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FG Project more Plastics than Fishes in Oceans

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Kenny Folarin, Abuja

The Minister of Environment Dr. Mohammed Abubakar has projected that there would be more plastics than fishes in our ocean as about eight million tonnes of plastic toxic waste are deposited in the oceans annually.

Dr. Abubakar while speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the Presentation and Unveiling of the study on Available Sustainable Alternative Materials to Plastics and Innovative Packaging and Recycling Technologies that Meet Market Needs in Africa to Reduce Plastics Leakages to the Environment noted that Plastic Pollution has become one of the gravest environmental problems confronting global community with impacts transcending national, regional and international boundaries.

According to Abubakar, Nigeria with a population of about 200 million people generates about 1.5 million tones of plastic wastes annually of which less than 10% is recycled.

Abubakar however identified inadequate waste management infrastructure, poor behavioral attitude, unskilled waste collection workforce, indiscriminate dumping and burning of plastics among others as problems of plastic pollution in the country.

Meanwhile, Abubakar explained that the study on available sustainable alternative materials on plastics is in tandem with government action to address the challenges of Plastics Wastes in the country in a holistic and sustainable manner, particularly in the quest for alternatives to drive investment in the right direction and support sustainable development objectives to which Nigeria subscribes.

He further added that to reduce plastic pollution in Nigeria the Ministry of Environment has developed National Policies on Solid Waste Management and Plastic Waste Management, Ensure a national plastic waste recycling programme and develop waste to wealth entrepreneurship programme for the empowerment of the most vulnerable group especially youth and women.

Others include, putting in place a community based management programme that encourages the involvement of local communities in modern waste management practices and the Establishment and Implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility Programme (EPR).

UNIDO Regional Representative, represented by Dr. Otu Osu stated that Plastics has become a global topic and Nigeria is not left behind despite its rich industrial importance but plastic waste has become a problem with its physically and non physical evident.

Speaking further, Mr. Osu disclosed that according to World Health Organization (WHO) plastic waste account for 12% of the principal amount of total solid waste generated globally in 2016.

“Out of 242 million tones of plastic waste generated globally, only 9% is recycled and 14% is collected for recycling”.

Reaffirming UNIDO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria reduce plastic pollution, Osu said “UNIDO is presently supporting Nigeria in UNIDO programs which has environment as one of the 9 key component.

“UNIDO is working closely with Federal Ministry of Environment to implement the assessment piloted in Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory.

He added that Great Lessons has been learnt from this study which will open up lots of opportunities on legal frameworks technology, administration and financially, it will also promote a secular economy for plastics to Nigeria and economy.

“I reaffirm UNIDOs commitment to supporting Nigerian government and people towards promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development without compromising the quality of the environment”.

Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr. Matsunaga Kazuyoshi on his part noted that with Japan’s proximity with Africa through the ocean, if plastic pollution is left unchecked, the menace of marine plastic litter could harbor resounding negative impact on Japan.

Kazuyoshi stressed that plastic pollution should be a concern to all stakeholders as it affect global diversity, food security and health issues.

“It is conforming that the attention of the global community and policy maker is gradually being drawn to this danger”.

He however reassure Japan’s commitment to support developing countries to mitigate the impact of plastic pollution.

“Japan has pledged to support developing countries at mitigating the menace of plastic waste by adopting sustainable waste management system”.

“We hope that this project will bring great value to the global effort and source for a sustainable alternative to plastic”.

“We hope that it will ultimately lead to the reduction of plastic waste”. He added.

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Entertainment

R. Kelly accused of sexually abusing 17-year-old boy

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

R. Kelly sexually abused a 17-year-old boy after meeting him at a Chicago-area McDonald’s in 2006, a new court filing alleges.

Federal prosecutors in New York have detailed a string of new accusations against the disgraced singer, including sexual assault and bribery, going back 30 years.

In a lengthy court filing on Friday, they asked a judge to grant permission for them to admit new evidence of the allegations at his upcoming sex-trafficking trial in Brooklyn, New York, despite him not being charged for the offences.

They argue the acts, including the alleged abuse of a victim named John Doe #1, are “directly relevant to and inextricably intertwined with the evidence of the charged crimes.”

According to the filing, the I Believe I Can Fly star sexually abused the teen after asking “what he was willing to do to succeed in the music business.”

He allegedly introduced Kelly to a close male pal, aged 16 or 17, and several years later, the star apparently started a sexual relationship with that person, referred to as John Doe #2, and forced several of his girlfriends to have sex with the young man while he filmed.

Prosecutors also claim to have evidence that Kelly sexually abused singer Aaliyah and married her in 1994, when she was 15, so that she couldn’t be forced to testify against him, reported the Chicago Sun-Times. She died in a plane crash in 2001.

Other allegations include unlawful imprisonment, hush money payments, threats and psychological abuse, with a woman named Jane Doe #5 claiming Kelly directed her to search the internet and find “child pornography involving boys for him.” According to the papers, a search of Kelly’s computer corroborated the claim.

Two audio recordings, allegedly showing the Ignition hitmaker physically and psychologically abusing women, proving his “regular use of audio and video recordings to maintain control,” are also being presented.And a “crisis manager” for Kelly is accused of bribing a Cook County, Illinois, clerk with US$2,500 (C$3,100) to get inside information on his legal troubles, following the broadcast of Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly in early 2019. 

The musician is accused of leading an enterprise to recruit women and girls for sex. He denies any wrongdoing. His case is due to head to trial on Aug. 9.

He is also set for a separate trial for his child pornography charges in his native Chicago in September.

Kelly has pleaded not guilty to all counts.


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BusinessHeadlines

Hunger ravages Nigerian as consumable cereals record 253%, 51% price jump

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Farmers decry worsening insecurity, FG promises intervention
The cost of food items in Nigeria has been recording significant increases in the past one year.

A survey carried out by our correspondents in markets across Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory showed that staple food commodities have witnessed astronomical price hikes.

Findings showed that within a one-year period, the cost of 50kg of beans rose by about 253 per cent, a basket of tomatoes leaped by 123 per cent, while the price of 50kg of rice rose by 51.48 per cent.

Other commodities such as bread, garri and onions also witnessed sharp increases in their prices during the period under review.

The food commodities surveyed included rice, beans, garri, maize, tomatoes, onions and bread, while the time frames examined were July 2020, January 2021 and July 2021.

In July 2020, the cost of one mudu of rice was N420.63, while 50kg of rice was between N21,125 and N28,500.

A price increase occurred in January 2021, with one mudu of rice rising to N500, while 50kg of rice was between N23,750 and N24,500.

The increase continued until in July 2021 as one mudu of rice rose to N1,100, while 50kg of rice increased to an average of N32,000.

As of July 2020, one mudu of beans cost N305.48, while 50kg of beans was N12,750.

However, by January 2021, the price of a mudu of beans had climbed to N373, while 50kg of beans was N30,000.

The increase continued in July 2021, with one mudu of beans costing N900, while 50kg of beans had risen to N45,000.

Between July 2020 to January 2021, the cost of a 1kg and onions rose from N180.56 to N411, while one big bag of onions climbed from N17,000 to N21,500.

In July 2020, the cost of one mudu of garri was N247.62, while 50kg of garri was N11,500.

A price increase occurred in January 2021, with one mudu of garri selling for N300, while 50kg of garri sold between N10,750 to N11,125.

The increase continued until in July 2021 with one mudu of garri going for N450 while 50kg of garri sold for N14,500.

In July 2020, a mudu of maize was sold for N186.89 to N184.52, while 50kg of maize was N17,500 to N17,250.

A price increase occurred in January 2021 with one mudu of maize selling for N216 to N230, while 50kg of maize was N20,000 to N20,167.

The increase continued in July 2021 with one mudu of maize selling N400, while 50kg of maize sold between N22,000 and N24,000.

In July 2020, the cost of 1kg of tomatoes was N284.49, while a big basket of tomatoes was N8,500.

A price drop occurred in January 2021 with 1kg of tomatoes going for N152, while a big basket of tomatoes sold for N6,500.

However, as of July 23, 2021 when this report was filed, 1kg of tomatoes cost N1,000, while a big basket of tomatoes was sold for N19,000.

The cost of bread continued to rise steadily within the review period.

As of July 2020, the cost of one loaf of bread was N375. The same unit was sold for N500 in January 2021 and N600 as of July 2021.

The composite food index (a measure of food inflation) rose to 21.83 per cent in June compared to 22.28 per cent in May 2021, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

This rise was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, milk, cheese and eggs, fish, soft drinks, vegetables, oils and fats, and meat.

In January, food inflation was 20.57 per cent, compared to 19.56 per cent in December 2020. This rise was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, meat, fruits, vegetable, fish and oils and fats.

In June 2020, food inflation was 15.18 per cent. An increase caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, fruits, oils and fats, meat, fish and vegetables.

According to the NBS, food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi (30.34 per cent), Enugu (25.18 per cent) and Kwara (24.78 per cent), and lowest in Bauchi (18.97per cent), River (18.92per cent) and Abuja (17.09per cent) in June, 2021.

On month-on-month basis, food inflation was highest in Jigawa (2.67 per cent), Edo (2.43 per cent) and Cross River (2.16 per cent), and lowest in Lagos (0.14 per cent), Borno (0.06 per cent) and Kwara (0.02 per cent) in June, 2021.

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Africa & World

France’s lower house approves anti-separatism bill to battle extremism

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The French National Assembly on Friday approved a controversial “anti-separatism” bill despite strong criticisms from parliamentarians from the Left and the Right.

The government argued the legislation was needed to bolster France’s secular system, but critics say it breaches religious freedom.

After an acrimonious seven-month debate – with the text going back and forth between France’s lower house, the National Assembly, and the Senate – the anti-separatist bill was approved by 49 votes to 19. There were five abstentions.

In a fiery speech, far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Friday railed against the “anti-Republican law”, which he said was “anti-Muslim”.

France’s main opposition parties, including the Socialists (PS) and the centre-right Les Républicains, along with the French Communist Party, voted against the bill for different reasons.

Only three parties in the National Assembly – the ruling La République en marche (LREM) party and its two allies – voted for the law.

The far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, abstained from the vote.

All eyes on 2022 presidential election

Introduced by hardline French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, the bill contains a slew of measures on the neutrality of the civil service, the fight against online hatred, and the protection of civil servants such as teachers.

The bill was debated in a highly charged atmosphere in France after three attacks late last year by extremists including the beheading in October of teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed during a civics class.

France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim community, is still shaken by the succession of massacres committed by Islamist militants from January 2015 that left hundreds dead.

Critics have however slammed the legislation as going contrary to the liberal values of the Republic that it seeks to protect.

A US envoy on religious freedom last year criticised the bill as “heavy-handed” and it has sparked unusually critical coverage in English-language media, even prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to write personally to the Financial Times to defend it.

Analysts have said Macron, who came to power in 2017 as a centrist reformer, has noticeably tacked to the right over the last months as he scents that his 2022 presidential reelection battle will come down to a run-off duel with the far-right Le Pen.

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Headlines

Bandits Release 28 Bethel Baptist High School

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Twenty-eight of the kidnapped students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna have regained freedom.

Bethel Baptist High School students who were kidnapped from their hostels by bandits on July 5, regained freedom after 20 days in captivity.

The Kaduna state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN), Joseph Hayab confirmed their release on Sunday.

One of the abducted students was on July 11 rescued by security operatives alongside two other victims.

Meanwhile, a total of 121 students were abducted from their hostels.

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Headlines

Revealed! Nigeria Lost 50% of Her Youths, World Bank

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Seeking to secure their future in a land with a viable economy and favourable economic conditions, it has been revealed that half of the Nigerian youths are seeking to travel out of the country.

According to the World Bank, an increasing number of Nigerian youths are planning to leave the country in search of greener pastures. This was revealed by the World Bank in a study titled “Of Roads Less Traveled: Assessing the Potential for Migration to Provide Overseas Jobs for Nigeria’s Youth,” which was released on the website of the World Bank this week.

future in a land with a viable economy and favourable economic conditions, it has been revealed that half of the Nigerian youths are seeking to travel out of the country.

According to the World Bank, an increasing number of Nigerian youths are planning to leave the country in search of greener pastures. This was revealed by the World Bank in a study titled “Of Roads Less Traveled: Assessing the Potential for Migration to Provide Overseas Jobs for Nigeria’s Youth,” which was released on the website of the World Bank this week.


Among the nations polled, Nigeria ranked third just behind Liberia (70 per cent) and Sierra Leone (60 per cent) in terms of respondents looking to permanently relocate to another country. Niger Republic came in at 10% ranking lowest in the study

The study revealed further that Nigerians were the largest group of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa entering Europe in 2016 and 2017, with almost 40,000 migrants landing in Italy in 2016, and over 90% arriving by sea.

“With rising migratory pressures created by poor employment conditions, Nigerians are increasingly choosing to migrate through irregular means,” the World Bank said.

“A larger number of Nigerian migrants arriving in Italy were women (32 per cent) more than migrants from the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa (24 per cent),” the bank stated.

“However, the underlying economic and demographic factors that create migratory pressures are unlikely to subside in the near future, with other potential irregular routes being reported through Sudan and Chad to Libya” it noted.

I Have Done My Best For Nigeria On Poverty And Insecurity, Buhari Insists

With the current insecurity and growing poverty in Nigeria, President Muhammadu has said that he has done his best to rescue the country’s situation. This is as the President met with some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday. In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari made this known when he hosted some APC governors at his hometown in Daura, Katsina state.

According to Buhari, things were worse at the time he assumed power in 2015. He also added the security situation in the North-East had improved compared to what was happening there before 2015 when some parts of the region were being controlled by terrorists. He noted that he had to change the security chiefs and did what was necessary to achieve a level of security.

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HeadlinesEntertainment

Sound Sultan Finally Laid To Rest

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Nigerian music legend  Sound Sultan has finally been laid to rest in Brooklyn, New York in the United States.

A video captures the moment his casket was being lowered down into the pit with the help of an excavator.

His burial was attended by family members and some close friends all dressed in black outfits. Nigerian rapper, Olamide Adedeji, was also spotted at the funeral.

Popular Nigerian musician, Olanrewaju Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan, is dead.

His death was announced in a statement Sunday morning by his family.

He was 44.

His U.S-based colleague, Lamboginny, hosted an Instagram live video showing the burial ceremony of the late ‘Jagbajantis’ crooner.

His wife, Farida, was sighted in the video laying her head on her late husband’s coffin while crying bitterly before it was finally lowered into the grave.

Our reports that in a statement by his brother, Kayode Fasasi, on behalf of the family, Sound Sultan died on sunday after a long battle with Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

The statement added that the late singer and songwriter is survived by his wife, three children, and his siblings.

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Headlines

Insecurity, Tensions : Obasanjo, Sultan, Onaiyekan, Abdulsalam,Others Convene Immediate Meeting

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has convened a national meeting to discuss solutions to Nigeria’s current myriad of problems.

OBJ alongside former head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad abubakar and Ex-Catholic archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan amongst others will be meeting in Abuja on Thursday for the meeting.

This is according to a letter seen by POLITICS NIGERIA, written by Obasanjo to the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba. The letter read;

I am pleased to invite you on behalf of Interfaith Initiatives for Peace jointly led by the Sultan of Sokoto, his eminence Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar and his eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, national peace committee chaired by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Socio-cultural Consultative Committee convened by me and all these bodies called Committee of Goodness of Nigeria (CJN) to an exploratory meeting on pressing issues of national unity, security, peace, integration, economic revitalisation and development, women and youth welfare and general progress,”.

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Headlines

South-East PDP Govs Are Considering Defecting To APC why?

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

South-East governors have jointly decided to pitch their tent with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to bring more devel­opment to the region.

The region currently has five states with Imo and Ebonyi states already among the states controlled by the ruling party.

South-East governors

While Hope Uzodimma, APC governorship candidate in the 2019 general elections became governor of Imo State through Supreme Court ver­dict in January 2020, Gover­nor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi dumped the PDP for the APC in November 2020. ­

Abia and Enugu are pres­ently controlled by the PDP while Anambra belongs to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

There are reports that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State will soon dump the PDP for APC any moment from now while there are also speculations that his counter­part in Enugu State, Emeka Ugwuanyi, is also plotting to do the same.

A member of the Caretak­er Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee chaired by the governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, revealed that Ikpeazu’s delayed defection to APC is as a result of the dis­agreement between him and Orji Uzor Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip, who also doubles as the chairman of the APC caucus in Abia.

The disagreement between the duo is centred on who becomes the party leader of APC in Abia State if Ikpeazu eventually joins the party.

He, however, said the deal has been sealed following the peaceful truce reached between Kalu and Ikpeazu, adding that the “Abia State governor will formally be received into our party any moment from now”.

In Enugu, We gathered that Governor Ugwuanyi who is also having a running battle with Sena­tor Ike Ekweremadu, former Deputy Senate President, may soon be on his way out of the PDP.

He said the desire of Ekw­eremadu who wields consid­erable influence in PDP to succeed the governor in 2023 has polarised the party in the state.

In Anambra, the APC is banking on winning the No­vember 6 governorship elec­tion in the state while Gov­ernor Willie Obiano who is seeking to have his anointed candidate succeed him is also in talks with the APC owing to the crisis that has almost crippled APGA in the state.

Speaking with a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) from the South-East, said he won’t be surprised if the remaining governors in the region join the APC.

According to him, the PDP governors have severally com­plained that the party, which was in power for 16 years, has not done much to benefit the region in terms of develop­ment, hence the need for them to form a bloc in the APC so as to accrue more benefit to the South-East from the centre.

“Governor Ikpeazu is al­most 80 percent out of the PDP. Ugwuanyi is also on his way out and we are patiently waiting for the direction the Anambra governorship elec­tion will take. With the crisis in APGA, I won’t be surprised if Willie Obiano declares for APC tomorrow.

“I know the South-East governors have always com­plained that APC has done more for them in less than six years than what PDP did in 16 years. And they have also decided to join the party in bloc so as to attract more developments to the region in all the five states”, he said.

Speaking with our media crew, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Sec­retary, who said no governor in the party from the South- East has formally informed the party that he wants to join APC, however, said gov­ernors defecting from PDP to APC are being intimidated into doing so.

He said the three gover­nors that recently left the party have issues with the Federal Government and “are being challenged internally by what they have committed themselves into.

“They moved to the other side because of the intimida­tion that is coming from the party in government. If you listen to all the three gover­nors that have left the party, none of them has said that he has a problem with the lead­ership of the party,” he said. Daily Inde­pendent: By Temidayo Akinsuyi

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Headlines

Nasir El-Rufai needs help as kidnappers now break walls to ferret residents from homes

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

“The bandits broke walls to gain access to houses. They kidnapped tenants and house owners,” Eunice Kasu,

Residents of Unguwan Gimbiya in Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna State on Thursday narrated their horror as bandits attacked their community and kidnapped many people.

Among the victims kidnapped in the attack that began at 11 p.m. on Wednesday
were a landlord and his tenants.

According to a resident, the bandits announced their arrival in the community by shooting sporadically into the air to scare the residents.

“The bandits broke walls to gain access to houses. They Kidnapped tenants and house owners,” Eunice Kasu, a resident of the area, told our reporter.
.
“The whole community is in total disarray now. We are all afraid and tired. Three days after the kidnapping of Bethel Baptist Secondary School students, we witnessed another big kidnapping.”

Other residents narrated similar ordeals.

The kidnappers broke into house by breaking a section of this fence
The kidnappers broke into house by breaking a section of this fence

On Thursday, residents of the area held a protest march, calling on the state government to provide security to the people of the area

The protesters blocked the Sabon Tasha road that leads to the Kaduna metropolis.

The police spokesperson in the state, Muhammed Jalige, did not respond to messages sent to him as of the time of writing this report.

Also the state’s commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan, did not answer calls made to his phone.

Earlier in the week, over 100 students of Bethel Baptist Secondary School were kidnapped in Kaduna.

The kidnappers broke into house by breaking into this house
The kidnappers broke into house by breaking into this house

The police said 26 of the students have been rescued but the others remain in the captivity of the bandits.

Many other students abducted from schools in Kaduna as well as in Niger and Kebbi States are also being held by their captors.

The state governments have vowed not to pay ransom but have also failed to devise measures to safeguard schools against raids by bandits and to free kidnapped pupils.

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