The Nation Newspaper

Tag: United States

  • While celebrating cannabis day…

    When the word “cannabis” is used or spoken of, a negative connotation readily comes to mind. It usually goes by different street names like weed, igbo etc.

    Each year on the 20th of April, cannabis advocates around the global world gather to celebrate cannabis culture even though it might be legal or illegal in some countries.

    It is a genus of flowering plant in the family cannabaceae. It is often used as a recreational drug which is only behind alcohol and tobacco.

    Medically, has long been used for hemp fibre, oils and other medicinal purposes. In the United States, it was believed that over 100 million Americans have tried cannabis, with twenty-five million Americans having used it within the past year.

    In Nigeria, there seems to be a widespread abuse of the plant, especially amongst the youths. We find it being abused in parties, gatherings and dark corners in our milieu.

    Smoking it causes a lot of damage to the human body. It shrinks the brain of a person, and can eventually cause grave psychological disorders or death.

    Other side effects of cannabis include the destruction of the lungs and risk of developing cancer of the respiratory tract.

    The effects experienced by users and abusers are variable and will depend upon the dose, method of administration, prior experience, any concurrent drug use, personal expectations, mood state and the social environment in which the drug is used.

    Asides the overtly destructive nature of cannabis, it still has its usefulness, especially within the legal framework of the country. It can be used to provide warmth especially in very cold regions of the world. It is also used in improving appetite in those who are HIV/AIDS positive. Quite ironically, medical conditions like lung cancer and Emphysema have been shown to regress when cannabis is introduced into the mix.

    On the overall scale, the (illegal) use of cannabis should be seriously dissuaded and condemned as this could portend serious health and social risks for us all.

  • Blatter hits out at FIFA’s World Cup bidding process

    Former world football governing body FIFA chief Sepp Blatter says he is shocked at a rule which has been inserted into the World Cup bidding process.

    The rule referred to by Blatter could allow a five-man task force to disqualify a candidate before a democratic vote is held.

    In 2011 the FIFA Congress, where each of the global soccer body’s 211 member associations hold one vote, was given the right to choose the World Cup hosts following a change proposed by Blatter while he was president.

    The first hosting decision since then will be in June at the Congress in Moscow, where only two bids are in the running – a joint proposal from the United States/Canada/Mexico and one from Morocco.

    However, the two bids must first pass a technical inspection from a five-man task force, which has the power to disqualify a candidate whose proposal is seen as not up to scratch.

    Blatter said that both candidates should have the right to present their bids to Congress.

    He was banned for six years in 2015 for unethical conduct but has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and believes he can get the suspension reversed.

    The Swiss said he was concerned “that there is a movement” where a “special task force” will be given power “to decide who will be a candidate or not”. He added: “That is not possible.”

    “You cannot deny one of the candidates (the chance) to go to Congress. This is a principle and I stick to this principle… I was shocked.”

    Before 2011, World Cup hosting was decided by FIFA’s executive committee, which had 24 members at the time.

    But the previous bidding process, for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, became embroiled in allegations of illegitimate attempts to influence the committee’s voting members.

    The finals were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively at the same time after a vote in December 2010.

    A subsequent FIFA investigation detailed numerous attempts to influence the voting officials but there was no suggestion the race should be re-run.

    Swiss Blatter, FIFA president from 1998 to 2015, was also wary of the new 48-team format to be used at the 2026 World Cup, when the tournament will be increased from 32 countries.

    The teams will be divided into 16 groups of three in the first round, with the top two qualifying for the round of 32. One team in each group will not play on a given match day.

    “We will see what will happen with 48 teams but one thing cannot be done – to play in groups of three because we had this problem in 1982 in Spain,” Blatter said.

    In that tournament the second round had four groups of three teams, with the winners qualifying for the semi-finals.

    The format was never used again during Blatter’s tenure.

    “In groups of three, there is always one spectator (a team who will not be in action),” he added.

    The 82-year-old was also wary of the video assistant referee (VAR) system which was approved by soccer’s rule-making body IFAB in March and will be used at this year’s World Cup.

    “For a purist in football as I am, I think it is an innovation which is going too fast,” said Blatter.

    “Most of the referees have never worked this system and to go the World Cup and to introduce this system in the World Cup, I think it is not very clever.”

    Blatter said that when VAR was first mooted, the idea was to give teams the right to challenge decisions, as in tennis or cricket.

    But under the system approved in March, the referee or the video assistant decides when to review a decision.

    “I don’t feel comfortable, definitely not, and spectators don’t feel comfortable,” he said.

    Blatter remained confident he could overturn his ban, which was imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee shortly after the Swiss attorney general’s office began criminal proceedings against him on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation.

    No charges have yet been brought and Blatter has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

    “So if they come to the solution (conclusion) that it is not criminal, then why, why have we been suspended?” he asked.

    “There is a possibility that this suspension will be lifted, although I don’t think

  • U.S. slaps sanctions on Russian oligarchs, govt officials

    The United States on Friday hit Russian oligarchs, government officials and companies with sanctions, citing Moscow’s “range of malign activity around the globe.”

    Seven Russian oligarchs, 12 companies they control and 17 senior government officials are on the list announced by the Treasury Department.

    The move targets Russia’s elite and people in President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.

    Among them is Kirill Shamalov, who is married to Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikhonova.

    The US claimed Shamalov’s “fortunes drastically improved following the marriage,” and a year later he was able to borrow more than $1 billion from state-owned Gazprombank, eventually joining “the ranks of the billionaire elite around Putin.”

    Also included on the Treasury list are a state-owned Russian weapons trading company and its subsidiary,a Russian bank.

    “The Russian government operates for the disproportionate benefit of oligarchs and government elites,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

    He accused the government in Moscow of engaging in “a range of malign activity around the globe, including continuing to occupy Crimea and instigate violence in eastern Ukraine.”

    In addition, Russia supplies the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with “material and weaponry as they bomb their own civilians, attempting to subvert Western democracies, and malicious cyber activities,” Mnuchin said.

    In March, the U.S. imposed sanctions against five Russian entities and 19 individuals for cyber attacks and attempted interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

    It marked the first use of a law Congress passed in June to punish Russia for its alleged election meddling.

     

  • Oil prices rise due to lower U.S. drilling activity

    Oil prices rose on Monday, lifted by a drop in U.S. drilling activity as well as by expectations that the United States could re-introduce sanctions against Iran.

    U.S. WTI crude futures were at 65.18 dollars a barrel at 0025 GMT, up 24 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their previous settlement.

    Brent crude futures were fetching 69.67 dollars per barrel, up 33 cents, or 0.5 per cent.

    Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia/Pacific at futures brokerage OANDA in Singapore, said oil markets remained nervous about “whether or not the U.S. administration will scrap or maintain the fragile nuclear deal with Iran.”

    Innes said prices were also supported by a weekly report that there was a drop in activity of drilling for new oil production in the United States.

    U.S. drillers cut seven oil rigs in the week to March 29, bringing the total count down to 797 RIG-OL-USA-BHI, General Electric Co’s Baker Hughes energy services firm said in its closely followed report last Thursday.

    It was the first time in three weeks that the rig-count fell.

    Baker Hughes published its North American rig count report on Thursday, one day earlier than usual, due to the Good Friday holiday on March 30.

    Oil prices have generally been supported by supply restraint led by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) and Russia, which started in 2017 in order to rein in oversupply and prop up prices.

    Liquidity on Monday will be low as many countries, especially in Europe, will still be on Easter holiday. ($1 = 6.2726 Chinese yuan renminbi).

    Reuters/NAN

  • 20 Kenyans, others deported from United States

    Twenty Kenyans were among more than 100 people who were deported from the US over immigration issues.

    The rest of the people are of Somali and Sudanese origin. Police and immigration officials said a private plane carrying the 114 individuals landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Friday morning.

    The deportations had been anticipated given the ongoing operations in the USA targeting illegal immigrants.

    They arrived aboard an Omni International Airlines, a private airline. It landed at JKIA shortly after 10 am on Friday and was received by police and immigration officials.

    The Kenyans were allowed to proceed to their homes, the 60 Somalis remained in the plane before it took off to Mogadishu while the 24 south Sudanese nationals left in a Juba airline.

    This is the latest batch of immigrants to be deported from the US in two years under President Donald Trump.

    Read more at: Standard Digital

  • AUN, Marlboro college partner on student exchange

    The American University of Nigeria ( AUN ) has partnered with Marlboro College, United States, to facilitate student exchange between the two institutions.

    The partnership, Executive Director, Communications and Public Relations, Daniel Okeke, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, would also help to enhance educational experience and cross-cultural understanding of students and faculty at both institutions.

    The statement said AUN President, Dawn Dekle and the College’s counterpart Dr. Kevin Quigley signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of both institutions during a visit to AUN in Yola, Adamawa state.

    According to the statement, the partnership is also expected to cultivate engaged learning between students and faculty from AUN and Marlboro College through student exchanges.

    It noted that the partnership would provide for other joint academic endeavors, such as summer programs or faculty exchanges of mutual benefit.

    President Dekle, was quoted to have said: “American University of Nigeria is partnering with the Marlboro College learning community because of Marlboro’s unique liberal arts approach and intentional’ structure of the school. The mission and values of Marlboro mirror our AUN philosophy of education, which is ‘complete education’ and meant to develop academics and skills through coursework and practical training.

    “The World Studies Program, Clear Writing Requirement, and Town Meetings at Marlboro allow students to forge deep friendships with other students who have different backgrounds than their own, and allow them to understand how a learning community operates and their own place and responsibility in that educational environment.

    “I hope our AUN students embrace the opportunities offered through our partnership with Marlboro College, ready to engage in courageous conversations and form lifelong bonds with everyone.”

    President Quigley said: “Marlboro is committed to offering students international experiences that expand their horizons and launch them into a life of meaningful work,” said President Quigley, who serves on the Board of Trustees at AUN. “We already have partnerships in China, Mexico, Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, as well as with domestic programs, and we are thrilled that our first collaboration in Africa is at AUN.”

    The statement said Mr. Quigley, a former President and CEO of the National Peace Corps Association, had worked with AUN Founder and Nigeria’s former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a former National Security Adviser to President Jimmy Carter, the late Robert Pastor.

    He launched the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award which recognizes individuals whose lives were influenced by their interactions with volunteers, leading to a life of service to community and country.

    In 2011 at the 50th anniversary of the US Peace Corps, Atiku Abubakar was honored with the Global Award for his contributions to higher education, community development, and democracy in Africa.

    “AUN is an ideal partner for Marlboro, with a focus on arts and sciences, but also technology and entrepreneurship, in the interest of future sustainable development,” said Maggie Patari, director of global learning and international services at Marlboro.

    “We are fortunate to have this new partner providing the skills and leadership to help students address the social and economic challenges in the region, and the world,” Mr. Quigley, said.

  • Disgraced ex Catholic Cardinal O’Brien dies at 80

    A disgraced former head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland who stepped down in 2013 after a sex scandal has died aged 80, the Church said on Monday.

    Cardinal Keith O’Brien, an outspoken critic of gay marriage, resigned after three priests and one former priest complained about incidents of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1980s.

    O’Brien initially denied the allegations but then apologised for sexual conduct he said had “fallen below the standards expected of me”.

    He quit as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh in 2013 shortly after Pope Benedict shocked the Catholic world with his own resignation.

    O’Brien, once Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric, promised to play no further role in the Church in Scotland and did not take part in the conclave that elected Benedict’s successor, Pope Francis.

    Read Also: Task before Pope Francis

    With the agreement of the Holy See, O’Brien subsequently moved to the north of England, where a statement said he had died surrounded by family.

    The Catholic Church has been embroiled for years in sexual scandals, most notoriously involving the abuse of children in the United States and Ireland, which were covered up by senior clerics.

    “In life, Cardinal O’Brien may have divided opinion,” said Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.

    “In death, however, I think all can be united in praying for the repose of his soul, for comfort for his grieving family and that support and solace be given to those whom he offended, hurt and let down.”

    NAN

  • U.S. donates 1.6m bed nets to Nasarawa

    The United States President’s Malaria Initiative ( PMI ) jointly implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development ( USAID ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) have donated 1.6 million bed nets for distribution in Nasarawa State.

    A statement by the U.S. Embassy on Friday in Abuja quoted USAID/Nigeria Mission Director, Stephen Haykin, saying the nets were worth 4.5 million US Dollars.

    Haykin said that the nets would be distributed in all local government areas of the state.

    “The U. S. Government also provided additional 1 million US Dollars for logistics, including transportation community mobilisation, and training of workers on how to distribute the bed nets.

    “The nets and logistics support provided for their distribution are a gift from the American People to the People of Nasarawa State.

    “Every year, PMI supports two to three states in Nigeria with such campaigns.

    “In 2017, PMI supported Kogi, Sokoto, and Adamawa States,” he stated.

    He said the support was to increase access to malaria related health services, scale up access to malaria prevention within every household especially the poor, and for sustainable investment that can bring about great economic returns.

    “Malaria is one of the leading killers of children and cause of illness in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season when mosquitoes multiply rapidly.

    “Eliminating malaria in Nasarawa State and throughout Nigeria as a whole is possible if we all work together to achieve that,” he said.

    He said since 2011, USAID and CDC had supported PMI with the procurement of over 31 million Bed nets for distribution, and delivered to more than 60 million people.
    “Since 2011, the U.S. Government has spent more than 420 million US Dollars to control malaria in Nigeria.

    “Over 50 per cent of U.S. Government funding for malaria goes into procuring and distributing insecticide treated bed nets, malaria diagnostic kits, and malaria medicines.

    “In addition, the U.S. Government supports advocacy and mobilization to encourage members of the community to sleep under the bed nets every night, and trains health workers to test for malaria before treatment,” he added.

    NAN

  • Women playing major roles in growth, development of Nigeria – Peterside

    Women playing major roles in growth, development of Nigeria – Peterside

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has stated that women are playing major roles in the growth and development of Nigeria.

    He also hailed the contributions of women to humanity, as the world marked the International Women’s Day yesterday.

    Peterside, who is also the Deputy Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, noted that women had greatly contributed sweat, industry, creativity, grace and intelligence to the emergence of generations and industrial revolutions that helped to shape humanity.

    The NIMASA chief, on Thursday through his media team, in an online statement, stated that any country that desired to make progress without giving due recognition to women was doomed.

    He paid glowing tributes to Nigerian women who had challenged the status quo and risen to the pinnacle of every profession.

    According to a United Nations’ (UN’s) report, one in three women experience violence in their lifetime, while 830 women die every day from preventable pregnancy-related causes, and only one in four parliamentarians worldwide are women.

    Peterside, a former member of the House of Representatives, also reiterated that in all the positions he had held, women were given equal consideration like their male counterparts, assuring that he would continue to support every platform that seeks to promote the good of women and their emancipation.

    Read Also: Peterside vows to fight piracy

    He tasked those occupying different positions in and outside government to give women the leverage to achieve their dreams in life, insisting that women are the bedrock of any progressive nation and that any achievement they make reflects on the society.
    Quoting from a former first lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, who stated that: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” the NIMASA chief urged Nigerian women not to be deterred in their quest to make the changes they desire in the society.

    He said: “The APC-led Federal Government has created many platforms, policies and programmes aimed at giving women the opportunities to become whatever they desire in life, in addition to giving women sensitive positions.”

    Peterside, who was the governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers state in 2015, assured that an APC-led government in Rivers would give women equal opportunities in decision-making policies and activities, as well as providing the leverage to lift women out of poverty and contribute to the socio-political and economic wellbeing of the state.

     

  • Youths want inclusion in 2019 elections

    Youths want inclusion in 2019 elections

    Young leaders from the South have made a strong call for a more sustainable strategy for democratic inclusion of young people in Nigeria’s current political process and structure ahead of 2019 general elections.

    This call was part of the resolution reached at the “Southern young leaders’ conference for economic and political consciousness” held in Enugu over the weekend. 

    The conference which was attended by the over one thousand young leaders from across Southern Nigeria annexed the great economic potentials and political gaps/challenges in Southern Nigeria, with a view of bringing about a more sustainable strategy for democratic inclusion of young people in Southern Nigeria. 

    Convener of the conference, Moses Siasia, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the leaders at the conference agreed that Southern Governors must come together irrespective of their political affiliations to redefine and rejuvenate economic integration in Southern Nigeria.

    In a communique issued at the end of the conference, the young leaders agreed that there is a need for young leaders and all youth organizations within Southern Nigeria to mobilize, synergize and come together in order to achieve a collective future.

    The statement reads: “The Southern Young Leaders have decided to arise and strengthen the relationship with Rex Tillerson, the United States Secretary of State, who served in Southern Nigerian during his days at Exxon Mobile and understands the challenges faced by the region.  

    “All young leaders from southern Nigeria are hereby put on notice that mobilization would cut across higher institutions, religious establishments, women groups, youth advocacy groups for the collection of Permanent Voters Card ( PVCs ) and participation in the 2019 election.”

    Irresponsible attitude of some young people currently occupying political positions of leadership in Southern Nigeria was equally condemned at the conference and further urged the electorates to be more wary of the kind of Young Leaders they vote for in future elections.

    The Southern Young Leaders also collectively agreed to support a mass movement for a new Nigeria, come 2019.

    The conference had several speakers including the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly Speaker, Rt Hon Luke Onofiok; former Bayelsa state governorship candidate and chairman of the Nigerian Young professionals Forum, Moses Siasia; immediate past president of Ijaw youth council, Udengs Eradiri amongst others.

    Attendance at the conference cut across representatives of all ethnic groups, political divides, state representatives, traditional leaders, religious leaders, student union leaders and young political aspirants from across southern Nigeria.