Nigerians now 6th most miserable people in the world

Data compiled by Steve Hanke, an economist from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, has classified Nigerians as the sixth “most miserable people in the world”.

The Misery Index was calculated using economic indices including unemployment, inflation and bank lending rates.

For Nigeria, the unemployment rate was the major contributing factor.

“The original Misery Index was just a simple sum of a nation’s annual inflation rate and its unemployment rate. The Index has been modified several times, first by Robert Barro of Harvard and then by myself,” Hanke, the economist who compiled the list, told Forbes.

“My modified Misery Index is the sum of the unemployment, inflation and bank lending rates, minus the percentage change in real GDP per capita. Higher readings on the first three elements are “bad” and make people more miserable.

“These are offset by a “good” (GDP per capita growth), which is subtracted from the sum of the “bads.” A higher Misery Index score reflects a higher level of “misery,” and it’s a simple enough metric that a busy president, without time for extensive economic briefings, can understand at a glance.”

Venezuela, Argentina and Iran, the countries which topped the index, had high inflation rates as the major contributing factors.

In total, three African countries, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt, fell between the top 10 most miserable countries.

- THECABLE

What Klopp told Liverpool players after 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, told his players that beating Tottenham, was more important than playing well.

The Reds needed a Toby Alderweireld own goal to beat Spurs 2-1 and move back to the top of the Premier League.

Alderweireld got in the way of Hugo Lloris’ attempt to push away Mo Salah’s header in stoppage time, after the Reds had struggled to dominate  the north London outfit.

And Salah has revealed exactly what Klopp told his players in the changing room after the match.

“I went to the dressing room and I spoke to the manager.

“He said that it isn’t about playing good but the most important thing is to find a way of winning points.

“The big teams always find a way to get the points.

“Today we didn’t play the top of our game but we won the game that is the most important thing – that is a big team,” Salah told Sky Sports.

- DAILY POST

Carra: Sarri 'stupid' on Hudson-Odoi

Jamie Carragher has branded Maurizio Sarri's comments about Callum Hudson-Odoi's England debut as "stupid". 

Sarri admitted in the week that he only watched 20 minutes of England's 5-1 win over Montenegro - a game which saw Hudson-Odoi make his first England start before he has even started a Premier League game for Chelsea.

"I saw the English national team for 20 minutes and Callum didn't start very well on the right," he said. "He did very well on the left, immediately in his first action. But I know very well he prefers to play on the left."

And speaking on Super Sunday ahead of Chelsea's clash with Cardiff, Carragher said Sarri got it all wrong by going public with his thoughts.

"This is a lad who's making his international debut. Why are you not watching the full game?" he said.

"You could argue Sarri is watching a lot of his Chelsea team-mates, flicking the channels, but he doesn't need to watch them, they are all 27, 28, 29. This is a young kid. Can he handle the spotlight of playing for England? This is a lad I'm trying to keep at my club.

"So to then just dismiss this lad's international debut - maybe the biggest thing that's ever happened to him as a footballer - I can just imagine the people above Sarri just shaking their head and thinking 'why are you saying such a stupid thing in the press conference? We are trying to get this lad to sign a contract'.

"I would not be surprised if the people at the top at Chelsea were onto the agent and trying to calm the situation down.

"If he hasn't watched it and he doesn't think he's played well, be clever, use your brain. Don't say it. Say you did watch it. Of course, he has to improve, he's still a kid, but to dismiss someone on their international debut I think it was an absolutely stupid thing to say."

- SKY SPORTS

US woman gives birth to own granddaughter after acting as surrogate

A Nebraska woman gave birth to her granddaughter on Monday after serving as the surrogate for her son and his husband. 

Cecile Eledge, 61, and Uma Louise Dougherty-Eledge (5 pounds, 13 ounces) are both doing fine after the birth at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.

Eledge volunteered to be the surrogate for her son Matthew, 32, and husband Elliot Dougherty, 29, when the couple mentioned their desire to start a family.

“There was no moment of hesitation,” Cecile Eledge said in a news release from Nebraska Medicine. “It was natural instinct.”

Dougherty’s sister donated an egg after Eledge underwent several tests in order to see if she was healthy enough for pregnancy.

“We are thankful with how the whole process worked,” Matthew Eledge said. “We are really grateful that both Uma and her grandma are here, happy and healthy. For the time being, we’re just going to relax and enjoy this moment.”

The pregnancy is rare but not unprecedented. In January, a British woman gave birth to her granddaughter after fears that the daughter, who was born without a womb, would never have children.

- DAILY NEWS

Brexit : May under pressure to forge softer divorce deal

Britain's exit from the European Union was in disarray after the implosion of Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit strategy left her under pressure from rival factions to leave without a deal, go for an election or forge a much softer divorce.

After one of the most tumultuous weeks in British politics since the 2016 referendum, it was still uncertain how, when or even if the United Kingdom will ever leave the bloc it first joined 46 years ago.

A third defeat of May's divorce deal, after her pledge to quit if it was passed, left one of the weakest leaders in a generation grappling with a perilous crisis over Brexit, the United Kingdom's most significant move since World War Two.

Parliament will vote on different Brexit options on Monday and then May could try one last roll of the dice by bringing her deal back to a vote in parliament as soon as Tuesday.

"There are no ideal choices available and there are very good arguments against any possible outcome at the moment but we are going to have to do something," said Justice Secretary David Gauke, who voted in the 2016 referendum to stay in the EU.

"The prime minister is reflecting on what the options are, and is considering what may happen but I don't think any decisions have been made," he told BBC TV.

Many in May's party, though, have lost patience. The Sun newspaper reported that 170 of her 314 Conservative lawmakers had sent her a letter demanding that Brexit take place in the next few months - deal or no deal.

The United Kingdom was due to leave the EU on March 29 but the political deadlock in London forced May to ask the bloc for a delay. Currently, Brexit is due to take place at 2200 GMT on April 12 unless May comes up with another option.

"IT IS A MESS"

The labyrinthine Brexit crisis has left the United Kingdom divided: supporters of both Brexit and EU membership marched through London last week. Many on both sides feel betrayed by a political elite that has failed to show leadership.

Parliament is due to vote at around 1900 GMT on Monday on a range of alternative Brexit options selected by Speaker John Bercow from nine proposals put forward by lawmakers, including a no-deal exit, preventing a no-deal exit, a customs union, or a second referendum.

 "We are clearly going to have to consider very carefully the will of parliament," Gauke said.

With no majority yet in the House of Commons for any of the Brexit options, there was speculation that an election could be called, though such a vote would be unpredictable and it is unclear who would lead the Conservatives into it.

The Sunday Times said May's media chief, Robbie Gibb, and her political aide Stephen Parkinson were pushing for an election against the will of her chief enforcer in parliament, Julian Smith.

The Conservative Party's deputy chair, James Cleverly, said it was not planning for an election. But the deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party, Tom Watson, said his party was on election footing.

Labour's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Emily Thornberry, said it could try to call a vote of no confidence in May's government.

"We don't know if she is going to remain prime minister, if we are going to get somebody else, who that other person is going to be - it is a mess," Thornberry said.

Opponents of Brexit fear it will make Britain poorer and divide the West as it grapples with both the unconventional U.S. presidency of Donald Trump and growing assertiveness from Russia and China.

Supporters of Brexit say while the divorce might bring some short-term instability, in the longer term it will allow the United Kingdom to thrive if cut free from what they cast as a doomed attempt in European unity.

- REUTERS

Queen to 'stop driving' on public roads after Prince Philip crash

The Queen has reportedly agreed to stop driving on public roads following the advice of her security team after Prince Philip’s car crash earlier this year.

The monarch is the only person in the UK permitted to drive without a licence, but she will now be chauffeured on public roads, according to The Sunday Times.

The 92-year-old is known to enjoy driving and has a fleet of cars, which includes Jaguars, Land Rovers and Range Rovers.

Concern has heightened about whether the Queen should continue to drive since Prince Philip’s car crash in January.

The Duke of Edinburgh had to be pulled out of his Land Rover when it flipped near the royal estate in Norfolk.

The 97-year-old became trapped after the car he was driving collided with a Kia carrying two women and a ten-month-old baby.

He blamed the low sunlight for dazzling him at the junction where the crash took place.

The Queen also raised concerns the day after the collision when she was spotted driving on a public road near Sandringham without a seatbelt.

Her Majesty does have to wear a seatbelt by law but she is immune from prosecution if she is caught not wearing one.

Most of the Queen’s passengers have enjoyed being driven by her but in 1998, it is known that Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 1998 was alarmed at being driven by the royal.

It is thought the Queen may continue to drive on private roads. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

- YAHOO NEWS

2,500 seized Okadas to be crushed in Lagos

The Lagos State Government on Sunday said it is set to crush 2,500 seized motorcycles, popularly known as ‘Okada’ even as it impounded another 109 okadas on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

The impounded okadas were caught plying restricted routes in the metropolis

The Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi who led the team disclosed that the enforcement operation was carried out after several warning to motorcycle riders to desist from operating on restricted routes, particularly highways and bridges across the State.

He said series of complaints received from the public on illegal and criminal activities perpetuated by motorcycle operators were seriously alarming and must be checked.

“While some of them harass innocent members of the public at various bus-stops, others engage in all sorts of criminal acts by dispossesing their passengers of valuables such as phones, jewelries and bags. Also, motorists held in traffic both morning and night around these areas were not spared,” he said.

Egbeyemi stated that total clampdown on illegal activities of these motorcycle operators on restricted routes would now be vigorously sustained on daily basis with the full support of other Divisional Police Officers and the Area Commanders across the State.

The Chairman warned dispatch riders using power bikes (200cc above) to desist from engaging in illegal commercial activities as anyone caught violating Lagos State Traffic Laws would be prosecuted.

He urged various motorcycle riders associations across the State to always on regular basis educate their members on all 475 restricted routes and the life threatening danger surrounding plying highways and bridges.

The Chairman, however, confirmed that over 2,500 illegal commercial motorcycles impounded by the Agency in the last 3 months would be crushed by the government.

- PM NEWS

Poly student committed suicide over lecturer’s handout

Students and management of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa in Kwara State are in shock over a shocking story of a student who committed suicide by drinking insecticide.

The student, a National Diploma 1 of the Civil Engineering Department, Ridwan Ajiboye, was the son of a traditional title holder in Iragbiji in the Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State.

He decided to end his life after he was allegedly embarrassed by one of his lecturers, who gave him some handouts to sell to his course mates.

The Public Relations Officer, Students Union Government of the polytechnic, Olayinka Owolabi, when contacted confirmed the incident but said nobody knew why the deceased killed himself.

“Some of his neighbours heard his cry and rushed to his room where they met him gasping for air. He was taken to hospital but he eventually died. They said he took poisonous substance but we do not know what he took and nobody can say why he took the substance.”

According to him, the remains of the student had since been buried at his hometown, stating that his parents said they were not interested in investigating the circumstances that surrounded his death.

Some days after Ajiboye’s death, another ND student of the Estate Management Department, Maryam Fasasi, reportedly attempted suicide.

Fasasi was also said to have drunken a popular insecticide, sniper, but she was rescued and revived at a hospital.

She was said to have been taken to hospital where she was treated and was discharged on Saturday.

Punch quoted a student of the school told as saying that Maryam misplaced N45,000 which was the proceeds from handouts given to her to sell by one of her lecturers and that she attempted to kill herself because of this.

The Public Relations Officer of the polytechnic, Mr Olayinka Iroye, said he was aware of Ajiboye’s case, saying the management of the polytechnic took him to some hospitals “but he eventually died.”

He said nobody knew why he decided to take his life while stating that the deceased was a brilliant student as shown by his academic records.

He, however, said the management was not aware of the case of attempted suicide, Punch reports.

- PM NEWS 

JUNGLE REPUBLIC !! Mangoro residents on rampage as police shot dead another youth in Lagos

Some residents of Mangoro/Onipetesi community in Lagos on Sunday went on a rampage blocking the Oshodi/Abeokuta expressway in protest against the killing of a youth in the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the angry residents blocked the major roads with tyres and woods after a youth was allegedly shot dead by policemen from Anti-Cultism Unit of Lagos State Command.

NAN learnt that an unmarked commercial bus occupied by the policemen had visited the community on Sunday afternoon in search of youths dressed wildly and wore dreadlocks.

NAN gathered that one of the police operatives allegedly shot dead a youth simply identified as Kunle from behind in an attempt to disperse a crowd which had gathered during the raid.

A witness, who gave his name as Ayo, told NAN that  everything happened in a flash.

“F-SARS had come to arrest one of the boys of a major music producer who was wears dreads; I and some others who were drinking at a bar saw what was happening and quickly explained to the policemen that he was not a Yahoo boy.

“They ignored our talks and kept dragging the boy to their vehicle, we all came out from the bar and kept explaining to the policemen that they were arresting a wrong person.

“In an attempt to disperse the crowd, a first shot was fired to the ground.

“Seeing this, I and the others quickly turned back to avoid trouble, but because Kunle was probably the last person in the crowd, he was shot point blank from behind.

“He didn’t even know he was shot till we had trekked some few metres before we all saw he was bleeding, he died on his way to the hospital at Ikeja,” the witness said.

NAN reports that following the incident, angry residents blocked the major road, setting tyres ablaze and obstructing commuters from passing.

Spokesman for Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, told NAN he was yet to be briefed of the incident as at 9pm on Sunday.

- PM NEWS

Women who put on men’s wears are abomination to God – Kumuyi

General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi on Sunday said women who put on men’s wears are abomination unto God.

Kumuyi, who was preaching on the topic: “The Inner and Outward Beauty of Kingdom Citizens,” at the Sunday worship service of the church in Gbagada area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, said the Bible specifically warned that men should not put on women’s wear neither should women put on men’s wears.

The man of God quoted Deuteronomy 22:5 to back his assertion, which read: “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.”

Kumuyi said everybody would frown if a preacher come to the pulpit putting on a woman’s wear as people would think he was abnormal, adding that the society seemed to appreciate women putting on men’s wears than men putting on women’s wears.

He said the standard of God would never change even if the world would change, emphasising that God frowned at any woman wearing men’s wears or men putting on women’s wears.

According to him, some Christians felt inferior because they were not copying the standard of the world, while challenging such people to keep on obeying God’s word rather than the world.

Kumuyi stated that the outward beauty that the world seemed to appreciate bred pride and arrogance, saying that the inner beauty gotten through Salvation in Christ should be coveted by all as such would lead to heaven.

“Salvation in Christ clothes the inner man while the corrupted heart is defiled by pride. What you have on the inside is what you manifest outside. If the heart is proud, the primary purpose would be to dress to please the world. Christians must hate the garment spotted by the flesh,” he said.

Kumuyi said Christian women must not be seen putting on the clothes of prostitutes that exposed their bodies to lure men to sleep with them for money, adding that to get to heaven, “we must have clean heart.”

He stated that Christians must shun evil communication, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, among others, adding that Christians should not adorn themselves in costly arrays, but crave for inner beauty.

- PM NEWS

How consumption of ‘Ewedu’ can help prevent cancer, coronary diseases – Nutritionist

Mr Olugbenga Jagun, a nutritionist at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital ( UATH), Gwagalada, has said that jute leaf known as ‘Ewedu’ can prevent cancer and coronary diseases due to its richness in antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Jagun said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

The jute leaf is one of the common African leafy vegetables cultivated in gardens and farms for home use.

He said that “Dieticians called it a pharmacy on your plate due to the numerous nutritional-health benefits.

“It is a good source of vitamins and mineral elements such as calcium, potassium, iron, vitamin C, B, K, Folic acid.

“These vitamins and mineral elements have a great therapeutic effects on our body such as the lowering of blood pressure and neural tube defects in pregnant women.

“It is rich in both essential and non-essential amino acid, example is Lysine. ”

He added that it also helps to prevent constipation due to the presence of fibre in it, making it a natural laxative.

Jagun also said the plant could be ideal in the case of obesity because of its almost no-fat and low cholesterol level.

“The leaf is a good anti-anemic which prevents anaemia due to high iron content and also facilitates the production of red blood cells.

“Excellent and appropriate food for the elderly because of its calcifying action, that is the supply of calcium,” he said.

Jagun advised Nigerians to consume the leaf due to its numerous health benefits.hat

NAN reports that Jute leaf is popularly called Ewedu among the Yoruba, ahingbara in Igbo and Rama in Hausa.

- PM NEWS

DSS ‘re-arrests’ journalist who spent two years in detention

Jones Abiri, the publisher of Weekly Source Newspaper, has reportedly been arrested again by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Abiri was reportedly picked up on Saturday at Ayabowei Plaza in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, while he was having a discussion with his colleagues.

The DSS first arrested Abiri in 2016 after he was accused of being the leader of the joint revolutionary council of the separatist group, Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force.

He was also accused of threatening oil companies and demanding money from them

He was granted bail in August 2018 when an Abuja magistrate court struck out a suit against him after being held in detention for two years.

When contacted to react to the report, Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesman, told TheCable that he is not in the know but would get back when he has information on the report.

“I don’t have this information,” he said.

- THECABLE

It is unconstitutional to allocate oil blocks to individuals, Falana writes Buhari

Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to allocate oil blocks to “a select group of private individuals and foreigners”.

In a letter dated March 20 and addressed to Buhari, Falana said his request was based on an alleged decision by the federal government to revoke some oil blocks and marginal fields allocated to some individuals and companies during past administrations.

The human rights lawyer said while it is commendable that the revocation exercise would take place, it is “unconstitutional” to allocate the nation’s oil blocks in such a way that only few would have an unfair advantage.

Giving reasons for his submission, Falana said such allocation only served to enrich the privileged few who usually have no financial and technical capacity to develop the oil resources but instead sublease them to “offshore companies”.

This he said, constituted a “gross violation of the rights of the Nigerian people to freedom from discrimination, equal right of access to public property”.

“Our attention has been drawn to the decision of the Federal Government to revoke a number of oil blocks and marginal fields hitherto allocated to a few individuals as well as local and foreign corporate bodies by former military and civilian regimes in Nigeria,” the letter read.

“While commending Your Excellency for the courageous decision we urge the Federal government to desist from renewing the remaining licences of other oil block owners in the country.

“Having acquired the ‘entire property in and control or all minerals, mineral oils and natural gas in, under or upon any land in Nigeria or in, under or upon the territorial waters’ and vested same in the Federal Government on behalf of the people of Nigeria pursuant to section 44(3) of the Constitution it is inequitable, illegal and unconstitutional to allocate the nation’s oil blocks to a few individuals and corporate bodies including multinational corporations.

“Your Excellency may no doubt be aware that majority of the owners of the oil blocks belonging to the Nigerian people usually sub-lease them to offshore companies as they lack the fund and the technical expertise to develop the oil and gas industry.

“By merely collecting huge rents the oil block owners become stupendously rich while the federal, state and local governments depend on loans and bailout to pay salaries and carry out basic infrastructural development of the country.

“Thus, by allocating oil blocks to a few individuals and corporate bodies the Federal Government has violated Section 16(2)(c) of the Constitution which provides that ‘the economic system is not operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of a group’.

“In view of the foregoing, we urge Your Excellency to restrict the allocation of oil blocks including marginal fields to the Federal Government and the governments of the 36 states of the Federation.

“This request is in line with Section 16 (1) (b) of the Constitution which  has mandated the Nigerian State to ‘control the national economy in such manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity’.”

Falana said if his request is not considered by the president, he will through the court, challenge validity of the law guiding allocation of oil blocks and other resources in Nigeria.

- THECABLE

PL NEWS : Guardiola reveals what Manchester City must do to beat Liverpool to title

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has said his team must win their seven remaining Premier League games, to pip Liverpool to the title.

City have the slight advantage in the title race, sitting top by a point after the 2-0 win at Fulham, having played the same number of games as Liverpool.

Guardiola’s men then play Cardiff at the Etihad on Wednesday night, to make up the games again.

“Seven games left for the Premier League, and it’s easy: we have to win every game to be champions.

“We have a tough, tough opponent. But that’s the challenge,” Guardiola told Sky Sports.

- DAILY POST

Nigeria, Ghana in talks over deportation

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and its Ghanaian counterpart have begun reconciliatory talks over the recent deportation of four Ghanaian nationals by the Nigerian authority.

NIS Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday James, made this known in a press statement in Abuja on Saturday.

He said that the Comptroller-General of NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede had played host to the visiting Comptroller-General of Ghana Immigration Service, Mr Kwame Takyi accompanied by the Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Rashid Bawa.

“The meeting, which held behind closed doors, appeared to be a conciliatory meeting following the deportation of four Ghanaian nationals from Nigeria to Ghana.

“Babandede when contacted confirmed the meeting saying details of a further meeting was being worked out by the Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and Ghana.

“There is no cause for alarm as both countries will resolve issues between both countries diplomatically.”

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister of interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) had authorised the deportation order of the four Ghanaian nationals over alleged violation of provisions of the Immigration Act and Regulations.

“This is in line with the powers vested on the Minister of Interior in Section 45(1) and (2) of the Immigration Act 2015″, James said.

The visit comes a week after Nigeria deported four Ghanaians to Accra.

NAN reports that no formal explanation was publicly rendered for the deportation, which was approved by Abdulrahman Dambazau, the interior minister.

A month earlier, Nigeria had protested mass deportation of at least 723 of its citizens between 2018 and February 2019. The Nigerians were accused of illegal stay, cyber-crime, prostitution and other social vices.

Eighty-one Nigerians were deported on alleged cyber-crime and illegal stay in January, while 115 have so far been deported in February on the allegation of overstay and prostitution.

NAN reports that Nigerian ambassador to Ghana, Michael Abikoye, strongly protested the action to the Ghanaian government in Accra.

Nigeria’s objection to the removal of its citizens from Ghana and failure to publicly state the offences of the four deported Ghanaians had fueled speculation that the March 22 decision might have been done in retaliation.