UNN student produces yam-pounding machine, needs N1m for mass production

A final year student of agriculture and bio-resource engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Mr Chibuike Ekwueme, has produced a device for food pounding.

Ekwueme, who hails from Orba in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Wednesday that he needed support for mass production of the device.

He said he needed no less than N1 million to enable him to start mass production of the pounding machines.

He said that the multi-purpose machine had been used to pound yam, cassava, potatoes and plantain in a few minutes.

Ekwueme said that he needed sponsors either from the government, individuals or corporate bodies to give him at least N1 million to enable him to continue with the mass production of the machine.

“This machine uses electricity to pound yam, cassava, potatoes or plantain within a few minutes and can also be used to blend tomatoes and crayfish.

“It costs me about N40,000 to buy the materials to produce the prototype of this tuber pounding machine but in mass production the price will reduce.

“I need one million naira from the government, individuals or corporate bodies as sponsors to enable me to start mass production of the machine.

“ If I cannot get sponsors, I will sell the design to one of the companies that have been approaching me to sell the design to them,” he said.

The final year student said he started the idea three years ago and had been re-modifying it until he was able to come up with the present machine.

“My driving force in producing this machine was that most time when I see house wives sweating using mortar and pestle to pound food, I told myself that there is need to invent a machine that will make it easier for them to pound.He said he was happy that he got exactly what he wanted in his design.

“What I did first was to go online to study the foreign yam pounder and how I can use local materials to produce it.

“Everything I used in producing this machine is sourced locally; none was imported. What I have here is family size for home use.

“I can also produce bigger size for hotels and restaurants that may need it for their business,’’ he said.

Ekwueme said that he made the machine since last year for the public and had been invited to exhibitions and workshops where the machine had been tested and proven to be effective.

He said the product had been showcased in UNN engineering exhibition, Abuja young inventors’ exhibition as well as local made product exhibition organised by tertiary schools in the South East.

“I was among those who represented UNN in all these places. I received prizes and uncountable commendations by organisers and participants.

“I give God all the glory for giving me the wisdom and creativity to produce this machine that will help families in preparing their food,’’ he said.

US pledges $37m for Boko Haram victims

The United States government has announced that it will provide at least $37m in additional humanitarian assistance to people affected by Boko Haram insurgency and food insecurity in the North-East and other areas of the Lake Chad Basin.According to a statement issued and made available to our correspondent on Wednesday, the US government is providing the aid through its Agency for International Development.The statement read in part, “The savagery of Boko Haram has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and surrounding countries in the Lake Chad Basin region. Families have been driven from their homes, millions are left without enough to eat, and human rights abuses are widespread. Despite gradually improving security conditions, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Throughout the region, approximately five million people need emergency food assistance, and 2.5 million people are displaced.”The US said the aid fund given to the United Nations and Non-Governmental Organisation partners, would help tens of thousands of people to receive “critically needed humanitarian assistance,” including food, water, shelter and services to address acute hygiene, protection and nutritional needs.
Three senior USAID officials, Nigeria Mission Director, Michael Harvey, US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance Director, Jeremy Konyndyk, and Office of Food for Peace Deputy Director Matt Nims, made the announcement following a trip to the North-East, where the humanitarian needs are most acute.
“With this announcement, the United States is providing more than $318m in humanitarian assistance since 2015 to the Lake Chad Basin region and continues to be the single largest humanitarian donor to the region.
“In addition to humanitarian funding, USAID provides targeted assistance that seeks to reduce extreme poverty and improve the quality of life for Nigeria’s most vulnerable communities through improved governance and civic participation at the federal, state and local levels; reduced corruption; a strengthened private sector as a source of job creation; and improved quality of social service delivery,” the statement said.

“The food assistance will be delivered to conflict-affected communities in the Diffa Region of Niger, including populations who fled their homes following the recent attacks in Bosso. This new food assistance will be coordinated with the humanitarian community in Nigeria to scale up the overall regional food response,” the statement added.

EFCC releases blogger following public outcry

Abuja-based blogger, Mr. Abubakar Sidiqu Usman, otherwise known as Abusidiqu, was on Tuesday released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Usman, who was released after 36 hours in custody, said on his official Twitter handle that he was released because of the pressure and condemnation that the EFCC received from Nigerians.

The blogger, therefore, thanked the media and his 19,400 followers on the social network.

Usman, who played an active role in President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign during the build-up to the 2015 elections, said he never expected human rights abuse from a ‘change’ government.

He said, “I would like to thank my family, friends, my legal team, members of the All Progressives Congress Youth Forum, members of the Nigerian online community, and hundreds of thousands of Nigerians who in one way or another spoke out against my unconstitutional detention by the EFCC.

The blogger also threatened to take a legal action against the anti-graft agency.“Your tweets, posts, and demands for the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of speech led to my release as well as the victory that we have achieved today. This experience has stirred up broader conversations on the roles of our statutory established institutions, the parameters of our laws, and our civil liberties as citizens of our great Federal Republic.”

He added, “Moving forward, I will be pursuing all legal and constitutionally established avenues to ensure that this does not repeat itself.”

Usman said he was pained because he was treated wrongly despite his huge support for Buhari.

The blogger, who was hosted by Buhari alongside other prominent bloggers last year, said, “This is a government that I fought for but occurrences like these are not the experiences that myself and millions of Nigerians fought for. I hope that we can use this to rectify the wrongs in our system towards the attainment of a more sustainable democracy.”

Usman was allegedly arrested over a recent report he published against the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

Ibrahimovic ‘a gift’ for Rashford – Mourinho

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a “gift” for his Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

Rashford impressed as a regular starter last season but faces being on the bench at the start of the new Premier League season after the arrival of Ibrahimovic from Paris Saint-Germain.

But Mourinho said the Swede’s presence would help rather than hinder the 18-year-old’s development.

The United manager told BT Sport: “He [Ibrahimovic] is brilliant with the young boys. I think, for Rashford, this is a gift.

Mourinho used Ibrahimovic as the advanced striker and Rooney as a No. 10 in the 2-1 Community Shield win over Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday.“People can say he is not going to play every game from the start, like he did in the second part of last season — but this is a gift for the kid, too.”

Rashford came on for the final 20 minutes of the match, replacing wide attacker Anthony Martial, as Ibrahimovic headed the late winning goal.

CBN directs BDCs not to sell FX above 2% margin of buying rate

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Tuesday directed Bureau De Change operators not to sell foreign exchange above two per cent margin of the buying rate.

A statement by W.D Gotring, the Acting Director, Trade and Exchange Department of CBN, also directed authorised dealers not to sell foreign exchange to any BDC more than a maximum of 30, 000 dollars per week.

According to the statement, a BDC shall nominate its preferred dealer or a bank to procure the said amount from only that bank in a week.

It also said that the selling rate by the dealer to BDCs should be the buying rate from International Money Transfer Operators plus a margin not exceeding 1.5 per cent.

“The two per cent margin above shall be applicable to all funds to be retailed by the BDCs regardless of sources of funds.’’It said, “Foreign exchange cash purchased by BDCs shall be sold to foreign exchange end-users at a rate not exceeding two per cent margin above the buying rate.

The statement mandated BDCs to render weekly report of purchases from authorised to its trade and exchange department.

It said that funds purchased by BDCs should be eligible for Business Travel Allowance, Personal Travel Allowance, Oversees School Fees and Oversees Medical Fees.

The statement warned that any BDC which violated the above directives would be punished accordingly.

Nathan Dyer signs new four-year Swansea City contract

Swansea City winger Nathan Dyer has signed a new four-year contract.

The 28-year-old, who picked up a Premier League winner’s medal during his loan spell at Leicester City last season, joined the club from Southampton in 2009.

Dyer, who had one year left on his previous contract, is the second Swansea player to commit to the club in as many days with Gylfi Sigurdsson also signing a new four-year deal.

“I was on loan last season and I had a good year at Leicester — the experience I had was unbelievable — but I’m happy to be back here at the club that first gave me the opportunity to show what I can do,” he told the club’s official website.

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“Coming back, there was only one thought in my mind — impress the new manager, speak to the chairman, get into the team and play games. I was going into the final year of my contract, so it was nice to sign a new deal.

“The new deal will keep me here until I finish. I have always seen myself being here. Once a Jack, always a Jack!”

Republican fund-raiser defects to Clinton camp

A prominent Republican activist and fundraiser says she will back Democrat Hillary Clinton for president and give money to her campaign to stop her party’s nominee Donald Trump, repudiating him as a dangerous demagogue.

“I will vote for Hillary, I will talk to my Republican friends about helping her, and I will donate to her campaign and try to raise money for her,” Meg Whitman told The New York Times Tuesday.

The billionaire Whitman is CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and used to be chief executive of eBay. Whitman funded her own, ultimately failed campaign to be elected governor of California in 2010.

Whitman told the Times that Trump is a “dishonest demagogue” and that electing him to the White House would lead the United States “on a very dangerous journey.”

Whitman said she stood by remarks earlier this year in which she compared Trump to Hitler and Mussolini, and said dictators often come to power by democratic means.

She also disclosed that Clinton had reached out to her about a month ago in a telephone call.“Time and again history has shown that when demagogues have gotten power or come close to getting power, it usually does not end well,” Whitman said.

Whitman said she is even willing to campaign for the former secretary of state.

Whitman will donate an amount in the “mid-six figures” to the Clinton campaign, the Times said, quoting an aide to her.

Whitman was a top fundraiser for Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign and chaired New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s finance team this year until he pulled out of the race.

When Christie endorsed Trump, Whitman accused the governor of an “astonishing display of political opportunism, the Times said.