Former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair arrived in Kaduna

Former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair arrived in Kaduna today. He was received at the airport by Governor El-Rufai and other top government officials. The former Prime Minister expressed his delight to be in Kaduna State.

IN A BID TO HAVE CHILDREN, INDIAN WOMEN ALLOW ‘GOD-MEN’ WALK OVER THEM

Dozens of Indian women desperate to get pregnant allowed ‘God-men’ to trample over them. Tribal women in Andhra Pradesh, southern India, have performed this ritual for generations during the annual festival of Ekadashi, during the month of July. 

FG APPROVES EQUAL SALARIES FOR HND, DEGREE HOLDERS

The FG has ended the dichotomy between holders of University degrees and Higher National Diploma in all the Para-military services. 

To this end, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board has directed that all officers with HND should be upgraded to COMPASS 08, which is the salary grade level for holders of degree certificates at entry point. 

A board meeting chaired by the Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, approved the regularization of the salaries on Tuesday in Abuja, according to a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji. 

It said, “The board directed that all officers with HND to be upgraded to COMPASS 08, which is the salary grade level for holders of degree certificates at entry point. While the nomenclature for the HND holders will start with the rank of Senior Inspector, the degree holders are with the rank of Assistant Superintendent II.”

NORTHERN YOUTH GROUP WRITES UNITED NATIONS TO DECLARE KANU, IPOB TERRORISTS

 A northern youth group that demanded Nigerians of ethnic Igbo nationality leave the northern region, has officially written to the United Nation to declare Indigenous People of Nigeria, IPOB, and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, terrorists.
The group on Thursday said IPOB’s continued action was a clear signal that it is committed to breaking away from Nigeria. Abul-Azeez Suleiman, the coalition’s spokesperson, in a statement stressed that the northern youth were concerned by the IPOB’s recent threats.
“We became concerned that Kanu has finally crossed the boundaries of Nigerian laws and has blatantly breached international laws that specifically frown at the use of terror to achieve a goal”.
However, the group commended Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for adhering to the advice in its letter in which it pointed out the necessity of urgent action to curtail Mr. Kanu and his IPOB’s activities.
“Commendably, the Acting President initiated series of talks with regional leaders and made genuine moves towards ensuring lasting peace and stability,” the group said.

“We sincerely commend the efforts of the Acting President and those regional leaders who cooperated with him in dousing tension with the aim of creating a conducive environment for meaningful discussions.
“However, notwithstanding all these efforts by the Acting President and responsible national and regional leaders, Kanu and IPOB remain undaunted and even intensified their violent divisive campaign which is the main bone of contention.
The peak of the insolence came when Kanu publicly announced that he would order former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his entire family killed,” the group said.

Parental discretion is advised!

10 Common Communication Mistakes

 Avoiding Communication Blunders and Misunderstandings
 
It can be embarrassing to make mistakes with communication. For example, if you send an email without checking it, and later realize that it contained an error, you can end up looking sloppy and unprofessional.
But other communication mistakes can have more serious consequences. They can tarnish your reputation, upset clients, or even lead to lost revenue.
In this article, we'll look at 10 common communication mistakes, and we'll discuss what you can do to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Not Editing Your Work

Mistakes with spelling, tone, and grammar make you look careless. That's why it's essential to check all of your communications before you send them.
Don't rely on spell-checkers: they won't pick up words that are used incorrectly. Instead, proofread your work, and use a dictionary to look up any words that you're unsure about.
You may find it helpful to make a list of words and phrases that you find it hard to get right (such as "your/you're," "its/it's," or "affect/effect"). Store this close to hand.
It can be difficult to see errors in your own work, so consider asking a colleague to look over key documents before you distribute them. Alternatively, read your work aloud – this makes it easier to catch typos and tone errors. Then, give yourself time to reflect on your document, and to make any final changes.

Mistake 2: Delivering Bad News by Email

Would you announce layoffs to your team by email or IM? If you did, you could upset everyone!
Written communication channels don't allow you to soften difficult messages with nonverbal cues (such as body language ), and they don't allow you to deal immediately with intense emotions.
If you need to deliver bad news, do this in person, and think carefully about how you can do it sensitively, so that you can convey your message but minimize long-term upset at the same time.
When you deliver a difficult message personally, you can pick up on signs that people may have misunderstood key parts of your message, or may have taken the information particularly badly. You can then take steps to clarify your message, or help people deal with the difficult news.

Mistake 3: Avoiding Difficult Conversations

At some point, you will need to give negative feedback. It's tempting to try to avoid these conversations, but this can cause further problems – in particular, you may let small problems grow into big ones.
Preparation is the key to handling difficult conversations. Learn to give clear, actionable feedback, and use tools such as the Situation – Behavior – Impact technique to encourage your people to reflect on their behavior.
You may also want to role-play your conversation first, so that you feel confident in both your words and your body language.