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Imo State Government Condemns Brutal Murder Of  LGA Sole Administrator

By
The Source
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Hope Uzodimma

The Government of Imo State is saddened by the brutal and cruel murder on Sunday, January 22nd, of the Sole Administrator of Ideato North local government, Chris Ohizu .

The chilling assassination of Mr. Ahizu in cold blood is as benumbing as it is calous.

This killing falls in line with the targeting of members of the ruling APC, government officials and their friends.

Those previously murdered in cold blood include; Hon. Mrs Jenny Rachael Okonkwo (Iron Lady), Orlu APC LGA woman leader,

Nze Chidi Ejiaka,

Barr. Darlington Odume, Nze Nwachukwu Igboayaka,

Mrs Helen Nnakwe, Collins Okey Agah,

Chukwudi Dimagwu

Eddy Ofuefule, all APC chieftains from Orlu and many others as well as Emma Mazi, former IMC chairman of Oguta LGA.

It is unfortunate that even those who are quick to shout over insecurity in the state, never found their voices to condemn these cold blooded killings in the past and are not saying anything also on the latest killing

Be that as it may, Government condemns this cold blooded murder on a Sunday and appeals to the perpetrators of the dastardly act and their sponsors to resist the temptation of going ahead with this blood letting which has plunged the state into the current state of uncertainty.

While Government condoles with the family of the  deceased, it has charged the security agencies to leave no stone unturned in finding those behind the killing and bring them to book. In the same vein, government will continue to collaborate with security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property in the State.

LAHA Adopts Committee’s Recommendations On Proposed Tertiary Hospitals

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Mudashiru Obasa

By Akinwale Kasali

The Lagos State House of Assembly has adopted recommendations of its Committee on Health Services for the proposed upgrade of some General Hospitals to Tertiary Health Institutions during plenary on Monday.

The recommendations by the Committee will see Five General Hospitals benefitting from the planned upgrade which will see

Secondary Health Centres like the ones in Badagry and Ikorodu established since the 1950s having a facelift and enormously benefiting.

Hon. Olusola Sokunle, the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services submitted the report which was  deliberated and a resolution made by the House.

Dissecting the report, Sokunle said the committee went on a fact-finding mission to the General Hospitals across the State to know the suitable hospitals that could be upgraded to tertiary institutions.

He said upgrading the General Hospitals would reduce the pressure on the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

The Committee also recommended the establishment of Renal and Neurological Departments in the proposed upgraded hospitals.

It went further to recommend the overhauling of the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) by the State Government with the Local Governments intensifying awareness and sensitisation  about the usefulness of the centres.

According to Sokunle, land mass, high tech equipment and quality of medical personnel were part of the considerations by the Committee.

Debating the report, Hon. Wahab Jimoh (Apapa 2), observed that there was need to consider other General Hospitals within the Lagos Island Division, saying that general hospitals within the Lagos Mainland axis should be considered.

The Chief Whip, Hon. Mojisola Meirada (Apapa 1), argued that aside the establishment of renal departments in the upgraded general hospitals, there should be trauma and bone departments in each of them.

She said this would help in reducing the pressure on the Gbagada hospital trauma facility.

In his contribution, Hon. Moshood Oshun ( Lagos Mainland 2), made case for the establishment of more general hospitals across the state instead of converting five hospitals to tertiary health facilities.

However, the Speaker, said that there was need to sustain the glory of the five general hospitals by upgrading them to tertiary health institutions.

Obasa said there was need to create synergy among general hospitals addi g that there must be regular sensitisation to make Primary Healthcare Centres more functional.

He further suggested the need for effective data collation for adequate information that could help determine if a Renal Specialist Hospital should be established.

Rise In Meningitis Forces NCDC To Deploy Rapid Response Team To Northern States

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Priscilla Ibekwe

By Akinwale Kasali

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has disclosed that there is rise in Meningitis Disease, mostly in the North, prompting the NCDC to deploy Rapid Response Team, RRT, to Jigawa, Yobe and Katsina State.

It was revealed that the NCDC deployed an RRT team to the aforementioned States following a notification by the State Governments on rising cases of suspected Cerebrospinal Meningitis, CSM, disease.

CSM is an acute inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord. It is, however, a very serious infection that can lead to death if left untreated.

It however remains a major public health challenge, affecting countries in the African meningitis belt, including 25 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria.

NCDC Head of Special Projects and Partnerships Unit, Priscilla Ibekwe, made this disclosure in Abuja, during a Ministerial bi-weekly meeting on the update of COVID-19 response and development in the country’s health sector.

Ibekwe said that the preliminary reports were of 117 suspected and 12 confirmed cases, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 27 per cent from EPI Week 49 2022 and EPI Week II of 2023.

“We have also provided commodities, and on the other hand, due to the proximity of Jigawa to Yobe and Katsina States, We have also deployed RRT members to Yobe and Katsina to assess, improve on the level of preparedness and to conduct active CSM case finding for early detection of cases already exist,” she said.

Meanwhile, regarding the spread of CSM, she said Nigerians should avoid overcrowding and ensure adequate ventilation in the home.

“Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or by blowing into the elbow when sneezing or coughing.

“Wash your hands frequently especially after coughing or sneezing. Visit a health facility if you have a sudden high fever or neck stiffness for diagnosis and treatment,” she advised.

She called on all health workers to practice universal care precautions at all times: i.e. wearing gloves while handling patients or providing care to an ill relative.

“It is very important to report to the nearest health facility immediately if you experience any of the signs or symptoms listed above.

If you notice any member(s) of your family or neighbourhood with any of the listed signs or symptoms, kindly encourage them to report to the nearest health facility.,” she explained.

She, however, said that early presentation to a health facility and treatment increases the chances of survival.

“The disease is contagious and can be transmitted through tiny droplets of respiratory secretions from an infected person, during close contact such as coughing or sneezing.

“The disease is more common among persons aged less than 15 years and deaths are higher among untreated cases.

Signs and symptoms include sudden high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, difficulty concentrating, and convulsions. The major risk factors for infection include overcrowding and poor ventilation.

“During outbreaks, reactive vaccination campaigns can be used to prevent the spread of the disease.”

NPC Begins Training Of 786,741 Workers For Upcoming Census

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The National Population Commission, NPC, is not resting on its oars to achieve a success Census scheduled to take place in two months time.

Isiaka Yahaya, the NPC’s Director of Public Affairs, disclosed that 786,741 workers are being trained for the 2023 Census.

Yahaya in a statement said that this set of functionaries would consist of 623,797 enumerators, 125,944 supervisors, 24,001 data quality assistants, 12,000 field coordinators, 1,000 data quality managers, 1639 centre administrators, and 59,000 LGA level facilitators.

The statement read: “In preparation for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census scheduled to begin from 29th March to 2nd April 2023, the National Population Commission has commenced the training of functionaries for the exercise in all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory from Monday, January 23, 2023.”

According to the statement, the training which was being organised in stages started with the training of Census Specialised Workforce and facilitators.

The first set of people trained were expected to train enumerators, supervisors, field coordinators, data quality assistants, and data quality managers.

It was also noted that the training includes self-learning study and online training with monitored simulated hands-on and in-person classroom and hands-on training.

The statement added that the workers were to be trained on census forms, census applications, data capturing processes, interpersonal communication, and basic troubleshooting of Computer Assisted Personal Interviews.

It also stated, “To ensure that the data collected are of high quality, the commission has recruited and trained Data Quality Managers and Data Quality Assistants on the deployment of maps, data validation, and monitoring of the census dashboard.”

2023: PDP Files Suit Against APC, Seeks Disqualification Of Tinubu; APC Kick, Faults Suit

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Opposition Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, has filed a suit in Court, demanding the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to disqualify Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC Presidential Candidate from participating at the February 25th, 2023 Presidential Election.

The PDP said it is dragging Tinubu to Court over an alleged  forfeiture of the sum of $460,000 to the United States of America authorities.

Kola Ologbodiyan, the Spokesperson for the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organization made the announcement of the legal suit against Tinubu and APC in Abuja, the nation’s Capital.

Ologbondiyan expressed the determination of the Campaign Council to file for accelerated hearing in the case in the interest of the Nation as Nigeria’s laws do not permit an alleged convict, let alone an individual convicted on account of international crime of trafficking in narcotic, to stand election at any level.

He added that the Campaign Council is praying the court to “Declare Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of the APC, having been allegedly convicted, as ineligible to contest the presidential election by virtue of section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution.

Compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, to immediately delist Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Presidential Candidate of the APC or any other political party for that matter and expunge his name from all materials and documents related to the 2023 Presidential election.

The Directorate of Strategy and Communications of the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council on Sunday had asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Department of State Security, DSS and the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute Tinubu for the alleged crime.

Ologbondiyan said, “You will further recall that the PDP had already established that the presidential candidate of the APC, having been allegedly convicted and having acceded to be guilty as charged by way of forfeiture of the $460,000; Nigeria being a signatory to International Convention is mandatorily obligated to execute the consequential effect of that conviction by virtue of Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution.

“For clarity, Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that:(1) A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if….(d) He is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or for any other offence, imposed on him by any court or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal.

“The import of the foregoing is that under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), having been so convicted and fined and having acceded to the sentencing by way of forfeiture of $460,000 and having not received any state pardon or acquitted by any court of competent jurisdiction, Asiwaju Tinubu remains a convict and the consequential effect is that he cannot contest election at any level in Nigeria.

“The effect is that the listing of the name of Bola Tinubu, who stands allegedly convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction on the ballot for the 2023 presidential election is by the virtue of Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) fundamentally illegal, invalid and must be expunged immediately.” he further noted.

Reacting to PDP’s call for Tinubu’s disqualification, the APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Festus Keyamo said that the Atiku/Okowa Organisation is a body that is deficient in ideas and originality.

Keyamo said, “Why did they wait all these months until we filed before they are now rushing to Court? I challenged them more than two months ago, yet they did nothing.

“It shows a team that is lacking in originality, lacking in ideas, and lacking in vision. It is just an attempt to create a counter suit to our own. Unfortunately for them, Nigerians have seen through them already”.

Deadline For New Naira Notes: Senate Wants Extension To July; CBN Says January 31 Date Remains

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Godwin Emefiele

By Ayodele Oni

The Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) and the Senate are set for another round of war over the deadline for for the phasing out of naira notes whose course were recently changed by the apex bank.

While the Senate is saying the January 31 deadline should be extended, to July, the CBN is insisting that there is no going back on the date.

CBN said that there is no going back on the January 31 deadline for the old 200, 500 and 1,000 naira notes, as they will cease to be legal tender in the country.

The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele reiterated the CBN’s stance after the apex bank’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

Emefiele also insisted that enough time had been given to Nigerians to swap their old naira notes for new ones.

This is as he also said that kidnapping and ransom-taking had reduced since the three banknotes were redesigned.

But, the Nigerian Senate urged the CBN to extend the deadline for the implementation of the New Naira note Policy by six months.

The upper legislative Chamber’s stand followed a point of order moved by Kwara State lawmaker, Senator Sadiq Umar.

The Senate pointed out that the deadline for the implementation of the CBN Policy is too short and would only inflict untold hardship on Nigerians following the public outcry.

The Senate stated that it is still within its purview to ensure that the rights and interest of the people are protected at all cost, and it will stand against any decision that suppresses the voice of the people in a democracy.

It has now directed the CBN to extend the deadline of its new Policy to the 31st of July 2023.

It  also urged Banks to permit those Nigerians that are not using banks to exchange the Old Naira Notes for new ones.

New Naira Notes: Scarcity Bites As CBN Names Banks As Swap Agents

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Godwin-Emefiele-CBN-Governor

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has designated five commercial banks in the country as operators of its cash swap programme, the Punch reports.

The Godwin Emefiele-led apex bank had, on Monday, kicked off the programme in line with its aim to phase out the old naira notes of N200, N500, and N1000 by January 31, 2023.

The cash swap programme, financial analysts said may be the CBN latest reaction to public complaint that the new naira notes are not being well circulated.

Two weeks ago, the CBN directed commercial banks to stop on-the-counter payment of the new bank notes to customers, while also urging the banks to load their ATMs with the new currency.

While some banks have so far complied, others have continued to load the ATMS with old banknotes in violation of CBN order, a situation many described as a deliberate plot by some banks to frustrate the naira redesigned policy.

But banks, have also absolved themselves of blame citing for instance, that they have not been allocated enough new notes by the CBN,

Therefore, not a few watching the unraveling scenario insist that the CBN may have decided to move with the speed of light, to ensure that the new banknotes are well circulated, particularly in rural areas before the deadline expires in a week.

According to the document released by the government bank, money agents of POS operators can now collect old naira notes from customers which they in turn exchanged for next notes in designated banks.
The commercial banks are Zenith Bank, Aceess Bank, UBA, First Bank of Nigeria, FBN, and First City Monument Bank, FCMB.

In order to forestall abuse, the CBN said only registered POS operators can participate, while it has also excluded POS operators in Lagos and Abuja from the programme.

“Not all agents can participate. This is open to only selected agents profiled by the super agent/MMO/bank and submitted to the Central Bank of Nigeria and participating banks (Access, Zenith, UBA, First, FCMB),” CBN said.

“Selected agents in all the 36 states (except Lagos state and FCT, Abuja). Lagos and Abuja agents are excluded from this.”

It was  also learnt that the agents are restricted from using the new notes for their regular transactions, only for the programme.

The apex bank said to qualify an agent “must have a bank account with that bank and your operators (super agent/MMO/bank) will have pre-registered you with the bank where you have an account.”

It added, “you must go to the bank you have informed operator (super agent/MMO/bank) of. That is where your agent details will be submitted to for verification when you get there to collect the new notes.”

Also, each agent’s name, BVN number, and operator’s name are required before the new notes will be released.

The document added that the bank would also verify the agent’s picture and finger print.

The document also noted that an agent is expected to have a record of the customer’s Know-Your-Customer information, which includes name, phone number, bank, account number and amount.

Meanwhile, the CBN did not put a lid on how much a customer can deposit, regardless only N10,000 new notes is expected to be released per customer while excess cash will be deposited in old or new bank account of customers in line with the apex bank’s cashless policy.

FIRS Collects N10 trn Tax, Highest Ever

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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0

Mohammed Nami, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has disclosed that dogged implementation of reforms and use of modern technology led to increase in the tax revenue generated by the Agency.

The agency boss spoke while reacting to the N10 trillion generated in 2022. This is the highest since the creastion of the agency, and it represents more than 90 percent of its target for year undr review.

He allude the high tax collection to the “dogged implementation of strategic reforms over the past two years; a renewed commitment by officers of the service, accompanied with a boosted morale; as well as the innovative deployment of technology for automation of both tax administration and operational processes”.

“This collection was possible through collaboration with our stakeholders, from our colleagues at the executive branch of government, to the members of the judiciary, to our brothers and sisters at the national assembly, as well as the tax advisory committee, professional bodies, unions, and most crucially our taxpayers,” the agency boss said.

Nami made this known in a statement released by Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola, his special assistant on media and communication on Monday.

According to the breakdown of the figures released by the agency, non-oil taxes contributed 59 percent of the total collection in the year, while oil tax collection stood at 41 percent of total collection.

“The FIRS, in the year 2022 collected a total of N10.1 trillion in both oil (N4.09 trillion) and non-oil (N5.96 trillion) revenues as against a target of N10.44 trillion,” the statement reads.

“Companies income tax contributed N2.83 trillion, value-added tax N2.51 trillion, electronic money transfer levy N125.67 billion, and earmarked taxes N353.69 billion,” the statement said.

Najaatu:  Another Uncultured Rottweiler Joins Atiku

By
The Source
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Kassim Afegbua and Najaatu Mohammed

By Kassim Afegbua

If at this age, a 67-year old Lady can still behave like a typical hustler, then Asiwaju Tinubu truly has a lot of work to do to empower such fellows when he becomes President

Last week, Najaatu Mohammed separated herself from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and joined the Atiku Abubakar’s chequered aspiration. She loosely and lousily declared that but for the South-West media, Asiwaju Tinubu should not be allowed to become president.

A Najaatu that has always been on the side of justice; or supposedly, I should have said, has now latched on to Atiku Abubakar’s campaigns to further her hustle.

Since then, she has been shouting like an uncultured rottweiler trying to demarket Tinubu; as if the APC candidate is not a man we see all the time.

She says Tinubu cannot hold a tea cup; maybe she has been babysitting Asiwaju Tinubu and feeding him tea, or spoon feeding him each time he has a meal.

The likes of Najaatu, and (Daniel) Bwala, came with the notion that there will be so much to salivate their appetite, but seeing that Asiwaju Tinubu was not forthcoming with free money, they decided to find the exit door.

If Najaatu Mohammed had quietly exited and hid her shame, it would still have made some sense; but for her to be shouting at the top of her voice to undermine the APC candidate is the most ridiculous engagement of this lousy Lady who has failed in all her political contests.

She has just joined her compatriot, another perennial loser; who has been contesting for President since 1992. Like him, the times that Najaatu Mohammed has contested, she has failed. She will soon meet her disappointment in the Atiku camp, because the mouth-watering financial greasing of the palm that she so desperately wants is not there. I doubt if Atiku Abubakar can match her appetite for easy money. The romance will soon go sour. Let it be on record that I said so.

Najaatu Mohammed declared that Asiwaju Tinubu “cannot hold a tea cup” and that The APC candidate is “suffering from dementia”. It is possible that Najaatu is talking about another Asiwaju Tinubu, certainly not the one we have been seeing campaigning everywhere.

When Najaatu’s new partner, Atiku Abubakar, went to Chatham House sometime ago, he went blank trying to deliver his written speech. He said there was interruption by only God knows what. Even when Reno Omokri rushed to his aid, he was still transfixed, looking helplessly because his mind had deserted him. That is a typical example of dementia. And Atiku Abubakar exhibited that so eloquently.

I do not quarrel with Najaatu Mohammed for exiting the Tinubu camp to follow her heart, but to make empty conjectures and rhetorics in order to embellish her deep hunger and greed, exposes her dubiety of purpose. That is usually the stock-in-trade of jobless minds who live on charity and free money.

Asiwaju Tinubu has defied all the insinuations to confound the public with his energetic campaign since November. Since his return from Saudi Arabia, no single day has gone by without one activity or the other. If able-bodied minds like Governors Ganduje, El-Rufai, Bagudu, Badaru, Suleiman, Masari, Lalong, Abu Bello, Yahaya Bello, Zulum, Mai Buni, Mutawallen, Yahaya, and Abdulrasaq, all serving Governors from the North under the platform of The APC, persons who see Asiwaju Tinubu on a regular basis, have not seen “dementia” in Tinubu, it means that Najaatu possesses spiritual binoculars and sees that which does not exist.

There are other notable Nigerians in the Tinubu Campaign who can attest to his alertness , agility and energy.

Trying to blackmail Asiwaju Tinubu or run him down will certainly not fetch Najaatu Mohammed extra meat from Atiku Abubakar’s pot of soup. Asiwaju Tinubu is an idea whose time has come. God almighty will surely see his aspiration through to victory.

It is interesting that Najaatu Mohammed has joined Atiku Abubakar’s rottweiler colony, but she should please be honourable enough to bark with facts, and not mere conjectures. I will come her way again.

Afegbua, former Commissioner for Information, Edo State, was one of the Spokespersons for Atiku’s PCC in the 2019 Presidential Election. He has gone back to the APC from where he decamped to the PDP then.

Naja’atu Muhammad: The APC Presidential Ticket Should Have Gone To Osinbajo, Not Tinubu

By
The Source
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Naja’atu Muhammad and Yemi Osinbajo

By Gideon Njoku

A Commissioner on the Police Service Commission, PSC,  who represents the Civil Society on the Commission, Naja’atu Muhammad, has blamed the Yoruba Nation for supporting Bola Tinubu to clinch the Presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, instead of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

” If Yorubas were serious they would have backed (Yemi) Osinbajo, not Tinubu.”

Muhammad resigned on Saturday as the Director of the Civil Society to Tinubu/Shettima APC Presidential Campaign Council on Friday, 19th January, 2023 after she attended the Presidential Rally in Yola, Adamawa State.

She said Tinubu is neither physically nor mentally fit to be President, and disclosed that in Yola, they had to beg that the microphone be taken away from the APC Presidential Candidate.

Resigning from both the office and the Party, she posited that “my dream for a better Nigeria is a bigger motivating factor than party politics.”

Both Tinubu and Osinbajo were aspirants in the APC Presidential Primary. Tinubu defeated the Vice President after an, almost, bitter campaign.

Explaining why Osinbajo could have been the best  candidate for APC,  she said,  he was denied the ticket because some people have taken over Nigeria as their personal property.

Muhammad: “But Nigeria has become the personal property of some elite. If you had given me Osinbajo, I swear I would have put my life on the line for Osinbajo, because he is a better person, he’s open, he’s proactive and he puts his eye on the ball and looks at Nigeria holistically.

“The few months that he was given to act he changed things, so why should I be sentimental. If the Yorubas were serious why not give it to Osinbajo, who is a Pastor. You are doing Muslim-Muslim now. The Holy Prophet said a just atheist is better than an unjust Muslim.

“So, why do I care about Muslim-Muslim? But they are busy not only galvanizing the polity but deceiving people, how Islamic are they? Somebody that could not even read Fatiha is calling himself a Muslim, without Fatiha you can’t pray, which means he has never prayed, what nonsense is that?

“I don’t care about a Muslim-Muslim ticket, but because Nigeria is a nation of ignorance, sheep’s been driven to the slaughter house. That is why our ruling class deliberately took education from the people especially in the North”

Muhammad has declared she would work with the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

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