ZIMBABWEAN Judicial officers led by Judge President of the High Court Justice Mary Dube are currently Tanzania observe how the country operates its judiciary with a major focus on Information Communication Technology (ICT).

“We do not know exactly how you go about this, that is one of the reasons why we are here, we want to learn so that when we go back home, we will be able to implement the system. We are also here to know how Tanzania got a way to get people from rural areas become connected easily to the system,” she said.

“As you highlighted earlier on, Tanzania is an old friend of Zimbabwe… and there are so many other African countries in this continent, which are ready on this system, but we choose you (Tanzania) because of your existing good relationship with us,”

“We are here to learn, we have embarked on the system, but we obviously want to make improvements …. before we embarked on the system, we used to hear matters physically, pleadings were being filed physically. We hope that we will be able to learn from your experience(s), we will share the little that we have gathered so far in the past two years,” Justice Dube disclosed.

The N35, 000 wage award recently announced by the Federal Government  has only relieved workers in Nigeria psychologically and not economically.

This assertion was made by a member of the National Executive Council(NEC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU), who is also the branch chairman of the union at the University College Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Abiona.

''The announcement has calmed frayed  nerves, but the government is yet to pay as at now. The review of CONHESS/CONMESS effectual from June 1st has not been implemented. The government says it has no funds. However, because of the N35, 000 wage award, workers were relieved psychologically, but economically the difficulties and hardships persist. We are yet to be paid the wage award because it did not reflect in our September salaries, Comrade Abiona stated.

In his view, a former Oyo state chairman of the NASU, Comrade Fatoki Olusola-Cole, insisted that the wage award was far below the expectations of workers, saying,'' the government says we should sacrifice, but the cost of governance is extremely high. The government has pushed Nigerians into the dungeons of poverty.''

''N35, 000 is grossly inadequate to cater for the needs of workers. We are suffering, workers accepted the award, hoping that it will go higher,'' Comrade Olusola-Cole stressed.

The 100 days of the present administration in Nigeria have been described as a period of torture, difficulties and hardships. 

This is the submission of a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''The first 100 days of this administration have been 100 days of torture, difficulties, hardships, sorrows and lamentations for Nigerians. The administration should come out with distinct and clear-cut policies that will take the country out of the deep pit it now finds itself.'' ''Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of the so-called distribution of palliatives in the states because of the dubious ways these palliatives were shared among those who know themselves. Almost nothing got to the majority of impoverished Nigerians,'' Comrade Emelieze declared.

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The successful distribution of economic support to poor Nigerians may be marred by the dormant status of the Local Government system in many states in the country.

This assertion was made by the chairman of the Non Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) University College Hospital(UCH) branch, Ibadan, Nigeria, Comarade Kehinde Abiona.

''Go to so many Local Government councils, they hardly have money to clear their bushy environment, talkless of money to renovate bad roads. The Ministry of local governments and chieftaincy affairs now think about local governments. The distribution of palliatives is supposed to be handled by the local governments, not the state governors. But what you have now is that the state governors will buy and distribute them from household to household. Let the local governments be in charge of distribution, not the other way round. Let the governors hand over the responsibilities to the local governments to distribute. A decentralized system of distribution would be effective, instead of a centralized system. It is problematic.

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Backed by Criminal Elements in Uniform

The era of lawlessness, indiscipline and criminality is ongoing in Molusi, Onafuwa Solanke, Oyegbami, Oshodi, Aluko, Scout Camp, Felele and several other communities in Ibadan, Oyo state, among others in Nigeria. The insinuation is that those-in-charge lack the political will to address the ugly turmoil. Perhaps.

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The successful distribution of economic support to poor Nigerians may be marred by the dormant status of the Local Government system in many states in the country. This assertion was made by the chairman of the Non Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) University Coellge Hospital(UCH) branch, Ibadan, Nigeria, Comarade Kehinde Abiona. ''Go to so many Local Government councils, they hardly have money to clear their bushy environment, talkless of money to renovate bad roads. The Ministry of local governments and chieftaincy affairs now think about local governments. The distribution of palliatives is supposed to be handled by the local governments, not the state governors. But what you have now is that the state governors will buy and distribute them from household to household. Let the local governments be in charge of distribution, not the other way round. Let the governors hand over the responsibilities to the local governments to distribute. A decentralized system of distribution would be effective, instead of a centralized system. It is problematic,'' Comrade Abiona stated.

                                                                                  CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW FROM JUMIA

Backed by Criminal Elements in Uniform

The era of lawlessness, indiscipline and criminality is ongoing in Molusi, Onafuwa Solanke, Oyegbami, Oshodi, Aluko, Scout Camp, Felele and several other communities in Ibadan, Oyo state, among others in Nigeria. The insinuation is that those-in-charge lack the political will to address the ugly turmoil. Perhaps.

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The population of Nigerians infected with Haemophilia is not known.

This assertion was made on Monday by a Professor of Haemotlogy and Consultant Haemotologist, University of Benin(UNIBEN) and University of Benin Teaching Hospital(UBTH), Benin, Edo state, Prof. Omolade Awodu at the valedictory lecture for Prof. Wuraola Adebola Sokunbi./

''The population of Nigerians with haemophilia is not yet known. Haemophilia is not the disease of the white. 93 per cent of Nigerians infected are not diagnosed. That we do not know the number of Nigerians infected with the disease shows that very few men and women are interested in the disease. We have inadequate knowledge. We are still very ignorant of the disease in Nigeria. With 93 per cent of patients undiagnosed in Nigeria, the reality is that many of them will die young. There should be proper diagnosis and management,'' Prof. Awodu stated.

Professor of Hematology, Prof. Wuraola Sokunib is the mirror of women in clinical science. 

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This assertion was made on Monday by the Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences of the University of Ibadan(UI), Nigeria, Porf. Oyeronke Odunola at the valedictory lecture in honor of Prof. Sokunbi by the Department of Hematology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, and the University College Hospital(UCH), in Ibadan, Nigeria. ''Prof. Sokunbi is the mirror of women in the organization of clinical sciences not only in Nigeria and Africa but the world at large. She is the voice that makes others silent,'' Prof. Odunola stated. For the Provost of the College of Medicine, UI, Prof. Olayinka Omigbodun, '' Prof. Sokunbi is a world-renowned haemotologist and also a role model to women and a leader among women.'' In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Prof. Fola Esan declared that the new generation universities should seek the wealth of experience of Prof. Sokunbi saying, ''all her life she has been golden, from Christ's school, Ado-Ekiti where she had distinctions and also in the University of Ibadan where I also had the opportunity to mentor her.''

Posted 3 minutes ago by Solomon Adewunmi

Life has become unbearable for millions of Nigerians as a result of government-induced hardships and difficulties.

This assertion was made by the deputy chairperson of the Association of Senior Civil Servants(ASCSN), Comrade(Mrs) Tayo Adebanjo-Adesida.

''Life has become unbearable for Nigerians due to the removal of the petrol subsidy and other policies of the government. This removal without consulting stakeholders is a big mistake,'' Comrae Adebanjo-Adeisda stated.

Similarly, a former chairman of the University College Hospital(UCH)Ibadan branch and the Oyo state council of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Comrade Olusegun Sotiloye has blamed the disturbing situation across the country on the long silence of the government.

''The government has been silent for too long, and this has made the situation degenerate. As things stand now, there is no hope. Patients are finding it extremely difficult to visit the hospital due to the high cost of petrol. The volume of patients has reduced drastically. It is a tough period for everybody and the increase in salaries is a drop in the ocean, '' Comrade Sotiloye noted.

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Russian Defence Minister thought ‘outside the box’ on how to tell Putin of the Kerch bridge bombing

At his Monday morning briefing, Putin’s spidy senses told him something was amiss in Putinland.

Nigerian youths have been called upon to learn a skill as a step towards becoming assets to society.

This call was made on Saturday by Miss Aminatu Aderayo Animasahun of Derayo Vocational Limited at an event in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

''Nigerian youths should not be distracted by hard drugs, lawlessness and criminality, they should learn a skill so that they will become assets to society, rather than liabilities.

Cases Brought by the Southern District of New York, the Northern District of California, and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSEPH JAMES O’CONNOR, a/k/a “PlugwalkJoe,” a U.K. citizen, was sentenced today to five years in prison for his role in a wide array of cybercrime offenses.  O’CONNOR was extradited from Spain on April 26, 2023, and pled guilty on May 9, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff to two sets of charges: (i) conspiracy to commit computer hacking and other charges pending in the Southern District of New York relating to a fraudulent scheme perpetrated by O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators to use a cyber intrusion technique known as a SIM swap attack to steal cryptocurrency, then valued at approximately $794,000, from a Manhattan-based cryptocurrency company and then to launder the proceeds of the scheme (the “SDNY Case”), and (ii) a set of charges filed in the Northern District of California, and transferred to the SDNY under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 20, relating to O’Connor’s role in the July 2020 hack of Twitter, computer intrusions related to takeovers of TikTok and Snapchat user accounts, and cyberstalking two separate victims (the “NDCA Case”).  Judge Rakoff imposed today’s sentence.

According to the publicly filed charging documents against O’CONNOR, court filings, and statements made in court:

The SDNY Case

During a cyber intrusion known as a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) swap attack, cyber threat actors gain control of a victim’s mobile phone number by linking that number to a SIM card controlled by the threat actors, resulting in the victim’s calls and messages being routed to a malicious unauthorized device controlled by the threat actors.  The threat actors then typically use control of the victim’s mobile phone number to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the victim that are registered to the mobile phone number.

Between approximately March 2019 and May 2019, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators perpetrated a scheme to use SIM swaps to conduct cyber intrusions in order to steal a large amount of cryptocurrency from a Manhattan-based cryptocurrency company (“Company-1”), which, at all relevant times, provided wallet infrastructure and related software to cryptocurrency exchanges around the world.

As part of the scheme, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators successfully perpetrated SIM swap attacks targeting at least three Company-1 executives.  Following a successful SIM swap attack targeting one of the executives on or about April 30, 2019, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators successfully gained unauthorized access to multiple Company-1 accounts and computer systems.  On or about May 1, 2019, through their unauthorized access, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators stole and fraudulently diverted cryptocurrency of various types (the “Stolen Cryptocurrency”) from cryptocurrency wallets maintained by Company-1 on behalf of two of its clients.  The Stolen Cryptocurrency was worth at least approximately $794,000 at the time of the theft and is currently worth more than $1.6 million.

After stealing and fraudulently diverting the Stolen Cryptocurrency, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators laundered it through dozens of transfers and transactions and exchanged some of it for Bitcoin using cryptocurrency exchange services.  Ultimately, a portion of the Stolen Cryptocurrency was deposited into a cryptocurrency exchange account controlled by O’CONNOR.

The NDCA Case

Between 2019 and 2020, O’CONNOR participated in a variety of crimes associated with exploitation of social media accounts, online extortion, and cyberstalking.

In July 2020, O’CONNOR participated in a conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to social media accounts maintained by Twitter, Inc. (“Twitter”).  In early July 2020, O’CONNOR’s co-conspirators used social engineering techniques to obtain unauthorized access to administrative tools used by Twitter to maintain its operations.  Those co-conspirators were able to use the tools to transfer control of certain Twitter accounts from their rightful owners to various unauthorized users.  In some instances, the co-conspirators took control themselves and used that control to launch a scheme to defraud other Twitter users.  In other instances, the co-conspirators sold access to Twitter accounts to others.  O’CONNOR communicated with others regarding purchasing unauthorized access to a variety of Twitter accounts, including accounts associated with public figures around the world.  A number of Twitter accounts targeted by O’CONNOR were subsequently transferred away from their rightful owners.  O’CONNOR agreed to purchase unauthorized access to one Twitter account for $10,000.
O’CONNOR also accessed without authorization one of the most highly visible TikTok accounts in August 2020, which was associated with a public figure with millions of followers (“Victim-1”).  O’CONNOR and his associates obtained unauthorized access to Victim-1’s account via a SIM swap after discussing a variety of celebrities to target, and O’CONNOR used his unauthorized access to Victim-1’s platform to post self-promotional messages, including a video in which O’CONNOR’s voice is recognizable.  O’CONNOR also stated publicly, via a post to Victim-1’s TikTok account, that he would release sensitive, personal material related to Victim-1 to individuals who joined a specified Discord server.

O’CONNOR targeted another public figure (“Victim-2”) in June 2019.  O’CONNOR and his associates obtained unauthorized access to Victim-2’s account on Snapchat via a SIM swap.  They used that access to obtain sensitive materials, to include private images, that Victim-2 had not made publicly available.  O’CONNOR sent copies of these sensitive materials to his associates.  O’CONNOR and his associates also reached out to Victim-2 and threatened to publicly release the stolen sensitive materials unless Victim-2 agreed to publicly post messages related to O’CONNOR’s online persona, among other things.

Lastly, O’CONNOR stalked and threatened a minor victim (“Victim-3”) in June and July 2020.  In June 2020, O’CONNOR orchestrated a series of swatting attacks on Victim-3.  A “swatting” attack occurs when an individual makes a false emergency call to a public authority in order to cause a law enforcement response that may put the victim or others in danger.  On June 25, 2020, O’CONNOR called a local police department and falsely claimed that Victim-3 was making threats to shoot people.  O’CONNOR provided an address that he believed was Victim-3’s address, which would have the result of causing a law enforcement response.  That same day, O’CONNOR placed another call to the same police department and stated that he was planning to kill multiple people at the same address.  In response to that call, the police department dispatched every on-duty officer to that address in reference to an armed and dangerous individual.  O’CONNOR sent other swatting messages that same day to a high school, a restaurant, and a sheriff’s department in the same area.  In those messages, O’CONNOR represented himself as either Victim-3 or as a resident at the address he believed was Victim-3’s.  The following month, O’CONNOR called multiple family members of Victim-3 and threatened to kill them.

The NDCA Case was transferred to the Southern District of New York pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 20 and consolidated with the SDNY Case before Judge Rakoff.

*                *                *

O’CONNOR, 24, of the United Kingdom, pled guilty before Judge Rakoff to the following charges: (i) as part of the SDNY Case — conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering; and (ii) as part of the NDCA Case — conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, two counts of committing computer intrusions, making extortive communications, two counts of stalking, and making threatening communications.  In addition to the prison term, O’CONNOR was sentenced to THREE years of supervised release.  O’CONNOR was further ordered to pay $794,012.64 in forfeiture.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  He also thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance in the extradition.

The SDNY Case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich is in charge of the prosecution of the SDNY Case.  The NDCA Case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (“CCIPS”) of the Department of Justice.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew F. Dawson and CCIPS Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne L. Rose are in charge of the prosecution of the NDCA Case.
<b>Source-FBI</b>

A former Oyo state Governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has called on wealthy Nigerians to cater for poor Nigerians this festive period.

Senator Ladoja made this call on Wednesday in an interaction with journalists at his Ondo Street, Bodija, Ibadan, Nigeria residence.

''We thank God for witnessing Eid, we pray that we will celebrate more Eids. I will plead with wealthy Nigerians to share with the poor the things they have to celebrate. The times are hard. Let us extend our hands of fellowship to others. I wish Nigerians Barka De Sallah. 

He expressed confidence that the present administration would make a positive impact, saying ''all of us know that we need to readjust and rejig Nigeria. It is now a question of how to redistribute wealth. We assume that he knows what he is doing and he will do well. We will get there.''

Nigeria is in the fierce clutches of individuals with ideology that is detrimental to the people.

This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze at a symposium in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''In Nigeria, it is still the same old story, the same drive, the same motivation and the same ideology. The mood is not encouraging. All the while, we have been having changes in nomenclature, but in actual fact, nothing has changed. It has been eight years of manipulation and it is continuing. These individuals are fighting Nigerians. We are already witnessing the extension of hardships. I am not sure if there is any hope for Nigerians'', Comrade Emelieze declared.

Similarly, Comrade Reasheedat of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights(CWDR), blamed some of those in the leadership of labor for the attitude of insensitive political office holders, saying, ''the leadership of the labor movement has been compromised. That is why we have a democracy for the rich. Also, the presence of right wing elements in labor unions in the country has furtherworsened the situation. Nigerians are now left with only one option-take their destinies in their own hands.

A former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze has hailed the High Court judgment that vindicated the embattled president of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria(ASCSN), Bola Audu for human trafficking.
Comrade Emelieze gave the commendation in a statement.
''The Judiciary remains the last resort of the common Nigerian. The high court's judgment has vindicated Bola Audu of human trafficking. This is a welcome development.
After over two years of trial, the court has finally declared that Comrade Bola Innocent Audu is truly innocent in the alleged case of human trafficking . Comrade Bola Audu, a staff of the Accountant General of the Federation, and also the National President of the Association of Senior Civil servants of Nigeria, (ASCSN), who also doubles as the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) was arraigned alongside three other civil servants for human trafficking. We are full of joy to hear of the victory of Bola Audu,'' Comrade Emelieze concluded.

Parents and Guaridans in Oyo state have been advised to monitor their children and wards.

This call was made  during the weekend by an Old student of Ibadan Gramar School(IGS), Mr. Adebolu Okikiolu.

'' The buck stops on the parents and gaurdians. Charity begins at home , each family should nurture their children and wards in the ways of God. They should monitor their activities. In addition, the state government should provide all that is necessary to encourage smooth education. The bad eggs among the teachers should also be dismissed,'' Mr. Okikiolu stated.

The government at all levels have been called upon to introduce palliatives that will cushion the effects of the sufferings and hardships currently being experienced by millions of Nigerians.
This call was made by the deputy chairperson of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria(ASCSN)Public Complaints Commission(PCC) unit, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria, Mrs. Omotayo Adebanjo-Adesida.
''The Federal Government has tried to do harmonization of salaries, it. It will boost the morale of workers, but I think the government at all levels should introduce palliatives for workers and Nigerians in general, such as staff buses, low-cost housing and controlling the prices of goods and services in the market,m so that it will enable Nigerians on enjoy a good life.''
She maintained that workers in the country had every reason to celebrate workers' day, saying ''for the fact that we are alive, we have to thank God for the gift of life. In addition, because of the fact that some of us still have our jobs, we still have cause to thank God.''
In a related development, a former chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) in Oyo state, Comrade Fatoki Olusola-Cole  also insisted that the major reason why workers have cause to celebrate was because of lfie, ''I wil say to far so good, we have every cause to celebrate not minding the hardships  and diffuclities the workers have exprienced in the last eight years of the present administration. We thank God that we are surviving. This administration is wicked. All the promises made were not fulfilled. The national minimum wage is nothing to write home about, considering what the cost of living is presently.''
''We thank God for seeing another May day. A 40 per cent increase in the allowances of workers is nothing to write home about. 40 per cent has been implemented for some workers. We in university, research institutes, colleges of education and polytechnics were not included. Is it only the core civil service that constitutes federal workers? Do the core civil servants have another market they patronize? We no longer have hope in this government. The government has made life unbearable for Nigerians, Comrade Olusola-Cole stated.

Non Indigenes in Oyo state have sympathized with the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo state(BCOS) over the fire incident that occurred on Wednesday.

Eze(Dr.) Alex Anozie made this known in a chat with People

On behalf of myself, my company-Conac Optical NigerIa Limited and Nidgbo in Ibadan and Oyo state, I sympathize with the state government and the management and staff of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo state(BCOS) over the fire incident that occured yesterday, Wednesday 19th April, 2023.

We pray that such this will never happen again. And that God should give them the courage to embark on a very quick replacement of all damaged equipment and carry out all the necessary repairs and even modernize the establishment.
May I use this opportunity to encourage the electricity distribution companies to do everything possible to minimize these worrisome electricity surge-induced occurrences that have always exposed the public to great danger?
The fire services should also improve.

They are doing well, but they can still do better, by making sure they get to fire incidents very quickly.
Finally,  we really thank  God that no life was lost.

Eze(Dr.) Anozie is the Eze Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state. He is also the chairman of the Association of Non-Indigenes in Oyo  state

Two Arrested for Operating Illegal Overseas Police Station of the Chinese Government

Defendants Are New York City Residents Who Allegedly Operated the Police Station in Lower Manhattan and Destroyed Evidence When Confronted by the FBI

A complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging two defendants in connection with opening and operating an illegal overseas police station, located in lower Manhattan, New York, for a provincial branch of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, were arrested earlier this morning at their homes in New York City. Their initial appearances are scheduled this afternoon in Brooklyn before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes Jr.

As alleged in the complaint, Lu and Chen are charged with conspiring to act as agents of the PRC government as well as obstructing justice by destroying evidence of their communications with an MPS official. The defendants worked together to establish the first overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the MPS. The police station – which closed in the fall of 2022 after those operating it became aware of the FBI’s investigation – occupied a floor in an office building in Manhattan’s Chinatown. While acting under the direction and control of an MPS Official, Lu and Chen helped open and operate the clandestine police station. None of the participants in the scheme informed the U.S. government that they were helping the PRC government surreptitiously open and operate an illegal MPS police station on U.S. soil.

“The PRC, through its repressive security apparatus, established a secret physical presence in New York City to monitor and intimidate dissidents and those critical of its government,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The PRC’s actions go far beyond the bounds of acceptable nation-state conduct. We will resolutely defend the freedoms of all those living in our country from the threat of authoritarian repression.”

“This prosecution reveals the Chinese government’s flagrant violation of our nation’s sovereignty by establishing a secret police station in the middle of New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, the defendants and their co-conspirators were tasked with doing the PRC’s bidding, including helping locate a Chinese dissident living in the United States, and obstructed our investigation by deleting their communications. Such a police station has no place here in New York City – or any American community.”   

“It is simply outrageous that China’s Ministry of Public Security thinks it can get away with establishing a secret, illegal police station on U.S. soil to aid its efforts to export repression and subvert our rule of law,” said Acting Assistant Director Kurt Ronnow of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “This case serves as a powerful reminder that the People’s Republic of China will stop at nothing to bend people to their will and silence messages they don’t want anyone to hear. The FBI is dedicated to protecting everyone in the United States against efforts to undermine our democratic freedoms, and we’ll hold any state actors – and those who help them – accountable for breaking our laws.”

Before helping to open the police station in early 2022, Lu had a longstanding relationship of trust with PRC law enforcement, including the MPS. Since 2015, and through the operation of the secret police station, Lu was tasked with carrying out various activities, including to assist the PRC government’s repressive activities on U.S. soil:

In 2015, during PRC President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, Lu participated in counterprotests in Washington, D.C,. against members of a religion that is forbidden under PRC law. A deputy director of the MPS awarded Lu a plaque for the work he performed on behalf of the PRC government.

In 2018, Lu was enlisted in efforts to cause a purported PRC fugitive to return to the PRC. The victim reported being repeatedly harassed to return to the PRC, including through threats of violence made to the victim and the victim’s family in the United States and in the PRC.

In 2022, the MPS Official sought Lu’s assistance in locating an individual living in California who is a pro-democracy activist. In turn, Lu enlisted the help of another coconspirator. Later, when confronted by the FBI about these conversations, Lu denied that they occurred.

In October 2022, the FBI conducted a judicially authorized search of the illegal police station. In connection with the search, FBI agents interviewed both Lu and Chen and seized their phones. In reviewing the contents of these phones, FBI agents observed that communications between Lu and Chen, on the one hand, and the MPS Official, on the other, appeared to have been deleted. In subsequent consensual interviews, Lu and Chen admitted to the FBI that they had deleted their communications with the MPS Official after learning about the ongoing FBI investigation, thus preventing the FBI from learning the full extent of the MPS’s directions for the overseas police station.

If convicted of conspiring to act as agents of the PRC, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The obstruction of justice charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The FBI New York Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Antoinette N. Rangel for the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit: www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.

The charges in the complaint are merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source-FBI

40 Officers of China’s National Police Charged in Transnational Repression Schemes Targeting U.S. Residents

Defendants Accused of Creating Fake Social Media Accounts to Harass PRC Dissidents, and Working with Employees of a U.S. Telecommunications Company to Remove Dissidents from Company’s Platform

Two criminal complaints filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York were unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging 44 defendants with various crimes related to efforts by the national police of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) – the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) – to harass Chinese nationals residing in the New York metropolitan area and elsewhere in the United States. The defendants, including 40 MPS officers and two officials in the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), allegedly perpetrated transnational repression schemes targeting U.S. residents whose political views and actions are disfavored by the PRC government, such as advocating for democracy in the PRC.

In the two schemes, the defendants created and used fake social media accounts to harass and intimidate PRC dissidents residing abroad and sought to suppress the dissidents’ free speech on the platform of a U.S. telecommunications company (Company-1). The defendants charged in these schemes are believed to reside in the PRC or elsewhere in Asia and remain at large.

“These cases demonstrate the lengths the PRC government will go to silence and harass U.S. persons who exercise their fundamental rights to speak out against PRC oppression, including by unlawfully exploiting a U.S.-based technology company,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These actions violate our laws and are an affront to our democratic values and basic human rights.”

“China’s Ministry of Public Security used operatives to target people of Chinese descent who had the courage to speak out against the Chinese Communist Party – in one case by covertly spreading propaganda to undermine confidence in our democratic processes and, in another, by suppressing U.S. video conferencing users’ free speech,” said Acting Assistant Director Kurt Ronnow of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “We aren’t going to tolerate CCP repression – its efforts to threaten, harass, and intimidate people – here in the United States. The FBI will continue to confront the Chinese government’s efforts to violate our laws and repress the rights and freedoms of people in our country.”

Disclosure: U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York is recused from and has not participated in the case captioned United States v. Julien Jin et al., 20-mj-1103.

United States v. Yunpeng Bai, et al.

The two-count complaint charges 34 MPS officers with conspiracy to transmit interstate threats and conspiracy to commit interstate harassment. All the defendants are believed to reside in the PRC, and they remain at large.

As alleged, the officers worked with Beijing’s MPS bureau and are or were assigned to an elite task force called the “912 Special Project Working Group” (the Group). The purpose of the Group is to target Chinese dissidents located throughout the world, including in the United States.

“As alleged, the PRC government deploys its national police and the 912 Special Project Working Group not as an instrument to uphold the law and protect public safety, but rather as a troll farm that attacks persons in our country for exercising free speech in a manner that the PRC government finds disagreeable, and also spreads propaganda whose sole purpose is to sow divisions within the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “I commend the investigative team for comprehensively revealing the insidiousness of a state-directed criminal scheme directed at residents of the United States.”

The complaint alleges how members of the Group created thousands of fake online personas on social media sites, including Twitter, to target Chinese dissidents through online harassment and threats. These online personas also disseminated official PRC government propaganda and narratives to counter the pro-democracy speech of the Chinese dissidents. As alleged, for example, Group members created and maintained the fake social media accounts through temporary email addresses, posted official PRC government content, and interacted with other online users to avoid the appearance that the Group accounts were “flooding” a given social media platform. The Group tracks the performances of members in fulfilling their online responsibilities and rewards Group members who successfully operate multiple online personas without detection by the social media companies who host the platforms or by other users of the platforms.

The investigation also uncovered official MPS taskings to Group members to compose articles and videos based on certain themes targeting, for example, the activities of Chinese dissidents located abroad or the policies of the U.S. government.

As alleged, the defendants also attempted to recruit U.S. persons to act as unwitting agents of the PRC government by disseminating propaganda or narratives of the PRC government. On several occasions, the defendants used online personas to contact individuals assessed to be sympathetic and supportive of the PRC government’s narratives and asked these individuals to disseminate Group content.

In addition, Group members took repeated affirmative actions to have Chinese dissidents and their meetings removed from the platform of Company-1. For example, Group members disrupted a dissident’s efforts to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre through a videoconference by posting threats against the participants through the platform’s chat function. In another Company-1 videoconference on the topic of countering communism organized by a PRC dissident, Group members flooded the videoconference and drowned out the meeting with loud music and vulgar screams and threats directed at the pro-democracy participants.

United States v. Julien Jin, et al.

This amended complaint charges 10 individuals, including a former PRC-based Company-1 employee, six MPS officers, and two officials with the CAC, with conspiracy to commit interstate harassment and unlawful conspiracy to transfer means of identification. Nine of the defendants are believed to reside in the PRC and remain at large. The tenth defendant is believed to reside in Indonesia or the PRC and also remains at large.

“The amended complaint charging a former PRC-based employee of a U.S. telecommunications company illustrates the insider threat faced by U.S. companies operating in the PRC,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Pokorny for the Eastern District of New York, who thanked Company-1 for its cooperation in the government’s investigation. “As alleged, Julien Jin and his co-conspirators in the Ministry of Public Security and Cyberspace Administration of China weaponized the U.S. telecommunications company he worked for to intimidate and silence dissenters and enforce PRC law to the detriment of Chinese activists in New York, among other places, who had sought refuge in this country to peacefully express their pro-democracy views.”

“These cases demonstrate that the Chinese Communist Party, once again, attempted to intimidate, harass, and suppress Chinese dissidents in the United States,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “In the United States, the freedom of speech is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the FBI will work tirelessly to defend everyone's right to speak freely without fear of retribution from the CCP. These complex investigations revealed an MPS-wide effort to repress individuals by using the U.S. communications platform and fake social media accounts to censor political and religious speech.”

In December 2020, the Department first announced charges against Julien Jin in connection with his efforts to disrupt a series of meetings on the Company-1 platform held in May and June 2020 commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. Jin served as Company-1’s primary liaison with PRC government law enforcement and intelligence services. In that capacity, he regularly responded to requests from the PRC government to terminate meetings and block users on Company-1’s video communications platform.

As detailed in the original complaint, Jin and others conspired to use Company-1’s U.S. systems to censor the political and religious speech of individuals located in the United States and elsewhere at the direction of the PRC government. For example, Jin and others disrupted meetings held on the Company-1 platform to discuss politically sensitive topics unacceptable to the PRC government – including the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Jin and his co-conspirators fabricated evidence of purported misconduct to cause U.S.-based employees of Company-1 to terminate the meetings.

The allegations in the amended complaint reveal that Jin worked directly with and took orders from defendants at the MPS and the CAC to disrupt meetings on the Company-1 platform and that the co-defendants had targeted U.S.-based dissidents’ speech on Company-1’s platform since 2018.

Starting in 2018, Jin and his co-defendants repeatedly sought to terminate video chat meetings organized by a Chinese dissident residing in New York City who has been a vocal critic of the PRC government and the Chinese Communist Party. After the CAC requested that Company-1 terminate the dissident’s meetings on the Company-1 platform, Jin worked to identify all accounts associated with the dissident, caused meetings related to the dissident to be hosted in a “quarantine zone” – that is, on a server with known lags in response time – and later worked to block all accounts associated with the dissident. Similarly, in 2019, Jin collaborated with the MPS and CAC to block accounts seeking to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the cases.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Antoinette N. Rangel, Ian C. Richardson, Nicholas J. Moscow and Jessica K. Weigel of the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the cases.

The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. Please visit: www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.

Source-FBI

Members of the Non-Academic Staff and Related Institutions(NASU) University College Hospital(UCH) branch, Ibadan, Nigeria have appealed to the hospital's management to identify and sanction those responsible for the disruption of the union's election to usher in new executives on 15 March, 2023.
Trouble started when the electoral committee, which included the NASU state chairman, Comrade Adepeju announced the disqualification of one of the contestants, Comrade Adekunle Adegboye, for belonging to two different trade unions.
This prompted angry members to disrupt the elections, while the rear windscreen of Comrade Adepeju's vehicle was shattered in the process of leaving the sports field venue of the elections.

The unruly members ignored the  the hospital's Director of Administration, who along with other officials walked from the venue to their offices.
However, a section of the membership of the union have accused Comrade Kehinde Abiona-led executives of incompetence and corruption.
They insisted that as a result of the incompetence of the executives, an unspecified number of members were dismissed, while disclosing that the chairman facilitated the use of the union's vehicle without due process.
''Our members were dismissed because of the incompetence of the executives. In addition, our vehicle, a Toyota Sienna which the chairman took to Lagos without due process, was impounded in Lagos and he illegally withdrew N37,000 from NASU account to pay for the fee of the offense. There is also the issue of the mismanagement of the NASU food  canteem. Food and drinks are expensive because of the returns, the operators give the chairman,'' they stated.
However, in his reaction, the embattled chairman dismissed the allegations against him, saying, '' the  elections were disrupted by non-financial and expelled members of the union who have constituted themselves into foxes and hyneas who want to devour the resources of the union. That is the basis of their allegations.
He also insisted that Comrade Adegboye was disqualified ''premised on the fact that there are two different trade unions on his payslip which contravened part of the NSU electoral guidelines for the conduct of the 2023 NASU elections.;;
On the allegation of incompetence, Comrade Abiona said, '' the issue of the inability to defend members on the panel, is a lie from the pit of hell. Despite several panels that were set up and we attended between March 2019 til date, only one member was dismissed because the CCTV camera caught him stealing and he was still on probationary period.''
He denied the allegation of corruption, saying, '' there is nothing like illegal use. The union's Sienna vehicle was taken tp Lagos in the course of signing a nomination form, in order to contest for a position on our Teaching Hospital Trade Group council. In the course of the official trip, there was an issue with traffic control officers in Lagos and the then branch treasurer, Mrs. Okeowo Aminatu Bayon;le refused to sign for the amount of fine paid, hence I, Comrade Joseph Kehinde Abiona, was fully responsible for the fine. Anybody having contrary views must come out with concrete evidence.''

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Comrade Abiona denied  all the allegations, adding,'' as at today, 20th March, 2023, the branch executive committee under the able leadership of J.K Abiona is still in charge until another date for the elections is picked. As a responsible leader, I am appealing to financial members of the branch and other stakeholders in the UCH community to remain calm and law-abiding until another date for the elections is picked. Finally,  I want to tender an unreserved apology on behalf of all our financial members  to the management as well as our national headquarters for the show of shame of miscreants in our midst on the 15th March, 2023.''

Presently, the union secretarait within the premises of the UCH is under lock and key.

A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted a Virginia man today for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare of over $1 million in prescription drug benefits.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ronald A. Beasley II, 33, of Portsmouth, was the pharmacist in charge at NH Pharma, a pharmacy located in Lake Mary, Florida. Through NH Pharma, Beasley and his co-conspirators billed Medicare for expensive compound drug creams that they never actually purchased or dispensed, and instead provided Medicare patients an inexpensive compound drug cream not covered by Medicare. Inventory records showed that NH Pharma did not buy enough of the expensive prescription drugs to fill all the prescriptions NH Pharma billed to Medicare. In total, Beasley and his co-conspirators received more than $1 million in fraudulent proceeds from Medicare.

Beasley was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge David Walker of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office made the announcement.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Darren C. Halverson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Source-FBI

Behind the Bureau’s role as the lead governing agency for the forensic examination of the Chinese high-altitude balloon

FBI special agents assigned to the Evidence Response Team process material recovered from the high-altitude balloon recovered off the coast of South Carolina. In a news briefing on Thursday, senior FBI officials detailed the Bureau’s role as the lead governing agency for the forensic examination of the Chinese high-altitude balloon identified and shot down February 5 by the U.S. military off the coast of South Carolina. The Operational Technology Division and the Laboratory Division are working closely with subject matter experts from the Department of Defense—including the Naval Criminal Investigative Service—and other government agencies. Additionally, personnel from the FBI’s Washington, Columbia, Charlotte, and Norfolk field offices have deployed personnel, including ERT- and USERT-trained agents, to assist with the logistics of the recovery and analysis of the debris. Michael Paul, assistant director of the Operational and Technology Division (OTD), and Eric Pokorak, assistant director of the Laboratory Division, said it is too early in the investigation to determine the intent and capabilities of the balloon. Pokorak said much of the evidence remains underwater and that the FBI is coordinating further searches with the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. Dive teams from the FBI and U.S. Navy are working together. “We were on-scene late Sunday, on February 5, and the first evidence that was received was transported to Quantico and received late Monday, February 6,” he explained. Pokorak described the search area as a “large-scale scene” and said weather concerns in the next few days “may impact” evidence collection and the transportation of recovered items.

Once the evidence is received at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, a team of experts engages in a decontamination process, Pokorak continued. “In simple terms, that is removing the salt water from the evidence itself. Rinsing and washing it so that it can be further processed.” The evidence recovered so far has been limited to surface findings, including the balloon (or canopy itself) some wiring, a tiny amount of electronics—but only a small portion of the payload. “We have not seen the payload where we expect to see the lion’s share of the electronics,” said Paul. “OTD deployed specialists to assist with screening and to specifically assess electronic components that might be recovered during the operation.”

He said this investigation marks the first time the FBI Laboratory and OTD have responded to a “hot air balloon of this nature” and the processing of the corresponding scene. Paul said no “energetic or offensive material” has been detected but emphasized much of the evidence has yet to be recovered. Asked about the manufacturer of the balloon or whether its design was based on stolen intelligence, Paul said the FBI is not in position “at this point to have that information.” He said both the FBI Laboratory and OTD are working to determine the source of the balloon components. Additionally, the FBI has no information or physical evidence at this time that contradicts previous statements made by other government agencies. The Laboratory Division leads the collection, transportation, and subsequent forensic examinations of evidentiary material. It is staffed with subject matter experts, including highly trained evidence response dive teams and hazardous evidence response teams, which contribute to the mission of collecting, analyzing, and sharing timely scientific and technical information within the FBI and with other government and law enforcement agencies. The OTD is the FBI’s provenance for applied technology enabling and enhancing investigations. OTD personnel have been deployed to assist with recovery efforts and initial assessments of technological evidence. Source-FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man who previously served as a staff member in the New Jersey Senate today admitted his role in a conspiracy to falsely inflate the invoices that a political consultant submitted to various campaigns, political action committees, and IRS 501(c)(4) organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.  

Antonio Teixeira, 43, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. 

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From 2014 to 2018, Teixeira conspired with Sean Caddle, and Caddle’s political consulting firms, to defraud various campaigns, political action committees, and 501(c)(4) organizations of $107,800. Teixeira then failed to report this illicit income on tax forms that he filed with the IRS during those same years. 

Caddle was hired by a former New Jersey state senator to create the PACs and 501(c)(4)s so that they could raise and spend money to advocate on a variety of issues, including supporting particular candidates in local races around New Jersey. Teixeira served as the senator’s chief of staff and wielded influence over the consultants that the campaigns and organizations hired and the budgets that each of these organizations would receive. 

Teixeira and Caddle conspired to falsely inflate the invoices that Caddle’s consulting firms submitted to the campaigns, PACs and 501(c)(4)s with phony campaign-related expenditures. Caddle and Teixeira were fraudulently padding the invoices because they agreed to split the difference between Caddle’s actual campaign expenditures and the overage charged to the organizations. Caddle paid a portion of Teixeira’s share to him in cash and funneled the remainder to Teixeira via checks made to out to Teixeira’s relatives in order to conceal that campaign money was being kicked back to Teixeira. In total, Teixeira received more than $100,000. Although Teixeira pocketed these fraudulent proceeds and used the money for personal expenses, he never reported the money on the tax forms that he filed with the IRS during the course of the scheme.

The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of 20 years, while the tax evasion charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison. Both charges are also punishable by a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 27, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit, and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr.

Source-FBI

The government at all levels in Nigeria has been called upon to empower relevant stakeholders in the environment sector as a step toward ending open defecation in the country.

This call was made on Friday by the Founder, Spiritual head, and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke in an address titled ''SAY NO TO OPEN DEFECATION'' at the commissioning of the comfort house for the Shafudeeen national headquarters' mosque, Shafautedo, Apata-Omi-Adio road, Ibadan Nigeria.

''This calls for government empowerment of stakeholders-Town Planning Authority(Urban and Regional planning)as well as the Sanitary Inspectors to enforce people's compliance in every built scheme with effective sensitization on the essence of hygiene protocol to keep every place clean to avoid breakout of diseases and add value to the necessary beautification effect of the environment for healthy living.''

''Comfort House is an essential utility for the home and public places to be hygiene protocol compliant. Built houses must respect the sanitary laws of every compound area to be free of open space defecation,'' Prof. Olagoke stated.

In another development, Prof. Olagoke has advised media practitioners to discharge their duties with the fear of God and shun all sinful behaviors.

He gave this advice at a special Jumat thanksgiving  service  held att eh Shafudeen national headquarters mosque for members of the Oyo state chapter of the  Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers' Union of Nigeria(RATTAWU)

''Media practitioners should have the fear of God and shun all sinful behaviors. The promise of God would never fail, put your hopes on God. Your work is full of hazards, God shall always guide you and will not leave you. We pray that God will always guide and protect you, '' He prayed.

In his remarks, the chairman of RATTAWU, Comrade Adebayo Aribatise opined thanked God for everything saying,'' we are here to appreciate God for all He has done for us and in addition, I would like to admonish my members and everyone in the media to be devoted to their duties to justify the salaries they receive. On our part, we shall continue to engage with our employers to ensure that the welfare of our members is given the deserved attention.''
 

Chinese Real Estate Developer’s L.A.-Based Company Found Guilty of Paying Over $1 Million in Bribes to L.A. Politician José Huizar

LOS ANGELES – Based on the actions of its agents, including its billionaire Chinese real estate developer owner, a downtown Los Angeles-based company was found guilty today of paying more than $1 million in bribes – including luxury trip expenses, casino gambling chips and a sham loan – to then-Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar to obtain city approval to build a 77-story skyscraper.

          After the jury deliberated for less than three hours, Shen Zhen New World I LLC was found guilty of all eight counts it faced: three counts of honest service wire fraud, four counts of interstate and foreign travel in aid of bribery, and one count of bribery.

          The owner of Shen Zhen – Wei Huang, 57, a resident of Shenzhen, China, who also maintains a residence in San Marino – is also charged in this case, but he has yet to make a court appearance in this matter. He is a fugitive believed to be in China.

          According to evidence presented at trial, in 2010, Shen Zhen – on behalf of its owner – purchased the L.A. Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The property was located in the 14th City Council District, whose representative at that time was José Huizar. As part of his roles on the Los Angeles City Council, Huizar was the chairman of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, commonly referred to as the PLUM Committee, which oversaw major commercial and residential development projects in the city.

          In June 2018, Shen Zhen filed an application with the Los Angeles City Planning Department to redevelop the L.A. Grand Hotel into a skyscraper featuring a mix of residential and commercial uses.

          From February 2013 to November 2018, Shen Zhen, acting through Huang, provided Huizar and his aide George Esparza with cash, casino gambling chips, flights on private jets and commercial airlines, stays at luxury Las Vegas hotels and casinos, expensive meals, spa services, prostitution services, political contributions, and a $600,000 collateral for Huizar to confidentially settle a pending sexual harassment lawsuit against Huizar by a former staffer that threatened his career.

          At the time Shen Zhen provided these items, it did so intending to influence Huizar to take official acts to benefit the L.A. Grand Hotel redevelopment project, a project that would have transformed Shen Zhen’s hotel into a 77-floor mixed use skyscraper that would have been the tallest such structure west of the Mississippi River.

          Specifically, Shen Zhen intended that Huizar benefit the project by presenting motions and resolutions in various city committees; voting on the project in the PLUM Committee and City Council; taking action in the PLUM Committee to expedite the approval process of the project; exerting pressure on other city officials to influence the approval process of the project; and introducing and voting on city resolutions to enhance the professional reputation and marketability of Wei Huang.

          United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a January 23, 2023 sentencing hearing, at which time the company is expected to face a multi-million dollar fine.

          Huizar and former Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, which include racketeering conspiracy and multiple bribery counts, and are scheduled to go to trial on February 21, 2023. Esparza pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of racketeering conspiracy, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2023.

          Federal prosecutors have now convicted a total of nine defendants along with receiving over $3 million in criminal penalties to resolve their investigation into two other major real estate development companies, as a result of Operation “Casino Loyale,” the ongoing corruption investigation into Los Angeles City Hall being conducted by the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office.

          Salvador Huizar, José Huizar’s brother who testified as a witness for the prosecution in the Shen Zhen trial and is expected to testify at his brother’s trial, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2023 after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of making false statements to federal investigators.

          In the first Huizar-related trial in this case, a federal jury on June 27 found real estate developer Dae Yong Lee, a.k.a. David Lee, 57, of Bel Air, and 940 Hill LLC, a Lee-controlled company, guilty of felony charges, including fraud and bribery, for providing $500,000 in cash to Huizar and his special assistant in exchange for their help in resolving a labor organization’s appeal of their downtown Los Angeles development project. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled for January 30, 2023.

          Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, Assistant United States Attorneys Susan S. Har and J. Jamari Buxton, also of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castañeda of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, are prosecuting this case.

          Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s email tip line at pctips-losangeles@fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Source-FBI

 Defendant Plotted a Terrorist Attack Targeting a Pittsburgh Church

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced yesterday to 208 months, more than 17 years, in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, aka ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 24, of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty in the Western District of Pennsylvania on Sept. 16, 2021 to one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS in connection with his plan to attack a church in Pittsburgh.

“Alowemer admitted to planning a deadly bombing of a Pittsburgh church in the name of ISIS,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The National Security Division was created to protect the nation from terrorist threats and we remain vigilant against those who would plot violent attacks on U.S. soil in furtherance of an extreme ideology.”

“The defendant’s plan to bomb a Pittsburgh church and risk death or injury to residents in the area in the name of ISIS was thwarted by the extraordinary work of the Pittsburgh Joint Terrorism Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Our office will continue to hold accountable individuals who threaten the safety of our communities.”

“I want to commend the great work of our Joint Terrorism Task Force, and that of their partners and sources, in successfully thwarting a planned terrorist attack in the name of ISIS,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Alowemer’s plan to conduct an attack at a church in Pittsburgh and inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States was unsuccessful thanks to the efforts of law enforcement officials at both the federal and state level. This sentencing demonstrates the commitment we share with our partners to pursuing justice against those who violate our laws and seek to harm innocents in our communities.”

According to court documents, Alowemer plotted to bomb a church located on the north side of Pittsburgh using an explosive device. His stated motivation to conduct such an attack was to support the cause of ISIS and to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States to join together and commit similar acts in the name of ISIS. Alowemer also targeted the church, which he described as a “Nigerian Christian” church, to “take revenge for our [ISIS] brothers in Nigeria.” Alowemer was aware that numerous people in the proximity of the church could be killed by the explosion.

In furtherance of the plot to bomb the church, in May 2019, Alowemer distributed multiple instructional documents related to the construction and use of explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to an individual Alowemer believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter, but who was in fact an FBI employee. Alowemer distributed these documents with the intent that the information be used in the assembly of a destructive device and in furtherance of conducting an attack in support of ISIS. In or around June 2019, Alowemer purchased several items, including nails and acetone (nail polish remover), with the belief that they were necessary to assemble a destructive device and with the intention they be used to construct the explosives that would be detonated in the vicinity of the church.

Between April 16 and June 11, Alowemer met four times in person with an FBI Undercover Employee (UCE) and/or an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS). At the June 11 meeting with the UCE and CHS, Alowemer provided additional details about the bomb plot and provided the materials, including boxes of nails, he had purchased for construction of the device. Alowemer provided printed copies of detailed Google satellite maps, which included hand-written markings identifying the church and routes of arrival and escape. Alowemer also wrote and provided a 10-point handwritten plan outlining details related to his plot to personally deliver explosives in a backpack. Alowemer expressed a desire to meet one more time to conduct planning and coordination prior to carrying out the attempted bombing in July 2019. That meeting was later scheduled for June 19 in the Pittsburgh area, at which time Alowemer was arrested.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorneys Brenda Sue Thornton and S. Elisa Poteat of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force members who were directly involved in this investigation include: FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania State Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Port Authority Police, Allegheny County Probation, University of Pittsburgh Police Department and UPMC Police Security.

Source-FBI

Members of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders And Owners Association(ACOMORAN) have been warned to shun the use of alcohol and illicit substances when on duty.

This warning was handed down by the association's chairman in Oyo state, Dr. Solomon Olugbode in a chat with People.

''Alcohol and drugs will only make you dull or make you over confident. That is why it is not proper to take alcohol or substances when you drive or cycle. It is dangerous to the health, members should avoid it,''Dr. Olugbode stated.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jeremy Peña will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Peña has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of New Mexico, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said United States Attorney Uballez. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

United States Attorney Uballez stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Peña will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (505) 224-1451 and (505) 269-2038.”

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office can be reached by the public at 1-800-CALL-FBI or (505) 889-1300.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” said United States Attorney Uballez. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

Source-FBI

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of American democracy. Individuals who oversee and participate in the administration of elections to include poll workers, volunteers, and election officers, help safeguard the integrity of the democratic process. The FBI continues to prioritize identifying, mitigating, and investigating threats targeting election workers and provides the following information to assist the public in reporting threats of violence against election workers.

Threats to Election Workers

Threats to election workers not only threaten the safety of the individuals concerned, but also jeopardize the stability of the US electoral process. The FBI defines “election workers” broadly as individuals who have responsibility over one or more aspects of election administration in the U.S., including elected officials, appointed officials, staff, volunteers, contractors, vendors and liaisons. Specific examples of election workers include, but are not limited to:

A Secretary of State or someone in their staff

An employee of a state or county’s board of elections

An individual volunteering at polling stations

Clerks handling and counting casted ballots

There are various means in which threats can be communicated to election workers, such as telephone communications, social media posts, e-mail communications, as well as in-person. Regardless of the manner in which the threat or harassment is conveyed, the FBI takes all threats of violence targeting election workers seriously.

What the FBI is doing

In June 2021, the Department of Justice, in close partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, established the Threats to Election Workers Task Force (Task Force) to identify, mitigate, and investigate reports of threats targeting election workers. The Task Force receives and assesses reports of threats targeting election workers to determine next steps, in consultation with the Department of Justice.  

Victim Reporting and Additional Information

The FBI encourages the public to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to their local FBI field office. For additional election-related assistance and resources, please visit the following FBI webpages:

Election Crimes and Security

Protected Voices

Consistent with past practice, the FBI is providing this information to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation and suppression in the upcoming Nov. 8, 2022, general election.

Source-FBI

Labor leaders have been advised not to be involved in partisan politics as the 2023 general elections draw closer.

This advice was given by the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff and Associated Institutions Union (NASU), Comrade Kehinde Abiona in a caht wiht People.

''It behoves a union leader to be very careful in discussing politics with politicians. These times of political campaigns, politicians are out looking for ways and means to woo workers and trade unions, but after elections they disappear.''

''It is not expected of any civil servant to be partisan. You must not carry the toga of any political party. However, trade unionism cannot be separated from politics. We should watch our backs.

NASU has never been in any secret meeting with any candidate. We only met the Labor party candidate on May day and he signified interest he would like to come around. We in NASU UCH branch, Ibadan have never met any candidate of any political party.

There is a tiny line between trade unions and political parties,''Comrade Abiona stated.

In another development, members of the union in UCH, Ibadan at a congress held on Wednesday resolved that general election is the way to go for the union and that  financial members should be allowed to participate in the process of electing leaders in the general election mode and not the process wherein a few elect delegates.

The congress noted that some Heads of Department were in the habit of handpicking delegates for the union, while also reaching a consensus that the present administration, as led by Comrade J.K Abiona should be allowed to continue the good work it had been embarking on beyond 2023.

In addition, the congress passed a vote of implicit confidence in the leadership of the union at the state council and national levels under the able leadership of the President,Dr. Barrister Makola Hassan and the General Secretary, Prince Peters.A. Adeyemi.

Nonprofit Feeding Our Future and 200+ Meal Sites in Minnesota Perpetrated the Largest COVID-19 Fraud Scheme in the Nation

The Department of Justice announced today federal criminal charges against 47 defendants for their alleged roles in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These indictments, alleging the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme charged to date, underscore the Department of Justice’s sustained commitment to combating pandemic fraud and holding accountable those who perpetrate it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In partnership with agencies across government, the Justice Department will continue to bring to justice those who have exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stolen from American taxpayers.”

“Today’s indictments describe an egregious plot to steal public funds meant to care for children in need in what amounts to the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme yet,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The defendants went to great lengths to exploit a program designed to feed underserved children in Minnesota amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudulently diverting millions of dollars designated for the program for their own personal gain. These charges send the message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant and will vigorously pursue those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means.”

“This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota. “These defendants exploited a program designed to provide nutritious food to needy children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, they prioritized their own greed, stealing more than a quarter of a billion dollars in federal funds to purchase luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and coastal resort property abroad. I commend the work of the skilled investigators and prosecutors who unraveled the lies, deception, and mountains of false documentation to bring this complex case to light.”

The 47 defendants are charged across six separate indictments and three criminal informations with charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery.

As outlined in the charging documents, the defendants devised and carried out a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The defendants obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. The defendants exploited changes in the program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than feed children, the defendants enriched themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federally-funded program designed to provide free meals to children in need. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers the program throughout the nation by distributing federal funds to state governments. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Meals funded by the Federal Child Nutrition Program are served by “sites.” Each site participating in the program must be sponsored by an authorized sponsoring organization. Sponsors must submit an application to MDE for each site. Sponsors are also responsible for monitoring each of their sites and preparing reimbursement claims for their sites. The USDA then provides MDE federal reimbursement funds on a per-meal basis. MDE provides those funds to the sponsoring agency who, in turn, pays the reimbursements to the sites under its sponsorship. The sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent of the funds as an administrative fee.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA waived some of the standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, as well as allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs.

Aimee Bock was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The indictments charge Bock with overseeing a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship. Feeding Our Future went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021.

As part of the charged scheme, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by the defendants and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. The defendants created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as Federal Child Nutrition Program sites. The defendants also created shell companies to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme.

To carry out the scheme, the defendants also created and submitted false documentation. They submitted fraudulent meal count sheets purporting to document the number of children and meals served at each site. The defendants submitted false invoices purporting to document the purchase of food to be served to children at the sites. The defendants also submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. These rosters were fabricated and created using fake names. For example, one roster was created using names from a website called “www.listofrandomnames.com.” Because the program only reimbursed for meals served to children, other defendants used an Excel formula to insert a random age between seven and 17 into the age column of the rosters.

Despite knowing the claims were fraudulent, Feeding Our Future submitted the fraudulent claims to MDE and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to the individuals and entities involved in the scheme.

In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.

When MDE attempted to perform necessary oversight regarding the number of sites and amount of claims being submitted, Bock and Feeding Our Future gave false assurances that they were monitoring the sites under its sponsorship and that the sites were serving the meals as claimed. When MDE employees pressed Bock for clarification, Bock accused MDE of discrimination and unfairly scrutinizing Feeding Our Future’s sites. When MDE denied Feeding Our Future site applications, Bock and Feeding Our Future filed a lawsuit accusing MDE of denying the site applications due to discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 sites throughout the state of Minnesota and fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel.

“Exploiting a government program intended to feed children at the time of a national crisis is the epitome of greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “As alleged, the defendants charged in this case chose to enrich themselves at the expense of children. Instead of feeding the future, they chose to steal from the future. IRS – Criminal Investigation is pleased to join our law enforcement partners to hold these defendants accountable.”

United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al., 22-CR-223 (NEB/TNL), charges 14 defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering for their roles the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. In April 2020, Safari Restaurant enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The owners of Safari Restaurant and their co-conspirators opened additional sites throughout the state of Minnesota, as well as dozens of shell companies. Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $32 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, real estate, and travel.

United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al., 22-CR-124 (NEB/TNL), charges eight defendants with conspiracy, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and money laundering for their roles the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. In April 2020, Empire Cuisine and Market LLC enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. The owners of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC and their co-conspirators opened additional sites throughout the state of Minnesota, as well as dozens of shell companies. Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $40 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, travel, real estate, and property in Kenya.

United States v. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, et al., 22-CR-224 (NEB/TNL), charges eight defendants with conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering for their roles the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. In August 2020, S & S Catering Inc. enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The owner of S & S Catering and other co-conspirators opened sites across the Twin Cities and claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $18 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles and real estate.

United States v. Haji Osman Salad, et al., 22-CR-226 (NEB/TNL), charges five defendants with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering for their roles in the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. The owner of Haji’s Kitchen LLC and other co-conspirators enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. The co-conspirators opened sites across the state of Minnesota, as well as multiple shell companies. Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $25 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, real estate, and travel.

United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al., 22-CR-222 (NEB/TML), charges three defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs, federal programs bribery, and money laundering for their roles in the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. The owner of Community Enhancement Services Inc. and other co-conspirators opened multiple sites and shell companies in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis. Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served hundreds of thousands of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $1.6 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, real estate, and beach property in Kenya.

United States v. Sharmake Jama, et al., 22-CR-225 (NEB/TNL), charges six defendants with wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering for their roles in the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. In September 2020, Brava Restaurant & Café LLC, a site located in Rochester, Minnesota, enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The owners of Brava Restaurant & Café and other co-conspirators claimed to have served millions of meals from Brava Restaurant & Café and falsely claimed to have a contract with Rochester Public Schools. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received approximately $4.3 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, real estate, and property on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

**************

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al. indictment:

Aimee Marie Bock, 41, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery. Bock was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future. Bock oversaw the $240 million fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship.

Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 39, of Burnsville, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Eidleh was an employee of Feeding Our Future who solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Eidleh also created his own fraudulent sites.

Salim Ahmed Said, 33, of Plymouth, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Said was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Abdulkadir Nur Salah, 36, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdulkadir Salah was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim, 39, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Omar-Hashim created a company called Olive Management Inc., a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Abdi Nur Salah, 34, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdi Salah registered Stigma-Free International, a non-profit entity used to carry out the scheme with sites throughout Minnesota, including in Willmar, Mankato, St. Cloud, Waite Park, and St. Paul.

Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, 36, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdihakim Ahmed created ASA Limited LLC, a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Ahmed Mohamed Artan, 37, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Artan registered Stigma-Free International, a non-profit entity used to carry out the scheme with sites throughout Minnesota, including in Willmar, Mankato, St. Cloud, Waite Park, and St. Paul.

Abdikadir Ainanshe Mohamud, 30, of Fridley, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Mohamud ran the Stigma-Free Willmar site. This site claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals and received more than $4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 30, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdinasir Abshir ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site. This site claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals and received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Asad Mohamed Abshir, 32, of Mankato, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Asad Abshir ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site. This site claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals and received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Hamdi Hussein Omar, 26, of St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Omar ran the Stigma-Free Waite Park site. This site claimed to have served more than 500,000 meals and received more than $1 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 32, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Ghedi created ASA Limited LLC, a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Abdirahman Mohamud Ahmed, 54, of Columbus, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Abdirahman Ahmed was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al. indictment:

Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 33, of Savage, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and false statements in a passport application. Abdiaziz Farah was an owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC, a for-profit restaurant that participated in the scheme as a site, as a vendor for other sites, and as an entity to launder fraudulent proceeds. Empire Cuisine and Market and other affiliated sites received more than $28 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Mohamed Jama Ismail, 49, of Savage, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Ismail was an owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC, a for-profit restaurant that participated in the scheme as a site, as a vendor for other sites, and as an entity to launder fraudulent proceeds. Empire Cuisine and Market and other affiliated sites received more than $28 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Mahad Ibrahim, 46, of Lewis Center, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Ibrahim was the president and owner of ThinkTechAct Foundation, a Minnesota non-profit organization that also operated under the name Mind Foundry Learning Foundation. ThinkTechAct and Mind Foundry created dozens of sites throughout Minnesota, including in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Burnsville, Faribault, Owatonna, Shakopee, Circle Pines, and Willmar. ThinkTechAct received more than $18 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 21, of Shakopee, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdimajid Nur created Nur Consulting LLC to receive and launder Federal Child Nutrition Program funds from Empire Cuisine and Market, ThinkTechAct, and other entities involved in the scheme.

Said Shafii Farah, 40, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Said Farah, the brother of Abdiaziz Farah, was an owner of Bushra Wholesalers LLC, a shell company used to launder fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, 32, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Aftin was an owner of Bushra Wholesalers LLC, a shell company used to launder fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, 31, of Bloomington, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Shariff was the chief executive officer of Afrique Hospitality Group, a shell company used to fraudulent obtain and launder Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Hayat Mohamed Nur, 25, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Hayat Nur, the sister of Abdimajid Nur, participated in the scheme by creating and submitting fraudulent meal count sheets, attendance rosters, and invoices.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, et al. indictment:

Qamar Ahmed Hassan, 53, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Hassan was the owner and operator of S & S Catering Inc., a for-profit restaurant and catering business that participated in the scheme as a distribution site and as a vendor for other sites. S & S Catering received more than $18 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Sahra Mohamed Nur, 61, of Saint Anthony, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Nur ran a site called Academy For Youth Excellence that used S & S Catering as a vendor.

Abdiwahab Ahmed Mohamud, 32, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Mohamud ran a site called Academy For Youth Excellence that used S & S Catering as a vendor.

Filsan Mumin Hassan, 28, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Hassan ran a site called Youth Higher Educational Achievement that falsely claimed to serve up to 4,300 meals a day.

Guhaad Hashi Said, 46, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Hashi ran a site under the name Advance Youth Athletic Development that falsely claimed to serve up to 5,000 meals a day.

Abdullahe Nur Jesow, 62, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Jesow ran a site called Academy For Youth Excellence that used S & S Catering as a vendor.

Abdul Abubakar Ali, 40, of St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Abdul Ali ran a site called Youth Inventors Lab that falsely claimed to have served a total of approximately 1.5 million meals in a seven-month period.

Yusuf Bashir Ali, 40, of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Yusuf Ali ran a site called Youth Inventors Lab that falsely claimed to have served a total of approximately 1.5 million meals in a seven-month period.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Haji Osman Salad, et al. indictment:

Haji Osman Salad, 32, of St. Anthony, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Salad was the principal of Haji’s Kitchen and received approximately $11.6 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Fahad Nur, 38, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Nur was the principal of The Produce LLC, a vendor and purported food supplier who received more than $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Anab Artan Awad, 52, of Plymouth, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Awad was the president of Multiple Community Services, MCA. Awad claimed more than $11 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Sharmarke Issa, 40, of Edina, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Issa created a company called Minnesota’s Somali Community and was the manager of Wacan Restaurant LLC. Issa fraudulently caused MDE to pay out more than $7.4 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Farhiya Mohamud, 63, of Bloomington, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Mohamud was the principal and CEO of Dua Supplies and Distribution Inc., a shell company that laundered millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al. indictment:

Liban Yasin Alishire, 42, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, and money laundering. Alishire was the president and owner of Community Enhancement Services Inc., a company located in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis. Community Enhancement Services was a cultural mall owned and operated by Alishire and co-defendant Khadar Jigre Adan. Community Enhancement Services received more than $1.6 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Ahmed Yasin Ali, 57, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Ali created a second program site, run by Lake Street Kitchen, and located in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis.

Khadar Jigre Adan, 59, of Lakeville, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Adan was the CEO of Lake Street Kitchen, which was a program site located in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Sharmake Jama, et al. indictment:

Sharmake Jama, 34, of Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Sharmake Jama was a principal of Brava Restaurant and Café LLC. Brava Restaurant received approximately $4.3 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Ayan Jama, 43, of Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Ayan Jama was a principal of Brava Restaurant and Café LLC. Ayan Jama also created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.

Asha Jama, 39, of Lakeville, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Asha Jama worked for Brava Restaurant and created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.

Fartun Jama, 35, of Rosemount, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Fartun Jama worked for Brava Restaurant and created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.

Mustafa Jama, 45, of Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Mustafa Jama worked for Brava Restaurant and created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.

Zamzam Jama, 48, of Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Zamzam Jama worked for Brava Restaurant and created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.

Criminal informations:

Bekam Addissu Merdassa, 39, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Hadith Yusuf Ahmed, 34, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Hanna Marekegn, 40, of Edina, Minnesota, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

United States Attorney Andrew Luger thanked the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their collaboration and skilled investigative work in bringing these indictments.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Chelsea A. Walcker, Matthew S. Ebert, and Joseph S. Teirab for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source-FBI

The Rwandan Government is set to revamp the Kinazi Cassava Processing Plant in Rhuhango District of the country.

Presently, the processing plant is operating at just 35 per cent of its production capacity. It is owned through a joint shareholding between the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) and Agaciro Development Fund.

The Kinazi cassava processing plant is currently operating at just 35 per cent of its production capacity.

The plant is owned through a joint shareholding between the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) and Agaciro Development Fund.

It has about 10 farmers' cooperatives besides individual farmers and receives cassava produce from Southern Province, Eastern Province and a few parts of Western Province. President Paul Kagame had, during the citizen outreach in Ruhango District, pledged to help stimulate economic activity in the area.

Workers in Nigeria have been advised not to opt for suicide as a way out of the life-threatening situation in the country. This advice was given by the chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC),Comrade Emmanuel Ogundiran.

''An average Nigerian is undergoing the worst period of life. The economy, the political environment and the social space are getting worse by the day.Nigerians can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. The galloping inflation has rendered workers' salaries useless. Our religious worship centers which are supposed to be placers of succour have now become points for extortion. Adherents are growing poorer at a rapid rate, while the facilitators of the centers are moving from cars to private jets. All these added together have dampened the morale of workers in Nigeria, but I must be quick in saying that suicide is not an option. Suicide should not be an option,'' Comrade Ogundiran stated.

He also advised workers to develop an alternative saying, '' whatever your class, think of plan B. After your primary job, what can you do that would bring additional food to your table?

''Comrade Ogundiran warned workers to control their temper, while stressing ''stay away from anger. Stay away from people who cannot motivate themselves out of their frustration. No matter how small a fight is, avoid it. Preserve your life and you are sure of seeing the next day. Finally, no matter the situation, no matter what you are facing, if you know that when there is life there is hope, suicide should not be an option.''

Sixteen Districts, Including Western Washington, Will Roll Out Programs this Fall WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today during the White House United We Stand Summit that over the next year, all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) will host a new nationwide initiative to combat unlawful acts of hate. The United Against Hate program is convening local forums that connect community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes; build trust between law enforcement and communities; and create and strengthen alliances between law enforcement and other government partners and community groups to combat unlawful acts of hate. “The Justice Department remains committed to enforcing federal hate crime laws,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why the Justice Department has launched its new United Against Hate program. This initiative brings together community groups, community leaders, and law enforcement at every level to build trust and strengthen coordination to combat unlawful acts of hate.” The first cohort of 16 USAOs rolling out United Against Hate programs this fall includes the following districts: Arizona, Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Connecticut, Idaho, Middle District of Louisiana, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Southern District of Ohio, Middle District of Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Virginia, Vermont, Western District of Washington, and Western District of Wisconsin. The Department will expand the United Against Hate program to all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices next year. “It is my hope that this program will help connect our office and federal partners to cities and communities throughout Western Washington, where we can increase awareness and reporting of bias crimes and race-based threats,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “We all have a role to play in reporting acts of hate or hate speech that may be an early indicator of the troubling violence we are seeing too often in our communities.” “U.S. Attorneys are critical partners in the Justice Department’s efforts to respond to hate crimes in communities across our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The stronger the ties between communities and law enforcement, the more faith that communities will have that their allegations will be investigated and taken seriously. This moment requires an all-hands-on-deck strategy to fully confront unlawful acts of hate. The United Against Hate program brings together the vast network of civil rights, government, faith, and community-based leaders needed to improve reporting, promote prevention strategies and build the resilience needed to confront hate crimes and incidents.” “To effectively reduce hate crimes at the local level, it’s important to garner community buy-in,” said Director Monty Wilkinson of the Justice Department’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA). “That means building relationships with community leaders and residents, listening to their description of their community’s needs and priorities, and then effectively communicating how USAOs and other Justice Department efforts can address those issues and help to increase public safety. This program will build bridges among community members and law enforcement, helping them to work together to combat unlawful acts of hate.” Through using hypothetical scenarios and video clips depicting real-life hate crime cases and stories, United Against Hate promotes robust interaction between community members and law enforcement participants. Program topics include: defining hate crimes versus hate incidents; the importance of reporting unlawful acts of hate; providing options for responding to hate incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime; and distinguishing unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including identifying protected speech versus speech that advocates violence or encourages people to commit hate crimes. The launch follows a successful pilot of the program last spring by three USAOs — New Jersey, Massachusetts, and the Eastern District of Washington. Attorney General Garland announced the conclusion of the pilot for the United Against Hate program at a Justice Department event in May commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Attorney General’s memorandum on improving the Department’s efforts to combat unlawful acts of hate and the enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes and Khalid Jabara-Heather Heyer NO HATE Acts. Development of the United Against Hate program was led by the Civil Rights Division. EOUSA and other components in the Department’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative, including the Community Relations Service, the Community Oriented Policing Services Office, the FBI, and the Office of Justice Programs, provided critical assistance in developing the program.

Source-FBI

Nigerian youths who have benefitted from the government at all levels have been advised to give back to their communities that groomed them.

This advice was given on Wednesday by the Executive Chairman of Ibarapa Central Local Government of Oyo state, Hon. Doyin Adeoye at a public function in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''My advice to Nigerian youths who have benefitted from government at all levels is for them to give back to the communities that brought them up. But it should be outside crime and criminality. They should replicate the benefits of serving government at all levels in their communities,'' Hon. Adeoye advised.

Members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria in Oyo state have called on relevant authorities to look into the financial records of the association.

The members made this call in a press statement.

''We have reported their conduct to the Inspector General of Police who has promptly directed investigations by FCID, Alagbon Lagos on the matter.The fact of the matter is that, Mr. Alade Bashir Lawal and his partners were reported to the police for suspected fraud of monumental proportion and mismanagement of the union’s finance and resources. On the basis of the complaint the Inspector General of Police directed the Force CID to investigate the criminal allegations and the petition by the union’s President, Comrade Innocent Bola-Audu.The Commissioner of Police Lagos was also directed by the IGP to provide security in the Secretariat to ensure no breakdown of law and order, and in order to prevent the suspects in the case from tampering with evidence materials that may be needed in police investigations. The Union is bleeding and needs immediate resuscitation to survive, because a massive damage has been done to its resources, assets and manpower.Therefore, there is work to be done. As, you may already be aware that some arrests were made in the Union by Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) of the Nigeria Police, Alagbon Lagos on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police on Thursday August 4, 2022,'' the statement concluded.

CHICAGO — A consultant pleaded guilty in federal court today to offering and providing bribes to public officials in an effort to benefit his clients. ROBERTO CALDERO, 69, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. The conviction is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Dec. 15, 2022. The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Ashley T. Johnson, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Kramer. Caldero admitted in a plea agreement that in 2016 he offered and arranged for bribes to be provided to a City of Chicago alderman and a Chicago Public Schools employee in exchange for them taking official actions to benefit Caldero’s clients, who were seeking a custodial services contract at CPS, an honorary street name designation in Chicago, and the renaming of a parcel of property believed to be a Chicago Park District park. The benefits Caldero offered the CPS employee included the prospect of future employment, champagne, discounted event space for a family event, and admission to an annual benefit for a museum. To influence the alderman, Caldero arranged for campaign contributions to be made to political organizations affiliated with the alderman or his ward. Unbeknownst to Caldero, the alderman was cooperating with the FBI.

Source-FBI

An unspecified number of farmers have been forced out of business by the unending insecurity and prohibitive costs of agricultural inputs in Nigeria.

This assertion was made by the immediate past chairman  of the Oyo state chapter of the Day old Chicks Association of Nigeria(DOCAN), Alhaji Asimiyu Oyetunde.

''The insecurity in different parts of the country has forced several farmers out of business, they have abandoned their farms. In addition, most of the inputs such as maize and soya beans are very expensive. Prices keep increasing on a daily basis.  The poultry industry is worse hit as banks are not ready to give us loans,'' Alhaji Oyetunde lamented.

He posited that once the safety of lives and property can be guaranteed, activities in the agriculture sector should come back to life, while appealing to the government to tackle the security challenges decisively.

Igbos across Nigeria have been called upon to be at peace with their neighbors. 

This call was made on Sunday by His Royal Highness Eze(Dr.) Alex Anozie(Ezeigbo, Ezxechukwujiegosioluebube nala), in a reception organized in honor of his late wife, Queen Besty Afulenu Anozie in Ibadan, Oyo state Nigeria,

''My special appeal is for all of us to continue to live in peace with our neighbors. Continue to live in peace and God will bless you in Jesus' name. Amen. We are law-abiding people, we follow the rule of law. Let us continue to honor God and God will bless all of us in Jesus' name. Amen, Eze(Dr.)Anozie prayed.

Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown today issued the following statement as Western Washington voters mark their primary ballots and prepare to use ballot drop boxes throughout the Western District of Washington.

“Voter intimidation is a federal crime and any attempt to harass or discourage citizens from voting at our state’s secure election drop boxes will be investigated and prosecuted in federal court, said U.S. Attorney Brown.  “We recognize and revere the First Amendment right to free speech and political debate.  But there is a time when protected speech turns into acts of intimidation or threats of violence.  We will work with our law enforcement partners to investigate threats of violence, hate crimes, and any effort to intimidate voters or those tasked with ensuring free and fair elections in our state.”

Under federal law, it is a felony to intimidate or threaten other persons to discourage them from voting or for assisting others in voting.  This crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.  Federal law also prohibits bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

Through the primary and general election periods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will have District Election Officer Seth Wilkinson working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to investigate and respond to any reports of voter intimidation or threats. Assistant United States Attorney Wilkinson can be reached at (206) 553-7970 and ask to leave a message with the Civil Rights complaint hotline.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (206) 622-0460. 

Nigerians rely on their elected representatives to salvage the University Teaching Hospitals from total collapse.

This assertion was made on Monday by the Chairman of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), who also doubles as the Chairman of the union at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria, Comrade Oladayo Olabampe.

Presently, there is a Bill before the Federal House of Representatives for the amendment of the University
Teaching Hospital (Reconstitution of Boards etc.) Act CAP U15 LFN 2004  sponsored by
Honourable Bamidele Salam representing Ede North/Ede South /Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal
Constituency of Osun State.
The Bill, seeks to curtail the unending acrimony among professionals in the teaching hospitals by ensuring that all critical stakeholders are involved in the composition of the boards of Teaching Hospitals, with a view to making them more vibrant and efficient.

"Nigerians rely so much on their representatives that we trust them. We trust them to do the right thing. The bill has passed second reading and is now for public hearing. Come the 27th of this month, we don't have to doubt them, we should rather appreciate them for rising up to the challenge. It is because we were not ready in the last 37 years, now that we arewake I know that the bill will be given final assent, "

''Our faictilities are collapsing, but the leaders in the health sector are only interested in how to make money rather than providing equipment for the hospitals. The hospitals are deteriorating. If the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do? Thanks to Hon. Bamidele Salam, we were treating signs and symptoms, but the case is different. The amended Act will correct ou past error,''Comrade Olabampe concluded.

Principals in secondary schools in Kenya have sent a Save Our Soul appeal to the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB) as a result of the prohibitive cost of living in the country.

Earn extra income here

Their SOS is contained in a letter to the Ministry of Education requesting that schools be supplied with enough grains at affordable prices. This disclosure was made by the Chairperson of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association(KSSHA),Indimuli Kahi, during a news briefing.

Kahi stated that the intervention would go a long way to salvage the worrisome situation in the schools, saying,''As it stands, various learning institutions are unable to run effectively due to the cash constraints that have pushed their budgets beyond limits.''

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-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

FBI Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate traveled to Sydney, Australia, this past week for meetings with the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG). The international gathering brought together law enforcement leaders from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The partners discussed mutual challenges in countering global crime and national security threats.

Raymond P. Duda, assistant director of the FBI’s International Operations Division, also participated in the FELEG discussions.

Throughout the meetings, Deputy Director Abbate emphasized the commitment of the law enforcement partners to share information and expertise and the importance of maintaining and further developing these essential relationships to better protect citizens in all five nations and around the world.

Source-FBI

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-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

Trio from South Dakota and Colorado Federally Indicted for Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Firearm Offense Against FBI Employee

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that three individuals, one who resides in South Dakota and two who reside in Colorado, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

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Juan Francisco Alvarez-Soto, age 23 and originally from El Salvador; Deyvin Morales, age 27 and originally from Guatemala; and Lourdes Alondra Bonilla, age 23 and originally from Colorado, were indicted on May 19, 2022.  The defendants appeared before a magistrate judge in the District of Colorado, and each defendant pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.  The three defendants will be transported to the District of South Dakota for further court proceedings.

-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

The maximum term of imprisonment upon conviction for each count is as follows: up to life for Kidnapping; up to fifteen (15) years for Carjacking; and a mandatory minimum of seven (7) years up to life for Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.  Each count also has a maximum fine of $250,000. 

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

According to the indictment, on or about May 6, 2022, near Red Shirt, in the District of South Dakota, the defendants, Juan Francisco Alvarez-Sorto, a/k/a Juan Francisco Alvarez, a/k/a “Juanito R.,” a/k/a “Juan Jr.,”  Deyvin Morales, a/k/a Deyvin Eliabid Escriba Morales, a/k/a Deybi Eleabit Escriba Morales, a/k/a “Guate,” a/k/a “Watay,” a/k/a “Chapine,” and Lourdes Alondra Bonilla, a/k/a “Bhabie Doze,” a/k/a “Princess_Doze,” did willfully and knowingly kidnap and abduct a victim.  At the time, the victim was engaged in the performance of their official duties as a professional support employee with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The defendants also took the victim’s vehicle, with force, violence, and intimidation, and brandished a rifle during the commission of the charged criminal conduct.  It is alleged that the defendants aided and abetted each other in committing the charges set forth in the indictment.

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

The charges are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.   

The defendants were all detained pending further court proceedings in South Dakota.  A trial date has not been set.

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

Most of those in the political class have never protected the interests of Nigerian workers. Every worker must take this into consideration  when deciding in the 2023 General Elections. Vote Wisely.

Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt                                                            -Legalizing Crime and Criminality

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality                 -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

                                                                            Press Release

WASHINGTON – Donnell Owens, a former employee of the American Federation of Government Employees, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for an embezzlement scheme in which he stole more than $270,000 from the labor union.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Mark Wheeler, Director of the Washington District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.

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            Owens, 34, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty in October 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of embezzlement and theft of labor union assets. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following his prison term, Owens will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $273,745 in restitution and an equal amount in a forfeiture money judgment.

-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

            According to the statement of offense submitted to the Court and admitted by Owens, from October 2014 through June 2018, Owens worked as a Secretary to the Director of Communications at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a labor organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. which represents workers in various functions of the private sector and the government affecting commerce throughout the United States and overseas.  During this period, Owens embezzled more than $270,000 in AFGE funds for his use and the use of others. 

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

            As detailed in court documents, throughout the scheme Owens abused and misused his position and employment at AFGE in order to seek and obtain illegal monetary gains at the expense of the labor organization.  For example, Owens submitted false and fraudulent check requests for payments related to services, such as photography and videography, that were purportedly provided by alleged vendors.  As a result of these submissions, AFGE funds were subsequently disbursed.  These check requests listed fictitious dollar amounts for fake work assignments supposedly performed by vendors, who were not actually hired by AFGE.  In fact, the purported vendors who allegedly performed the fake work assignments were really friends and associates of Owens, who he recruited as part of his illegal scheme. 

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

            As Secretary to the Director of Communications, Owens also had access to an Amazon account and a union credit card linked to it. During the scheme, Owens also used this account and linked credit card to embezzle items and make dozens of unauthorized personal purchases, including clothing, shoes, jewelry, and party supplies.  Additionally, Owens used union credit cards to purchase items from other online retailers for personal use, including T-shirts for his online business, microphones, and flowers. 

            To avoid detection and cover up the fraud, Owens provided falsified signatures, fraudulent expense vouchers, and altered receipts for these items.  However, the investigation revealed photos of Owens, his family members, and associates wearing the clothing purchased on Amazon with the union credit card on social media accounts belonging to the defendant. 

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

            This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne P. McNamara of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller and Paralegal Specialists Amanda Rohde and Mariela Andrade.

Source-FBI

A senior Police Officer in Kenya has recounted how he was defrauded of Ksh 597, 100 by syndicate via sim card swap.
 Commanding Police Division (OCPD), Peter Mwanzo, testified against one of the members of the syndicate , one Gideon Mark before a magistrate’s court in Milimani, Nairobi, where the latter was accused of stealing Ksh597,100 in a sim-swap fraud.

Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt                                                           -Legalizing Crime and Criminality

He stated that  at about  6.45 pm he received a phone call from a private number but he did not pick up although the caller kept bugging his phone. He put the phone in flight mode to avoid further disturbance.
He deactivated the flight mode at 6.50pm, but his mobile phone failed to pick up the signal. Mwanzo rechecked his phone at 9 pm but it had not yet picked network.

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality
Mwanzo stated that after the problem persisted, he visited a sim card outlet in the neighbourhood to get assistance. The attendant, he narrated, informed him that his sim card had failed and advised him to do a replacement.
The senior police officer continues :
“She could not tell how I lost the sim card but I did the replacement and it was reactivated. Upon turning on my phone, I was surprised by the messages that started coming in.

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

"I tried to purchase airtime and send money but the transaction failed and got a message that I had exceeded my limits,” the senior police officer told the court.
“I was shocked that I had even registered a loan and a mobile money account. I had never applied for any loan or registered with the subscriber,” Mwanzo recalled.
He told the court that he does not know how and where the fraudsters obtained his private information to carry out the bank transactions.

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate
The statements indicated that the money was moved in four batches. The police boss noted that although the scammers were in Donholm, Nairobi, the money that was stolen from his account was withdrawn by a third party in Bomet.
Mwanzo  requested his mobile money and bank account statements to confirm the alleged transactions.

“To my surprise, on that night, I had transacted from a bank account to mobile money about Ksh597,100,” he stated.
“Someone used my sim card remotely. This is madness and it seemed easy for the third party to use my sim card.” the senior police officer lamented.

The monetization and politicization of trade unionism in Nigeria has impacted negatively on workers in the country.
This assertion was made by a member of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria(ASCSN)(Federal, Oyo state chapter), Comrade Olaniyi Ajibosho.

Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt                                          -Legalizing Crime and Criminality
The union as a whole has been monetized and politicized.  The main purpose of the union is to protect the interest of cheated Nigerian workers. Most Labor leaders believe in political patronage rather than  protecting the interests of impoverished workers. The way forward is for there to be a continous sensitzation and education of workers on the need for them to support credible personalities who will never compromise and sell out, '' Comrade Ajibosho stated.

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has released its annual report.

The 2021 Internet Crime Report (pdf) includes information from 847,376 complaints of suspected internet crime—a 7% increase from 2020—and reported losses exceeding $6.9 billion. State-specific statistics have also been released and can be found within the 2021 Internet Crime Report and in the accompanying 2021 State Reports
 Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt
The top three cyber crimes reported by victims in 2021 were phishing scams, non-payment/non-delivery scams, and personal data breach. Victims lost the most money to business email compromise scams, investment fraud, and romance and confidence schemes.  

In addition to statistics, the IC3’s 2021 Internet Crime Report  contains information about the most prevalent internet scams affecting the public and offers guidance for prevention and protection. It also highlights the FBI’s work combatting internet crime, including recent case examples. Finally, the 2021 Internet Crime Report  explains the IC3, its mission, and functions.

-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

The IC3 gives the public a reliable and convenient mechanism to report suspected internet crime to the FBI. The FBI analyzes and shares information from submitted complaints for investigative and intelligence purposes, for law enforcement, and for public awareness. 

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

With the release of the 2021 Internet Crime Report, the FBI wants to remind the public to immediately report suspected criminal internet activity to the IC3 at ic3.gov. By reporting internet crime, victims are not only alerting law enforcement to the activity but aiding in the overall fight against cybercrime. 

To report an online crime or view IC3’s annual reports and public service announcements, visit ic3.gov.  

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

The Mozambique Government has assured its citiznes that efforts to curb insecurity are underway despite terrorists' threats.
The Government made this known through the Prime Minister, Adriano Maleiane.

Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt                                                             -Legalizing Crime and Criminality
“State institutions are functioning normally and in general there is a peaceful environment which allows the free circulation of people and goods.  We are continuing to face challenges resulting from terrorist actions. We are sure that, with the consolidation of public order and tranquillity, together with the reconstruction actions under way, we shall ensure the resumption of economic activities, including the natural gas projects in the Rovuma Basin”, Maleiane stated.

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality                  -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

The prevalence of opportunists in Zambia who take advantage of belonging to the political party in power to promote selfish interests rather than serving the country has been condemned.
This condemnation was given  by the Member of Parliament representing Chiengi province, Hon. Given Katuta on her Facebook page.

Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt                                                               -Legalizing Crime and Criminality
''You don’t have to necessarily belong to a ruling political party to serve this nation better! Stop fooling us! You are doing so, for selfish reasons…..shameless harlots! Who isn’t aware you are in a hurry to join the ruling party so you may be forgiven of your past crimes or simply because you are looking for survival since you are lazy suckers who can’t survive on your own unless through government resources.''

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality
''This country seems to have ‘kissed goodbye’ to political ideology once UNIP got ejected from power in the early 1990s. Immediately the flame was extinguished to be replaced by the clock, we woke up to smartly dressed individuals in business suits, their chests adorned with an array of degrees, who wasted no time pontificating about the manner liberal economic policies would extricate us from the quagmire in their impressive fake American accents! Did they even believe in their own mantra in the first place?''

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach
''Enough is enough! We must start addressing such individuals by their correct titles – unpatriotic and selfish citizens hell-bent on plundering our resources. These are lazy chaps who can’t survive outside the framework of politics. They are used to being associated with a party in power so they can continue enjoying the spoils through government jobs or contracts, Katuta posted.

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

Man Charged with Transnational Repression Campaign While Acting as an Illegal Agent of the Chinese Government in the United States

A Chinese national is charged in a criminal complaint, which was unsealed today in the Southern District of New York, with conspiring to act in the United States as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

According to court documents, Sun Hoi Ying, aka Sun Haiying, 45, of the PRC, from at least February 2017 through February 2022, acted in the United States as an agent of the PRC government, without notifying the U.S. Attorney General as required by law.

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“This case demonstrates, once again, the PRC’s disdain for the rule of law and its efforts to coerce and intimidate those it targets on our shores as part of its Operation Fox Hunt,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The defendant allegedly traveled to the United States and enlisted others, including a sworn law enforcement officer, to spy on and blackmail his victims. Such conduct is both criminal and reprehensible.”

-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

“The PRC government launched a campaign dubbed ‘Operation Fox Hunt,’ a global plot to repress dissent and to forcibly repatriate so-called ‘fugitives’ – including citizens living legally in the United States – through the use of unsanctioned, unilateral and illegal practices,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “We allege Mr. Sun, as part of that campaign, attempted to threaten and coerce a victim into bending to the PRC’s will, even using a co-conspirator who is a member of U.S. law enforcement to reinforce that the victim had no choice but to comply with the PRC government’s demands. Today’s charges reflect this office’s continued commitment, working hand in hand with our partners at the FBI, to combat transnational repression and bringing to justice those who perpetrate it.”

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

“The Chinese government takes advantage of our freedoms — freedoms they deny their own citizens — to advance their authoritarian regime, and calls uncomfortable truths about their behavior rumors and lies,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “There’s nothing false about seeing example after example of the Chinese government’s underhanded and illegal behavior here in the United States. I urge anyone to contact the FBI if you feel you’re a victim of the Chinese government’s illegal Fox Hunt activities.”

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

“As alleged, Sun Hoi Ying, acting at the direction of the PRC government, engaged in a range of activities designed to pressure individuals in the United States to return to the PRC to face charges brought by the Chinese government,” said Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “Our commitment to protecting the freedoms enjoyed by all United States residents is steadfast. Today's action is the latest example of our unwavering determination to combat transnational repression in all its forms.”

According to court documents, the FBI has been involved in an investigation of individuals who, working at the direction of the PRC government, have engaged in an international campaign, known alternatively as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Skynet,” to pressure individuals located in the United States and elsewhere to return to the PRC to face charges or to otherwise reach financial settlements with the PRC government.

As alleged, from approximately October 2016 through May 2017, Sun conducted operations in the United States on behalf of the PRC government to pressure, threaten and collect personal information regarding victims of Operation Fox Hunt. Among other things, as part of his operations and at the direction of the PRC government, Sun hired private investigators in the United States to gather personal information on Operation Fox Hunt targets, labeled as “fugitives” by the PRC government and provided some of that information to the PRC government.

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

According to the complaint, Sun provided 35 names to a private investigator (P.I.-1) working at a U.S. company (Firm-1) of individuals described as PRC fugitives, including Victim-1, who is a U.S. citizen that previously lived in the PRC, worked at a PRC-owned company, and was subsequently accused by the PRC government of embezzlement. As alleged, P.I.-1 conducted surveillance at Victim-1’s home and provided a report to Firm-1 and Sun. By June 2018, the PRC government had publicly disseminated personal identifying information of Victim-1 – including case details, a photograph and home address – on PRC-based news media websites.

While Sun was collecting information about Victim-1 for the PRC government, Victim-1’s daughter (Victim-2), who is a U.S. citizen and was pregnant at the time, was held against her will in the PRC for approximately eight months. In or about October 2016, Victim-2, her spouse and her minor child attempted to leave the PRC to return to the United States. However, Victim-2 was told by PRC customs officials and a PRC prosecutor (Prosecutor-1) that she could not leave and was subject to an “exit ban.” While Victim-2’s spouse and minor child were able to return to the United States, Victim-2 was told that, since Victim-1 had committed a crime, the “exit ban” on Victim-2 was a consequence of Victim-1’s fugitive status. The PRC prosecutor further told Victim-2: (1) that she would not be permitted to leave the PRC until she helped cause Victim-1 to return to the PRC to resolve Victim-1’s criminal case; (2) that Victim-2 was not to discuss the “exit ban” with the U.S. government; and (3) that the U.S. Embassy was helpless to address Victim-2’s status in the PRC. When Victim-2 explained to Prosecutor-1 that she was pregnant and wished to deliver her baby in the United States, Prosecutor-1 told Victim-2 she would deliver her baby in the PRC if the conditions were not yet met for the “exit ban” to be lifted.

According to the complaint, on or about Dec. 1, 2019, Sun also sought out, located and met with an Operation Fox Hunt target (Victim-3), in New York City, in coordination with a co-conspirator who is a local U.S. law enforcement officer. During the meeting, Sun threatened and pressured the victim, including by threatening that the PRC government would take certain adverse and retaliatory actions if the victim did not comply with the demands of the PRC government.

Sun is charged with one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman and Kyle A. Wirshba for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The FBI’s New York Field Office is investigating the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source-FBI

Founder Of Cyberfraud Prevention Company Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Investors Of Over $100 Million

Adam Rogas Raised $123 Million From Investors Using Financial Statements That Showed Tens of Millions of Dollars of Revenue and Assets that Did Not Exist

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ADAM ROGAS, the co-founder and former CEO, CFO, and member of the board of directors of Las Vegas-based cyberfraud prevention company NS8, Inc. (“NS8”), pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to securities fraud.  ROGAS used fraudulent financial data to obtain over $123 million in financing for NS8, of which he personally obtained approximately $17.5 million. ROGAS pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Cronan on August 10, 2022. 

Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Today, Adam Rogas admitted to being the proverbial fox guarding the henhouse.  While claiming to be in the fraud prevention business, Rogas himself defrauded investors in his company of over $100 million.  Now Rogas will be held accountable for his fraudulent scheme.”

According to the Complaint, Indictment, and other publicly-filed documents: 

ADAM ROGAS was a co-founder of NS8, and served as its CEO, CFO, and a member of its board of directors.  ROGAS was also primarily responsible for the company’s fundraising activities.  NS8, which was based in Las Vegas, Nevada, was a cyberfraud prevention company that developed and sold electronic tools to help online vendors assess the fraud risks of customer transactions.  In the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2020, NS8 engaged in fundraising rounds through which it issued Series A Preferred Shares and obtained approximately $123 million in investor funds.

-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

ROGAS maintained control over a bank account into which NS8 received revenue from its customers, and periodically provided monthly statements from that account to NS8’s finance department so that NS8’s financial statements could be created.  ROGAS also maintained control over spreadsheets that purportedly tracked customer revenue, which were also used to generate NS8’s financial statements.

ROGAS altered the bank statements before providing them to NS8’s finance department to show tens of millions of dollars in both customer revenue and bank balances that did not exist.  In the period from January 2019 through February 2020, between at least approximately 40% and 95% of the purported total assets on NS8’s balance sheet were fictitious.  In that same period, the bank statements that ROGAS altered reflected over $40 million in fictitious revenue.

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

Altered (L) and original (R) bank statements for NS8’s revenue account.  Rogas altered statements for the account to show tens of millions of dollars in revenue (deposits) that did not exist.

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

ROGAS used these materially misleading financial statements to raise approximately $123 million from investors in the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2020.  During the fundraising process, ROGAS also provided the falsified bank records he had created to auditors who were conducting due diligence on behalf of potential investors.  After these fundraising rounds concluded, NS8 conducted a tender offer with the funds raised from investors, and ROGAS received $17.5 million in proceeds from that tender offer, personally and through a company he controlled.

*                      *                      *

ROGAS, 44, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

-Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI in this investigation.  Mr. Williams further thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation.  

This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Cooper and Jared Lenow are in charge of the prosecution.  

Source-FBI

President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame has declared that the country has made progress as a result of the involvement of women in governance.

Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt                                                -Legalizing Crime and Criminality

President Kagame made this known on Tuesday in his message shared on twitter to celebrate the International Women’s Day.

‘’From the beginning, RPF has walked the talk by creating an environment that enabled women to take their rightful place. Gender equality has always been central to the politics of RPF. The progress we see in Rwanda today is the result of this commitment to inclusivity. ‘’

                                             -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

‘’Equality is a right not a favour. We must challenge ourselves to do even more and better to ensure that the next generations of our daughters and granddaughters inherit a nation where their aspirations have no limits.’’ President Kagame tweeted.

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach                                       -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

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The planned national population census by the Federal Government of Nigeria months to the 2023 general elections is borne out of sinister agenda revolving around self-interests by certain government officials.

This assertion was made an Ex-Officio of the Oyo state Council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is also a former Chairman of the unions in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’The Federal Government’s to conduct the national population census, several months to the 2023 general elections is suspicious and borne out of the self -centered agenda of certain government officials which is very sinister. When considerations given to the multifarious problems of the country, insecurity inclusive, the national census should not be the priority,’’ Comrade Emelieze stated.

Read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

         -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

         -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

         -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

The unabating and worrisome insecurity in several parts of Nigeria is a reflection of the incompetence and helplessness of leaders at all levels of government in Nigeria.
This assertion was made by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo State Council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Who is also a former chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
'The kidnappings, killings(for ritual purposes inclusive), bloodletting, and other violent crimes have all established the fact that Those-in-Charge of government at all levels are incompetent and helpless. They are either overwhelmed, helpless in handling the worrisome security situation, or covertly supporting the ugly situation. Man proposes God disposes,'' Comrade Emelieze noted.

Read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality                              -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

         -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach          -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

                                                                         Press Release

PHOENIX, AZ—Falling in love or falling victim? They could be one and the same. FBI Phoenix wants to educate the public on romance scams, also known as confidence fraud.

Romance scams occur when an individual believes they are in a relationship (family, friendly, or romantic) and are tricked into sending money, personal and financial information, or items of value to the fraudster. This includes the Grandparent’s Scheme and any scheme in which the perpetrator preys on the victim’s “heartstrings”.

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 651 Arizona victims reported losses of more than $20.9 million in connection with confidence fraud/romance scams in 2021. That’s about a 65% increase from the more than $12 million Arizona residents reported losing in 2020.

The FBI suggests these tips if you develop a relationship with someone online:

Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the material has been used elsewhere.

Never provide your financial information or loan money to someone online. Do not allow your bank accounts to be used for transfers of funds. Never send money to anyone you don’t know personally.

If you are traveling to a foreign country to meet someone check the State Department’s Travel Advisories beforehand Travel, provide your itinerary to family and friends, and do not travel alone if possible.

Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or Facebook to go “offline.”

Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.

Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse as to why he or she can’t. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, you have good reason to be suspicious.

If you are planning to meet someone in person you have met online, meet in a public place, and let someone know where you will be and what time you should return home.

Victims may be hesitant to report being taken advantage of due to embarrassment, shame, or humiliation. It’s important to remember, romance scams can happen to anyone at any time.

If you suspect your online relationship is a scam, cease all contact immediately. If you are a victim who has already sent money, immediately report the incident to your financial institution. Then inform your local law enforcement agency or FBI Phoenix at (623) 466-1999. Victims are also encouraged to file a complaint with the FBI at ic3.gov.

For more information on romance scams, visitClick

Source-FBI

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          -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

          -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

          -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

Nigerians have been advised to vote in a President with governance experience,integrity and a high level of initiative.

Read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

This advice was given by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo state Council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is also a former Chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

‘’Nigerians always make the mistake of idolizing personalities with the hope that such personalities shall facilitate good governance. This is deceptive as reflected in the present administration at all levels. Nigerians should vote in a  healthy President who is physically fit, with a wealth of experience, integrity and a very high level of initiative. Same for all political office holders occupying executive and legislative positions at the federal, state and local government levels.

However, for good governance to be achieved, the system must be overhauled before the general elections in 2023. If the system is not overhauled, the next President, a number of Governors and lawmakers could be worse than what we are experiencing presently,’’ Comrade Emelieze warned.

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach                                       -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

Nigerians have been called upon to be Scripture complaint to enable divine intervention in the affairs of the country.

This call was made on Saturday by the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Isalm Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke in address titled SAVING NIGERIA FROM BECOMING A FAILED STATE : OUR COLLECTIVE CHALLENGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES at the Grand Finale of the Shafudeen-inIsalm Wordwide annual convention ‘Ishrat 2022’ in Ibadan, Oyo state Nigeria.

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‘’Let us be more serious and practical on scripture compliance of our chosen religion to allow for divine intervention in our affairs in Nigeria for the restoration of peace, regulation and control of our security network for ensured peaceful co-existence and sustainable development for people’s wellness and prosperous land with high exporting index and high Human Development index, Prof. Olagoke stated.

-Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

He asserted that good governance was an antidote to system failure saying, ‘’Dignity of labor, competence, good work attitude, timely response in attending to issues, Transparency, Accountability, Trust, Deterrence based on effective scale of Justice and Respect for Equity concept, are the thrust of Governance to avoid driving Nigeria towards a failed state.’’

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach                                               -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

The Association of Teachers of French in Uganda has appealed to the Government to introduce a policy on foreign languages.
The association made this appeal in a petition to the Ministry of East African Community Affairs.
The petition lamented the sharp decline in the number of French candidates in different schools in the country while drawing attention to the lack of a clear foreign language policy, lack of sensitization about the importance of international languages, and negative subject choice policy at Advanced level classes continue to impact French negatively.
It also emphasized the need for teaching French with specific purposes for professional development just as it urged the government to reinforce the National Curriculum Development Centre-NCDC’s policy to enable compulsory integration and learning of French in secondary schools and universities.

Read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality                                -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

-Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach                     -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate   

The Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke has declared that the changes in the fortunes of Nigeria revolves around the change in the mindset of its leaders.

Prof. Olagoke made this declaration recently, at the 7th Valedictory service of the Shafaudeen Comprehensive College, Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

‘’We want changes for Nigeria and in the lives of our leaders, so that the future will favor us and our youth. We must not shoot ourselves in the foot’,, he stated.

In her remarks, the Proprietress of the college, Alhaja Simiat Olagoke urge parents to constantly pray for their children adding, ‘’show them the right way, so that you and your children shall live in peace.’’

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

                -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

                -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

                -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

In this dispensation of insecurity and violent crimes in Nigeria, the urgent need for undiluted news and commentaries for the people cannot be overemphasized.

However, the focus of most of the outlets owned by non-professionals revolves around pecuniary,political and self-driven interests.

This has resulted in the dissemination of outright falsehood,half-truths and sponsored propaganda.

Sadly,a sizable number of professionals have made patronage their guiding lights,even as mediocrity and quackery have now taken over the media space.

In Victorian Britain,The Morning Post came into being in 1772 while the Times in 1785,during the period the government launched a campaign of restriction on the Press which resulted in the emergence of six notorious Acts in 1819.

William Cobbett published the Political Register and later on Two Penny Trash which infringed the provisions of the publications Act of 1819.

Wooller published The Black Dwarf,a miner’s newspaper in 1817. John Gast owned The Gorgon, the First Trade Union newspaper in 1818, while Richard Carlile was responsible for The Republican.

Carlile had several brushes with the government.

There was also Hetherington, who published Poor Man’s Guardian on July 9, 1831. The Guardian also had a prolonged brush with government.

Of worry is the fact that those who lack knowledge are daily on the increase in Nigeria,while the government has been relentless in the application of covert and overt methods in suppressing the flow of knowledge and information to the curious population.

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

             -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

             -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

             -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

The Founder,Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Isalm Worldwide, Prof.Sabitu Olagoke has called on Nigerians to cultivate lives revolving around Godliness and spirituality.

Prof.Olagoke made this call recently while delivering a lecture titled,’’ASCENSION PARADOX OF THE SOCIO-SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF MANKIND'', in an event to mark his 65th birthday in Ibadan, Nigeria.

‘’What does it benefit a man that gains the whole world but loses his life of spirituality- a ticket to enter through the narrow gate into paradise or Jannat. This is the practice of God, the almighty Allah that we will not find changing(Q 48 Vs. 23). Is this not a a paradox of our condescension to the mother earth and ascension to heaven like the water will fall to form a lake and vaporize to form another cloud of rain leaving the sediments of impurities behind. Therefore,live a Godly life full of spiritual aura,’’Prof.Olagoke concluded.

In a related development, Prof.Olagoke has made a passionate appeal to all the descendants of the Aare Alasa compound,Ojaba, Ibadan, Oyo state to support and cooperate with with him in the task of uplifting the dynasty.

Prof.Olagoke made this appeal on Monday during his installation ceremony as the Mogaji Aare Alasa Dynasty in Ibadan, Nigeria.

‘’It is important that I need the support and cooperation of every person(Q3 Vs.81) dead or alive, young and old to transform Aare Alasa compound into befitting modern day quality and standard setting on the platform of wellness and welfarism. All hands must be on deck,’’Prof.Olagoke stated.

Also read-Live Godly Lives-Prof.Olagoke to Nigerians

              -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

              -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

              -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

                                                                                              Press Release

WILKES-BARRE- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brian Buglio, age 46, of Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr., to two months of imprisonment and a one-year term of supervised release that includes four months of home confinement.

According to Acting United States Bruce D. Brandler, Buglio, the former Chief of Police for the West Hazleton Police Department, pleaded guilty to a deprivation of civil rights, after he threatened a private citizen with felony criminal charges, in retaliation for social media posts created by the private citizen that were critical of Buglio and of the West Hazleton Police Department.

In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Saporito deemed Buglio’s actions an “abuse of power” when he threatened to use the criminal justice system to further his own personal interests.  In addition to the term of imprisonment and supervised release, Judge Saporito also ordered Buglio to pay a $5,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Scranton Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and federal agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

Source : FBI

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

                 -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

                 -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

                  -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

PITTSBURGH, PA – Bobby Askew was sentenced to 27 months in prison for distributing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, including within 1,000 feet of a school in Butler, Pennsylvania, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Askew, age 39, formerlyof Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. Judge Colville ordered that Askew serve six years of supervised release following his prison term.

In 2009, Askew was convicted of crack cocaine trafficking in Philadelphia. He was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in state prison. After being paroled from state prison, he relocated to Butler in Butler County and trafficked fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine as part of a Butler-based drug trafficking crew. Askew dealt these drugs on a regular basis between 2017 and 2020, including within 1,000 feet of multiple schools in Butler.

Assistant United States Attorneys Yvonne M. Saadi and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

The Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Butler County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force led the investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case.

Source-FBI

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

                -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

                -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach  

                -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

The Uganda Police has declared that the deployment of senior police officers shall be determined by their performances in the ongoing anti-terrorism training program.
This disclosure was made by Police Public Relations Officer, The Uganda Police has declared that the deployment of senior police officers shall be determined by their performances in the ongoing anti-terrorism training program.
This disclosure was made by Police Public Relations Officer,The Uganda Police has declared that the deployment of senior police officers shall be determined by their performances in the ongoing anti-terrorism training program.
This disclosure was made by Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), Mr. Fred Enanga.

“It is not going to be automatic that everyone will go back to where he or she was. Their deployment is going to be based on their performance during training. This will be concluded by the end of two weeks,” the PPRO stated.

A total of  170 District/Division Police Commanders(DPC) on the completion of  a three months refresher course last week were been sent on two weeks leave.

The late Deputy Inspector General of Police Lt Gen Paul Lokech had sent the commanders to Olilim Counter-Terrorism Police Training School in Katakwi district in May to equip them with new skills in observing human rights during their day-to-day operations, swifter response to emergencies and building community policing.

However, But before their departure, Lokech had ordered them to hand over their offices to Officers In-charge of the various stations, who, from the time were to serve as acting DPCs.

Some of the DPCs had already been replaced in the reshuffle issued out by Lokech two weeks before his death
. The decision to retrain DPCs was concluded during a meeting with DPCs and President Yoweri Museveni at Entebbe State House in April. Museveni reportedly raised a number of issues that rotated around chaotic scenes registered during political party primaries and general elections.

The issues highlighted included lack of intelligence gathering techniques which saw some political groups successfully organize protests, failure to brief juniors on operation procedures which saw them shooting and injuring civilians during the election period while other DPCs were accused of hobnobbing with groups evicting people.

President Yoweri Museveni had earlier on ordered the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola to draft new operation rules and ensure they are shared with each policeman. Ochola came up with 15 Standard Operating Procedures to address the gaps, and printed 50.000 copies of revised SOPs which were shared with every police officer.

Police commanders and their juniors were advised to ensure strict adherence to the SOPs in order to minimize operational mistakes and further enable police officers to enforce law and order, to the expectations of the public they serve.

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

                -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

                -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

                -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

The First Lady of Rwanda, The First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame has called on parents and other stakeholders to ensure that their children obtain a quality education.
Kagame made this call in a tweet,  on Wednesday, June 16, a day set aside as the Day of the African Child.

“This year, as Rwanda focuses on the role of the community in promoting ECD, we are calling on parents, partners, employers, and everyone to continue supporting these efforts geared towards ensuring every child’s access to quality education, care, health, and protection,” the First Lady stated.

The Executive Secretary of the  Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria(MUSWEN) Prof. Yahyah Muslih has taken a swipe at those who teach children things beyond their intelligence.
Prof. Muslih gave this condemnation recently at an event organized by the Peacemakers Guide, Nigeria in collaboration with Shafaudeen Center for  Religious Cooperation and Tolerance(SCRCT) to commemorate the 20121 United Nations Women's day of Peace and Disarmament in Ibadan, Nigeria.
''What do we see in the world today? Our children, these days, are taught what they should not know, what is beyond their intelligence. We are in this world to live and worship God and not to bring an end to life. Each individual has a role to play to create a situation where we need less and less of arms and ammunition'',  he noted.
The program was  Chaired by the immediate past Executive Chairman of MUSWEN, Prof. Dawud Noibi, also featured the inauguration of the Founder, Spiritual Head, and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke, his wife, and other members as the Chairman, Chairperson and members of the Board of Trustees of the Guide.
Prof. Noibi, in his remarks, acknowledged the fact that in all parts of the world, women have been the victims of violence rather than the troublemakers 
Similarly, the Director-General of the Guide, Prof. Adegbolagun George asserted that gender discrimination among women had over time resulted in gender violence, adding '' when women are involved in diplomacy and governance the world becomes more peaceful''.
The immediate past chairman of the Board of Trustees is Emeritus Archbishop, Methodist Church, Nigeria, Most Revd. Ayo Ladigbolu.

A former Oyo State Governor Senator Rashidi Ladoja has called on Nigerians to give thanks to God for His mercies in these perilous times of the coronavirus pandemic.
This call was made by Senator Ladoja in an interaction with newsmen on Thursday at his Ondo Street, Bodija, Ibadan, Nigeria residence.
''we have to thank God for all that is happening. The prediction was that in Africa we would pick dead bodies on the streets during the coronavirus pandemic. We have to thank God. In Africa, the pandemic, we as not hit as the developed countries, where their medical system is very advanced,'' Senator Ladoja declared.

An Ex-Officio of the Oyo State Council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze has alerted workers in the Federal Civil Service of the plans to lay off workers on particular grades.

Comrade Emelieze who is also the former Chairman of the TUC in the state made this known in a chat with Poverty Line.

''It should be noted that the idea to cut down the workforce, reduce salaries and merge Ministries, Departments and Agencies is not acceptable, considering what workers are passing through. However, it is the intention of the Federal Government to sack workers in particular grades in the Federal Civil Service.

These policies are been driven by the conditions spelled out in the documents containing the country's indebtedness to the International Monetary Fund(IMF) and the World Bank, in the face of corruption and leakages from the national wealth,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

The unabating insecurity in Nigeria has caused workers to now live in perpetual fear.

This assertion was made by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo State Council of the Trade Union Congress, who is also a former chairman of the union, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Workers and as a matter of fact, all Nigerians now live in perpetual fear and we are not sure of going back home anytime we set out to work, neither are we also sure of our security at home. Workers are at great risk due to the total collapse of the security architecture in the country.''

Comrade Emelieze wondered why labor leaders have been mute on the worrisome situation saying, ''one would have expected a swift response from labor leaders in the Nigeria Labor Congress and the Trade Union Congress; but the leadership of the labor centers and their affiliate industrial unions have been quiet while lives and properties have been lost. Labor has maintained passivity in the face of kidnappings and killings in Nigeria. The Government is deliberately sacrificing Nigerians and Soldiers for a sinister agenda that still remains unknown, Comrade Emelieze stated.

The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has ordered the armed forces to move against all illegal miners in the country's waterways.

This disclosure was made in a statement signed by the country's Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah.

“President Akufo-Addo has authorized the Ghana Armed Forces to commence an operation to remove all persons and logistics involved in mining from Ghana’s water bodies. The operation which started on the River Pra in the Central and Western regions of Ghana involves 200 officers of the Ghana Armed Forces,” the Minister stated.

The Ghana Water Company and the state water utility board, have both suspended halted operations in some communities as a result of the bad state of the turbidity of raw water in these communities, due to illegal mining activities.

The allegation by the Edo State Governor that the Federal Government printed N60 billion to meet its financial obligations portends great danger for the country.
This assertion was made in a Chat with People by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo State Council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is also a former Chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze 
''What this means is that governance is no longer effective, this portends great danger for Nigeria, it also means that the government is broke. The implication of this is that the Central Bank of Nigeria might be forced to start printing the Niara unnecessarily. This suggests a collapsed economy,'' Comrade Emelieze concluded.

Government at all levels have been advised to take advantage of the Easter season to redeem their battered images by catering to the needs of downtrodden  Nigerians.
This advice was given by a Christian cleric, Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi in a chat with People.
'' The Federal, State and Local governments should make use of the Easter period to regain the confidence of the people by providing for their needs. The economy is in a bad state, there are hunger and poverty in the land. Foodstuff is very expensive and Nigerians are disillusioned. Government should remember the poor when formulating policies. It should also end the spate of kidnappings and killings in different parts of the country,'' Pastor Ajayi stated.

Government at all levels have been advised to take advantage of the Easter season to redeem their battered images by catering to the needs of downtrodden  Nigerians.
This advice was given by a Christian cleric, Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi in a chat with People.
'' The Federal, State and Local governments should make use of the Easter period to regain the confidence of the people by providing for their needs. The economy is in a bad state, there are hunger and poverty in the land. Foodstuff is very expensive and Nigerians are disillusioned. Government should remember the poor when formulating policies. It should also end the spate of kidnappings and killings in different parts of the country,'' Pastor Ajayi stated.

The United States of America has donated K36.75 million to the Zambian Government as assistance for its COVID 19 vaccination exercise.
This disclosure was made in a press statement by the country's Minister of Health, Dr. Jonas Chanda.
“We are grateful for the support of Zambia’s all-weather friend the United States government who have announced a commitment of an additional K36.75 million ($1.75 million) to provide technical assistance to Zambia’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign targeted at providing critical technical and logistical support to the Ministry of Health for planning, coordination, and delivery of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for Zambians,” Dr. Chanda said.
The Minister of Health also disclosed that the Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) had formulated the National Vaccine Deployment Plan to guide the rollout.
“The Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) met on Friday 26th March 2021 to consider key aspects of the COVID-19 vaccination program. Among the key issues discussed was the consideration of the findings of the report from the Zambian Immunization Technical Advisory Group providing guidance on COVID-19 vaccines being considered for deployment.
“The ICC formally adopted the National Vaccine Deployment Plan to guide the roll-out, including considerations for the cold chain, in line with Cabinet’s guidance on COVID-19 vaccinations which are critical to controlling the pandemic, slowing the emergence of new variants, and helping to boost the economy. Zambia has also successfully met all the requirements set by GAVI under the COVAX facility,” he concluded.
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Thousands of residents of Nairobi have relocated from the capital city ahead of the government move to enforce COVID 19 measures to curb the third wave of the pandemic.
 In  December 2020, there was a similar occurrence, a few days before President Uhuru Kenyatta revised Covid-19 measures during the second Covid-19 wave. The President, however, reduced curfew hours from 9 pm - 5 am to 10 pm - 4 am.

Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi has warned that Kenya was recording an increase in the number of COVID 19 cases.
"Nairobi's contribution to the positivity is staggering and stands at close to 57.7 percent and that is very high and disheartening. As we have repeatedly said, it would be irresponsible for us to sit back and watch the situation deteriorate further. 
"Unless this trend is arrested, we may have no alternative but to take more stringent measures as necessary to protect the lives of our people," Mwangangi stated.

Nigerians have been admonished to be humble in the face of the myriad of challenges confronting the country.
This admonition was given by a Christian cleric, Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi.
''The scriptures are clear, we shall follow all that is in the scriptures. Nigerians should be humble in the face of the several challenges confronting the country. Humility will go a long way in addressing attitudinal issues among people,'' Pastor Ajayi stated.

The Liberian Government is set to protect intellectual property owners from the activities of pirates.
This intention was made in a Press Release issued by the Copyright Society of Liberia (COSOL).
“Pirate copies of artistic workers threaten artists and authors’ livelihoods by robbing them of their due percentage of profits and royalties. By working in partnership with the National Collective Societies of Liberia, the government is driving anti-piracy efforts through intelligence gatherings, and educations to combat the illegal trade of piracy from further flourishing, while protecting the creative industries, the Release stated.

Nigerians have been advised to shun fetish and diabolic acts to achieve success.
This advice was given by Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi in a Chat with People.
''Several Nigerians now seek get rich quick solutions through fetish and diabolic means. There is nothing the devil will give an individual that it would not take back in another way. ''
''Nigerian should seek success through hard work and godly ways. There is always a price to pay by those who seek to be successful through fetish and diabolic methods. The evil that people do daily, is negatively affecting the prosperity of the country.
Nigerians should be hardworking and God-fearing to attain success,'' Pastor Ajayi stated.
 

The Ministry of Health in Kenya has earmarked 7.5 million masks for distribution to schools and those in the informal settlements.

The distribution shall be done through the Ministry of Education.
According to the Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha who made this disclosure, priority would be given to schools with a higher enrollment rate, those in informal settlements, special schools, and schools located in pockets of poverty.
Magoha also disclosed that pupils in  Grade 4 to Grade 8 and secondary students will receive 2.25 million masks.
“The distribution will be cascaded to the regional and county levels. We have tasked the field officers to utilize the outlined criteria to select schools to benefit from the masks, which will be distributed as we receive them from the Ministry of Health,” the cabinet secretary stated.

Lara Tayor-Pearce is the Auditor General of Sierra Leone.
To ensure accountability, Taylor-Pearce decided
 to allow the public access to the annual audit reports and in the process handed Sierra Leone’s citizens the power of public scrutiny. 
They have used it to save lives, reverse injustices and prevent misplaced trust.
 We should continue to ask for answers to the queries raised in the audit reports, but this shouldn’t be the extent of our aims.
The governance culture we really need is one that welcomes effective scrutiny and accountability, as a way for communities and decision-makers to work together on improving public service delivery.
Lara Taylor-Pearce’s vision of a public audit office that is allowed to do its work with the committed support of Parliament is a vitally important step towards achieving that goal.
As Auditor General, she shows us the possibilities of good governance in Sierra Leone. To achieve them, we have to start playing by the rules. All of us, without fear or favor.

The First Lady of Zimbabwe, Mrs. Auxilia Mnangagwa has called on all Zimbabwe women to observe three-day fasting and prayer for God to ward of the coronavirus pandemic presently ravaging Zimbabwe and the world.
Mrs. Mnangagwa made this cal in a statement.

“May I as the Mother of the Nation call upon all women in Zimbabwe, and all those abroad who may so wish, to join me in fasting and praying to the Lord the Almighty from tomorrow 21 to Saturday 23 January 2021 for our nation to be spared from further calamity and suffering,”

 “Our country has witnessed a lot of Covid-19 deaths in the past two weeks. Death is within our communities, at our doorstep. There is no family that has not suffered the loss of their beloved ones because of the pandemic.
“Every day we hear of names that are succumbing.
“I thus humbly appeal to all women to commit to a three-day period from tomorrow in which we fast and pray to call for divine intervention to save the nation and our people.
“As women, we play a very important role in our society.”
“As mothers, let us enforce compliance at the family level with measures that reduce the spread of Covid-19 amongst us. We need a plan at the household level for regularly using any means at our disposal to clean and sanitize our homes; to ensure that everyone in the home knows the importance of having a mask and masking up properly; more importantly to organize sharp safe errands for our requirements to get going whilst enforcing the family to stay at home,” she said.
“Let us include the measures against Covid-19 as we play our motherly role of ensuring that every member of the family is responsible for their personal hygiene.

“As we avoid and fight stigmatization, let’s ensure that all members of the family have knowledge of how to help those that have been infected and are willing to assist those that get sick to cope whilst remaining safe from infection.
“As we pray for relief in our nation, we should observe the measures for safe praying. The best is to fast and pray as individuals in our homes, the First lady concluded.

The Oyo State Government has been accused of working against ensuring justice for the family of a 21-year-old undergraduate who lost his life in a factory incident in Ibadan, Nigeria.
This accusation was made on Wednesday by Barrister Femi Aborishade at an event in Ibadan.
''The Federal and Oyo state Governments have failed a worker who was consumed by the machine he was working with, Richard Gbadebo, an undergraduate of European Languages at the University of Ibadan. We wrote the Governor of Oyo state to prosecute the company, not even a reply to acknowledge the letter, we wrote the Attorney General, not even an acknowledgment came from his office, we wrote the office of the Director of Public Prosecution, they could not even acknowledge our letter. Same for the Commissioner of Environment, there was no acknowledgment, not even a reply. We wrote the Federal Ministry of Labor, the Minister through the Controller of Labor acknowledged our letter, they informed us that they have forwarded our request to look into what went wrong and also assured that the Minister of labor has been informed and we also received a letter that a panel has been set up'', Barrister Abroishade explained.

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the management of universities have been called upon to render assistance to patent owners in the country’s higher institutions.

This call was made recently by Prof. V.O Adetimirin of the Department of Agronomy, the University of Ibadan at a program organized by the College of Medicine of the University.

‘’We have peculiar challenges, I think we are not doing enough. Patent owners should be assisted in the process of commercialization. Once this is done people will start running after the university’’, Prof. Adetimirin asserted.

The university don lamented that it was very difficult to obtain funding, for the purpose of commercializing patents, form the university and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFund), just as he stated that this was discouraging and saddening.

Government at all levels and educational institutions have for so long shied away from investing in patents for inexplicable reasons, even though millions of Nigerians are of the views that government ought to encourage its manpower through the funding of innovations and inventions.

Prof. Adetimirin is the inventor of the super sweet corn.

Seven young Namibian mothers have established a mask factory.

The mothers  made this possible through funding from 'DREAMS'  a United States funded project.

According to Dorin Gases  who is just  18 : “This has been a life-changing experience. We can become a little bit more independent to look after our kids.

We are young women with other dreams too, and this can help us afford further education which we couldn't before,”

DREAMS is a project which aims to prevent new HIV infections in adolescent girls and young women.
It stands for determined, resilient, empowered, AIDs-free, mentored and safe.

The other young mothers are  Imerencia Nowases (21), Monica Ipwaakena (24), Julia Elias (24), Ndapewashali Americu (20), Ester Naidila (21) and Enrica Goagoses (21).

The Federal and State Governments have been called upon  to emulate  the Akwa Ibom state Government by giving tax waivers to Nigerians.

This call was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC),through its National Coordinator,Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The AWC calls on the Federal Government to emulate the Akwa Ibom state Government by giving tax holiday to workers and all those in businesses badly affected  by the coronavirus pandemic. Government should for once  show signs of commitment to the people and reduce hardships, suffering and exploitation of the people knowing fully well that government never supported tax payers during the lock down as was the case in other countries,'' Comrade Emelieze noted.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has advised Government to put in place guidelines for the reopening of schools in the country.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has expressed doubts over the state of preparedness of both the Federal and State Governments in Nigeria to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The AWC made this position known through its National coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’The fact that the National Assembly attacked the Federal Government for not making adequate preparations for the pandemic despite repeated warnings from the World Health Organization(WHO) shows the lack of preparedness on the part of government. It is obvious that government seems not to be prepared for any eventuality. Painfully, stranded Nigerians in China have been abandoned by government to their fate. The AWC urges the Government to take immediate steps to evacuate Nigerians in China.’’

‘’Indeed, Nigerians are placing their hopes on God to survive these dangerous times, regardless of the assurances and reassurances by government and its agents that it has put measures in place to curb the spread of the pandemic’’, Comrade Emelieze stated.

Covid 19-Protect Yourself- Click here-https://bit.ly/3am5Zb1

A High Court in Kampala Uganda has ordered the immediate release of Dr. Stella Nyanzi.

Dr. Nyanzi had appealed the judgment of  a  lower court which convicted and sentenced her to 18 months imprisonment for harassing President Yoweri Museveni

The trial Judge, Justice Peter Adonyo who heard the appeal submitted that the trial Magistrate, Gladys Kamasanyu of the  Buganda Magistrate Court  had no jurisdiction to convict  Dr. Nyanzi of cyber harassment.

Furthermore, the Judge declared that the prosecution failed to provide evidence showing the location of device where the offence was committed.

“Prosecution did not as well ascertain the kind of device which was used to send as the digital prints were not presented before Buganda road,” the judge observed.

The Judge  noted  that  Dr Nyanzi and her lawyers were not allowed enough time to prepare their defense thus amounting to unfairness, while disclosing that  the first prosecution witness did not provide a forensic report on his findings indicating which mobile data was used after he asserted that Dr Nyanzi might have used a phone.

Dr. Nyanzi who has served nine out of the 18 months sentence, collapsed after the judgment was delivered and was hurriedly was rushed out of the court room for medical care.

Political parties and civil society groups in Nigeria have been called upon to form a coalition that shall have the capacity of winning elections at lower levels of government.

This call was made recently by Barrister Femi Aborishade at the General Executive Council meeting of the Socialist Workers and Youth League(SWL) in Ibadan, Nigeria.

‘’Political parties and civil society groups should form a coalition to win elections at some levels of governance. There is a need for a minimum program for the interest of the ordinary people. I cannot be involved in any political party that we cannot argue out our ideas’’, Barr. Aborishade declared.

Speakers at the meeting which include the League’s Chairperson, Comrades Kemi Afolayan, Dew Povey, Helen, Andrew Emelieze, Peter, Abiodun Oladosu and Lai Browne among others were unanimous on the need for stakeholders to be focused and unrelenting in their quest to facilitate the emergence of a responsible and people oriented leadership in Nigeria.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has called for the total overhaul of the  security, social, economic and political system in Nigeria for the country to move forward.

The AWC made this call through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’The AWC calls for the total overhaul of the system, if Nigeria will ever make progress. Our Government is now confused, they no longer know what to do at the right time. Government at all levels are no longer there for the people. There are no solutions to all the challenges confronting the people, massive poverty, hunger, insecurity and unemployment among others. The present crop of political office holders have nothing to offer’’.

‘’We are surprised that government is thinking of increasing the salaries and allowances of political office holders, especially in the face of a government that has proposed to fund the 2020 budget through borrowing funds from the pension savings of workers. This confirms a failure in governance which is also trailed by misguided and meaningless polices that shall in the long run not in any way better the lot of millions of Nigerians’’, Comrade Emelieze lamented.

Liberia's first female Maritime Educator, Mrs. Miatta Sonie Sherif has advised the Government to invest in training  young Liberians rather than engaging the services of expartriates in the maritime industry.

 "It is now hard times that policymakers see the need to invest in building the capacity of Liberians especially the young ones to take charge of Liberia’s maritime resources given the fact that the few professionals in the sector are aging. Giving our Maritime sector to foreigners to manage is a risk we don't want to toy with," Mrs. Sherif emphasized.

She obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Maritime Education and Training in 2019 from the World Maritime University in Sweden to become the first Liberian woman to achieve such feat. 

Kenyans have condemned  officers of the Isebania police station for detaining  a 12 year old girl who reported a case of rape.

The girl had gone to the police station  to report, her father, a police officer, who had lured her into his bedroom and defiled her at their home in Nyabohanse town.

Informed sources disclosed that the officers at the police station had to detain the girl, to cover up evidence of defilement and protect  their colleague from the consequence of his action..

The girl, a  Standard Five pupil at a private school, recounted how she had approached her father for school fees, but rather than getting the money her father defiled her.

Millions of Nigerians are daily lamenting their inability to obtain justice in the courts of law. They blame this ugly trend, majorly, on corruption and other self centered considerations such as status in society and influence.

Indeed, the Judiciary has, in most recent times, proved not to be the last resort for the common man, if recent events in Nigeria are anything to go by.

Confronted with the fact that Government at all levels disobey court orders, Nigerians are now helpless, disillusioned and distraught.

In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudfeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke says that as long as court judgments are based on nepotism and the highest bidder syndrome in law courts in Nigeria it would be difficult for ordinary Nigerians to obtain justice. Excerpts :

Nigerians are increasingly finding it difficult to get justice in the law courts in this dispensation, what do you think is wrong ?

Regarding the issue of justice, the law court is the last hope of the people. This is because their perception , the training and orientation of Judges emphasizes incorruptibility. In other words, objectivity must be their watchword, in dispensation and delivery of judgments.

No one must influence their actions with bribe or make moves to corrupt them and in the same vein the Judges must not demand for gratification or any form of inducement or favor.

The profession is such that they must shun all biases and they must remove elements of unnecessary passion, that may be based on interpersonal relationship, blood relationship and even the status of the people on trial. This is why in a democratic dispensation the structure of democracy is such that governance must be articulated through the factors of transparency, accountability, auditing and probity, as well as the essence of feedback mechanism, even in procurement, due process is expected to be employed.

Governance is embedded in the constitution of the nation which we expect the political active players to read, digest and comprehend for ease of application in the governance process.

It takes two to tango, the people who are been governed, who gave the mandate to those people who are governing them and the performance rating of those charged with the responsibility of governance.

Democracy, therefore stands on the two axis of justice and equity. In all these, the legislators are to formulate policies to regulate the environment for governance through feeling the pulse of the nation, while the executive are expected to harness and manage the resources-human and material.

The legislators are equally expected to perform oversight functions to ensure that the executive fulfill promises and do the needful without derailing from the laid down ethical principles. All these are based on the issue of social justice.

The policy formulators are so powerful by the rule of the law, to ensure that the electoral processes including campaigns equally follow due process. They further have the power to call to order, the Commissioners or Ministers on issues concerning project execution.

When all these things are done accordingly, the issue of justice and equity would have been addressed to the point of producing peace for the environment as well as sustainable development without rancor.

The level of constitutional compliance in going about the executive duties of managing approved budget by the National Assembly, as well as the welfare of the people become a matter of social interest, whereby the economic viability, environment feasibility and social justice based on the agitation level of the people, which must be critically controlled to avoid violence, insurgence and war, as indications of the collapse in the security system.

Based on the above analysis, the expected job of the Judiciary manifests clearly on the need to regulate and control the justice system emanating from the activities of government officials and the people generally. The question now is how far have we fared in the management of our justice system by the third realm of government, the Judiciary ?

Our situation in Nigeria is appalling, if we consider the relationship between the Judiciary, the security agencies and the Executive as having frictions, perhaps, because of the environment of partisan politics that polarizes issue and trivializes ethics.

This becomes a serious issue when one considers the following events of historical records : the killers of Dele Giwa are yet to be identified, fished out and brought to justice, the killers of a one time Attorney General of the Federation, the late Chief Bola Ige are yet to be identified, fished out and brought to justice.

The Nigeria state found it difficult to ensure the transparent trial of Chief James Ibori, despite all the evidences available, but Nigerians celebrated him on his return from an overseas jail after been convicted on the same matter.

Nobody pursued the extra judicial murder of Mohammed Yusuf in Police custody, but today the whole Nigeria is paying dearly for this, through the unabating vengeance of destruction by the Bok-Haram.

When is Nigeria to have universally acclaimed judgments on court litigation on various election results ?

What about the very many of such cases that have to do with the poor masses suffering in silence ?

Where lies the hope of the people and the nation generally when it comes to the issue of seeking redress ?

It was Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka who said in one of his books,’’ The man died in that person who keeps mute in the face of tyranny’’, but when one cry out and judgment goes to the highest bidder, how are we to be motivated to have our trust in the Judiciary ?

Employment in Nigeria is now about nepotism and judgement in the eyes of very many would only be received fairly by those who have right connections.

Our clamor for restructuring must therefore, extend to ensure sanctity of the Judiciary through the possible overhaul of the system to ensure corrupt elements are eased out for sanity to reign supreme.

Equally important, is the issue of freedom of the Judiciary. Generally, those who pay the piper dictate the tune. If the appointment of the leadership of the Judiciary remains with the political class, there is no way their operations would not be polarized through political interventions, interference and sentiments, thereby murdering merit to promote mediocrity in an environment of nepotism.

Another aspect is that of salary independence which is not expected to come from the political class, but be managed by government as rolled out by them with that favor of independence to manage the disbursement without going cap in hand to the political masters, whose activities the Judiciary is expected to scrutinize, regulate and control.

This working formula would afford them the opportunity to meet up with the challenge of incorruptibility for them to be objectively fair to all irrespective of status, poor or rich and religion, even when it is different from that of the Judge’s personal faith interest.

The independence of the Judiciary would give them the freedom to use SWOT analysis in maximally utilizing their areas of strength and opportunities to avoid the delay in judgment dispensation. They would equally be able to identify areas of weaknesses and threats in catering for the areas of inadequacies of courts and Judges as well as the capacity building needs for Judicial officials to be capable of practicing through ethics, their assigned national assignments, to promote peaceful co-existence, good governance, zero tolerance for corruption and institutional indiscipline, which are germane to building a virile and prosperous society for strong institutions, rather than strong individuals.

Victims of the recent fire disaster at  Onitsha main market,in  Anambra state have called on the state Government to deal directly with them rather than going through unions.  

The victims made this call through their spokespersons of the victims, Mr. Anthony, Chinedu Okonkwo, and Chief Uchenna Udaegbe.

''We lost over N20 billion to the fire disaster and some people are trying to use it to enrich themselves by diverting the donation. Government should deal directly with the affected persons and not through any union,” the victims disclosed.

The Nigeria Labor Congress has been called upon to confirm the inclusion of the new national minimum wage in the 2020 national budget.

This call was made by  the Chairman of the United Labor Congress(ULC) in Abia state,  Comrade Christopher Uchenna Ezekiel.

“The NLC should concentrate more on knowing if the increased minimum wage was captured in the 2020 federal government budget or not, before taking the decision to embark on national strike and then declare the proposed strike in those States that are still owing their workers arrears of salaries rather than calling for blanket national strike action against the Federal government, Comrade Ezekiel state.

He lamented that a number of state governments were owing workers salary arrears under the present N18,000 minimum wage regime saying, ''if some of these Governors cannot pay the present N18, 000, is it now that we have an increase that they would pay ?''

The Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners(AWDROP) has warned that any attempt to increase the Value Added Tax(VAT) by 7.2 per cent will have adverse effect on millions of Nigerians.

AWDROP made this position known through its National Public Relations Officer, Mr. Richard Adeyinka

‘’All Nigerians know that the Federal Government needs money, but it must thread with caution, considering the state of the economy. Any increase in VAT will affect all aspects of life negatively, the masses will suffer for it. At the present 5 per cent VAT the masses know what they are going through, what happens if it is now increased by 7.2 per cent ?.’’

‘’Democracy means government of the people, for the people and by the people. Government cannot stand alone without the masses, who voted those in government into power. It is advisable for government to look elsewhere’’, Mr. Adeyinka stated.

Reported and unreported cases of defilement, rape, sexual harassment and homosexuality, are on the increase in various parts of Nigeria and nothing impressive have been done to stem the ugly tide.

Parents, guardians and serious minded Nigerians are helpless and worried, even as law enforcement agencies have adopted a non-nonchalant approach in enforcing the law.

Indeed, most of the reported cases involve those at the bottom of the ladder in the society, while high profile cases have for long been shielded from the public domain.

In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in Islam Wordlwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the Police and the Judiciary must first imbibe the tenets of discipline before victims of sexual crimes can have hope of getting justice. Excerpts :

Sexual crimes, including defilement, rape and homosexuality among others are on the increase in Nigeria, law enforcement agencies have failed to do the needful, Nigerians are worried, what are your views ?

Nigeria’s transition from a state of discipline, up to the 70’s, to that of institutional indiscipline, impunity and corruption have created an unsafe environment for the weak in the nation.

The most vulnerable people to the let out of attack are the marginalized women and the girl child in particular.

Our pace, as Nigerians, has nose dived into that of prey and predators, or to be specific a beastly level of existence.

A nation that focuses on material wealth alone, without a commensurate provision for work will ever throw its people into all forms of misdemeanor just to be able to survive and live, most especially to the regime of affluence, is not only in a state of emergency, but highly unsafe for habitation and highly unsecured for investment that may attract foreign interest.

With this kind of gory picture of the state of affairs in Nigeria, the people believe in enthroning a government that would be constitutionally empowered to correct all aberrations in the land.

Unfortunately the elected representatives deviate from the course of Democracy that is based on justice and equity for real development and peace to elude us, hence the present state of insecurity at all strata of human endeavor in Nigeria.

For example, cases like rape, defilement and pedophilia are expected to attract not less 14 years of imprisonment, to the worst, based on the level of damage a life term jail.

However, since all cases are whistle blowing, and offenders identified, prosecution in this direction is yet to be published, perhaps, because there is none.

In a situation of no deterrence, perpetrators of evil will continue will to multiply.

The structure in Nigeria not only encourage corruption, but also encourage people to go into various criminal acts.

This is because since the aftermath of Nigeria's civil war in 1970, we’ve been experiencing deterioration in the core values, that used to hold us intact into a state of discipline.

This becomes cancerous into an endemic state, polarizing every segment of our agencies of socialization, breaking them down into a state of lawless and weak fabric of our human existence, destroy sacredness to promote profanity.

Let us look into the following arrays of our stakeholders known as agents of socialization for correct transformation of the animal called man and the upbringing of our children.

Parents, neighbors, government, schools, houses of God or system of religion, traditional institutions of the Obas, Emirs and the Obis, peer groups and voluntary organizations, what of the agencies for the regulation and control of the system for the overall security of the community and the nation ?

A critical analysis of the present roles of these stakeholders is in a sorry state of destruction rather than construction, to the extent that Nigeria cannot claim to have a bequeath able legacy for our youth !

Suffice it now to say that for our prison yards to transform into a corrective fluid, government must avoid the foot dragging in delivering judgments by the Judiciary, to effectively depopulate our havens of criminality by upholding the ethics of all professions, in this case, the Police and the Judges, on these matters relating to child abuse, pedophilia and cases of rape.

The above mentioned must be disciplined themselves before they can discipline people into rejecting criminal tendencies.

Parents on the other hand must be sensitive, responsive and responsible, in bringing up their children, within safe custody, monitoring and on the need for nature nurturing for the children not to allow anybody to abuse them or whistle blow the possible occurrence of abuse in any form and by anybody from outside.

Government on the other hand must never show favor to offenders, researchers must support the cause of investigation to be able to uproot, the possible cases of aiding and abetting, even when it involves an intention of ritual killing to get rich quickly by perpetrators.

The society must be sensitized on the evil of child abuse, drug abuse and out-of-school children syndrome which is now back to more than 13 million in Nigeria and more than 400,000 in Oyo state.

Rape and pedophilia is very bestial and must be discouraged by all to have a sane and civilized society.

The acts are sinful and could attract divine sanction and it is imaginatively affecting the safety and security of the society.

We are all stakeholders in saving the future of our children, who we all regard as our future leaders, presently Nigeria’s image has been battered, both locally and internationally.

If we fail to do the correct things today on this matters the embarrassment to the country occasioned by those involved in fraudulent activities in the United States of America and the issue of xenophobic attacks in South Africa shall be a child’s play for our children in future, if these issues are are not decisively addressed.

Nigeria must learn how to adopt and adapt the culture of discipline and civility to be good ambassadors in and around the globe or wherever we may find ourselves.

Stop the acts of pedophilia, rape, homosexuality and other acts of human dehumanization.

Residents of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state have expressed reservations over the increasing rate of petrol stations and gas plants cited in residentail areas.

The residents insist that these stations and plants pose great dangers to those who reside in and around these establishments.

''These petrol stations and gas plants are threats to people who reside near them. What if there is a negative occurence, what happens to the people ? The Oyo state government must do somwething about this'', one of the residents, Monsuru Akinleye stated.

Insinuations are that fraudulent officials of the Urban Development and Physical Planning Agency in the state connive with the powers that be  to approve the construction of these stations and plants to promote political patronage, in addition to the indiscriminate construction of hotels in residential areas.

There is also the suggestion that it would be extremely difficult for the state Government to muster the political will to reverse the ugly trend.

In his views, the Deputy Director of the state Fire Service, Mr. Moshood Adewuyi opined that since gas is for domestic consumption, the plants have to be located near the consumers.

''The public need to be informed that gas is for domesitc consumption and needs to be very near the consumers. People should not have nay fears for having it in theri domains, since necessary safety mesures have been put in place during constrcution. I want to advise the public not to panic over the way the gas plants are springing up in residential areas'', Mr. Adewuyi stated.

The All Workers Convergence(ACW) has berated labor leaders in Nigeria for begging President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the new national minimum wage negotiation.

According to the National Coordinator of the AWC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, ‘’ it is very embarrassing and ridiculous for labor leaders in Nigeria to beg Mr. President to intervene in the new minimum wage negotiation, President Muhammadu Buhari has severally made his stand known to Nigerian workers, that he is not ready to make workers happy, if not he ought to have influenced a reasonable new national minimum wage’’.

‘’ Labor leaders have exposed their weaknesses and stupidity by begging Mr. President, who from events is nonchalant to workers welfare. Painfully, Nigerian workers have lost out and the present crop of labor leaders are killing unionism in Nigeria, in their approach to the new national minimum wage by begging the question.’’

‘’Labor leaders have proven themselves to be a monumental disaster to the interest of Nigerian workers. And so, at the level of the AWC, we call on labor leaders to resign, if they cannot use legal industrial means to achieve the new national minimum wage’’, Comrade Emelieze stated.

Political Office Holders and other category of government officials have been admonished to serve as role models to Nigerians to ensure sanity returns to the polity.

This admonition was given by the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam f Shafaudeen-in-Islam Wrldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke in his sermon during prayers to commemorate this year's Ed el Kabir celebration at the Shafaudeen Mosque, Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria.

''Nigeria suffers from poverty and kleptocracy. We must not allow the environment to corrupt us. Those people in government should allow sanity to reign, they must role model good virtues. For Nigeria to have peace, justice and equity must prevail, while there must be transparency and accountability'', Prof. Olagoke asserted.

Prof. Olagoke also called on parents and guardians to place more emphasis on good parenting saying, ''good child rearing must be the preoccupation of Fathers and Mothers.''

Sadly, the contrary is the case in Ibadan, and other major cities in Nigeria, as the choice of words, mode of dressing and behavior of several youth leaves much to be desired.

Of worry, however, is the recent arrests effected by the Ibadan zone of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the Elebu area of Ibadan, capital of Oyo state.

This suggest that the ancient city is now a fortress for the ''yahoo'' adherents while the  Oyo state Government must take urgent steps to reverse this.

The All Workers Covergence(AWC) has said that the indefinite strike action it facilitated was called off after achieving its major purpose.

The AWC made this disclosure  in a chat with People through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The protest was meant to be an indefinite strike action and shut down of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Ibadan, which was successfully done on Monday, 29, July, 2019, at the end of the day the workers converged and it was unanimously agreed that having created the needed awareness there was the need  for a review.''

'' Moreso, the protest was  not meant to deny  people of their rights, we therefore decided to observe reactions surrounding the protest and  based on the reactions we received, we decided the next line of action. Most importantly, the message has been sent to the right quarters and workers have been freely able to express their displeasure, anger and unhappiness over the non-implementation of the new national minimum wage, the continued kidnappings, killings and other violent crimes of innocent Nigerians at home and abroad.

The National President f Innovation Enterprise Institutions(IEIs) Dr. Andrews Jegede has expressed the hopes that the Federal Government shall address the challenges confronting IEIs in Nigeria.

Dr. Jegede made this position known recently, at the sidelines of a National Advocacy forum for the popularization of IEIs in the South West Geo-Political zone.

‘’ I want to believe that the Federal Government has most of the problems confronting IEIs in the country. There are about 150 institutions presently in the next five years, they could be between 200 and 300'’, the National President stated.

The Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olgoke has warned that unless the Nigerian Youth does what is right the coming generation will suffer.

Porf. Olagoke gave this warning on Wednesday, when the Southern Youth Forum(SYF) presented an award to him at the his office in Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria.

‘’If care is not taken, the coming generation will suffer. The youths have to take their destinies in their hands. In Nigeria, there is no sense of patriotism and nationhood. Government in Nigeria is just wasting money on trivialities and creating problems. The youths must take their destinies in their hands with sincerity. Anything given to anybody has been made for the person to cherish it. Unfortunately, Nigeria is surrounded with cottons of ignorance.’’

‘’The solution is for Nigerian youths to look inwards and make use of the opportunity of the little education they have to move forward. Politicians will continue to dictate to professionals, rather than allow professionals to come up. Inherent problems must be identified and expunged before one can say he wants to excel where others have failed’’, Prof. Olagoke noted.

Earlier the National Secretary of the SYF, Comrade Luke Ogemba who said he was representing the forum’s National President, Hon. Olarinde Thomas, stated that the forum decided to present an award to Prof, Olagoke because he was a source of inspiration to Nigerian youths, while stressing ‘’ we will like to tap from your wealth of experience.

Among those who accompanied Comrade Ogemba on the visit were, Comrade Tobiloba Amodu(Ondo state), Comrade Fynface Allo(Rivers state) and Comrade Stanley Omoregie(Edo state)

Bauchi state Governor, Senator Ball Muhammed has disclosed that he shall involve tehnocrats in the running of his administration.

Senator Muhammed made this dislcosure while receiving the report from the Economic Advisory Committee he put in place.

“I will bring in technocrats to implement this economic blueprint, in collaboration with the private sector, because there is need for partnership to open new frontiers, guided by global best practices.

“We have consulted some of the best technocrats in the country to show us the way; we will continue to do so, even though, sometimes, we will consider political expediency,’’ the governor said.

Meanwhile the Economic Advisory Committee  has advised the state government to focus more on Agriculture.

The Committe headed by Prof. Usman Bugaje made this recommendation in its report it submitted to the state Governor.

Agriculture is an area where Bauchi has a comparative advantage to grow faster than others, so we implore you as governor to focus more in this area.

“In the next two years, we are looking at a Bauchi State that will export products to different parts of the world, and that will serve as reference point to other states,’’ Prof.  Bugaje stated.

The Three tiers of Government and the Organized Private Sector(OPS) in Nigeria have been called upon to not to make the  retrenchment of workers as  a condition for the implementation of the N30, 000 new national minimum wage.

This  call was made  by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its   National Coordinator,  Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Government at all levels are called upon to come out with a policy statement, more of a commitment that no employer of labour, whether in the public sector or private sector must retrench before they can pay the new minimum wage. Workers are not begging any employer of labour and if at all they go ahead with their evil machinations, labour must pose a counter reaction, which of course must be uncompromising and that is the only way we can stop them from exploiting Nigerian workers. Any attempt by government to downsize would be vehemently resisted by workers''.

''To check any sector, government or private, from not implementing the new national minimum wage, the labour movements are called upon  to also issue a policy statement that the country risks a national strike, if any employer of labour refuses to pay the new national minimum wage or goes ahead to downsize'', Comrade Emelieze stated.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Liberia, Authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and  the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) have organized a two day Price monitoring training programme for technicians.

The training which was held at Gbarnga, Bong County for 30 technicians was aimed  at enhancing price monitoring mainly for basic food commodities in Liberia.

The training was also aimed at  capturing and facilitating experience-sharing and equipping MoA, and LISGIS field-level staff engaged in collection, analysis and reporting of market data to better communicate,  while also ensuring that there is an improvement in the contents of the monthly market monitoring bulletins, and strengthen partnerships and networks.

WFP Liberia's Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Anderson commended  the Liberian government for its enduring partnership with the WFP on price monitoring activities.

''WFP has a global mandate to support some of the most vulnerable members of society, with different social protection interventions," Mr. Anderson stated. 

He also said that  Liberia was increasingly vulnerable to high food price shocks as has been witnessed since 2008, whilke stressing that  the government has been concerned about the rise in food prices, and as such, it has been undertaking regular joint government-WFP market monitoring exercises for which an MoU was signed between the Liberian government (MoA, LISGIS) and WFP.

The Zimbabwe Government has for the past four months withheld  the salaries of three leaders of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), who led protests against the  Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube's austerity policies in January.​

The union leaders and others who  were  arrested in Macheke and charged with criminal nuisance, appeared in court in Marondera before their case was referred to Harare.

Before they could appear in court they were again arrested in Ruwa just 40km outside the capital, however the court  ordered their release.

President of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), secretary general Robson Chere and Mashonaland West chairperson Munyaradzi Ndawana, have however, called on workers not to be deterred by the latest action of government.

"This so-called new dispensation is using every trick in the book to curtail trade unionism in Zimbabwe, the freezing of salaries is a desperate attempt to silence our membership. We will not be cowed into submission by such cowardly acts on an anti-worker establishment, we demand salaries in US dollars or market equivalent.  Austerity measures are killing the working class and benefiting the ruling elite, we call upon the working class to rise and crush austerity.

"We are surviving on handouts from well-wishers. It's a difficult situation and cannot even afford paying school fees for our children'' they said.

While other unions seem to have adopted a different tact choosing to negotiate with government, Masaraure and his group have taken the authorities head on.

The Oyo State Fire Service has insisted that even though it has all the requirements to perform its primary functions,  it is  looking  up to the incoming administration for more assistance.

The position of the the Service was made know by its Deputy Director, Mr. Moshood Adewuyi in a chat with People.

''We are  always ready in terms of safety. Everyone grows old, so does equipment, we are looking forward to the new administration to take care of our needs. We carry out routine inspection annually. My people are at First Bank premises. The objective is to assess, recommend and implement. We also visit industrial premises, petrol stations, Media houses and several others because their compliance might be 60 per cent. We have been experiencing a reduction in fire incidents, Mr. Adewuyi noted.

He advised members of the public to always be safety conscious saying, ''Keep matches out of reach of children. Making use of handsets in petrol stations should be discourage. We are friends with the public, we are here to save lives and property. We expect  maximum cooperation whenever there are incidents, not fighting''.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a qualified person with vast experience in labour matters as Minister of Labor.

The AWC gave this advice through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’What is expected from authentic leadership is to put the right persons in the right positions. People who are professionals in their particular fields, who possess not just academic qualifications but also practical experiences.’’

The Tanzania Government is set to take over 15  privatized enterprises due to non performance.

According to the  Minister for Industry and Trade Joseph Kakunda, who made this known recently, the government would also take over 33 others this May, if they failed to submit their investment reports.

The Minister expressed worry over the distress situation of 68 enterprises, amone which some have already closed shop.

Some time in March, the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Constantine Kanyasu ,  warned that  the government would take over  some privatized hotels and lodges over alleged mismanagement and poor handling of tourists and visitors.

"The ownership of the hotels will be shifted to other investors who are ready to manage them in the interest of promoting tourism,"  Kanyasu stated.

20 years ago, the government privatized 176 public firms under the World Bank-funded Presidential Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC).

The  Judiciary in Ethiopia is set to assert its independence as it moves to negotiate its annual budget with the Legislature.

According to the  country's first female Chief Justice, Justice Meaza Ashenafi, the  Judiciary has submitted its budget request to the Parliament.

''For the first time last week, we submitted our budget request directly to parliament. In the constitution, there is a provision that says the judiciary will directly request and negotiate its budget from parliament, but this never happened. It would go through the executive. So we're changing that trend and this year for the first time we will negotiate with parliament and that, I feel, will give us some independence. We will negotiate for better resources'', Justice Ashenafi stated.

On the issue of corruption in the Judiciary, the Chief Justice said ''part of the problem is lack of communication and understanding of how the judiciary functions. I'm not saying we don't have problems of integrity - we do have them - but most of the time it is perception. Everyone who walks into my office with some sort of complaint says the judge has some sort of relationship with the opponent. This is not always true. Maybe it is true 5% or 10% of the time, I don't know, but there is that perception. We need to build trust, help people understand that the law functions in a very technical way. But we do also need to work on addressing questions of integrity in our judicial system''.

A  300 level law undergraduate has become the first female chairperson of the University of Nairobi Students Association.

Ms Ann Mwangi emerged after polling 24 votes to beat her  challengers, Samuel Ayoma whoe scored eight votes Ertiman Oile  scored 4 votes .

The process was facilitated through the electoral college and was presided over by Prof. Mohamed Jamaa.

Ms Mwangi will take over from Mr Antony Manyara who has been the chairman of the association since 2018.

Protesters in Sudan have continued their  protests outside the Army headquarters in Khartoum demanding the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir.

Alleged attempts by  government security forces to break the ranks of the protesters  were resisted by  soldiers who protected the protesters.

Attacks by students militias, anti-riot policemen and government security forces have not deterred the protesters.

Interestingly, Sudanese traders in Juba have declared that  they stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters back home.

"I support with all my power the change in Sudan because change must be now, at this time on these days. (We) must take al-Bashir out," Isim Assam Abdallah, a trader disclosed

"We want justice and freedom. The government of Sudan is the government of destruction. The government has killed innocent people and has killed many in Darfur since 2004,"  another trader Abdallah Haman  said.

The incoming Government in Oyo state has been called upon to pay urgent attention to the needs of the Department of Fire Service in the state for effective service delivery.

This call was made by the Deputy Director of the Department, Mr. Moshood Adewuyi in a chat with People.

''The department needs prompt attention in terms of equipment that can cope with the present day challenges. We need sophisticated equipment and also we have shortage of outlets which cannot cope with the increasing population. Our personnel also need good welfare package. It is of note that firemen who were recruited sometime ago ran away due to poor renumeration'', Mr. Adewuyi stated.

On the fire incident that occurred at the UMC area of the state capital, Ibadan, recently, the Deputy Director disclosed that communication lag and faulty vehicle hampered the response of the department.

''Although the department's dedicated lines for distress calls are in the public domain, residents of the area did not call, when they went to the Molete office of the department, the fire fighting vehicle with water was faulty. The Molete office has a standard funcitional bore hole, so lack of water was out of it. However, we sent another vehicle from the headquarters to put out the fire'', he concluded.

Not long ago, a building collapsed along Molete/Idi-Arere road in the state capital, this has brought to the fore, the fact that several buildings got quesationable approvals from government for reconstrution. And nothing has been done to address the lapses in governance.

However, the state government, recently, distributed 33 excavators to the 33 Local Governments in the state.

The Judicial Service Commssion(JSC) in Zimbabwe has dismissed allegations that the Judiciary has been compromised.

The Commission made this known through a statement issued by its Acting Secretary, Mr. Walter Chikwana.

"The allegations that the Judiciary is acting under capture of an external force remain unfounded, baseless and unsubstantiated.

"In the meeting held on 22 January 2019, the Chief Justice gave the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) his assurance that no directive or instruction was given by himself or the JSC to magistrates to dispose of cases before them in a particular manner. He maintains this position,"Mr. Chikwana stated.

The Acting Secretary insisted that the Judcial Officers werw abobe board in the discharge of their duties, saying ''The accusation that magistrates countrywide were acting under some form of directive or instructions to influence their decisions is extremely consequential.The Judiciary cannot take it lightly. All courts in the country and all judicial agents within those courts, must never be interfered with in the dispensation of justice. The Constitution demands it''.

"The Chief Justice reminds all and sundry that all judicial officers are required by Section 164(1) of the Constitution to dispense justice expeditiously.

"In doing so, all due process must be followed and rights of accused persons respected," reads the statement.

"The Zimbabwean courts are not, by undertaking expeditious trials, reinventing the wheel. Such trials are common phenomenon across the world in cases involving violence.

"For instance, in England after the 2011 riots, more than 3 000 people were arrested with 1 500 being arraigned before the courts.

"Their trials were fast-tracked. Courts were in session 24 hours until the cases were completed.

"Even juveniles caught up in the riots underwent trial.

"The Chief Justice maintains his position that where suspects are arrested and brought to court, they are entitled to a speedy trial.

"Fast-track trials must, in fact, be the norm, and not a curious exception." Mr. Chikwana concluded.

President Peter Mutharika of Malawi has condemned all forms of violent acts against women.

According to the President who made his position known during a tour of some constituencies in Lilongwe said ''I would like to take this opportunity to condemn various acts of violence against women. It is high time everyone understood that women deserve respect and protection against violence.'''

"As such, everyone should strive to put to an end all forms of gender based violence. Our existence depends on them and it is unfortunate to see some people abusing women. Whether it is your girlfriend, your wife or your mother; this must stop,"

  The Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) in Oyo state, Mr. Mutiu Agboke h has assured the electorate that the Commission would not act in anyway that would compromise the Permanent Voters Cards(PVC) still in its custody.

Mr. Agboke gave this assurance on Tuesday during a Media Briefing at the Commission's office in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''There is no pressure that would make me to compromise your results, there is no pressure that would make me compromise your Permanent Voters Cards. Nobody has put gun in my ears, I am not going to sell your PVCs. Nothing will happen to your PVCs. We are going to harmonize the PVCs and those not collected would be put in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria'', he stated.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner also dislosed that the commission was taking the issue of security before, during and after the elections seriously, saying'' the commission is leaving no stone unturned in the area of security of both men and electoral materials on the day of election''.

''That is why the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security(ICCES), chaired by the Commissioner of Police and co-Chaired by me has been meeting regularly to identify grey  areas and flashpoints in the state in collaboration with respective Electoral officers. Security is to be beefed up at both state and local government offices of INEC, inorder to forestall any security threats during election periods'', Mr. Agoke concluded.

The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)      

The All Workers Convergence(ACW) has declared that workers would no longer respect the Federal Government even if it eventually approves the new national minimum wage.

The AWC  made this disclosure through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze in a chat with Federationews2day.

''Even if the Federal Government eventually approves a new national minimum wage today, government has lost the respect of Nigerian workers. It is a big shame that up till this moment government has not been able to pay the Nigerian workers what is due to them, rather our so called government has been systematically, delaying the process''.

''From one episode of drama to another episode, all has been equal to zero and the Nigerian workers are the ones paying the price. Quite unfortunate, government cannot redeem its image, workers' impression of government, is that of a callous monster, who cares less about fairness and justice, but rather a government that believes that workers must suffer before they get what rightly belongs to them''.

''In conclusion, our government is shooting itself in the leg, with the unfolding drama of the new national minimum wage. Government has been able to make the Nigerian workers know who their real enemy is and this has made workers to  increase their level of consciousness'', Comrade Emelieze asserted.

​The Committee to Protect  Journalists(CPJ) has called on the Government of Cameroon to immediately  release two journalists  arrested by security agents while covering an event organized by the opposition.

According to CPJ "Théodore Tchopa and David Eyengue Nzima are journalists who were arrested for simply covering a newsworthy event, and must be freed immediately without condition.  Cameroonian authorities should stop trying to intimidate and censor journalists who have a duty to keep citizens informed about the political and economic situation."

''CPJ's calls and text messages to the offices of Cameroon's deputy justice minister, Jean De Dieu Momo, and the newly appointed communications minister, René Sadi, went unanswered. The police's national communications chief, Joyce Ndjem, said she does not give comment over the phone and CPJ should come to her office''.

''Cameroon was the third worst jailer of journalists in Africa, after Egypt and Eritrea respectively, with at least seven journalists behind bars for their work as of December 1, 2018, according to CPJ's annual prison census'', CPJ stated.

The Police in Kenya has appointed six women as County Police Commanders.

Dr. Interior CabiThe six female county police commanders are Naomi Ichami (Bomet), Leah Ngutu (Kirinyaga), Catherine Mugwe (Nyamira), Lydia Ligami (Kitui), Beatrice Gachago (Kajiado) and Esther Seroney (Homa Bay)

Rivers state Governor, Mr. Nyesome Wike has declared that Nigerians have began to lose confidence in public officers and public institutions.

Mr. Wike who made this declaration when  the new Commissioner of Police in the  State,Mr Usman Belel, paid him a courtesy call, appealed to  the police to improve on their performance .

“People are beginning to lose confidence in public institutions in the country. I believe that as the new police commissioner, you will work for the confidence in the police to return”.

President Edgar Lungu of Zamibia has blamed the increasing rate of child marriages to the poverty level and practices of leaders in the rural areas.

President Lungu made this disclosure during an interaction with some Traditional Chiefs at the State House.

"The challenge we still have is poverty levels especially in rural areas, some traditional leaders still tend to think that marrying off

girls early will bring money in the family but they are forgetting that they are actually denying them chances of bettering their lives

after withdrawing them from school," the President stated.

In their reaction the Traditional Chiefs  urged President Lungu to Lobby the African Union to initiate policies that would bring an end toEarly Child Marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

The four chiefs led by Chief Chamuka VI , include Chief Chikwanda, Chief Madzimawe and Chieftainess Muweza  ahev been to and recently Malawi and Nigeria on consultative and dialogue meetings.

The All workers Convergence(AWC)  has warned of the imminent withdrawal of the solidarity of Nigerian workers for their labour leaders if a new national minimum wage is not achieved by end of December 2018.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas  & a Happy       New      Year

From all of us at People

The governorship candidate of the  African Democratic Congress(ADC) in Oyo state, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin has called on the state Commissioner of Police to stop members of the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) from pulling down bill boards belonging to ADC candidates.

Senator Lanlehin made this call on Wednesday during an interaction with journalists in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''NURTW has started bringing down bill boards. We are appealing to the Commissioner of Police ,Mr. Abiodun Odunde who is  a fine officer, help us appeal to them so that Oyo state would be peaceful. It is in our interest that everything works. There should be a conflict resolution mechanism in place'', he stated.

A former Governor of Oyo state, who is also the governsorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party in the state, Otunba(Dr.)Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala has expressed worry over the covert moves by some personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) and the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the state to move eligible voters from their Local Governments to  different ones to facilitate a new dimension of  rigging.

Otunba Alao-Akala made this disclosure on Tuesday,  in an address he delivered at the  Official presentation  of the ADP governorship candidate, his deputy and other candidates for the 2019 Gubernatorial Elections in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''May I use this occasion to inform the stakeholders in the Nigerian electoral system and the world at large that information reaching us from competent sources is that some bad elecments in the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) are conniving with the ruling APC to disenfranchise thousands of voters across the state and weakening the leading oppositiom candidates in their strongholds by engaging in state-wide illegal relocation of voters from their units/Local Government of origins to other units/LGAs''.

The former Governor called on the INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakub and the security agencies to ''put a stop to this advanced rigging method''.

He assured the people of the state that candidates of the ADP were passionate about delivering results that shall impact positively on them, adding ''I must say that the re-election of the present administration was an aberration that came by way of the bandwagon effect that followed the election of President Muhammadu Buhari''.

''Regardless of the sinister moves of other parties, our campaign shall be issue-based, violence free and intellectually stimulating, resting on the renewed 13-point agenda drawn from our party's hallmarks; all these clothed in peace and tranquility'', Otunba Alao-Akala stated.

Leaders of the organized labour in Nigeria have been faulted for suspending the indefinite industrial action prior to the Federal Government's announcement of a definite figure for the new national minimum wage.

This position was made known by the National Coordinator of the All Workers Convergence(AWC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''In the future it would be better for labour, despite the agreement, to allow Government to pay the new minimum wage before the indefinite strike action would be called off, this when done, would guarantee workers confidence in labour. We are a bit surprised that the strike was suspended, even when government had not pronounced to the public what it was ready to pay workers''

''However, labour has not  done badly, at least they have been able to compel government, which has been unrepentantly unwilling to review workers' salaries, to concede, in the fianl analysis, for a wage increase, though the last presentation of labour of N30,000 is still slavish in nature and will still give room for future agitation as time goes on because N30,000 cannot be a living wage'', Comrade Emelieze noted.

The Government of Liberia has approved the commencement of free tuition in public unversities in the country.

The approval was  given recently by Liberia's President, Mr. George Weah, the auditorium of the University of Liberia's Capitol Hill campus  in Monrovia.

Residents of Oyo state have been called upon to shun acts of violence as the 2019 general elections draw closer.

This call was made by the running mate to the Governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP)in Oyo state, Prof. Abideen Olaiya in a chat with Federationews2day.

Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala is the governorship candidate of the ADP in the state.

''Residents of Oyo state should be patient, nobody should engage in violence as the 2019 elections approaches. Since Democracy has given us the leeway, the opportunity is coming, residents should keep their Permanent Voters Cards(PVC) and use it judiciously in the 2019 elections'',  Prof. Olaiya stated.

He noted that the Education and Agriculture sectors in the state  were in urgent need of overhauling saying ''if we are elected within a year we would change the face of education,  presently education in the state is at its lowest ebb. Agriculture has taken a leap only in propaganda. The people serving government are not happy.''

Residents in the state have continuously complained about the culture of impunity which has become the order of the day in most communities, just as the number of out of school children keeps on increasing by the day.

Prof. Abideen Olaiya is an Associate Professor of  Crop Ecology at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun state.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has declared that the Federal Government was not ready to pay the  N30,000 new national minimum wage.

This declaration was made by the National Coordinator of the AWC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze in a chat with People.

''It is becoming crystal clear that the Federal Government is not ready to pay Nigerian workers a living wage. They might as well continue to deceive us as they have done through the setting up of a tripartite committee, unless our labour centres maintain a dogged position and insist that nothing would be reduced from the N30,000, labour has proposed as the new minimum wage, through strikes and struggles, only then can we compel the government to pay the new minimum wage, which of course, will not take the workers home.''

''It is quite unfortunate that despite the compromise position of our labour centres, to agree for N30,000 as the new minimum wage, our government is reluctant to agree with the meagre amount. The AWC calls for public support and understanding of the masses towards the November 6, indefinite  nationwide strike  action by our labour centres, towards achieving the N30,000 living wage'', Comrade Emelieze concluded.

Nigerians have been advised to resist the moves by politicians to use money and foodstuff to influence their votes in the 2019 general elections.

This advice was given by the Governorship candidate of the National Interest Party(NIP) in Oyo state, Mrs. Bolanle Sarumi Aliyu in a chat with People, in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''If any politician comes with money, don't accept it, tell them to provide empowerment. Don't collect one or two ''Kongos' of rice, don't collect blood money. You should not sell your votes'',Mrs. Sarumi advised.

She also advocated for the participation of more women in governance, saying, ''we need more women in government. Women suffer most, women's rights and children's rights have not been adequately  catered for. Do you think a woman would be the Governor and children would be hawking on the streets ? No way.''

Women in the state complain bitterly of inadequate representation in all sectors of governance.

The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria(PPN) in Oyo state, alhaji Bashiru Gbadamosi has condemned the policy of  feeding school children at all levels of government at the expesne of Teachers' salaries.

Alhaji Gbadamosi made this position known in a chat with People.

''Government at all levels decided to feed school children, even though Teachers are been owed several months of salaries. We are not going to feed school children while Teachers' are owed everal months of salary arrears. We shall re-introduce free education.''

''I am a grassroot person, I am part of the suffering. I want to elevate our people. Government has failed to do this. Corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of society. To curb corruption, the leader must be free of  corruption. We shall not tolerate corrution'', Alhaji Gbadamosi warned.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has called on workers in Nigeria to reject the outcome of the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage and the decision of the Federal Government if it does not meet their expectations.

The AWC made this call through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, in a chat with Federationews2day.

''It is important that whatsoever is reached by the tripartite committee and the Federal Government, if it does not meet the expectations of Nigerians workers should be vehemently resisted and rejected by the Nigerian workers''.

''In fact it is a big a shame and a slap on government that workers will have to go on strike for a pay rise. We call on government to stop persecuting Nigerian workers and approve the N66,500 new minimum wage forthwith'', Comrade Emelieze concluded.

Nigerian workers are demanding for a new national minimum wage of N66,500, but the Federal Government  is tinkering with the idea of approving between N25,000 and N30,000.

The Non Academic Staff of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria have declared that despite the poor conditions of service and renumeration they will never engage in acts that would promote certificate forgery.

They made this declaration through the branch Chairman of the Non Academic Staff Union(NASU) of the institution, Comrade Oluwasegun Arojo in a chat with People.

''Although the working conditions and our salaries are not in tandem with the economic realities of today, we are contented. We never go to the length of encouraging failures, we will never promote failures. There are four major stakeholders in the university system, the NASU, SSANU, NAAT and  ASUU.

And our goals include ensuring that products of the institution are qualified and credible. Our members will never engage in any illegal  act that would tarnish the image of the institution'', Comrade Arojo opined.

In most recent  times, empolyees of educational institutions in Nigeria  have connived with individuals to facilitate the availability of ceritificates through the back channel for other purposes.

Health workers in the University College Hospital(UCH)Ibadan, Nigeria have expressed reservations over the insistence of the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole that their salaries for April and May would not be paid until the leaders of their unions apologize for embarking on the suspended strike action.

The UCH health  workers made this known through the Chairman of the National Union of Allied Health Professionals of Nigeria(NUAHP)UCH branch, Comrade  Oladayo Olabampe.

''The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has said that the two months salaries owed workers in the UCH would onlybe paid, when our union leaders apologize for the strike action that has been suspended. But we are not ready to apologize. The strike action was legal''.

''However, salaries for 17 days in April has been paid, remaining 13 days , while May salaries are yet to be paid. The five unions in the health sector are working tirelessly to ensure that salaries are paid'', Comrade Olabampe disclosed

Youths in Uganda have expressed  worry over the increasing rate of under age females who engage in prostitution.

According to  the chairperson of the youth council, Mr Shafik Kyagulanyi over 100 girls, a sizable number drop outs, are affected.

"We are worried that the number of underage girls joining the sex workers network could increase because once we have the vice as part of the normal activities, many young girls could see it as an opportunity to make a living," Mr Kyagulanyi said.

"Some of the young girls who have dropped out of school think that the sex workers earn quick money. We now have a fear that several young girls could get attracted to the vice which exposes them to HIV/Aids among other diseases," Mr. Kyagulanyi stated

Nigerian workers have been called upon to vote out corrupt and anti-people political office holders in the 2019 general elections.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has been called upon to get to the root of the recent tremor in the Federal Capital Territory.

This call was made by the Public Relations Officer(PRO) of the Association of Water  Drilling Rig Owners and Practitoners(AWDROP)Mr. Richard Ajayi in a chat with People.

''If our Scientists say there is nothing to worry about, government does not have to rely solely on their advice, is there any measure in place to forestall a disaster ?

It is high time our Scientists wake up to their responsibilities, when earhtquake eventually occurs what will they say is the cause ?

Government should expedite action on the water resources bill in the National Assembly, this will enable the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission to come into being to regulate indiscriminate drlling. A similar thing happened in Shaki, Oyo sate, not long ago. Government should be proactive and do the needful'', Mr. Ajayi warned.

The Federal Government recently deported some expatriates, who entered the country with questionable immigration papers.

Over two million Primary and Secondary scholl students in Sierra Leone will benefit from the free education policy of government is will commence this month.

During his Presidential campaign, President Julius Maada Bio had promised to introduce free qualitative education, this h e restated in mid August, with anohter promise to donate three months of salary to the cause.

The spokesman for the country's Education Ministry, Michael Turay described the policy as laudable.

"For the first time in the history of education in Sierra Leone, a political administration is pronouncing free quality education for kids from pre-primary school, right to senior secondary school."

"This is a very laudable but ambitious national programme," Turay stated.

Government agents  in Zimbabwe have launced a manhunt for Opposition MDC-T National Chiarman Morgan Komichi over his refusal to accept the election results declared by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Four unidentified armed men had visited the Harare residence of Komichi on Sunday night searching for him.

However, the Police stated that Komichi and the MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti are wanted.

Komichi, in a chat with People, confirmed that his life was in danger.

"I now fear for my life and my family because I left home 10 minutes before the armed men pounded on my wife and children looking for me. Luckily, I had just driven out," Komichi said.

Nigerian Youths have been called upon to  hing their hopes of succeeding in life on education.

This call was made on Tuesday by a former Provost of the Federal College of Education(Technical)Oyo, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja at the 2018 Seyi Makinde Bursary  Scheme in Ibadan.

Prof. Adedoja who was the Chairman of the occasion, said '' It is about empowering our youths. The election is coming in 2019, what do you need for the election? Show your Permanent Voters Cards(PVC), the PVC will allow you to vote for the candidates of your choice, the PVC cannot empower you, the PVC you have today, will only take care of 2019, your PVC for life is education''.   

''It is about life empowerment. Empowering our youths for the future for self-development, for the development of the country. The beneficiaries are indigent students. The future of Nigeria lies in nothing other than education. When the election is over, you will put the PVC in your pocket. And after then, it is the scheme that that would determine how successful you will become in life.The founder of the scheme is not just assisting you to develop Nigeria, but to develop yourself. The fact that you have a figure in this country that believes in you and you believe in him is good''.

''The secret behind the success of anybody is education. This is a life long scheme, but I will like to urge the Board of Trustees to monitor the beneficiaries'', Prof. Adedoja concluded.

 In his remarks, one of the dignitaries at the occasion, Dr. Saka Balogun prayed that the beneficiaries would also become founders of similar schemes.

However, for Primate Ola Makinde, a former Prelate of the Methodist Church, the bursary must be used for the purpose it was given.

''The older generation know the value of education, it is not the same with the younger generation. You are  to use the bursary to buy books and pay for your school fees and not for  buying I-phones'', Primate Makinde counseled.

In his remarks, the sponsor of the scheme, Engr. Seyi  Makinde said ''My message to the beneficiaries is that if I can do it, you can do it. We sarted this programme in 2006 and we did not selec based on religion and  political affiliation, but the selection was based on the fact that you are indigenes of Oyo state''.

The maiden edition of the scheme in 2006, had as Chairman, the incumbent Governor of Oyo state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi

Out of a total of 10,000 applicants, 2,500 were shortlisted for the bursary awards.

The bursary awards are meant for students of Tertiary institutions of Oyo state origin.

Dignitraries at the occasion included Alhaja Bose Adedibu, Senator Kamorudeen Adedibu, Engr. Lere Adigun among several others.

 The Rwanda National Electoral Commission  has said that  more  women  have shown interest in becoming members of Parliament.

There are 326  women among the 537 candidates that have shown interest to contest in the election.

Ethiopia has declared $81.6 million as revenue for the export of electricity in the just concluded fiscal year.

The Ministry of Water, Irrigation & Electricity  has a projection to sell 1.5 billion kWh of the electricity  to Sudan and Djibouti, but was however able to sell  1.4 billion kWh within the financial year. 

The total earning from Sudan was $47.5 million, or 58.2pc,  while  $34.1 million  was from Djibouti.

Presently, Ethiopia has the potential  of generating 4,500MW of energy and a potential capacity to produce 45,000MW of hydropower, 10,000MW of geothermal and 1.3 million megawatts of wind power.

Zimbabwe President, Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned those who intend to instigate the break down of law and order  as  the 2018 harmonized elections in the country draw near to have a rethink as the full wrath of the law will be visited on them.

President Mnangagwa handed down this warning on Tuesday, while  addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at a rally at Mubaira Growth Point.

"If anyone causes anarchy, the rule of law will prevail. We will not allow chaos in our country. We want peace. All those that are contesting are encouraged to contest in peace because we want law and order in our country.

"People should be allowed to do what they want, while respecting others and respecting peace."

"We accept that people have divergent views. People should not be attacked or abused because they differ with you. No, we cannot all think the same," he said.

"We now have a certain party that says it wants to shut down Harare and to shut down the country. God forbid! We have asked ourselves what this small party intends to do and how it intends to do it and on what grounds. Kana wangova mukaka wawadya, ingodya mukaka wako ugute zvakanaka.

"We are preaching peace and we are saying everyone, including this small party, has the freedom to go around the country to woo the people's vote. No one will stop any party from asking the people to vote for them, the President concluded.

In recent times, MDC-Alliance leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa  has repeatedly threatened to "shut down the country" and "cause chaos" if his party loses next week's poll.

The West African Examinations Council(WAEC) in Ghana has with held the results of all the  26, 434 candidates who sat for the 2018 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) .

This followed several cases of malpractices that are been investigated by the examination body.

According to a statement by the Head of Public Affiars ,WAEC National office, Mrs. Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, ''The with held results of candidates will be cancelled if found culpable, or released if otherwise''. 

''A total of 316,999 candidates made up of 158,550 males and 158,449 females from 946 school were registered for the examination, representing 9.6 per cent higher than the 2017 candidature of 289,207 but some 1,378 candidates did not show up.

 Performance in English and Mathematics declined but improved in Integrated Science and Social Studies compared to that of the 2017 candidates''.

''"Based on the provisional results, the performance at Al- C6 in Social Studies showed a marked improvement over that of 2017 (52.25 per cent to 73.27 per cent), while Integrated Science recorded a slight improvement (43.66 per cent to 50.52 per cent).

"On the contrary, Mathematics (Core) showed a drop in performance from 2017 (42.73 per cent to 38.33 per cent). Similarly, there was a drop in the performance in English Language (54.06 per cent to 46.79 per cent),"  ''For English Language, 147,232 candidates (46.79 per cent) obtained grades A1 to C6; 99,402 (31.60 per cent) scored D7-E8 while 68,002 (21.61 per cent) had F9''..

In the Core Mathematics paper, 120,519 candidates (33 per cent) had A1-C6; 94,607 (30.09 per cent) obtained D7-E8 while 99,275 (31.58 per cent) scored F9''.

''A total of 158,691 (50.52 per cent), obtained A1-C6 in Integrated Science: with 109,069 (34.72 per cent) getting D7-E8 whilst 46,367 (14.76 per cent) had F9''.

'' For Social studies, 230, 141(73.27 per cent) obtained A1-C6; 46, 464(14.79 per cent) obtained D7-E8  whilst 37, 494(11.94 per cent) had F9.

'' The council is alerting members of the public especially candidates to be wary of  impostors, who promise to change examination results for a fee''. Candidates are to note that all WAEC results are well secured and can be authenticated. Persons with forged results will be exposed'', the statement concluded.

The electorate in Nigeria   have been advised to resist the temptations of selling their votes in the 2019 general elections.

This advice was given by the  Oyo state Chairman of the Young Democratic Party(YDP)Mr. Chris Ayantoye, in an interaction with PEOPLE.

''It is very unfortunate that in present day Nigeria, Nigerian citizens are still been deceived to sell their votes for money. It is not only sad, but regrettable, when people are seen struggling to collect money for their votes. I call on Nigerians not sell their votes in the coming 2019 general elections'', Mr. Ayantoye advised.

 The  Oyo state chapter of the Young Democratic Party Calls on all the good people of Oyo state to Collect their Permanent Voters Cards(PVC) from the INEC offices nearest to them

For further information, contact 08068964410/08104658995/07035538970

The Namibian Government wil from next month increase the pensions and grauities of retireesin the country by $50.

This disclosure was made in a statement  by the Ministry of Poverty  Eradication.

According to the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, I-Ben Nashandi, the increase would be backdated to April, this year.

The statement disclosed that  all beneficiaries will receive N$1 450 in August,  including a N$200 back pay for April, May, June and July.

It then stated that subsequently, a monthly amount of N$1 250 will be paid out to all beneficiaries as from September 2018.

Busia Governor, Sospeter Ojaamong and three County Ministers  were on Wednesday arraigned before the Milimani, Nairobi, Anti-Corruption Court on a 7 count charge of corruption.

Before now the accused persons had been detained at the Integrity Centre -the headquarters of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

 Others arraigned alongside the Governor are Mr Bernard Yaite, Mr Allan Ekweny and Mr Samuel Ombui, who are County Ministers.

Charges against them include defrauding the County of Sh 8 million.

Other charges are abuse of office, conspiracy to commit an economic crime and engaging in a project without proper planning.

Also, they were charged for  willful failure to comply with the law relating to management of public funds and fraudulent acquisition of public property.

The accused persons peladed not guilty to the charges.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has raised that alarm that the Federal Government has with held salaries of workers nationwide for the month of June, to frustrate the one day sit-at-home action of the workers on Monday July 2.

According to the National Coordinator of the AWC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, who made this disclosure, in a chat with People, the workers will go ahead with the action.

''In fact Government is trying to frustrate the one day sit-at-home national strike. Government has refused to pay workers their June salaries, just to frustrate the one day national sit-at-home action. To this end, we call on workers natiowide to sit at home on Monday July 2, 2018, in protest gaainst the denila of the rights of existence of the Nigerian workers by Government''.

''Any worker that is not comfortable with the N18,000 minimum wage should sit at home on that day. We are appealing to the conscience of all Nigerian workers to make it succeed. An it shall succeed'', Comrade Emelieze asserted.

Howevr, the Chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is also the Chairman Joint Negotiating Council(JNC) in the state, Comrade Emmanuel Ogundiran disclosed that there was no directive from the Labour centres in Abuja to that effect.

''There is nothing like that, I have no directive, no letter to that effect, in respect of the sit-at-home action, as leaders of organized Trade unions in the state, we will not do anything that would jeopardize or prejudice the negotiation, whatever we cannot defend we will not go into it. Any worker that abides by the directive and is absent without leave, the consequence is summary dismissal, and they cannot call us to defend them because we did not call them out'', Comrade Ogundiran warned.

In a related development workers in the a siazble number of  Local Governments of Oyo state have insisted that the state Government was yet to pay them for a number of months, just as they stressed that the N9 billion the state Government claimed to have released, only covered payment of  salaries for two months.

In his reaction, the state President of the National Union of Local Government Employess (NULGE), Comrade Tititlola Sodo said that the over N9.7 billion released by the state Government was used to pay two months salaries of Primary School Teachers.

''The N9.7 billion the state Government released was a allocation for March and April, 2018, including 10 per cent Internally Generated Revenue(IGR), no gratuity was paid About N3.6 billion was used to pay the two months salaries of Primary School Teachers and another N1.3 billion was used to pay leave bonus. Salaries for workers at the newly created Local Council Development Areas(LCDAs) are still paid at the mother Local Governments. 2o Local Goverments are up to date in the payment of  salaries, quite a few still have salary arrears outstanding, ranging from one to six months''.

Comrade Sodo urged the workers to still have confidence in their union leaders, saying ''we have come this far, workers should not lose hope, they should rely on their unions ''.

As the Kenyan Government intensifies its clampdown on contraband products, traders have increased the prices of local sugar.

 A kilo of sugar  in western Kenya now sells for between Sh10 and Sh20.

Consumers now avoid brands from factories that have links with  the controversial importation of sugar. A 50kg bag of Sony sugar now goes for Sh5,500, up from Sh4,300.

 The Government had two weeks ago, seized a consignment of contraband sugar  in a warehouse in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

Women farmers from Amakohi-ubi community in Owerri West Local Government Area  of Imo state have staged a peaceful protest to the state Government house to appeal for government intervention in the incessant destruction of their farmlands by herdsmen.

The hundreds of palcard carrying protesters lamented the losses they are incurred as a result of the persistent attacks.

The spokesperson of the protesters, Betty Uneze disclosed that they had no option but to bring their predicament to the notice of the state government.

“We are in Imo State Government House to tell our Governor, Rochas Okorocha that Fulani herdsmen have destroyed our farms. This is not the first time it is happening.

“Our farms have been destroyed and we do not know when this suffering will end. As we are talking to you now, the herdsmen are still in our farms. Please, we want them to leave.

“If our grievances are not proactively addressed now that it has not gotten to a dangerous point, is it when we are physically attacked and killed that the government will come to our rescue?” Uneze opined.

Workers of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority(ZIMRA) will today(Friday) embark on  protests over issues revolving on poor  welfare and working conditions.

The notice of the strike is contained in a letter addressed to the Officer in Charge of Harare central of ZIMRA.

 According to the Secretary General of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and Allied Workers Trade Union (ZIMRATU) General secretary, Mr. Lovemore Ngwarati, the workers have notified the management and the Zimbabwe Republic Police of their intention to picket the authority's head office  in Central Harare, starting from 1230hrs until 1400hrs.

The workers lamented that since 2003 the managemtn had embarked on 'costly job evaluation exercises'' without impelmenting the results.

They expressed reservations over the award of 

 "lucrative" three-year fixed term contracts "renewable without advertisement or equal opportunity" to the authroity's managers  while the 2500 strong workforce is "languishing in poverty".

The Lagos state Government has abolished the 50 year old practice of promoting civil servants based on their progression in their various careers.

The  state government hinged its decision on the need to ensure effective service delivery in the state.

This disclosure was made by the state Head of Service, Mrs. Folashade Adesoye at a news  conference to commence the2018 Civil service week in the state, at the state secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

“To this extent, all government officers now have clearly defined job schedules against which their performances will be assessed. This approach is based on the perception that governance must be open, timely, effective and efficient”, Mrs Adesoye disclosed.

Stakeholders in the betting industry, last Wednesday, shunned an interactive forum organized by the newly reconstituted Oyo state aming Board.

The stakeholders hinged their action  on the fact that the intention of the board might not be in line with their battles fr survival in te industry, considringthe tax regime in the state.

They lamented that the business environment in the state was unfriendly, harsh and hostile,just as they warned that any attempt to introduceaother category in te mulitple taxe regime, currently operating in the state, will force several operators to close down.

A few of the operators were, however, cited at the forum. 

In his remarks of the board, Mr. Lekan Abari, opined ''this is a stepping stone to so many things that is going to be done. There are over 50 operators in the state less than 10 are in attendance''.

One of the stakeholders, who was in attedance, Mr. Michael Nwogu, the Cheif Executive of Celcon Limited, a platform provider, appealed to the board to protect operators, adding ''of all the stkeholers, only  those in sports betting are online and none of them are using ocal platforms, they all have to pay their subscriptons in foreign exchange, what is the board doing ?''.

Similarly, the Secretary of the Pools Promoters Asociation in Oyo state, Mr. Gbenga Ogungbenle drew the attention of the board to the fact that the business environment n Lagos varied from that  of badan, while lamenting  that the state governmen did not cary them along when it decided to make changes in the nomenclature of the board.

''What is applicable in Lagos cannot be applicable in Ibadan. We didn't know whe the sat government inaugurated the state Gaming board, there is little or no difference from the  pools beeting board we usd to know. We are not online, Why the change ? We don't know, all of us in the industry are passig through hard times'', Mr. Ogungbenle disclosed.

In response, the Chairman of th state Internal Revenue Board, Mr. Bisi Alli declared that the sanitizaton of the  revenue process by the revolved on mutula benefit.

''We are sanitizing the rvenue process in the state. Govenment must render service and you mus pay. Our state must be in line with what obtains in all other parts of the world. The essence of embracing technology  is to assist operators.

It makes your operations very easy and lesscumbersome. The cost of compliance becomes cheap, it reduces as transaction increases. It knocks down the cost of compliance. Those who operate illegally cannot come o our platform. More importantly, you need the government, the government needs you. If you don't partner with government, if you don't pay  your contribution, it might be difficult'', Mr Alli warned.

Sadly, jobless youths and secondary school students, form the bulk of those who patronize the betting centres, who also include market me nd women.

These category of people spend valuable time discussing, analyzing and projecting  winning prospects

The Tanzanian Government has assured that it will recruit 10, 140 Teachers by June this year.

The government gave this assurance through Deputy Minister of state in the President's office(Regional Administration and Local Government)Mr. Joseph Kakunda, when he appeared before the Parliament.

''These will be employed, come June this year'', Mr. Kakunda assured.

Mr. Kakunda also disclosed that the certificates of those shorlisted was presently been screened by the National Examination Council of Tanzania(NECTA).

Nigerians have been advised to accept the statement of the Comptroller General of Customs as a wake up call  to reject bad governance.

This advise was given in a chat with Federationews2day, by the National Coordinator of the All Workers Convergence(AWC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''It is actually a wake up call to Nigerians in all fields of endeavour, that we can say that we are actually lazy because we have been tolerating bad governance, agelong misrule, corruption, incompetence, terrorism and so Nigerians must rise up to  prove that we are not lazy, by resisting to tolerate bad governance again,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

In his views the Public Relations Officer(PRO) OF Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners(AWDROP), Mr. Richrad Adeyinka insists that Nigerians are not lazy.

''Nigerians are not lazy, go to the streets, thousands of those who graduate each year, don't have jobs, I know that Nigerians are not lazy, if they are they will not take to commercial motorcycling(Okada) to keep body and soul together'', Mr. Adeyinka disclosed.

For Messrs Edmund  Ogboh and Ifeanyichukwu, both Ibadan based businessmen, the Federal Government should create more jobs for millions of Nigerians who are without jobs. ''If government creates more jobs there would be a reduction in crime and  a change of mind by those considered to be lazy'', they emphasized.

The Founder and Spiritual Head of Shafaudeen In Islam Worldwide, Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke has charged religious leaders in Nigeria to make use of religion as a weapon of integration, unification and reformation during and after the Ramadan fast.

Prof. Olagoke gave this charge in a chat with Federationews2day.

''An area of challenge for clerics, we must use religion as a weapon to integrate, not disintegrate, to unify and to reform, in the atmosphere where the people who have must support the cause of clerics, because to reach out to millions of people, the media is essential.''

''Ramadan  fast is to reform, restrengthen and do things the right way. Our elites must come in, everywhere, we see people who have and those who do not have. We must be our brother's keeper,'' Prof. Olagoke advised

Govt. Has Failed in Its Responsibilities-AWC

Health workers in Nigeria have clarified that the ongoing   indefinite industrial action was embarked upon to compel the Federal Government to meet their demands, just as they insisted that they have no dispute with any Non Governmental Organization.

This clarification was made in a chat with Federationews2day by the spokesperson of the Oyo state council of the Joint Health Sector Union(JOHESU), Comrade Olabode Akinfenwa.

''We are not in dispute with any Non Governmental Organization(NGO), we are in dispute with the Federal Government. Also, we are not aware of the National Industrial Court Judgement. We have local issues that  are yet to be addressed by the Oyo state Government. There is preferential treatment in the health sector'', Comrade Akinfenwa noted.

In the same vein, the All Workers Convergence(AWC) has attributed the indefinite strike action embarked upon by health workers in the country to the fact that government at all levels have abandoned their responsibilities. It only shows how irresponsible government is. Is it a Non Governmental Organization(NGO) that will intervene in such a sensitive issue that has to do with  the health of Nigerians. Even the NGO cannot be trusted. It might likely have an ulterior motive. Government in Nigeria has lost its sense of Justice and equal rights''.

This position was made known by AWC's National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Painfully, it is the traveling out of President Muhammadu Buhari, for medical consultation to London, when the health sector has been grounded by a nation wide strike, that is making its suspension difficult, even though the President traveled out to save his life. For us, in AWC, this act is not only irresponsible, but callous'', Comrade Emelieze noted.

Members of the Ugandan Parliament have proposed the setting up of a special committee to look into the allegations of slave labour involving several girls from the country, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE).

According to    the member representing Butambala in the Parliament, Mr Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi a visit Dubai by the lawmakers of Budget Committee, exposed a labour recruitment centre, "which for all intent and purpose resembles a well-organised slave market".

Kiyumbi disclosed that when the committee visited Jaira state, it discovered girls from various countries, accommodated in several small buildings, patiently waiting to be sold to buyers with the ''highest bid''.

He also stated that the girls were being maltreated, while lamenting that 16 of them  had committed suicide between February and August 2017.

Families in East Africa will for sometime contend with high food prices as a result of flooding, pests and diseases.

This is contained in the  monthly update by the Food Security Working Group on the Greater Horn.  

The update disclosed that families  in Rwanda, Karamoja of Uganda, Burundi, Somalia and Sudan which  depend on markets for food, will have to put up with the soaring prices of foodstuffs.

"Above average staple food prices will continue eroding the purchasing power of poor market-dependent households in Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan, which are heading into a lean season," the report stated.

The past week maize traded at $402.14 per tonne in Kisumu, Kenya, $319 in Ruhuha, Rwanda and $ 271.02 in Kabale town, Uganda.

However, in the last six months  a tonne of maize traded at $540.28 in Ruhuha, $279.38 in Uganda and $443.04 in Nairobi. In Burundi, only 60 per cent of households have food.