At least 18 people were killed on Sunday in an artisanal gold mine collapse in southern Niger, the local mayor said on Monday.

The disaster took place in the southern Maradi region, near the border with Nigeria. The death toll is likely to rise, said Adamou Guero, mayor of the commune of Dan Issa.

"When we arrived at the site yesterday, people were still searching for bodies," he said.

"It's something which is common in gold mines. It's very difficult to control," Guero added.

Artisanal miners often use old-fashioned and unregulated methods of digging, leading to frequent deadly accidents.

Increasing demand for metals and rising prices have triggered a boom in small-scale mining in poor countries around the world in recent years. The activity is common across much of West Africa.

Reuters

No fewer than 213 persons have lost their lives in seven major building collapse incidents in Lagos State in the last seven years.

This is just as at least 145 buildings have collapsed in the state between 2007 and now.

The 213 figure is the summation of casualties in seven different incidents between 2014 and 2020.

It was learnt that while the state government had taken possession of the building sites and threatened sanctions, there has been no known conviction.

In a bid to instil sanity in the industry, a former governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola, set up a tribunal to look into the matter in 2013. The tribunal, headed by Abimbola Ajayi, an architect, blamed weak enforcement of laws, especially the 2010 Planning Regulations and Building Control Law, “crass indiscipline and gross corruption by all and sundry” for the problem.

The tribunal discovered that 135 cases of building collapse were recorded in Lagos between 2007 and 2013. A tally by The PUNCH showed that at least 10 more buildings have since collapsed in the state based on media reports, bringing the total to at least 145.

The most notable collapse was that of the guesthouse of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, which claimed 115 lives in 2014.

Lagos State Coroner, Oyetade Komolafe, ruled that the church should be prosecuted, but no charges were preferred against its owner, Temitope Joshua, until his death this year.

On March 8, 2016, a five-storey building owned by Lekki Gardens crumbled, killing 34 persons, according to the state government, although the firm claimed only five died.

Managing Director of Lekki Gardens Estate, Richard Nyong, and seven others were arraigned for criminal negligence, but last year, Babajide Taiwo, the prosecution counsel, told the court that all the parties involved came to an agreement on January 23, 2020 and resolved to settle out of court.

It was gathered that the terms of the settlement included payment of N100m fine by Lekki Gardens Estate to the state government and N50m as compensation to families of the victims. However, only five of the victims’ families were identified.

On March 30, 2018, a one-storey building collapsed at No. 9 Abeje Street, Morikaz Road, Agege, killing two persons, while scores were left injured.

On March 13, 2019, a three-storey building at No. 53 Massey Street in the Ita Faaji area of Lagos Island collapsed, killing 20 persons and leaving over 40 trapped. Many of the deceased were pupils of a school operating in the building without a permit.

Following the collapse of the building, Lagos State Building Control Agency conducted integrity tests on buildings in the area and found that 150 had suffered structural distress and were not fit for human habitation.

On July 11, 2020, three persons died, while nine were injured when a three-storey building collapsed on Freeman Street, Lagos Island.

On July 8, 2021, a five-year-old child died when a building came down at No. 19 Church Street, off Adeniji Adele Street, Lagos Island.

In the latest incident, a 21-storey building in Ikoyi collapsed on Tuesday in which 43 persons have so far been confirmed dead.

When contacted on Thursday by one of our correspondents, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said, “How do you react to something that happened before you got into government? It will not be fair for me to answer for what happened years ago.

“Let us be realistic. I don’t know anyone that has been taken to court or has been convicted by the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and that is because this is the first major building collapse with a high number of casualties that I can recall under Sanwo-Olu’s watch.

“The governor has done the right thing. He has set up a panel of inquiry comprising experts, and he has said anyone who is found culpable will not be spared.”

Punch

Anambra governorship election has been declared inconclusive by INEC.

The state Returning Officer for the election, Florence Obi, vice-chancellor of University of Calabar, who made the declaration in the early hours of Monday, said this was because there was no election in Ihiala Local Government Area which has over 148,000 registered voters.

Charles Soludo, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), scored a total of 103,946 votes and won the election in 18 out of the 21 local government areas of the state.

His closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party scored 51,322 and won in only one local government area.

“Based on constitutional provision and consideration of the Electoral Act as well as the revised regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections issued by the commission, supplementary election is indicated for Ihiala Local Government Area,” the state returning officer, Obi said.

She said the constitution provides for a candidate to secure both the highest number of votes cast and 25 per cent of votes cast in at least two-third of the local government areas of the state to declare the winner.

“Therefore, it is important to complete the election in Ihiala to make this determination,” she said.

PT

Supporters of Chukwuma Soludo, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), on Sunday, thronged his residence ahead of the election result announcement.

Soludo has so far secured the majority of the votes cast in Saturday’s Anambra governorship election.

The results of the election were formally announced at the INEC state collation centre in Awka, Anambra State, on Sunday.

Political associates, youths and women in their hundreds thronged Soludo’s residence at Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area, on Sunday.

Some of the residents, who spoke with our correspondent, said that they believed that he would emerge winner at the end of the process.

Chioma Ocha said she was happy because a governor would emerge from her community.

“We are here to show solidarity to our brother and son while we wait for INEC to announce the final result.

“But I’m particularly happy that my town, Isuofia, will be producing the next governor of Anambra. That is a very big achievement,” She said.

Also speaking, another resident, Chinedu Ogubuiro, said he came to jubilate with Soludo ahead of INEC’s announcement.

“I am one of Soludo’s kinsmen and I want to be on the ground to celebrate with him when INEC announces the results of the election,” he said.

Soludo, who joined the crowd in singing, urged them to be patient as INEC would announce the results of the election.

Disparities

The APGA candidate won in 17 of the 21 local government areas of the state. One local government was won by the PDP candidate (Valentine Ozigbo) while the candidate of the YPP, Ifeanyi Ubah, also won in one local government.

Soludo was, however, not declared the winner of the election yet due to the technicalities with the figures.

NAN

Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has decried growing security challenges in the country, claiming the union has lost at least 800 of its members to the insurgency which has been ravaging the Northeast zone of the country.

It also threatened to withdraw teachers from some local government areas in some states in the Northwest over rising kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities ravaging the zone.

President of NUT, Nasir Idris, who stated this during an interview with selected journalists in Abuja at the weekend, asked the federal government to wake up to its responsibility of protecting lives and property.

“I can say that we have lost up to 800 teachers in the Northeast.

“And about the issue of banditry in Northwest, not that we have lost teachers but teachers are being kidnapped together with their children because some of these teachers said you can’t carry our students and go with them alone, carry us along.

“We can’t just allow you to carry our students alone. So, we have these problems honestly,” the union leader said while fielding questions from newsmen on NUT’s position on the kidnapping of a vice principal who was abducted a few days ago at one of the Abuja schools.

He added, “We want to appeal to the federal government again to provide security in our schools, not only security but enough ones so that they can man these schools where we are having problems.

“The problems are in some local governments in some states where we have this banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, etc. We have lost a lot of members as far as this issue is concerned.

“Any place that the federal government does not provide enough security, we can’t just put our children and teachers in problems, that’s why we said that if security isn’t going to be provided, definitely we are going to ask our teachers in those areas to withdraw their services. We’ve made this clear to the federal government.”

Idris also asked the federal government to make the teaching profession more attractive by fast-tracking the approval of policies on 65 years of age in service and 40 years in service as well as better welfare package.

According to him, classrooms at basic levels were already deserted, saying maltreatment of teachers by the federal, state and local governments have forced many people out of the profession.

Daily Trust

• An Afghan father trying to provide food for his family sold his kid daughter to a 55-year-old man.

• Parwana Malik sold for $2,200, according to CNN.

• A few months ago, Abdul Malik sold his 12-year-old daughter, also to make ends meet.

An Afghan father said he sold his 9-year-old daughter, Parwana Malik, to a man for $2,200 to be able to afford food for his wife and other kids, CNN reported.

The family has lived in a northwest province of Afghanistan for years, struggling to pay for basic needs like food. Together, they earn just a few dollars a day, according to CNN. A few months ago, Parwana's father sold her 12-year-old sister to make ends meet.

The family was forced this time around to sell another child, once again to put food on the table. Parwana's parents sold her to a 55-year-old for $2,200, according to CNN.

Parwana's father, Abdul, is "broken," CNN reported. He and his wife tried to borrow money from relatives and beg on the streets but could not come up with enough. "We are eight family members," he told CNN. "I have to sell to keep other family members alive."

Last month, a woman named Saleha said she sold her 3-year-old daughter for $550 because, like the Maliks, she didn't have enough money to sustain herself. When Insider readers heard of Saleha's story, dozens offered to pay off her debt.

Afghanistan is heading toward "universal poverty" following the Taliban's swift takeover of the country, according to a projection from a United Nations' development agency.

Within a year, the poverty rate in Afghanistan will hover at a whopping 97% or 98%, said Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP's Asia-Pacific Director.

"Afghanistan pretty much faces universal poverty by the middle of next year," Wignaraja said. "That's where we're heading - it's 97-98% no matter how you work these projections."

The Taliban took over Afghanistan following President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw US troops from the region after two decades spent trying to rid the country of extremists. In its takeover, the Taliban renamed the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, reverting back to the same name used during the last time the regime held power, in 1996. The regime remained in power until 2001, after the US invaded Afghanistan.

After the US ousted the Taliban from power in 2001, Afghanistan made several developmental gains including the doubling of per capita income and an increase in the average number of years of education, Wignaraja said.

Over the past two decades, Afghanistan made significant economic gains that are now in danger of collapsing because of political instability. Afghanistan faces "a crush on local banking" because of the Taliban takeover, Wignaraja said. That instability is only worsened by the pandemic.

The Biden administration, in an effort to limit the Taliban's resources, froze nearly $10 billion in reserves in the country's central bank - most of which is reportedly held by the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. The move has been criticized as misdirected and will ultimately hurt Afghans more than the Taliban, Shah Mehrabi, a senior board member of Da Afghanistan Bank, told Bloomberg.

Business Insider

Time is the biggest asset of all, and entrepreneurs can have more than 24 hours a day if they buy it from others. 

Entrepreneurship is a calling that not every person is meant to answer. For those who do, there are many rewards and many achievements to be had. However, with each opportunity for success, there are risks of failure and downfall, and there are easily avoidable mistakes that can have a huge impact on their businesses. 

Many major errors go unnoticed, leaving business owners unaware that the choices they make are having negative consequences on their organization. Thankfully, once the issues have been identified, there are easy solutions to return to growing a thriving business. Here are a few common mistakes and solutions. 

1. Not time blocking

We wear many hats, which can lead to many minor tasks and errands that take up most of the day. Without compartmentalizing time, those simple tasks get sporadic, build-up, become disorganized, and ultimately very little gets done. Think of all the drafted emails that never got sent because you answered a text. Think of all the unanswered texts because your partner needed help with something. Think of all the broken promises because your client asks why the email wasn’t sent. The vicious time vortex goes on and on. 

Time mapping is the solution. This technique allows entrepreneurs to enjoy balance and the necessities in their life while helping ensure that the majority of the day is dedicated to their work. 

Time mapping gives you a 30,000-foot view of where your time is actually going. To time map correctly, create a spreadsheet of your day broken down into 15-minute intervals, and spend 30 minutes in the morning mapping out your day. Then spend the remainder executing on it—color coordinate different types of tasks like work, relationships, essentials, personal, etc. 

2. Too many phone calls

Yes, that one-hour phone call could have been a 5-minute email. Yes, those three team members in your Zoom call just sitting there not saying a word could be better spending their time elsewhere. And yes, the whole event was a colossal misuse of time and energy. 

The old saying goes, "People need to like you, know you, and trust you before wanting to do business with you.” The only purpose of a call or Zoom is to check off these boxes as fast as possible with new clients. If clients are upset or team members aren’t performing, this may justify a call to readjust expectations or problem solve. Otherwise, everything else can be answered by email or organized by a CRM. These systems are essential for teams. 

3. Not having a personal assistant 

Many first-time entrepreneurs think they can handle everything on their own. Most also think that they have an incredibly tight budget that doesn't allow for additional help. This leads to them being disorganized and ineffective. 

By hiring a personal assistant, entrepreneurs learn to really value their time. Even if you don’t think you can afford an assistant, hire one anyway. You’ll make more money in the long run if you invest in the right help. Personal assistants can help hold you accountable and give you a sounding board for your ideas. 

Many great ideas stay stuck in an entrepreneur’s head, but an assistant allows you to voice your thoughts to someone you trust and get a reaction. You can even treat a personal assistant like a business partner (without handing out equity) and gather feedback and suggestions to improve your company.

4. Not doing enough outreach 

While everyone wants to be a millionaire, few put a plan in place to do so, and even fewer ask for it. Many entrepreneurs avoid the outreach stage of sales and biz dev. While they should be constantly asking for help by sending direct messages to clients, investors, talent, service providers, and others who can offer assistance. In other words, A.B.D.M (Always Be DM'ing).

DMs are a lot faster and easier than calls and are easily accessible in the digital economy we have today. Make sure you follow up on your DMs and try using voice memos to send your thoughts rather than a formal typed message to make your DMs personal and authentic. 

5. Forgetting to have a larger-than-life personal brand

Entrepreneurs are so focused on creating value for others, they totally forget their own personal brand. By investing heavily in PR, TV, online publications and magazines, you'll receive massive social media growth. And with the features and large following, you’ll establish authority and credibility, which is so important to new sales and partnerships and growing your business. 

If Kylie Jenner's Instagram account suddenly reset to 1,000 followers, she wouldn't get back 275 million, and her sales would plummet. The majority population (or bandwagoners we call them) would move on to something else. And so would the media. 

These “vanity metrics” are far more important than people once thought. And when Warner Music purchased Daquan, a meme page on Instagram, for $85 million, it became apparent these pages are valuable digital assets. 

6. Forgetting that holding cash will make your broke

Some entrepreneurs think that money in the bank is a sign of success. However, the opposite is true. With the rate that inflation is increasing over 4 percent this year combined with government bailouts, money in the bank actually means you are in big trouble. 

The cost of goods and living is going up, and your team is constantly going to want higher wages to match those growing rates. You need to invest your company's earnings in stocks and real estate and use a small amount to invest in cryptocurrency and small businesses. You need to hedge yourself and try and multiply your diminishing dollars. 

7. Forgetting to go digital or go extinct

The pandemic has propelled us forward a decade into the digital age. The ways that companies work and do business are rapidly changing. Many employees within the same business haven’t met each other, and many clients haven’t met their service providers, but that doesn’t stop people from working or buying.

This allows you to experience unlimited creative power to build digital opportunities and companies. Kids will one day laugh at the idea of going to work in an office, and SaaS products are quickly replacing the functions that once took an entire department to handle. The scalability of these types of services is unbelievable.

If you don't get with the times and format your business for the digital era, you'll quickly find yourself biting the dust.

Entrepreneur

A yet-to-be-identified middle aged female driving along Gbongan-Osogbo Road on Saturday plunged her car into the Gbodofon river, causing panic among road users.

She was however rescued unhurt by locals after her car plunged into the Osun river.

The woman driving a Toyota Camry was said to be heading towards Olaiya when the car suddenly veered off the road on the Gbodofon bridge in Osogbo and plunged into the river.

The incident according to an eye witness, Samson Owoyokun occurred around 11:40 am and she was rescued by locals around the area before the fire service arrived at the scene.

Owoyokun, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on Special Duties, said he was just around the community to attend to personal issues when the accident happened.

“Thank God the driver came out unhurt while no life was lost in the accident.

“When she was rescued by locals, she was too shaken and could not talk. She was taken to a private hospital for treatment,” he said. He, therefore, urged motorists to be careful when driving to avoid unnecessary loss of life.

Meanwhile, the Federal Fire Service revealed that the driver of the vehicle was likely to be on high speed before the vehicle swerved into the median and fell into the Osun River, after loosing control.

Efforts to get the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to tow the vehicle out of the river were ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has won five Local Government Areas in the ongoing governorship election.

The local governments are Awka South, Onitsha South and Enugu Anambra East, Anaocha, and Anambra East.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Sunday for the final collation of the election.

There are 21 LGAs in Anambra but only the results of five have been announced at LG collation centers and it has been a clean sweep for the candidate of the ruling party in Anambra.

Soludo has a total of 38,413 votes from the five LGAs and he is being trailed by Valentine Ozigbo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who has 14,543 votes, while Andy Uba, comes a distant third with 8,145 votes.

Below are the results of the candidates in the LGAs.

AWKA SOUTH

APC – 2595

APGA – 12891

PDP – 5489

Onitsha South LG

APC – 2050

APGA – 4281

PDP – 2253

Enugu Anambra East LGA.

APC 381

APGA: 4584

PDP: 313

Anambra East LGA

APC 2034

APGA: 9746

PDP: 1380

Anaocha LGA

APC – 2085

APGA – 6911

PDP – 5,108

Daily Trust

The ongoing ANAMBRA election was marred by voter apathy, vote-buying, late arrival of materials and the malfunction of the BVAS machine.

Despite the efforts by INEC to ensure a hitch-free exercise, there were several complaints from voters in towns like Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Isuofia and some other parts of the state.

Voting was expected to start by 8.30am but as of 11am voting was yet to commence in most centres in Awka, the state capital. With over two hours into the voting exercise, the people of Mgbakwu in Awka North were still awaiting voting materials, which later arrived after midday.

Party agents and voters waiting at Central School lamented the absence of materials and electoral officers. The school houses the two polling units in the town.

A party agent, Benneth Aniezeofor, lamented that the development would impact the exercise negatively as people might lose interest.

“Late arrival of materials will disenfranchise many voters and people may run out of patience and leave which is not good for the election,” he added.

Another resident said, “We called them and they told us the materials and polling officers were on the way. We also got the information that the vehicle being used to convey the material developed a fault in the way. One can only hope that the materials will arrive. We have to vote.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for INEC in the state, Reginald Onyeukwu, directed one of our correspondents to his superior.

He said, “I am far away at Aghamelum, please make a report to my HOD in the office, maybe there are some problems.”

Due to low voter turnout at Nkwo Market Square in Akwa Central, party agents were seen going from one house to another and calling family members and friends on the telephone to come out and vote.

One of the party agents, Joseph Nnake, attributed the apathy to fear, saying low voter turnout could mar the exercise. He also described the election as peaceful.

One of our correspondents observed vote-buying at the Nkwo Market Square. Voters were paid N2,500. After voting, the interested voters were ushered to a secluded room to collect the money. A police officer was also heard telling his junior colleague to collect their own share of the money from party agents.

At Ward 19, Unit 8 at the Ezenifite Town Hall, Okpuno in Awka South Local Government Area, voting finally commenced at about 9.35am.

The Registration Area Officer, Ibrahim Ganiyu, disclosed that they worked overnight at the centre to ensure that ad hoc staff moved to the field early on Saturday. He noted that corps members needed further guidance regarding the process.

Reports from other local government areas across the state indicated that voting did not commence at 8.30am. A 63-year-old woman, Madam Theresa, said she would wait till voting started.

“I am a native of Cross River State but my late husband hailed from this town. I came out to vote. I am not afraid of any kind of harassment or intimidation. Even if they shoot me, I will die and go to where my late husband is,” she said.

At Ward 9, Ezimezi in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government, a mild drama ensued as voters protested  the instruction by the presiding officer, Ahmed Abdulahi, who said ‘No facemask, no voting’.

Irked by the order, a former Anambra State House of Assembly member, Chikodi Aghanya, described the instruction as “rubbish”.

A presiding officer however explained that it was INEC’s instruction and they would implement it, while admitting that they were having challenges with the network to operate.

Meanwhile, Governor Willie Obiano and his deputy, Nkem Okeke, hailed the process, describing it as transparent.

The governor, who has cast his ballot at Eri Primary School, Unit 004, Otuocha 1, Aguleri, Anambra East LGA of the state said, “I appeal to Ndi Anambra to come out and vote as the voting exercise would last for only a few hours. I commend the voting process, it was fast and easy. I am optimistic that the entire exercise would be free and fair across the state.”

INEC extends voting till Sunday

Meanwhile, INEC extended voting till Sunday in areas where voting could not be concluded on Saturday.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Nkwachukwu Orji, said at a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Awka, the state capital, on Saturday that the poll would open at 8.30am and close at 4pm on Sunday.

He said the revised closing time would apply to areas where polling units opened after 8.30am.

He said, “In line with existing regulations and guidelines of the commission, any intending voter who is in the queue by 4pm shall be allowed to vote. All Polling Units staff must comply with this directive.

“The time extension arose out of several field reports that voters had problems with accreditation. The commission is currently investigating the reason the accreditation devices, Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, worked perfectly in some polling units but not in others. In some of the cases, it would seem that this resulted from software glitches.

“Our technicians have already built an update for the device software to prevent further challenges. The update is currently being installed in the concerned BVAS and we request voters, candidates and agents to be patient and allow our technical staff to solve the problem.

“The commission wishes to reiterate that in cases of sustained malfunction of the BVAS, the Presiding Officer must inform the voters and polling agents that accreditation and voting for the affected polling unit shall continue tomorrow or at another time determined by the commission.”

The REC promised that no voter would be disenfranchised. He, however, lamented that some ad hoc staff and transporters contracted to move polling materials and personnel failed to show up.

He added, “Our deployment has also been adversely affected by transport challenges in some locations. It must be noted that on account of security concerns, some of the transporters that were mobilised and collected 50 per cent of their sign-on fee backed out at the last moment, leaving some of our ad hoc staff stranded.

“Also, some of the trained ad hoc staff backed out at the last moment. The commission is on top of these challenges and extant regulations and guidelines will be applied on a case-by-case basis.

“Consequently, we are harvesting areas where voting will realistically no longer take place today, including places where substantial disruption has occurred to enable a possible recommencement of voting at another time, in line with extant laws and the regulations and guidelines of the commission.

“We appeal to all voters, candidates, stakeholders, communities and political parties to remain calm and law-abiding. We assure you that the commission is determined to make all votes count.”

Punch