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Published 14 March 2021
Calotropis procera belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae. It is a shrub or a small tree with glaucous leaves. The flowers are green with blue or violet markings. Follicles are bladder-like used by children as handballs in local communities. The seeds have a mass of silky fibers that surround them and are used especially as a filling for mattresses, pillows, life preservers, sleeping bags and as insulation. It is common in semi- arid locations.
I have always known this plant as a milk coagulant as far back as the 80s. It was a tradition that we spend our school holidays in my hometown then, so on one of such periods, I sighted the plant and because I never saw such in the town we were living. I asked questions about it. It is Tumfafiya in Hausa, the Yoruba call it Ewe Bomubomu.
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Nike Popoola
Nike Popoola
Published 14 March 2021
A total of 1,877 organisations got the National Pension Commission’s clearance for getting appropriate pension and insurance covers for their employees in the fourth quarter of 2020.
This qualifies them to do business with the Federal Government.
This commission disclosed this in its report titled ‘Issuance of pension clearance certificates’ for the fourth quarter report obtained by our correspondent on Friday.
Part of the report read, “The commission received a total of 1,900 applications from private sector organisations for the issuance of pension clearance certificates.
“Out of this number, PCCs were issued to 1,877 organisations while 23 applications were declined due to inability of the organisations to meet the requirements for issuance of certificates.
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Chidiebube Okeoma
Published 14 March 2021
A former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has asked Governor Hope Uzodinma to stop inaugurating the projects he already when he was governor.
Okorocha, in a statement by his spokesperson, Sam Onwuemeodo, on Saturday, said it was embarrassing and worrisome for Uzodinma to be claiming and inaugurating his projects, urging the governor to build his own projects.
The statement read, “We appeal to His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma to stop claiming and inaugurating projects Senator Rochas Okorocha did when he governed the state from May 29, 2011 to May 28, 2019.
“It is not only embarrassing to the governor, his government and indeed the people of the state, but worrisome for the government to be claiming or taking the credit for the projects done by any of the governors before him, especially by Okorocha.