15 Killed In Iraq After Gas Tank Blast Triggers Building Collapse
~1.4 mins read
Fifteen people died and around a dozen were injured in northern Iraq when a fuel tank exploded, causing a building to collapse, authorities said Friday as search operations ended.
Provincial governor Haval Abu Bakr provided the final toll for Thursday evening’s blast in Sulaimaniyah, the second-largest city of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, and declared a day of mourning in the province.
“Most of the victims are women and children,” Abu Bakr said, adding that “there are no more bodies under the rubble of the house”.
Authorities said the three-story building collapsed after a leak from a liquefied petroleum gas tank used for heating triggered a blast.
Emergency services still searching for survivors had given an earlier toll of 11, but several hours later the city’s emergency response chief Saman Nader announced “the end of operations”, with 15 bodies found in total.
Local residents had watched on Friday morning as rescue workers, assisted by a backhoe, searched among collapsed bricks and twisted metal.
The explosion shattered the windows and blackened the facade of a neighbouring building.
The explosion shattered the windows and blackened the facade of a neighbouring building.
Bafel Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in power in Sulaimaniyah, said he would finance the reconstruction of the building and those nearby.
He also said he would cover medical bills of any injured needing care abroad, his party’s website said.
Much of war-ravaged Iraq’s infrastructure is dilapidated and tragedies are common.
The country also suffers from poorly enforced safety standards, particularly in the transport and construction sectors.
In late October, at least nine people were killed and 13 others injured when a tanker transporting gas accidentally exploded in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.
In April 2021, more than 80 people died in a Baghdad hospital fire when improperly stored oxygen cylinders exploded.
Bishops' Visit: Three Important Questions Northern Bishops Asked Tinubu And How He Answered Them | READ
~3.6 mins read
Details of Bola Tinubu's meeting with Northern Christian leaders over his decision to pick former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate has emerged.
Recall that Tinubu met with the leaders of the Arewa Church under the aegis of the Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria last Thursday at the APC Presidential Campaign Headquarters in Abuja, where they discussed issues bordering on his choice of Vice-President and why he thought they should not be worried as a Christian community.
Tinubu, in his reply, stated he's offering himself for the service of the nation with the absolute capacity and competence that can resolve the political and socio-economic challenges bedeviling the nation, noting he would never undermine the interest of any religion.
He said he has always been a friend of the Christian community and he should be considered based on his track record, plans, and agenda for developing Nigeria.
A source at the meeting told Sunday Vanguard that most of those in attendance had come with the intention to hear Tinubu’s reasons for picking a fellow Muslim from the North as running mate, and his explanation at the end of it all never disappointed them.
The insider noted that the Pentecostal bishops were at the meeting not only to engage the APC candidate on his decision for the Vice-Presidency, but also to ask him of his plans for Christians in the North.
Three Important Questions Northern Bishops Asked Bola Tinubu
The source disclosed that they grilled Tinubu on three questions considered to be of fundamental concern to Christians in the North, and they were not disappointed with his superior point of argument.
The source continued: “We were led to the meeting by the Deputy President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Archbishop John Praise, who had made it clear that the forum was to listen to Asiwaju with a sole view of understanding why he decided to go for a Muslim-Muslim ticket in spite of the array of qualified Christians in the North.
“To buttress his point and set the tone for the engagement, he quoted John 7:51 which reads, ‘’Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him out on what he has been doing?’’
“We asked Tinubu three burning questions agitating the minds of Christians in the North. First, we asked him: What are your plans for Christians in the North in light of your insistence on picking a Muslim vice-presidential candidate from our region?
“We also asked him to respond to the remarks by Shettima at the NBA Conference that he will oversee security while Tinubu will direct the economy. Finally, we asked the APC presidential candidate for his views on the incessant attacks on Christian communities in the North.”
Bola Tinubu's Decisive and Convincing Responses
Multiples sources told Vanguard that Tinubu spoke of the Muslim-Muslim controversy in a bid to allay the fears of the Northern Christians, noting that his choice of a Muslim Shettima was strategic and not meant to undermine the importance of the significant northern Christian population. He stated that Nigeria should be looking forward to a day when it could be Muslim-Muslim or Christian- Christian; but with the present reality, he only considered Shettima after carefully studying his antecedent as a leader who stood with the Christian community in Borno and helped them re-built destroyed churches at the time Bokoharam terrorists were ravaging their land.
One of the sources said: “For our first poser to him, Asiwaju said much. He was able to confront us with a superior point of view that the decision of a major opposition party to jettison the power rotation between the North and South altered what would have been the initial political arrangement, noting that it is important to win an election first before considering any other factors. He summarise his response by saying we cannot talk about sharing a cake that has not been baked.
“His response to our second question was that the Constitution specified the roles and responsibilities of the President and his vice. So, there is no doubt about who will do what in the office if they win 2023.”
On the killing of Christians in the North and possible Islamisation, another source said Tinubu said he would not be part of such an extremist agenda, stating that he has not Islamised his immediate family and wouldn’t do so to over 200 million persons.
Another source added: "Tinubu was able to convince us of the strategic reason he opted for Kassim Shettima, citing the deviation of a major opposition party from the gentleman agreement of power rotation between the North and South as responsible for the paradigm shift. Most of us at the meeting were able to tap into his superior point of argument and we are satisfied with his sincerity of purpose.
“We believe that Tinubu will make a good President. His intentions are pure, and we absolutely find no reason why we can't practically support him to become the President come 2023.
"The mood of everyone at the end of the meeting speak volumes," he concluded.
Marcus Rashford Is Way Ahead Of Where I Was At 23 – Barack Obama
~1.7 mins read
The 44th President and the first African-American President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama II, has showered encomiums on an English footballer, Marcus Rashford who plays as an attacker for English Premier League club, Manchester United.
The former American president said this in a statement made today via his official account on the microblogging and social media platform, Twitter.
Barack Obama
Obama who served as US president from 2009 to 2017 has praised the Man United Starboy not only because he’s a better athlete but because of his dynamism, his love for reading and how the next generation of leaders can be lifted.
Rashford and Obama had a discussion in a video uploaded by the former American president via his official verified Twitter page @BarackObama.
Marcus Rashford
A member of the Democratic Party, Obama, hailed the 23-year-old united striker, noting that the youngster is way better than him when he was 23.
In his statement:
“@MarcusRashford is way ahead of where I was at 23—and not just because he’s a better athlete. It was great talking with him about everything from our shared love of reading to how we can lift up the next generation of leaders.
Have You Ever Imagined A Facemask Can Cost $4,000? Meet The Owner Of The World Most Expensive Mask.
~1.1 mins read
His name is Shankar Kurhade, an Indian businessman from the Western City of Pune. This man has paid about $4,000 for a facemask that would possibly be the world’s most expensive face mask, Agence France-Presse (AFP) has reported.
It is a custom-made face mask designed of gold to protect him from the pandemics ravaging his country.
However, in spite of the enormous amount of money required to acquire the mask, it may not be as effective as the conventional and cheap ones in the market, and generally being used by ordinary people.
The golden face mask took its maker eight days to craft, with the golden covering weighs 60 grams (two ounces) said the businessman.
In the world of Shankar Kurhade: “It is a thin mask and has tiny pores that is helping me to breathe,†he told AFP.
The businessman said he was not sure if the mask would be effective to protect him from the pandemic, but stated he was taking other precautions to be on a safe side.
He stated further that he was in the habit of adorning himself with gold jewellery, such as bracelet, necklace and rings on each finger, weighing a Kilogramme, noting that he then thought of the idea of making a gold facemask, after listening to a media report about someone who made one from silver.
Kurhade added that after people saw him with the facemask, they started asking him for selfies, because they were surprised.
Naira Marley Blasts Teachers, Amotekun For Arresting Underage Students Because They Are Marlians
~0.9 mins read
A topnotch Nigerian hip hop singer, Abdulafeez Fashola popularly known as Naira Marley has reacted to a viral video of some primary school students arrested by Amotekun because they are calling themselves Naira Marley.
The Koleyewon crooner has fired salvo at the Teachers, School Authority and Amotekun for arresting underage students because they are modeling themselves as him.
Naira Marley reacted to this via his official verified Instagram page @nairamarley, uploaded the video of the arrested students and called on Nigerians take a look at what was happening in the country.
Speaking further, the Soapy crooner stressed that the teachers and those men carrying guns in front of the students are the ones that need to be arrested. He added that he have to compensate those students with cash and go to their school to challenge the child abuse act of the school authority.
In his words:
"Guys look what is happening in stupid Nigeria. How can you arrest school kids? This is child abuse. The teachers and these stupid uncles with guns need to be arrested. I want to meet all these kids I owe them please help me with the name of the school or link me up with any of my Marlian Kids."
Things To Take Note Of After Linking Your NIN To Your SIM Card
~1.1 mins read
Nigerians had trooped to NIMC offices to get their National ID done and as well linked their National Identity Number (NIN) with their SIM cards following the mandatory directive by the Federal Government that each and everyone that owns a SIM card must link their NIN.
However, after linking your NIN to your SIM card, you must take note of the fact that You are naked before our security, hence you must GUIDE your sim more than your BVN and your ATM PIN.
If you compromise your BVN and your ATM PIN, your money may only be affected , but you compromise your phones and your SIM , you may end up in prison.
Hence :
it was not advisable to help people register their sim cards. Now that this new system has come, don't help anybody to register their sim.
Be mindful of how you give people your phone to make calls or send texts. It's a mobile phone, let it always be with you.
Don't allow anybody to use your phone to login into an account on social media. Or use your phone to create anything.
Henceforth understand that your “Sim cardâ€, is as important as your, ATM card number, your BVN, or your ATM pin.
This is because, you can be held responsible for what someone did with your sim card, so be conscious.
Things To Take Note Of After Linking Your NIN To Your SIM Card
~1.1 mins read
Nigerians had trooped to NIMC offices to get their National ID done and as well linked their National Identity Number (NIN) with their SIM cards following the mandatory directive by the Federal Government that each and everyone that owns a SIM card must link their NIN.
However, after linking your NIN to your SIM card, you must take note of the fact that You are naked before our security, hence you must GUIDE your sim more than your BVN and your ATM PIN.
If you compromise your BVN and your ATM PIN, your money may only be affected , but you compromise your phones and your SIM , you may end up in prison.
Hence :
it was not advisable to help people register their sim cards. Now that this new system has come, don't help anybody to register their sim.
Be mindful of how you give people your phone to make calls or send texts. It's a mobile phone, let it always be with you.
Don't allow anybody to use your phone to login into an account on social media. Or use your phone to create anything.
Henceforth understand that your “Sim cardâ€, is as important as your, ATM card number, your BVN, or your ATM pin.
This is because, you can be held responsible for what someone did with your sim card, so be conscious.
President Buhari Shuns Senate, Makes Fresh Appointment.
~1.5 mins read
President Muhammadu Buhari shuns Senate, approves acting Director General for National Directorate of Employment.
The president of the federal Republic of Nigeria, Major General Muhammadu Buhari has approved the nomination of Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo as the acting Director General of the National Directorate of Employment pending the appointment of a substantive DG.
This was revealed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Monday in a series of tweet posted on his official verified Twitter page @GarShehu.
In his tweet:
"President Muhammadu Buhari has formally conveyed to the Hon. Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, his approval of the nomination of Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo as the Acting Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment pending the appointment of a substantive Director-General for the Agency.
"Last month, the President relieved the former DG of the agency of his appointment, and directed the Minister to nominate an Acting DG to superintend over the Agency pending the appointment of a substantive DG."
However, the President Buhari's approval was contrary to the position of the Senate which on December 10, 2020, implored Buhari to order the sacking of Dr. Nasiru Argungu, as the NDE DG.
Following Argungu's sacking last year in the wake of the controversy that trailed the Federal Government’s planned 774,000 jobs, Buhari had instructed the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, who supervises the agency to nominate an acting DG for the agency.
The resolution of the Senate asking Buhari to reinstate Argungu followed a point of order raised on the floor by the Senator representing Jigawa East Senatorial District, Ibrahim Hadejia.
The Senate also urged Buhari to probe the frosty relationship between Argungu and Keyamo.
The red chamber argued that the removal of Argungu could delay the take-off of the Federal Government programme aimed at providing jobs for 774, 000 Nigerians.
The upper chamber also urged Buhari to order an investigation into the cause of the frosty relationship between Argungu and Keyamo.
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