TODAY IN HISTORY: 17 OCTOBER, 1989; Loma Prieta earthquake hits San Francisco Bay Area claimed 67 lives

On this day in 1989, an earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area claiming 67 lives and causing more than $5 billion in damages. Though this was one of the most powerful and destructive earthquakes ever to hit a populated area of the United States, the death toll could have been much worse.

The proximity of the San Andreas Fault to San Francisco was well-known for most of the 20th century, but the knowledge did not stop the construction of many un-reinforced brick buildings in the area. Finally, in 1972, revised building codes forced new structures to be built to withstand earthquakes. The new regulations also called for older buildings to be retrofitted to meet the new standards, but the expense involved made these projects a low priority for the community.

On October 17, the Bay Area was buzzing about baseball. The Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants, both local teams, had reached the World Series. The third game of the series was scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. Just prior to the game, with the cameras on the field, a 7.1-magnitude tremor centered near Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains rocked the region from Santa Cruz to Oakland. Though the stadium withstood the shaking, much of the rest of San Francisco was not so fortunate.

The city’s marina district suffered great damage. Built before 1972, on an area of the city where there was no underlying bedrock, the liquefaction of the ground resulted in the collapse of many homes. Burst gas mains and pipes also sparked fires that burned out of control for nearly two days. Also hard hit by the quake were two area roads, the Nimitz Expressway and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Both roads featured double-decker construction and, on each, the upper level collapsed during the earthquake. Forty-one of the 67 victims of this disaster were motorists on the lower level of the Nimitz, who were killed when the upper level of the road collapsed and crushed them in their cars. Only one person was killed on the Bay Bridge—which had been scheduled for a retrofitting the following week—because there were no cars under the section that collapsed.

Other heavily damaged communities included Watsonville, Daly City and Palo Alto. More than 10 percent of the homes in Watsonville were completely demolished. The residents, most of whom were Latino, faced additional hardship because relief workers and the Red Cross did not have enough Spanish-speaking aides or translators to assist them.

The earthquake caused billions of dollars in damages, and contributed in part to the deep recession that California suffered in the early 1990s.

Author:

History.com Editors

TODAY IN HISTORY: 17 OCTOBER, 1974; President Ford at U.S. Congress explains his pardon of Nixon

President Gerald Ford

The 38th President of United States, Gerald Ford on this day in 1974 explained to Congress why he had chosen to pardon his predecessor, Richard Nixon, rather than allow Congress to pursue legal action against the former president.

President Nixon had been accused by the Congress, of obstruction of justice during the investigation of the Watergate scandal, which began in 1972. White House tape recordings revealed that Nixon knew about and possibly authorized the bugging of the Democratic National Committee offices, located in the Watergate complex in Washington D.C. Rather than be impeached and removed from office, Nixon chose to resign on August 8, 1974.

When he assumed office on August 9, 1974, Ford, referring to the Watergate scandal, announced that America’s “long national nightmare” was over. There were no historical or legal precedents to guide Ford in the matter of Nixon’s pending indictment, but after much thought, he decided to give Nixon a full pardon for all offenses against the United States in order to put the tragic and disruptive scandal behind all concerned. Ford justified this decision by claiming that a long, drawn-out trial would only have further polarized the public. Ford’s decision to pardon Nixon was condemned by many and is thought to have contributed to Ford’s failure to win the presidential election of 1976.

From his home in California, Nixon responded to Ford’s pardon, saying he had gained a different perspective on the Watergate affair since his resignation. He admitted that he was “wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate, particularly when it reached the stage of judicial proceedings and grew from a political scandal into a national tragedy.”

TODAY IN HISTORY: 17 OCTOBER, 1998; Pipeline explosion killed 594 people in Delta State

October 17, 1998 was a black weekend in Nigeria following a fiery explosion from a burst oil pipeline near Jesse town in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The tragic incidence that occurred around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday killed 594 people. It is believed that the explosion was caused by local towns people tapping into the pipeline to steal oil but because the fire and explosion incinerated every person close by, the reason for the explosion was never fully explained.

Witnesses said that thousands of people had been involved in the illegal drawing of fuel from the burst pipeline since Thursday, two days before the explosion. Another account said that a boy lit a cigarette and the whole area which was drenched in petrol exploded as a result.

The Nigerian Red Cross Society Warri Division mobilised volunteers to assist in the evacuation of people from the site and provided first aid treatment to some of the injured. The Edo State Branch went to the area and did an assessment of the situation and the immediate needs of the people, forwarding a report to the NRCS Headquarters on the morning of 20 October. 

The injured were taking for treatment in neighbouring hospitals at Sapele, Amope, Eku and Mosogar. Hospitals in Sapele and Eku are overflowing with people who have varying degrees of burns. Many have died since the explosion.

TODAY IN HISTORY: 17 OCTOBER, 1973; OPEC enacts oil embargo against U.S, others

On this day in 1973, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announces a decision to cut oil exports to the United States and other nations that provided military aid to Israel in the Yom Kippur War of October 1973. According to OPEC, exports were to be reduced by 5 percent every month until Israel evacuated the territories occupied in the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. In December, a full oil embargo was imposed against the United States and several other countries, prompting a serious energy crisis in the United States and other nations dependent on foreign oil.

OPEC was founded in 1960 by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Venezuela with the principle objective of raising the price of oil. Other Arab nations and Third World oil producers joined in the 1960s and early 1970s. For the first decade of its existence, OPEC had little impact on the price of oil, but by the early 1970s an increase in demand and the decline of U.S. oil production gave it more clout.

In October 1973, OPEC ministers were meeting in Vienna when Egypt and Syria (non-OPEC nations) launched a joint attack on Israel. After initial losses in the so-called Yom Kippur War, Israel began beating back the Arab gains with the help of a U.S. airlift of arms and other military assistance from the Netherlands and Denmark. By October 17, the tide had turned decisively against Egypt and Syria, and OPEC decided to use oil price increases as a political weapon against Israel and its allies. Israel, as expected, refused to withdraw from the occupied territories, and the price of oil increased by 70 percent. At OPEC’s Tehran conference in December, oil prices were raised another 130 percent, and a total oil embargo was imposed on the United States, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Eventually, the price of oil quadrupled, causing a major energy crisis in the United States and Europe that included price gouging, gas shortages, and rationing.

In March 1974, the embargo against the United States was lifted after U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger succeeded in negotiating a military disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel. Oil prices, however, remained considerably higher than their mid-1973 level. OPEC cut production several more times in the 1970s, and by 1980 the price of crude oil was 10 times what it had been in 1973. By the early 1980s, however, the influence of OPEC on world oil prices began to decline; Western nations were successfully exploiting alternate sources of energy such as coal and nuclear power, and large, new oil fields had been tapped in the United States and other non-OPEC oil-producing nations.

Author:

History.com Editors

13 October – National No Bra Day

October 13 every year is set aside as National No Bra Day. It is also known as, “The Moment We Get Home from Work” Day.

The day promotes breast cancer awareness. It also helps raise money for research. Many women who have survived breast cancer are unable to go without a bra as they need it to hold their prosthesis after surgery.

National No Bra Day’s origins can be traced back to two days in history; July 9, 2011 and October 19, 2011. The latter was founded in Toronto, Canada where it was originally titled BRA Day by Dr. Mitchell Brown. BRA (Breast Reconstruction — An Event of Learning and Sharing) Day was celebrated to raise awareness for women who undergo a mastectomy and encourage self examinations.

Today is not just about comfort, though. National No Bra Day, which falls right in the middle of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is a time for women and men too, to learn about breast health. It helps remind people that breast cancer is a potentially fatal disease, but also highly detectable and treatable. National No Bra Day is all about learning to spot early warning signs and get an edge in the fight against cancer. 

The first case of any cancer was mentioned in Egypt about 3000BC on The Edwin Smith Papyrus. It described eight different cases of growths and ulcers found within the breast.

 

Pasuma, Malaika, Atawewe delight Tinubu’s supporters at rally

Fuji icons Pasuma, Malaika and Atawewe have performed at rally organised by the chairman of Lagos State Parks and Garages management committee, Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo and other supporters of the All progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in Lagos on Sunday.

The singers sat atop a vehicle to thrill Tinubu’s supporters.

Credit: Twitter | Mr_JAGs

Man builds tricycle from scratch in Kano

A young man from Kano State, simply identified as Faisal, has built a tricycle popularly known as 'Keke Napep' from scratch in Kano.

In trending photos, Faisal was seen making the vehicle and showing off the finished product.

Credit: Twitter | mmgwani

Saheed Balogun joins Igbo supporters of Tinubu in a song

Saheed Balogun

Nollywood actor, Saheed Balogun, has shared a video of himself with other supporters of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who are of south-eastern descent, singing in a bus.

He shared the video on his verified Instagram handle and called for votes for his APC presidential candidate, Tinubu.

In the video, he said, “Look at them here, I’m with the Igbo, who are supporting Asiwaju. These people are not doing politics, they are saying one Nigeria.  They are saying vote for your choice. They are saying, campaign for the person you like, it doesn’t matter. They are saying everywhere is their home.”

Credit: Instagram | saidibalogun

TODAY IN HISTORY: 04 OCTOBER, 1992; Israeli airline crashes into apartment building in Amsterdam

On this day in 1992, El Al Flight 1862, a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft of the then state-owned Israeli airline El Al, crashed into the Groeneveen and Klein-Kruitberg flats in the Bijlmermeer (colloquially "Bijlmer") neighbourhood (part of Amsterdam-Zuidoost) of Amsterdam, Holland.

Four people aboard the plane and approximately 100 more in the apartment building lost their lives in the disaster.

An El-Al Boeing 747 cargo jet was scheduled to bring 114 tons of computers, machinery, textiles and various other materials from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 4. At 6:30 that Sunday evening, Captain Isaac Fuchs piloted the jet, carrying two other pilots and one passenger, out of Schipol Airport in good weather. However, only minutes after takeoff, fires broke out in the plane’s third and fourth engines and they fell right off the wing.

Fuchs decided to dump the plane’s fuel in a lake and head back to the airport, but the plane did not have enough power to make the return trip. Six miles short of the airport, Fuchs radioed, “Going down,” and the plane plunged straight into an apartment building in the Bijimermeer section of Amsterdam. A massive fireball exploded through the building. Firefighters rushed to the scene, but by the time the fire was under control, about 100 people were dead. An exact number was impossible to determine, as the explosion made body identification extremely difficult and the building housed mainly undocumented immigrants from Suriname and Aruba.

The accident was very similar to one that had taken place in Taiwan less than a year earlier, in which a China Airlines jet had crashed after losing its two right engines. An investigation into that crash had revealed the problem to be related to a fuse pin, part of the mechanism that binds the engines to the wings. Both crashes probably resulted from the fatigue and failure of this part.

TODAY IN HISTORY: 04 OCTOBER, 1966; Pope Paul VI seeks an end to the Vietnam War

Pope Paul VI

On this day in 1966, Pope Paul VI addresses 150,000 people in St. Peter’s Square in Rome and calls for an end to the war in Vietnam through negotiations. Although the Pope’s address had no impact on the Johnson administration and its policies in Southeast Asia, his comments were indicative of the mounting antiwar sentiment that was growing both at home and overseas.

2023: Many people are wasting their time – Fr. Mbaka

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka

Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka of Adoration Ministry, Emene, Enugu State, Nigeria has reportedly spoken on the 2023 General Elections on Sunday, October 2, 2022.

It was reported that Mbaka spoke during his first mass after being banned for months due to some of his utterances and politically-related preaching.

Mbaka was quoted as saying “Many people are wasting their time in the 2023 general elections. God said I should not reveal it. But as it stands, many people are wasting their time.

“The Lord said that the vision shall surely come to pass even if it tarries, just wait for it.

“If not for the warning of the Holy Spirit I would have given Nigeria a simple solution.

“But just wait.” 

TODAY IN HISTORY: 02 OCTOBER, 2006; Charles Roberts kills five female students at Amish school

Charles Roberts

On Monday, 02 October, 2006, Charles Roberts enters the West Nickel Mines Amish School in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, where he fatally shot five female students and wounds five more before turning his gun on himself and dying by suicide.

Charles Carl Roberts IV, a 32-year-old milk truck driver from a nearby town, entered the one-room schoolhouse at around 10:30 a.m. armed with an arsenal of weapons, ammunition, tools and other items including toilet paper that indicated he planned for the possibility of a long standoff. He forced the 15 boys and several women with infants inside the school to leave and made the 11 girls present line up against the blackboard. Police were contacted about the hostage situation at approximately 10:30 a.m. When they arrived at the schoolhouse a short time later, Roberts had barricaded the school doors with boards he had brought with him and tied up his hostages. Roberts spoke briefly with his wife by cell phone and said he was upset with God over the death of his baby daughter in 1997. He also told her he had molested two girls 20 years earlier and was having fantasies about molesting children again. At approximately 11 a.m., Roberts spoke with a 911 dispatcher and said if the police didn’t leave he’d start shooting. Seconds after, he shot five of the students. When authorities stormed the schoolhouse, Roberts shot himself in the head.

Roberts, a father of three, had no criminal history or record of mental illness. Additionally, his family knew nothing about his claims that he had molested two young female relatives. The Amish community, known for their religious devotion, as well as wearing traditional clothing and shunning certain modern conveniences, consoled Roberts’ wife in the wake of the tragedy; some members even attended his funeral. Ten days after the shootings, the Amish tore down the schoolhouse and eventually built a new one nearby.

Author

TODAY IN HISTORY: 02 OCTOBER, 1985; Actor Rock Hudson dies of AIDS

Rock Hudson (1925-1985)

On this day in 1985, Hollywood icon, Rock Hudson, 59, becomes the first major U.S. celebrity to die of complications from AIDS. The actor’s death raised public awareness of the epidemic, which until that time had been ignored by many in the mainstream and regarded as a “gay plague.”

Hudson, born Leroy Harold Scherer Jr., on November 17, 1925, in Winnetka, Illinois, was a Hollywood heartthrob whose career in movies and TV spanned nearly three decades. With leading-man good looks, Hudson starred in numerous dramas and romantic comedies in the 1950s and 60s, including Magnificent Obsession, Giant and Pillow Talk. In the 1970s, he found success on the small screen with such series as McMillan and Wife. To protect his macho image, Hudson’s off-screen life as a gay man was kept secret from the public.

In 1984, while working on the TV show Dynasty, Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS. On July 25, 1985, he publicly acknowledged he had the disease at a hospital in Paris, where he had gone to seek treatment. The news that Hudson, an international icon, had AIDS focused worldwide attention on the disease and helped change public perceptions of it.

The first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981 and the earliest victims were gay men who often faced public hostility and discrimination. As scientists and health care officials called for funding to combat the disease, they were largely ignored by President Ronald Reagan and his administration. Rock Hudson was a friend of Reagan’s and his death was said to have changed the president’s view of the disease. However, Reagan was criticized for not addressing the issue of AIDS in a major public speech until 1987; by that time, more than 20,000 Americans had already died of the disease and it had spread to over 100 countries. 

Author:

History.com Editors

2023: Economist Intelligence Unit predicts Tinubu’s victory

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win the 2023 presidential election, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has stated in a new country report.

The report stated the chances of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar have been significantly reduced by the internal crisis in the party.

His chances, the report further stated, have been narrowed by the growing popularity of Peter Obi, the candidate of Labour Party (LP), in the South-East, which is traditionally the powerhouse of the PDP.

Tinubu, a former Lagos Governor, defeated several APC leaders to emerge the party’s presidential candidate in May.

Most of his opponents stepped down for him moments before the commencement of the primary election while other aspirants including Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo went ahead to test their popularity with Tinubu but lost.

His choice of Kashim Shettima, a former Borno Governor of and a fellow Muslim, as his running mate has continued to generate controversy in the APC and across the country ahead of next year’s election.

But the EIU said it does not appear that the same-faith ticket would affect the chances of Tinubu in the presidential election.

“We expect Tinubu to take the presidency, and recent developments have only reinforced our thinking. It does not appear that a Muslim-Muslim ticket will weigh significantly on Tinubu’s electoral chances,” it said.

Like the APC, PDP has been plagued by internal crisis since the presidential primary was concluded.

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike expressed dissatisfaction with the manner the primary was conducted.

The issue was aggravated when Wike, who was Atiku’s closest opponent in the primary, was snubbed by Atiku as the former vice-president picked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.

The decision was contrary to the recommendation of Wike as running mate by the special PDP selection committee.

Wike has stated his demands for reconciliation, among which is the removal of the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu.

But Ayu has vowed not to resign his position, insisting that his mandate was for four years.

“Atiku has more cause to worry. Not only is Obi eating into the PDP’s South-eastern support base, but Governor Wike, who finished second in the primary, does not appear to be interested in endorsing him,” the EIU said.

The crisis rocking the PDP took a turn for the worse on Wednesday as Wike’s camp pulled out of the campaign council of Atiku.

The report said with the amendment of the Electoral Act to accommodate electronic transmission of result, the role of the establishment in influencing outcome of the presidential election would diminish significantly, leading to the most fairest and credible polls since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

The report added that despite the presence of three major political gladiators from the three major ethnic groups in the country in the presidential race, the amendment of the Electoral Act would bring less disputes about the presidential election result.

Atiku’s response to calls for Ayu’s removal disheartening, says Bode George

Chief Olabode George

A chieftain of opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Olabode George has described the response of the presidential candidate of the party, Abubakar Atiku to calls for the removal of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, as national chairman is disheartening. 

Chief George disclosed on Thursday while featuring on Arise Television’s News Day on Thursday.

The PDP stalwart said, “Let’s do what is right, let’s do what is just. All of us can not sleep and face the same direction. I am talking because we are deviating from the norm and the cause of our founding fathers.”

“It is not a personal thing for me and it will never be. This is not a personal emotional issue. This is about doing things right. Let’s follow the culture and the norms of our founding fathers so that  we can convince the people that we can build the country,” he added. 

Recall that Atiku had restated his position that he cannot force Ayu to resign as the party’s National Chairman 

This was after Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his team in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Ayu-must-go move pulled out of the campaign Council of Atiku.

The VANGUARD reported that George, who share in Wike’s vision, maintained that there would be no support for Atiku until Ayu vacated the number one office of the party to allow an acting Chairman from the South part of the country.

The aggrieved stalwarts which comprise the founding members of the party, sitting governors, former ministers and other leaders of the party made their position known in a resolution read by a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George.

George, who read the resolution of the group, said they were deeply concerned about the division in the PDP despite the party’s age-long internal mechanism designed to guarantee inclusiveness.

The PDP stalwart said, “We resolve that we are deeply concerned by the division in our party. We are aware that over the years our party has developed conflict resolution mechanisms that guarantee inclusiveness. The published presidential campaign council list translates to putting the cat before the horse.

The pertinent issue remains the resolution of the leadership which is a departure of “Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as the National Chairman of the party for an acting Chairman of the Southern Nigerian extraction to emerge and lead the party on the national campaign.

“Consequently, we resolve not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.”

Also, A former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah Jang, claimed that Ayu was a bad referee, who assisted one side to score a goal during a football match and later blew the whistle.

He accused Ayu of compromising the May 28 and 29 presidential primaries of the party through his conduct.

Jang said: “For a National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu to go and embrace Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tanbuwal, calling him the hero of the convention meant that there was a private arrangement that was done with Tambuwal to shortchange other contestants including Governor Wike.

“Here was a referee, who helped one of his sides to score a goal and then blew the whistle. This is not what we formed the PDP to do for Nigerians. Therefore, we unequivocally ask that Ayu must step down.”

Furthermore, A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, said if the party intended to restructure Nigeria it should have the courage to restructure itself.

He noted that their support for Wike was for the sake of equity and justice in the party, not neither because he lost the presidential primary nor because he was not chosen as the Vice-presidential running mate.

Gana said, “You cannot build on a faulty foundation. This call for the chairman to step down or resign is not because any of us is aggrieved but because we believe it is important to ensure a just, fair, principled and constitutional structure for the party. If we want to restructure Nigeria, we should have the courage to restructure our party”.

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde added, “We hope that the powers that be listen to the voice of reason and do the needful.”

There won’t be ASUU strike if politicians' kids school in Nigerian varsities – Kate Henshaw

Kate Henshaw

Veteran Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw has accused Nigerian leaders of ‘nonchalance’ towards the plight of the students.

She wondered whether universities would have been shut for even a single day if politicians’ children were schooling in the country.

She wrote: “If their children were schooling here, do you think the Universities will be shut for even one day??

“Instead they rub it in your faces that they don't care while they celebrate with glee the graduation of their children in the abroad. VOTE WISELY!!”

The seven-month-old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has continued to attract concerns.

After several months of negotiation by ASUU and the Federal Government proves unyielding, the gym enthusiast took a swipe at the latter for the varsities still being shut.

Further irked by the recent public celebration accompanied with photos online of President Buhari’s daughter-in-law, Zahra Buhari’s emergence with a first class degree from a varsity overseas, the thespian empahsised the need for every youth to vote wisely in the forthcoming elections.

FG sets to inaugurate new equipment to ramp up power to 7,000Mw

All is set for the inauguration of new equipment for the Siemens power project which will intensify power supply to a minimum of 7,000 megawatts (Mw).

In December 2021, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved $1.9 million and 62.9 million Euros for phase one of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), that seeks to modernise, rehabilitate and expand the national grid. 

Speaking during the Nigeria Energy Conference and Exhibitions in Lagos, yesterday, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FGN Power Company (FGNPC), Kenny Anuwe, said the ceremony would begin before the third week next month in Lagos, while the second set of equipment will be unveiled in Abuja later.

He said the company is set to inaugurate the first set of the power equipment with the aim of sustaining the tempo until power disruptions in the country become a thing of the past.

Anuwe revealed that the equipment include transformers and mobile substations procured in partnership with Siemens Energy.

He added that the equipment were purpose-designed to meet Nigeria’s power supply needs in a phased programme that will see to the generation and distribution of 25,000 megawatts of electricity by 2025, adding that with the new equipment, power supply will rise to a minimum of 7,000Mw, while he assured that the company is committed to executing its plans until all the targets are met.

The energy expert said: “The Federal Government is determined to make a difference in the lives and livelihood of Nigerians, and with the pace of work being put in the project so far, I think we would exceed 7,000Mw.

“But this is our first objective and we are not taking our eyes off that ball. We want to hit that target and to exceed it and that is a confirmation that improvement in electricity supply is absolutely doable.

“The FGN Power Company was set up as a special purpose company to implement the PPI. But its core mandate is in three broad categories; number one is to secure financing for the programme; number two, to engage with stakeholders right across the value chain, and number three, to coordinate the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative.

It also includes engagement in engineering and procurement contracts (EPC) and master content management (MCM), all fashioned to deliver for Nigerians, all the objectives set in the PPI.

“The GenCos and the DisCos will continue to play their part in the value chain of delivering energy to consumers’ right across Nigeria. What will be different is that they will now have a partner in FGN Power Company that is enabled to actually implement a programme that supports their businesses in sustainable ways, while strengthening their capabilities to deliver value to their customers.”

Anuwe further noted that the partnership between Nigeria and FGNPC, on one hand, the German government and Siemens Energy, on the other, would bring long-term benefits to Nigeria and its people.

The Nation reported that, the Federal Government signed a power project deal (PPI) with Siemens AG in July 2019 to increase electricity generation to 25,000 megawatts (MW) in six years.

Tinubu extols wife at 62

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has extolled his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who clocked 62 years this Wednesday.

Tinubu, via his official Twitter account, appreciates his wife for standing by him unconditionally.

The political leader said at this time of the year nothing else matters, saying demands of politics can’t suppress emotions he feels when it’s her birthday.

Tinubu wrote, “To My Dearest Remi at 62 Birthdays are for celebration, Especially so for someone who has been the love of my life. At this time of the year, nothing else matters. Not even the demands of politics can suppress the rush of emotions I feel every time it’s your birthday.

“Dearest Oluremi, my Senator! I love and appreciate you each passing day. Recalling how we started fills me with gratitude: how you have stood by me, unconditionally, like the Rock of Gibraltar.

“Even when I had to be away owing to exigencies, you efficiently managed the homefront, nurturing the children with love and affection. Your love has always kept me going. Thank you for being a good mother. Our children and I thank you for your immense love.

“Happy birthday, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Happy 62nd birthday to my wife, my love!”

Credit: Twitter |officialABAT

Obi reveals seven–point economic master plan

          Peter Obi

The Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi on Tuesday in Lagos, unveiled seven economic master plans his administration will concentrate, if he emerges the winner of the 2023 election.

Obi in his engagement with the private sector under the aegis of the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said his administration will ensure creating the right environment and follow up on implementing those policies.

The LP candidate who vowed to engage in aggressive private sector driven economy and block leakages in government, added that his government will deal with insecurity issue decisively by overhauling the total security architecture and also encourage creation of state and local policing.

Obi said his government will not condone any government asset to remain idle, saying all will be put into productive use in partnership with the private sector.

He assured Nigerians that his government will encourage massive production centre growth for food security, ensure effective legal and institutional reforms and expand physical infrastructure

Others according to him include aggressive development of human capital, provide foreign policy to restore Nigeria’s relevance, stimulate industrial revolution, grow foreign reserves and security to lives and property.

He said the issue of oil subsidy was an organised crime, which his government won’t encourage.

“Most of challenges are institutional weaknesses and lack of political will to do the needful.

“We will streamline governance ensure that it is responsive that provides needed services to the populace.

“To move Nigeria forward requires a concerted efforts that seeks adherence to the rule of law.

“Experience shows that inclusiveness is an essential element in decision-making process.

“I will be fully responsible for actions and decisions taken by my government.

“For you to generate revenue, it is the job of government to encourage economic growth and create jobs, who will in turn invest in the economy and pay taxes.

“Start pulling the people out of poverty and encourage economic growth. China finances its budget majorly from taxes. You need to inject and support the economy.”

On power, he said the problem was the transmission sector, which he promised to liberalise.

“Yes, we have privatised the generation and distribution but the major link between the two, which is the transmission. For our government, we will liberalise this sector and support the existing companies in that sector. This can be done by aggressively involving the private sector.

“Government does not have to look for money to do this. The government can go ahead to provide guarantee like it was done in Egypt.”

He added that another challenge bedeviling the country was waste in government, which his administration would decisively deal.

“I have allergy for waste and the same thing will apply in my government.”

Earlier, the president LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole said that the private sector in Nigeria contributes about 80 per cent of our GDP, hence, LCCI cannot afford to miss the opportunity to engage Obi on his economic plans for the country.

“While the chamber is non-partisan, we are however interested in the economic agenda of the candidates and their plans to make a better nigeria in the next dispensation.”

He added that the chamber was aware of the over-shadowing effect of politics over economics in managing the Nigerian economy and would therefore wish to contribute to the setting of a new economic order that can take our economy from the doldrums.

“New policy directions, institutional reforms, and sound governance are critical to creating a new economic order in nigeria. This is why we are gathered here today!

“For the past 16 years, LCCI has organized this session in every election cycle.

“This is a part of its public policy advocacy to provide a first-hand opportunity for presidential candidates of the leading political parties to speak to the organized private sector (ops) on their economic blueprint for Nigeria.

“All patriotic Nigerians would like to know the plans and intentions of a future president, and this will most likely enhance the choices people make at the polls.”

Seven reasons to avoid eating Ponmo

Animal hides, locally known as ponmo, in Yoruba and kanda in Igbo is a popular supplement in soups enjoyed by many Nigerians.

Many Nigerians are simply at home with ponmo consumption but the recent announcement by the Federal Government proposing legislation to ban the consumption of animal skin to revive the comatose leather industry has sparked mixed reactions.

In July 2019, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) warned Nigerians to be careful when buying Ponmo.

NAFDAC DG Moji Adeyeye said their investigations revealed: “Unscrupulous businessmen and traders are now diverting animal hides meant for industrial use into the food chain for consumption”.

According to The Nation, different health experts have argued for and against the nutritional value of Ponmo, it has not stopped those who love it (Ponmo) to stop consuming it. In fact, it has become a daily staple delicacy for consumption.

But what are the hazards attached to eating Ponmo:

1. Most of these animal hides are meant for industrial use. The hides which are meant for industrial use, have found their way into the food market. It is therefore harmful, unsafe and unfit for human consumption.

2. Some of the animal hides are sometimes pre-treated with industrial chemicals, which are not of food grade and are toxic and injurious to human health.

3. The imported animal hides are meant for industrial use by leather industries for the manufacturing of items such as shoes, bags, belts and others.

4. Two likely causes of importing and buying the ponmo are that it is cheaper than the ones produced and sold locally. The importers therefore feed on the ignorance of Nigerians who are unable to distinguish between the one fit for consumption and the harmful one.

5. Livestock farmers are advised to note that industrial animal hides cannot and should not be used in the manufacture of animal feed.

6. Health hazards inherent in the consumption of such animal hides include risk of liver, kidney and heart damage, cancer threat, increased risk of aplastic anaemia, central nervous system toxicity and more.

7. The means of processing the ponmo in the market is dangerous to human health, even the importation alone poses as a serious threat to one's health.