Ivory Coast bans skin lightening products

The health Ministry of Ivory Coast has banned the use of skin lightening products in the country amid health hazard concerns.

 The health minister said that the ministry is mostly targeting skin whitening products because they contain mercury and its derivatives, cortisone, vitamin A and more than two percent hydroquinone, a lightening agent that is mostly used to develop photographs.

The statement declared that the widely used cosmetic lightening and hygiene creams are now forbidden in the country as they are likely to cause serious health threats to the people using them. A startling claim that was corroborated by a member of Ivory Coast’s pharmaceutical authority, Christian Doudouko.
“The number of people with side effects caused by these medicines is really high,” he said, adding that they could cause serious skin conditions such as skin cancer.

Culled from the internet

Morocco launches solar thermal plant set to be world’s largest

Morocco will next month open one of the world’s largest solar thermal plants at Ouarzazate, which upon completion will be the world’s largest, supplying power to one million people,it was reported.
The mega plant, situated outside the city of Ourrzazate, is the same size as the country’s capital Rabat and it will generate 580 megawatts of electricity. The project is part of the country’s plan to be a leading renewable energy exporter in the world.
Morocco’s environment minister Hakima el Haite said “We are convinced that climate change is an opportunity for our country”.
The solar plant will be able to generate power even during the night using giant movable mirrors, which harness sunlight to melt salt. According to reports, Phase One or Noor one “can store heat energy for three hours, allowing the plant to power homes into the night”.

LAGBUS to provide free bus rides on Christmas Day

The Lagos State Government, through LAGBUS and its franchises, said it would provide free bus rides to residents on Friday, to commemorate this year’s Christmas celebration.

This is contained in a press statement signed by Mr Yemi Adesoye, the LAGBUS Public Relations Officer, which was made available to newsmen in Lagos.
According to the statement, the move is aimed at promoting the use of public transportation, as well as reducing congestion on Lagos roads during the festivities.
The statement said that the free bus rides would cut across parts of the metropolis, within the operational hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
It said that the free bus services would ensure that fewer vehicles were on the roads during the period, appealing to motorists not to drink and drive to prevent avoidable accidents, which usually occurred during celebrations.
While wishing residents a Merry Christmas, the LAGBUS management commended them for their unflinching patronage.

FG to privatise Lagos, Abuja, PH, Kano airports

The Federal Government of Nigeria has plans to concession the management of the Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports to private investors.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Lagos during a fact-finding tour of facilities and agencies at the Murtala Muhammed Airport.

He was accompanied by the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Muhtar Usman; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Saleh Dunoma; and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Ibrahim Abdulsalam; as well as the Director-General, Nigeria Meteorological Agency, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, among others.

The minister said, “The new terminal in Lagos will generate additional 15 million passengers annually, making a total of 30 million passengers yearly nationwide. The medium and long-term plans will require significant investments to upgrade and expand infrastructure to meet current and future requirements.

“As a result of limited resources for capital project development, the government is exploring the possibility of private sector participation towards the realisation of the industries’ potential.”

Amaechi stated that there was an urgent need to continue to improve on infrastructure, noting that out of the four conveyor belts in the Lagos airport, two had broken down.

UN Security Council endorses Libya unity deal

The UN Security Council has given its backing to the new national unity government in Libya, a move it hopes will help stem mass migration to Europe and reverse gains made by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)  group.
The 15-nation council gave its support on Wednesday to the deal signed last week in the Moroccan town of Skhirat between representatives of Libya's two competing regimes.

                                                
                                   Matthew Rycroft

Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, Matthew Rycroft, presented the motion, which he said represents a "strong collective sign of our commitment to Libya's sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity."

Are Libyan groups forced to sign UN-brokered deal?

"This is just the start of a process to deliver a prosperous and stable future for all Libyans," Rycroft said.
"We urge all those who have not yet signed to decide now to support the agreement and to work with the government of national accord."

WHAT IF THE 3 WISE MEN WERE WOMEN:

1. They would have asked for directions instead
of following the star.
2. They would have presented gifts such as pampers, powder, feeding bottles, napkins,
akamu,cerelac and so on. 
3. After leaving one would have asked the others ''did you see Mary's shoes? They dont match her
dress''.
4. One would have also said ''I heard Joseph is not working, he's just an ordinary capenter. How will
they survive?'' 
5.Another would have said ''imagine the kind of dirty enviroment she deliverd. Are they not perceiving the bad odour from the sheep &Goats?''
6. Another would have also said ''the baby doesn't even resemble Joseph, was she really a virgin?''
  Mary during SECONDARY SCHOOL days nah.
What are you telling me?"
8. Another would have been eyeing Joseph.
9. One go dey form queen Elizabeth saying "how can I enter this dirty place"?...CHEI! ..... Gals and
their wahala... Merry Christmas In Advance

Wriiten by Sammie

I prefer to remain in detention- Nnamdi Kanu

The embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, has declared that he preferred being held in the detention than subjecting himself to a trial. He noted that the outcomes of previous trials had been abused or neglected by the Department of State Services (DSS). Kanu spoke during hearing of a fresh sixcount charge against him at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. Kanu said:
“I will not have a fair trial in this very court because information available to me indicates that I will not receive fair trial before this very judge. “I will not, for any reasons, sacrifice the due process of law founded on the principle of natural justice on the altar of my speedy release from detention. “In other words, I will rather remain in the detention than subject myself to a trial that I know amounts to pervasion of justice.
“After all, previous orders have been made in my favour by courts of competent jurisdiction that my accuser, the DSS, failed to carry out.” But, prosecution counsel, Mohamed Diri, told the court that based on section 396 (2) of the constitution, the defendant had no right to object to being tried by the court until after the plea is heard. Justice A.R Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja countered the prosecution counsel, saying that Kanu had the right to reject the trial. “After all, justice is rooted on confidence,” he said. “If any of the parties has no confidence in the court, he has the right to say so,” the court held.
 The Federal High Court has charged Kanu alongside two others, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, in a fresh six-count charge of treason and managing the affairs of ‘an unlawful society.’ In the fresh charge, the Federal Government accused Kanu of plotting to split Nigeria, by creating a Biafra Republic with South-East, South-South states, and parts of Kogi and Benue states, as component units.