Armed-drone club growing thanks to China

WASHINGTON -- Early this month, a Nigeria military crew operating a Chinese-built drone struck a suspected terrorist base tied to Boko Haram in the county's remote Sambisa Forest. The strike on Feb. 2 marked Nigeria's first foray into drone warfare, making it the sixth country to use remotely piloted drones for targeted killing. The United States and and the United Kingdom fly U.S.-made armed MQ-1 Predators or MQ-9 Reapers, and Israel builds its own. But the three newcomers -- Nigeria, Pakistan and Iraq -- all took advantage of China's growing exports of the unmanned aircraft systems that are reshaping modern warfare. That worries some military analysts who see China as undermining U.S. attempts to control a technology that gives poorer countries a relatively inexpensive bombing system. China is "engaged in an ambitious effort" to sell drones in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, said Ian Easton, a research fellow at the Project 2049 Institute, which is based in Arlington, Va., and tracks security issues in Asia. A total of 78 countries now deploy surveillance drones. More than 20, including the six named above, either have or are developing armed drones, according to the New America Foundation, a nonprofit public policy institute in Washington that tracks the industry. The U.S. is by far the most prolific user of drones. Independent groups say more than 500 U.S. military and CIA drone strikes have killed about 3,800 militants, about 400 civilians and at least eight Americans, in seven countries over the last decade. Most U.S. military drone exports are limited by the Missile Technology Control Regime, a 1987 international accord meant to limit the spread of ballistic missiles. The State Department agreed in February 2015 to relax those Cold War-era restrictions. Each sale requires congressional approval under the foreign military sales program, and only two foreign sales -- Spain and Italy -- have gone through in recent months. David McKeeby, a spokesman for the State Department's bureau of political and military affairs, said the U.S. policy is to try to ensure future sales aren't high-risk. "Moving forward, the United States intends to work with foreign partners to develop international standards for the sale, transfer and use of military [drones] more broadly," he said. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., a state-owned entity, has found a ready market for its medium-altitude, long-distance drones since 2011, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Sweden that documents the global arms trade. China has sold at least five armed CH-3 drones to Nigeria, four to Iraq and an unknown number of larger CH-4 drones to Pakistan, the institute says. The CH stands for "caihong," or "rainbow." The CH-3 is a stubby-looking plane with a 26-foot wingspan and a propeller in the back. The CH-4 appears to be a copy of the U.S.-made Reaper, with a bulbous nose, a 60-foot wingspan and a V-tail fin. "There is increasing demand around the world for this technology, and China is seizing on it," Pieter Wezeman, a researcher at the Stockholm institute, said in a telephone interview. "China does not have political restraints to sell arms. So when they see an opportunity, they will take it." The proliferation became obvious last year. On Sept. 6, Pakistani military spokesman Gen. Asim Bajwa announced on Twitter that the army had launched its first drone strike to kill three "high-profile terrorists" in North Waziristan, a tribal area in northwestern Pakistan. Three months later, on Dec. 6, the Iraqi military announced that it had used a Chinese CH-4 drone during its offensive to retake the city of Ramadi from Islamic State militants. The first sign of Nigeria's CH-3 drone fleet emerged in January last year when one crashed, and photos of the debris appeared online. The next was this month's airstrike against the Boko Haram camp in the forest. "We are not concerned about [Nigerian government forces] having this technology," said Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Falvo, spokesman for Pentagon's Africa Command, "as long as it is applied in a responsible manner and solely in an effort to better secure their borders against violent or illegal activities that disrupt stability or present a danger."

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FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION...TO BE LEGALIZED???

Mild female genital mutilation should be legalised – Gynecologists Two United States gynecologists, writing in the Journal of Medical Ethics have said that mild female genital mutilation should be made legal. They argued that permitting more minimal procedures would allow families to uphold cultural and religious traditions while protecting girls from more dangerous forms of cutting. According to CBC news, communities which support FGM often consider it a prerequisite for marriage. Many also see it as a religious obligation, although it is not mentioned in the Qur’an or Bible. Gynecologists Kavita Shah Arora and Allan Jacobs said procedures that slightly changed the look of a girl’s genitalia without damaging them were comparable to male circumcision or cosmetic procedures in Western countries like labiaplasty. As written in the in the specialist publication by the British Medical Journal, the women said laws against mild modifications were “culturally insensitive and supremacist and discriminatory towards women.” Female genital cutting and female circumcision, is the ritual removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. Typically carried out by a traditionalist using a blade, with or without anaesthesia. FGM is concentrated in 27 African countries, Indonesia, Yemen and Iraqi Kurdistan, and found elsewhere in Asia, the Middle East and among diaspora communities around the world. It is conducted from days after birth to puberty and beyond. In half the countries for which national figures are available, most girls are cut before the age of five. The procedures differ according to the ethnic group. They include removal of the clitoral hood and clitoral glans, removal of the inner labia, and in the most severe form (known as infibulation) removal of the inner and outer labia and closure of the vulva. In this last procedure, a small hole is left for the passage of urine and menstrual fluid; the vagina is opened for intercourse and opened further for childbirth.

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IMPORTATION A MENACE TO THE ECONOMY

Chief Eric Umeofia, Chief Executive Officer, EriscoBonpet Group, who disclosed that 91.9 percent of imported tomatoes pastes from China into Nigeria are substandard, said that the simplest way to stop dumping is to ban importation of finished goods. A fully loaded truck in one of the inland dry ports in the sub-region, will be delayed, harassed for bribes by the numerous security agents along the region’s transport corridor before it gets to its destination. Umeofia whose company produces tomato paste locally, said: “Importation is doing a lot of damage to us. The influx of foreign goods is one of the dangers the Nigerian manufacturers and producers are facing, because the cost of production here is quite high. The power situation, the cost of diesel, compared to production cost in Asia, we discover that the goods that come in here from those places would be far cheaper and at times, leave only a small margin between our cost of production and cost of sales. So, it is a very big problem, so many producers cannot just survive. “Fiscal policy should be put in place to discourage much of the importations of these goods and services. High tariffs should be placed on those goods they know that we have the capability of producing here in Nigeria. It is not too difficult to take a census or to sample goods that are being produced here and such goods; government should have a deliberate policy from Ministry of Finance hiking the tariffs of the imported ones. “That is the simplest way to stop it and it takes some good patriotic and political will to do this, and I encourage the government and the CBN to do this for the good of us all. I agree that the world is a global market right now, but we have to look at our position, we are a consuming nation. Those that are exporting to us right now, we must realise that there was a time when they had a closed market, and they did not allow goods from outside their country to flow in,” he said. According to Umeofia, a study conducted by NAFDAC recently, revealed that majority of the tomato pastes in the market across the country fall short of required standard. “The laboratory analysis of study which covers 27 main markets and four major supermarkets in Lagos indicated that 286 tomato paste out of 298 sampled fall short of the codex standards and the Nigerian Industrial Standards has specified that tomato content should be 28 percent minimum.” He said that another survey carried out by Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology, NISLT, showed that of 16 tomatoe paste samples analysed for 13 parameters selected, some manufacturers compromised standard in area of amount of lycopene, starch content and heavy metal contamination. He said it will be in the interest of local manufacturers for imported tomato paste brands in retail packs from China and other high risk countries to be suspended and immediate mop ups of those brands of tomatoes paste already in circulation. “Apart from killing Nigerians with their substandard tomato pastes, these people are also killing the Nigerian economy as they dump these substandard tomato pastes with subsidies from their home government. In the end, genuine manufacturers of tomato pastes find it difficult to remain in business as the consumers unfortunately go for this perceived cheaper tomato paste brands, not knowing they are paying for ill health and untimely death,” he stated. Umeofia commended CBN for its recent monetary policy tools, adding that the forex measure is a welcome development which will help reshape and reposition the real sector. He further urged CBN to monitor all the banks to ensure that the forex made available is not diverted to traders and Bureau De Change dealers, stressing that government should focus on industrialising Nigeria and not to trade the country away. Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/importation-doing-us-a-lot-of-damage/

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DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SHED SOME FAT?

5 foods you should not eat again When you are trying to get healthy and lose weight, there are certain foods you should avoid. Most of these food are obvious because they contain ingredients known to cause weight gain. There are some foods not as obvious and can be just as bad for you. These foods are a problem because most people do not know how to avoid them and therefore consume them more often than they should. Here are five such foods you should never eat again. White bread White bread is a local staple but the truth is, it doesn’t have any nutritional value. It contains a lot of sugar and isn’t as filling as desired. Substitute your white bread for whole grain or whole wheat bread when possible. Also substitute bread on your sandwiches with lettuce leaves or whole grain tortillas. Fried Foods Many people only associate fried food with fast food restaurants and do not realize they also consume them at home. Avoid frying any meal, consider baking or broiling instead. Fried foods are not nutritious and can cause blood pressure and cholesterol levels to rise. They can also cause you to gain weight needlessly. Cream-based salad dressings Salads can be very nutritious but can become unhealthy when covered in cream-based dressings that contain a lot of fat and calories. There can be more calories in your salad dressing than in the rest of your entire salad. Try oil-based salad dressings instead. They taste lighter, and have less calories. White rice Rice is a common staple but the truth is, white rice can cause your body to store fat when it doesn’t need to. It also has no nutritional value. Local rice (Abakaliki) and brown rice is the best option because it is full of fibre, vitamins and nutrients. It will also keep you satisfied longer so you are less likely to overeat. High fructose corn syrup High fructose corn syrup can quickly cause you to gain weight and even make you have cravings for more sugar and sugary foods. Overeating sugary foods and foods that are high in fructose corn syrup can even lead to diabetes and other health problems. Avoid processed sugars and opt for fresh fruits and berries.

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5 Snacks you can only find in Nigeria

Nigeria is a haven for anyone seeking to explore gastronomic delights. Each community within the nation offers its own unique delicacies which you will find nowhere else – not even in restaurants! These food and snacks are different from rest of the world not only in taste but also in cooking methods as they reflect a perfect blend of cultures and histories. Just as the culture, snacks in Nigeria has had its fair share of western influences. However, there are some that remain originally unique to the country. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking portal, brings you an assortment of 5 snacks that are not ‘only’ be savoured, but are set to make your mouth water. Kuli kuli kulikuli A favourite Nigerian snack originated from the Hausa people of Northern regions of the country, Kuli-Kuli is primarily made from peanuts. The process of making this snack is such that peanuts are roasted and then ground into a paste called Labu, then mixed with spices, salt, and sometimes ground pepper. The paste is further stripped of excess oil, made into the desired shape then fried until it solidifies. While the snack is often eaten alone, it can be paired with a mixture of garri (cassava), sugar and water. It is often also ground and used as an ingredient for Suya and Kilishi. Kokoro A common crunchy snack consumed in the western parts of Nigeria, Kokoro is a found only in Nigeria. The snack is made from a paste of maize flour mixed with sugar and gari (cassava) or yam flour which is deep-fried in either groundnut or palm oil. Two kinds of the kokoro are sold in the local markets :the Crunchy plain type and the Crunchy Spicy type. The difference is noted in in shape and taste. Kilishi kilishi Kilishi ,also known as the Nigerian beef jerky, is one of the most loved meat delicacies derived either from beef, mutton or chevon, and it is common among Hausa people in Northern Nigeria. Kilishi is prepared by slicing lean meat into thin sheets which are sun dried on a raised wooden table covered in rush matting for about four hours. The dried sheets of meat are then immersed in “Labu”, a slurry of groundnut and seasonings including sugar, salt and paper. After being immersed in the Labu, the meat is returned to the rush matting to dry in the sun for a five to twelve hours. The final product is finally roasted briefly over fire, and can be kept for months without much change to its taste. Nigerian Chin Chin A crunchy deep-fried snack that originated from Nigeria and very popular around the country, Chin Chin is an ideal snack for periods you feel puckish or just light refreshment. The snack is very easy to make as it does not require baking or grilling. It is made from basic combination of flour, milk and sugar with optional ingredients like egg, baking powder and nutmeg. It can be made hard or crunchy and can last for weeks if stored in an airtight container. Kpekere Kpekere is the pidgin lingo for fried unripe plantain, a Nigerian snack found in almost every part of the country, mostly sold by street vendors and hawkers. It is also known as Igbekere by the Yoruba tribe of Western Nigerian. Kpekere is the simplest plantain recipe to try and it can be made in varieties : crunchy, salty, spicy or sweet.

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