Headline

NDE, NIRSAL Train Graduates On Entrepreneurship Skills In Bauchi

Published

2 years ago

March 7, 2022

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), in Bauchi, on Monday, commenced a five day counseling clinic for 50 graduates on entrepreneurship development in the state.

The exercise was a collaboration between the NDE and the Federal Government’s Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) microfinance bank of the CBN.

Speaking during the commencement of the training, the Director-General of NDE, Malam Abubakar Fikpo said the essence of the training was to equip the participants with the necessary knowledge of how to obtain loans from not only NIRSAL but other financial institutions.

Represented by the state Coordinator of NDE, Mr Ali Yaya, Fikpo said “NIRSAL microfinance bank will tell us all the packages they have so that at the end of this training, you will be able to write your own feasibility report.

“With such an articulated feasibility report, you would be able to go to any bank and seek for loans without any hindrance.

“By God’s grace, most of you will be able to get the loans to start your own businesses.”

According to him, a series of lectures would be delivered to the participants on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial development as well as how to write a good business feasibility report, among others.

He advised the participants to listen attentively to the lectures and work hard to optimise opportunities given to them.

Earlier, Mr Jubrin Habeeb, Head of Department, Small Scale Enterprise (SSE), NDE, Bauchi, said that the training was also to sensitise the participants on how to keep their minds completely off white collar jobs.

He added that it was also to inject the spirit of entrepreneurship into the participants so as to become employers of labour.

In his address, Mr Yusuf Timothy, Credit and Marketing Officer, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, Bauchi, said the bank has a lot of packages and urged the participants to visit the bank at the end of the training for more information and loan applications.

He added that the bank was strategically located at the post office of anyplace it has it’s office located for easy access by the rural communities.

Timothy, who revealed that the bank has branches in three Local Government Areas of the state, namely, Bauchi, Jama’are and Katagum LGAs, added that it would soon establish offices in all the 20 LGAs of the state.

Headline

Catholic Monk Comes Out As Transgender, Urges Church To Embrace Trans Members

Published

2 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

A Catholic monk came out as transgender this month, saying the church has “to deal with” trans Catholics.

On May 17, Brother Christian Matson, a Catholic monk in Kentucky, told Religion News Service, “This Sunday, Pentecost 2024 (May 19), I’m planning to come out publicly as transgender.”

“You’ve got to deal with us, because God has called us into this church. It’s not your church to kick us out of—this is God’s church, and God has called us and engrafted us into it,” Matson, who holds a doctorate in religious studies, told the Church regarding transgender Catholics.

Matson transitioned during college and converted to Catholicism four years later. He hopes his coming out will spark meaningful discussions about the inclusion of transgender individuals within the Catholic community.

His announcement comes just a month after the Vatican released “Infinite Dignity,” a 20-page document that criticizes gender theory, abortion, and surrogacy as attacks on humanity’s connection with God.

Matson expressed disappointment that the Vatican’s stance on trans issues lacks scientific engagement. He has written multiple letters to the Vatican, urging leaders to interact more with transgender individuals.

Matson sought advice from a canon lawyer when he felt called to serve in the Church. The lawyer suggested the role of a diocesan hermit, which does not distinguish based on sex or gender.

Despite this, Matson faced rejections from several communities before finding acceptance in Kentucky.

“People who knew me said, ‘You clearly have a religious vocation,’ and these were all people who knew my medical history,” Matson said.

However, those responsible for decision-making within communities often refused to meet with him.

Bishop John Stowe, a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals in the Catholic Church, received a letter from Matson in 2020 and oversaw his vows in 2022.

Catholic monk comes out as transgender, urges Church to embrace trans members
Bishop Stowe gave Matson permission to come out as transgender

“My willingness to be open to him is because it’s a sincere person seeking a way to serve the church. Hermits are a rarely used form of religious life … but they can be either male or female,” Stowe told the RNS.

Matson spent his initial year almost entirely in prayer or working at a local theater and renewed his vows in 2023.

“I don’t have a hidden agenda, I just want to serve the church,” Matson said. “People can believe that or not.”

Headline

JUST IN: One Dead, Many Injured As Deadly Turbulence Hit Singapore-bound Plane

Published

11 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

One person died and multiple people were injured on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced “severe turbulence” while heading from London to Singapore before it was diverted to Bangkok on Tuesday, the company said.

“We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board,” the airline said on Facebook.

The PUNCH reports that the airline also on its X account, #SingaporeAir, confirmed the incident.

It posted, “Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route.

“The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024. We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft. More details at https://bit.ly/4bLqfCF. Regular updates will be provided on our Facebook and X accounts.”

The airline added that it was working with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to passengers, and was sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed.

Turbulence during a flight refers to the irregular or unpredictable movement of air that causes the aircraft to experience sudden, erratic motions.

It is a common occurrence and can range from mild bumps to severe jolts.

Details later

Headline

Iran President Had ‘Lot Of Blood On His Hands’ – White House

Published

1 day ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi had a “lot of blood on his hands”, the White House said on Monday despite Washington offering condolences after his death in a helicopter crash.

“This was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, saying Raisi was responsible for “atrocious” rights abuses in Iran and had supported regional proxies including Hamas.

Kirby said, however, that “as in any other case, we certainly regret in general the loss of life and offered official condolences as appropriate.”

Earlier, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced on Monday five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province.