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Instablog9ja
19 m
10
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerians to rally around President Bola Tinubu as he works to address the country’s socio-political, economic, and security challenges.
This came as he said that his house in Maiduguri was better than Tinubu’s house in Bourdillon, Lagos, and that there was nothing special about the President’s Bourdillon house. He declared that President Bola Tinubu is not in power to engage in primitive capital accumulation, stating that since he came in contact with the Nigerian leader, he (Tinubu) has been using only one wristwatch.
Shettima spoke in Abuja on Thursday at a book launch attended by the president’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, and former Osun state governor, Bisi Akande, among others.
Shettima assured Nigerians that the benefits of the tough measures being implemented will soon be evident. The Vice President emphasised that the focus should not be on lamenting the nation’s past or present difficulties but on finding solutions to the core challenges.
Shettima said: “In President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we have a leader that we can invest our trust in. I’m not playing politics, I’m speaking from the heart. I have seen the soul of Bola Tinubu, and he has a good soul. He means well for the nation. He wants to live in a place of glory. He is not in power to engage in primitive capital accumulation. He is in power to leave landmarks in the sands of time. He is the most demonised politician in Nigeria. The first time I went to his house at Bourdillon, I was looking forward to seeing a mansion comparable to Buckingham Palace, with gardens, and swimming pools, but there was nothing special about that house. My house in Maiduguri is better than the house in Bourdillon
And at the formative stage of the APC, we held a meeting in his house. They served us a variety of meals but he opted to take garri with groundnut for lunch. Since I have known him, he has been using only one wristwatch, and in fact, I dress better than him. He doesn’t even care. He has overcome all those odds to dress well. So we need to rally around this poor man. He has taken some bold steps. The economy that we met was in a huge mess.
But it wasn’t for us, we were part of the Buhari administration, we cannot deny that. We belong to the political family. It’s not about apportioning blame, but it’s about finding solutions to our nation’s needs. We knew there were challenges. Forget about the politics being played by the Atiku Abubakar and the obedient crowd, they all said they are going to withdraw the fuel subsidy.”
He noted that the economy is now on a path to sustained growth. “The President had the courage, the political courage, and the willpower to take far-reaching decisions, and it always comes at a price. When a woman is about to give birth, it’s a very painful process but after the child has come forth, it’s a cause for celebration. I believe that posterity will be very kind to this poor man.
He has taken far-reaching decisions, and the economy, we have crossed the river. The economy is now on a path to sustain growth. We are now exporting about 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, the Naira is stabilising against the dollar, and with the food security crisis that is confronting us, we cannot divorce ourselves from the realities in the global space. It’s not a localised phenomenon but ours was further compounded by the security challenges in the traditional food basket of the country, the North Central, and the North West but the security issues will be addressed, and be rest assured that in the coming months, Nigerians will see a sea of change in their fortunes. I want to ask all of us to rally around this poor man”.
Expressing concern over the years of neglect in basic education across northern Nigeria, Shettima highlighted the troubling involvement of underage children in the recent nationwide governance protests.He attributed this situation to the breakdown of family values and a dysfunctional family system, where parents increasingly struggle to control their children.
Instablog9ja
1 h
12
Nigeria’s hybrid roadshow with investors on Thursday, held to discuss its $500 million domestic dollar bond, took an unexpected and shocking turn when the Zoom livestream was briefly interrupted by a man m3st3rbating loudly during the question-and-answer session, Niairametrics is reporting.
The incident caused immediate confusion and embarrassment, especially among online participants, leading to the abrupt termination of the livestream.
The video feed was restored shortly after, as the physical event, which was organised by the Debt Management Office (DMO), in Lagos continued. However, the incident raised serious concerns about the security and management of the virtual event.
Nairametrics was unable to confirm whether the disturbing video was the result of an error by the individual managing the livestream or if it was the work of a hacker.
Investopedia
1 h
14
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Alibaba Group Holding's (BABA) U.S.-traded shares shook off premarket struggles Thursday following quarterly results that missed expectations.
The Chinese e-commerce giant posted revenue for its June quarter of 243.24 billion yuan ($33.91 billion), up 4% year-over-year, and net income attributable to shareholders of 24.27 billion yuan, a decrease of 29%. Both figures fell short of consensus analysts' expectations compiled by Visible Alpha.
The company's cloud division posted 6% higher revenue at 26.55 billion yuan, and Alibaba said that "AI-related product revenue continued to grow at triple-digits year-over-year," although a figure for that segment wasn't disclosed. Its e-commerce division, which includes the Taobao and Tmall Chinese online shopping platforms, posted a 1% revenue decline to 113.37 billion yuan.
Alibaba American depositary receipts (ADRs) traded down slightly as of 2 p.m. ET Thursday at $79.18 after initially dropping roughly 5% before the opening bell in the U.S.
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Instablog9ja
2 hrs
10
Late Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi, has shared a cryptic post after her sister made a sh3cking allegations against her.
She said she has survived too many storms to be bothered by raindrops.
Click to watch
Investopedia
2 hrs
10
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Amazon (AMZN) has been chosen to test consumer drone deliveries in the UK as part of an evaluation of the technology by regulators.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said Thursday that Amazon was one of six entities chosen to test drones for “deliveries, inspections of infrastructure, emergency services and flights to remote locations.”
The drones will specifically be flown outside the line of sight of their operators, which the CAA considers a step toward making mainstream drone use a reality. The idea is to collect safety data, in particular how drones detect other aircraft and avoid crashes.
Amazon Prime Air will handle commercial deliveries, while other projects include medical deliveries, inspecting offshore windfarms and policing.
"It's crucial for operators like us to have clear regulatory requirements in order to bring and scale new technologies, such as drone delivery, to customers in the UK," Prime Air General Manager David Carbon said in a statement.
In May, Amazon said the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted Prime Air additional permissions to operate drones past line of sight. The company said it planned to expand its delivery radius in College Station, Texas.
Shares of Amazon traded nearly 4% higher intraday Thursday.
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Healthwatch
3 hrs
33
Heavy rains and sea level rise contribute to major flooding events that are one effect of climate change. Surging water rushing into buildings often causes immediate harms, such as drowning deaths, injuries sustained while seeking shelter or fleeing, and hypothermia after exposure to cold waters with no shelter or heat.
But long after news trucks leave and public attention moves on, flooding continues to affect communities in visible and less visible ways. Among the less visible threats is a higher risk of respiratory health problems like asthma and allergic reactions. Fortunately, you can take steps to minimize or avoid flooding, or to reduce respiratory health risks after flooding occurs.
How does flooding trigger respiratory health issues?
Flooding may bring water contaminated with toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, biotoxins, sewage, and water-borne pathogens into buildings. Afterward, some toxic contaminants remain in dried sediments left behind. When disturbed through everyday actions like walking and cleaning, this turns into microscopic airborne dust. Anything in that dried flood sediment — the toxic chemicals, the metals, the biotoxins — is now in the air you breathe into your lungs, potentially affecting your respiratory health.
Buildings needn't be submerged during flooding to spur respiratory problems. Many homes we studied after Hurricane Ida suffered water intrusion through roofs, windows, and ventilation ducts — and some were more than 100 miles away from coastal regions that bore the brunt of the storm.
The growth of mold can also affect health
Another common hazard is mold, a fungal growth that forms and spreads on damp or decaying organic matter. Indoor mold generally grows due to extensive dampness, and signals a problem with water or moisture. Damp materials inside buildings following a flood create perfect conditions for rapid mold growth.
Mold can be found indoors and outdoors in all climates. It spreads by making tiny spores that float through the air to land in other locations. No indoor space is entirely free from mold spores, but exposure to high concentrations is linked with respiratory complications such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis. Thus, flooding affects respiratory health by increasing the risk of exposure to higher concentrations of mold spores outdoors and indoors.
For example, after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, the average outdoor concentration of mold spores in flooded areas was roughly double that of non-flooded areas, and the highest concentrations of mold spores were measured indoors. A study on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding in the UK in 2007 showed that water damage accelerated mold growth and respiratory allergies.
Children are especially vulnerable to health problems triggered by mold. All respiratory symptoms — including asthma, bronchitis, eye irritation, and cough — occurred more often in homes reporting mold or dampness, according to a study on the respiratory health of young children in 30 Canadian communities. Other research demonstrates that mold contributes to development of asthma in children.
What can you do to protect against the health harms of flooding?
Our research in New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Ida in 2021 identified common factors — both in housing and flooding events — with great impact on respiratory health. Preliminary results suggest two deciding factors in whether substantial indoor mold appeared were the age of a building's roof and how many precautionary measures people took after flooding from the hurricane. The impact on respiratory health also varied with flood water height, days per week spent at home, and how many precautionary measures were taken after Ida swept through.
Informed by this and other research, we offer the following tips — some to tackle before flooding or heavy rains, and some to take afterward. While you may not be able to entirely prevent flooding from hurricanes or major storms, taking these and other steps can help.
Before seasonal storms, flooding, or heavy rains start: Protect against water intrusion
After flooding or major rainstorms: Move quickly to reduce dampness and mold growth
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends limiting contact with flood water, which may have electrical hazards and hazardous substances, including raw sewage. Additionally:
What to do if you spot mold growth
Taking steps like these — before and after a major storm — goes a long way toward protecting your respiratory health.
Read Flooding Brings Deep Trouble in Harvard Medicine magazine to learn more about the health hazards related to floods.
Source: Harvard Health Publishing
