of China. “This $2 billion loan is part of the N1.84 trillion the Federal Government of Nigeria has proposed to borrow to finance the 2016 budget, which is yet to be signed by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, owing to unending controversies between the Executive and Legislative arms of government.

“According to reports, Nigeria desires to raise about $5 billion abroad to cover part of its 2016 budget deficit. This is projected to hit N3 trillion ($15 billion) due to heavy infrastructure spending at a time when the slump in global oil prices has slashed the country’s export revenues.

“While conceding that all nations, especially developing ones need support to be able to grow because no nation is an island, I am constrained to inform you that if the future of Nigeria must be protected, the country does not need any loan at this time. “The government of China should be mindful of the fact that Nigerians, irrespective of their political and religious affiliations are totally opposed to increment of the country’s debt burden, which is already being serviced with 25 per cent of the Federal Government annual budget.

“It will interest the government of China to know that some of the projects for which the loan is being sought are not captured in the controversial 2016 budget, which has been sent to the President by the National Assembly for his assent. For instance, the Lagos–Calabar Rail project was not included in the budget proposal the President presented to the National Assembly and it was not included in the Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly. “Most importantly, Nigeria is presently servicing debt with about 25 per cent of its annual budget and what will happen to the economy in 2017, when the country will begin to service the additional debt to be incurred this year is better imagined than experienced.

“The Chinese government must also be aware that some western nations approached by the Federal Government for loan diplomatically and cleverly declined. “This must have been informed by the suspicion in the present government’s capacity to salvage the nation’s economy, as well as the sincerity in the fight against corruption. More so that Nigeria’s Foreign Reserve, which is the only guarantee for foreign loan has declined to a very uncomfortable level.

“For instance, the UK Telegraph Newspaper reported today that hundreds of millions of pounds of British foreign aid given to Nigeria to help combat Boko Haram terrorists is instead being used to fund a witch-hunt against opposition politicians. “Therefore, like the foreign aid that is reportedly being mismanaged, whatever loan that is granted to the Federal Government of Nigeria by the Chinese Government may be mismanaged too.

“In my opinion, Nigeria needs the collaboration of the Government of China in the area of technology transfer, rather than granting loan that will be mismanaged under the guise of building infrastructure. “It is also important for the Government of China to note that the Federal Government of Nigeria claimed to have recovered and still recovering trillions of Naira allegedly looted from the treasury.

For instance, over $200 billion is expected to be recovered from Dubai, the United Arab Emirate while N3 trillion was said to have been saved from the Treasury Single Account (TSA). “The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has also said that it will generate not less than N4.5 trillion this year. What then is the rationale behind the $2 billion loan from China? “As a result of the government’s bad economic policies, the middle class has been eliminated, power supply is at its lowest ebb, petrol is not available and by the time fresh loans begin to pile up, 95 per cent of Nigerians will definitely be pauperised. “Particularly, by the autocratic nature of our president, the Federal Government is not prepared to listen to wise counsel, hence the desperation to take unwarranted loans even if the future of Nigeria and its people will be mortgaged.

“It will also interest Your Excellency that our president’s visit to china will be his 28th trip outside Nigeria since he assumed office 10 months ago and this unnecessary foreign trip is estimated to have cause the country $50 million. “I therefore appeal to Your Excellency to assist Nigeria and its people in the area of technology transfer so as to limit importation of goods and services, rather than granting the country unnecessary loan.

“In conclusion, I wish to state that this letter and information became necessary for posterity sake and to put it on record that when the future of Nigeria and its people was going to be mortgaged through loan from the People’s Republic of China, I stood up to be counted in defence of our country.”

Sanders smashes the Israel status quo

By Jeremy Diamond, CNN 


Bernie Sanders is taking a sledgehammer to the political status quo on Israel.Sanders refused to back down Thursday night from his claim that Israel in 2014 used "disproportionate" force to respond to Hamas rocket fire from Gaza while calling for the United States to stop being "one-sided" in the conflict there. In doing so, he upended a long-standing tenet of Americanpolitics: that unflinching support for Israel is non-negotiable.Sanders' unorthodox remarks at CNN's Democratic debate came just days before voters head to the polls in New York, whereSanders is fighting to narrow the significant, but not insurmountable, deficit he faces against former New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.The Empire State's 19.79 million residents include the country's largest Jewish population -- some 1.8 million of the country's 6.8 million Jews live there, according to the 2014 American Jewish Year Book -- and one of the most active pro-Israel constituencies.Sanders' nationally televised stance could represent a watershed moment in Democratic politics, as the sole Jewish candidate in the race -- and only one to have lived in Israel -- smashed a taboo thatcould lead others to follow suit.READ: New York fight night for Hillary Clinton and Bernie SandersIndeed, a potential shift in the party's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been brewing, with signs of ferment bubbling to the surface in recent years amid the rancorous relationship between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.CNN political commentator Van Jones, a former Obama political aide, said Thursdaynight that Sanders' focus on Palestinian rights during the debate was"extraordinary.""It's not just that it was interesting politics in New York. It's that I've never seen a Democratic candidate trying to be president -- I haven't seen a Republican, I haven't seen anyone at this level of the game -- say, 'Look, let's have a more balanced approach," Jones said. "That takes a level of courage and a level of integrity. You can disagree with it, you can feel badly about it, you can be proud of it -- but something happened tonight."However, it is far from clear what political costs, if any, Sanders will face from his outspokenness, which also included him stating that "we are going to have to treat the Palestinian people with respect and dignity" and "we are going to have to say that Netanyahu is not right all of the time."Sanders was asked about Israel at the debate after he erroneously told the New York Daily News earlier this month that Israel has killed 10,000 civilians in Gaza -- drawing fire from top Jewish groups including the Anti-Defamation League. Sanders later revised the figure to 10,000 wounded civilians and 1,500 deaths.Clinton, for her part, diligently asserted the traditional pro-Israel views that have helped make her a favorite of Israel advocates and Jewish leaders in New York.At several points the audience at the debate responded enthusiastically to Sanders' comments on Palestinians and often gave Clinton a more lukewarm response. And polling shows that Democratic support for Israel is dropping, particularly when compared to Republicans.A Gallup poll in 2015 found that 60% of Democrats viewed Israel favorably, down from 74% the year before. The poll found 48% of Democrats sympathize more with Israelis than Palestinians, as opposed to 83% of Republicans.Steven Cohen, a Hebrew Union College professor who has studied the evolution of Jewish American views on Israel, said Sanders' views will resonate with the majority of American Jews, who are broadly Democratic and secular, and with young ones in particular."They are pro-Israel but they are anti-settlements. They lack confidence in the sincerity of the Israeli government in pursuing peace," Cohen said. "The Democratic Party is changing. Younger Democrats are still pro-Israel, but they're opposed to many Israeli policies."It's a shift Sanders is clearly conscious of. He not only defended his remarks about the "disproportionate" military response butchallenged Clinton to address the claim directly."You evaded the question," Sanders told Clinton, pushing her to defend Israel's actions. He also took her to task for not addressing the Palestinians' plight at greater length during her recent speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, one of the country's largest pro-Israel lobbies.Sanders' spokeswoman Symone Sanders said Friday the campaign is "not worried" about any backlash from the candidate's stance."This is the kind of approach we have to take in order to make inroads in the Israeli and Palestinian relationship," she said.Cohen, who endorsed Sanders on Friday, called the Vermont Democrat's focus on Palestinian rights during a presidential debate "historic." But he predicted that the debate would have only a "small effect" on the New York primary -- with voters for whom U.S.-Israel relations is a priority having mostly made up their minds.Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran Democratic strategist who said he's known Clinton for more than three decades, agreed that Sanders' views are likely to resonate more with younger voters. Their turnout is crucial for helping Sanders counter the former secretary of state's support from older New York voters, who are a more reliable voting bloc.Regardless of the debate's impact on the primary, Sanders managed to put down a new marker in the ongoing debate over support for Israel in Democratic Party politics."It's a pretty extraordinary moment for Democrats," Sheinkopf said. "It signals without question what other people alreadyknow: that the great love affair between theUnited States and Israel is over and that the U.S. and Israel are entering two different eras. If it's President Bernie Sanders, that will certainly be the truth."Sheinkopf added, "There is no requirement anymore in Democratic politics to have a strict, orthodox pro-Israel position."Still, Jewish leaders who continue to advocate for preserving the status quo of the strong U.S.-Israel relationship insist that support for Israel remains deeply embedded in American politics -- in both parties."I think that overall the American people's support for Israel is not diminished," said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.READ: Why is Bernie Sanders in Vatican City not New York City?He conceded, though, that "there is a weakness on the Democratic left" in terms of support for Israel. It's a shift he attributes to "a lot of disinformation and misinformation" on Israel, something Hoenlein said Sanders fed into with his erroneous statement about 10,000 civilian casualties."This, then, becomes embedded in political discourse as a fact really rather than a baseless assertion," Hoenlein said. "That iswhere the young people then get misled."Sanders' position on Israel represents a significant departure from the views top Jewish leaders like Hoenlein are advocating, but the senator also indicated Thursday that he was not making a complete break with the pro-Israel establishment.His campaign suspended its newly hired Jewish outreach coordinator after Facebook posts in which she used expletives to describe Netanyahu, whom she accused of sanctioning "the murder" ofthousands of Palestinians and continuing the "brutal military occupation of millions more."Sanders also took pains at the debate to characterize his views as supportive of Israel and note his own personal ties to theJewish state."As somebody who spent many months of my life when I was a kid in Israel, who has family in Israel, of course Israel has a right not only to defend themselves, but to live inpeace and security without fear of terrorist attack. That is not a debate," Sanders said, before launching into his criticism of Israel's military actions in Gaza.


Friday 15 April 2016

New earthquake rocks city in Japan

New earthquake rocks city in Japan

Damage has again been severe, as Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports

A more powerful earthquake has rocked the southern Japanese city of Kumamoto in the middle of the night, a day after an earlier tremor killed nine people.

The magnitude-7.3 quake hit at a depth of 10km (six miles) at 01:25 on Saturday (15:25 GMT on Friday). Three people were killed, public broadcaster NHK says.

It says a village has been evacuated after a dam collapsed.

A tsunami warning was issued, and lifted some 50 minutes later.

Japan is regularly hit by earthquakes but stringent building codes mean that they rarely cause significant damage.

This new earthquake in the Kyushu region was much bigger and hit a wider area than the one that struck Kumamoto on Thursday night, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo.

In the darkness it is hard to assess how bad the damage has been, our correspondent says.

But in one town near the coast, the city hall has been so badly damaged there are fears it could collapse. A hospital is being evacuated because it is no longer safe.

TV pictures have shown a whole neighbourhood ablaze.

Thousands of people have fled on to the streets and into parks - where they are huddled under blankets looking dazed and afraid, our correspondent says.

But there are numerous reports of people trapped inside buildings, including at least 60 inside an old people's home.

home.

A road newly damaged in Mashiki, Kumamoto.
The scale of the damage will only become known in the daytime
Evacuated residents in a park in Higashi-ku in Kumamoto City, Japan, 16 April
Evacuated residents waited in a park in Kumamoto City
A woman takes shelter after another earthquake hit the area at a hotel in Kumamoto, southern Japan, 16 April 2016.
Bitter experience has shown the Japanese where to seek shelter when a warning is issued

Television pictures showed thousands of people filling streets and parks, looking dazed.

NHK had warned of sea waves of up to 1m (3ft).

Japan's nuclear authority said the Sendai nuclear plant was not damaged.

The quake was originally assessed as magnitude 7.1 but revised upwards to 7.3 later.

Gavin Hayes, a research geophysicist with the US Geological Survey (USGS) in Colorado, told the BBC that the latest earthquake would hamper the earlier rescue operation that was already under way.

He said more damage could be expected as the earthquake had been shallower and the fault-line had been much longer.

"The ground surface would have moved in the region of 4-5m (yards). So, you are talking very intense shaking over quite a large area. And that's why we'll probably see a significant impact from this event."

The  Associated Press news agency said guests at the Ark Hotel near the Kumamoto Castle, which was damaged, woke up and gathered in the lobby for safety.

Map locator
Damage from the latest earthquake
There are no reports of casualties, but some damage has been caused by the latest earthquake
Hotel guests gather at the lobby after another earthquake hit the area in Kumamoto.
These hotel guests gathered in the lobby after the earthquake struck
The stone wall of Kumamoto Castle is seen damaged by the earthquake
Kumamoto Castle is said to have suffered more damage in the new tremor

Thursday's magnitude-6.2 quake caused shaking at some places as intense as the huge earthquake that hit the country in 2011, Japan's seismology office said.

That quake sparked a huge tsunami and nuclear meltdown at a power plant in Fukushima.

Most of those who died in Thursday's quake were in the town of Mashiki where an apartment building collapsed and many houses were damaged.

More than 1,000 people were injured.

Some 40,000 people had initially fled their homes, with many of those closest to the epicentre spending the night outside, as more than 130 aftershocks had hit the area.

line

Putin apologises for Panama Papers error

Vladimir Putin said he was misinformed by aides about the newspaper's ownership

Vladimir Putin has apologised for erroneously claiming that German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung was owned by the US bank Goldman Sachs.

The Russian president made the remark in a televised phone-in on Thursday.

It concerned who was responsible for the publication of the so-called Panama Papers, which were leaked to Sueddeutsche Zeitung and revealed massive international tax evasion.

In an apology issued by the Kremlin, Mr Putin said he was misinformed by aides.

"It is more the error of those who prepared the briefing documents, my error," Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, told reporters.

"There was information there that had not been checked and rechecked again and we gave it to the president. We have apologised [to the bank] and we will also apologise to the publication."

The Panama Papers, which contained the names of people allegedly involved in tax evasion schemes, revealed a number of offshore companies owned by close associates of Mr Putin.

Mr Putin has denied "any element of corruption" over the schemes, saying his opponents are trying to destabilise Russia.

Sueddeutsche Zeitung shared the documents with a large group of newspapers and publishers, including the BBC.

BBC © 2016

TRIBUTE TO THE WOMAN- MY WIFE DOES NOT WORK!!!

Conversation between a Husband (H) and a Psychologist (P):

P: What do u do 4 a living Mr. Bandy?
H: I work as an Accountant in a Bank.

P: Ur Wife ?
H: She doesn't work, She's only a housewife.

P: Who makes breakfast 4 ur family in the morning?
H: My Wife, because she doesn't work.

P: At what time does ur wife wake up 4 making breakfast?
H: She wakes up @ around 5am because she cleans the house first b4 making breakfast.

P: How do ur kids go 2 school?
H: My wife takes them 2 school, because she doesn't work.

P: After taking ur kids 2 school, what does she do?
H: She goes 2 the market, then goes back home 4 cooking and laundry. u know she doesn't work.

P: In the evening, after u go back home from office, what do u do?
H: Takes a rest because i'm tired due 2 all day's work.

P: What does ur wife do then?
H: She prepares meals, serving our kids, preparing meals 4 me and cleaning the dishes, cleaning the house then taking kids bed.

***Whom do u think works more from the story above???

The daily routines of ur wives commence from early morning 2 late night and u called that DOESN'T WORK?

Yes, being housewives do not need certificate of Study, even high position, but their role/part is very important!

Appreciate ur wives because their sacrifices are uncountable, this should be a reminder and reflection 4 all of us 2 understand and appreciate each others roles.

***All about a woman***
When she is quiet, millions of things are running in her mind.

When she stares @ u, she is wondering why she loves u so much in spite of being taken 4 granted.

When she says I will stand by u, she will stand by u like a rock.

Never hurt her or take her wrong 4 granted.

A very heart touching message by a
woman.

Someone asked her, Are u a working woman or a housewife?
She replied:
Yes, I am a full-time
working housewife.

I work 24 hours a day.
I'm a Mum.
I'm a Wife.
I'm a Daughter.
I'm a Daughter-in-law.
I'm an Alarm clock.
I'm a Cook.
I'm a Maid.
I'm a Teacher.
I'm a Waiter.
I'm a Nanny.
I'm a Nurse.
I'm a Handyman.
I'm a Security officer.
I'm a Counsellor.
I'm a Comforter.
I don't get holidays.
I don't get sick leave.
I don't get day off.
I work through day and night.
I'm on call all hours and get paid with a
sentence.

***What Do u Do All Day??

***Dedicated 2 all women***

Woman has the most unique character like salt, her presence is never remembered but her absence makes all the things tasteless.

Pass it 2 all the lovely ladies...
Ur Mother.
Ur Wife.
Ur Girlfriend
Ur secret and Open Lover
Ur daughter.
Ur sister N Ur friend.

Forward 2 every woman 2 make her smile and 2 every man 2 make him realize a woman's worth.
Source : from my WhatsApp page

Impeachment debate begins in Brazil


Brazil's lower house of parliament has begun a debate ahead of a vote on Sunday on the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

Opposition MPs began the session chanting "Long Live Democracy".

Brazil's Supreme Court has rejected a government injunction against the vote.

Ms Rousseff is accused of manipulating government accounts ahead of her re-election in 2014. She denies the charges and accuses opponents of plotting a "coup".

She has vowed to fight to "the last minute" despite the desertion of three allied parties ahead of Sunday's vote, which begins at about 14:00 (17:00 GMT).

Brazilian media predict a close vote, with two polls putting the number of those in favour of impeachment at 342 - the crucial two-thirds needed to send the motion to the upper house, the Senate.

If the Senate endorses the move, Ms Rousseff will be suspended for up to 180 days whilst an impeachment trial is held.

• Could Rousseff be impeached?

• Where did it all go wrong for Rousseff?

• A critical month ahead

• What has gone wrong in Brazil?

• Rousseff faces a perfect storm

The Supreme Court made its decision in an extraordinary session.

The injunction to suspend the vote was filed by Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo who alleged procedural infringements which had violated the president's right to a defence.

Seven of 10 justices voted to reject the motion even before the Supreme Court session had finished.

The president's supporters say the issue is not valid grounds for impeachment.

On Tuesday, Ms Rousseff seemed to suggest that her Vice-President, Michel Temer, was one of the ringleaders of a "coup" attempt against her.

She said a widely distributed audio message of Mr Temer appearing to accept replacing her as president was evidence of the conspiracy. However, she did not identify him by name.

Brazil is "living in strange times", she said, "times of a coup, of farce and betrayal".

While President Rousseff's opponents say the impeachment is supported by most Brazilians, the president's supporters have labelled it a flagrant power grab by her political enemies.

If the president and Mr Temer were both suspended from office, the next in line to assume the presidency would be lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha.

However, he is facing money-laundering and other charges.

President Dilma Rousseff rides her bicycle near the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, 15 April 2016.
President Rousseff accuses her opponents of planning a coup
Grey line

What happens next?

Lower house vote: An impeachment vote is expected in the lower house on Sunday. A two-thirds majority is required for it to go forward to the Senate.

Senate vote on trial: If Ms Rousseff case is sent to the Senate, a simple majority is enough to suspend her for up to 180 days while she is put on trial. Vice-President Michel Temer would step in during this period.

Impeachment vote: For Ms Rousseff to be removed from office permanently, two-thirds of the Senate would have to vote in favour. Mr Temer would remain president for an interim period should this happen.

Graphic explaining how Brazilian President Rousseff could be impeached

Thursday 14 April 2016

Earthquake topples houses in Japan



Government officials say they are assessing the damage from the quake

An earthquake has struck southern Japan, bringing down several houses, a top government spokesman says.

No tsunami warning was issued after the quake, measured at a preliminary magnitude of 6.4.

The earthquake struck at 21:26 (1226 GMT) east of Kumamoto city, on the island of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency says.

The Sendai and Genkai nuclear plants on Kyushu are reported to be operating as normal.

No casualties have yet been confirmed though police in Kumamoto prefecture say people may be trapped in collapsed houses.

The quake struck at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles) and was followed 40 minutes later by an aftershock measuring 5.7.

Chibok Girls: Missing, But Not Forgotten...

It is exactly two years today, since the over 200 Chibok girls were abducted from their school dormitory by the Boko Haram insurgent group, attracting global outrage and concerted efforts to free and reunite them with their families.
Despite the efforts of the National government under the administration of Goodluck Jonathan and the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari, the girls are yet to be found.
Zxntct.blogspot.com, (Mr) join their families, the Nation and intend the whole world to remember the missing Chibok girls and to re-emphasize that they might be missing but surely are not forgotten. God be with you!

Nigerians abroad remitted $21bn in 2015 –W’Bank





April 14, 2016


Akinpelu Dada

Nigerians in the Diaspora sent home $21bn in 2015, a slight improvement from the $20.83bn remitted a year earlier.

The figure was given by the World Bank in the latest edition of its ‘Migration and Development Brief’, which was released on Wednesday.




According to the bank, remittances to developing countries grew only marginally in 2015, as weak oil prices and other factors strained the earnings of international migrants and their ability to send money home to their families.

Officially recorded remittances to developing countries amounted to $431.6bn in 2015, an increase of 0.4 per cent over the $430bn in 2014.

The bank added that the growth pace in 2015 was the slowest since the global financial crisis, as the global remittances, which include those to high-income countries, contracted by 1.7 per cent to $581.6bn last year, from $592bn in 2014.

The bank stated, “The slowing in remittances growth, which began in 2012, was exacerbated last year by low oil prices, which are taking a toll on many oil-exporting remittance-source countries, such as Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council states.

“As a result, many remittance-receiving countries, including India, the world’s largest remittance recipient, and Egypt saw remittances contract in 2015, as flows from the GCC countries slowed considerably. Remittances contracted by 20 per cent to countries in the Europe and Central Asia region, with the heaviest impacts on Tajikistan and Ukraine, as a struggling Russian economy, and depreciation of the Russian ruble against the dollar contributed to the decline in remittances to the region.”

According to the report, India retained its top spot in 2015, attracting about $69bn in remittances, down from $70bn in 2014. Other large recipients in 2015 were China, with $64bn; the Philippines, $28bn; Mexico, $25bn; and Nigeria, $21bn.

“Remittances are an important and fairly stable source of income for millions of families and of foreign exchange to many developing countries. However, if remittances continue to slow, and dramatically as in the case of Central Asian countries, poor families in many parts of the world would face serious challenges, including nutrition, access to health care and education,” the Director of the World Bank’s Global Indicators Group, Augusto Lopez-Claros, said.

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com






















Do you get a good or bad response from your wife after making love? Discover a great natural solution that changed my story and put an end to weak/premature ejaculation, CLICK HERE TO READ MORE







SHARE

Facebook

Twitter
 






Previous article

EU to invest €20m in Gulf of Guinea




Next article

Poor services: CPC demands compensation for telecom subscribers




RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR







Business & Economy


Poor services: CPC demands compensation for telecom subscribers





























ABOUT US
For information and enquires on advert rates, Click Here
Contact us: info@punchng.com



FOLLOW US





Home
News
Politics
Business
Sports
Jobs
Entertainment
Opinion
Columnist

Copyright 2015 - Punch Newspapers