In a highly anticipated face-off, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump participated in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle on Thursday night. Held at CNN’s studio in Atlanta and moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the 90-minute event saw both candidates answering questions on key issues such as the economy, healthcare, immigration, the January 6 Capitol attack, and Trump’s recent criminal conviction.
Economy
President Biden criticized Trump’s handling of the economy, attributing the economic downturn and inflation to his predecessor’s policies and the pandemic. Biden highlighted his administration’s efforts to lower prices, including reducing insulin costs. In contrast, Trump boasted about the “greatest economy” during his tenure and blamed Biden for high inflation, despite economic growth under Trump being lower than during some previous administrations. Trump’s proposal for a 10% tariff on all foreign products was also debated, with many economists disputing his claim that it wouldn’t drive up prices.
Healthcare
Trump expressed support for the Supreme Court’s decision to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone, emphasizing his role in appointing justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. Biden countered Trump’s claims, asserting that most constitutional scholars supported Roe v. Wade. Biden’s performance in this section was marked by confusion, as he mixed up Medicare and Medicaid and struggled with tax rate figures, which Trump mocked.
Immigration and Capitol Attack
Trump accused Biden of allowing criminals and terrorists to cross the border, claiming the U.S. had the “safest border in history” during his presidency. Biden refuted these claims, citing a lack of data to support Trump’s assertions. When asked about the January 6 Capitol attack, Trump deflected, focusing on his administration’s achievements and insisting he called for peaceful actions on that day. Biden criticized Trump for continuing to deny the 2020 election results, calling him a “whiner.”
Sparring Over Presidency
In a heated exchange, both candidates accused each other of being the worst president in history. Trump called Biden the worst president during a discussion on childcare, while Biden cited a survey of political scientists naming Trump as the worst president in American history. Both candidates also addressed concerns about their age, with Biden, 81, pointing to his extensive experience, and Trump, 82, citing his cognitive test results and recent golf victories.
Election Integrity
On the acceptance of election results, Trump hesitated before stating he would accept the results “if it’s a fair and legal and good election,” while reiterating baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election. Biden dismissed these claims, pointing out that no court had found merit in Trump’s allegations and accusing him of being unable to accept defeat.
In a crucial effort to prevent an impending strike, the Federal Government (FG) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) concluded a significant closed-door meeting on Wednesday, pledging to resolve all contentious issues amicably.
The meeting, which commenced at approximately 4:30 pm at the Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja, lasted over two hours. It included key figures from the federal government, such as Education Ministers Prof. Tahir Mamman and Dr. Yusuf Sununu, along with other top officials. The ASUU delegation was led by its President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke.
Following the meeting, Prof. Osodeke addressed the press, indicating that the negotiation process had begun, and expressed hope that the government would adhere to the agreements made.
“We have discussions on all the issues and we have given assignments to some people to look at and agree on the way forward,” Osodeke stated. Regarding the two-week ultimatum issued by ASUU, he mentioned that they would brief their members on the meeting’s details.
Emphasizing the importance of the process, Osodeke said, “Our prayers are that we resolve it for the interest of our young men and the interest of the nation. The government has spent one year in office and we have not been called for any formal meeting. Today we are having the first formal meeting. There is a process we have started and we are going to set deadlines. We are going to meet to look at what has been done on those issues and we hope the process will continue.”
Prof. Mamman, representing the FG, highlighted the productivity of the meeting and the ongoing consultations needed to address the issues in the education sector.
“We’ve had a very good meeting and a very productive one. We’ve discussed progress on how to ensure that the system works well and lots of the issues we talked about are those that we inherited and some that are ongoing. We discussed them all without exception and we have a consensus on the way forward,” Mamman said.
He further noted the necessity of further consultations, involving other ministries, to gather comprehensive information and solve the existing problems. “The most important thing is that we had a very good meeting and agreed to continue with the consultations to overcome the problems bedevilling education in Nigeria,” he added.
This meeting comes in the wake of ASUU’s threat to initiate a nationwide strike due to the FG’s failure to meet its demands, including removal from IPPIS, renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, addressing the backlog of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), and resolving outstanding salary issues. ASUU had set a two-week deadline for the government to act on these demands.
The First Prosecution Witness, Tochukwu Aloysius Nnadi and Second Prosecution Witness, Mrs Chinwe Patricia Ebunam in the trial of ex-Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano on Tuesday, 25, 2024 told Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja that funds in the state’s security votes’ account were funneled to multiple private entities under the former governor’s watch.
Nnadi, a bank manager in Awka, Anambra State since June 2011 revealed that documents originating from his bank clearly showed that Easy Diamond Integrated Links, C.I Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited, Xpressive Consult Nig. Limited, among others were beneficiaries of the outflows from the state’s security votes’ account under Obiano.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Sylvanus Tahir SAN, the witness stated that the Anambra State Government under Obiano had several accounts with the bank that included: Statutory Revenue Account, Value Added Account, Consolidated Internal Generated Revenue Account, Security Votes Account and others.
According to him, “the mandate of the Security Votes Account was operated by the then Principal Secretary to the governor, Mr Willie Nwokoye and the Accountant at the government house, Theophilus Meize. The accounts are funded weekly from various accounts, especially from the Consolidated Internal Revenue account in which payments are usually made weekly based on the advice from the operators of the account to various entities, be it individual or corporate entities which I cannot mention here because the names are many but I recall that I made a statement in the Commission where I listed some of those names there.”
The witness recalled that he submitted statements of account, certified true copies to the statements of account, certificate of identification and account opening packages to the Commission. The documents marked PW A1 to PW A794 and B1 to B432 were tendered by prosecution counsel and admitted in evidence by the court.
Similarly, the Second Prosecution Witness, PW2, Ebunam, an Onitsha-based businesswoman in her testimony disclosed that the sum of N156,800,000 (One Hundred and Fifty-six Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) was strangely wired to her account in 2022 from Anambra State Government`s Account even as she executed no contract for the government.
According to her, “Sometime around 20th May 2022, I received a call from EFCC that they needed me in their office, regarding my company C.I Patty Ventures, about some money that passed through my account, which I told them I don’t know anything about the money that passed through my account. All I knew was that I called my bank account officer, Ugochukwu Otibere to upgrade my account or post money into my account to enable me to pass the requirements of the embassy so that I can travel. He accepted and collected the details of the company’s account and cheque. He promised me that he will upgrade the account. I don’t know anything about the NI56,800 million that passed through my account from the Anambra State Government.”
Obiano is facing prosecution by the EFCC on nine-count charges of embezzlement and money laundering to the tune of N4 billion.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter to June 26, 2024 for continuation of trial.
Award-winning musician, David Adeleke, aka Davido, has described the day of his wedding with his long-time partner, Chioma Rowland, as the best day of his life.
The elated musician was heard in a video clip online saying he felt good about the decision to tie the knot with his lover.
“I feel good. It’s the best day of my life. It’s a great day. We are here to receive our wife,” Davido said in the video clip.
The wedding, which was staged in Lagos State, attracted dignitaries, including governors, high-profile traditional rulers, and celebrities, among others, who graced the occasion that became the most trending event in the country on Tuesday.
Note that they have 3kids already, though lost their first son Ifeanyi Adeleke in October, 2022.
We wish the couple well in their journey to marital bliss.
See the black market Dollar to Naira exchange rate for 25th June, below. You can swap your dollar for Naira at these rates.
How much is a dollar to naira today in the black market?
Dollar to naira exchange rate today black market (Aboki dollar rate):
The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players buy a dollar for N1500 and sell at N1505 on Tuesday 25th June 2024, according to sources at Bureau De Change(BDC)
Please note that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not recognize the parallel market (black market), as it has directed individuals who want to engage in Forex to approach their respective banks.
The protest over the appointment of caretaker committee chairmen by Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara took a new turn as a middle-aged protester carrying dynamite was killed in an explosion in the State Capital, Port Harcourt
The incident occurred at 9:45 a.m. in front of Hotel Presidential, on Tuesday.
It is understood that he got killed while trying to discharge an explosive.
Eyewitnesses report that the victim’s body was quickly removed from the scene as security forces rushed to the area.
The protesters, who were en route to their destination, caused significant traffic congestion.
Recall that protesters, comprising political leaders from various wards in Obio/Akpor, are demonstrating in support of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
They have gathered at the Rumueme Civic Centre, urging the Inspector General of Police to maintain a strong presence in the councils and resist intimidation.
The protests follow the removal of Wike loyalists from local councils by Governor Sim Fubara, who has replaced them despite the secretariats remaining locked.
Kylian Mbappe is back in the France starting line-up for Tuesday’s Euro 2024 clash with Poland, his first appearance since suffering a broken nose against Austria just over a week ago.
Mbappe injured himself late on in the 1-0 victory over the Austrians on June 17 and did not play any part in last Friday’s 0-0 draw with the Netherlands in Leipzig as a result.
The new Real Madrid signing, who must wear a protective face mask, captains a France side who have already qualified for the last 16 before the Group D finale in Dortmund.
He returns in one of two changes made by coach Didier Deschamps to his line-up, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola getting a first international start as Antoine Griezmann and Marcus Thuram drop out.
Where France finish in the section depends both on their result and the outcome of the simultaneous encounter between the Netherlands and Austria.
Poland are already eliminated but their captain and record goal-scorer Robert Lewandowski makes his first start of the competition after injury.
As Nigeria battles with the cholera outbreak, the country has recorded seven new confirmed cases of Lassa Fever.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) revealed in its latest situation report for week 24 of 2024, spanning 10 to 16 June.
This is around the same period NCDC issued an alert on cholera outbreak which has now claimed 53 lives with over 1, 500 suspected cases recorded across 107 LGAs in 31 states as of 24 June.
While no deaths were recorded from Lassa fever in the reporting week, NCDC noted that 162 deaths were reported in 2024 with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 17.6 per cent, higher than 17.1 per cent recorded for the same period in 2023.
It stated that 66 per cent of all confirmed cases in 2024 (918) were reported from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi, while 34 per cent were reported from 25 states.
“In total for 2024, 28 states have recorded at least one confirmed case of Lassa fever across 125 Local Government Areas,” it noted.
Cholera outbreak
In response to the alarming surge in cholera cases across the country, the NCDC on Monday, activated the National Cholera Multi-Sectoral Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate a robust response to the outbreak.
According to Jide Idris, Director General of NCDC, an expert risk assessment placed Nigeria at high risk of increased cholera transmission and impact.
The NCDC DG explained that the activated EOC will be the central hub for coordinating and directing the country’s response to the cholera outbreak.
In a statement on Monday, the Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, also advised Nigerians to avoid locally made drinks like kunu, zobo, and fura to prevent the spread of cholera disease.
“Avoid locally prepared drinks like kunu, zobo, fura da nono, koko, and fruit juice among others except it is certain that the preparation was done hygienically and safely,” Mr Salako said.
“Wash hands regularly with soap under running water, especially after using the toilet, cleaning a child who has gone to the toilet, before preparing food, before and after eating, and after playing with animals.”
About cholera, Lassa fever
Cholera is a food and waterborne disease, caused by ingestion of the organism Vibrio cholera in contaminated water and food.
Symptoms of cholera include acute, profuse, painless watery diarrhoea (rice water stools) of sudden onset, with or without vomiting. It may be associated with nausea and fever.
Severe cases can lead to death within hours due to dehydration (massive body fluid loss).
However, most infected people may only show mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all.
While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently announced the global resurgence of cholera, Lassa Fever remains an issue of public health concern in Nigeria.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic (excessive bleeding) illness that is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or contaminated persons.
Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, chest pain, and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings.
A Nigerian man has accused police operatives from Anambra State of extorting N800,000 from him.
A human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, drew the attention of the Nigerian police to the alleged extortion via a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
Mr Gwamnishu uploaded on the X handle a voice note of the unidentified man and screenshot of his transaction receipt indicating that the N810,000 was withdrawn from his bank account.
“Dear Nigeria Police Force, kindly look into this case and help us fish out these officers that have continued to destroy the image of the Police Force,” the human rights activist wrote.
How it happened
In the voice note uploaded by Mr Gwamnishu, the victim said he was heading to a mechanic workshop on Friday when police operatives flagged down his vehicle at Upper Iweka Onitsha in Anambra State.
He said there were four police operatives from the Area Command Onitsha, Onitsha North Local Government Area of the state.
“I can identify four of them,” he said.
The victim said the operatives requested his car particulars and an explanation for using tinted glass in the vehicles.
He said the head of the police team, upon receipt of the documents, immediately claimed that the car documents and a doctor’s report permitting his use of tinted glass were fake.
“But I have been using the doctor’s report since 2022, yet he said it is fake,” the victim said.
He said three of the operatives subsequently searched his car and immediately one of them brought out a pack of marijuana from the vehicle.
“But I don’t smoke. I had just washed my car at a car wash stand.
“He implanted weed in my car,” the victim said.
Weed is another word for marijuana.
‘Don’t tell anyone’
The victim said immediately they brought out the pack of marijuana, they siezed his car and his mobile phone and asked him not tell anybody where he was going to.
“It was like an act of kidnapping,” he said.
He said when they arrived the Command’s office, the operatives told him that he should pay N5 million to be freed or they would transfer him to Force Headquarters, Abuja.
“They had already printed two transfer papers to transfer me to Abuja immediately,” he said.
He said he repeatedly asked what his offence was, but they responded that they would consider accepting N2 million from him to free him.
The victim said the operatives refused to give him back his mobile phone, until he informed them that he wanted to call someone who would bring the amount they demanded.
He said he subsequently reached a relative who came along with a lawyer to the police facility.
But the lawyer, according to him, strangely began negotiations with the operatives and allegedly lied to them that the victim had accepted to pay N800,000.
“They forced me to appear in a video, snapped me with the weed, forced me to say that I am a smoker and that I am a Yahoo boy. They forced me to say everything (that could incriminate me),” he said.
“Yahoo boy” is a Nigerian slang for an internet fraudster.
“After that, one of them removed his uniform, put on a plain cloth, followed me outside to force me to withdraw N900,000 first because they had checked my account balance after seizing my phone and opening my bank application,” the victim added.
He said he finally withdrew and gave the operatives N800,000 which he did through a Point on Sale (PoS) operator, but they further asked him to go his bank to transfer additional N1 million to their account.
PREMIUM TIMES understood that out of the N810,000 allegedly extorted from the victim, N10,000 was the service charge for the PoS withdrawal.
“So, it was when I went outside that I had the chance to call somebody and say, ‘please, I am in trouble. Come to the station. This is what is happening,’” he narrated.
He said the operatives got angry when they noticed that he had made a phone call.
“They said why did I call somebody. That they will deal with me. That they will finish me and that they will end my life,” he said.
The victim said it took the intervention of the lawyer and one other person he phoned earlier to be freed by the operatives.
Police speak
When contacted on Tuesday, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, told PREMIUM TIMES that the attention of the police in the state had been drawn to the allegation.
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said efforts were already on to identify the officers involved in the alleged extortion.
The police spokesperson said “information about the incident has been escalated to Area Commander Onitsha” for necessary actions.
“Meanwhile, the Command also wishes to invite the victim to come to Police Command Headquarters, Awka at the Police Public Relations Office to help us with more information that will help in facilitating the necessary procedures involved in the process,” he stated.
Earlier, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, in response to the X post, asked the victim to reach out to commissioner of police in Anambra State through Mr Ikenga.
Mr Adejobi, an assistant commissioner of police, dropped the phone number of the police spokesperson and asked the victim to contact him.
“This must be investigated and the police must act appropriately,” he assured.
Not the first time
Cases of police extortion in the country have continued despite punishment by police authorities, such as dismissal from service.
The latest extortion allegations came days after an operative was dismissed in Abia State for allegedly shooting dead an entrepreneur over his refusal to bribe him.
Earlier in March, another operative was dismissed while two others were suspended for allegedly extorting $3,000 from two Nigerians in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
A Divisional Crimes Officer of Abraka Division in Delta State was also removed from office for allegedly extorting over N2 million.
This newspaper reported the detention of some operatives at the police headquarters in Abuja for allegedly extorting N30.3 million.
