12/31/17

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

A rainbow firework waterfall from Sydney Harbour Bridge celebrating Australia’s legalization of same-sex marriage marked a spectacular start to 2018 as Asia ushered in the new year.
The multicoloured display was the finale for 1.6 million people gathered around Sydney harbour to see a 12-minute firework show that organizers said was the largest ever mounted in Sydney.
Eight tons of 100,000 individual fireworks worth 7 million Australian dollars (5.5 million US dollars) blasted off around the harbour.
The event was beamed live to the rest of the world.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the rainbow-coloured firework waterfall from the bridge marked the December vote to legalize gay marriage, as well as the 40th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Security was tight, with some police being issued Colt M4 rifles in case of terrorist attacks.
No terrorist incidents were reported, though there was a scare when thousands of people had to be evacuated from a beach north of Sydney after a barge loaded with fireworks caught fire.
Although its New Year’s celebration garnered more attention, Australia’s was not the first.
Before Sydney had its big moment, New Zealanders got to see a five-minute fireworks show from Sky Tower in Auckland.
The highest was expected to reach 280 metres into the sky.
However, the very first celebrations were on the Pacific nations of Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati. People there celebrated the new year with traditional juggling and dancing.
Midnight passed in Samoa at 1000 GMT Sunday.
It has only been among the first to celebrate since 2011, when officials decided to move the country from the eastern side of the international date line to the western side, switching it from the last nation to celebrate New Year’s to the first.
With the start of the Year of the Dog still six weeks away, China took a more low-key approach to the arrival of 2018.
Large cities saw many people gather to celebrate the new year, and hotels offer New Year’s Eve parties to Western guests, but there were no official firework displays to mark what is nevertheless still a public holiday.
As 2018 loomed in Europe, leaders sought to set the best tone they could for the year ahead.
In her New Year’s address, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Germany’s citizens to show solidarity and respect when engaging in political discourse with each other.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May promised to deliver a “successful” exit from the European Union, strengthen Britain’s economy and build a “fairer society for everyone” in her New Year’s message.
For his part, Russia’s long-time leader Vladimir Putin – who has rarely been out of international headlines as Russia exerts its influence abroad – called for greater understanding between generations in the year ahead.(dpa/LR News)
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari, over his unflinching commitments to end Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
Garbai made the commendation when the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, paid him a courtesy visit in Maiduguri.
He said that Buhari had demonstrated greater political will to end insurgency and address the humanitarian crisis ravaging the northeast region.
Garbai noted that the insurgents had ravaged the state and destroyed vital social and economic activities in the region.
“In the past three years, Maiduguri International Airport was closed down, major roads linking Maiduguri to other places were blocked by the insurgents.
“When President Buhari assumed mantle of leadership, he moved the Military Command and Control Center to Maiduguri.
“The president accorded priority to the provision of logistics and improvement of the welfare of soldiers which motivated them to put in their best and record significant successes against the insurgents.
“He also appointed our people into key government positions,” he said.
Garbai commended the military for their dedication to counter-campaign and pledged his council’s support to the command.
In his remarks, Nicholas said that he was at the palace to introduce himself and condole with the emir over the unfortunate incidents.
He recalled that he started his military career in Bama and served in various locations in Borno, which availed him the opportunity of being conversant with the geography of the state.
“My task is to restore sanity to the northeast. I am here to seek for your support and cooperation, to enable us succeed in our mission”. he added,
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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), is to conduct its optional mock examination in January, preparatory to a better examination later in the year.
The board made this disclosure in a statement signed by its Head of Media, Mr Fabian Benjamin and made available to the Latest Reality Metro on Sunday in Abuja.
The board also reiterated the need for candidates to register on time and ensure that they follow due process in order to avoid avoidable challenges.
“As we prepare for the 2018 examinations, beginning with the optional mock, we urge candidates to register on time, make clear their choices of institutions, disciplines and examination centres in the process.
“Candidates must note that their first choice can be a College of Education, a university, an Innovation Enterprise Institution, a polytechnic or a monotechnic.
“Others include the Nigerian Defence Academy or the Police Academy.
“We will conduct a better examination, ensure more transparent admission and make more remittances to the government,” stated the statement.
The board, which described 2017 as year of transformation to success with the support of stakeholders, added that 2017 was its most eventful year so far.
“In 2017, the board conducted one of the most transparent, inclusive and acceptable examinations with the least incidence of malpractices.
“We invested significantly in the development of intellectual structures, examination infrastructure and human resources.
“This will propel more development in 2018 and put the board in the position to compete favourably with any public institution; globally, be it an examination body or service agency.
The board also noted that while it had opened its “entire functionality to public participation and scrutiny”, it had been able to adopt some of the suggestions made by the public, which it said, had helped “to build the new JAMB”.
It promised to sustain and make better the entire process in 2018, noting that the success of its Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) portal helped to achieve success.
“Candidates were exposed to the new admission software to check admission excesses and our aim is to ensure that no candidate is unjustly treated.
“The only way to achieve this was to open the process up for everybody to see who is admitted, with what aggregate score, and who is not and why is he or she was not admitted.
“Also, candidates were able to use the CAPS window to monitor admissions into institutions of choice to ensure that they are not cheated”.
The board added that it would continue to take up its statutory responsibility in order to meet the mandate of the government, which was to bring new ways of generating revenue while also improving service to the public.
“We will continue to do everything possible to support the drive of this administration towards excellence”.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

As efforts to fight drug abuse in Nigeria hit to gear, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) is set to constitute a Codeine Control and Other Related Matters Working Group (CCRWG).
This is coming barely two weeks after the Senate, led by its President, Dr Bukola Saraki, held a Roundtable on Drug Abuse in Kano.
The Roundtable which was held with the Pharmacists Council, NGOs, State Governments and Traditional Rulers, sought to proffer solutions to the menace of drug abuse that is fast claiming many youths in Nigeria.
At the roundtable, Saraki who expressed grave sadness at how youths, including young girls and nursing mothers were held by the clutches of drugs, vowed to go after importers and distributors in a bid to curb abuse of codeine and other substances..
It is in a similar vein that the Pharmacists Council is set to constitute a group that will control the distribution of codeine in Nigeria. (Codeine is a narcotic pain-reliever and cough suppressant similar to morphine and hydrocodone. It it now being abused and used as a stimulant and an intoxicant)
Speaking to our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, Mr Elijah Mohammed, Registrar of the Council said that the control group would also sensitise the public on the dangers inherent in codeine consumption.
Mohammed specifically said that the group, which would consist of regulatory bodies and relevant stakeholders, would assist in the implementation of a communication strategy in the pharmacies and the patent and proprietary medicine vendors’ shops in various communities.
The registrar frowned at the large number of Nigerians that are already addicted to some of these medicines damming the consequence.
According to him, the group will aid in enlightening the society on the dangers associated with the abuse of preparations containing codeine and other related substances.
He added that the strategy will also involve pharmacy screening, monitoring and surveillance and how those addicted can get assistance and be rehabilitated,
Explaining the why codeine is being abused, he said: “Codeine is an opioid drug similar to morphine and has been approved and accessed over the counter in low doses for relieving patients of symptoms associated with dry cough,
“The codeine in such preparation, usually in smaller doses, serves as a cough suppressant and relieves pain associated with the stress of coughing,
“However, due to its inherent properties when used in high doses over a long period  it has been associated with dependence and powerful addictive propensity especially when used for recreational purpose,” Elijah noted.
Mohammed identified the side effects of codeine to include euphoria, apathy, drowsiness, false sense of belonging among others.
He further added that the addict could withstand pains of various degrees and commit crime which in normal circumstances such individuals would not get involved in.
According to him, on the demand side, there is unhindered access to the preparations by the public due to sudden increase in the number of unregulated vendors selling these products all over the country with more impact on Nigerians in northern part.
Elijah urged manufacturers, importers and distributors of these preparations to display more sense of ethical and moral responsibilities in the production, supply and distribution of these products since there was no proven evidence of cough epidemic in the country.
He noted that the council was currently working with technical groups of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and other relevant stakeholders to institute programs to be driven by CCRWG to help addicts overcome the challenges of addiction. LR News
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The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has ordered investigation into alleged extortion of truck drivers by soldiers on the Maiduguri-Gamboru Ngala road in Borno.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman said in a statement on Sunday that the order followed the complaint by a man, who identified himself as “DanBorno” on his Twitter account.
According to Usman, DanBorno alleged soldiers collected N300,000 from each truck driver to escort the long queue of vehicles on that road.
“The Nigerian Army has noted with great concern an allegation of complacency and extortion against soldiers
“Consequent upon this, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General T.Y. Buratai has ordered for immediate investigation over these allegations.
“The Nigerian Army as a professional military institution thrives on discipline, selflessness and dedication to duty and operates within the confines of the laws, Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement.
“It would not tolerate any act of misdemeanour by any of its personnel.
“Similarly, we encourage members of the public to take advantage of our toll free telephone number 193 to report any observed lapses or allegation against any officer or soldier,” he said.
The army spokesman also called on the members of the public, especially affected individuals in Borno to cooperate and volunteer information to the investigation team. LR News
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