Connect with us

News

Don’t Joke with Our Democracy, Ekweremadu Warns

Published

on

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has called on the nation’s leaders, especially those occupying executive positions, not to joke with the nation’s hard-won democracy.

He called on the international community to help end the highhandedness and misuse of institutions by some persons in the country, vowing that the National Assembly would never be intimidated or relent in defending the principles of democracy.

The Senator spoke on Wednesday during the debate on a motion sponsored by Senator Salau Ahmed Ogumbe (PDP, Kogi Central) on incidence of violence allegedly unleashed on him and his constituents during an empowerment programme in his Senatorial District.

A visibly angry Deputy Senate President, according to Uche Anichukwu, the Special Adviser (Media), warned that the fact the military had been pushed back to the barracks was no excuse to abuse democratic rule or take it for granted.

He also decried Nigeria’s fast-waning democratic credentials and international influence even within the West African sub-region, where she used to be dominant.

He said: “The problem in Nigeria now is that our democracy is receding and the international community needs to know this. Let us not joke with our democracy the way they are going.

“Last two weeks, we were talking about how Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi’s house was destroyed in Kaduna State. Recently, we were talking about how Senator Rabiu Kwakwanso was stopped from going to his state. We saw people carrying clubs, waiting for him at the airport. We were talking about how security operatives laid siege on Senator Dino Melaye.

“In Kaduna, Senator Shehu Sani cannot organise a meeting and we say we are practicing democracy. People are holding meetings everyday on how to continue to deal with each and every one of us here (in the Senate).

“The international community needs to know this because they helped us to restore our democracy and some gang of people are trying to truncate the entire democracy. I want to appeal that we take this matter seriously. It is not about us; it is about our democracy; it is about our country”.

Recalling his unheeded counsel, in 2017, to the Government of Kogi State not to waste State resources on Senator Melaye’s recall project, the Senator advised the Governor Yahaya Bello to embrace democratic cultures.

“The money that would have been used to pay salaries of people in Kogi State was used to mobilise people to recall Senator Dino. The Kogi people have not been paid and Senator Dino is here; he has not been recalled.

“Today, I am advising the Governor again that the road he is travelling will not lead him to anywhere. If he doesn’t stop, God will show him that he is a God of justice; and this is a message to all those people who have caused all kinds of problem in Nigeria at different levels”, he added.

Ekweremadu urged his colleagues to remain steadfast and one-minded in pursuing the cause of saving the nation’s democracy.

“The only institution left to save our democracy; to save our nation is the National Assembly and we will never shy away from that responsibility no matter the oppression, no matter the intimidation. Men will do whatever they want to do, but God will ultimately have the final say”, he emphasised.

Meanwhile, the Senate has condemned in totality and strongest terms, the destruction and violence visited on the Senator’s empowerment programme, allegedly, describing it as a threat to the nation’s democracy.

The Senate also resolved to set up an Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate the incident, including the alleged involvement of the police in the mayhem.

GrassRoots.ng is on a critical mission; to objectively and honestly represent the voice of ‘grassrooters’ in International, Federal, State and Local Government fora; heralding the achievements of political and other leaders and investors alike, without discrimination. This daily, digital news publication platform serves as the leading source of up-to-date information on how people and events reflect on the global community. The pragmatic articles reflect on the life of the community people, covering news/current affairs, business, technology, culture and fashion, entertainment, sports, State, National and International issues that directly impact the locals.

News

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

News

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

News

First Man To Receive Pig Kidney Transplant Has Died

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Trending