Nigerian Male Barbie Bobrisky in Another Mess, A N2 Million Contract Breach

Nigerian cross dresser, Bobrisky has been dragged by a skin care brand for breaching a contract after receiving the sum of 2million Naira to influence the brand.

The skin care brand, “Pamper Glow”, revealed that the cross-dresser failed to realize his contractual obligations after signing the contract and refused to fulfill the supposed agreement.

The brand took to their Instagram to lambaste the popular crossdresser saying:

”Dear Bobrisky, we are putting this out here because we are tired of the stories and lies you told just to secure this deal.

"From saying, your partnership with other brand s was ending in about 7 days, to eventually seeing that after almost two months, the deal still runs, to say you don’t do mobile bank transfers, to saying you would refund and till date, we have not seen our money and numerous others.

"You received the sum of 2 million naira as part payment to influence our brand about two months ago. Since you received this money, it has been difficult reaching you as against how you frequently called even in the midnight before this payment was made. And when you finally responded, it was another story.

"Having found out all these, we asked for a refund and we expected to receive the payment immediately but you said you don’t do mobile transfers and you gave us a date, the date came and passed with no sign of the money. Calls and messages sent to you were ignored. Took you many days to come up with another story. We are tired and no brand deserves this.”

Bobrisky, is yet to make any statement as regards the allegations levied against him as at the time of filing this report

Herbalist, robbery suspects arrested for terrorizing Ogun community

 Police in Ogun State have arrested an herbalist and four other robbery suspects for allegedly terrorising Osiele community in Odeda Local Government Area of the state. The suspects; Dayo Ajala (39 years); Ismaila Badmus ( 35 years); Joseph Sunday (24 years); Chuckwuemeka Paul (27 years) and 46 year – old Okikiola Adeshina who is their herbalist. 

‘We took to robbery to start up restaurant, bar business‘ Mother, two sons paraded over alleged armed robbery in Kano They were reportedly arrested following information received by the SARS operatives about their hideout at Odeda area. 

A statement by the Police Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi in Abeokuta on Monday, said the Officer in Charge of SARS, Tijani Muhammed immediately led his men to the area and cordoned off the hideout. “At the end of the operation, four members of the gang were apprehended; their arrest led to the arrest of their herbalist. 

“The herbalist claimed that he is their (suspects) godfather that used to fortify them spiritually whenever they are going out for operation and also used to initiate new members into their fold,” the statement said. According to him, items recovered from the suspects are; one double-barrel locally made short gun, one battle axe, two knives and assorted dangerous charms. 

He added that the Commissioner of Police, Edward A. Ajogun had ordered a full-scale investigation into the activities of the suspects with the view to prosecuting them diligently. 

Covid—19 Cow Tested Positive

The news of a cow circulating on social media that the cow was infected with Covid-19.

Through investigation, we realize that the information was wrong and the picture in question was used on opera news as a funny picture.

Nasir Yusuf, an executive in the Kano chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, told Africa Check the claim was false. “There are many journalists in Kano and none of us published such news about a ram testing positive for COVID-19. I am hearing the news for the first time,” Yusuf said. 

He added that he hadn’t heard anything like that from anyone in the journalists’ network in Niger or Katsina state either. 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s communication team told us no animal testing had been done in the country.

 None of its laboratories had reported anything like a goat testing positive for COVID-19. Animals can get COVID-19 According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “several dogs and cats (domestic) in contact with infected humans have tested positive for COVID-19”. Minks raised in farms for fur have also tested positive. 

The WHO advises that people who are sick with COVID-19 and people who are at risk should limit contact with pets and other animals. But, for now, there are no trustworthy reports of goats contracting the disease.   

We are on pressure to start train operation before Eil-el-kabir

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday said but for the pressure from those willing to celebrate Eid-el-kabir, he disagreed that train services from Abuja to Kaduna resume. Speaking at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, said wearing of face masks was compulsory for boarding trains. “Pray, we don’t stop at Rijana, how many of you know Rijana? You know that is where they kidnap people. If it is at Rijana, you’ll come down there, if they carry you, you’ll come back after the spiritual activity.” Amaechi said the government has reduced, for purpose of animals.

Source: daily trust

WASSCE: Students optimistic as teachers, parents fear mass failure

Time too short for preparation — Teachers FG to domesticate timetable We’re ready – Private schools Nigeria not ready to reopen schools — NMA   Graduating students in secondary schools across the country yesterday expressed joy over the reopening of schools for them to write their final year examinations. 

Many of those interviewed said they were tired of staying at home and saw the reopening of schools as a glad tiding. 

Officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) said they have registered 1, 549, 463 candidates from 19, 129 schools to write the West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Nigeria. But teachers and some parents expressed mixed feelings with some of them predicting mass failure considering that their students and children have been at home due to coronavirus. 

They said the students missed “precious months” at home and that with the exception of few, the students did not use the opportunity to read ahead of the exams. 

Health experts also expressed worry that asking students back to school could be a recipe for further spread of coronavirus. 

The federal government said yesterday that all secondary schools in the country will resume academic activities for final year students on August 4, 2020. 

A statement by the spokesperson of the ministry, Ben Goong, said: “Students will have two weeks within which to prepare for the West African Examinations (WAEC) due to start on the 17th of August, 2020. 

“These were the unanimous decisions reached today (yesterday) at a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, Honourable Commissioners of Education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), the proprietors of private schools, and Chief Executives of examination bodies 

“The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the federal government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and public spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them fast track the preparations for safe reopening, as agreed. 

“Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow between the Federal Ministry of Education and Chief Executives of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS to harmonise their examination dates, which will be conveyed to stakeholders expeditiously by the Federal Ministry of Education,” the statement said. 

Yesterday’s decision was a new twist to earlier comments by government officials. The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, had last week said they would opt for the GCE since the WASSCE cannot be rescheduled for any reason. 

He stated this during the bi-weekly Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19. We’ll pass our exams Abbas Musa Abubakar, an SSS 3 student at Hayatul Islam Private School, Jos, said he was happy that schools would resume. 

He said, “We are not reading at home since the closure of schools because friends and other activities at home won’t allow you to read.

Besides, we don’t have someone to serve as a teacher.  Now that the school is resuming, we believe we can catch up with what we have missed,” he said. In Lagos, an SSS 3 student, Mariam Musa, expressed joy over the development, saying it will enable her to conclude her secondary education and forge ahead without any delay. 

A student of community secondary school Oyigbo, Rivers State, Chidinma  Nweke, said “I am happy that we are going back to school, but I want to appeal to the federal government to give us a little time to enable us recover some of our lost time and prepare for the exams.” Another student, John Ikechukwu, said, “We have been at home since March and this has affected our studies. I would like to commend the federal government for reopening schools.” 

In Kaduna, Shimi Jatau of Anchor College said the announcement was too sudden. “I am indifferent about it because it is too sudden. I mean, we should have been told this earlier or given more time to prepare our minds. But at the same time, I am okay with the idea of resuming August 4th because we will be moving forward and not staying at home doing nothing. Abubakar Ahmad Musa of Command Secondary School, Kaduna, said he had prepared for his final examination. 

“I am ready because I can’t wait to complete my secondary. Already, we have a WhatsApp group where we discuss various topics with my classmates during the lockdown,” he said. Time too short to make students ready A Senior Secondary School English teacher with Capville Schools, Abuja, Hassan Taiye Ibrahim, said two weeks would not be enough to get the students prepared for examinations. “Many of the students saw the COVID-19 lockdown as a prolonged holiday and it is now that they will start scraping to read up. 

Only a few of them are prepared for the exams,” he said. Hassan Sani, a teacher  in Kano, Michael Yusuf who teaches mathematics in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, and Yafati Babagana, a guidance and counselling official in Maiduguri, said they feared mass failure if the WASSCE is held in the next two weeks. “The students missed a whole term and I don’t think it is possible for them to recover in two weeks,” Sani said. “I pray our students pass but there is no magic in writing exams…If you know, you know,” he said. Yafati on her part said students would require a lot of mentoring to succeed. “We know how difficult it is but I want to suggest that governments at all levels provide opportunities for extra lessons for the students in order to cope,” she said. Also, the CEO of the Voyage International School, Abuja, Yussuff Oriyomi, said many students have not been reading but watching television at home and would therefore require more time to get back to their books. 

A parent in Lagos who gave his name as Mr Matthew, and whose child is in SSS 3, said he would not take the government seriously any longer on the issue of school reopening until its pronouncement becomes a reality. “Was it not the same government that announced earlier that schools would be opened for exams and abruptly rescinded its decision? 

So, I won’t be surprised if the government before August 4 said it has cancelled its plan to reopen schools for examinations,” he said. Why we support school resumption The Secretary General of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Dr. Mike Ene who was part of the meeting where a decision was reached yesterday, said they agreed to the resumption of schools after getting reports from state governments.

 “Following the assurances we got, we have to concur…Some commissioners said they are 80 percent ready and that even NCDC has given them certificates of readiness,” he said. He said most of the schools had finished their mock examinations adding, “What they need to do is little revisions and enter the exam hall.” He noted that the idea of starting from 4th was to have two weeks to do revisions. “Ordinarily, one month would have been better so that everything will fall into place, but everybody  including the teachers, students, parents, government and stakeholders have to make sacrifices because if we miss August, we will have to wait until November. 

“Already Ghana has started its WAEC, so the only time you can take all the four papers that the four regions will take is to start from 17th of August; after August the next one will be in November/December and if Nigeria is to go for that, parents would pay again. “So, having looked at all the options, we see that August is the time so that we will not interrupt the entire school calendar,” he added.

 Private schools applaud decision The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in its reaction appreciated the federal and state governments for their resolve to reopen schools to allow students in the country prepare for their WASSCE.

 The National President of the Association, Chief Yomi Otubela, said it was cheering news for students, parents, teachers, school owners and other stakeholders who had shown concerns over the initial suspension of the examination. He assured that NAPPS was fully ready to ensure that proprietors took safety as a priority in schools. “We shall use the opportunity of this resumption to assess the workability of safety protocols that are in place in schools and hope that we can use the success of it to ensure other students fully resume as soon as possible,” he said. Our plans in Nigeria The federal government said yesterday that WASSCE subject’s peculiar to Nigerian candidates would be taken from September 5 through September 14, 2020. 

The Minister of State Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said this while answering questions at the 53rd joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19. According to him, the exams for subjects common to all English speaking West Africa countries, (Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia) will however, proceed as previously published on August 17. 

He said, “This varies the timetable we agitated earlier by as much as two weeks. What the agreement entails is WAEC West Africa and all the countries that are in it have agreed that the exams should proceed, but the exams peculiar to Nigeria will be taken from September 5 through to September 14.” He added that Nigeria will work out an arrangement to domesticate its own timetable for the exams. 

The minister said, “The exams that are common to all the countries of West Africa will proceed as previously published on August 17. 

This today was accepted by every state in Nigeria and endorsed by the Presidential Task Force today at our meeting. Revision classes begin from today (Monday).” He said that this is to ensure that exiting SS3 students will have two weeks to prepare for the WASSCE examinations. Too early to put students in class The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah, said Nigeria was not ready to reopen schools because of the poor level of compliance to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines against COVID-19. He said it was not that medical experts do not want Nigerian children to be educated, but that it was important to note that only those who were alive could go to school and be educated. 

He said the reason the government was reopening schools was because of the pressure from teachers, proprietors and parents. He said parents who were insisting that their children must write examinations have also not factored the fact that their children could be infected with the virus. Prof. Ujah said Nigeria should note that South Africa re-opened schools and many students got infected, forcing authorities to reverse the decision. 

He said the federal government should have checked that all requirements for COVID-19 prevention were met before reopening schools. 

He said people were also supposed to be trained on ensuring student’s compliance to use of face masks, social distancing and also carry out daily temperature checks on students. “The NMA feels the pressure put by parents on the federal government to reopen schools should be noted so that if there are issues, they shouldn’t blame the government,” Prof. Ujah said. 

Source: daily trust

Tenants, labour, developers tackle FG over 6% stamp duty

The federal government’s planned implementation of six percent stamp duty charge on tenancy agreements nationwide effective from August 10, 2020, has elicited bitter reactions from the organised labour, estate agents and tenants, with all describing the fiscal measure as insensitive. 

Investigations on the charge, which was announced by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) a few days ago reveal that all the stakeholders rued the move in view of its additional burden on their dwindling incomes and negative implications for the housing sector. 

Under the stamp duty charge regime, landlords and property agents are to charge six percent stamp duty on all tenancy and lease agreements they enter into with all renters and remit the same to the service in line with the provisions of the Stamp Duty Act. 

The Chairman of FIRS, Mr. Muhammad Nami, made the disclosure following the recent release and wide circulation of a stamp duty clarification guide. According to him, property-related transactions like tenancy or lease agreement fell under the Ad Valorem category of the stamp duty, which attracted six percent duty payable in percentage of the total value or sum of the tenancy or lease. 

The stamp duty types and their rates are Appraisement or Valuation of Property, 1.5 percent; Certificate of Occupancy, Partnership N1,000 flat rate; Gift of Land, 1.5 percent; Legal Mortgage, 0.375 percent; Legal Mortgage (Upstamping), 0.375 percent; Deed of Conveyance or Transfer on Sale of Property, 1.5 percent; Gift of Land, 1.5 percent; Memorandum of Understanding (Related to Land, Sales, Joint Venture, Surrender, Subdivision Agreements, 1.5 percent; Power of Attorney (Irrevocable/Land Related), 1.5 percent; Sales Agreement, 1.5 percent, among others. Estate developers/surveyors Some investors in the real estate sector have described the fiscal stance as not reflective of the socio-economic situation in the country and therefore should be suspended for now. 

An estate developer and Chief Executive Officer of DealMorr Real Estate Limited, Abuja, Prince Moruff Adedapo, said, “Ordinarily, Nigerians struggle to meet up with their annual rent. But in this case, the government that is supposed to provide accommodation is still the one saying they should pay more for rent. The effects will be huge on both the tenant and the landlord, not on the real estate developers. “Unfortunately, it is not possible for tenants not to patronise our business because shelter is compulsory for everybody. 

For the sales of properties, those who have to do so will do so. As hard as this time is, some still buy houses of N100m and above.”

Another estate developer in Abuja, Mr. Nasiru Ibrahim, said the six percent stamp duty on tenancy was not reasonable. Mr. Ibrahim said, “Although stamp duty has been in existence prior to now, if the government wants to re-emphasise it, it should be made reasonable so that it will encourage people to comply’’. 

He added that the duty would be transferred to the buyer or tenant, and that since six percent was a significant increase, the transactions might be done informally and hence deprive the government of the revenue. 

An estate surveyor in Minna, Niger State, Dr Oluwole Kajola, said the measure would affect his job negatively because getting rent from tenants is a big problem and adding another amount to it would create serious issues. 

He explained that “There is a downward review for tenants who are paying for the first year to 0.078, which won’t pay subsequently while the 6 percent is for those taking a lease for 21years. “As an estate surveyor, it affects us in the sense that tenants will want to deal with landlords directly thereby boycotting the stamp duty rate because landlords won’t bother them about the money once he or she gets the rent. 

For us, that we usually have our banners on all our properties, the Federal Inland Revenue Service will follow up with us for such money. “The implication of such is that some of the state surveyors may decide not to put their banners on the property any longer but market it privately. 

Our people are not also confident about the government because they believe the money will be embezzled as usual”, he added. Trade Union Congress (TUC) The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has rejected the six percent stamp duty on all tenancy and leaste agreements, describing the measure as another ploy to further impoverish Nigerians. 

In a statement, the President of TUC, Comrade Quadri A. Olaleye, said: “Sometimes we wonder if there is any milk of kindness left in our leadership. 

Should enforcement of stamp duty on house rent and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) be on priority list of the FIRS at a time the country is experiencing a housing deficit and millions of Nigerians have lost their jobs? “Till date there are countries that are still giving out palliatives to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Some countries, apart from giving out palliatives, also take responsibility for utility bills like power, water, data, etc. We read that Ghanaians will not be paying for power throughout this year. Why is our case always different? Why increase our burden now?” 

He said there were many bills Nigerians paid without enjoying commensurate services. Olaleye  urged the federal government to immediately order FIRS to stay action if it did not want to incur the wrath of workers and Nigerians. 

In Kano, Mr. Olusegun Owolabi, a corporate property owner, who spoke to Daily Trust, described the policy as “awkward and very unfortunate”, pointing out that it would be the tenant that would suffer the brunt. 

He said, already, people, especially civil servants were being subjected to multiple taxation right from their salaries, and that adding six percent stamp duty to their rent would be another burden. Tenants’ reactions FCT As expected, tenants have been very bitter about the latest tax directive. 

A tenant, Barr. Simeon Gbaa, said the increase was harsh and coming at the wrong time. “These are unprecedented times and the government shouldn’t be burdening the citizenry with high taxes. There are a lot of tenancy cases going through the courts because of tenants’ inability to pay their rent,” he said. Similarly, a tenant in Kubwa, Emmanuel George, wondered why the federal government churned out policies that would inflict pains on poor Nigerians, especially at a time when the majority had lost their jobs. According to him, “Ordinarily, stamp duty charges are supposed to have been cancelled now pending the time the world will recover from the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world.” 

The CEO of AfriVert Global Services, Ustaz Usman Sani, said it was irresponsible for the government to insist on raising revenue at the expense of the average Nigerian at this difficult period of COVID-19. “Many businesses are struggling to survive. 

For over three months, some business could not open as a result of the pandemic, and barely a month after the country is back with activities, FIRS is ordering that six percent should be charged along with the rental fee, how is that good for encouraging business environment. Where is the ease of doing business here.” he lamented?

 Muftah Jimoh, who resides in Kuje also lamented the hardship on the land, stressing that the FG should really think twice before taking some actions like the stamp duty on rents. “More than half the population of Nigerians are living in rented apartments and many are barely making ends meet. This will make many to be pushed out on the streets if they cannot afford their rents,” he said. Gombe In Gombe, some tenants and experts who spoke with Daily Trust said the new stamp duty on tenancy will further cripple the economy and increase hardship to the common man. 

A tenant and public affairs analyst, Safiyanu Danladi Mairiga, said with the new stamp duty, house rent would go higher and that office and shop rents for petty traders and businesses would also go high. “This will thereby increase the level of hardship the common man is currently going through as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. 

The manager of a Cybercafe in Gombe metropolis, Abdullahi Mohammed, said every economic policy at this time should not be at the detriment of the common man. He said even before the COVID-19 pandemic, they had been finding it difficult to pay their rent, adding that it was an unwise decision to increase tenants’ burden at this critical time as it would further hurt their already struggling businesses. Calabar In Calabar, a tenant, Mr. Edmund Magnus, who is paying N400,000 annual rent for a three-bedroom flat in Calabar, said such additional charge would increase the burden on him and his family. 

He said the new directive by FIRS should be rejected as much as possible as it would lead to lingering disagreement with attendant effects. Similarly, a legal practitioner, Simon David, said it would have effects on their clients who might already have challenges with their landlords over a backlog of indebtedness. 

In Kano, Malam Umar Turaki, a tenant, lamented the policy, saying it was not good for the country. “This is madness, why are we borrowing policies that do not fit into our setting? Policies like this are meant for countries that value their citizens, countries that take shelter of the citizens as an issue of human rights, not societies like ours,” he said. 

In Niger Some of the people who spoke on the matter described the decision as unrealistic, saying the government didn’t consider the masses before coming up with the stamp duty. 

According to a tenant, Mr Enimola Adeniyi “It won’t work because people are in pain seriously. This government is out to inflict pain on people.

 Landlords are making life difficult for tenants and instead of the government to come to our aid, they are coming up with an unrealistic tax on rent. What happened to other taxes we are paying? Related Stamp Duty: FIRS orders landlords, agents on 6% charge remittance NLC rejects 6% tenancy, lease stamp duty agreement Labour flays stamp duty on tenancy, lease agreements.