U.S. Virgin Islands sues JPMorgan Chase…..

…accusing the bank of helping Jeffrey Epstein sex-traffic minors at his villa by ‘knowingly providing and pulling the levers through which recruiters and victims were paid’

  • A new lawsuit accuses Chase bank of ‘turning a blind eye’ to Epstein’s crimes 
  • The complaint was filed Wednesday in Manhattan District Court by the US Virgin Islands Attorney General’s office
  • The suit accuses Epstein of using his home on the islands for his horrific crimes 
  • Epstein, who died in 2019, was a client of JP Morgan Chase for 15 years  
  • The suit alleges that Chase ignored the various red flags surrounding Epstein

A new lawsuit launched by the US Virgin Islands’ attorney general on Wednesday accuses JPMorgan Chase of ‘turning a blind eye’ to the horrific sex crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein.

In the suit, USVI AG Denise George accuses Chase of ‘knowingly providing and pulling the levers through which recruiters and victims were paid.’ The complaint was filed in Manhattan District Court.

George goes on to allege that Chase ignored the truth surrounding Epstein, such as his 2008 conviction in Florida for procuring a child for prostitution, in order to keep him as a client, reports The New York Times. 

The bank, who have yet to comment on the suit, kept Epstein as a client between 1998 and 2013 before finally cutting ties.

For years, the secretive financier was based out of his his private island, Little St. James in the Virgin Islands. He was found dead in 2019 in his jail cell in Manhattan while awaiting trial on sexual abuse of minors and trafficking charges. The official cause of death was suicide.

The new lawsuit explicitly states that Epstein used his home on Little St. James for his sex crimes. In June, Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years prison for trafficking minors for sex.

Epstein first became a client at Chase in 1998. There have been numerous reports since his death that the bank’s executives sought to keep Epstein on board due to his connections with some of the richest people in the world.

One section of the lawsuit reads: ‘Human trafficking was the principal business of the accounts Epstein maintained at JPMorgan.’

AG George said that the suit was part of an ‘outgoing effort’ to bring accountability to those who helped to facilitate Epstein’s actions.

The complaint goes on to accuse Chase of concealing ‘wire and cash transactions that raised suspicion of a criminal enterprise whose currency was the sexual servitude’ of young girls.

The damages being sought by the US Virgin Islands are unspecified in the lawsuit.

The filing of the suit comes a day after President Joe Biden traveled to the Virgin Islands to enjoy some downtime and warmer weather and to ring in a new year with family.

The president and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, flew from Washington on Tuesday to St. Croix, one of three islands that make up the U.S. territory in the Caribbean.

The Bidens were joined by their daughter Ashley and her husband, Howard Krein, as well as grandchildren Natalie and Hunter, whose father was the president’s late son, Beau.

The LastPass Disclosure of Leaked Password Vaults Is Being Torn Apart By Security Experts

Last week, LastPass announced that attackers stole customer vault data after breaching its cloud storage earlier this year using information stolen during an August 2022 incident. “While the company insists that your login information is still secure, some cybersecurity experts are heavily criticizing its post, saying that it could make people feel more secure than they actually are and pointing out that this is just the latest in a series of incidents that make it hard to trust the password manager,” reports The Verge. Here’s an excerpt from the report: LastPass’ December 22nd statement was “full of omissions, half-truths and outright lies,” reads a blog post from Wladimir Palant, a security researcher known for helping originally develop AdBlock Pro, among other things. Some of his criticisms deal with how the company has framed the incident and how transparent it’s being; he accuses the company of trying to portray the August incident where LastPass says “some source code and technical information were stolen” as a separate breach when he says that in reality the company “failed to contain” the breach. He also highlights LastPass’ admission that the leaked data included “the IP addresses from which customers were accessing the LastPass service,” saying that could let the threat actor “create a complete movement profile” of customers if LastPass was logging every IP address you used with its service.

Another security researcher, Jeremi Gosney, wrote a long post on Mastodon explaining his recommendation to move to another password manager. “LastPass’s claim of ‘zero knowledge’ is a bald-faced lie,” he says, alleging that the company has “about as much knowledge as a password manager can possibly get away with.” LastPass claims its “zero knowledge” architecture keeps users safe because the company never has access to your master password, which is the thing that hackers would need to unlock the stolen vaults. While Gosney doesn’t dispute that particular point, he does say that the phrase is misleading. “I think most people envision their vault as a sort of encrypted database where the entire file is protected, but no — with LastPass, your vault is a plaintext file and only a few select fields are encrypted.”

Palant also notes that the encryption only does you any good if the hackers can’t crack your master password, which is LastPass’ main defense in its post: if you use its defaults for password length and strengthening and haven’t reused it on another site, “it would take millions of years to guess your master password using generally-available password-cracking technology” wrote Karim Toubba, the company’s CEO. “This prepares the ground for blaming the customers,” writes Palant, saying that “LastPass should be aware that passwords will be decrypted for at least some of their customers. And they have a convenient explanation already: these customers clearly didn’t follow their best practices.” However, he also points out that LastPass hasn’t necessarily enforced those standards. Despite the fact that it made 12-character passwords the default in 2018, Palant says, “I can log in with my eight-character password without any warnings or prompts to change it.”

Cardano vs Solana? Investors prefer Metacade (MCADE)

Cardano and Solana are two massive names in the world of crypto today. Many have claimed that they even have the potential to ‘kill’ Ethereum, as they burst onto the scene with some unique capabilities while also supporting decentralised applications (dApps).

However, things have changed in recent times. Plenty of investors now believe that Metacade, a project built on Ethereum, has much higher long-term potential.

Failed Assassinations

Cardano and Solana were once referred to as ‘ETH Killers.’ Despite the hype, they’ve both struggled to subdue the world’s biggest Web3 ecosystem so far. Both chains could offer higher transaction throughput and much cheaper fees, so why exactly have they failed in their attempt to knock Ethereum off its perch?

The 2 ecosystems themselves are home to many different projects. Additionally, they can both offer NFTs as well as all kinds of decentralised finance (DeFi) services. The problem is that not as many people seem to want to use these services when compared with projects based on Ethereum.

What is Solana (SOL)?

Solana (SOL) has been touted as a next-generation, high-performance blockchain. The network enables developers to build decentralised applications that are scalable, secure, and efficient, utilising a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism to reduce energy costs and increase transaction speeds.

However, the network has regularly experienced failure during its first 2 years of being active. Between June 2021 and June 2022, the Solana blockchain switched off 7 times. Since blockchains are supposed to be available 24/7/365, this has caused many investors to lose faith in the ecosystem. To compare, Bitcoin has been running continuously for 9 years straight.

What is Cardano (ADA)?

Cardano (ADA) has a similar offering to Solana but has had a much better track record in terms of network resilience. The key difference between Cardano and other networks is that it was the first blockchain to be developed through peer-reviewed research.

The ADA team is currently developing a new scalability solution for the network called Hydra. When this update goes live, it is expected that Cardano will be able to process up to 1,000,000 transactions per second (TPS), which is a monumental improvement on Ethereum’s, even after ‘The Merge’ increased ETH’s amount from 15 TPS to 100,000.

High promise, low demand

While both Solana and Cardano looked destined to ‘flip’ Ethereum in terms of market cap, this prediction has so far been wide of the mark. For Cardano, there are currently only 70,000 active wallet addresses, which is less than a tenth of Ethereum’s total.

dApps built on Ethereum have a unique advantage when it comes to users rates, because more people want to use the ecosystem. A project that looks set to take advantage of Ethereum’s integrated benefits is Metacade.

Metacade: Vast Usership Potential

Investors have started to look deeper into Metacade for a number of key reasons. The project is a brand-new play-to-earn ecosystem that is inherently community-focused and offers some amazing benefits to members.

As GameFi looks set to expand throughout a 3-billion-person market and conquer the gaming industry itself, projects like Metacade are extremely well-positioned to attract a large number of users. Considering that Metacade is a whole gaming arcade instead of a single title, this looks more than possible.

Community Initiatives

For players, it can often be difficult to find the latest (and most valuable) information to get the most out of their blockchain-playing experience. Metacade solves this problem by creating a hub for the gaming community to share all that they know, including the latest game developments and playing techniques.

On top of this, Metacade will provide MCADE token rewards to users for sharing their knowledge with the community. The platform incentivises a strong relationship between players and gives them more opportunities to earn in the process.

Owned by players

Metacade has plans to become a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO), which is another feature that looks set to attract a large number of users to the platform. MCADE holders can vote on how the platform will operate in the future, as the Metacade platform gives more power back to gamers with the aim of developing the GameFi industry itself.

One key method that Metacade aims to help the GameFi industry grow is through the Metagrants program. Players can get together, vote, and decide which new P2E titles should be created in the future. After reviewing proposals that are submitted by talented development teams, the Metacade community can fund them directly to facilitate their creation.

SOL vs ADA vs MCADE: This is what investors are thinking

Since Solana has struggled to stay up and Cardano is underdelivering in terms of its userbase, neither project has managed to ‘kill’ Ethereum. In fact, Ethereum has just completed ‘The Merge’ and now offers similar transaction throughput to its competitors. Since the ecosystem is significantly bigger in terms of users, it has a large competitive advantage.

Metacade, built on Ethereum, is well-positioned for explosive growth. Not only can it offer users from Ethereum some unique benefits, but the platform also offers a range of play-to-earn games in its arcade. The MCADE token has only just started its presale event, which means it has very high potential.

Projects like Metacade can be keystone projects that links the wider industry together. It is extremely attractive to gamers, and investors who are starting to think that it could have a much better future when compared to major names such as Solana and Cardano.

The MCADE token is being released for just $0.008 in its initial round of investment. At later stages of the presale, this will rise to $0.02. If you’re reading this, you can get involved and access some major gains before the token goes live to the public later this year.

Bitcoin Miner Argo Blockchain Sells Helios Facility to Galaxy Digital for $65 Million, Galaxy to Host Argo’s ASIC Fleet in Texas

 

After the publicly-listed bitcoin mining firm Argo Blockchain suspended trading on Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange, the company said it would follow up the next day with an announcement. The following day, on Dec. 28, 2022, Argo detailed it is selling its Helios facility to Galaxy Digital for $65 million, and the financially troubled business plans to refinance asset-backed loans with a new $35 million loan that stems from Galaxy.

Galaxy Digital Purchases Texas Data Center From Argo Blockchain, Company Hopes Transactions Will ‘Enable the Company to Continue Operations’

Galaxy Digital is giving Argo Blockchain (Nasdaq: ARBK) some fresh liquidity, according to a press announcement published by Argo on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. Argo detailed that it is selling its Helios facility to Galaxy for $65 million.

Galaxy has also agreed to host Argo’s fleet of Bitmain-manufactured S19J Pro bitcoin miners at the Helios facility. The Helios facility is located in Dickens County, Texas and the transaction between Argo and Galaxy is expected to settle on Dec. 28.

Argo further disclosed that Galaxy is providing the firm with a loan of $35 million with a term of 36 months. The financing is backed by a collateral package of Argo’s machines located at the Helios facility in Texas and some in Quebec.

The collateral package equates to 23,619 Bitmain S19J Pro bitcoin mining machines. A number of Argo’s debts are shown to be tied to the firm NYDIG, according to the announcement published on Wednesday morning (ET).

Argo insists the transactions with Galaxy will “strengthen Argo’s balance sheet, improve Argo’s liquidity position, and enable the company to continue operations.” Argo’s stock jumped on the news, and it increased 13.55% from $0.59 to the current $0.67 per share at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on Dec. 28.

The publicly-listed bitcoin miner also acknowledged the suspension of ARBK share trading on Dec. 27 and detailed that ARBK trades on Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange were now open. The company noted that its Canadian assets, except for “certain mining machines and other assets located in Quebec” that are backing its new loan, are “not affected by the agreements with Galaxy.”

Further, Argo also disclosed that its earning results from the third quarter will not be reported “in light of the transaction with Galaxy,” the bitcoin mining operation concluded. Argo Blockchain is one of a handful of publicly-listed bitcoin mining operations that have dealt with financial shortcomings during 2022’s crypto winter.
 

Applying For a Mortgage? Here’s What You Should Avoid Once You Do.

While it’s exciting to start thinking about moving in and decorating after you’ve applied for your mortgage, there are some key things to keep in mind before you close. Here’s a list of things you may not realize you need to avoid after applying for your home loan.

Don’t Deposit Large Sums of Cash

Lenders need to source your money, and cash isn’t easily traceable. Before you deposit any amount of cash into your accounts, discuss the proper way to document your transactions with your loan officer.

Don’t Make Any Large Purchases

It’s not just home-related purchases that could disqualify you from your loan. Any large purchases can be red flags for lenders. People with new debt have higher debt-to-income ratios (how much debt you have compared to your monthly income). Since higher ratios make for riskier loans, borrowers may no longer qualify for their mortgage. Resist the temptation to make any large purchases, even for furniture or appliances.

Don’t Cosign Loans for Anyone

When you cosign for a loan, you’re making yourself accountable for that loan’s success and repayment. With that obligation comes higher debt-to-income ratios as well. Even if you promise you won’t be the one making the payments, your lender will have to count the payments against you.

Don’t Switch Bank Accounts

Lenders need to source and track your assets. That task is much easier when there’s consistency among your accounts. Before you transfer any money, speak with your loan officer.

Don’t Apply for New Credit

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a new credit card or a new car, when you have your credit report run by organizations in multiple financial channels (mortgage, credit card, auto, etc.), it will have an impact on your FICO® score. Lower credit scores can determine your interest rate and possibly even your eligibility for approval.

Don’t Close Any Accounts

Many buyers believe having less available credit makes them less risky and more likely to be approved. This isn’t true. A major component of your score is your length and depth of credit history (as opposed to just your payment history) and your total usage of credit as a percentage of available credit. Closing accounts has a negative impact on both of those aspects of your score.

Do Discuss Changes with Your Lender

Be upfront about any changes that occur or you’re expecting to occur when talking with your lender. Blips in income, assets or credit should be reviewed and executed in a way that ensures your home loan can still be approved. If your job or employment status has changed recently, share that with your lender as well. Ultimately, it’s best to fully disclose and discuss your intentions with your loan officer before you do anything financial in nature.

Bottom Line

You want your home purchase to go as smoothly as possible. Remember, before you make any large purchases, move your money around, or make major life changes, be sure to consult your lender – someone who’s qualified to explain how your financial decisions may impact your home loan.

Confusion in Senate over repayment of N23.7trn CBN loan

…As NASS passes 2023 Appropriation Bill, raises budget by N1.31trn

…Works & infrastructure, Defence, Education, Health get lion share

…Senate approves Buhari’s N819.5bn Supplementary Budget request for 2022

The review of the structure for the payment of N23.7 trillion loans obtained by the Federal Government via “Ways and Means” from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the last 10 years, threw the Senate into confusion on Wednesday.

To avoid a row among lawmakers that may degenerate into chaos, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, forced the Senators on Wednesday to go into a closed door session to avoid fisticuffs.

“Ways and Means” are soft loans or advances by the Central Bank to the Federal Government to enable it cater for short term or emergency finance to fund delayed government expected cash receipt of fiscal deficits.

Argument ensued following presentation of a report by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos West) bordering on Ways and Means 2022, as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

Challenging the presentation, Senator Apiafi (PDP, Rivers West) raised a point of order, with an argument that President Buhari’s request was unconstitutional and a consideration of same by the Senate is strange to the Nigerian law.

The argument led the Senate into a rowdy session when the President of the Senate ruled her out of order on the grounds that the report should be presented and read by the committee chairman, upon which lawmakers can contribute to the debate.

Lawan’s ruling annoyed Senator Apiafi and some others, leading to a rowdy atmosphere at the Upper Chamber with arguments.

Following a point of order by Senator George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers East) calling on the President of the Senate to step down the consideration of the report until lawmakers have more details on what the funds were used for, the Senate, thereafter, went into a closed-door session.

Recall that President Buhari had, last week, written to the Senate, requesting the approval of restructuring of N23.7 trillion Ways and Means advances given to the Federal Government by the CBN.

The President in a letter read by the Senate President during plenary session on Wednesday 21st December, 2022,  explained that Ways and Means are advances from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the Federal Government for emergency funding of delayed receipt of fiscal deficit.

According to him, the Ways and Means balances as at 19th December 2022  was N22.7 trillion.

President Buhari had further stated in the letter that he has approved the securitisation of the Ways and Means balances along the following terms: Amount, N23.7 trillion; Tenure, 40 years; Moratorium on principal repayment, three years and Pricing interest rate 9 per cent.

…Senate approves Buhari’s N819.5bn Supplementary Budget request for 2022

President Buhari has recently made some stunning presentation to the National Assembly bordering on fiscal propositions.

Last week, Wednesday December 21, President Buhari had written the Senate, seeking the approval of a total sum of N819.5 billion supplementary budget for the 2022 fiscal year, a letter that was read by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan on the floor of the upper chamber barely 10 days to the end of 2022.

The sum, according to the President, is to address critical infrastructures, particularly those affected by flood across States of the Federation.

According to the letter, the money for the supplementary budget would be sourced through additional domestic borrowings.

The content of the letter explained the requested sum is meant for the capital expenditure component of the 2022 budget with an attendant increase of deficit to N8.17trillion.

The intended projects border around water supply, dam projects and irrigation projects nationwide, particularly those affected by flood incidents.

President Buhari added that the proposed N819.5 billion supplementary budget will be financed by additional domestic borrowings.

The letter read, “The year 2022 has witnessed the worst flood incident in recent history which has caused massive destruction of farmlands at a point already closed to harvest season.

“This may compound the situation of food security and nutrition in the country. The flood has also devastated road infrastructure in across the 36 states and the FCT as well as bridges nationwide that are critical for the movement of goods and services.

“The water sector was equally affected by the flood and there is a need to complete some ongoing critical projects that have already achieved about 85 per cent completion.

“The nine critical projects proposed in the sector cut across water supply, dam projects and irrigation projects nationwide.

“I have approved a supplementary budget of 2022 appropriation of N819.536 Billion, all of which are capital expenditures.

“The supplementary will be financed through additional domestic borrowings which will raise the budget  deficit for 2022 to N8.17 trillion and deficit to GDP ratio to 4.43 per cent.”

The letter of President Buhari’s supplementary budget proposal was read separately by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila,  just as it was explained that the money is meant for the capital expenditure component of the 2022 budget with attendant increase of deficit to N8.17trillion.

With the urgency of the matter, the President of the Senate hurriedly forwarded it to the Senate Committees on Appropriations, Finance, Works, Water Resources and Agriculture for expeditious consideration.

The Upper Chamber on Wednesday, barely a week after the letter was read on the floor of the house, approved the request of President Buhari to raise the total sum of  N819.536,937,815 billion supplementary budget for the 2022  fiscal year to address various infrastructure that were destroyed by flood across the various states of the country.

The breakdown of the approved N819.536,937,815 billion shows that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is allocated N69,247, 175,770; Federal Ministry of Works and Housing got N704,789,043; Federal Capital Territory, FCT, N30,000,000,000 and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources is N15,500,000,000.

The approval on Wednesday, was sequel to the presentation and consideration of a report of the Senate Joint Committee on the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations  Bill, 2022 (SB.1091) by the Chairman, Senator Jibrin Barau, APC, Kano North.

Barau said, “The Appropriations Committee having considered the detailed provisions of the Bill, the contributions of its Sub-Committees and the general impact it will make in ameliorating the havoc caused by flood across the country and recommended the following for the various MDAs

“i. Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; ii. Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; iii. Federal Capital Territory; iv. Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

“The Committee hereby recommends that the Senate do consider and approve: A Bill for an Act to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CFR) the total sum of N819,536,937,813 (Eight Hundred and Nineteen Billion, Five Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirteen Naira), only.

“i Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development – N69,247,175,770; ii. Federal Ministry of Works and Housing – N704,789,762,043; iii. Federal Capital Territory – N30,000,000,000; iv. Federal Ministry of Water Resources – N15,500,000,000.”

In the report, Senator Barau said, “The Committee observed as follows: The effects of the 2022 flood across the country and its attendant consequences on our roads, bridges, farmlands and the water sector necessitated the Supplementary Appropriation Bill request.

“MDAs involved in the Supplementary Appropriation Bill requests are: Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; Federal Ministry of water Resources.”

…NASS passes 2023 Appropriation Bill, raises budget by N1.31 trn

Meanwhile, the National Assembly (NASS) on Wednesday, passed the 2023 Appropriation Bill to the tune of N21,827,188,747,391 for the fiscal year.

However, while many have lamented the huge deficit of the fiscal document when presented an Appropriation Bill, the National Assembly, in the bill passed, jerked the budget up by N1.31 trillion – an upward review from the initial proposed N20.1trillion to N21.8 trillion.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Friday, October 7th 2022 proposed and laid a N20.51 trillion Appropriation Bill for consideration by both the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly.

The passage of the Appropriation Bill was sequel to the consideration and approval of the report of the Senator Jibrin Barau, APC, Kano North led Senate Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on Appropriation presented by the Chairman, Hon. Aliyu Betara.

The Appropriation Bill was after the clause by clause consideration of the report as it was then read the third time and passed after the Senate and House of Representatives went into the Committee of Supply.

The breakdown shows that of the total sum, N967.48 billion was earmarked for Statutory Transfers, N6.55 trillion was for debt servicing; N8.32 trillion was for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, while the sum of N5.97 trillion was for capital expenditure for the year ending 31st day of December, 2023.

The Benchmark Price of Crude Oil is pegged at $75 USD Per Barrel; Crude Oil Production at 1.69 mbpd; Exchange Rate at N435 57/ US$;  Gross Domestic Production (GDP) Growth Rate at 3.75percent and Inflation Rate at 17.16 per cent.

In the passed budget, from the statutory transfers, the National Judicial Council takes N165 billion; Niger-Delta Development Commission gets N119.93 billion, Universal Basic Education N103.28 billion; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) N173.63 billion; National Human Right Commission N4.5 billion; North East Development Commission, N59.03 billion; Basic Health Care Fund, N51.64 billion and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), N51.64 billion.

Also under the Statutory Transfers, the National Assembly Severance/Inauguration of outgoing and incoming 9th and 10th Assembly (Legislators and Legislative Aides) is allocated N30.17 billion, National Assembly Office gulps N30.49 billion; Senate N33.26 billion, House of Representatives, N51.99 billion; National Assembly Service Commission, N10.55 billion; National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), N7.41billion and Service Wide Vote, N671.3 million.

Further breakdown shows that Office of Retired Clerks and Permanent Secretaries takes N1.05 billion, National Assembly Library Building, N4.25 billion; Constitution Review, N850 million; Completion of NILDS headquarters, N2.5 billion; Construction of National Assembly Service Commission Building, N10 billion and Public Complaints Commission, N10.69 billion.

Similarly, the debt service, domestic debts (including Ways and Means) got N4.49 trillion; foreign debts was allocated N1.81 trillion; sinking fund to retire maturing loans takes N247.72 billion.

Under recurrent expenditure (Non-debt), the presidency was allocated N76.40 billion, defence got N1.09 trillion, Ministry of foreign affairs, N93.68 billion; Federal Ministry of Information & Culture, N59.82 billion; Interior, N278.69 billion; Police Affairs, N777.40 billion; Communications and Digital economy, N32.13 billion; National Security Adviser, N172.60 billion and Secretary to the Government of the Federation takes N70.08 billion.

For recurrent expenditure, the Federal Ministry of Special Duties & Inter-Governmental Affairs gets N4.79 billion; Agriculture and Rural Development, N85.41 billion; Finance, Budget and National Planning, N29.99 billion; Industry, Trade and Investment, N16.82 billion; Labour and Employment N15.52 billion, Science, Technology and Innovation N52.33 billion; Transport N18.01 billion; Aviation N9.43 billion; Petroleum Resources N33.15 billion and Works and Housing N34.98 billion.

For the capital expenditure, Presidency is allocated N20.11 billion, Defence gets N285 billion, Foreign Affairs, N5.85 billion; Information & Culture N11.87 billion; Interior N45.62 billion; Police N60.64 billion; National Security Adviser, N70.33 billion; Agriculture and Rural Development, N248.35 billion, Finance, Budget and National Planning, N166.74 billion.

Further breakdown of the capital expenditure indicated that Science, Technology and Innovation is allocated N132.57 billion; Transport N74.26 billion; Aviation N49.41 billion;  Power N56.14 billion; Works and Housing N398.27 billion; Federal Capital Territory Administration, N15.47 billion; Education N153.73 billion; Health N134.90 billion and Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development N32.05 billion.

In a related development, the National Assembly also passed the Finance bill, 2022 designed to provide support for the funding of the 2023 budget.

The passage of the bill with proposed amendments fiscal laws such as capital gains tax, company income tax, customs excise tariff Act, Federal Inland Revenue Service Act, Personal Income Tax and Stamp Duties Act followed the consideration and adoption of the report on it presented by the deputy Chairman Committee on Finance, Hon. Saidu Abdullahi at the plenary.

Moreover, the National Assembly considered and passed the sum of N262,959,510,955 as the budget for Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) in the fiscal year 2023.

Lemme Review

About Lemme

 

In the world of vitamins and supplements, Lemme is looking to carve a path of their own. They brandish pleasing visual designs and clear ingredient labels. Within the span of a few months, the company has already earned more than 336k followers on Instagram.

In this Lemme review, I will go through the brand’s history, their products, their prices, and what customers have to say about them so that you can decide for yourself whether they’re worth it.

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Lemme is Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s way of revitalizing the wellness industry. As the statement on the brand’s website reads, she’d been through so many doctors and medications that she’s seen and experienced it all.

She’s witnessed the compromise people have to make – either your medication works but it’s a chore to take, or it tastes good without providing much in the way of health benefits.

Thus, she founded Lemme to deliver filler- and allergen-free supplements to people who wanted to optimize their health. The other added benefit is that she put just as much energy towards their health benefits as she did towards their taste. In her mind, there’s no need for medications that taste like armpits.

Before I get any deeper into this Lemme review, allow me to tell you about some of the brand’s highlights.

Highlights

 
  • Yummy supplements
  • Free shipping on US orders over $50
  • Carbon neutral shipping
  • All products are vegan

The majority of Lemme’s products are high-quality gummies with a bevy of health benefits. However, what’s most remarkable about them is what they’re free from. You won’t find any common additives or fillers in their products, nor will you find common culprits like:

  1. Gelatin
  2. Sugar alcohols
  3. High fructose corn syrup
  4. Gluten
  5. GMOs
  6. Food dyes
  7. Artificial sweeteners
  8. Synthetic colors
  9. Dairy
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Why You Should Trust Us

Our mission is to help you make better, more informed purchase decisions. Our team spends hours researching, consulting with medical experts, gathering insight from expert professionals, reviewing customer feedback, and analyzing products to provide you with the information you need.

Lemme Gummies Review

This section of my Lemme review will give you an overview of their best-selling gummies. Let’s dive in. 

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Lemme Sleep Review

 

Lemme Sleep contains four dream-inducing and sleep-promoting compounds to help you catch up on your sheep counting. They are:

  • melatonin
  • magnesium
  • l-theanine
  • A blend of chamomile flower, lavender, and elderberry

You can grab a bottle of 60 Lemme Sleep gummies for $30. One buyer described them as such;

I have taken Lemme Sleep two night in a row and am so impressed and shocked to be honest. I fall asleep nicely without the feeling of being drugged AND awaken without drowsiness. No bad dreams and no awake at 2am once the medicine “runs out”. I’m very impressed and will likely continue use after this bottle. Well done Lemme!

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Lemme Matcha Review

 

The next item I want to feature in this Lemme review is the brand’s most popular item, though that’s not too shocking considering that matcha is the drink du jour. Lemme Matcha contains ground matcha leaves and two compounds that boost matcha’s positive health benefits – vitamin b12 and COQ10.

One shopper wrote, “I love my Matcha energy gummies! They are so good and they do give me energy. I’m only on my first month and can definitely tell a difference in my energy levels!

A bottle of 60 Lemme Match gummies costs $30.

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Lemme Debloat Review 

 

Nobody, not even beluga whales who need extra help floating above water, likes to be bloated. Luckily, there’s the Lemme Debloat, which uses lactospore, DE111, and XOS to help reduce bloating and digestive issues. 

This probiotic blend can be yours for $30. It was described by one user as such, “My body retains a lot of water. I take 2 Debloat gummies a day and have noticed a huge difference in the amount of water my body retains as well as how I feel. I’ve had much more success with my digestion since taking them, too!

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Lemme Focus Review 

 

The last product in this Lemme review is distinct from other “concentration” products. Most OTC focus aids are just stimulants with fancy names, but Lemme Focus uses nootropic ingredients like Lion’s mane alongside citicoline, Vitamin B12, and MCT oil to help you concentrate without giving you the jitters. 

As with the other items I featured in this Lemme review, a 60-capsule bottle of Lemme Focus is available for $30.

The Focus is by far my fave gummy so far. Not sure if it’s just what my body needs, but it provides me alertness and an energy boost without any jitters. And surprisingly I feel more of a boost with this than the Matcha. I will definitely continue to purchase and try new Lemme products. I love the ingredients you use and the flavors,” is how one customer described this product.

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Who Is Lemme For? 

 

The supplements in this Lemme review are for folks who want to enjoy the supplements they are taking for reasons other than the health benefits. 

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Lemme Reviews: What Do Customers Think?

 

Here are the customer scores for the products I featured in this Lemme review. All of these numbers come from the brand’s website.

  • Lemme Matcha: 5/5 stars based on more than 125 pieces of customer feedback
  • Lemme Debloat: 5/5 stars based on more than 100 pieces of customer feedback
  • Lemme Focus: 5/5 stars based on more than 70 pieces of customer feedback
  • Lemme Sleep: 5/5 stars based on 4 pieces of customer feedback

Additionally, here are some Lemme review scores courtesy of Amazon.

  • 4.3/5 stars based on more than 65 pieces of customer feedback on Lemme Matcha
  • 4.3/5 stars based on more than 40 pieces of customer feedback on Lemme Focus
  • 4.1/5 stars based on more than 50 pieces of customer feedback on Lemme Chill

As you can see, those that purchased a Lemme gummy enjoyed it, more often than not. The most common point of praise in Lemme review was the taste of the products. Simply put, they were delicious, with many people not wanting to limit themselves to one gummy. 

The lemme chill gummies are mild but effective, they help take the edge off and bring me back to earth when I’m feeling anxious. As a plus, they are the perfect sweet treat and the packaging looks stunning in the medicine cabinet. I will be adding these to my daily vitamin routine, highly recommend you try!” wrote one buyer.

The comments towards the taste were in no way meant to imply that buyers didn’t also feel some positive health benefits. Here’s a Lemme review for the Lemme Matcha that speaks to how well the product worked.

feel the energy boost for sure! Definitely quality. I will say- they taste too good and I’m not even joking. What are the affects of eating an entire bottle of these? Send me the will power not find out. It’s like when you’re a kid and flintstone vitamins are a little too much like candy and it’s a little torturous. Too good.

For the most part, customers reported that the products did what they advertised. The gummies helped them fall asleep, concentrate better, or feel a surge of energy, depending on which item the user had purchased.

I’ve included one final Lemme review that speaks to that point.

I didn’t know what to expect but they work and I now take them in the morning when I start the day. Gives me clarity in AM quicker. It’s now part of my routine – though I know people are more specific about when they use them. Also the taste is pretty good.

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Is Lemme Legit?

 

Though the ingredients in most Lemme products are solid, they are not tested by a third party. The only thing customers can rely on is the word of mouth of other Lemme reviews.

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Is Lemme Worth It?

 

It depends on your needs! If what’s holding you back from bettering your health is that you just don’t like the taste of most vitamins then Lemme is likely for you.

If you don’t care about taste and just want to fill in some of the gaps of your nutrition or sleep better, then you could likely find more affordable options elsewhere.  

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Lemme Promotions & Discounts 

 

Lemme offers subscriptions for all of their products which makes each successive delivery slightly cheaper. Additionally, they also have sales on some of their bundles in time for the holidays.

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Where to Buy Lemme

 

You can buy Lemme on the brand’s website, www.lemme.com, or on Amazon.

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FAQ

 

Who owns Lemme?

Kourtney Kardashian Barker owns Lemme.

Does Lemme ship internationally?

Lemme only ships to US addresses. 

What is Lemme’s Shipping Policy?

They offer free standard shipping on all orders over $50, though you can pay extra to purchase 2-day or expedited shipping. 

What is Lemme’s Return Policy?

At this time, the company does not accept returns or refunds. All sales are final. 

Dangote Refinery awards scholarship to 460 students in host communities

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser Limited have awarded scholarships to 460 students of secondary schools and tertiary institutions from its host communities in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State.

The company said the scholarship had become an annual event meant to contribute to the educational development of the people and position them rightly in the scheme of things in Lagos State and Nigeria in general.

The scholarships were presented to 443 secondary school students and 17 tertiary institution students from its host communities around Ibeju-Lekki.

Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Group, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, presented the scholarships to beneficiaries yesterday at an event attended by traditional rulers and government officials in Lagos State.

Edwin said the Dangote Group believes that education is the passport to the future and that an investment in knowledge yields the greatest dividends for mankind.

He said the company had over the years supported the Nigerian educational sector by instituting scholarship award programmes.

According to him, this is part of the company’s education intervention initiative for indigenous students of host communities impacted by its businesses.

He stated, “In 2019, we executed a pilot of the scholarship programme where 51 secondary school students from our 15 host communities here in Ibeju Lekki were awarded. However, we could not hold the second edition in the year 2020 due to the incidence of COVID -19 and its associated effects not only on businesses but on every household.

“In 2021, 118 secondary school students and 19 tertiary institution students from our host communities were awarded the scholarship award and after a rigorous screening process this year, 443 secondary school students and 17 tertiary institution students have qualified for the scholarship award.”

While congratulating the beneficiaries, he enjoined them to continue to work hard at their studies, strive to achieve excellence in all that they do, and never stop giving their best.

“Your achievements are a testament to your determination, perseverance, and commitment to excellence, and we are honoured to celebrate your success with you today,” he added.

Edwin encouraged the awardees to make the most of the opportunities and to always strive for excellence.

“Remember that your education is a gift, and it is up to you to make the most of it. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow, and do not be afraid to take risks.We are proud to support your education and future endeavors, and we look forward to seeing all that you will accomplish in the years ahead. Congratulations again to all our scholars.

“With the continuous support of the people and the Lagos State Government, we shall not relent in our efforts to be socially accountable while we positively impact our host communities. We look forward to a continuous peaceful and rewarding relationship with our host communities in Ibeju Lekki,” Edwin said.

On his part, the traditional ruler of Lekki, Onilekki of Lekki Land, Oba (King) Liasim Ogunbekun said that the programme was a blessing to the community and gave kudos to the Dangote Group.

“We appreciate Dangote Group because this is not their first time but their third scholarship edition to the host communities in Ibeju Lekki.

“I urge the beneficiaries to put in more effort in their academic pursuit and justify the amount being paid for the scholarship.

“We thank the Dangote Group because a lot of improvement have been recorded in the lives of the participants,” Ogunbekun said.

One of the beneficiaries of the City & Guilds Engineering training programme, Raheem Olukayode thanked Dangote Group for the opportunity to study, become an engineer and impact positively to the society.

“The training has been beneficiary because it supports the less privileged who are interested in furthering their education achieve their dreams in spite of financial challenges.

“The programme is simply going to positively affect the development of Ibeju-Lekki in future because we are going to have more engineers emerging from this area.

“We were told that after level three training, the best of us will be given job opportunity to work with Dangote Group so we are encouraged to give our best to win the slot,” Olukayode said.

Also, the Head Girl of Community Senior High School, Magbon Segun, Ibeju Lekki, Sano Omolere said that the scholarship had assisted their parents in supporting their education.

“For instance, some students have relented in their effort to further in their education because of lack of money.

“However, this scholarship has supported our parents provide us with school fees and books that have encouraged a lot of us to do better in class,” the head girl said.

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Family driving rental to Boston for NHL Winter Classic after Southwest flights delayed

THAT’S THE NEXT FLIGHT SOUTHWEST TOLD JAMES ROBINSON AND HIS WIFE — WAS AVAILABLE TO GET THEM HOME TO NASHVILLE. SOUTHWEST IS FACING SYSTEMS ISSUES ACROSS THE COMPANY — FROM BOSTON — TO BALTIMORE — DENVER — TO PHOENIX. TIM MAHER (MAR) AND HIS FAMILY ARE TRYING TO GET TO BOSTON — FOR A BIG A EVENT — A GIFT OF A LIFETIME FOR HIS 17-YEAR-OLD SON. SO THEY BOUGHT TICKETS TO THE BOSTON BRUINS WINTER CLASSIC — BOOKED THE FLIGHTS AND MADE IT A FAMILY AFFAIR. SMOOTH SAILING — UNTIL THEY GOT TO THE PHOENIX AIRPORT — THEIR SOUTHWEST FLIGHT — DELAYED — OVER AND OVER AND OVER. AFTER A MOMENT OF REST ON THE AIRPORT FLOOR — HE AND HIS WIFE MADE THE CALL — TAKING TO THE FRIENDLY SKIES — WASNT AN OPTION. YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT — THEY RENTED AN ENTERPRISE TRUCK — PACKED UP THE KIDS — AND HIT THE ROAD — DRIVING FROM PHOENIX TO BOSTON — UNWILLING TO MISS THE B’S TAKE THE ICE AT FENWAY. IT’S A FLIGHT FIASCO THAT’S CREATING CREATING FAMILY MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME. ***PKG*** ***EMILY LIVE*** THE MAHER FAMILY IS HOPING TO GET TO BOSTON BY WEDNESDAY. SOUTHWEST HAS ALREADY CANCELED 60 PERCENT OF ITS FLIGHTS LEAVING LOGAN TOMORROW. TONIGHT — THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAYS IT’LL BE LOOKING INTO WHETHER SOUTHWEST’S CANCELLATITONS WERE CONTROLLABLE — CALLING THE SITUATI

Family driving rental to Boston for NHL Winter Classic after Southwest flights delayed

With the NHL Winter Classic set for Boston’s Fenway Park in less than a week, one family — who was planning to fly to Boston on Southwest — is not letting the airline’s meltdown stop them from getting to Beantown.Tim Maher and his family are trying to get to Boston for the big event, the gift of a lifetime for his 17-year-old son. “He said, ‘The one gift I want is I want to go back to Boston for the Classic,’” Maher said. Maher bought tickets to the Boston Bruins Winter Classic, booked flights for the family — and were prepared to head to the East Coast from Phoenix. It was smooth sailing until he got to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The family’s Southwest flight was delayed, over and over and over. “We would be there to this day, them saying, ‘Standby, standby, standby,’” Maher said. After spending some time resting on the airport floor, he and his wife made the decision that flying the so-called friendly skies, wasn’t an option. “I said, ‘It’s not happening. Like, nothing’s happening,’” Maher said. Maher said the family went home, grabbed a few hours of sleep, packed some extra clothes, and started driving east. They rented an Enterprise truck, packed up the kids, and hit the road, driving the approximately 2,600 miles from Phoenix to Boston, unwilling to miss the Bruins taking the ice at Fenway Park. “Just be there in the bleachers,” Maher said. “It’s just awesome. Boston’s awesome.”A flight fiasco that’s creating family memories for a lifetime.

With the NHL Winter Classic set for Boston’s Fenway Park in less than a week, one family — who was planning to fly to Boston on Southwest — is not letting the airline’s meltdown stop them from getting to Beantown.

Tim Maher and his family are trying to get to Boston for the big event, the gift of a lifetime for his 17-year-old son.

“He said, ‘The one gift I want is I want to go back to Boston for the Classic,’” Maher said.

Maher bought tickets to the Boston Bruins Winter Classic, booked flights for the family — and were prepared to head to the East Coast from Phoenix.

maher family winter classic boston

It was smooth sailing until he got to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The family’s Southwest flight was delayed, over and over and over.

“We would be there to this day, them saying, ‘Standby, standby, standby,’” Maher said.

After spending some time resting on the airport floor, he and his wife made the decision that flying the so-called friendly skies, wasn’t an option.

“I said, ‘It’s not happening. Like, nothing’s happening,’” Maher said.

Maher said the family went home, grabbed a few hours of sleep, packed some extra clothes, and started driving east.

maher family winter classic boston

They rented an Enterprise truck, packed up the kids, and hit the road, driving the approximately 2,600 miles from Phoenix to Boston, unwilling to miss the Bruins taking the ice at Fenway Park.

“Just be there in the bleachers,” Maher said. “It’s just awesome. Boston’s awesome.”

A flight fiasco that’s creating family memories for a lifetime.