The Silence After
The Silence after.
The split second before the 21 storey building came tumbling down, the occupants were going about their different lives. The corper was probably thinking of going home early, the P.A was probably thinking of checking in with her wedding planner, the Owner of the building was probably showing his friend from the U.S around but the world came tumbling down.
Am I the only one who wonders what the first sound they heard was, was it a creak or a thud or something in between. The only thing I'm sure those that lost their lives heard was the silence after. They didn't hear the wailing of the people who watched it crumble, the screams of their colleagues who were barely alive, the noise of the caterpillar that came to help clear the rubble to find their bodies or the cries of their relatives demanding for them to be found, just silence.
Those of us who heard the news and lucky to be alive also got a share of the silence, the silence of those who one way or the other had something to do with the collapse of the building. I can't give you facts, only speculate because of the silence; the silence of those that sold inferior materials and probably swore that it was the best, the silence of those who inspected the building and let them continue the building just because money had exchanged palms, the silence of the government officials and wealthy who paid millions to get an apartment in the building and urged them to keep up "the good work ".
Lives were lost, dreams were killed, hopes were shattered but the silence remains.
Nobody is going to query the silent ones, Nobody is going to ensure the same thing doesn't happen again.Nobody! Just silence.
I wonder what it would be like if the silence ends . Would we actually get answers to the numerous questions running through our minds ? Would the bereaved get closure of some sort? Would it help other constructors make better choices?
We wouldn't know the answer to these questions if we don't demand the silence be ended . We might be the next to fall victim to the "silence". Oh it might not come as a building tumbling down our heads or accidents due to poorly constructed roads, it might just be anything and then we'll hear it, the silence, and it would be too late.
Commonwealth Bank to enable crypto trading for 6.5M Aussies, 'other banks will follow'
Commonwealth Bank to enable crypto trading for 6.5M Aussies, 'other banks will follow'
The CBA stated that it will support 10 crypto assets in its banking app, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) is set to launch crypto trading services for the 6.5 million users of its CommBank app.
The CBA will become the first bank in Australia to support crypto, and Blockchain Australia says it is “inevitable” that the other ‘big four’ banks including National Australia Bank (NAB), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) and Westpac will soon follow suit.
According to a Nov. 3 announcement, the CBA has partnered with the Gemini crypto exchange and blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis to launch its crypto services. The bank will launch a pilot for a limited number of customers in the coming weeks, before rolling out the full service in 2022.
Ten crypto assets will be supported in its banking app, with Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Litecoin (LTC) named at this stage.
Steve Vallas, CEO of Blockchain Australia told Cointelegraph that this move was “extraordinarily important” as the big four banks in Australia “underpin our national and international reputation as a financial services destination.”
“The confidence that this provides local digital asset sector participants will be dwarfed by the impact that this signal sends around the world that Australia should be a destination for cryptocurrency and digital asset adoption.”
Vallas believes the rapid growth and adoption of crypto has “shifted the risk of maintaining a wait and see approach” in the view of the big banks to a risk of “inaction” and being left behind. Vallas believes it is only a matter of time before the other major Australian banks launch their own crypto services.
“It is inevitable that the other banks will follow suit. Clarity in the local regulatory landscape is emerging with issues such as licensing being tackled head on by industry and by Governments. That impediments to action and participation are being removed,” he said.
Caroline Bowler, the CEO of local crypto exchange BTC Markets echoed similar sentiments to Vallas, noting that “with regulation in the offing and the largest bank in the country allowing it, the floodgates are now open for more appetite from traditional finance.”
“CBA's move is exciting and inevitable. It's yet another 'red-letter day' for crypto and it is as though Australia has suddenly put the lead foot down. We have been touted as playing catch up all this while, but now we're moving into a leadership position globally with our largest bank.”
Dave Abner, the Global Head of Business Development at Gemini said that his firm was “proud” to be working with CBA to launch world leading crypto services.
“The exponential growth of digital assets internationally, coupled with Gemini’s institutional-grade security and proactive regulatory approach, positions this partnership to set a new standard for banks and financial platforms in Australia and across the globe,” he said.
Not everyone was pleased with CBA’s partnership however, with Adrian Przelozny the CEO of Australian crypto exchange Independent Reserve expressing his dismay over the bank partnering with an overseas firm.
“It’s disappointing that CBA went with an overseas player and didn’t engage with local players at all. We will be reaching out to the other Australian banks now,” Przelozny said.
Cointelegraph reported on Oct. 15 that Allan Flynn, a Canberra-based Bitcoin trade settled his first complaint at the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal against ANZ for de-banking him in 2018 and 2019 due to his occupation as a Digital Currency Exchange (DCE).
While ANZ denied any liability, the bank offered him a chance to reapply for a bank account, suggesting that the bank is more open to crypto than it was two to three years ago. Flynn also has a similar case against Westpac ongoing.
Commenting on recent news, Flynn told Cointelegraph that the crypto landscape in Australiais rapidly changing:
“There a lot of things suddenly happening in the Australian Bitcoin space; you have the Senate inquiry, ANZ’s acknowledgment of a legit human rights question to be answered in my complaint, AUSTRAC’s extraordinary statement on de-banking last Friday and now CBA’s digital currency plans being unveiled.”
“I’m just here arguing my lawful human rights and hoping it makes a difference,” he added.
Africa In The Era Of The New Normal
Africa’s present situation can easily be likened to that of one of the world leading football club; FC Barcelona when they lost by 4 goals to nil against the giant football club in France; PSG in 2017. Going into the second leg, Barca had two options: It is either they allow that ‘show of shame’ to repeat itself just as the first leg was or they turn the game around. In the African scenario, the match is strategically between the continent and development. Before proffering a tactical formation on how Africa can win the second leg in the era of new normal ushered in by COVID-19 of which one can identify how the continent lost before.
The first goal Africa conceded was in the area of cooperation. According to a 2017 report by Brookings Institute, the lack of cooperation and the imposition of artificial borders among African countries is responsible for the continent’s poor economic state.
No doubt, African countries are blessed with immense natural resources but despite this why are they absent in the WhatsApp group of developed countries? The answer lies in industrialization. And this answer is the second goal the continent conceded. According to a 2016 Africa Renewal magazine published by the United Nations, due to the continent’s slow industrialization, it was responsible for less than 2 percent of the world’s global manufacturing output.
All these goals were conceded by Africa before COVID-19 struck in the early days of 2020, putting a pause to life as we all know it. Unfortunately, as we begin to put the pandemic behind us, we are not returning to life as we know it but to one with a lot of new normals. And with this new normal comes an avenue for Africa to recover its goal deficits against development and perhaps get a winning goal, like Barca did against PSG at the Camp Nou. To do this, the continent has to borrow some leaves from how it handled the pandemic -- and perhaps Barcelona.
One: The need for cooperation is quite straightforward. Barca won the second leg against PSG because of the impeccable teamwork between the individual talents of Messi and Neymar, and the aging feet of Gerrard Pique. So for Africa to experience true development in this new normal, we must combine the intellectual prowess of Nigerians and the practicality of Egyptians with the acuity of South Africans and the athletic vitality of Kenyans.
Two: In the peak of the pandemic, Senegal created a $1 COVID-19 testing kit; Ghana began to use Zipline drones to take samples to testing sites, and Rwanda transformed into a cashless economy. All these points towards the capacity of Africans to be innovative. All we need to do is to adapt this level of innovative-ness into industrialization and Africa would stop being the continent that has natural resources yet struggle to harness the potentials of its human resources.
Finally, like John Maxwell once said, everything rises and falls on leadership. So as Africa begins the journey to embrace true development in this new normal, we must ensure that only capable individuals who put Africa first are saddled with leadership responsibilities. With the right leadership, this new normal would be nothing but an avenue for Africa to move from being a dark continent to one that lights the path for development globally.
Compliment is underrated.
Compliment is underrated.
Last week Wednesday, I saw a lady, putting on a local attire to be precise and the outfit look really nice. It fits her perfectly plus the colour combination and all. I was on a very good mood that day so I went ahead to compliment her outfit. I walked up to her in style and whispered closely, "Your outfit is nice and hot ". The colour combination and all is nice. One could easily imagine what would happen next but definitely not to expect or see her shine all of her 32 teeth and jump up to hug you. I have not seen a lady smile and shine her teeth like that in a long while and she's got this diastema just like mine. I was like wow Babe, you need to smile once in a while. She was really happy and my compliment changed her mood. The story is aimed to compliment more ladies in native attire. I learnt this from a little girl while eating in a restaurant after a long day when she walked past me and sharply said "Uncle, you look sweet".
My mood was lightened immediately with just those words and since then I have decided to compliment anyone I see that deserves it.
Mickle advance in Nigeria grassroot sports.
About three weeks ago, if you had been in the city of Ilorin - especially, if you had made a walk around the University of Ilorin campus where the 5th National Youth Games took place, aside the fact that you would have been entertained by the electric atmosphere, you would have been shock by the talents on display, also, you would have had a last long memory of how tremendously our sports have progressed. If you're too conversant on the outings of our various sporting team at the world stage, you would have asked yourself this simple but relevant question; how and why have we not been able to nurture all of these massive talents into something productive on the world stage?
Like so many people, I don't have definite answers and solutions to the poser I raised, but then, I have a few of solutions to the catastrophic outings we have been having over the years at the world stage. Think it over; just at the Tokyo Olympic 2020, a Nigerian shot putter was seen washing his jersey by himself after he advanced to a subsequent round. Come on! That was a man representing his country. He was mainly in Japan to fly the flag of his country high. As the parlance on the street goes "Nigeria will happen to anyone". Nigeria happened to him right there as it happens to some of us on a daily basis.
I was lucky to be around University of Ilorin, the venue which hosted the fifth edition of National Youth Games. The experiences there were so enormous. Like it has been happening since the invention of the event, Delta state remains the big winners. They have won each and every of the editions. Exactly as it's expected, they dominated this year's edition but not with some tough matches and events across various sports. For example, in Handball, team Delta male could only managed bronze after team Sokoto had claimed Gold against team Lagos in the final. While they went away with silver in the female's category.
This turn of events only tells us one thing and one thing alone; Amongst our youth, there are massive talents scattered across the country. Sadly, our Governments across board aren't giving the right atmosphere and platform for them to thrive. How much are the governments preparing these kids for future purpose? How much are the governments committing into grassroots sports in our country?
It's disappointing that in a country who have witnessed a whole lots of breakthrough in various type of sports aren't giving the needed attention to such sector. No wonder why athletes of Nigerian descents will try all within their capacity to represent another country. Now wonder our athletes will boycott sporting events.
Let me tell you, so many youths at the just concluded National youth games weren't taken care of. This isn't even an assertion. It's a conclusion I reached after I had spoken with so many of them while the events was going on. Imagine a 15years old athlete who isn't well fed, what type of mentality are we building in such kid? How do you expect him to be at his beat against an opponent who is well motivated?
Regrettably, this is the situation we currently are. And until the people at the helms of affairs learn how to prioritize athlete's welfares, I'm afraid we'll continue to see our athletes turn up for other countries, and that I think we'll not be able to call unpatriotism.
For a better position in sports and all other sectors, it's only right for us to invest, motivate and encourage the people involved.
@Special_adebayo