Contrary to expectations, most of the 18 political parties will not start their presidential campaigns today, as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, removes the lid on the exercise.

Apart from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which will inaugurate its campaign council today, the remaining 17 parties are yet to tidy up the composition of their presidential campaign teams.

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which last weekend announced a 422-man council, yesterday, postponed the kick-off of its campaign earlier slated for today to enable it adjust and expand the council, following complaints from critical stakeholders.

Following the economy’s poor performance in the last few years, Nigeria’s housing market has lurched into recession, with professionals and property developers seeking review of major drivers of the sector.

Two main forces are driving the housing market recession: increasing interest rates and increasing construction costs. In an environment with better mortgage system, with higher interest rates, buyers are always reluctant to purchase new homes.

https://guardian.ng/property/recession-looms-in-nigerias-housing-market/

‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.’ In a food crisis, we can only be the ones oppressed by the four global food giants.

Robert Lewandowski got off the mark for Barcelona with a double as Ansu Fati starred as a substitute in a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad on Sunday, while Villarreal won at Atletico Madrid.

Poland striker Lewandowski, celebrating his 34th birthday, put Barca ahead inside 50 seconds before Alexander Isak levelled for La Real in San Sebastian.

But Fati came off the bench to create goals for Ousmane Dembele and Lewandowski, before completing the scoring himself.

Barca’s first win of the season followed a disappointing goalless draw at home to Rayo Vallecano on the opening weekend.

Coach Xavi had called for “patience” from supporters after a summer spending spree which saw Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie all move to the Camp Nou.

That quartet all made their debuts against Rayo, but France defender Jules Kounde is still to be registered by the club after his transfer from Sevilla as they look to overcome financial problems.

The visitors made a dream start on Sunday, though, as 18-year-old full-back Alejandro Balde raced clear and sent in a low cross which was tapped home by Lewandowski.

He scored 344 goals during a trophy-laden eight-year spell at Bayern Munich before leaving for 45 million euros in July.

But the home side hit back in the sixth minute, as Frenkie de Jong lost the ball in midfield and Isak raced clear before lofting the ball into the net.

Sociedad were proving a tough nut to crack for Barca, but the game changed when Fati was sent on in the 64th minute.

The 19-year-old’s brilliant backheel teed up Dembele to drill a left-footed strike into the bottom corner just two minutes later, before another clever touch found Lewandowski to score.

Fati, who endured two injury-plagued seasons after breaking into the first team in 2019/20, got a goal himself late on as he collected Lewandowski’s volleyed flick and slotted in.

– Villarreal down Atletico –
Earlier, Villarreal moved to the top of the fledgling table as second-half goals from Yeremy Pino and Gerard Moreno secured a 2-0 victory at Atletico.

Unai Emery’s men opened their season with an impressive 3-0 win at Real Valladolid last weekend but the scalp of Atletico will raise hopes of a possible challenge for Champions League qualification.

The result was a reality check for the capital side, though, who had also started the campaign with a 3-0 success at Getafe.

Villarreal, who reached last season’s Champions League semi-finals, are one of four teams with two wins from two matches and edged above reigning champions Real Madrid on goal difference.

The away side made a fast start at the Estadio Metropolitano, with Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak forced into fine saves from Giovani Lo Celso and Etienne Capoue.

Moreno thought he had given Villarreal a half-time lead, but his effort was ruled out for a handball.

Matheus Cunha was introduced midway through the second period by home coach Diego Simeone in place of Alvaro Morata and almost broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute, only to be denied by ‘keeper Geronimo Rulli.

Teenage winger Pino instead put Villarreal in front just a minute later, capitalising on a poor clearance to fire a fine low shot into the bottom corner.

Atletico’s Nahuel Molina was sent off deep into injury-time and Moreno netted in the 97th minute to send Villarreal top.

A former Kogi Senator, Dino Melaye has said the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu sees the office of President as a life entitlement.

He added the reason Tinubu is eyeing Aso Rock Villa is because he sees it as a retirement benefit for supporting President Muhammadu Buhari to be the nation’s leader in 2015.

Melaye, who is the spokesperson for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, made these statements in a video he made and posted on his Facebook page on Saturday.

The former lawmaker was reacting to spokesperson of Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo’s attack on Atiku that he has no experience to govern Nigeria, adding that the standard bearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi is more experienced.

Melaye also said Atiku is running for the office of President based on credentials.

Melaye said: “Atiku Abubakar is running for presidency not for the second or third time so he understands this route better than the political virgin, Tinubu you are supporting, who is running for presidency for the first time seeing it as a life entitlement.

“He sees it as a retirement benefit for supporting Buhari. Atiku is running on credentials, not running for entitlement.”

Biofuel...It's impossible to use corn for fuel in Africa.

Vadese1:



Stop this baseless talk. Now we get Total Energies. What of the rest IOC, is Nigeria not making money from them.

https://www.nairaland.com/7252558/world-produces-far-more-food#115180662
You can know something from this.

Poppia:

You talk too much, what has Nigeria got to offer to mighty US ? The world has gone beyond this

The real intention of US food aid is to attack, change and control the agricultural production systems of recipient countries, thereby making these countries economically and politically dependent on the US.

SeunDAssLicker:
One minute you abuse the west, the other minute you’re asking them for help.

So called Giant of Africa my asssssss

A weak giant...

Painintheass221:
Countries that have received "Help" from either America or UK has never recovered from it. Ask Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Iran, etc.

You're right. The more they help, the worse the mess.

Concerned Nigerians have pleaded with the United States, US, and United Kingdom, UK, to intervene in the worsening insecurity in Nigeria before it gets out of hand.

Under the aegis of Forum of Concerned Nigerians, FCN, the group begged US and UK to act on the recent alarm raised by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on the worsening insecurity in Nigeria by appointing a Special Envoy to the country.

At a news briefing in Makurdi, spokesman of the FCN, Mr. Peter Shande, said "We like to join the Benue State Governor on this timely and patriotic call. Nigeria is in a coma and anyone who is pretending about it is living in self-denial. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the people of the country. His administration should account for the spate of violence across the country and the killing of innocent people.

"Governor Ortom is one Nigerian who has chosen to be the voice of the voiceless, so any attempt at silencing him will mean an attempt to silence over 200 million helpless Nigerians, and such an attempt will be stoutly resisted. We have also carefully watched the Buhari administration and its agents serially use the media to threaten and vilify the person and office of the Benue State Governor; this is unacceptable.

"What is Ortom's offence? Is it a crime to choose to stand with one's people in the face of brazen injustice, oppression and impunity? Since 2017, Governor Ortom has come under a heavy wave of sponsored blackmail and victimization from the Federal Government and its willing agents."

While recalling instances where the Benue Governor came under media attacks and other forms of threat for his steadfastness, Shande noted that "in the wake of herdsmen massacres visited on Benue farmers, Governor Ortom has faced, and is still facing persecution from many powerful interests, but he has stood with his people on the side of justice and equity.

"We find the alarm concerning his safety very timely, compelling and urgent. We therefore urge the international community not to treat the Governor's call with levity. Nigeria is too important in the African continent and comity of nations to be allowed to become a failed state simply because a sitting President wants it to be destroyed.

"We expect the United States, the United Kingdom and other world powers to intervene in the security situation in Nigeria without further delay. Establishing a Special Envoy on Nigeria will be a good place to begin.

"We must also state that nothing must happen to Governor Ortom who represents the suffering and marginalized people of this country who are being slaughtered like animals by terrorists almost daily, anyone who touches him should be prepared to contend with over 200 million people of this country."

AlphaTaikun:

The chicken has finally roosted.
Sri Lanka is the forerunner of what is to come for many developing countries from 2022 and beyond because of negative economic variables. Period.

We should learn lessons from Sri Lanka, adjust economic policies and regulate food market.

Archer-Daniels-Midland, Bunge, Cargill, and Dreyfus

the “ABCD” giants control the bulk of the world’s commercial grain trade

Today, we present the thoughts and ideas of Dr. Datti Baba Ahmed, the running mate to Dr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party. The views are strictly his and were made at different times – some during interviews, others in-session with young professionals and some were things he said in 2018/2019. It burrows into the dept of the mind of Baba Ahmed.

Corruption

I’m not so sure President Buhari really understands corruption.

I can quickly tell you that there are seven different ways corruption is perpetrated in Nigeria. First, inflated government contracts, which is responsible for anything between 55% to 65% of the quantum of corruption. Second one is unremitted revenue.

The third one is extortion – from the N50 collected on the road to the multi-million dollar deals that are done before anybody could see the president. Fourth one is conversion of public property into private. Fifth is the use of security votes – the way you have it before is the way you still have it today. Sixth one is wastefulness – criminal wastefulness, anything you can create to spend money on recklessly, including undue use of private jets and any other instruments of government that is wastefu, it is wastful, it is corruption.

The seventh one is undue influence of fraternity and relationship, which we call influence-peddling (man knows man). Buhari has never scientifucally looked at corruption. Corruption does not perpetrate itself. There are ways that it happens. Of these seven, some are administrative, some are legal and you’ll discover that about 70% of the way corruoption is done in NIgeria is simple administration. What President Buhari has been saying about corruoption since 1984 has been mere rhetorics, he has never fought corruption till this moment. The way contracts were awarded during the PDP years is the same way that contracts are awarded today.

Arresting people does not address the issue of corruption. It addresses the criminality. What we should be technically interested in is how did the act happen? They inflated the conrcat so how would you stop it? It is to control the mechanism. Logical limits and mathematical limits. Those jailed now you’ll discover that some of their cases started during the PDP era.

To fight corruption, first pass the bill on inflated contracts. Secondly, deploy tecghnology so that people do not under-report or divert Nigeria’s revenue.

You cannot deal with extortion by not leading. When you surround yourself in Aso Rcok Villa with friends, family and cronies, the natural tendency is for them to extort moeny from business people and politicians before they get to see you. Surround yourselef with technocrats and experts in various fields, not a nephew who was never elected. That is how to fight corruption. Somebody has been doing the complete opposite of fighting corruption but because his actions tally with the typical illiterate, ignorant (pardon my language)Nigerian, who, all they want to see in life is the downfall of others. In the meantime, there has never been any government in the history of Nigeria that has promoted corruption in the way Buhari’s government has done and the worst form of corruption is a fake war on corruption. I stand by what I’ve said.

Meaningful elections are about choosing leaders who can lead Nigeria to a better future, not threats like this.

What was Tinubu doing in France? Get money from Gilbert Chagoury?

Make your life more wonderful through your own efforts!

Good luck and bad luck are relative. When you make the right choice based on the situation, you generally have better luck. And when you give up effort and reason, luck goes bad.

What role NATO played in the Russia-Ukraine war...

Families of the kidnapped victims of Abuja-Kaduna train have begged the House of Representatives for intervention on the release of the remaining 51 in the kidnappers den.

reports claim that about 10 members of the families of the kidnapped victims visited the lawmakers who moved a motion for their release in Abuja.

Mr Aminu Othman, a member of the families of the victims, said that the families were in the National Assembly to commend the effort of the lawmakers at ensuring the release of their loved ones.

He said that the families would continue to plead with the lawmakers at ensuring the release of the kidnapped victims, adding that one of the victims was shot dead on June 28.

“One of our family in captivity has been shot based on the information from the negotiator. We are here to meet the lamakers to put more pressure on the Federal Government to fasten the release of our people,” he said

Mrs Maltoda Kabir, another family member, said: “We are pleading again with the House of Reps because the news we are hearing is not favourable.

“Please Nigerians, we need your help. My husband and brothers are with the kidnppers. Nigeria please come to our aid. Imagine people sitting and standing for 94 days in the bush, we are going to 100 now,” she lamented.

Responsding, Rep. Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun) said that the House had earlier moved a motion urging the feceral government to do more to facilitate the release of kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna train victims.

He noted that the families were at the National Assembly to remind the federal government that “the families of 51 of our fellow citizens are still in captivity”.

This shows the attitude of Russia.

The Russia-Ukraine war was essentially a contest between Russia and US, ultimately costing Europe and Africa dearly.

Ahead of next week’s Annual Meetings of the African Import-Export Bank (Afreximbank), the institution has assured that the region’s economy would be on upbeat in 2022, despite pressures.

The bank identified the post-COVID-19 and current Russian invasion of Ukraine as factors that would put a lot of pressures on the economies of African countries.

However, the regional body said in the report authored by the Chief Economist and Director of Research, Dr. Hypolite Fofack, that the region would witness a positive growth, with 16 countries (30%) expected to grow at more than 5 per cent.

The report was titled, ‘Africa’s 2022 Growth Prospects: Poise under Post-Pandemic and Heightening Geopolitical Pressures’.

The report said, “Africa’s growth forecast for 2022 points to continued fortitude even in the face of heightening inflationary pressures and geopolitical risks. While other parts of the world have suffered sharp downward revisions, the IMF has maintained its growth expectations for Africa.

Punish the killers, comfort the families, and strengthen the security

Who can fix the national grid?
Maybe by the line itself...