The Nigerien government ban on the cultivation and sale of red pepper in its Diffa region has been lifted.

The spicy crop considered a special delicacy throughout Niger and parts of Nigeria, popularly called Diffa pepper, was banned in 2015 by the Nigerien government.

So, why was the chili pepper banned in the first place and what does it have to do with terrorism?

http://freespch.com/2017/10/20/how-boko-haram-used-hot-pepper-for-deadly-attacks/

The #MeToo campaign, launched after Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein’s sordid past of rape and sexual exploitation of women was exposed, has prodded dozens of women across the world to come forward to share scary details of how they were sexually attacked in the past by one big name or another.

After weeks in the Americas and Europe, the bug has finally hit Africa, and the latest revelation is coming from South Africa.

Former South African lawmaker and singer, Jennifer Ferguson, claimed in a blog post that the head of the country’s football federation and organizer of the 2010 World Cup, Danny Jordaan, “painfully” raped her in a hotel suite nearly 24 years ago.

“He overpowered me and painfully raped me. It must have been over in about 20 seconds although it felt like a lifetime,” Ferguson said. “He left immediately without saying a word.”

http://freespch.com/2017/10/19/nigerians-expect-rape-tales-as-metoo-arrives-africa/

Islamic State extremists trying to sign up “jihadi brides” to travel to Iraq or Syria have tried to recruit a former glamour model who converted to Islam.

British counter terrorism police have warned Kimberley Miners to stop extremist activity after she exchanged social media messages with a recruiter and allegedly shared violent Islamic State propaganda videos on social media.

The 27-year-old who has in the past posed topless for a tabloid newspaper admitted to the Sunday Times that she had been in contact on Facebook with an Isis recruiter called Abu Usamah al-Britani who is trying to recruit a new generation of jihadist brides from the West.

Ms Miners is understood to have been “warned off” and directed to a counter extremism programme by police.

As many as 100 women and girls are believed to have travelled to territory held by Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (Isil), many of them after being groomed online.

She said she was in contact with Abu Usamah, whose true identity is not known, as recently as last month.

She said: “He was saying, ‘If you can leave England, then just leave.'”

She condemned Isil’s beheadings and did not want to be a jihadi bride, but was interested in travelling to the region to carry out charity work, she said.

Ms Miners, from Bradford in West Yorkshire, turned to Islam after the death of her father, but said she had faced abuse in the street for wearing Islamic dress.

She said: “I’ve gone from glamour model to something completely different.

“But that again makes me wonder. You don’t get s*** for wearing nowt, but the second you start wearing [the veil] you get accused [of extremism] and stuff.”
....

http://www.freespch.com/2016/09/05/isis-wants-former-glamour-model-as-jihadi-bride/

Forty years after the assassination of the then Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed, a film titled, ’76 inspired by that dark episode made history today when it was announced as the first Nigerian film to have its European premiere at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival in October.

The film is a love story embedded in treason, intrigue, patriotism and faith is set in Ibadan, Oyo State, against the backdrop of transition and the struggle for political stability in 1976 and is inspired by real life events that led to the assassination of Gen. Murtala Muhammed.

‘76 the multi-million dollar landmark Nigerian cinematic production, already scheduled to make a global opening at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival later this month has now also been exclusively chosen to have its European premiere at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival.

This is the first Nollywood film, the third largest film industry in the world to be chosen by both Toronto and London film festivals back-to-back and is a new milestone in African cinema.

The film, cast and crew have received a major boost with a high profile endorsement from the Head of State who succeeded the assassinated Murtala Muhammed at the time; His Excellency General Olusegun Obasanjo, then later went on to become a two-term President. He described '76 as "the best view of one of the worst times in our nations history. A must watch and an insight that was long overdue. Watching the attention to detail and hearing my own voice in February 1976, brought out both sweet and sour memories as Murtala Muhammed was not only my boss, he was my friend. I cannot attest to what went on in the homes as we were focused on the field, but this film gives even I, an insight into that."

Set during the era of military assassinations and political unrest in Nigeria, the movie also had the full approval and endorsement of the Nigerian Army and the Murtala Muhammed family, and was shot inside the confines of a military base, another first in Nigeria's cinematic history. It comes 40 years after the actual events, and follows four years of work by the multi award winning Director Izu Ojukwu and the production teams of Adonis Production and Princewill’s Trust, a brainchild of Prince Tonye Princewill and Adonijah Owiriwa who are the film’s executive producers.

“Our objective was to show audiences, amongst other things, what the wives of officers had to go through. Military coups were our legacy. In some ways, we are still trying to recover from this. Everyone sees and hears the perspective of the officers. But the woman’s story stays silent. We wanted to highlight the strength and the vulnerabilities of the typical African woman through the eyes of officers' wives. This is a filmmaker's small contribution to raising their volume," the Executive Producer Adonijah Owiriwa said.

The film stars renowned and respected Nollywood megastars Rita Dominic, Ramsey Nouah, Chidi Mokeme, Ibinabo Fiberesinma, Memry Savanhu, Daniel K Daniel (African best actor 2016), Debo Oguns and Adams Shuaibu and a host of other rising stars. At the centre of this very gripping romantic thriller is the charismatic, ‘Captain Joseph Dewa’, played by Ramsey Nouah who is indicted by the military for his alleged role in the coup.

The film will have its red carpet London premiere on the 15th of October and will be attended by all the key cast, crew and special guests. It will then have its African premiere in Lagos on the 11th of November before being released nationwide in cinemas from November the 25th.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/09/01/finally-murtala-muhammed-assasination-film-76-premieres/

Nigerians should desist from excessive use of smart phones devices because of their negative effect on the sight, an Optometrist, Henry Emelike, warned Wednesday.

Henry, an eye expert at the Gwamna Awan General Hospital, Kakuri in Kaduna, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the number of cases of short-sightedness among young people had soared due to high use of smart phones and tablets.

“Since the launch of smart phones in 1997 there has been a 35 per cent increase in the number of people with advancing myopia (short sightedness) according to a research carried out by David Allamby, founder of Focus Clinics, USA.

“It is estimated that the problem would increase by 50 per cent in the next 10 years. Allamby dubbed this condition as screen sightedness,’’ he said.

According to him, large number of the world’s population, especially young people own smart phones or tablets and they spend an average of two hours daily using them.

“This, along with time spent using computers and watching television is putting children and young people at the risk of permanently damaging their sights.

“The average smart phone or tablet user holds the device 30 cm from their face with some holding them just 18 cm away, compared to newspapers and books which are held 40 cm away from the eyes,’’ he said.

He said that excessive screen watching at close proximity keeps the genes that control myopia activated well beyond the age that myopia (short sightedness) would historically have stabilised which was about 21 years.

“Myopia used to stop developing in people in their early 20s but now it is now seen progressing throughout the 20s, 30s, and even 40s.

“It is predicted that if things continue as they are, about 40 to 50 per cent of 30-year-olds could have myopia by 2033 as a result of smart phones and lifestyles in front of screen which would become an epidemic called screen sightedness.

“Meanwhile, children are actually able to focus at close distances for extended periods of time than adults, and experience less eyestrain than adults.

“This is due to the higher elasticity and resilience cum proper functioning of ocular muscles in children and younger people.

“Still, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends limiting a child’s screen time (including TV, computer, game console, tablet and smart phone) to no more than two hours a day.

“I’m not sure how realistic that is, because most classrooms use computers and tablets now-a-days,’’ he said.

Emelike said that the phenomenon of “screen sightedness’’ was due to difficulty and discomfort of the constant work of accommodation and convergence as contents from mobile phones seem to appear in front of the screen rather than behind it.

He said these involved interplay of intrinsic ocular muscles as well as extra ocular muscles’ fatigue.

“In this our “technology-centric” world, the use of these screen devices is, however, pretty hard to avoid,” he said.

The Optometrist listed the following symptoms to be associated with short sightedness: Sore, tired, burning, itching, dry or watery eyes.

Others are blurred vision, difficulty in focusing, headaches, sore neck and shoulders.

He, however, noted that there were few healthy tips that could help one override screen sightedness.

“The 20-20-20 Rule: For every 20 minute work at the screen or any close-up work, take a break for 20 seconds and focus on an object 20 feet away.

“Alternatively, give your eyes a two to three minutes rest after every half hour of close-up work,’’ he said.

Emelike said that the former was preferred by eye care professionals, advising users to hold up the smart phone at least 16 inches from their faces.

“Moderately adjust your screen brightness and contrast to improve clarity of fonts and pictures to prevent you from drawing the screen closer to your eyes than normal.

“The use of anti-reflective or transition glasses is recommended to prevent glare sensitivity.

“A health care application called Eye Trainer (for Android OS) that provides a five-minute workout for your eyes to prevent eyestrain is also helpful.

“It consists of 12 exercises that take less than five minutes to complete. This could be handy, and yes, I get the irony of recommending a smart phone app to treat a problem caused by smart phones.’’

He urged residence to embark a little discipline by using the devices only when absolutely necessary.

“Finally, blink! Blink a lot, it helps protect the tear film layer amidst other protective cum bactericidal functions of tears,’’ Emelike said.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/31/will-smart-phones-harm-the-eyes-experts-and-data-say-yes/

Nigerians should desist from excessive use of smart phones devices because of their negative effect on the sight, an Optometrist, Henry Emelike, warned Wednesday.

Henry, an eye expert at the Gwamna Awan General Hospital, Kakuri in Kaduna, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the number of cases of short-sightedness among young people had soared due to high use of smart phones and tablets.

“Since the launch of smart phones in 1997 there has been a 35 per cent increase in the number of people with advancing myopia (short sightedness) according to a research carried out by David Allamby, founder of Focus Clinics, USA.

“It is estimated that the problem would increase by 50 per cent in the next 10 years. Allamby dubbed this condition as screen sightedness,’’ he said.

According to him, large number of the world’s population, especially young people own smart phones or tablets and they spend an average of two hours daily using them.

“This, along with time spent using computers and watching television is putting children and young people at the risk of permanently damaging their sights.

“The average smart phone or tablet user holds the device 30 cm from their face with some holding them just 18 cm away, compared to newspapers and books which are held 40 cm away from the eyes,’’ he said.

He said that excessive screen watching at close proximity keeps the genes that control myopia activated well beyond the age that myopia (short sightedness) would historically have stabilised which was about 21 years.

“Myopia used to stop developing in people in their early 20s but now it is now seen progressing throughout the 20s, 30s, and even 40s.

“It is predicted that if things continue as they are, about 40 to 50 per cent of 30-year-olds could have myopia by 2033 as a result of smart phones and lifestyles in front of screen which would become an epidemic called screen sightedness.

“Meanwhile, children are actually able to focus at close distances for extended periods of time than adults, and experience less eyestrain than adults.

“This is due to the higher elasticity and resilience cum proper functioning of ocular muscles in children and younger people.

“Still, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends limiting a child’s screen time (including TV, computer, game console, tablet and smart phone) to no more than two hours a day.

“I’m not sure how realistic that is, because most classrooms use computers and tablets now-a-days,’’ he said.

Emelike said that the phenomenon of “screen sightedness’’ was due to difficulty and discomfort of the constant work of accommodation and convergence as contents from mobile phones seem to appear in front of the screen rather than behind it.

He said these involved interplay of intrinsic ocular muscles as well as extra ocular muscles’ fatigue.

“In this our “technology-centric” world, the use of these screen devices is, however, pretty hard to avoid,” he said.

The Optometrist listed the following symptoms to be associated with short sightedness: Sore, tired, burning, itching, dry or watery eyes.

Others are blurred vision, difficulty in focusing, headaches, sore neck and shoulders.

He, however, noted that there were few healthy tips that could help one override screen sightedness.

“The 20-20-20 Rule: For every 20 minute work at the screen or any close-up work, take a break for 20 seconds and focus on an object 20 feet away.

“Alternatively, give your eyes a two to three minutes rest after every half hour of close-up work,’’ he said.

Emelike said that the former was preferred by eye care professionals, advising users to hold up the smart phone at least 16 inches from their faces.

“Moderately adjust your screen brightness and contrast to improve clarity of fonts and pictures to prevent you from drawing the screen closer to your eyes than normal.

“The use of anti-reflective or transition glasses is recommended to prevent glare sensitivity.

“A health care application called Eye Trainer (for Android OS) that provides a five-minute workout for your eyes to prevent eyestrain is also helpful.

“It consists of 12 exercises that take less than five minutes to complete. This could be handy, and yes, I get the irony of recommending a smart phone app to treat a problem caused by smart phones.’’

He urged residence to embark a little discipline by using the devices only when absolutely necessary.

“Finally, blink! Blink a lot, it helps protect the tear film layer amidst other protective cum bactericidal functions of tears,’’ Emelike said.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/31/will-smart-phones-harm-the-eyes-experts-and-data-say-yes/

Uber, the innovative app that keeps thousands of people on the move, has teamed up with Gourmet Pizza Company to bring the people of Abuja, individual sized spicy beef pizza at no cost!

Pizzas can be requested this Thursday, 1 September 2016from 11:00AM – 2PM. Demand will be high and supply will be limited so fastest fingers first!

Whether you love pizza for lunch or a quick snack, there has never been a better time to request UberPizza, because it’s free!

“We are delighted to partner with the Gourmet Pizza Company, to bring riders authentic Italian pizza to their doorsteps. We love finding ways to reward our riders, and who doesn’t love pizza?” says Ebi Atawodi, General Manager for Uber West Africa.

Hadiza Mohammed, CEO for Gourmet pizza, explains why they are so excited about this partnership with Uber.

“We want to spread our love and passion for pizza as far and wide as possible and Pizza on Demand with Uber is the perfect way to do that. Uber is all about taking people places and on September 1st it’s going to take Gourmet Pizza to your doorstep.”

How to get #UberPizza:

Login into the Uber app on Thursday, 1st September 2016, between 11am – 2pm

Slide across to the Pizza view, select your pick-up location and request Pizza

Read more: http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/31/abuja-folks-get-free-spicy-pizza-from-uber-and-gourmet/

Malaysian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Datuk Lim Juay Jin, said his country’s bilateral trade with Nigeria in 2015 stood at 766.8 million dollars.

Datuk Lim, who made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday said that trade value was a 14.6 per cent increase from 2014.

``The total trade between the two countries was valued at 766.8 million U.S. dollars in the year of 2015 and this was an increase of 14.9 per cent from the previous year.

``The trade was in Malaysia’s favour.

``Malaysia’s main export to Nigeria included petroleum products, palm oil and palm based products, machineries and also processed food.

``Malaysia’s main import from Nigeria was Liquefied Natural Gas, iron ore, metal scrap and agricultural goods.

``And of course, it is our sincere hope that the bilateral trade between the two countries will continue to increase; I am sure Nigeria has a lot of things to offer to Malaysia too.”

Datuk Lim said that both countries had bilateral relations since 1965, adding that 2016 marked the 51st year of this relationship that waxed stronger in spite of the dormancy of the Joint Commission of Cooperation.

He said although the joint commission had been inactive for more than a decade, efforts were made to revive it.

``As far as the joint commission meeting is concerned, it is dormant for the time being due to some reasons that have prevented this mechanism to be conducted on a more regular basis.

``This is either due to unavailability of commonly accepted dates and unavailability of officials or members of the commission.

``But both countries have on numerous occasions expressed interest in reviving this Joint Commission of Cooperation because we agree and recognise that this is an important platform to propel bilateral relations.

``I also must stress that even without the joint commission, our relations have been moving on in so many areas without putting special impetus to it and the momentum has picked up, but of course, the joint commission is an official mechanism.”

The high commissioner also explained that the Malaysia-Nigeria Business Council served as an umbrella under which the business communities of both countries explored investment opportunities.

He added that the business council coordinated its activities with the Malaysia-Nigeria Trade Commission.

Datuk Lim further explained that the commission was aimed at spearheading commercial activities between the two countries.

``The activities of this business council is geared towards investment promotion between Nigeria and Malaysia.

``We have, last year, established a trade office in Lagos to spearhead the commercial activities between the two countries and the Nigeria-Malaysia Business Council is working hand-in-hand with the trade office.

``The trade office is manned by a trade commissioner; from here you can also see that Malaysia actually puts a lot of emphasis on Nigeria’s future; we see the business potential in Nigeria.

``Out of the many West African countries we chose Lagos as the destination for the trade office; that speaks volumes.”

According to Datuk Lim, both countries have bilateral relations in the areas of economy, science and technology, culture and capacity building.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/31/nigeria-unbelievably-imports-palm-oil-petroleum-products-from-malaysia-in-766-8m-bilateral-trade/

Code Camp Africa, a technology capacity development company, on Monday, said it would collaborate with Diamond Bank to train 500, 000 coders over the next 10 years.

Edwin Momife, the Co-Founder of Code Camp Africa, said in a statement in Lagos that the training was necessary to ensure that Nigerian youths align with their counterparts in other countries.

Momife said following the success of the first edition of a training programme on computer programming, Diamond Bank Plc had committed to partnership for training teens and other children in coding and technology development.

He said that the vision of the organisation was to train at least 500, 000 youngsters in coding.

”If you learn how to code, you will become a global citizen. We need Nigerians to get to code and use technology to solve problems.

”The training aims to teach teenagers computer programming, coding and app development; we will be grooming manpower for an ICT-rich future in Africa.

”The idea is to equip the participants with skills and cognitive ability to use ICT to solve problems. Digital is the language of today and more so of tomorrow.

”Africans need to be able to solve problems in their environment with modern technology, now epitomized by the computer.

“We believe that when children are taught how to code early in life, the African dream benefits,” Momife said.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/22/most-ambitious-computer-coding-initiative-to-train-500000-african-programmers/

Ovation magazine publisher, Dele Momodu, has detailed his thoughts about the 2019 election, and the possibilities of President Buhari seeking reelection or standing down.

In an elaborate piece, Momodu suggests four interesting scenarios:

Option 1: Buhari wants to run, and considering the APC’S internal politics, picks Tinubu as running mate, Momodu writes:

“Nothing stops the president from seeking a re-election within our Constitution. The only snag is that many politicians are going to gang up against him because they see him as an outsider in politics who has benefitted from their massive support but in return has been messing things up for them.

If the President remains stoically stubborn and refuses to play ball with politicians, he would have to fight dirty to win his ticket. It seems to me that he would have to do everything to retain the loyalty of one man by all means, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is almost impossible for any candidate to become President of Nigeria without the overwhelming support of the Yoruba and their current generalissimo, Tinubu, in particular.

Tinubu derives his stranglehold on power from his iron grip on Lagos. Lagos is a microcosm of Nigeria. Whoever controls Lagos owns the commercial nerve-centre of Nigeria, just like the California of America. Tinubu has been very lucky in that his anointed candidates, Babatunde Raji Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, have been very cerebrally successful. The current Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, is already set, after just one year in office, to surpass all expectations.

According to impeccable sources, Buhari may therefore be forced to risk and pick Tinubu as his running-mate if push comes to shove. Tinubu’s protégé, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, is the current Vice President, who comes with intimidating credentials but may not have enough political muscle to deliver enough votes to the kitty. The dilemma for Buhari is whether he should buck the trend set by his predecessors, starting from Shehu Shagari, and jettison his Vice President, especially when a cordial and mutually respectful relationship exists between them. In addition, Osinbajo has been doing exceedingly well and he is seen as one of the few shining lights of this Administration.

There is also the fact that Prof Osinbajo is a highly regarded and esteemed senior Christian figure and the President has needed him to silence those detractors that consider him an Islamic fundamentalist.
However, I believe that the controversy that could ensue from a potentially volatile Muslim/Muslim ticket may have been fixed substantially. Firstly, there is a precedent set by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola the acclaimed winner of the 1993 elections who picked a fellow Muslim, Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe, as his running-mate and still won in Nigeria’s freest and fairest election to date. Secondly, though Tinubu is a devout Muslim, his beloved wife is a hard-core Christian and a top-notch member of the same Redeemed Christian Church of God as the Vice President. Thirdly, there is the fact that Tinubu supported a Christian, Akinwunmi Ambode, as his anointed candidate for Governor of Lagos State, a deft move calculated to pacify those who may wish to foment religious crisis and conflagration then and in the future.”

Option 2: With Atiku lurking, Buhari discards the Tinubu idea, and APC implodes

“If the hawks succeed in getting Buhari to snub Tinubu because of his perceived threat to the President himself, the APC may split like PDP did before the collapse of the Jonathan Presidency.
One potential candidate is hovering in the wings and that is the Turaki of Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who has never hidden the fact that he wants the Presidency by all means. My next permutation is that the former Vice President and Tinubu who are two of the three most powerful and influential politicians in APC today (the third is Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki with his firm control of the Senate) may combine forces to thwart a Buhari re-election bid. They have been old allies since the time of Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. If they join forces, it may therefore spell doom for those seeking the re-election of President Buhari.

After the seeming lull in the Buhari-Tinubu love, it seems the recent appointments given to some of Tinubu’s acolytes appear designed to assuage his feeling. But would this be sufficient to bury the combustive ambition of a man who believes he still has so much to give to his country?”

Option 3: Buhari, for some reason(s) decides not to run and there’s El Rufai

“The third option which also involves Tinubu in the mix is one on which for a variety of reasons Buhari chooses not to run again. Without doubt, there are several other forces contending for power in case Buhari decides not to seek re-election. In this category, Tinubu’s name still features prominently. No one can deny the ability of Tinubu to transform Nigeria the way he did in Lagos. It is presumed that Buhari may generously want to pay Tinubu back for the support he gave him. He may also want to leave a lasting legacy and shed the toga of an ethnic jingoist by handing over to a Southerner. If this happens, I foresee the visionary Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, a core Buhari loyalist, becoming Tinubu’s running-mate, notwithstanding that this is another Muslim/Muslim ticket. Many APC loyalists believe this combination may fly.

Option 4: Buhari contests and Jonathan shows up

“There is a fourth option and this is coming from the direction of PDP. The theory here is that PDP can still spring a surprise on Buhari and pay him back in his own coin. The PDP apologists believe the North has lost more under Buhari despite allocating many political appointments to the region. They are of the opinion that former President Jonathan did more for them and gave them access and respect than their own man Buhari who they accuse of being standoffish. This is the reason that many Northerners, apart from his kinsmen in the South South, have become the biggest promoter of PDP.

In case you think Jonathan is dead and buried politically, perish the thought! He still holds the biggest ace in PDP. In fact, many in PDP today see him as their best candidate in 2019 because some of his transformation agenda are beginning to come to fruition. They are hoping and banking on Buhari becoming so unpopular that Jonathan would be sorely missed by Nigerians who would practically beg him to come back.

The rising profile and the promotion of Jonathan in the international community is part of that systematic way of re-polishing, repackaging, redefining and preparing him for a return to power. Every attempt to smear him with a tar brush would be rebuffed by his die-hard loyalists who see Buhari as someone trying to kill any future role for Jonathan as Nigerian President. They are totally committed to ensuring that Jonathan is well protected between now and next year when serious politicking would have reached a crescendo again. The hope is that as a former civilian President, he can bounce back to power like President Mathieu Kerekou did in Benin Republic, when he returned in 1996 after quitting in 1991.”

http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/21/buharitinubu-ticket-may-happen-in-2019-and-jonathan-may-return-dele-momodu/

A Japanese doctor who was touched by Nigeria’s Olympic football team’s ability to overcome a travel hitch to flourish at the Rio Games, has donated $390,000 to the team.

But football officials, blamed for the hitch in the first place, have reportedly seized the money, saying it has to be routed through them for the players the money was meant for.

A crisis is currently brewing between members of the football team and officials of Nigeria Football Federation over the money.

Katsuya Takasu, a Tokyo-based plastic surgeon, told the Nigerian embassy there he was travelling to Rio to personally hand over the money.

He directed in a letter that the team coach, Samson Siasia, and captain, Mikel Obi, be given $200,000 and $190,000 respectively.

By Saturday, reports emerged that some NFF officials had taken over the process of sharing the money, asking Takasu to give them the money to distribute to the team members.

“More trouble in the dream team camp….the money from the Japanese man to the dream team has been hijacked by the NFA,” Idah Peterside, Nigeria’s former goalkeeper, said Saturday.

He said the NFF wanted to use the money to pay salaries of coaches.

“Bitrus Bewarang was sent to get the money from the Japanese, but the players say it’s their money,” he said.

NFF denied the claims, saying as a “sovereign nation”, such donation must follow the proper channel.

“Nigeria is a sovereign nation and such a donation must go through a process. If we get a go-ahead, it will go directly to the team,” Amaju Pinnick, the NFF president, said. “To say NFF has ‘hijacked’ the money is outright mischief. The checks must be concluded and we are given a go-ahead to collect by the government.”

http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/20/japanese-doctor-donates-390000-to-nigeria-olympic-team-but-cash-is-hijacked/

Nigeria defeated Honduras on Saturday in the men football third place match, winning bronze as its first Olympic medal in eight years.

Nigeria scored three goals without a reply before the 65th minute.

Sloppy defending however allowed the Hondurans to pull back two goals within 10 minutes.

The match ended 3-2.

Nigeria has struggled to win a medal since the 2012 Olympics in London.

The flop continued in Rio where promising athletes could not shed the spell of losses.

The Nigerian football team had on Wednesday lost 2-0 to Germany.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/20/finally-nigeria-gets-first-olympics-medal-in-8-years/

Winning a medal at the Olympic is much glory and pride for athletes and their countries. But what exactly is the worth of those wins.

First, here is the true value of the medals they win.

An Olympic gold is said to be worth just $600 as it consists of just 1% of actual gold, 92.5% silver and 6.16% copper.

Silver is worth $325. It has same composition, only but the gold is replaced with copper.

Bronze is worth $3 as it has 97% copper, 2.5% zinc and 0.5% tin.

In auctions, they can cost more though because of the prestige.

But as per countries, these are the compensations for gold in dollars:

Singapore: $746,000

Taiwan: $640,000

Indonesia: $384,000

Thailand: $287,000

Kazakhstan: $250,000 and an apartment

Azerbaijan: $250,000

Philippines: $215,000

Italy: $180,000

Russia: $135,000

Moldova: $132,000

India: $150,000

Ukraine: $85,000 and new apartment

Romania: $79,000 + monthly income for life

France: $65,000

And more....

http://www.freespch.com/2016/08/20/what-do-countries-give-olympic-medalists-nigeria-2000-singapore-746000/

Using potatoes, wires and a few metallic clips, a Nigerian man, who lives in Lagos, has generated electricity.

Alabi Olusola spoke to video website, Battabox, about his work.

Here is how does this work?

Potato has starch, water and salt.

Salt is the chief actor in electricity generation here. A typical example sodium chloride – the type we have as table salt.

Salt contains ions which are atoms that carry electrical charge. In water, salt releases positive and negative charges. Sodium ion is the positive charge while chlorine ion is the negative charge.

If two dissimilar metals – example spoon, coin, knife, etc. – are inserted into the potato, they draw the ions to themselves. The metals can be copper and steel, zinc and tin, but must be different metals.

That dissimilarity has loads of implication scientifically.

This forms a typical wet cell car battery scenario. The acid (commonly and erroneously called water) in this case is the potato interior, while the electrodes (cathode+ and anode-) are the metals.

Like potatoes, numerous fruits rich in electrolytes like bananas and strawberries can also form this chemical reaction. They’re basically nature’s version of battery acid.

One metal attracts more negative ions or electrons, and the other gets more positive ions.

The negatively charged, also called electrons, are the carriers for electricity. Having a wire connection externally completes the circuit, and allows the electrons to freely move, thereby producing electricity.

This electrical phenomenon was first discovered by Luigi Galvani in 1780, who was experimenting on frogs with electrodes. This same phenomenon works with a variety of other organic materials, including bananas, dirt, paper soaked in saltwater, and other fruits and vegetables, such as lemons.

Years ago, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem released their finding that a potato boiled for eight minutes can make for a battery that produces ten times the power of a raw one.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/07/22/heres-why-this-nigerian-got-electricity-from-potatoes/

The African Union (AU) on Monday launched its continental passport at a ceremony witnessed by over 40 heads of state meeting at the 27th AU summit in Rwanda's capital, Kigali.
The launching, a symbolic act of Pan-Africanism, was officiated by the outgoing chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Dlamini Zuma presented the first two passports to African Union's current chairman, President Idriss Deby of Chad and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

She said heads of state, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and ambassadors will be the first beneficiaries of the African passports.

Dlamini-Zuma said the passport will improve the movement of Africans from one country to another and foster a boom in intra-Africa trade.

Deby said he feels "deeply and proudly a true son of Africa after receiving this passport" and called for a faster continental integration for socio-economic growth.

The initiative was first agreed upon in 2014 and aims to facilitate free movement of persons, goods and services in the continent.

Until 2018, when the new continental passport will be made available to ordinary citizens from Africa's 53 countries, Africans will continue using passports issued by their countries.

The African Union passport follows passports issued by the 16-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community (EAC), comprising of six countries.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/07/18/finally-african-union-launches-visa-free-passport/

A faction of Turkish military staged an unsuccessful coup on Friday, leaving in its wake over 200 people killed and nearly 3,000 soldiers arrested for their roles.

President Tayyip Erdogan did not only survive the coup, but his administration did.

Reuters’ writers Ece Toksabay and Paul Taylor provide an insightful analysis of why the coup failed in a dramatic and swift way.

Here are 11 key points they raised:

1. The coup was by defeated by 21st century technology and people power.

2. The rebels struck on a weekend when the president was out of town at a holiday resort. They seized the main airport, sealed off a bridge over the Bosphorus in Istanbul, sent tanks to parliament and Ankara and to control the main road junctions, and broadcast a statement on TRT state television declaring a curfew and warning people to stay at home. But they failed to capture any of the ruling AK Party leaders or to shut down private television, mobile phone signals or social media networks, enabling Erdogan and his aides swiftly to call supporters into the streets to resist the coup.

3. Their biggest handicap, said Turkish analyst Sinan Ulgen of the Carnegie Europe think tank, was that they acted outside the military chain of command and hence lacked sufficient resources to take control of key levers of power.

4. The rebels also failed to capture any military installations or any of the (political) leadership.

5. Erdogan used modern communications technology nimbly to get his message out to the population of nearly 80 million, outflanking the plotters. He used the FaceTime video application on a reporter's smartphone to broadcast a message live on CNN Turk, a private TV station which the plotters tried but failed to silence.

6. Erdogan’s predecessor, Abdullah Gul, also used FaceTime to shout angry defiance at the coup plotters on CNN Turk, and former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke by mobile phone with Al Jazeera television to call the takeover a failure.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/07/16/10-reasons-turkey-military-coup-failed/

A faction of Turkish military staged an unsuccessful coup on Friday, leaving in its wake over 200 people killed and nearly 3,000 soldiers arrested for their roles.

President Tayyip Erdogan did not only survive the coup, but his administration did.

Reuters’ writers Ece Toksabay and Paul Taylor provide an insightful analysis of why the coup failed in a dramatic and swift way.

Here are 11 key points they raised:

1. The coup was by defeated by 21st century technology and people power.

2. The rebels struck on a weekend when the president was out of town at a holiday resort. They seized the main airport, sealed off a bridge over the Bosphorus in Istanbul, sent tanks to parliament and Ankara and to control the main road junctions, and broadcast a statement on TRT state television declaring a curfew and warning people to stay at home. But they failed to capture any of the ruling AK Party leaders or to shut down private television, mobile phone signals or social media networks, enabling Erdogan and his aides swiftly to call supporters into the streets to resist the coup.

3. Their biggest handicap, said Turkish analyst Sinan Ulgen of the Carnegie Europe think tank, was that they acted outside the military chain of command and hence lacked sufficient resources to take control of key levers of power.

4. The rebels also failed to capture any military installations or any of the (political) leadership.

5. Erdogan used modern communications technology nimbly to get his message out to the population of nearly 80 million, outflanking the plotters. He used the FaceTime video application on a reporter's smartphone to broadcast a message live on CNN Turk, a private TV station which the plotters tried but failed to silence.

6. Erdogan’s predecessor, Abdullah Gul, also used FaceTime to shout angry defiance at the coup plotters on CNN Turk, and former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke by mobile phone with Al Jazeera television to call the takeover a failure.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/07/16/10-reasons-turkey-military-coup-failed/

Chinyere, wife of Emmanuel Nnamdi, the Nigerian asylum seeker beaten to death in Italy, has rendered a heartbreaking narration of how they fled Nigeria, and traveled to Italy through Libya suffering hunger and beatings.

Emmanuel was attacked and killed in the central Italian town of Fermo, as he tried to defend his wife from a man who taunted her as an “African monkey”.

The Italian government has condemned the killing and is charging the man, identified as Amedeo Mancini, with manslaughter.

The government also granted asylum status to Chinyere.

Here are videos of Chinyere and Emmanuel’s wedding and after his killing.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/07/08/video-wife-of-nigerian-killed-in-italy-shares-their-heartbreaking-story/

Multiple award-winning Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has revealed she recently had a baby girl, but made it clear she won’t let the world know her name just yet.

In an interview with the Financial Times’ African Editor, David Pilling, held over Lunch at a Lagos restaurant, Adichie said she ordered for chapman – a crimson -coloured fruit-flavour sugary Nigerian drink – instead of wine was because she was breastfeeding.

“This is just very sugary, very sweet. I would probably have a glass of wine, but I’m breastfeeding, I’m happy to announce,” she said.

“This is the first time I’m saying it publicly. I have a lovely little girl so I feel like I haven’t slept . . . but it’s also just really lovely and strange,” she added.

It took Pilling a second or two to realize that he’d been handed a scoop.

Thirty-eight-year-old Adichie, known for fiercely protecting her privacy, said she wanted her pregnancy and her child to be as “personal as possible” so she kept it from some of her friends.

“I have some friends who probably don’t know I was pregnant or that I had a baby. I just feel like we live in an age when women are supposed to perform pregnancy. We don’t expect fathers to perform fatherhood. I went into hiding. I wanted it to be as personal as possible.

“In this country of mine that I love,” she said, “people think that you’re incomplete unless you’re married.”

“Can I ask the baby’s name?” he tried, and Adichie replied with a smile: “No, I won’t say”.

And that ended the baby talk.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/07/04/new-mum-chimamanda-i-hid-my-pregnancy-and-i-wont-say-my-babys-name/

The US has compensated the family of a Cameroon boy who was struck and killed by a vehicle in the motorcade of its UN Ambassador Samantha Power.

The American government paid the family 1m Central African francs which is about $1,724.

That is about N603, 360- less than a million naira! That is the parallel market rate. Official interbank rate amounts to about N482, 720.

According to the Associated Press new agency, the US added two cows, flour, onions, rice, salt, sugar, soap and oil, to the family.

It also committed to building a well to provide fresh drinking water for the boy’s community, which is near the northern city of Mokolo.

Department spokesman Jeffrey Loree was quoted as describing the contribution as a “compensation package commensurate with local custom, as well as the needs of the family and village”.

“US diplomats have visited the family on several occasions following the accident and will continue to provide all support possible,” he added.

In terms of cash, Cameroon’s government, local aid organisations and the UN also donated 5m francs to the boy’s family. That is about N3.01 million – far higher than what US gave.

The seven-year-old boy, Birwe Toussem, was among villagers lined up along a two-way highway to greet the ambassador who was on a week-long visit in April to show support against Boko Haram.

He ran onto the street as the motorcade drove by at about 100km/h, and was hit by an armoured jeep which initially stopped before US security ordered it to continue travelling through the unsecured area.

An ambulance in the caravan immediately responded to the scene, but the boy died shortly thereafter.

But was the US right in paying just below $2,000 for the loss of the boy? Is that an African rate? Or was it apparently cheap because it was what “commensurate with…the needs of the family” as the department’s spokesman hinted.

While its appears the US government does not have a fixed rate as compensation for accidents involving its officials or vehicles, successful claims – if they go to US courts – certainly fetch millions of dollars.

Here is an example that won several millions in 2013 in US. Like the one in Cameroon, it involved a young child running across the road.

http://www.freespch.com/2016/07/01/did-us-pay-peanuts-for-cameroon-boy-killed-by-motorcade/

While Nigerians struggled for dollars for businesses, imports and academic programs, buying as much as N370 from the back market, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, scooped $101 million in just 11 weeks as benefit for buying forex directly from CBN at between 197 and 199, according to Reuters.

Reuters says it examined foreign currency transactions made during an 11-week period in March to May this year. Over that time, Dangote businesses were able to buy at least $161 million in hard currency from the central bank.

That was around nine percent of all the hard currency the bank sold over the period. In a single week in March, one dollar in every eight went to Dangote companies.

Compared with buying dollars on the more expensive unofficial market, though, Dangote companies benefited to the tune of about $100 million.

In simpler terms, the government sold dollars to him at subsidized rates compared to the actual value in parallel market.

Dangote’s purchases were entirely legal. The government had said it provide forex directly to Dangote’s firms partly because of his promise to build a refinery.

Reuters’ calculations are based on foreign exchange purchase data which the Nigerian government required banks to publish. Reuters examined every transaction that Dangote’s companies made between March 1 and May 13. One newspaper, This Day, calculated a weekly total of all the published official transactions. Reuters used this total to analyze Dangote’s share.

In the period Reuters analyzed, the average black market rate was around 320, according to AbokiFX, a Lagos financial company. The difference against the official rate equated to about 20 billion naira ($101 million).

http://www.freespch.com/2016/06/23/dangote-gained-101-million-in-just-11-weeks-by-buying-cheap-dollars-from-govt-reuters/