By Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

In preparation for delivery of the first batch of six Super Tucano light attack aircrafts, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has sent 14 personnel to Georgia, United States of America (USA) for training exercise.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, who disclosed this on his twitter handle on Tuesday, also confirmed the expected first batch of six fighter aircrafts are expected to arrive Nigeria mid-July.

According to him, the second batch of six fighter aircrafts would also be delivered shortly after the mid-July date of the first batch.

Already, the NAF has commenced test flight operations with the newly acquired combat aircrafts, as seen in a short video the Presidential Spokesman attached to his tweet.

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“Test flight operations for @NigAirForce newly acquired Super Tucano combat aircraft.

“Six of the twelve Super Tucanos are on track to arrive in mid-July 2021. With the remaining six shortly after that.

“There are 14 Nigerian pilots currently training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia,” Shehu said.

SNC and Embraer Defense & Security received a contract from NAF in December 2018 to deliver 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft.

The contract included ground training devices, mission planning systems, ground equipment, spares and other related support.

The A-29 Super Tucano will support flight and combat training, close air support operations, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), armed over-watch, counterinsurgency and irregular warfare scenarios.

According to a report on the webpage of Airforce Technology, an Air Force news site covering developments in air defense technology and related issues, “currently, the aircraft has been chosen by 15 airforces worldwide. NAF will take delivery of the second batch before the end of the year”.

In April last year, Embraer and SNC announced the completion of the inaugural flight of the first of 12 A-29 aircraft.

The full fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft is being manufactured by SNC and Embraer at the Jacksonville facility in Florida, US.

By Ekaete Bassey

Imo-born show promoter and businessman, Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has finally located a young man with a tattooed image of him.

According to reports, the young man simply identified as Henry, who is a makeup artist and hairstylist, had recently inked the celebrity barman on his chest and later lamented of being ignored by him.

He stated his motive for inking Cubana Chief Priest on his body was not to gain any favours but to show the love he had for him.

While social media users trolled Henry for lamenting being ignored by the celebrity barman, the former went on to say he would also ink the family of the latter on his back if he so pleases adding it was no one’s business.

However, Cubana Chief Priest has suddenly decided to seek out the young man. He revealed this in an Instagram post today.

He posted a picture of the young man which displayed his inked image on his chest. The post reads:“Help Me Tag Him, I Want To Have An IG Live Session With Him, I Need To Talk To My Guy, Wonder Why You Guys Doubt His Love For Me. Thanks So Much For The Love Bro, God No Go Shame Us !!!! Pls Tag Him For Me, I Need His Real Handle #CelebrityBarMan.”

Agent Reporter

A General Physician, Dr Agnes Nwoke, on Monday advised pregnant women against consuming “Calabash chalk’’ popularly called ‘Nzu’, to avoid lead poisoning.

Nwoke, who works in St. Charles Clinic in Urum, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka that Nzu contains a high level of lead which could poison the unborn baby.

NAN reports that Nzu (calabash chalk) is edible clay that is found mainly in Nigeria and other West African countries.

In Nigeria, most people call it Nzu in Igbo, Ndom in Efik/Ibibio and Eko in Bini/Edo language.

Nwoke said the chalk is a natural product, locally prepared from clay, sand, salt and other non-nutritional components.

According to her, the craving for chalk is not peculiar to pregnant women and teenagers, even men eat it.

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Nwoke said there was no scientific evidence that the calabash chalk relieves nausea, vomiting or stops morning sickness in pregnancy as many believed.

“Eating Nzu is a practice that has become addictive to many. Some started it because of pregnancy craving, while for others, it can be due to iron deficiency anemia and malnutrition.

“Calabash chalk is unhealthy, it contains excess lead compounds capable of harming the body.

“It contains excess lead that causes low potassium and iron, muscle weakness, nerve damage, inflamed stomach, poisoning and low blood level.

“I have seen many people being treated for lead toxicity, inflammation of the stomach (gastritis), very low red blood cells (severe anaemia), ulcers, and nerve damages due to chronic consumption of Nzu,’’ she said.

(NAN)

By Okodili Ndidi, Abuja

The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes has tasked well- to-do Nigerians to emulate former Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha, who has been assisting the government to reduce the number of out- of- school children through his free education programme.

The Council maintained Okorocha’s huge investment in education, which provides free and qualitative education for indigent children, is helping to solve Nigeria’s problems.

The Imo West Senator was honoured with the prestigious award of ‘Outstanding Friend of Ibadanland’ by the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji (Aje Ogungunniso I).

The former Governor established the Rochas Foundation College at Oke Ado Ibadan and Toll Gate, Ibadan/Lagos Expressway, where over 6000 indigent children had the opportunity of tuition-free and quality education.

At the event on Saturday at the Liberty Stadium in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, massive crowd turned out to honour the former governor for his magnanimity.

Students of the Rochas Foundation College, thronged the ancient city to welcome the Senator, who is the President of the Rochas Foundation College

For President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in his felicitation message, congratulated the Senator for the honour done him by Ibadan indigenes for his free education programme.