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Lagos State Government Reiterates Security As Top Priority

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The Lagos State on Wednesday reiterated that it is committed to ensuring the provision of adequate security of lives and properties of Lagosians, as security remains a priority.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu made this known at the State House, Marina, when he received 16 security operations vehicles donated to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) to enhance policing and facilitate quick response time to distress calls in the State.

Speaking during the handing over of the security operations vehicles to LSSTF, Governor Sanwo-Olu assured SNEPCo that the vehicles would be put to good use.

He said the presentation of the 16 vehicles was in fulfillment of the promise SNEPCo made to Lagos State Security Trust Fund during a dinner held few months ago by Lagos State Government to seek support from the private sector.

He said: “We are excited because this is another confirmation of collaboration, another promise kept and another public private partnership that is working for us in Lagos State.

“A couple of months back, even way before COVID-19, we had met at a dinner where we asked and solicited for support from our private sector operators in Lagos and SNEPCo was present at that dinner and they humbly committed to providing something for the state.

“So this was a commitment that was made to us months back but we are indeed happy that despite the very difficult terrain all of us have gone through, they have been able to make it, together with their joint partners – NNPC, Exxon Mobil and other partners.

“They are doing this because we as a government have shown consistent transparency in how we deal with them. We have shown that each time they support us, the support gets to the people and we get to use it for what the support is meant for.

Sanwo-Olu further assured the oil conglomerates that the State Government will continue to see them as development partners in the project of Lagos.

“We have different roles to play but we will continue to collaborate.

“We can assure you that the men that continue to keep us save will get these vehicles. We will determine how they go round. But you can be assured that none of them will be kept in governor’s residence. It will go to the people that truly require them and they will be used for the reason for which they were given.” Sanwo-Olu said.

Speaking on behalf of NNPC, the Group General Manager of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Mr. Bala Wunti, said the presentation of the operations vehicles is to support the unrelenting effort of Governor Sanwo-Olu in keeping over 20 million residents of Lagos State and their properties safe.

Wunti, who was represented by Mrs. Clementina Arubi, also commended Governor Sanwo-Olu and his team for their commitment in the fight against COVID-19 in Lagos State, the epicenter of coronavirus in Nigeria.

“Today in line with our GMD’s principles of Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE), which are to be delivered in safe and secure environment, leveraging technology and innovation, we are very proud to handover 16 security operations vehicles to Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) to support the unrelenting effort of the Governor in keeping over 20 million residents of Lagos State and their properties safe,” she said.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), Mr Bayo Ojulari, said the presentation of the 16 security vehicles to Lagos State Security Trust Fund is to enhance policing and facilitate quick response time to distress calls, which are considered to be critical to crime prevention.

His words: “SNEPCo and indeed Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN) recognise the tremendous work the Lagos State government is doing to strengthen security in the state amidst limited resources. Our keen and constant evaluation of the state of our community always helps to identify gaps where we believe we can intervene to make a difference.

“In this instance, we recognise the need to support the government’s efforts in keeping the state safe, just as we have continue to support the state in two other areas- education and health. This, to a large extent, aligns with our priority of safety, health and development of our people and communities where we operate.

“Therefore, the 16 units of security vehicles being presented to the state’s security trust fund is to enhance policing and facilitate quick response time to distress calls which are considered to be critical to crime prevention.

Ojulari added that his company will continue to work with the state to seek other areas of collaboration and partnership.

Also speaking, the representative of one of the co-venture partners, Exxon Mobil, the Senior Manager, Security External Relations of Exxon Mobil, Ide Owodiong-Idemeko, urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to continue to do the good work he is doing to ensure that the people of Lagos State are secured and safe.

Other members of the executive at the event include the Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), Mrs. Folasade Jaji and the Executive Secretary of LSSTF, Abdulrazaq Balogun, among others.

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The Peruvian Government Has Officially Classified Transgender, Nonbinary And Intersex People As “Mentally ill”

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According to the country’s ministry of health, the controversial decision was made to ensure the country’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health” for the trans community.

It also categorises “dual-role transvestitism,” “fetishistic transvestism,” and “other gender identity disorders” under the same bracket of mental illness.

The new law will change language in the Essential Health Insurance Plan (PEAS) to reflect the view of trans and intersex people as a mental health disorder.

Trans groups across Peru have loudly condemned the decision as a step backwards for the country’s already complex relationship with LGBTQ+ rights.

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Math Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With 2 Students And Getting Pregnant For One Tearfully Reveals The Baby Was Taken Away From Her

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The UK teacher who had a baby with an underage student while on trial for having sex with another teenage boy broke down in court after revealing her newborn baby girl had been “taken away” from her.

Manchester math teacher Rebecca Joynes, 30, sobbed to jurors over how her baby was taken “24 hours after being born” this past January — and now she only sees her for nine hours a week, Joynes told jurors on Monday, May 13, according to the Manchester Evening News.

“At the moment I have contact with her three times a week for three hours and that’s it,” she said through tears.

Joynes was arrested and released on bail on orders not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 after allegedly grooming her pupil, known as Boy A in court, by buying him a $430 Gucci belt before bringing him to her apartment for unprotected sex.

She was suspended from school and eventually fired, but soon after, she began having a relationship with a 15-year-old boy, known in court as Boy B, whom she had a baby with in January.

Joynes, who has denied having sex with either boy when they were underage, told the court that when she learned of the allegations against her she had gone to the second boy in a “panic” and he deleted all of her phone’s content.

The former teacher denied having a sexual relationship with the second boy until after he turned 16 and she was already suspended from teaching.

According to her narration,

She said he had added her on Snapchat twice, which she only accepted the second time because she thought he “wanted to tell her something.”

Joynes said a friendship developed and he quickly became her “best friend” even though the boy would make flirtatious and sexualized comments toward her when he was drunk.

She told jurors that it wasn’t until after his 16th birthday that he messaged her saying “I’ve left school now” with a winky face.

After she received notice that she had been dismissed from her job, he went to her apartment, where following an emotional conversation, they had sex.

The two then entered a relationship that Joynes described as “quite toxic” telling the court how the teenager was “very controlling.”

After discovering she was pregnant, Joynes hid love notes for the boy to find around her apartment.

The notes eventually led to a piece of baby clothing that had the words “I love my daddy to the moon and back” written on it.

The court was told that she gave birth to their baby girl in January, but following an emergency court hearing, the newborn was taken away from Joynes.

Joynes has denied two counts of sexual activity with Boy A; two counts of sexual activity with Boy B; and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while being a person in a position of trust.

Her trial is ongoing.

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First Man To Receive Pig Kidney Transplant Has Died

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The first Man to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has died two months after the operation.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), which carried out the procedure in March, announced Sunday, May 12, that Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, has died.

They said there was no indication his death was a result of the transplant.

Transplants of other organs from genetically modified pigs have failed in the past, but the operation on Mr Slayman, who was suffering with end-stage kidney disease, was hailed as a historic milestone.

In addition to kidney disease, Mr Slayman also suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

In 2018, he had a human kidney transplant, but it began to fail after five years.

Following his pig kidney transplant on March 16, his doctors confirmed he no longer needed dialysis after the new organ was said to be functioning well.

“Mr Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” MGH said in a statement.

Xenotransplantation is the transplanting of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another.

MGH said it was “deeply saddened” at his sudden death and offered condolences to his family.

Mr Slayman’s relatives said his story was an inspiration.

“Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” they said.

“Rick accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will endure forever.

“To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick-witted sense of humour who was fiercely dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers,” they added.

While Mr Slayman received the first pig kidney to be transplanted into a human, it is not the first pig organ to be used in a transplant procedure.

Two other patients have received pig heart transplants, but those procedures were unsuccessful as the recipients died a few weeks later.

In one case, there were signs the patient’s immune system had rejected the organ, which is a common risk in transplants.

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