Garba Shehu under fire for tweet on petrol price under PDP

 President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu is under fire for attempting to justify the hike in prices of petrol and counter the criticism of the increment by the People’s Democratic Party.

Shehu in an attempt to defend the recent hike in petrol price said Nigerians once bought petrol at #600 per litre during the PDP administration.

“Don’t allow the PDP to deceive you, amidst acute shortages, they sold petrol at N600 per litre on Easter Sunday in 2013 (See Punch published on that day),” Shehu tweeted along with a picture of the front page of The Punch newspaper published on March 31, 2013.

The Nigerian Government had through the Petroleum Products Marketing Company increased the ex-depot price of petrol from N138.62 to N151.56 per litre.

Following the increment, petrol marketers raised the price of the product from N148 to between N158 and N162 per litre.

This came days after electricity distribution companies in the country began the implementation of the new cost-reflective electricity tariff.

“There is no way our compatriots can survive a N162 per liter fuel price and a N66 per kw/h of electricity in a country which, in the last five years, ranked as poverty capital of the world, with a frightening 23 percent unemployment rate; where over 90 million citizens live in abject poverty and many more living on less than N500 a day,” PDP said in a statement Tuesday.

Like the PDP, many on Twitter found Shehu’s defence of the hike untenable and lashed out at the presidential aide.

The ATwitter user said, “Dear Garba Shehu, Are you aware that fuel also sold for ₦600 in December 2017 and recently in November 2019. Both under #APC & Buhari. But in your attempt to justify the hardship and suffering of Nigerians you only make reference to 2013 of PDP.”

Obaseki’s performance will earn him re-election, says Edo monarch

 

The Ogie of Ivbiaro Kingdom, Col. Salifu Elabor (rtd.), has said that the performance of Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki in the last three years and eight months will earn him re-election next month.

The monarch of Ivbiaro community in Owan East Council stated this when the governor, along with his deputy, Philip Shaibu, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign team visited his palace yesterday.

Expressing delight at the visit by the governor and his campaign team, the governor reassured that Ivbiaro people would vote PDP to enable Obaseki consolidate on his administration’s first term achievements.

“Your Excellency, you will recall that Owan East voted for you massively in 2016 and we assure you of doing the same in the forthcoming election.

“Your reforms in education, health, sports and infrastructure, among other developmental strides recorded by your administration in the first term, earned you the sobriquet ‘Wake and See Governor’. We commend you for extending your developmental projects to our community.”

Praying for a peaceful election in the state on September 19, the monarch asked God to grant the governor’s desires.On his part, Obaseki assured that he would prioritise the construction of Agbede/Warrake/Ivbiaro road if elected for a second term.

8 Simple Ways You Can Be Smarter About Your Money

Are you having trouble keeping your finances under control? No matter how much you make, you can’t help ending up with an empty wallet before the end of the month? The problem might be how you are managing your money matters. Contrary to popular belief, the amount of money you make is not proportional to your financial security. Take a look at these 8 simple tips that help you discipline your money spending and saving ways.
1. Saving Is The Best Investment:It is a norm to go for the career paths that ensure you a great salary these days. However, while chasing down big bucks, we tend to forget that it is necessary to be careful with our income, regardless of what we make. Logically speaking, the sum total of all your savings is more important than what you make each month. Even a low salary can go a long way if it is spent in a systematic manner.
2. Live Below Your Means:The best and most effective way to save is to consider your earnings lower than they actually are. Just keep in mind that you should spend your money not on the things you can afford, but on the things that cost lower than that. Instead of investing your money, consider saving first. Keeping your money in a bank account with a high interest rate is perhaps the best investment option you have.
3. Use debt Cards Wisely:It is important to avoid the temptation to use your credit cards on everything you buy. Credit card debt is a reality that can destabilize your financial situation faster than you can imagine. However, it is okay to use them as long as you do not get yourself into credit card debt. Being able to pay off your credit card bills monthly gives you a high credit score. This helps you lower your borrowing costs for student loans, house loans, car loans etc. A higher credit score helps you shave off thousands of dollars of interest while paying back loans.
4. Analyze Your Spending Habits:A useful way to understand the flow of money in your life is to note down how much money you are spending each day. Take a good look at the amount of money you take with you when you go out every day and how much you have when you return home. Figure out how much money you spent on food, utilities, transport etc. Prioritize just one or two things that you have to spend money on, but control what you spend on other things. Do this for a month and see how much you can save. You can adjust this as your priorities change.
5. Be Cautious With Luxury Items:The next thing you have to be careful about is the luxury items you buy. It is quite okay to indulge in a few luxury items as long as you are mindful enough to make up the money you spent on it. But it is equally not okay to go beyond your means to make such purchases because they do you more harm than good in the long run.
6. Make Frugal Friends:Do not make impulse purchases because of peer pressure. Choose frugal friends instead of people who have expensive habits. Having neighbors who are always showing off their new car or the latest LED TV will motivate you to attain the same things. Surround yourself with people you are smarter about money so that you can follow their examples. Remember, having expensive things does not guarantee lasting happiness. It has been proven that you get used to the expensive items you own very soon. Just as soon as these products stop giving you that extra happiness, you will start craving the next feel-good-item you must have. Instead, invest in learning, developing skills and other such wholesome things.
7. Talk About Your Money Matters:Feel free to talk about your money matters. Talk to your parents, talk to your partner and talk to your friends. You’d be surprised at how much you could learn from these conversations. It is time we stop avoiding this topic like it is the plague. Especially when you have problems with your credit and debit, talking to others can be a great way to change your spending habits. Keeping your worries to yourself will only delay their solutions.
8. Educate Yourself On Economy:Educate yourself on managing money. It would have been awesome if they taught us how to do your taxes in school, but sadly they don’t. Take matters into your own hands and start from the beginning. Read the easiest books you can find on managing your finances and doing your taxes by yourself. After learning the basics you can move onto reading more complicated aspects of finances. Understanding how to best use your financial assets can go a long way in helping you become economically competent.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DRINK NOTHING BUT WATER FOR 30 DAYS?

Every cell in your body relies on water to function properly. Water is an effective form of therapy as well as a great way to live a longer and healthier life. Water has an effect on specific bodily functions and is necessary to stay in good health. When you use water as your primary source of hydration you’d be surprised at the good it does. Here’s 7 things that you can expect to happen to your body when you drink only water for 30 days, without even changing the rest of your diet or exercising more!
1. YOU’LL BECOME MORE CREATIVE AND THINK BETTER:Drinking nothing but water for thirty days causes your brain to react faster, according to research published in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Journal. The brain requires oxygen to function properly and water is a great source of oxygen. More water means more oxygen which means more brainpower. Water helps you to think and focus better. It also makes you more keen, clever, and a quicker thinker. Drinking between 8 and 10 cups of water a day has the potential to improve cognitive ability by up to 30%.
2. YOU AGE SLOWER:Drinking water also slows down the aging process by hydrating your skin. It’s a way to keep your skin moisturized, healthy, glowing and, best of all, free of wrinkles. Water can also help you retain your muscle tone. The Daily Mail published an article detailing how a 42 year old mother looked ten years younger just by drinking water for 30 days. It began initially when she started drinking three liters of water a day to battle her headaches and digestion problems, but she was genuinely shocked by the results she saw after just one month. Her headaches and digestion problems were gone and she was also able to overcome her chronic dehydration.
3. YOU BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:

There is a Slovakian proverb that says that “Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.” It’s really true too! Water renews our bodies and ensures they perform at their peak. Drinking water boosts the performance of your liver and kidneys. These are the organs in charge of removing toxins, waste and salt from your blood and body.
4. YOUR HEART WILL BE STRENGTHENED:Water keeps your heart healthy. Drinking water reduces your risk of having a heart attack by stopping blood from thickening which in turn brings down your blood pressure. Drinking a glass of water an hour before bed is said to be enough to significantly reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke as it makes it easier for your heart to pump oxygenated blood to your organs. A study spanning six years was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that showed people who drank more than five glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to suffer from a heart attack than people who only drank less than two glasses a day.
5. YOU STRENGTHEN YOUR BONES:Drinking water helps to rebuild cartilage in your bones. Cartilage is the shock absorber of the body, ensuring that joints move smoothly and don’t suffer from any more damage as a result of tension. There has been a lot of evidence to support the idea joints are helped by drinking water.
6. YOU LOSE WEIGHT:Your body is flushed of harmful toxins and waste products, especially in the vital organs. This keeps your body clean and helps get rid of pesky belly fat. When you start drinking water consistently you may find you put on a pound or two in retained water weight while your body adjusts to the new levels of water consumption. However water is a great appetite suppressant that helps you eat less, therefore taking in less calories, which means you lose weight and keep the weight off. Water flushes out your system to cleanse your body and bring down your hunger to more manageable levels.
7. YOU BOOST YOUR METABOLISM:Studies have shown that drinking water on a daily basis boosts your metabolism no matter what your diet is. The Health Fitness Revolution suggests drinking 16 ounces of water first thing in the morning can raise your metabolic rate by 24%!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF READING: WHY YOU SHOULD READ BOOKS

We live in a time where reading books are viewed as old school. And it isn’t just the kids, either. Even the adults don’t read as much as the older generations did. They are either too busy with work or opt for movies, games or playing with their mobile phone. The following are just five reasons why reading is beneficial to us all.

1. IT MAKES YOU SMART: No denying that people who read are way smarter than those who don’t. I mean, you now have the knowledge to talk about things with others. You have the information to carry out a conversation, unlike people who cower away due to lack of knowledge. You can fit in any situation because you have read up on certain things and are updated with current events.
2. ENRICHES THE VOCABULARY: There are no doubts about the fact that reading will enrich your vocabulary. You will not be sticking to the usage of everyday words but rather learn newer and more synonyms of certain words And this helps you in life as well as it enables you to describe your feelings in a more picturesque manner. I myself have seen how comfortable I am having a conversation with people where I can use various words instead of repeating the same thing. And it all happened because I read a lot during my teenage days.
3. ENHANCES YOUR CREATIVITY :This point is my personal favourite and something that I can relate to and give solid evidence on. When you are reading on a constant basis, your overall creativity levels will increase by leaps and bounds. Why? Because you are now acquiring a lot of new knowledge and new data that you can use in your daily life. Not just that, if you are reading the work of different writers, then you get a full insight as to how they think and how they perceive things. This broadens your mind and you can use titbits of one writer and a few more and enhance your own creativity.
4. INSOMNIA CURE : This may be the best selling point for reading books. So many people are suffering from insomnia that they would do anything to get a good night’s sleep. Reading has this effect on your whole body and mind. It calms you down and signals your brain that it’s time to relax and shut down. We are always on our smartphones and laptops and the lights coming out of those devices signals our brain to stay awake. So when you are reading quietly in a dimly lit room, your brain gets the idea that it can fall asleep now. If that doesn’t convince you to start reading then I do envy your ability to sleep on time.
5. STRESS RELIEVER :You may not believe this but reading can actually help you to relieve your stress. How may you ask? Well, when you are stressed it obviously means that something is in your mind that’s making your overthink. In such situations, if you take out a book and start reading it, you will be diverting your mind away from that stressful topic and be taken to a world of fiction and literature. This helps you to calm down and as we all know, a calm mind is more adept at finding solutions than a stressed out one.

7 WAYS TO ELIMINATE DEPRESSION FROM YOUR LIFE

Eliminating the state of depression from your everyday life, is something that requires time, patience, and practice. Symptoms may include you sleeping too much or perhaps, not enough at all. Lacking energy or decreased noticeability in your energy/stamina will also be a sign. These are just a few warning signals. With this list, we present you with seven ways to help eliminate depression from your life.
1. SEEKING HELP FROM A COUNSELOR.

Talking things through with your friends or family may or may not help but speaking with a licensed counselor is beneficial to your mental health. Being open to having a counselor help you through can make the process easier, avoiding the feeling of shame for seeking help.
2. HAVING FUN

Although the thought of having fun sounds like an unbearable task, it’ll help eliminate depression from your life. Going out with a group of friends to different places can be a cool way to break through. It doesn’t have to be activities with your friends — as long as you’re doing something considerably fun, it can be family who join you through the day’s venture.
3. HAVING A ROUTINE

Perhaps you don’t have a set way of going through your day. Having a new routine can be the start to eliminating depression from your life. After work you could start going to the gym and then having family dinner afterwards. It doesn’t have to be that exactly, but consistency along with being organised can do wonders for your mood – putting yourself in full control.
4. CHANGE YOUR DIET
You are what you eat? The foods you digest could be the difference between a positive mood or a negative one. It can also add pressure to your state of depression. Dark “leafy” vegetables, walnuts, soybean oil, flaxseed and salmon are just some foods and ingredients you can add to your meals or snacks, in order to help eleviate depression from your life.
5. EXERCISE
Exercise can not only be a good decision for your body, but your mind will find benefits on the treadmill or track, as well. Exercise can serve as an accomplishment and pushes your body to new limits. Almost like escapism, exercise can take you away from reality and stresses that press against your brain. Killing two birds with one stone, exercising will provide a healthier life both physically and mentally. This is definitely recommended!
6. TRYING NEW THINGS

Adding new elements to your life can add a significant boost to the quality of your life, knocking off the depression that weighs you down. Some new elements include new friends, food, and places. When you allow newness into your life, you can feel the difference and possibly adding just the right kick your life needed.
7. SEEK A HIGHER POWER FOR STRENGTH
Believing and having faith in something or someone much higher than you, can help eliminate the negative thought patterns that travel through your mind. The higher power can serve as a guide of strength that won’t allow you to fall, even on the darkest of days.

Spiritually, you’ll feel more alive and find various purposes for why your life matters and why there are brighter days that lie ahead. The higher power serves as the strength that you weren’t able to gain on your own. We all can use a little help, this is just another way of getting some assistance for your state of mind.

Uber to cut 3,700 jobs, CEO Khosrowshahi to waive base salary

Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) will cut about 3,700 full-time jobs and Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi will forgo his base salary for the remainder of the year, the company said on Wednesday, as the COVID-19 pandemic decimates its ride-hailing business.

The company said the layoffs included its customer support and recruiting teams, and expects to incur about $20 million in costs for severance and related charges.

Uber and rival Lyft (LYFT.O) have already withdrawn their full-year financial outlooks as demand for app-based rides dropped sharply across the world after governments imposed stay-at-home orders to curb the transmission of the coronavirus.
But Uber, which operates in more markets around the world than Lyft, could recover some lost revenue with its food delivery business.

On Monday, Uber's Middle East business Careem said it was cutting 536 jobs this week, representing 31% of the Dubai-headquartered company's workforce.

Lyft will report its quarterly results on Wednesday after market hours and Uber is expected to report earnings on Thursday.

Uber shares opened 3% lower on Wednesday.