Wednesday

Monday

Fulani terror mastermind group, Miyetti Allah (MACBAN), seeks reconstruction, compensation on demolished cattle markets....

CC™ Global Insights

By Dennis Agbo

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has sought for the reconstruction and compensation of victims in the recently demolished cattle markets in parts of south east states.

The cattle markets located in Lokpanta of Abia state and Ugwuoba in Enugu state were recently demolished over alleged harbouring and service as criminal hideouts for suspected kidnappers marauding the south east states.

But the Miyetti Allah had since denied harbouring of criminals in their mist, stating that they had indeed in many occasions fished out criminal elements who infiltrated in their mist and handed them over to the security agencies.

In a statement, on Sunday, a chieftain of MACBAN in the South East and the immediate past Chairman of the group in the South East Zone who currently is the Director in the national body, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki said that the plight of the displaced cattle dealers in the Abia and Enugu states was very bad.

According to Siddiki the state of their members in the South East vis-à-vis the general economic hardship amidst the approaching Ramadan is too bad and needs to be looked into.

Siddiki said that while their members struggle to survive the torments of an unpalatable economic downturn like the rest of the Nigerian masses, their members in the South East are largely disturbed by the very recent tragedy of market demolitions in Lokpanta and Ugwuoba cattle markets by the governments of Abia and Enugu States, respectively.

He said: “While we recognise the need to comply with government policies, trusting that these actions are not deliberately intended to undermine our business interests, we are worried by the quantum of losses upon our people.

“We are however most optimistic that the human face in governance will compel the Governments of Abia and Enugu States to grant the victims of the demolitions adequate compensation to enable them get on in pursuit of their legitimate livelihood.

“We are eagerly looking forward to the quick construction of new market facilities to serve our people’s business cause. We are hopeful that the government of the states will carry our leadership along in matters concerning the reconstruction.

“We urge our members to stay calm, await the final government decision, and pray for peace and stability across the South East.

“It is essential for our members to be law-abiding, avoiding actions that could jeopardize peace and stability in the region. We emphasize humility and sincerity towards our hosts for sustainable coexistence.

“In conclusion, we express gratitude to the governments and leaders in Igbo land. We urge them to further support and accommodate our legitimate business activities in cattle breeding and selling without hindrance.

“Given the itinerary nature of the Igbo race and their notable successes across the globe we are very hopeful that they will continue to accommodate our people in Igbo’s cherished homeland.

“In this season of Ramadan when we deeply reflect on life and seek positive amendments, our people are enjoined to take stock of their lives and strive to adopt better ways of living that will enhance positive and rancour free interactions with whomever they meet in the course of business and life.

“We are confident that Nigeria will get better and today’s pains will be told as an unpleasant chapter of our history as a country. We plead with our political leaders to be conscientious in formulating and driving policies that affect the well-being of Nigerians.”


VANGUARD

Saturday

Former Tesla director Larry Ellison invited Elon Musk to Hawaii to 'dry out' from drugs, report says

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 and 

Elon Musk's drug use so worried his business associates and company board members that they asked him to go to rehab and even take a break from working to "dry out" from various substances, including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and ketamine, a new report from The Wall Street Journal said.

Larry Ellison, Musk's close friend, a former Tesla director, and the billionaire cofounder of Oracle, went so far as to urge Musk to travel to Hawaii during winter 2022 to pause his work and avoid drugs, the outlet reported, citing people familiar with the offer.

Ellison's proposal came amid increasing concerns among Musk's friends and associates that Musk's drug use was getting worse, some of those people told the Journal.

At a party in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles around the time of Ellison's suggestion, the report added, one person who attended the event said Musk drank ecstasy in "liquid form" from a water bottle after having his personal security clear the floor for privacy.

The Journal reported the "volume" of Musk's drug use had contributed to a culture of peer pressure among Musk's friends and board directors of his various companies that created an "expectation" for them to use drugs alongside him to maintain the social status gained by being close to the billionaire.

Musk, Ellison, and their lawyers Alex Spiro and Christopher Muzzi did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

The Journal previously reported Musk, who is reportedly one of several executives in Silicon Valley to try his hand at psychedelics such as ketamine, had also indulged in LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and "magic" mushrooms.

Despite proclaiming that he doesn't "like doing illegal drugs," Musk's drug use has previously put him and his companies on notice.

After he smoked marijuana on an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, NASA made SpaceX pledge in writing that the company was following federal guidelines on drug use in the workplace. The company spent $5 million in taxpayer money to properly train its employees on the rules, the Journal reported.

The billionaire also said on X that he had a prescription for ketamine, which research has suggested can be used to treat depression.

Experts previously told BI that the combination of hard drugs Musk is said to have used came with several health risks, especially at his age of 52.

Those include irregular heartbeat and incontinence, as well as psychosis if the user has bipolar disorder. In 2017, CNBC reported Musk suggested to his Twitter followers that he had the disorder.

Source: Business Insider

Friday

Toxic Culture: Elon Musk's company directors are said to feel an 'expectation' to use drugs with him to avoid upsetting the billionaire

Elon Musk smokes weed on an episode of the Joe Rogan experience.
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Elon Musk is said to have created a culture of peer pressure among some of his friends and business associates that encourages them to use drugs with him, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal that details how board members and directors of his various companies either participate in or enable his substance use to stay close to the billionaire.

The Journal reported that at parties in recent years, Musk had been spotted taking ketamine recreationally through a nasal spray and drinking liquid ecstasy from a water bottle, citing people who witnessed the drug use or were briefed about it.

Current and former Tesla and SpaceX directors and board members— some of whom have invested tens of millions of dollars in Musk's companies or have significant stock options tied to their roles —  had also used drugs with him, the Journal reported.

Sources told the Journal that the "volume" of Musk's drug use had created a culture wherein his closest business associates feared losing their wealth and social status by upsetting the billionaire if they refused to use drugs with him.

Musk, his lawyer Alex Spiro, and representatives for Tesla and SpaceX didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Following a January 6 report by The Journal that said the 52-year-old had used cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, and magic mushrooms over the years, Musk said in a post on X: "Whatever I'm doing, I should obviously keep doing it!"

After the January report, which could jeopardize Musk's security clearance as well as the billions of dollars of government contracts enjoyed by SpaceX as a defense contractor because of federal regulations on drug use, NASA said in a statement: "The agency does not have evidence of noncompliance from SpaceX on how the company addresses the drug- and alcohol-free workforce regulations."

Musk's reported drug use has been at the center of recent controversies after the Journal reported that a former director at Tesla was so concerned about Musk's drug use and unpredictable behavior that she chose not to stand for reelection to the electric-car company's board.

The Journal also reported that SpaceX executives worried Musk was on drugs during a "cringeworthy" all-hands meeting, in which the billionaire arrived nearly an hour late, rambling and slurring his words for about 15 minutes before the meeting was taken over by the spacecraft manufacturer's president.

Source: Business Insider