Statement on the Withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement
MONTRÉAL, June 1, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The Honourable Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal and president of Metropolis, the 140-member world association of major cities, had this to say about the withdrawal of the United States of America from the Paris accord:
"The Paris Agreement is a diplomatic success story that expresses the international community's unprecedented will to put the world on a path to more sustainable development.
Cities played a persuasive role in the success of the Paris Conference, by affirming the determination of municipal leaders and regional authorities to act together to combat climate change.
The declared intention of the President of the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement is causing consternation in the world's major cities.
However, in spite of this setback, cities will not just stand down; they intend to fully shoulder their responsibilities.
Mayors from around the world will be meeting in Montreal from June 19 to 23 at the Metropolis World Congress. Under its theme of Global Challenges: Major Cities in Action, climate change will be at the heart of our deliberations, in collaboration with other networks of cities such as the C40 Climate Leadership Group and ICLEI.
Cities will remain at the forefront of the fight against climate change and will continue to provide constant leadership to maintain the momentum created by the Paris Agreement."
SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Cabinet du maire et du comité exécutif

CONTACT: Marc-André Gosselin, Press Officer, Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee, 514 290-1194.
I’m Bukola Ayinde, Founder of P4:13 Foundation and author of Diary of a Special Needs Mum.
Getting a diagnosis which says your child has Cerebral Palsy is a parent’s worst nightmare. I had my period of living in denial; wishing the problem would go away, like it was all a dream, but the reality stared me in the face.
My husband and I decided to face the challenge before us squarely.
We engaged different specialists; Neurologist, Paediatrician, Physiotherapist, Speech therapist, Occupational therapist, Special Needs Care Givers. At one point we were scouting for a very good physiotherapist.
A parent of a special needs child recommended a young lady to me. I mentioned her name {Bisola Anthonia Abayomi Ojo} to one of my daughter’s therapist who confirmed that the lady was very good at her job. However, she also confirmed that the lady could be arrogant. I spoke with another therapist on the field who also confirmed that the recommended Physiotherapist was good at what she does but she could be rude.
Well, at that point of my life, I didn’t mind if she was going to be rude to me or arrogant as far as she was as good as everyone had said, I was fine with that. All I wanted was to see was my child’s improvement, I could take any sh*t in between.
She came on board as my daughter’s physiotherapist. She was very professional and dedicated, but she didn’t come cheap. She didn’t come cheap at all.
My daughter attended a mainstream school that allowed her to use the sickbay as her pullout room for her physiotherapy session.
In June 2016, my daughter’s school proprietress requested that my husband and I should make out time to see her. When we eventually did a week later, she told us that the physiotherapist had manhandled our daughter and she was going to show us a CCTV recording to prove it.
At the back of my mind I felt the woman was exaggerating because therapy could be demanding at times. My child may cry, if she didn’t like the exercise or if the exercise was tasking.
However, when I watched the video, I was shocked beyond words that someone I trusted with my daughter could treat her worse than an animal. I believe that even an animal shouldn’t be treated that way.
I mean, she came highly recommended; she is a Masters degree holder. She is not an illiterate.
Apparently she didn’t remember that there was a CCTV in the room or she felt nobody would be checking the TV at that particular time.
It was heartbreaking to see my daughter treated by a health worker in such a barbaric act.
I watched my daughter as she fell down several times hitting her head on the tiles. There were times she hit her head on the edge of the wooden bed before falling to the ground.
Her Physiotherapist slapped her three times; the third time with her cell phone. She left her head hanging upside for 5 minutes. She twisted my daughter’s hands several times; at a point she sat on her hands, at another point she tied her hands behind her head. I watched as my daughter fell from her chair while her neck was stuck in between the space at the vertical back rest and the flat wood used for sitting down. I watched on as this lady typed on her phone 90% of the time only taking some time off to torture my daughter. Did I mention that she took out time to take her selfie? Up to five times.
After we watched the recording, my husband could not control his tears. My heart bled.
My daughter’s Neurologist said we cannot ascertain the level of damage to her brain because we did not bring her immediately it happened. He said an MRI would have been done to ascertain any damage.
I got her arrested.
She said she was sorry
She claimed depression and ill health
I didn’t believe her then, I don’t believe her now.
I had to make a decision, to leave my daughter in the hands of her nannies at home (which may be another source of abuse) and follow through to ensure the physiotherapist was duly punished. (Bearing in mind the justice system in Nigeria) or drop the charges lodged at the police station and allow Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board at Yaba to handle the matter.
I dropped the police charges. I decided to stay with my traumatized daughter.
I handed the Physiotherapist over to the Registrar at Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board at Yaba.
Her punishment:
• Three months withdrawal of her practicing license.
• Three months work in a general hospital under supervision without pay
• She was to undergo a psychiatric test
Like seriously? Are you kidding me?
She had been practicing for a year without renewing her license and all you could do was to withdraw her license officially for a mere three months?
She went back to the Registrar at Medical Rehabilitation Therapists to ask for permission to travel to USA to get treatment.
I called to check on the case, and I was told she had travelled for treatment
I was told not to worry as she cannot practice anywhere else in the world without a letter from the board.
Some months later, I was told by a reliable source that she was not taking any major treatments but attending a Masters programme in US.
So she got away with child abuse, assault, battery, in fact attempted murder.
This is only possible in Nigeria right?
I went back to Medical Rehabilitation Center, I was shocked to find out that the case had gone cold.
What stops her from coming back into the country and working with other children?
How many Nigerians ask for practicing license before employing a professional?
I strongly believe that the least the board should have done was to declare her unfit to work with children.
In respect to my daughter, the signs were there: She had been withdrawn for a while in fact she had stop smiling, interacting with anybody in the house or attempting to answer questions in school. I kept asking the care giver that followed her to school about the sudden change. The caregiver said she had no idea. I came up with my own theory and I brushed it aside.
How would I have known that a health worker, someone I trusted with my child could be so cruel? The Physiotherapist had been with us for over two years. I can only imagine….
Well, I pulled my daughter out of school and started her own mini school at home. I let go of my current caregivers for good reasons and got new ones. With care and love, she added weight, came out of her shell and got better. Right now she attends a school three times a week and we are making progress.
Child abuse is real…from the people you least expect. Protect your children.
UNFPA Ambassador Stephanie Linus Visits Democratic Republic of Congo on International Day to End Obstetric Fistula
As part of her commitment to raising awareness on maternal health issues, the UNFPA Regional Ambassador for West and Central Africa Stephanie Linus visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in commemoration of the International Day to End Obstetrical Fistula.
The theme of this year’s commemoration was tagged “hope, healing and dignity for all”, and it featured several activities aimed at giving hope to girls and women around Africa. From 23rd to 25th May, Mrs. Linus participated in a span of activities which included the screening of her award winning movie ‘DRY’, a private luncheon with African Ambassadors in the DRC and a visit to women repaired of fistula at the Biamba Marie Motombo Hospital in Kinshasa.
While speaking to the Ambassadors, Mrs. Linus requested them to work through their governments to do more for the girl child with emphasis on education, ending child marriage, ending obstetric fistula, improving access to health care.
The over 300-persons audience at the private viewing of DRY consisted of African Ambassadors in the DRC, Donors, Regional Director of UNFPA for the East and Southern Africa Region, UN heads of Agencies and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Ministers and High Ranking Government Officials, Young parliamentarians of DRC, Representatives of International and National NGOs, Members of the Civil Society and various media representatives. During her address, Mrs Linus declared that the theme of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula “hope, healing and dignity for all” is food for thought and that it is time to act and actively seek ways to do more to change unhealthy behaviors, to improve health systems, and improve human rights for all. “Women should not die while giving life. Girls have rights that need to be respected-education, decent jobs, chose who to marry and when to have children and how many of them. Every woman and girl has a right to be treated with respect and dignity”, she stated.
She challenged the audience to constantly ask themselves the question – What is it that I can do more and do better?
Mrs. Linus also met young artists in the National Institute of Arts in Kinshasa whom she encouraged to look around, pick up the issues that are affecting the society and pass messages to end those ills through arts, music, movie and drama.
Stephanie Linus was named the UNFPA Regional Ambassador in March 2017 in recognition of her far reaching advocacy for the rights of girls and women. As Regional Ambassador, Mrs. Linus will help advocate and raise awareness on maternal health issues across Africa, whilst encouraging policies and laws that protect the rights and dignity of the girl child.
Future of Africa's Youth Does Not Lie in Migration To Europe, Adesina Tells G7
ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, 29 May 2017 / PRN Africa / -- The future of Africa's youth does not lie in migration to Europe, but in a prosperous Africa, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, has said.
Adesina, who spoke at the G7 Summit in Taormina, Italy, at the weekend, stressed the need for African countries to create greater economic opportunities for its youth to stay home and live a meaningful life.
“We must turn rural areas from zones of economic misery to zones of economic prosperity. This requires new agricultural innovations and transforming agriculture into a sector for creating wealth. We must make agriculture a really cool choice for young people. The future millionaires and billionaires of Africa will come initially from agriculture,” Adesina said.
DEMOCRACY DAY SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, COMMEMORATING THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION, MAY 29, 2017.
Dear Nigerians, I bring you good wishes from President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who as we all know is away from the country on medical vacation.
1. Today marks the second anniversary of our assumption of office. We must thank the Almighty God not only for preserving our lives to celebrate this second anniversary, but for giving us hope, strength and confidence as we faced the challenges of the past two years.
2. Our administration outlined three specific areas for our immediate intervention on assumption of office: these were Security, Corruption and the Economy.
3. In the Northeast of our country, the terrorist group Boko Haram openly challenged the sovereignty and continued existence of the state, killing, maiming,and abducting, causing the displacement of the largest number of our citizens in recent history. Beyond the North East they extended their mindless killings, as far away as Abuja, Kano And Kaduna.
DigitalPR-Wire Emerges Official Media Partner for Nigeria Innovation Summit 2017
LAGOS, Nigeria, May 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
DigitalPR-Wire's innovative approach to media and PR strategy has gained more attraction as the platform has been selected as the official media partner for Nigeria Innovation Summit (http://innovationsummit.ng/).
NIS is an annual event that brings together stakeholders from different sectors of Nigeria's economy to share ideas, trends, and opportunities around technology, innovation and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria, and scheduled to hold from September 7-8, 2017 at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Pastor Reno Omokri.
Pastor Reno Omokri,
I read your ignorant political commentary, "Igbos Are Being Marginalized And This Is Evidence" posted on Nairaland
http://www.nairaland.com/3821696/igbos-being-marginalized-evidence-reno.
Let me address your ignorance with the following simple facts.
You were a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government that ruled the Federal Government for 16 years of which your kinsman (my brother in-law), former President, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan was in power for 8 years and his government built airports in other states, but failed to build one in his home state of Bayelsa.
The South East region has three airports and five other airports nearby in the south-south region.
Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri; Akanu Ibiam International Airport ; Asaba International Airport; Port Harcourt International Airport; Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar; Akwa Ibom International Airport , Uyo; Warri Airport and Benin Airport.
Port Harcourt to Aba is like driving from Ikeja to Lekki in Lagos city. So the Port Harcourt International Airport serves Aba. The Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri is also not far away from Aba. Asaba International Airport and Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu are enough to serve Anambra as well.
Please, try to be reasonable and logical in your political commentaries.
Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as the first black Governor-General of Nigeria.
Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, first President of Nigeria.
Major-General Aguyi Ironsi, first black General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Nigerian Arny and first military Head of State of Nigeria.
Igbos produced the first black rulers of Nigeria after the British Rule.
Igbos had the first and only Nigerian Governor-General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who was also the first President and first Senate President: Igbos had the first black General Officer Commanding (GOC) and first military Head of State, Major- General Aguyi Ironsi; Igbos have produced 8 of the 13 Senate Presidents of Nigeria since independence and there are more Igbo federal civil servants than any other Nigerian tribe. Therefore, Igbos have not been marginalized in Nigeria.
Faithfully, Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima. Author of TheVictory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream: My Testimony on the 2015 Presidential Election
The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) road construction in progress on Olasimbo Street in Onike, Yaba, Lagos state.
MFM is actively contributing to the development of Lagos, Africa's largest megacity.
In 2016, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon traveled to more than ten countries in five months to draw global attention to the urgent needs of some 130 million people severely impacted by armed conflicts and natural disasters. A VR crew was granted unprecedented access to capture the journey.
Released in Mr. Ban’s final weeks in office after a ten-year term, Home offers viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at Ban’s visits to communities where people are suffering in some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. This is the first time the UN Secretary-General has been featured in a virtual reality film.
An avid technology enthusiast, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that, “Virtual reality is a fascinating immersive technology. It has the power to make people perceive and feel one another’s reality and, in so doing, can help create empathy and compassion in a world that needs it more than ever.”
Encyclopedia : "The Bight of Biafra, or Mafra (named after the town Mafra in southern Portugal), between Capes Formosa and Lopez, is the most eastern part of the Gulf of Guinea; it contains the islands Fernando Po [Equatorial Guinea], Prince’s and St Thomas’s [São Tomé and Príncipe]. The name Biafra-as indicating the country-fell into disuse in the later part of the 19th century."
Coordinates 2°50′N 8°0′E River sources Niger Ocean/sea sources Gulf of Guinea Atlantic Ocean Basin countries Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon Max. length 300 km (190 mi) Max. width 600 km (370 mi)
The Bight of Biafra extends east of the Bight of Benin from the River Delta of the Niger in the north until it reaches Cape Lopez in Gabon. Besides the Niger River, other rivers reaching the bay are the Cross River, Wouri River, Calabar River, Ndian, Wouri, Sanaga, Nyong River, Ntem, Mbia, Mbini, Muni and Komo River.
