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Gov. Ugwuanyi Puts Ink On Paper, N103.5b 2018 Budget is Signed

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Today, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, signed into law the N103.5 billion 2018 budget recently passed by the House of Assembly.

This, the Governor did with a firm promise to fully implement the appropriation law for the benefit of the people and rapid and sustainable development of the state.

Signing the budget at the Government House, Enugu, in the presence of his Deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo and other members of the State Executive Council; members of the House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi; State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Augustine Nnamani, among other top government functionaries, Gov. Ugwuanyi noted that the House after due deliberation on the budget and consideration of the defence by the various ministries, MDAs, Parastatals and all concerned with the budget, increased the budget size from N98,563,500,000 to N103,563,500,000.

The governor commended the members of the House for the speedy and considerate passage of the budget and the “wonderful” cooperation they have accorded the state government since inception.

He also expressed appreciation to the people of the state, who he described as the true heroes of democracy, for the opportunity to serve and their “unwavering” support and prayers for his administration, reassuring them that his promise to deliver good governance and selfless service to the state remains sacrosanct.

“Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, I equally wish to assure you of our commitment to the full implementation of this budget as we are fully aware that this will enable us realize all the objectives that we have set down in it for the benefit of our people and for the rapid and sustainable development of our dear state”, Gov. Ugwuanyi said.

Earlier in his remark, the Speaker commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for the modest budget, which he said reduced both the internal and external borrowing to 16 percent, describing the governor as a good manager of finance.

Rt. Hon. Ubosi, who stated that the budget will not put the state in “a very tight condition” and “cannot hang any debt on us”, also explained that the appropriation law was increased by N5 billion to accommodate road projects that need urgent attention such as the Nkalagu-Eha-Amufu federal road at Isi-Uzo Local Government Area and other roads across the three senatorial districts of the state.

He also applauded the state’s Board of Internal Revenue led by Prince Emeka Odo for its innovation and resourcefulness in generating income for the state saying: “They are trying in reducing the stress on the state”.

The Speaker equally appreciated members of the State Executive Council, especially the commissioners for their “wonderful” cooperation and support during the budget defence, stressing the synergy was unprecedented and commendable.

While disclosing that the House made minor adjustments in the budget, Ubosi assured that the House in the course of its oversight function will monitor the implementation to the letter.

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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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