Data Loading...
Merchants Times November 10 2020 - Who is Joe Biden? - Eunice Ayobami Flipbook PDF
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician and 47th Vice President of the United States. He is a lawyer, membe
118 Views
84 Downloads
FLIP PDF 3.63MB
Vol. 1, No 31 Tuesday November 10, 2020 | www.merchantstimes.com | N500 TUESDAY BROADSHEET NEWSPAPER
The
erchants
Times
A financial Catalyst for the African Ecosystem! Research on market relevant to business owners, economists, financiers, or public policymakers.
Freedom is not just the birthright of the few
CORONAVIRUS
INSIDE PAGES
#Endsars protest and the psychology behind State violence
Who is Joe Biden? …A sneak-peak into the US President-Elect life…
Aina Ademola A columnist of The Merchants Times Broadsheet Newspaper.
#End Sars Protest and the Psychology Behind
Eunice Ayobami
Photo: Getty Image
State Violence. Before we set in to explain the psychology behind the ap-
Nigerian leaders, anti-social media bill, and the citizens right to freedom of information and expression EDITORIAL
By: Momoh, Emmanuel Omeiza E-mail: [email protected]
The recent toll of events trailing Nigeria's socio-political arena are vivid confirmations that Nigerian leaders will not put an end to the constant mediocre
actions they display all in the name of governance. Truth be told is the fact that the just-concluded #ENDSARS protests have affirmed
the fact that the power of governance truly rests in the hands of citizens. Sequel to the commencement of the protests, the internet and it's asso-
ciated components provided a safe haven where Nigerian youths could vent their frustrations and fits of anger on the inimical actions of the government
METRO NEWS
plication of violence by the state during the End
WAEC postpones WASSCE for private candidates Esan Bisola
LASG: Taskforce gives 7-day quit notice to squatters By: Eunice Ayobami
A seven-day quit notice has been issued to squatters in illegal structures at Fagba on Abbatior Road in Oko-Oba Agege. This was issued by the Lagos State Environmental and
Special Offenses Taskforce through a statement by the Head of Public Affairs, Mr Taofiq Adebayo. Adebayo said the illegal structures were home to hoodlums, whom
he said, had destroyed property in the area during the recent #ENDSARS protest. He made it known that over 2,500 illegal structures and shanties, including shops in containers
HEALTH NEWS
Greg Clarke: FA Chief executive apologises for saying 'coloured' during MPtalks
TECH NEWS
Make running Sony reveals PS5 games will much more fun be region free, and the console Casmire Okedinachi
will support PS Now Tech research by Olu Matthew
For some people, the most obvious way to begin a fitness journey is to lace up some sneakers and start running. The only trouble with that is that running, especial-
The PlayStation 5 will launch on Thursday, November 12th, and Sony has published a huge FAQ outlining a lot of details about the new console. Buried in the FAQ are a few new tidbits that mean you’ll be able to play even more
MP Kevin Brennan then asked him to apologise for using the term “coloured” and Clarke said: "I deeply apologise
Urban T U E S D AY PA P E R
Africa’s Urban Broadsheet Newspaper All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any mate-rial form (including pho-tocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means, and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner, except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under terms of a licence issued by the Copy-right Licensing Agency Ltd,. Applications for the copyright owner’s permission to reproduce part of this publication should be addressed to the Publishers.
The
erchants
Times
The Merchants Times Editorial Board Vol. 1, No 30 WWW.MERCHANTSTIMES.COM
FREEDOM IS NOT JUST THE BIRTHRIGHT OF THE FEW N500
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 , 2020
Chairman/Editor-in-chief Oluwatobi Ogidiolu Deputy Editorial Page Damilare Ojo Managing Editor Emmanuel Akindoyin Associate Editor Eunice Ayobami Technology, Media, and Politics Momoh Emmanuel Omeiza Creatives Poet Tobias Writer Millicent Ezekiel Uche Okafor Chinedu Okafor Adewale Kelani Dan Oluseyi Timilehin Ogidiolu Oreoluwa (Ore’s Photography) Columnist Abigail Ocheibi Edmond Esi
The
erchants
Times
The Merchants Times publication board is proud to have resilient journalism who depend on accuracy in reports and research to arrive at a common perspective on significant issues. The board does represent Merchants Times and hold free journalism dear to heart. Amidst politics, dark democracy and Military oppression hat's ravaging Africa, The Merchants Times is saddled with responsibility from the people to inform the public on the happenings at the top of the pyramids (Government Houses, Industries, Religious Centers & NGO's), only with a clear conscience. The board contends for a world that is both free and fair, where people can exercise their rights without any form of discrimination or segregation. As Richard puts it, “Every time a newspaper dies, even a bad one, the country moves a little closer to authoritarianism…” Richard Kluger, Our quest is to serve as an example for a continent that demands a free press void of political tyranny or corruption from the religious sector. We do not want to be sponsored by corruptible Africans or deepens the wool of journalism into the corrupt oil. As the sun rises, we rise, as it sets we oil the lamp and set up for fire for Nations and the continent to be seen as bare as it ought to be. We are Merchants!
Place Ad here.
EDITORIAL
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 04 2020
Nigerian leaders, anti-social media bill, and citizens right to freedom of information and expression By: Momoh, Emmanuel Omeiza E-mail: [email protected]
ernment is reminded no administration ever tampers with citizens right and escapes without hurt. Citizens irrespective of gender, race and ethnicity may utilise social media platforms to criticise and express their grievances on the actions of the government. After all, the power of governance resides in the hands of the citizens.
The recent toll of events trail- A close look at the bill which government's determination ing Nigeria's socio-political was passed its second read- to sign the bill. He noted that arena are vivid confirmations ing at the Nigerian Senate social media had posed a sethat Nigerian leaders will not on December 1, 2015, seeks vere danger to the country's put an end to the constant to impose a two-year prison unity. mediocre actions they display sentence or a 2 million nai- How true is the above asserall in the name of governance. ra fine for any person who tion considering the inter-ethTruth be told is the fact that “through text message, tweets, nic conflicts and civil war the just-concluded #END- WhatsApp, or through any so- which had been staged beGETTY IMAGES SARS protests have affirmed cial media” posts any abusive fore the advent of social methe fact that the power of statement against any per- dia? Would we then blame governance truly rests in the son and/or group of persons the inventors of the platform hands of citizens. Sequel to or government institution. for the fact that their inventhe commencement of the In addition, the bill also seeks tions to unite people and alprotests, the internet and it's to compel any person who low the business to flourish associated components pro- might want to petition, file isn't working as planned in vided a safe haven where Ni- a complaint, or report a per- Nigeria or we blame the Nigerian youths could vent their son’s conduct for the purpose gerian leaders for their failed frustrations and fits of anger of an investigation to file a agenda which has been exon the inimical actions of the sworn affidavit in a court–a re- emplified at several instancgovernment and its policies. quirement that would force es? PHOTO: IMAGE the purview of the law, Apparently aware of this fact, whistle-blowers to reveal theirGETTYFrom the nation's leaders are pro- identity and put them at risk. Article 19 of the Universal Decposing a bill to regulate the The punishment for noncom- laration of Human Rights asactivities ofImage Nigerians on so- pliance would be a six-month serts that "Everyone has the Photo: Getty cial media. The Northern Gov- prison sentence without the right to freedom of opinion ernors Forum has also ex- option of a fine. and expression; this right inGetty Images pressed Photo: confidence in this bill Also contained in the bill is, “A cludes freedom to hold opinPhoto: Getty which wasImages termed timely es- person who makes any allega- ions without interference and pecially in the wake of the just tion or publishes any petition to seek, receive and impart inconcluded protests which end- in any paper, radio, or other formation and ideas through ed on a platter of bloodshed. media with the intent to dis- any media and regardless of This proposal had caused credit a person, group, or gov- frontiers. strife between civil society or- ernment institution could be Considering the above legal ganizations and the govern- punished with two years’ im- provisions which are binding ment as an institution of the prisonment or a fine of 4 mil- on all member countries of State. Lest we forget, the Com- lion Naira. the United Nations Organizamittee saddled with the re- In the first instance, one may tion, one may not be wrong sponsibility to protect media need to ask the rationale for to submit that Nigerian Legisprofessionals coupled with this action especially in times lators are afraid of the social a number of Nigerians and like this. Another question media and of social criticism. other organisations on De- which may prompt up is the As a matter of fact, the jambocember 15, 2015, unanimous- role of this bill in effectuating ree and espionage to censor ly signed a letter which writ- the right to freedom of infor- and regulate citizens activities ten to the members of Nige- mation and expression. on social media could outrightria's parliament persuading Not minding the reactions ly be an offshoot which stems them not to give assent to a and petitions that were the from fear as well as cowardice. bill they deemed capable of aftermath of the aim to reg- The reason for this action on undermining press freedom, ulate the social media space, the path of government is to stifle public opinion, and crim- the Minister of Information engage in unwholesome activinalize freedom of expression and Culture, Lai Mohammed, ities without being restrained. in Nigeria. has currently expressed the However, it is best if the gov-
Though it is a reality that the current Nigerian sphere and even the world, in general, suffers from the deadly scourge of fake news, misinformation and disinformation. Notwithstanding, Nigerian leaders need to be reminded that there are other profitable means to ending this scourge than engaging on a ban on a platform which has been the medium of generating income for individuals and businesses. Good governance, justice, equity and fairness have proved a potent tool for ending the calls for protest, civil actions and inter-ethnic conflicts. Even though it may be said that desperate situations require desperate approaches, GETTY IMAGE I think Nigerian legislators need to be reminded that the antidote to a headache isn't the cutting of the head. Are the current crop of Nigerian leaders afraid of social media? or they are afraid of social criticism? or perhaps we are no longer operating a democratic system of government where individuals have the right to express their minds without any hassle or stress? Gettyleaders Image are afraid If Photo: Nigerian photo: Getty Images of social criticism, then they need to be reminded that in a democratic setting, leaders are accountable to the people who voted them into power. Hence, appraisals/approvals as well as condemnations would always trail their actions. Criticisms, condemnations as well as oppositions are the wheels on which the vehicle of democracy and good governance runs. The opposition is essential as it serves as a form of check and balance for the government and its elected officials. And like someone once said "good leaders are not afraid to be criticised, only cowards express the fear of being criticised. In any case, Nigeria truly needs to get a clear definition of what the freedom of expression and information entails. This is to avoid constant conflicts between the government and the citizens.
METRO NEWS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 05 2020
Who is Joe Biden? …A sneak-peak into the US President-Elect life…
by: Eunice Ayobami
METRO
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician and 47th Vice President of the United States. He is a lawyer, member of the Democrats and served as a United States Senator. Joe Biden was born on November 20, 1942 (77 years) in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. From all indications, Joe seems to be a family man; he wedded his first wife Nelia Hunter in the year 1996, the marriage was blessed with three children; Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III, Robert Hunter Biden and Naomi Christina “Amy” Biden. Sadly, Neilia and their one-year-old daughter Amy were killed in an automobile accident in Hockessin, Delaware in 1972. Three years after (1975), Joe Biden met his second wife Jill Tracy Jacobs via a blind date arranged by his brother; they got married in 1977. Their marriage is blessed with a daughter Ashley Biden. Joe Biden studied at New Castle County, Delaware, he went further to obtain a
degree in Law from Syracuse University in the year 1968, and he was admitted into Delaware bar 1969. Before joining politics, Biden applied to enrol in the United States Army but was classified unavailable for being asthmatic. In 1969, Biden worked initially as a public defender and then at a firm headed by a locally active Democrats. In 1970, Joe Biden was elected as a New Castle County Councilor. He was subsequently elected as a Senator from Delaware. Biden became the sixth youngest ever elected in 1972. As a Senator, Biden served as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and New Castle County Council. He also chaired various committees while in the senate including In 1991, Biden opposed the Gulf war but endorsed expanding the NATO alliance into Eastern Europe and its intervention in the Yugoslav Photo: Getty Images Wars of the 1990s. In 1993, Biden voted for a pro-
vision that deemed homosexuality incompatible with military life, thereby banning gays from serving in the armed forces. He also voted for the Defence of Marriage Act prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages in 1996 In 2002, Biden supported the resolution authorizing the Iraq War. However, he opposed the surge of U.S. troops in 2007. Biden served six times as a United States Senator. As at 2008, he was the second most senior senator before he resigned to run for United States Vice President. As Vice President, Biden focused on an initiative to improve middle-class economic well-being. After leaving office as United States Vice President, Biden became the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice professor at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 In 1988, Biden declared his candidacy for the Democratic Party presidential nomina-
tion. However, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis beat him in the nomination for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. In 2008, Biden declared interest to run for Democratic Party presidential nomination. However, he stepped down for President Barack Obama. In August 2008, Joe Biden was officially nominated as the Vice Presidential Candidate of Barack Obama. In 2016, Biden declared he will not be running for the United States President. He endorsed former United States Secretary of States Hilary Clinton. In 2019, Biden declared interest to run against the incumbent President Donald Trump in the 2020 elections. On the 8th of November, 2020, Biden was announced the president-elect for the United States after defeating Donald Trump with thousands of votes during the election. (kindly fix in other appropriate details).
METRO NEWS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 06 2020
Joe Biden promises to unite America in victory speech
By: Eunice Ayobami
an outdoor rally in his home city of Wilmington, Delaware. “I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify,” Biden said, drawing a sharp contrast to nearly four polarizing years of Trump.
Photo: Getty Images
US President-elect, Joseph Robinette Biden has promised to unite Americans and seek to heal divisions after what he called a “convincing” victory over Donald Trump. He made this known while
giving his victory speech after all indications by the country’s electoral commission that he won the feat. “This is the time to heal in America,” an enthusiastic Biden told supporters at
He acknowledged the disappointment of Trump supporters, stating that they are not enemies, but they are Americans. “Let this era of demonization in America begin to end here,” “I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class, and to make
America respected around the world again,” Biden said. Barack Obama’s vice president paid particular tribute to the African-American community, pointing to its role in selecting him as the Democratic nominee to challenge Trump. Biden was visibly cheerful as he addressed the socially distanced crowd, racing to the podium after an introduction by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to the sounds of Bruce Springsteen’s “We Take Care of Our Own.” “Folks, the people of this nation have spoken. They’ve delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory,” Biden said.
LASG: Taskforce gives 7-day quit notice to squatters Photo: Getty Images
By: Eunice Ayobami A seven-day quit notice has been issued to squatters in illegal structures at Fagba on Abbatior Road in Oko-Oba Agege. This was issued by the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offenses Taskforce through a statement by the Head of Public Affairs, Mr Taofiq Adebayo. Adebayo said the illegal structures were home to
hoodlums, whom he said, had destroyed property in the area during the recent #ENDSARS protest. He made it known that over 2,500 illegal structures and shanties, including shops in containers had been served quit notices. The statement further read in part; “It is an eye-sore seeing miscreant, including un-
der-age boys smoking Indian hemp freely in the area. “Residents around Fagba can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed, due to a series of criminal activities perpetuated by these notorious boys.” According to Adebayo, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, has directed that
after the expiration of the seven-day quit notice any hoodlum arrested should be charged to court. The spokesman said that the Chairman of the task force, Mr Olayinka Egbeyemi, had assured that the task force would not relent in securing the environment for citizens.
METRO NEWS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 07 2020
WAEC postpones WASSCE for private candidates Esan Bisola
The West African Examinations Council has said the West African Senior School Certificate Examination for private candidates will now commence on November 30, 2020. According to a statement signed by the WAEC Acting Head, Public
Affairs, Demianus Ojijeogu, “WAEC, Nigeria wishes to inform all registered candidates for WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2020-Second Series and the general public that there has been a change in timetable. He added that “the exam-
ination, which was initially scheduled to commence on Saturday, November 14, 2020, will no longer hold as planned, due to circumstances beyond our control. The examination has now been rescheduled to commence on Monday, November 30, 2020.”
The Council however wishes to reassure candidates that the new timetable for the conduct of the examination will be released soon. Source: Punch
Malaysian helicopters collision kills two people wo people have been reportedly killed as a result of the collision between a pair of helicopters from the same Malaysian pilot school during a training flight. According to authorities, the Amateur video that went viral on the internet showed one helicopter falling into a wooded part of Kula Lumpur,
while the other managed to land safely in a school field. According to the Transport minister, Wee Ka Siong through a statement, both helicopters had taken off Subang Airport for a regular training session. He further added that an investigation had been launched.
By: Eunice Ayobami
HEALTH & WELLNESS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 08 2020
Afterbirth challenge Oluwarotimi Desire
While some women switch easily back to their normal lifestyle after childbirth, others find it difficult to do so. Common among first-time mothers, the kiss of motherhood throws them into a different and strange world entirely as there are often changes in the physical and emotional state of the mother that comprises of a mix of feelings ranging from the happiness and joy of having a new child to fear and anxiety. 'BABY BLUES' is a condition in which mothers start feeling depressed, anxious and angry basically for no reason after childbirth. Mothers who experience baby blues might cry for unknown reasons. They might also have difficulties eating and
sleeping but feelings like these referred to as baby blues may come and go in the first few days after childbirth or even a week or two without any treatment. A few mothers get over baby blues in no time but others begin to experience an intense feeling of depression, anxiousness, sadness and anger. This intense feeling is known as 'POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION'. A mother may suffer postpartum depression for as long as a year and it is most likely to start a few weeks after childbirth. There aren't any particular reasons behind experiencing postpartum depression but it can be triggered by a few factors. Women who have at any point in life suffered
depression before pregnancy are likely to develop postpartum depression. Fatigue might also contribute to postpartum depression after childbirth because it makes the mother feel very tired and in the process, the mother's emotional state would be affected. Changes in the hormone levels such as the decrease in estrogen and progesterone after childbirth may trigger postpartum depression in the same way menstrual periods trigger mood swings. Unlike baby blues that requires no medication, postpartum depression can be treated with medications known as antidepressants. The function of antidepressants is to balance neurotransmitters that control
mood and emotion. These medicines help improve one's mood, help sleep better and also increase one's appetite. Postpartum depression might also get suppressed through talk therapies with medical consultants. Other than postpartum depression, affected mothers might also be at the risk of a serious mental illness that should be treated as a medical emergency known as 'POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS'. Although rare, this mental illness could get rapidly worse thereby making the mother neglect herself and her baby. Most mothers suffering from this ailment might need to be treated in a hospital's specialist psychiatric unit and also separated from
her baby for a while. Understand the postpartum illnesses as postnatal (after birth) illnesses and take steps by visiting the hospital if any symptom is noticed. Never replace avenues of seeing your doctor with reading medical pieces. Medical pieces are only information to enlighten you as an individual and it is not meant to dominate the important position of a doctor. ReplyForward
this mental illness could get rapidly worse thereby making the mother neglect herself and her baby
HEALTH & WELLNESS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 09 2020
10 tricks that make running much more fun Casmire Okedinachi
For some people, the most obvious way to begin a fitness journey is to lace up some sneakers and start running. The only trouble with that is that running, especially when you are first starting, can be MISERABLE! And of course, when the exercise feels like torture, you’re less likely to do it — no matter how good you know it is for your health.
very least, get your butt out the door.
If this sounds anything like you, then these 10 tricks from BODYUNDER might just turn your workout torture into an exercise of joy!
3. MAKE A PLAYLIST THAT MOTIVATES YOU
1. FEEL FABULOUS If you deck yourself out with a cute pair of running shorts or a cute pair of shoes, you’re already ahead of the game. You’ll want to show off your gear which will, at the
2. PICK A BEAUTIFUL RUNNING ROUTE The beach at sunrise. A trail through the woods. Whatever suits your fancy. If you can swing it, try to pick a route that is different from your regular walking routes, so you have new and interesting surroundings.
Choose some kicking club jams or maybe some heavy metal. Choose whatever it is that gets your heart pumping and makes you want to get up and move! 4. TAKE YOUR DOG ALONG Why not multitask? Grab the leash, your
dog and hit your favourite running spot! 5. RUN WITH A FRIEND If you are not a cat person or your dog hates running, then grab a friend. But be sure to choose a friend with a similar level of ability. There is nothing worse than trying to keep up with someone too fast or waiting for someone too slow. 6. PRETEND YOU ARE KATNISS EVERDEEN Run like your life depends on it! 7. THINK OF THE NICE, COLD, GUILT FREE DRINK YOU CAN HAVE LATER The faster you go, the more you can allow yourself to drink. Reward yourself. 8. HAVE A DESTINA-
TION Do you have to get a few groceries? Run to the supermarket. Does it really matter if you show up a little bit sweaty? Run-on the way there, walk on the way back. Think of it as a cool down. 9. PLAN TO RUN AND WALK Accept it. Running can be difficult. Embrace the fact that you may need to stop and walk sometimes. It isn’t a defeat or a failure. It is part of the process. Try steady running for a period of time and then walk a few intervals. Alternate them. It will prevent you from losing your interest and motivation. 10. KEEP TRYING You will, in all likelihood, feel defeated from time to time.
This feeling is often caused by the fact that people often don’t know HOW to run. Question: How do you make your run fun? Share your tips with us! ©Casmire K. C Okedinachi ® BodyUnder Fitness & Nutrition For all Enquiries : Call K. C ON 08186578916 Social Media Platforms Facebook: bodyunderfitnessandnutrition Instagram:bodyunder_ Twitter : bodyunder YouTube :BodyUnderTV Email :[email protected]
HEALTH & WELLNESS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 10 2020
Reduce your risk of macular degeneration
Macular degeneration, also known as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), is the leading cause of major vision loss in Australia, responsible for 50% of all cases of blindness. About one in seven Australians over the age of 50 years has some signs of the ARMD. There is no cure for ARMD, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk or prevent further vision loss. Early detection is crucial as it provides an opportunity to make changes to reduce the progression. The main symptoms are blurred vision and loss of central vision. This can make it hard to read, do close-up work, judge distances and recognise faces. If you have any changes to your vision, it is important to see an optometrist or ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Don’t assume vision changes are part of getting older. The exact causes of ARMD are unknown however the main risk factors are age, family history and smoking. While you can’t change your genes, fortunately there are several lifestyle changes you can make which can help to reduce your risk. These include:
If you smoke, quit. Speak to your GP, call the Quitline (13 7848) or visit the Quit website. Limit intake of saturated and trans fats (found in animal foods and processed foods such as fast foods, pastries, biscuits and many snack foods) and instead choose healthy fats from foods like nuts, seeds, avocado and extra-virgin olive oil. Eat fish twice a week, including oily varieties such as salmon. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including dark green leafy vegetables. Ensure you have adequate intakes of vitamin C (good sources include citrus fruits, berries, kiwifruit and tomatoes), vitamin E (good sources include nuts, seeds and wholegrains) and zinc (good sources include nuts, seeds, legumes and seafood, especially oysters). Choose lower glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrate foods such as minimally processed wholegrains (traditional rolled oats, barley, freekeh, quinoa), dense wholegrain breads or sourdough, legumes (lentils, chickpeas and dried/canned beans), sweetcorn and many fruits (including apples,
pears, citrus fruit and berries). Maintain a healthy body weight by balancing a healthy diet with regular physical activity. If you have been diagnosed with ARMD, a large study called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found that a supplement containing specific amounts of zinc and antioxidants (copper, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin) can slow the progression in those in the intermediate stage by 20-25% and reduce the risk of developing advanced disease. However, for those without ARMD or in the early stages, supplements haven’t been shown to be effective, and it is instead best to get these nutrients from your diet. If you are considering taking a supplement, speak with your GP or ophthalmologist first – they can advise on the best supplement to take and make sure there aren’t any interactions with any prescription medications you might be taking. For more information on macular degeneration and reducing your risk, visit the Macular Disease Foundation Australia.
TECHNOLOGY
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER
11 2020
Sony reveals PS5 games will be region free, and the console will support PS Now
GETTY IMAGES
The PlayStation 5 will launch on Thursday, November 12th, and Sony has published a huge FAQ outlining a lot of details about the new console. Buried in the FAQ are a few new tidbits that mean you’ll be able to play even more games than you might have expected on the PS5. PS5 games will be region free, according to the FAQ, which means you’ll be able
older PlayStation games than we previously knew. PS Now lets you download and stream certain PS4 games, but it also lets you stream some PS3 and PS2 games. I had a great experience using PS Now to play through the PS3 version of The Last of Us earlier this year, so The PS5 will also sup- I’m happy that I’ll still port Sony’s PlaySta- be able to use the sertion Now cloud vice on my PS5 to dip gaming service, my toes into some which means you’ll be classic PS3 and PS2 able to play more games.
to play games from other countries without any issues. That could be a big deal if, for example, there’s a game released in Japan that you want to play but doesn’t get an official release in the US. That game will still work on your PS5.
Sony has already said that most of the PS4’s more than 4,000 titles would work on the PS5, and early tests show that many PS4 games play even better on the new console. The company is also giving PlayStation Plus subscribers access to some of the PS4’s biggest hits through the PlayStation Plus collection on your PS5.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/
TECHNOLOGY
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 12 2020
Arm Macs are a big gamble, and Apple is all in into this completely unprepared. It has been designing processors for a decade now, and the latest crop of chips in devices like the most recent iPad Pro offer plenty of power. But outside of the few developers who’ve gotten to try Apple’s Arm developer kit (which is equipped with a chip that’s two years old), it remains to be seen how that performance will translate to more traditional laptop tasks or whether it’ll be able to keep pace with the best chips from Intel and AMD. Apple is on the verge of making one of the biggest platform changes in the company’s history. On Tuesday, it’s expected to announce the first Macs that will run off Apple-designed processors and graphics cards instead of the Intel chips it’s used since 2005. It’s a strategy that Apple has employed to great success with its iPhone and iPad devices over the past decade, but the coming transition for its laptops and desktops will represent a whole new challenge. When Apple — displeased with the roadmap for the PowerPC chips it had been using across its product portfolio — switched to Intel in the mid-aughts, Apple offered promises of better performance and power efficiency, promises that it would deliver with products like the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pros. But as significant of a change as that was, the actual jump to Intel was as predictable as a change of that magnitude could be. After all, Intel chips were a tried and tested platform for years over on the Windows side of
things, with processors in every size, wattage, and performance level that Apple could ever need for products as lightweight as an envelope-sized MacBook Air or as powerful as a $50,000 Mac Pro. The Intel transition succeeded in meeting Apple’s goals of performance and power, and Apple is making similar promises with the upcoming Arm transition. But with the coming shift to Apple Silicon, the future of the Mac is suddenly headed into completely uncharted territory. Apple’s A-series chips aren’t a new concept. Apple has been designing its own chips in-house for over a decade, back when it launched the A4 SoC alongside the original iPad. Since then, the company’s chipmaking efforts have expanded to encompass almost all of Apple’s hardware, with high-powered iPad Pros, HomePods, Apple TVs, Apple Watches, and AirPods all containing a chunk of Apple-designed silicon. Even recent Macs have started to see Apple’s chips trickle in, with on-
board T2 security chips and Touch Bars that run on similar hardware as the Apple Watch does. But they’ve never been put to the test in anything as demanding as a laptop computer. In fact, it’s arguable that no Arm-based chip has been put to the test that Apple is cueing up with its upcoming Apple Silicon transition. When Apple switched to Intel, both the hardware and software were proven affairs. Customers knew roughly what to expect from an Intel processor, and developers knew that they’d be able to write software to match. Arm, however, is a whole new ball game. There’s just a handful of Arm laptops that can give even an idea of how Apple’s own chips might fare. And even the best Arm chips for laptops out right now, like Qualcomm’s 8cx or the Microsoft-branded SQ2, are designed for ultralight laptops. No one has made an Arm-based laptop that can offer performance on par with computers like Apple’s MacBook Pros or Dell’s XPS lineup, much less a desktop. That’s not to say that Apple is coming
Apple has tried to ease the transition on the software side, too. It has spent the last few years pushing Catalyst apps designed to help develop Mac apps that share code with their iOS counterparts. And the fact that the new Arm-based Macs will run nearly every iPhone and iOS app natively will help, too. But there’s still a big gap between even iPad apps and Mac ones. Even if Apple can make good on its promises for Arm versions of Adobe apps like Photoshop and Lightroom or Microsoft’s Office suite, it’s going to take developers time to adjust. Just take a look at the slow pace of the Windows Arm transition. Apple’s event is almost guaranteed to come with big, flashy demonstrations of its new MacBook’s power and big claims about how they compare to the old, x86 models. But that announcement is just going to be the beginning for Apple, and the proof — or refutation — of this next big jump is still an open question that may take months of real-world use to answer.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/
MAJEK FASHEK NIGERIA CONSCIENTIOUS SINGER
A dare to speaking the truth Over time, The Merchants Times journalists opinions piece have reflects the author's opinion about a subject. Because we believe independence is an underlying requirement of journalism.
STOCK MARKET
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 14 2020
Stock market report for November 8th 2020 WEEKLY REPORT STOCK MARKET REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 6TH 2020 PRODUCTS EQUITY A total turnover of 2.067 billion shares worth N22.636 billion in 25,187 deals were traded this week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 1.909 billion shares valued at N23.610 billion that exchanged hands last week in 23,578 deals. The Financial Services industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.575 billion shares valued at N13.725 billion traded in 14,521 deals; thus contributing 76.21% and 60.63% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Consumer Goods Industry followed with 178.574 million shares worth N3.609 billion in 4,669 deals. The third place was the Conglomerate Industry, with a turnover of 102.697 million shares worth N155.195 million in 599 deals. Trading in the top three equities namely Access Bank Plc, FBN Holding Plc and Zenith Bank Plc (measured by volume) accounted for 686.338 million shares worth N7.599 billion in 4,557 deals, contributing 33.21% and 33.57% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. Equity Turnover - Last 5 days Date
2-Nov-20 3-Nov-20 4-Nov-20 5-Nov-20 6-Nov-20
Deals
6,050 5,575 2,889 4,319 6,354
Turnover Volume
376,653,389 336,094,248 286,446,480 430,121,026 637,494,737
Turnover Value (N)
3,802,138,742 3,890,424,286 3,094,793,795 6,619,323,529 5,229,083,441
Traded Stocks
94 91 84 96 103
For Further Inquiries Contact: Market Operations Department
Advanced Stocks
22 24 12 18 31
Page 1
Copyright © 2020 [The Nigerian Stock Exchange]. All Rights Reserved.
This stock report is originally published and own by Nigeria Stock Exchange
Declined Stocks
26 18 11 17 11
Unchanged Stocks
46 49 61 61 61
STOCK MARKET
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 15 2020
WEEKLY REPORT ETPs A total of 238,441 units valued at N2.054 billion were traded this week in 8 deals compared with a total of 262,849 units valued at N2.160 billion transacted last week in 52 deals. s/n 1 2
Security NEWGOLD VETINDETF TOTAL
Deals 7 1 8
Volume 238,426 15 238,441
Value 2,053,666,685 195 2,053,666,880
BONDS A total of 6,011 units valued at N7.543 million were traded this week in 14 deals compared with a total of 7,730 units valued at N9.211 million transacted last week in 15 deals. s/n 1 2 3 4 5
Security FGS202255 FG112034S2 FGSUK2025S2 FG112024S1 FGS202253 TOTAL
Deals 10 1 1 1 1 14
Volume 2,960 1,057 1,000 894 100 6,011
Value 3,068,101.97 1,825,064.81 1,308,055.38 1,238,896.31 102,978.55 7,543,097.02
INDEX MOVEMENT
The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalization appreciated by 1.56 and 1.59% respectively to close the week at 31,016.17 and N16.207 trillion respectively. Similarly, all other indices finished higher with the exception of the NSE-Main Board, NSE Insurance and NSE Oil/Gas which depreciated by 0.62%, 1.32% and 0.77% respectively while the NSE ASeM Index that closed flat. (See summary of Index movements in the table below). WEEK CLOSE 30/10/2020
WEEK CLOSE 6/11/2020
WEEKLY CHANGE
WtD
MtD
QtD
YtD
15.55 9.99 13.97 3.54 32.74 6.69
30,530.69 1,274.78 1,319.45 1,098.34 2,701.82 372.61
31,016.17 1,266.90 1,342.41 1,125.88 2,809.11 380.70
485.48 -7.88 22.96 27.54 107.29 8.09
1.59 -0.62 1.74 2.51 3.97 2.17
% Change 1.59 1.59 -0.62 -0.62 1.74 1.74 2.51 2.51 3.97 3.97 2.17 2.17
NSE Pension Index NSE Insurance Index NSE ASeM Index NSE-AFR Bank Value Index NSE AFR Div Yield Index NSE MERI Growth Index
1,235.76 145.11 728.51 1,056.23 1,861.25 1,598.52
1,266.93 143.20 728.51 1,081.78 1,929.78 1,614.61
31.17 -1.91 0.00 25.55 68.53 16.09
2.52 -1.32 0.00 2.42 3.68 1.01
2.52 -1.32 0.00 2.42 3.68 1.01
2.52 -1.32 0.00 2.42 3.68 1.01
20.20 13.81 -0.88 9.48 39.34 15.86
NSE MERI Value Index NSE Consumer Goods Index NSE Oil/Gas Index NSE Lotus II
1,667.87 546.09 215.33 2,185.70
1,734.90 549.19 213.67 2,230.93
67.03 3.10 -1.66 45.23
4.02 0.57 -0.77 2.07
4.02 0.57 -0.77 2.07
4.02 0.57 -0.77 2.07
21.34 -7.36 -18.61 21.59
The NSE All-Share Index (ASI) The NSE-Main Board Index NSE 30 Index NSE CG Index NSE Premium Index NSE Banking Index
For Further Inquiries Contact: Market Operations Department
Page 2
Copyright © 2020 [The Nigerian Stock Exchange]. All Rights Reserved.
STOCK MARKET
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 16 2020
WEEKLY REPORT NSE Industrial Goods Index
1,327.95
1,366.10
38.15
2.87
2.87
2.87
27.01
SUMMARY OF PRICE CHANGES PRICGES
Forty (40) equities appreciated in price during the week, lower than Sixty-eight (68) equities in the previous week. Twenty-four (24) equities depreciated in price, higher than Six (6) equities in the previous week, while ninety- seven (97) equities remained unchanged, higher than ninety-four (94) recorded in the previous week. Top 10 Price Gainers
Company LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC CAP PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. CORONATION INSURANCE PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC REGENCY ASSURANCE PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC
Open
0.81 0.71 13.80 20.35 0.32 0.40 2.71 0.22 160.00 0.34
For Further Inquiries Contact: Market Operations Department
Close 1.06 0.85 16.50 23.00 0.36 0.44 2.97 0.24 174.50 0.37
Page 3
Copyright © 2020 [The Nigerian Stock Exchange]. All Rights Reserved.
Gain (N) % Change 0.25 30.86 0.14 19.72 2.70 19.57 2.65 13.02 0.04 12.50 0.04 10.00 0.26 9.59 0.02 9.09 14.50 9.06 0.03 8.82
STOCK MARKET
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 17 2020
WEEKLY REPORT Top 10 Price Decliners
Company INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC CUSTODIAN INVESTMENT PLC NEM INSURANCE PLC
Open 7.37 2.20 0.45 6.05 2.23 45.50 0.21 17.85 5.60 0.26
BUA CEMENT PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC
Close 6.50 2.00 0.41 5.55 2.05 43.00 0.20 17.05 5.35 0.25
Loss (N) -0.87 -0.20 -0.04 -0.50 -0.18 -2.50 -0.01 -0.80 -0.25 -0.01
% Change -11.80 -9.09 -8.89 -8.26 -8.07 -5.49 -4.76 -4.48 -4.46 -3.85
SUPPLEMENTARY LISTING Bond Additional units of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s (FGN) 12.50% FGN MAR 2035 and 9.80% FGN JUL 2045 Bonds were listed on The Nigerian Stock Exchange on Friday, 6 November 2020.
Below are details of the Bonds: Bond Description/Symbol
12.50% FGN MAR 2035 9.80% FGN JUL 2045
Total Units Outstanding as at September 2020 (units) Additional Units Issued (units) Total Units Outstanding as at October 2020 (units)
362,080,778 22,500,000 384,580,778
97,901,697 27,500,000 125,401,697
CORPORATE ACTIONS SIAML Pension ETF 40
Proposed Dividend: Proposed Bonus: Qualification Date Closure Date Friday AGM Date: Payment Date:
N0.72 Per Unit Nil Wednesday, 30 September 2020. 6 November 2020 Not Applicable Monday, 9 November 2020
COMPANY REPORT S/NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
COMPANY COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC PREMIER PAINTS PLC. JOHN HOLT PLC. ABBEY MORTGAGE BANK PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. ELLAH LAKES PLC. MCNICHOLS PLC RAK UNITY PET. COMP. PLC. STUDIO PRESS (NIG) PLC.
3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER
For Further Inquiries Contact: Market Operations Department
PERIOD UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED AUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED Page 4
Copyright © 2020 [The Nigerian Stock Exchange]. All Rights Reserved.
SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER JULY SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER
YEAR 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020
STOCK MARKET
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 18 2020
WEEKLY REPORT 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC PRESCO PLC JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC MORISON INDUSTRIES PLC. UNION DICON SALT PLC. NEM INSURANCE PLC S C O A NIG. PLC. LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. GLOBAL SPECTRUM ENERGY SERVICES PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. AFROMEDIA PLC ARBICO PLC.
2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 4TH QUARTER 3RD QUARTER
UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED UNAUDITED
SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER JUNE SEPTEMBER JUNE SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER
2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020
OTHER NEWS LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC – VOLUNTARY DELISTING OF THE ENTIRE ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL FROM THE DAILY OFFICIAL LIST OF THE NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE
We refer to our market bulletin of 16 October 2020 with reference Number: NSE/RD/LRD/MB56/20/10/16 wherein the Market was notified of the full suspension placed on the shares of Law Union and Rock Insurance Plc (Law Union or the Company) to prevent trading in the shares of the Company beyond the Effective Date of the Scheme of Arrangement by which Kanuri LUR Limited will acquire all the entire issued shares of Law Union. Following the conclusion of the above referenced Scheme of Arrangement, and sequel to the approval of the Company’s application to delist its entire issued share capital from The Nigerian Stock Exchange (The Exchange), please be informed that the entire 4,296,330,500 outstanding ordinary shares of Law Union and Rock Insurance Plc were on Thursday, 5 November 2020, delisted from the Daily Official List of The Exchange. LASACO ASSURANCE PLC – PROPOSED SHARE CAPITAL RECONSTRUCTION
Following the special resolution passed by the shareholders of LASACO Assurance Plc (the Company) at the 39th Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 8 October 2019 in favor of the Company’s proposal to carry out a share capital reconstruction, LASACO Assurance Plc through its lead stockbroker, Signet Investment and Securities Limited, has submitted an application for the share capital reconstruction to The Nigerian Stock Exchange. The share capital will be reconstructed on the basis of one (1) new ordinary share of 50 Kobo each for every four (4) ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each previously held by the existing shareholders. The paid up share capital of the Company post the capital For Further Inquiries Contact: Market Operations Department
Page 5
Copyright © 2020 [The Nigerian Stock Exchange]. All Rights Reserved.
STOCK MARKET
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 19 2020
WEEKLY REPORT reconstruction exercise will be reduced from N3,667,171,710.50 divided into 7,334,343,421 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each to N916,792,929.63 divided into 1,833,585,855 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each. Further details on the proposed capital reconstruction will be provided in due course. SUNU ASSURANCES NIGERIA PLC: COMPLETION OF SHARE CAPITAL RECONSTRUCTION
We refer to our market bulletin of 19 October 2020 with reference number: NSE/RD/LRD/MB58/20/10/19, wherein the Market was notified that trading in the shares of Sunu Assurances Nigeria Plc (Sunu Assurances or the Company) was placed on full suspension effective Monday, 19 October 2020 as a result of the Company’s proposed share capital reconstruction. Dealing Members are hereby notified that the full suspension placed on trading in the Company’s shares was lifted on Tuesday, 3 November 2020 following the completion of the share capital reconstruction. Subsequently, Sunu Assurances’ entire issued share capital of 14,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each prior to the share capital reconstruction was delisted from The Nigerian Stock Exchange’s (The Exchange) Daily Official List, while the 2,800,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each arising from the share capital reconstruction were listed on The Exchange’s Daily Official List on the same day. With the completion of the Company’s share capital reconstruction, the total issued and fully paid up shares of Sunu Assurances Nigeria Plc has now reduced from 14,000,000,000 to 2,800,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each. This is for your information and records update, please. Please visit http://www.nse.com.ng/Issuers-section/corporate-disclosures/companyresults for full details of Financial News and other corporate disclosures
For Further Inquiries Contact: Market Operations Department
Page 6
Copyright © 2020 [The Nigerian Stock Exchange]. All Rights Reserved.
AFRICAN RENNAISANCE
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 20 2020
#Endsars protest and the psychology behind State violence Aina Ademola Twitter : OgbeniDemola Email: nirandemola@gmail
#End Sars Protest and
terest of their class. In
or exploited class. We
that police brutality can
state is the ruling class,
the Psychology Behind
every non-socialist soci-
need to understand that
not be expelled with-
as Dr Kwame Nkrumah
State Violence
ety, there are two main
logically when capital
out the pulverization of
told us in his book Class
Before we set in to ex-
categories, the ruling
continues to dominate
capitalism, the police
Struggle In Africa “The
plain the psychology
class or classes and the
labour for a long time,
are peasants and the
ruling class are cohe-
behind the application
subject class or class-
labour will organize and
working class in uni-
sive, they are conscious
of violence by the state
es. The ruling class pos-
rise until it crushes cap-
forms who have been
of themselves as a class,
during the End Sars
sesses the major instru-
ital. This is what is hap-
used by the oppressing
they have an objective
struggle, there are some
ments of economic pro-
pening in the Nigeri-
class against the actual
interest and they are
basic things that we
duction and distribution
an society today, the
class they belong to.
aware of their position
need to know and un-
and the means of estab-
masses of the people
They have been alien-
and the threat posed to
derstand explicitly. The
lishing political domi-
have been pushed to
ated from their class
their continued domi-
Nigerian masses (urban
nance, while the subject
the wall, they have been
and they have become
nance by a rising class
proletarians & Peasant-
class serves the interest
dissatisfied, they have
watchdogs of the cap-
of peasants and work-
ry) have been sleeping
of the ruling class, and is
been disillusioned and
italists who use them
ing-class revolt” these
for a very long time, the
politically, economically
they are ready to bring
to suppress the pertur-
people understand the
most revolutionary ele-
and socially dominated
their rights, Liberty and
bation of the masses of
vicious cycle, they are
ments in every political
by it. Political ideology is
freedom into existence
the people for a better
fully aware that they are
setting have just started
a representation of class
by any means neces-
country that’s actu-
surviving because of
attaining political con-
and class consciousness.
sary, a 5 per cent of the
ally going to benefit
the sweat and labour of
sciousness and this is
for example, we can say
entire populace shall
the police themselves.
the peasants and work-
something commend-
capitalism is a represen-
not continue to dom-
Imagine fighting some-
ing class, so, whenev-
able because these are
tation of the elites and
inate the 95 per cent;
one’s who’s fighting for
er they see a unity be-
the necessary ingredi-
socialism and Marxism is
the moment organiza-
you. This to show the
ents for a radical political
a representation of the
tion of the masses of
extent of the indoctri-
explosion leading to sus-
oppressed and exploited
the people sets in, there
nation and class manip-
tainable growth and de-
class. There is a clash be-
shall be a revolutionary
ulation by the malev-
velopment; in fact, lead-
tween these two class-
storm that’ll wipe out
olent ruling class. The
ing to a complete, radi-
es and that’s what is
the oppressive ruling
only language the op-
cal constructive change.
called class antagonism
class. “The accumula-
pressor understands is
We need to, first of all,
Evidently, we can see
tion of wealth at one poll
the violence they keep
understand that we can
that the #EndSars pro-
is at the same time ac-
being at the top of the
say that Nigerian oper-
test is not a tribal clash,
cumulation of misery,
social ladder because
ates a one-party system,
not an ethnic or reli-
the agony of toil, slav-
of the application of
this is because the two
gious clash it’s, in fact, a
ery, ignorance, brutali-
violence against the
ruling parties do not
class clash between the
ty, mental degradation
masses of the people.
represent the inter-
political elites who have
at the opposite poll” Karl
The most paranoid
est of the masses, they
been doing the oppress-
Marx.
and circumspect class
just represent the in-
ing and the oppressed
We must understand
in every non-socialist
tween the working class (urban proletarians) and the peasantry, they become unprecedentedly paranoid and they apply violence to gag and keep the oppressed in check. This is a psychology that’s inherent in every capitalist, very violent, cohesive and illogical. That’s why the Nigerian government was quick to apply violence
BUSINESS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 21 2020
As Frederick Engels told us ‘Wherever there’s a revolutionary convulsion, there must be some social wants in the background’
against innocent and peaceful protesters who were marching unarmed with placards and the national flag. The question is, why should you be paranoid if you’re doing well? The Nigerian government has to do a lot of self-assessment. As Frederick Engels told us ‘Wherever there’s a revolutionary convulsion, there must be some social wants in the background’ the Nigerian government has failed its people, the Nigerian government has dissatisfied its people. The current Nigerian rebellion emanated from the ineptitude of the Nigerian government. For the struggle to be successful, The youths who are in the vanguard of this
resistance must make sure that they inject the peasants into the struggle, because the unity of the peasants and working class is the only way that an end can be put to oppression. From what I could see, most of the people who partook in the protest were majorly working class, the peasants who are still un-organized and un-revolutionary must be made to wake up and be organized and be ultimately directed towards the cause of the liberation struggle and ultimately the women must be infused in the struggle as well. The degree of a country’s revolutionary awareness may be measured by the political maturity of the women. Inde-
pendence must not be considered as an end but the very first stage of the people's revolutionary struggle. The machinations of the oppressor will continually fail if we maintain a clear spirit of vigilance and a continuous spirit of resistance. This is a good and historically vindicated fight. As Malcolm X said “power in defence of freedom is greater than power on behalf of tyranny because power, the real power comes from conviction, that produces action; an uncompromising action, it also produces insurrection against oppression” This article is dedicated to the African working class and peasants all over the
world. Aina Ademola Twitter : OgbeniDemola Email: [email protected]
We need to understand that logically when capital continues to dominate labour for a long time, labour will organize and rise until it crushes capital.
BUSINESS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 22 2020
CBN opposes bid to remove Arabic inscriptions from Naira notes
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has expressed serious opposition to a suit before the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking to remove the Arabic inscriptions on naira notes. While telling the Federal High Court that it would cost a huge amount of money to discard the existing notes and print new ones without it; the apex bank said the Arabic inscription is not a symbol or mark of Islam, but an inscription to help non-English speakers or uneducated populace who are literate in it to ease trade.It can be recalled that a Lagos-based lawyer, Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, who filed the suit before Justice Mohammed Liman, con-
tended that having Arabic inscriptions on the naira notes portrays Nigeria as an Islamic state, contrary to the country’s constitutional status of a secular state.
court to restrain the CBN from further approving, printing, and issuing naira notes with Arabic inscriptions, bearing in mind that Nigeria is a secular state.
Omirhobo, who said he does not know what the Arabic inscriptions mean, is seeking the court to order the CBN to replace the Arabic inscriptions with either English language, which is the country’s official language, or any of Nigeria’s three main indigenous languages – Hausa, Yoruba, or Igbo.The lawyer said that with the Arabic inscriptions on the naira note, the CBN violates sections 10 and 55 of the Nigerian Constitution, which makes the country a secular state and wants the
In the counter-affidavit by the CBN, deposed to by one Abiola Lawal, the CBN maintained that contrary to Omirhobo’s claim “the Ajami inscriptions on some of the country’s currencies do not connote any religious statements or Arabian alignment.”The CBN also tackled the lawyer on the claim that the Arabic inscriptions were a threat to Nigeria’s secular status.
Source:
The apex bank said, “The inscriptions on the country’s currencies do not and at no time have they
threatened the secular statehood of the nation nor have they violated the Constitution of Nigeria, as every design and inscription was finalized with the approval of the relevant government bodies.’’The CBN explained that the “Ajami inscriptions” on the naira notes dated back to the colonial era and they do not imply that Arabic is an official language of Nigeria.“The Ajami was inscribed on the country’s currency by the colonialists to aid those without Western education in certain parts of the country, who, back then, constituted a larger part of the populace. The Ajami is not a symbol or mark of Islam but an inscription to aid the populace uneducated in West-
This article is originally published on Naira Metrics and written by Chike Olisah
BUSINESS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 23 2020
Online business laws your small business needs to know that business owners may be subject to penalties of up $43,280 for each separate email violation. Under the CAN-SPAM Act, online merchants may be fined for the following:
There are many rules and regulations that govern e-commerce. These five, in particular, could significantly impact your small business. Small business owners can't afford to run afoul of online business laws that are in place to protect consumers. Penalties run in the thousands of dollars. Collecting sales tax is a big area of concern for online merchants. The rules vary by state, making it cumbersome to manage without the help of software. Business owners must be careful when marketing to new and existing customers. If marketing emails violate provisions in the CAN-SPAM Act, you may be fined by the Federal Trade Commission. This article is for entrepreneurs who want to launch an online store or are in the process of starting an e-commerce business. E-commerce platforms and online marketplaces make it easy to sell online, but e-commerce is more than uploading product pictures and accepting payments. There are laws and regulations you must follow, and if you run afoul of any of them, you could face serious legal and financial consequences. What are online business laws? E-commerce, or the buying and selling of products over the internet, has exploded in recent years as people across the globe become more familiar with this type of commerce and feel comfortable using it. That opportunity hasn't been lost on business owners who are increasingly selling their goods online with the help of e-commerce platforms and marketplaces. Online shopping is regulated to protect customers, with safeguards in place to prevent consumers from deceptive marketing practices and data breaches. These legal rules are known as online business laws. Though the laws about how your business engages in commerce online vary from state to state, there are also national laws and international regulations. The laws cover everything from taxes to privacy. Further, because of constant advances in technology, e-commerce laws are a work in progress.
Key takeaway: Online business laws govern how a business owner conducts business on the internet. These laws cover marketing, taxes, security and are ever-changing as technology evolves. 5 types of online business laws to be aware of There are some e-commerce business laws that all online business owners must know. Here are the most important five: 1. Collecting sales tax Death and taxes are life's two certainties. For online merchants, the latter gets extremely complicated when it comes to collecting sales tax. "The No. 1 thing to think about is sales tax," said Lisa Lewis, a certified public accountant and the TurboTax blog editor. "It used to be you collect sales tax where your business has a physical presence. Now, states have the right to sales tax no matter if you have a physical presence in the state or not." States also get to set the rules on what to tax and when. To prevent costly mistakes, Lewis said business owners must look at state sales tax on a state-by-state basis. One state may not expect sales tax unless the merchant exceeds a certain amount of sales, while another will expect it for even a single, small-dollar sale. "It's extremely cumbersome. We're hoping the government streamlines it and has all 50 states change to a flat tax," said Mike Nunez, chief communications officer at Incfile. "You may have state, city and even county taxes. That's three levels of taxes you have to calculate." The good news, however, is that software, POS systems and e-commerce platforms take the guesswork out of calculating sales tax. It's important for online merchants to take advantage of the software, since ignorance isn't a defense. When the Supreme Court issued its ruling in June 2018, Associate Justice (Ret.) Anthony Kennedy noted there is software available to help small businesses navigate the hurdles of collecting sales tax. 2. Privacy and data security
Protecting customers' personal information and ensuring your e-commerce site is secure is paramount. One data breach or hack is all it takes to destroy a small business. According to a National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) survey, 10% of small businesses that suffered a data breach went out of business. E-commerce companies request and retain a lot of key customer data, including credit card numbers, personal contact information, bank account, and Social Security numbers, and, as such, should protect the privacy and security of the data. While the U.S. doesn't have a federal privacy rule, such as Europe's General Data Protection Regulation, some states, including California, Maine, and Nevada, have passed laws. It's important that you adhere to best practices. One way to do that is to follow the FTC's "privacy by design" recommendations, which include the following: Privacy and security should be built into products and services from the beginning. Companies should only collect data they need for the business purpose and dispose of it once the transaction is complete. E-commerce sites should have reasonable security in place to protect consumer data. Data management personnel, procedures and controls should be implemented to protect customers' privacy. 3. Marketing infringement The internet provides ample opportunities for businesses to market their products online, but certain rules must be followed. Online merchants, no matter how small, are subject to federal regulations when selling their products over the internet. Businesses can't make false claims about products and services, and they must disclose paid endorsements. E-mail is a popular way to market to potential and existing customers. Business owners (and their employees) must ensure their e-mail marketing campaigns comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. Passed in 2009 by the Federal Trade Commission, the act states
The email contains a deceptive subject line. The email contains false or misleading headers. Your email doesn't disclose that the message is an advertisement. The business doesn't divulge its location to e-mail recipients. The email doesn't instruct recipients how to opt out of receiving future emails. Your company doesn't honor opt-out requests within 10 business days. You fail to monitor the actions of an email marketing service your company has hired. (According to the FTC, "both the company whose product is promoted in the message and the company that actually sends the message may be held legally responsible.") In addition, online merchants must not infringe on trademarks or patents. "It's too easy for a small business owner to search for product images, download them, and use them on the website, but if that's copyrighted or trademarked now, you're in the violation of the law," said Nunez. "You can't use celebrities' likenesses, you can't use other people's trademarks or copyright. You have to be really careful to avoid that." Further, added Nunez, if your business sells products that are geared toward children, you must take care not to violate the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. "You can't advertise to children, you can't try to convince children to buy something. You have to be careful targeting children," said Nunez. [Looking for tips to help you market your business online? Check out our marketing guide.] 4. PCI compliance Implemented in the early 2000s by credit card issuers Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is designed to protect consumers' payment data: An online merchant who accepts credit card payments must meet PCI standards when storing, processing and transmitting credit card data. The penalties for noncompliance include steep fines, and your merchant account agreement can be terminated. 5. Terms and conditions An online store needs ground rules for its e-commerce site that are legally enforceable – that's where terms and conditions come in. They explain your policies for everything from your returns to shipping policies, and as such, may reduce your legal liability if there is a disagreement with a customer. Key takeaway: When selling online, your business must ensure it's collecting the right amount of sales tax for each state; emails must comply with FTC
Redtalk Sports
Real talk, articles Opinions & analysis On sports
Greg Clarke: FA Chief executive apologises for saying 'coloured' during MPtalks Greg Clarke resigns as Football Association chairman after remark about black players
Greg Clarke MP Kevin Brennan then asked him to apologise for using the term “coloured” and Clarke said: "I deeply apologise for it. I am a product of having worked overseas, I worked in the USA for many years where I was required to use the term "people of colour" because that was a product of their diversity legislature. "Sometimes I trip over my words." An FA spokesman said: "Greg Clarke is deeply apologetic for the language he used to reference members of the ethnic
minority community during the select committee hearing today. He acknowledged that using the term 'coloured' is not appropriate and wholeheartedly apologised during the hearing." At the hearing, it was revealed the Premier League are dropping their controversial pay-per-view service which drew widespread criticism from football fans across the United Kingdom. Supporters were being asked to pay to watch matches that were accessible for no additional fee during the previous UK lockdown.
England fixture farce shows insanity of international break
News is just reaching us that the upcoming football match between England and Iceland could now be played in Albania. Iceland are due to face Denmark in Copenhagen on Sunday but the United Kingdom has implemented a travel ban on any visitors from Denmark due to the discovery of a mutated strain of the deadly virus which has now caused
upwards of 1.25m deaths across the world. The mutated virus has been transmitted to the local population from a mink farm.’ And yet, every word of it is true. The fact that football has continued through the pandemic has largely been great. Liverpool won the title, Arsenal won the FA Cup, the continued rhythm of
SPORTS weekly football, even if it has unfamiliar edges, provides some structure, distraction and enjoyment in a world where otherwise our activities and social interactions are being heavily restricted. You can still watch Ian Wright on Match of the Day most weeks. It’s not all bad. And yet, that doesn’t mean that all football should continue during the pandemic. The wisdom of conducting an intra-European competition was highlighted during the recent round of Champions League matches when Dynamo Kiev almost forfeited their game against Barcelona and Ajax were also hit by a Covid-19 outbreak. As the second wave seemingly gathers pace across Europe, it really does beg the question of why we are even bothering to have an international break, always the most insipid and uninspiring juncture of any football calendar, just in order to play a bunch of friendlies and a relatively meaningless competition in the UEFA Nations League. Get the Euro 2020 play-offs done safely, fine, but to hold the wider set of fixtures, and incur all the cross-European travel involved, just seems egregious. Even the Euro 2020 play-offs are not without their problems after Italian authorities issued travel bans for any players representing Fiorentina, Genoa,
MERCHANTS TIMES Roma, Sassuolo and Inter following positive Covid cases in their teams, meaning Serbia will be without some key players for their match against Scotland. But at least that is a match with genuine importance: it will directly decide which team goes to the Euros, if indeed the Euros take place. Meanwhile the vast majority of fixtures over the next week and a bit, including England’s game against Iceland – which could indeed be played in Albania, or potentially Germany – are so devoid of genuine meaning as to be virtually meaningless. The entire Nations League could just be sacked off this time around. We are going to play Euro 2024 qualifiers anyway and the play-off system could just revert to the old method. The fact that international friendlies are being held on top of this is, quite frankly, a complete p***-take.We are all being urged to stay at home. No one can go on holiday. Most shops aren’t allowed to open. But significant numbers of footballers are being allowed to traverse the continent for… what exactly? The chance to play 60 minutes in a slow-paced, non-important match in an empty stadium? We’re already starting to see the potential impacts of the heavily congested calendar which players are having to try and negotiate safely, with the second half of Liverpool
and Manchester City being played at a dreary tempo and Trent Alexander-Arnold picking up a muscle injury which rules him out for around four weeks. He will not be the last. Imagine if instead of now spending the best part of a fortnight on pointless international exertions, players were given a period of rest to combat fatigue, both mental and physical. England’s potential fix around playing in Albania is a total shambles. In fact it’s worse than that. The UK has brought in the Danish travel ban due to public health concerns over receiving any visitors who have been in that country. So a solution which requires England’s players to travel to another country just so they can still play a match against a group of visitors who have just been in Denmark, is only a cheap workaround. This game shouldn’t be happening. Full stop. And you can say the same for almost the entire international window. If football continues like it currently is, then we run the risk of The Warm-Up becoming little more than a long list of all the players who have picked up injuries each day. Well, maybe not. But there is sadly more injury news to report this morning. Barcelona’s incandescent young forward Ansu Fati, still only 18, has been dealt a significant setback following
NOVEMBER 25 2020 the news that he is expected to be out for around four months after undergoing surgery on a knee ligament injury. Fati had been one of the bright spots of a fairly miserable season so far, with five goals and two assists in eight games. But the team sitting eighth in La Liga – yes, eighth – have now lost their second most exciting player for a prolonged period of time.
We are all being urged to stay at home. No one can go on holiday. Most shops aren’t allowed to open. But significant numbers of footballers are being allowed to traverse the continent for… what exactly? The chance to play 60 minutes in a slow-paced, non-important match in an empty stadium?
Source: Sky Sports Uk
SPORTS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 26 2020
Megan Rapinoe: USwnt star criticises Manchester United over delayed investment in Women's team Source: Eurosport
Several U.S. women's international players have joined the WSL this season. Tobin Heath and Christen Press have signed for United while Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis moved to Manchester City. Alex Morgan sealed a loan switch to Tottenham Hotspur, making her debut in their 1-1 draw with Reading on Saturday .
Megan Rapinoe has criticised how long it has taken Manchester United to get their act together in the women's game, saying it is "disgraceful" that a a club of their statutre took so long to revive their team. United immediately earned promotion to the Women's Super League (WSL) and finished fourth in their debut campaign in the English top flight. United currently sit top of the WSL table un-
beaten after six games following Sunday's 1-0 win over Arsenal. Nevertheless, Rapinoe has criticised the lack of finances put into the women's game in Britain and was especially critical of United. "Women's football in England is the same as in America. It's so far behind because of what we've had to overcome in the lack of investment," Rapinoe told the BBC.
Rapinoe, the 2019 Ballon d'Or and two-time World Cup winner, decided not to take part in National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) competitions this year, but the 35-year-old said she is targeting a place at the Tokyo Olympics set to take place next summer.
It's 2020. How Long Has The Premier League Been Around? And We're Only Just Seeing A Club Like Manchester United Put Effort And Pounds Towards A Women's Team? Frankly, It's Disgraceful.
"I've had a few teammates go abroad and play, while I'm training and trying to keep fit in the hopes that eventually we'll be out of this hellscape," she added. "I want to keep playing. I'm definitely not anywhere near retirement - I absolutely want to play at the Olympics."
ATP finals: when is the draw, what’s the schedule, who is playing, why is it leaving London� This year qualification is based on the ATP rankings (excluding points gained at last year’s ATP Finals) rather than a ‘Race to London’ ranking due to the disrupted season.
This year qualification is based on the ATP rankings (excluding points gained at last year’s ATP Finals) rather than a ‘Race to London’ ranking due to the disrupted season.
don.WHEN IS THE DRAW AND WHAT’S THE SCHEDULE? The draw will place on Thursday, November 12, three days before the tournament opener on Sunday, November 15.
Tsitsipas is the defending champion after beating Thiem in the 2019 final. However, the Greek has been battling a leg injury that could impact his chances in London.
Tsitsipas is the defending champion after beating Thiem in the 2019 final. However, the Greek has been battling a leg injury that could impact his chances in Lon-
There will be two singles matches played every day before the semi-finals on Saturday, November 21 and the final on Sunday, November 22.
SPORTS
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 27 2020
Nigerian Professional Football League to resume December 6 The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) is set to resume on the 6th of December for the first time since the league was suspended because of the ravaging COVID-19 in early 2020. According to Vanguard, this was disclosed by the League Management Company (LMC) on Monday, which also revealed the fixtures for league resumption. he NPFL was suspended on the 18th of March after Match day 25 as coronavirus cases erupted all over the country. The NPFL initially announced in April that football will resume 6 weeks after the the pandemic. The new season will be competed by the same teams from last season as no team
was relegated due to the nature of the last season’s pause. The LMC certified 13 stadiums for the resumption of activities in Nigeria’s top professi The fixtures on the opening weekend are: Adamawa United vs Kano Pillars Katsina United vs Heartland Nasarawa United vs Wikki Tourists Plateau United vs Kwara United Enyimba vs Abia Warriors Rivers United vs Rangers Akwa United vs Dakada Jigawa Golden Stars vs Sunshine Stars FC Ifeanyi Ubah vs Lobi Stars MFM vs Warri Wolvesonal football league.
Super Eagles hold first training session under floodlights ahead Sierra Leone clash The president of the Nigeria’ football federation Amaju Pinnick has assured Nigerians that every effort has been made to boost the Super Falcons for future engagements. He spoke on the team recently in Abuja when he paid a visit to the Glass house, the new abode of the Nigerian women football league. “We have gotten a new coach for the senior women national team and there are new foreign based Nigerian players who have declared their interest to play for the country. Young and enterprising players for us to prove women AFCON is our birthright.” He further explained that the NFF is working towards getting two friendly matches for the team to get them ready for the engagements. The NFF recently contracted Coach Randy Waldrum to tinker the team to the next level after Thomas Dennerby unceremoniously walked out on his job, poaching Precious Dede, to head the India U17 women’ team. Randy will be assisted by Ann Chiejine – a former Super falcons goalkeeper and captain, as well as Wemimo Matthew.
Copyright © 2020 Completesports.com
LIFE & STYLE
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 28 2020
You can’t change them Damilare Ojo
People change when they believe it is beneficial to them so, don’t impose. I once had a friend with questionable attributes. Of course, as a good friend, I was not happy about it. Everyday I said to myself “I have to talk to him“. Each time I tried to bring up the topic, the fear of how he would react to it would dampen my spirit and make me keep my mouth shut. I continued to battle with this feeling until I finally developed the courage to talk to him and I was so ready for whatever he had to say. I tried so hard to avoid stepping on his toes so I sugarcoated words. Trust me, it did not work. After the first attempt to convey my message and prove my point, I felt so disappointed and decided to do it forcefully. You should know what happened next. We had a very hot argument and at the end of the day, I could not achieve my aim. After ruminating on the issue, I realised my manner of approach was totally wrong
and when minds are closed, even the clearest presentation of the facts can never open them. You have to study the individual before bringing up the issue.
that his/her actions are irrational, there is nothing you can do about it. All you can do is pray for them to realise they really need what you are presenting to them.
People respond to change differently. Some may respond with fear while others will respond with denial. It is not your duty to change people, as a matter of fact, you can not force it. People change because they want to and not because you want them to. Funny but true, people change themselves when they get sick and tired of themselves. Have you ever reached that point in your life where you realise you have issues and you need to address them before it gets too late? That’s the point where change begins to take effect.
After some years, I bumped into this friend of mine and saw a new person entirely. He was so calm and different. I could not believe what I saw, so I decided to look for trouble just to be sure he had truly changed. To my greatest surprise, he was a brand new man. He told me it cost him something very precious to him and he realised there was a need for him to change his habits.
The fact still remains that we cannot change anyone else’s behaviour and we cannot make another person what or who we want him/her to be. If a person has not admitted
Now, rather than trying to change people, focus on improving yourself and maybe, just maybe they will see reasons. Give those around you reasons to change with your lifestyle. Stop being judgemental when you have loads of issues too. Work on yourself and see if they would not do the same. People can embrace change from your attitudes.
CHECK MY NUGGETS FOR INSPIRING QUOTES: https://myinnerawesomeness.com/daily-inspirations/ Another important thing to do is to change your perspective and the way you view things would definitely change. Changing your perspective does not mean you should settle for less or tolerate any form of abuse or disrespect. Be open to different ideas about handling situations. Please understand no one can be like you and when you expect too much from people, you end up getting disappointed. If you fall into the category of people trying to change those around them forcefully, I want you to understand you cannot do it all by yourself. The individual must be actively involved. Acceptance is very key for change to happen, you cannot impose it. The earlier you understood, the better.
LIFE & STYLE
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 29 2020
Self improvement articles learn, grow and succeed
Self improvement is a journey that anyone who wants to excel in life must take. It does not matter in what area you want to excel and progress, whether it be in your business, in your work, in your studies, in your marriage or in your spirituality. All aspects of our lives can only truly improve if we take responsibility for their improvement. The greatest area of such improvement that will impact all other areas of our lives, is improving ourselves. This can be at several levels:
Improving your KNOWLEDGE Improving your SKILLS But is it clear from this that even improving your skills first requires improving your knowledge. Therefore we can conclude that all self improvement begins with self growth in the area of our knowledge. "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." -Oliver Wendell Holmes, US author & physician (1809 - 1894) The mind is the thing that we must stretch in order to broaden our
reality and capabilities. Without a stretched and open mind that is receptive to new ideas and information, self growth is impossibility. But with such openness and receptivity to new ideas comes great responsibility. This is because not every idea or theory is correct. Some things are wrong and some things are dangerous and can be destructive.Therefore, we must use our judgement and discernment in deciding what ideas to accept and what ideas to reject. Accepting correct ideas and information will lead
to success. Accepting wrong ideas and information can lead to failure and frustration. Here also the circle is completed, because having such judgment and discernment requires that we first have the right knowledge by which to make such judgement and choices. So again, knowledge comes out on top. You need to have the right knowledge in order to navigate the unpredictable terrain of life.
RELIGION
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 30 2020
Chinese evangelist detained, prevented from sharing the gospel
ust mere moments before Chinese evangelist Ran Yunfei could begin an online seminar on Christianity and Chinese culture, the Chinese Communist Party's police station forced him to come to a police station for interrogation, The Christian Post reports. The webinar was forced to play a recorded video as police detained Yunfei until 11PM. "If you understand that being in chains is sharing the Gospel (not only with the people
who talk to you, but also the many who watch you), then we should feel joyful for entering the police station multiple times," Yunfei reportedly said in a Whatsapp message. According to International Christian Concern, Yunfei is a democracy activist in addition to an evangelist. He was summoned on November 4th, 2020, right before he was about to give a live online seminar that was titled "Christianity and Chinese Culture." He was set
to teach as part of an online series titled "Gospel During the Pandemic." Yunfei became a Christian in 2015 and following his conversion he began sharing the gospel publicly. Yunfei said the Chinese Communist Party kept him from teaching the next day, saying "I am thankful that I have returned. I cannot share tomorrow as well." This isn't the first
time the Chinese Communist Party has given him trouble. Last April, the Chinese Communist Party police dragged him in right before a webinar to hold him. They also banned him from speaking that time as well. Yunfei says this is a normal part of his life, calling it "drinking tea" with the police. Speaking to The Christian Post, Gina Goh, International Christian Concern’s regional manager for Southeast Asia,
stated that "The Chinese government is increasing the crackdown on house churches to threaten and disrupt them, in hopes that it will be too much for them. If police sense the preacher is spreading anti-government thoughts, they revoke his preaching certificate. They have basically no right for Christians who speak up."
source: Christian Headlines
OPINION POLE
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 31 2020
Pan-Africanism is about power: Harnessing Black Power Kamau Njoroge
A friend recently asked me what is the end game of Pan-Af ricanism and what is its struggle? I told him it is all about power. The look he gave me was enough evidence to me that indeed we do not understand what Pan-Africanism is all about. That we as Africans do not realize that Pan-Africanism is a movement that seeks to harness black power
and its main tool is consciousness, period! Power, lack of it and it’s misuse are the sole reasons as to why there are oppressors and the oppressed (one has power while one does not.) Therefore, any revolt that leads to revolution is about seizing the instruments of power and using the power for the benefit of the people.
The sole reason why Africans in America are victims of police brutality, racism and stigmatization exist because they are powerless they have no power and the little power they have is misused. Neocolonialism is still prevalent in Africa and Africans remains poor because power is not with us it is with Imperialist stooges. Even in our inde-
pendence, we did not capture power instead of power in most colonies went to the house negroes and the field negroes, not to everyone. Simply put independence did not empower the African people because it did not bring poet to the Afrikan people. We have to unite to seize power knowing fully well it will not be given to us, that is (Pan-African-
ism) us organizing for power. This is what Marcus Garvey, Sylvester Williams, W.E.B Du Bois and others were organizing and strategizing for. That is what they laid the foundation for. It’s the struggle for power that Nkurumah picked up in the sixties, Sankara in the eighties and Gaddafi in 2000. In our quest to achieve power we must talk about Af-
OPINION POLE
rican-centered consciousness, personality, and culture for these are the instruments of power and the engines for our quest to reclaim our power. And to put the record straight, it’s us getting both the soft and hard power to be under our control for it to serve us. It is not only incumbent but also necessary upon us as Africans to realize that ultimately, this whole struggle is about Power! Not loving one another and all those good things we hear and we like to hear, it’s about Power! And to a great extent, the problems that we are confronted with today as African people. Africans in diaspora flows from our “ power-less-ness” and our inappropriate use of Power! We’ve been made to even never talk about it. We’ve been made to think that Power is sinful, and the pursuit of it. The idea is totally wrong, for you can not exist without Power, there’s no Life, a battery without power is dead. You need the power to act, to behave in the world, to deal with the world, and consequently, then, we must interpret what we are about in terms of Power, and we have the Power we have the possibilities, we just need to reorient ourselves, restructure, even our consciousness and personality, and our culture, and to use the instruments of power, to transform our situation. Pan-Africanism is not only acquiring political power but
MERCHANTS TIMES
also economic and social power to benefit the people of African descent. It, therefore, is about reclaiming our power and distributing it to all regardless of gender just like used to happen in the past. Power to decide did not rest on a few people but was widely distributed Power is our aim, powerlessness and misuse of power is our enemy. We must produce the energy to transform our stunted growth and inspire new generations to a better future. It’s imperative to note that Pan-Africanism is not just about regaining black power but also using it properly by ending any form of dependency from external foreign institutions. It is about us being taught how to grow our own food, take care of our families, and steadily learn how to live without the need for governments, banks and corporations as our ancestors once did; that is the conscious bit of Pan-Africanism we aren’t being educated and that many do not understand; we’ve been indoctrinated to be dependent and subservient to the system. While our gaining of political power is about us ending Imperialist influence, the only way for us to achieve political power is by us undertaking steps to achieve the social and economic power for they’re mutually coexisting. The blueprint of us attaining black economic power was given to us by Malcolm X and many others. Malcolm X told us that we need
to stop spending money out of our communities for a dollar out of Africa or out of a community of people of Afrikan descent impoverishes the community and enriches another. Therefore as black people we need to actually start banking in African banks, not buying anything we can consume for our economy is large and our market is large. We need to cut our dependency on the Caucasians and enrich ourselves. We have to starve them of our money for only then will they be desperate and will we start gaining power over them. For the black superstars, their role is huge and ours is large. If there are African sports superstars let them have their agents and accountants being fellow blacks, (from Africa to be specific) that way many will benefit. Allow me to use the example of Lionel Messi one of the best footballers, his agent is his father. Therefore, any agent fees that are paid go to his family and not mentioning his huge endorsement deals and jaw-dropping salary. That is what is required in Black communities let our superstars adopt that. The actors and musicians have a role too, needless to say, that most great entertainers are of African descent if they could come together and establish black record labels and studios then they shall have played a huge role in ensuring that their revenue streams actually benefit the community and help reclaim black power. Only through
NOVEMBER 32 2020
this can we achieve economic power, we must starve the imperialist economy. Malcolm X, he gave us a blueprint to achieve economic power. For the social economy it relies on us having a conscious awakening of the African people, it’s about teaching the African history and proving that our history did not begin in chains. It’s about us re-instilling pride in our African heritage. Just like Marcus Garvey preached and told us, "social power is about us taking pride in our heritage accepting and loving ourselves and owning our struggles."That is the start of our social power. The two will be a sufficient force for us to actually attain political power which will be our final redemption
We’ve been made to think that Power is sinful, and the pursuit of it. The idea is totally wrong, for you can not exist without Power, there’s no Life, a battery without power is dead. You need the power to act, to behave in the world, to deal with the world, and consequently, then, we must interpret what we are about in terms of Power, and we have the Power we have the possibilities, we just need to reorient ourselves, restructure, even our consciousness and personality, and our culture, and to use the instruments of power, to transform our situation.
Neocolonialism is still prevalent in Africa and Africans remains poor because power is not with us it is with Imperialist stooges.
OPINION POLE
MERCHANTS TIMES
NOVEMBER 33 2020
The people that didn’t matter and the mightiest walls of oppression Agbor Desmond Tabe
It wasn’t all about us but about them, the oppressors of our societies. At least that’s how classified the people are, our politicians transformed us into numerical instruments, we were just another number at the polling box for them to access the national cake. All that was needed was nothing but vain promises and the numbers at the polling station will add up. They parade themselves like wolves in sheep clothing claiming to be part of the struggle but they were the struggle we wanted to overcome. Like a society that upholds the values of equity, justice and equality where the people are at the centre of everything. It was supposed to be a favourable system for all. A system where the poor, vulnerable, weak, and the oppressed people who were tired of being placed at the bottom of the social strata would speak up for their rights. A working system where the common people who are the majority would wield their power leveraging on the
constitution. These are people with a horrible hunger experience and they have a history of going to bed without food. Their sons knew what it meant to lay down their lives for their country, their daughters who are the bearers of tomorrow knew what it means to be a mother, their fathers were wiser through hardships. These people reliance on a working system shouldn’t be questioned because they actually need selfless leaders that would continually ensure the system is favourable for all. Instead, they got nothing but greedy and self-centred rulers who weren’t masters of themselves but slaves to their own insatiable desires. This all high powerful rulers who transformed state resources to satisfy these desires of theirs altered the beauty of the constitution, turned one poor folk against another. Inturn, armed the poor folks’ brother like Zombie (soldier) leaving them with an instruction to devalue lives, (Arrest, torture and kill) The truth,
the poor need to live comfortably in a working system just as the wealthy ones without feeling or being oppressed. They must not realize they are in the state of mental slavery, deprived of their rights in the constitution. Once they start asking questions about the ills of the society even deeper questions about the scrums given to him, they would bloodily revolt. This and more is the situation the poor happens to find themselves, a difficult state where their rulers keep control over them. The cruel politicians are masters of lies and would incapacitate the poor by numerous schemes. The tables shifted and it is no longer about the oppressed and their rich counterparts with a long history of fraud and excessive looting. In the course of this, the oppressed break out of silence and revolted against the ruling class. With many failed attempts against the heartless rulers, the oppressed were divisive than ever. In the struggle against the oppressor,
those who survived and the ones that laid down their lives for the future were labelled the lost generation. Zooming lens at the history of violence by the government which were meant to serve the people, the downtrodden have easily conceded to the failed system and would rather remain in it than speak about the intrinsic danger that looms due to the fear of death. To the clueless youths that have enjoyed the thug life, they are loyal to the oppressor and ignorantly admired the one who caused them to grieve. Unknowingly, they embraced mental slavery and hated the truth. They embrace the pop culture, neglecting the struggle and failed system they are in. Their interest dissimilar, all that mattered was the girls, money, and nothing but the fun and the sense of belonging. In their perverse way of life, tomorrow was never part of the plan, so they became a generation of vampires and bloodsuckers. They turned on one
another not knowing it was all part of the bigger conspiracy. The system was designed by the oppressor to disfavour them and this was deeply rooted in Napoleon Bonaparte’s advice “ don’t distract your enemy when he is making a mistake”. The lost generation reminds me of a particular continent and reflects the life of a particular class of people in a country who believe they are powerless, who believe praying will change something, who believe that someday nature will take its course but I tell you it‘s a systematic process. This system will only favour the oppressor. Tomorrow bestowed on us the prowess to make changes that will affect the posterity. We know; Sorrow may endure for a while but joy cometh in the morning lift your heads high sons and daughters of the oppressed and do what your fathers failed to do and take what is truly yours. You matter, we matter our future matters.
The
erchants
Times
The world is no longer a small place, not anymore. People are trying hard to solve the problem they created. Humanity is learning to discover new terrific things daily and many inhumane actions have trodded down the peace of the commoners. Read reports on people whose voices and experiences matter in mainstream media. Our reslience team of professionals tells real global stories about resistance, justice and identity.
Get Fit Now! 08186578916, 08166143215 Bukkahut, 2nd floor, plot 278 Oshodi-Gbagada expressway, Near QMB House, Towards Charly Boy Bustop,Gbagada Bodyunderfitnessandnutrition
w
Bodyunderfitnessandnutrition
J
YouTube: BodyunderTv
Seun Kuti
Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti (born 11 January 1983), commonly known as Seun Kuti, is a Nigerian musician, singer and the youngest son of famous afrobeat pioneer
Pursue peace with all Making peace doesn’t mean avoiding conflict. A conflict avoided is often a conflict postponed and therefore a conflict that ultimately becomes worse. Peacemaking begins with the honesty and courage to recognize a problem and face it. Without these steps no further progress can be made.