News

Carnegie Mellon University berates professor Uju Anya as Twitter deletes vile posts on Queen Elizabeth II

Published

1 year ago

September 9, 2022

The management of U.S. institution Carnegie Mellon University has distanced the institution from the offensive tweets of Uju Anya, a professor in the school’s department of modern languages who described the late Queen Elizabeth II as a “wretched woman” and a “genocidal colonizer.”

Amid palpable trepidation over the ailing Queen’s condition early Thursday — hours before her death was officially announced — Anya in a thread of tweets wished the Queen “an agonizingly painful death like the one she caused for millions of people.”

“I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating,” Anya tweeted on Thursday.

After many people reported the tweet, Twitter took it down for violating a rule that prohibited “wishing or hoping that someone experiences physical harm.”

But it continued to generate a avalanche of criticisms, including from Carnegie Mellon University, where Anya teaches applied linguistics.

“We do not condone the offensive and objectionable messages posted by Uju Anya today on her personal social media account. Freedom of expression is core to the mission of higher education, however, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standards of discourse we seek to foster,” Carnegie Mellon University tweeted Thursday.

Anya’s tweets also caught the attention of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

“This is someone supposedly working to make the world better?” Mr Bezos said in a tweet. “I don’t think so. Wow.”

Netizens have since besieged her twitter page, calling for termination of Ms Anya’s appointment, stressing the condemnation would not suffice. They clamoured disciplinary measures must be taken against the professor.

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Anya’s attack on Queen Elizabeth was part of her deep seated and often expressed resentment over the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). An estimated two million people were believed killed by the Nigerian troops during an attempt by Anya’s Igbo ethnic group to secede from Nigeria barely seven years after independence.

“If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star,” Anya added on Twitter after being rebuked by Mr Bezos.

The professor, who is of Igbo origin in eastern Nigeria, has gained Twitter notoriety for whipping up ethnic sentiment, especially against the Hausa and Yoruba population.

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News

Ghana is looking to supply Nigeria with its electricity needs following power grid shutdown

Published

16 hours ago

September 23, 2023

Seun Okerayi

LAGOS- With the goal of achieving “100% universal energy access” and maybe exporting electricity to its neighbor, Nigeria, Ghana has steadily been developing its power sector.

During his presentation in Lagos on the second day of the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit, Mr. Hanson Monney, the Head of the Generation and Transmission Unit at the Ghanaian Ministry of Energy, made this point, emphasizing that via effective policy development and implementation, Ghana has already attained an impressive 80% to 85% universal energy access inside its boundaries.

“So, we are working on all these things to make sure that the power system of Ghana continues to be as good as it is or even better, and then, maybe, we can be exporting more to our big brothers in Nigeria when the grid is finally settled,” Mr. Hanson Monney said

This declaration follows the second national power grid breakdown in Africa’s most populous country and the continent’s top oil producer, Nigeria which resulted in a total blackout of homes and businesses.

In contrast, Ghana is aggressively pursuing a variety of energy sources, including grid electricity, mini-grids, and solar-dominated renewable energy, to attain “Universal access to energy by 2024” as instructed by the country’s President.

Monney agreed that the geographic limitations make it difficult to provide everyone in Ghana with access to electricity, particularly on isolated islands, riverbanks, or lakeside villages. In response to this, he stated,

“So, now, we are trying to scale our renewable energy access, and that is how we have planned in 2022 to scale up our renewable energy program,” he said.

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Financial sustainability is one of the biggest problems facing Ghana’s power sector, as the country struggles with growing debts and the purchase of surplus capacity.

“There is so much debt that the government has to shore up to make sure that the system is afloat because we have procured a lot of excess capacity, which comes with attendant costs. So, these financial challenges require some policy actions to eliminate legacy debts,” Mooney stated.

Monney stressed the significance of lowering electricity prices, particularly for enterprises, since high electricity bills are a major issue in Ghana. “We saw that in Ghana historically. These industries have been subsidizing the residential sector, and it should be the other way around. Industries should remain viable so that businesses can thrive,” Mooney stated.

Crime

EFCC declares Delta brothers wanted over alleged N330m fraud

Published

2 days ago

September 22, 2023

Seun Okerayi

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared two siblings from Delta State wanted for alleged fraud of N330 million.

This was contained in a statement issued by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State on Friday.

The anti-graft agency named 55-year-old Faith Onoja and 44-year-old Emmanuel Onoja, both from Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, as being declared wanted by the EFCC.

According to the commission, Faith’s last known address is “Close to Celestial Church, Ekrovie new layout, old Egini road, Orhuehorun, Delta State” while Emmanuel’s last known address is “No 6. Jasmison Street, NPDC/ND Western Estate, Warri, Delta State”.

The statement urged that “anybody with useful information as to their whereabouts should contact the commission” in its offices nationwide.

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Education

Gov. Kefas Grants 50% Tuition Cut for Final Year Nursing Students

Published

3 days ago

September 21, 2023

Seun Okerayi

In a move that underscores the commitment of the Taraba State Government to prioritize education and make it more accessible, the Taraba state Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas has approved a significant reduction in tuition fees for final year students at the College of Nursing and Midwifery Jalingo.

Effective immediately, all final year students pursuing their nursing and midwifery diplomas will benefit from a 50% reduction in tuition fees. This decision aims at alleviating the financial burden on students and their families, ensuring that quality education remains affordable and accessible to all.

Dr.Agbu Kefas stated, “Education is the bedrock of our society, and we are dedicated to providing opportunities for our students to excel without the undue burden of high tuition costs. We believe that this reduction will not only support our students but also contribute to the development of the healthcare sector in our state.”

The Taraba State Government remains committed to enhancing the quality of education and healthcare services in the state. This reduction in tuition fees is a significant step towards achieving these goals.