Metro
You Must Be Physically and Mentally Fit, TRADOC Commander Tells Army Cadets
The Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Nigerian Army, Major General SO Olabanji, has charged cadets of Short Service Course 47 (Army) to, upon Passing Out of the Academy and subsequent commissioning as Officers in the Nigerian Army, to always engage themselves in activities that would make them stay physically and mentally fit for the rigorous task of defending the territorial integrity of the nation and subduing all threats to national security.
Major General Olabanji gave the charge to the cadets at the Nigerian Army Table Hill, Kachia, during the Battle Inoculation and Firepower Demonstration phase of Exercise Camp Highland, conducted for cadets of Short Service Course 47 (Army), which marked the final field exercise for the cadets in the Academy.
The TRADOC Commander, who was the Special Guest of Honour(SGoH) at the event, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the cadets during the exercise. He noted that the exercise which was designed to imbue confidence in them was also aimed at exposing the cadets to real battle conditions and what they may face in real life battle situations.
Maj Gen Olabanji underscored the importance of physical fitness and positive attitude to work. He also used the occasion to urge the cadets to remain focused and disciplined in the discharge of all assigned tasks upon their graduation from the Academy. He also thanked the Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General IM Yusuf, for providing realistic training to the cadets.
The SGoH also used the occasion to thank the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General F Yahaya, for providing quality leadership to the Nigerian Army.
Highlights of the major training activities during the Exercise CAMP HIGHLAND for Army cadets of Short Service Course 47 include: Map Reading Phase at Hiepang, near Jos, to test the cadets’ practical application of map reading; Adventure and Leadership Training Package at the Citizen and Leadership Training Centre, Shere Hills, Jos; and Tactical Phase, along Katul –Gidan Ali – Kamuru Ikulu Axis in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Important features in the Tactical Phase included practice of new concepts of dismounted advance and reaction to enemy Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks, The Forward Operating Base (FOB) concept rather than the conventional deployment for defence, as well as aggressiveness during occupation of Forward Operating Base (patrols and ambushes) were also practiced. The cadets were also trained on combat shooting in conjunction with the usual Field Firing. In addition to the firing of Rocket Propelled Gun 7 and throwing of Grenade, the cadets passed through series of training during the combat shooting training (including Reactive Shooting, Casualty Evacuation shooting, Night Shooting, Multiple Tactical drills, shooting after Physical Effort and Counter Ambush Drills amongst others).
The battle Inoculation was concluded with a novelty shooting by the Special Guest of Honour, dignitaries from Army Headquarters and invited guests from sister services. Attached are pictures of the Exercise.
Metro
National Grid Collapses Again, 12th Time in 2024
Many parts of Nigeria have been plunged into darkness again as the country’s national grid collapsed for the 11th time this year.
A message from Jos Disco to its customers confirmed that the grid collapsed on Wednesday afternoon.
The message which was signed by the company’s Head of Corporate Communication, Friday Elijah, reads:
“PUBLIC NOTICE
Dear esteemed Customer(s),
The current outage being experienced within our franchise States is a result of loss of power supply from the national grid. The loss of power supply from the national grid occurred this afternoon at about 1333 hours of today, Wednesday, 11th December 2024, hence the loss of power supply on all our feeders.
“We hope to restore normal power supply to our esteemed customers as soon as the grid supply is restored back to normalcy.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we strive to serve you better.”
Many Nigerians have expressed their frustration on social media, particularly X, formally Twitter. Many of them noted that they have not had electricity for days.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is yet to confirm the reported collapse of the national, while Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company only reported a power outage. Eko Electricity Distribution Company reported “a loss of power supply in our network”.
Statement from EKEDC:
“Dear Valued Customer,
Kindly be informed there was a reported case of system disturbance on 11th November, 2024 at 13:32hrs which has resulted to a loss of power supply across our network.
“We are currently working with our partners as we hope for speedy restoration of the grid. We will keep you updated as soon as power supply is restored.
Kindly bear with us.”
It should be noted that earlier this week, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) reportedly directed gas producers to stop supplying gas to indebted generation companies (GenCos).
The collapse of the national grid was reported by the Jos Disco.
NMDPRA’s threat to discontinue the supply of gas to GenCos could cause a blackout in the jurisdictions of the affected gencos.
According to reports, the federal government and some GenCos owe over N2 trillion in legacy debts to gas producers in Nigeria.
The NMDPRA has called on gas off-takers, particularly power generation companies, to ensure timely payment for the gas supplied.
The TCN and the Ministry of Power are yet to react to the situation.
Source: Nairametrics
Metro
Increased Sexual Activity Reduces Risk of Cancer in Men, Women, Says Medical Practitioner
A Nigerian medical practitioner, Dr. Rasheed Abassi, has sparked widespread debate following comments on TVC’s programme – Your View – where he recommended increased sexual activity for women as a way to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
The doctor also advised men to consider polygamy, citing its potential health benefits, including a lower risk of prostate cancer.
“Women need to have more sex to reduce breast cancer risk. When a woman reaches orgasm, she releases oxytocin, which lowers her chances of developing cancer,” Dr. Abassi stated during the interview.
Addressing men’s health, Dr. Abassi claimed that polygamy could improve longevity and reduce prostate issues. “Men with two to three wives live longer than men with one wife. If your son is not getting rid of his DHT (dihydrotestosterone), he is likely to develop an enlarged prostate,” he said.
He also linked the absence of regular erections to potential cardiac problems. “Any man not waking with a full erection already has cardiac issues. My oldest patient is 92 years old and has a four-year-old daughter — and that’s DNA-proven,” he revealed.
When asked about the risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) associated with increased sexual activity, Dr. Abassi emphasised the importance of safe practices. “The condom is not 100% protective, but we still advise it. Awareness is key,” he said.
He also noted that some men cite the cost of contraceptives as a challenge, comparing it to the financial costs of engaging in sexual activities.
Metro
Agric Commissioner Lauds MoneyMaster PSB on Partnership with ‘Ounje Eko’
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Ruth Olusanya, has lauded MoneyMaster PSB for its support for the state’s ‘Ounje Eko’ initiative.
She gave the commendation recently during an official visit by the executive management team of the bank to her Ikeja, Lagos, office.
The commissioner thanked the team for the visit and expressed appreciation for the support for and participation of the bank in the Phases 1 and 2 of the Ounje Eko project.
She challenged the bank to work more closely with the Ministry, saying such collaboration will bring additional dividends through ongoing and future initiatives to Lagos residents.
Head, Agency Banking, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank, Mr Julius Arhebun, in his response thanked the Lagos State Government for appointing the PSB as one of the official collection banks for the food initiative.
‘Ounje Eko’ initiative is a weekly food discount market where Lagos residents can buy a variety of food items at a discount of 25 per cent.
Arhebun, who was accompanied on the visit by Dimeji Amao; Head, Merchant and Enterprise Business, Bulus Ayuba; Head, Operations and Olumide Orojimi, Head, Marketing Communications pledged additional support and readiness of the bank for future initiatives of the Ministry.
MoneyMaster PSB is a leading provider of innovative digital financial products and services that transform lives and contribute to sustainable living. With a mission to deepen financial inclusion, MoneyMaster has been instrumental in providing financial technology services to bridge the gaps between the banked, underbanked and unbanked population.
The bank recently launched a 10% data bonus and 100MB seeding bonus to its existing and new customers to deepen financial inclusion. The offers are available to Nigerians via the USSD code and mobile banking app.