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Tag: low

  • Sallah: Ram sellers decry low sale

    Sallah: Ram sellers decry low sale

    The yearly Muslim festival, Eid-el-kabir, is six days away. But ram sellers are not excited. Rams are available. There are few buyers. What could be responsible? TONIA ‘DIYAN, OYEWOLE PRISCILLA and OCHU OHUNENE LATIFAH provide answers.

    •Prices may increase by 75per cent

    For Muslims around the world, it’s that time of the year they celebrate one of their religious festivals Eid el Kabir, one which requires the killing of rams as sacrifice among Muslims who are financially buoyant.

    The significance of the Sallah rams to Muslims cannot be over emphasised. Many Muslim faithful may not be able to afford rams this year.

    Leaders of ram markets visited by The Nation Shopping have  blamed factors such as the down-turn in the economy due to mismanagement of fund, devaluation of the naira, terrorism in the northern part of the country from where rams are brought to major ram markets within the Lagos metropolis, for the problem.

    Mallam Zuber and Muhammadu Musbau are ram traders in Epe. They blame the high cost of transporting rams from the north and neighbouring countries of Chad and Niger Republic where Boko Haram are terrorising people as great hindrances to the business.

    Zuber said: “The business wasn’t like this before Boko Haram issue became the biggest challenge in Nigeria. Our ram business used to blossom by this time when Ileya is less than a week. We use to be very optimistic that sales will climb weekly and daily as the festival approaches. But the reverse is the case as most of us don’t even want to risk travelling to our home town where we rear and transport rams from; we look for people who can volunteer and pay them for the  risk apart from giving them money for the rams and  transportation. All these put together have caused a hike in the price this year; the cheapest ram we sell here is N60, 000. We have some for N85, 000 and N100, 000 depending on their sizes.”

    At Kara ram Market in Berger, it was observed that there is a significant difference in business compared to other markets. The price of ram still remains the same as last year. Like their colleagues in other markets, Muhammad Umar and Abu-Bakr Ali say their prices are still the same as last year because their market is a major one where ram is sold in wholesale prices.

    “At Kara, we cannot afford to sell at exorbitant prices because we sell to people who resell, that  is why we have decided to retain our old prices. We therefore encourage people, particularly the Muslims to patronise us, our prices are fair,” one of them who spoke in Hausa language through an interpreter explained.

    The leader of Kara Market, Mr. Babatunde Babalola, said, the prices of rams in the market if compared with last year hasn’t changed, but there are few traders that experienced one challenge or the other, and have their price adjusted or increased because of some factors. “The price of ram last year and this year is more or less the same. But a day or two to the festival, the price will be inflated by 75per cent,” he said.

    As signs of the effect of poor economy on the ram business, the stalls for ram traders in Kara Market are scanty unlike in the previous year when they were bubbling with buying and selling activities a month to Sallah.

    Traders attributed the situation to the insurgent attack by Boko Haram and low flow of money in the country. According to one ram trader, Mohammed Yusuf who was only able to display few rams for sale, lack of cash flow is the reason why more rams have not arrived Lagos. He is however optimistic that the situation will change.

    “I believe this week, I and my colleagues would be counting our blessings and naming them one by one as more rams would have arrived for us to sell. Our customers will still come, I believe so,” he said.

    Despite the fact that the market seems dry six days to Sallah, there are some buyers who have chosen this period as the best time to purchase the ram of their choice.

    Some of them shared with the Nation Shopping their reason for buying at this time. For Oluwasegun Lasisi, it is to avoid buying at an inflated price on Ileya day or a day to the festival when some people think the item would want to be disposed at all cost by the seller who will be left with no choice then.

    Expressing satisfaction for the ram he purchased, Lasisi said: “I am impressed with what I have bought because it is healthy and cheaper than last year when the problem of Boko Haram was higher than what it is today. I think it is better to buy now, instead of waiting for the price to be inflated. The more you wait to get cheap ram, the more expensive it gets.”

    Another buyer, Mallam Kabir Umar said his decision to buy ram now is for him to get the best.

    He said: “Now is the best time to buy ram when you have choices to make unlike waiting for the rush and when there will be left over to buy from. Apart from that, the market will be crowded.”

    At Alaba Rago in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, the market head Alhaji Suleiman Tanko, is of the view that though the price of ram is high, Muslims are still turning out to buy for the celebration. “Even with the increment in the price of ram this season, Muslims in Ojo are managing to buy because they are aware of the significance of the sacrifice; the unfavourable economy is not a barrier to some of them who have saved towards it,” he said.

    Also, Mallam Zuber, the market head of Epe Ram Market said the increment has affected the major  suppliers of ram in Maiduguri, Chad and Cameroon. He said: “As at last year, there were rams from Maiduguri even up to Chad and Cameroon but this year, we are not allowed to bring rams to this place because of Boko Haram. These rams you see are from Kebbi, Sokoto and Katsina and it is expensive bringing them here,” he said.

    At Mangoro ram market, Alhaji Abdulsalam Zakari attributed the price increase to insecurity in the north, saying the situation is causing difficulty in conveying ram to other parts of the country. He also said the economy is difficult thereby making the financial earning complex. “Boko Haram has really disrupted things and our business is affected because it has to do with transporting our produce from the north. For now, a small sized ram sells for N30, 000 and the biggest, N100, 000. We have the ones for N45, 000, N60, 000, N70, 000, different prices for different sizes,” he told The Nation Shopping.

    For Mr Abdulrahimu Kayode, late buyers will end up with the smallest sizes of ram because the big ones would be sold before they get here, now is the best time to buy. It is better to buy early and keep with the seller, then come back for it few days to the celebration, he reasoned.

    Regardless of the harsh economy and the reduction in the flow of money in the country, the ram which is essential in the celebration of Sallah, merchants advise should be purchased by all and sundry Muslims.

    For Muslims who purchase their rams before Salah, the right feed for them include mixture of Kowa, Guza, wheat brown to give them a chubby look, for rams refusing to eat, little quantity of salt is added to their feed to help them eat and grow well. 50kg can be purchased for N1000, 100kg is N2000 respectively. Some Muslims feel it is of advantage to leave the buying till later when they believe the price will be reduced.

  • Causes of low libido

    Stress: The body reacts to stress by releasing adrenaline and cortisol. Chronic stress, in particular, can interfere with your body’s hormone levels, and result in a low libido. The arteries can also narrow and restrict blood flow in response to stress, which can also lead to erectile dysfunction. Stress can also reduce your libido by distracting you and taking your mind off sexual desire.

    Depression: Libido and depression share a complicated link. “Depression can change the body’s biochemistry and therefore reduce libido,” says Mark L. Held, PhD, a clinical psychologist in the Denver area. “It’s also harder to feel sexual when you’re depressed.” Some medications commonly used to treat depression may also lower libido as a side effect.

    Low self-esteem. It’s hard to feel sexy when your self-confidence is down or when you have an unhealthy body image. “Someone who feels unattractive is less likely to want to engage in sex,” says Held. “Fears of rejection may also come in to play.”

    Alcohol or drug use. While a little alcohol can help lower inhibitions, too much can impair your nervous system and lead to fatigue making it difficult to become aroused. Other drugs can decrease your sex drive as well. For example, marijuana suppresses the pituitary gland, which regulates the production of testosterone.

    Lack of sleep. A good night’s rest might be hard to come by, but you need sleep to keep a sharp mind, a healthy body, and an active libido. “When you’re exhausted, you’d rather catch up on sleep,” says Alan W. Shindel, MD, clinical instructor and fellow of andrology at the University of California at San Francisco. Physically, a lack of sleep can elevate cortisol levels, which also leads to low libido. Even more surprising in the sleep-ED connection? One recent study found that men with restless leg syndrome (a neurological disorder characterised by jumpy, creepy-crawly sensations as you’re falling asleep) are at higher risk for erectile dysfunction, probably due to low dopamine levels.

    Medication. Some medications used to treat depression, high blood pressure, and other common illnesses can affect libido or cause sexual dysfunction.

    Erectile Dysfunction. Low libido is a common emotional side effect of ED. “Once a man experiences ED, he may get anxious,” says Shindel. “His confidence is shaken, and he might be afraid it will happen again. His libido shuts down to preserve his ego.”

    Hormone imbalance. Libido is directly influenced by testosterone levels. Therefore, low libido is often caused by low testosterone levels — a hormone imbalance. “Low testosterone can be caused by injury, inflammation, or tumors in the testicles,” says Ira Sharlip, MD, clinical professor of urology at University of California at San Francisco and a spokesperson for the American Urological Association. Other causes of a hormone imbalance include cirrhosis of the liver or pituitary diseases. “The liver is responsible for breaking down estrogen; when it fails, estrogen level goes up, and this causes low libido. And pituitary diseases reduce the amount of testosterone in the body,” says Sharlip.

     

    • Source: www.everydayhealth.com

     

     

  • Ayade abolishes taxes for low income earners

    Ayade abolishes taxes for low income earners

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade yesterday announced that low-income earners will no longer pay taxes.

    Ayade told reporters in Calabar, the state capital, that a bill to this effect was before the House of Assembly.

    The governor said the poor could not continue to suffer while the rich keep amassing wealth without giving back, describing the bill as people-oriented.

    Those affected by the tax exemption policy include civil servants on minimum wage, petty traders, commercial motorcyclists and recharge card vendors, among others.

    Governor Ayade said: “Let our desperation for taxation not allow us to heap the burden on the poor. This must stop. Definitely, God has a purpose of bringing me here as a governor and I must not disappoint my creator.”

    Continuing, he said: “I expect commercial motorcyclists to live within the confines of the law when the bill becomes operational as they will be expected to drive and earn a good living.”

    He said plans have reached advanced stage to explore the state’s waterfront to generate revenue to boost and cushion the effect of the new tax regime.

    On the eight-month strike by Judiciary workers, Ayade said the issue had been looked into as their salaries and other entitlements would be settled by end of August.

    He urged them to reciprocate the government’s gesture by returning to work as soon as possible.

    On the proposed signature projects, the governor said construction had commenced, adding that President Muhammed Buhari would perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the dual carriage superhighway in September.

    Ayade hailed Buhari for displaying maturity in leadership by keeping to his promise of being a President for all.

     

     

  • ‘Why power supply is low’

    ‘Why power supply is low’

    The former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, has attributed erratic power supply to inadequate gas supply and transmission infrastructure.

    Noting the reforms in the sector, he lamented that the gains had been limited because the transmission network was inadequate for the nation’s power needs.

    Nnaji was delivering an address at the Breeding Leaders for Empowerment and National Transformation (BLENT) Service of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), in Lagos.

    The event, with the theme: “State of the Nigerian power sector: issues, alternatives and prospects”, attracted policy makers, stakeholders and key players in the power sector.

    Nnaji hailed the massive investments to improve power supply, but said the situation would take years before yielding results.

    The  Bishop of TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, blamed the presence of a  cabal for the rot in the power sector.

    He said saboteurs were not punished even when caught, adding that this encouraged others to do likewise.

  • Capital market experts decry low market literacy among Nigerians

    There is still low literacy level among Nigerian capital market investors, experts have said.

    Speaking at the third quarter the Capital Market Committee (CMC) in Lagos, yesterday, the head of capital market literacy Committee, Mr. Ariyo Olusekun said that research has shown that the level of capital market literacy in Nigeria stood at 16 per cent which showed that there is still a lot of work to be done.

    He added that the committee has reviewed the capital market literacy looking at the developed market.

    According to him, capital market literacy in Nigeria cannot be said to be new because it is as old as the institution of Capital Market, saying “However, capital market literacy programs in the country currently lacks strategic direction and proper coordination.”

    “There should be an increase in public awareness as the Committee has suggested that capital market literacy programs to be included in curriculum of professional bodies, schools and Universities. Others are exhibitions, road shows and annual public lectures and so on.”

    Speaking also, the chairman of Capital Market Master Plan Committee, Dotun Suleman has said that the capital market is yet to be where it should be, saying that its contribution to GDP is low and in term of its relevance and active participation in the key sector of the economy is considered inadequate.

    “To make sure we are objective in our assessment we benchmark Nigeria with Brazil, South Africa and Malasia and come to a conclusion that Nigerian capital market is underdeveloped and needs to be much more robot if it is going to play significant role in the national aspiration, to be a top 20 economy by the year 2020,” he said.

    He stated, “ the whole objective is for us to have a capital market that will participate adequately in the emergence of Nigeria’s global top 20 economic.”

  • AfDB’s lifeline for ‘low income’ countries

    AfDB’s lifeline for ‘low income’ countries

    The African Development  Bank Group (AfDB) has said low income countries are now eligible to secure loans from its sovereign loan window.

    In a statement, it said the decision followed a review of its credit policy which has been approved by its Board of Directors.

    It said the policy underscores the bank group’s recognition of the strong economic progress of African countries during the last decade, and its mandate to help sustain inclusive growth in its Regional Member Countries (RMCs) or African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, among others.

    “The proposal reconciles the need to address the demand for resources to speed up the structural transformation of low-income African countries in a sustainable manner, RMCs’ debt sustainability, as well as the bank’s financial stability,” the statement said.

    About 37 countries or nearly 70 per cent of the RMCs fall under the low-income countries category that is eligible only to concessionary resources from the African Development Fund (ADF).

    However, the report argues that diminishing scarce concessionary resources would be inadequate to finance and sustain the current high rates of growth and transform the structure of Africa’s economies to generate much-needed employment. This view is bolstered by the fact that many African countries borrow non-concessionary funds in the capital markets at rates that are significantly higher than what they could obtain from the bank.

    Access to the AfDB’s sovereign resources by low-income countries would be available to low or moderate risk of debt distress countries and subject to International Monetary Fund’s Debt Sustainability Assessment (DSA), sustainable macroeconomic position as well as stringent oversight by the Bank’s Credit Risk Committee, among other safeguards.

    In approving the policy, the Board underscored the fact that policy responds to the drive to channel more resources to the low-income countries in line with its client assessment and the bank’s 10-year strategy. It would also enable the bank to broaden its base of potential clients; enhance its delivery capacity by improving the role of its non-concessional envelope in supporting the development agenda of the continent through sovereign instruments.

  • Low mfee paying schools will grade well

    President of the Association for Formidable Education Development (AFED), Mrs Dada Ifejola is optimistic that schools under the group would excel in the grading programme planned by the Lagos State Ministry of Education. AFED is an umbrella group for schools for mostly low-income communities.

    The ministry is in the process of grading private schools into categories that would allow parents to determine the quality of schools their wards attend.

    In her address at the congress to mark the group’s national annual week at the A.S Badeh Youth Centre, Nigerian Army Resettlement Centre (NAFRAC), Lagos, Mrs Ifejola said: “The Lagos State government has decided to undertake a grading exercise to check, evaluate and, measure the level of activities going on in various schools in the state thereby categorising them into different Grade levels A-D. I assure you that all AFED schools would pass this test.”

    The state Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, who was represented by Director, Private Education, Mrs Sewanu Amosu, said the government and AFED must work together to achieve the millennium development goal.

    She urged school owners to embrace the grading exercise.

    The day’s lecture was delivered by Dr Virgy Onyene, an associate professor of education at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    Dr. Onyene  praised AFED for serving the less privileged children in the society. She urged school owners to regard their foray into education as a service to humanity and not to make excessive profits from their businesses.

    “AFED is addressing vulnerable groups in the society.  Though they use shoes, they are the Jonathan of our time.  Education is something you are giving back and cannot be quantified. So, private schools of the low cost level (AFED) is not something you can say that you’re making profit, because in business you count your profit, but education is a service that is not measurable,” she said.

    Dr Onyene urged the government and society not to look down on the group because it plays a crucial role in education.

    “That person that puts a cardboard there and says ‘this is Go School and I am doing admission’, is as important as the person, who built Atlantic Hall, but they are addressing different cases and some cases are more critical,” she said.

  • CBN: Why coins circulation is low

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says low purchasing power of the coin in comparison to other currency denominations is responsible for its limited circulation.

    The Acting Governor of the CBN Dr Sarah Alade stated this yesterday in Abuja at the on-going school mentoring programme on financial literacy for Nigeria as part of celebration marking the Global Money Week.

    Alade, who was responding to a question asked by one of the students on why there is scarcity of coins in Nigeria, said despite its limited circulation, the apex bank still regards it as a legal tender in the country.

    The Acting CBN Governor, said the bank is working on some initiatives that would encourage the use of coins by Nigerians. One of such initiative, she said, is the planned introduction of a vending machine that would make the coin its major source of transaction.

    She said, ”Sometimes 50 kobo can’t buy much and that is why we are hoping that very soon, we will be able to have a vending machine so that we can have coins that people can use to buy things. When we do the new currency which we want to do, we will be able to integrate coins for other uses. So coins are still legal tender in the country.”

    At another school, students were advised to cultivate the idea of patronizing banks to enable them know more about its benefits as well as methods to be taken if they face any difficulties with their financial transactions.

    In a presentation to the Financial Literacy School 101 Outreach  programme at the Government Science Technical College, Area 3 Garki, Abuja, the Central Bank Deputy-Governor, Corporate Services, Alhaji Suleiman Barau told the students that with 70 percent Nigerians being illiterates,the youths have no option, but to embrace financial literacy.

    According Barau, ‘’there is no going back for you my children but for you to learn and imbibe financial literacy, for you to know how you get and spend your money, but most frankly, you need to know how to work for your society too’’.

  • UBEC ranks Southeast states low

    UBEC ranks Southeast states low

    The five Southeast states are not doing well in the implementation of the nine-year Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme, says Director of Quality Assurance, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abuja, Dr Chukwuma Agomoh.

    Charging the governors of Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi to revamp their education systems, at the Southeast Education Summit held at the Concorde Hotel, Owerri, Agomoh counselled them to learn from Rivers State which topped the UBEC good performance ranking for 2010/2011.

    Rivers beat Katsina and Adamawa states as the Best Performing State in the implementation of UBEC programmes in the country.

    In contrast, Agomoh said the Southeast states were nowhere to be found on the UBEC rankings – with two of them, Ebonyi and Imo at the bottom. Imo came 36th, Ebonyi came 37th among the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    He said this was happening because the Southeast governments did not implement the budget properly.

    “The Southeastern states are nowhere to be found in the UBEC rankings, both in the good performance and teacher training. The Southeast governors should rise to the challenge of taking education serious in the geo-political zone by increasing the budget in education. Most commissioners for education in the Southeast do not implement the amount they budget to education,” he said.

    Dr Agomoh, however, praised the Rivers State government for its investment in the education sector.

    He said UBEC has launched a campaign to boost boy-child enrolment in the east, while the girl child campaign is on-going in the North.

    Former Minister for Information and Communications, Prof Dora Akunyili in her address delivered by her husband, Dr Chike Akunyili, lamented the dearth of infrastructure in southeast schools, and decried the high rate of male dropout in the region which she attributed to the get-rich syndrome among the youth.

    Dr Akunyili noted that the region cannot make any progress until they start honouring people who have made great contributions to educational development.

    In a paper titled: “Funding, a Vital Tool for Educational Development in the Southeast Geo-Political Region,” the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi, noted that the much needed transformation of the education sector can only be achieved through adequate funding.

    The Commissioner, represented by the Director Higher Education, Mae Solomon, said: “Education is the only channel we can use to transform the Southeast geo-political zone. Through the provision of qualitative and sound education, the zone can take back its true position in the country. We can recall that graduates from this region dominated the major positions in the civil service, corporate organisations and the military in the 60s because of the zeal of the youths to get educated.”

    Meanwhile the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof Julius Okojie represented by Prof Akaneren Essien, said the commission is always ready to contribute to the education advancement in the Southeast zone.

    Okojie, said the NUC will continue to keep its doors open to state universities in the region and promised to organise interactive forum for university proprietors (the state governors).