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Buhari’s Minister Predicts World War 3

By
Bayo Bernard
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Lai Mohammed

By James Orji

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said peddlers of fake news are at the verge of throwing the world into World War III. The last global war was fought between 1939 and 1945, ending with the Allied Forces bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing the surrender of Japanese and German forces.

Mohammed said another war is imminent except something drastic is done by global information managers to stop fake news.

The minister spoke on Monday when he appeared before the house of representatives committee on information, national orientation, ethics and values to defend his ministry’s 2022 budget, where he also pleaded with the lawmakers not to slash the yearly budget of his ministry.

Mohammed said, “the danger (of underfunding the ministry) is that, if I need N1 million to digitise and you give me N200,000, what can I do? Year in, year out, we roll it over. Meanwhile, we are losing these documents by the day.

“There are some pictures that we need to preserve for our grandchildren. If we are unlucky to have flood or rains or fire disaster or termites eat up some of these valuable records, it will not be good for us. If we get timely release of money that we need for the project, it will save us of all these.

“Very soon, we will be going to the UK to get information pertaining to us,” he said.

Speaking on the negative impacts of fake news on global politics, the minister said social media has become a veritable platform of spreading fake news, adding that the traditional news platforms such as newspapers have been relegated to the background.

According to him, “the people today, they don’t read newspapers, they don’t watch television — it’s social media. And it is most expensive; the most unseen enemy, they are there every moment.

“With fake news today and misinformation — I have always said here that the next world war will be caused by fake news.

“You can see even the US that use to pride itself on the freedom of the press is now questioning the role of the social media.”

This is not the first time that the minister will speak against fake news. Last month, Mohammed, while speaking at the Sal Island 64th Conference of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation – Conference for Africa and second edition of UNWTO Global Tourism Investment Forum, lamented how “deep” fake news was being used to attack government officials in the country.

Mohammed said “As a matter of fact, Nigerians should know that we have graduated from ordinary fake news to ”deep” fake news. The danger of deep fake news is that it is difficult to differentiate the fake news from real news.

“This is because purveyors of deep fake news would take a story, be it a video or a photograph and make it look real. They will take videos of what is happening in other lands, doctor them and freely circulate them as what is really happening in Nigeria. Ditto photographs.

“News stories are even worse, because they embellish such fake stories with quotes and videos and even quote government officials, as if they are real. This becomes more difficult for unsuspecting Nigerians to know the difference between the fake news and real information,” the minister said.

He described as unfortunate the manner some known traditional news platforms have joined the bandwagon of purveying fake news, noting that such news has been used to destroy a lot of people, noting that “these people have no shame because they know from the beginning that they are telling deep fake news, they have no credibility and can destroy anybody at will with their weapon”.

World Bank: Poverty Level In Nigeria Unimproved For 40 Years

By
Bayo Bernard
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Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed,minister of finance

By Fola James

For over 40 years Nigeria’s per capital income, PCI remains the same, according to the World Bank country director Shubham Chaudhuri, who said successive administrations in the country have not done much to improve the PCI.

PCI is derived by dividing a nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP by its total population. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS Nigeria’s GDP stood at over $514 billion as at the middle of 2021. It is the highest in the continent followed by Egypt and South Africa with $39 billion and $329 billion, respectively.

In contrast, Seychelles has the highest PCI in Africa of $25,699 while that of Nigeria is just $2,052, according to figures obtained from international development institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

What this means is that the living standard, LS in countries such as Seychelles, Gabon and Algeria is higher than that of Nigeria because of their higher PCI.

The Living Standard Survey, LSS is used for measuring poverty and living standards in the country and is used to estimate a wide range of socio-economic indicators including benchmarking of the Sustainable Development Goals. Nigeria, according to checks has not been consistent in conducting LSS.

But speaking at the Nigerian Economic Summit, NES on Monday the world Bank country director said those that have governed the country for more than four decades has not done much to increase the PCI, which he said has remained at the same level as 1981.

Nigeria’s PCI in 1981 was $2,180.2 and $2,097 in 2020, according to World Bank figures.

Chaudhuri said there are great potentials that are yet to be tapped in other to set the country on the path of development and growth.

“Nigeria today has real per capita income that was the same as 40 years — in 1981. This means someone whose growth has been stunted.

“I heard the honourable minister talking about the medium term development plan, which has all the right ingredients. It will take time to get (the country) back to its full potential — it can’t happen overnight,” the World Bank chief said.

He explained further than economic managers must make difficult decision that can help the country grow economically, adding that this is necessary to stop imminent decline.

He advised the government to end the subsidy regime on petrol and channel such resources to improving other critical sectors such as provision of infrastructure, education and health care services which can improve the conditions of Nigerians.

He said “Nigeria is at a point in time where some critical decisions need to be made. It’s almost like the immediate treatment to halt further decline.

“I think the urgency of doing something now is because the time is going in terms of retaining the hope of young Nigerians in the future and potential of Nigeria.

The Secret Connection Between Malami And Extraordinary Rendition

By
The Source
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0
Aloy Ejimakor

By Aloy Ejimakor

Back in the day when I was in Law School in America, one of my favorite Professors used to repeatedly tell us that there’s a fine line between good legal research and investigative journalism. He told us that one day we would find it useful, as legal practitioners, to remove the garb of a lawyer and adorn that of an investigative journalist. And that it might pay off.

Recently, I remembered the erudite Professor and decided to indulge myself in a little bit of investigative journalism (of the internet kind) and my topic of interest was, you guessed it: Extraordinary Rendition – the abominable legal concept that is currently generating quantum public interest in Nigeria. On a hunch, I zeroed-in on official Nigeria.

In due course, my hunch paid off. In particular, I discovered that Nigeria’s Chief Law Officer – Attorney-General Abubakar Malami (SAN), has long had a secret connection with extraordinary rendition in more ways than one. Below are the details:

In 2016, the ‘United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’ published a scholarly project document in a 691-page colorful compendium, titled ‘Cases and Materials on Extradition in Nigeria’. The highly celebrated publication was accomplished with the assistance of the European Union, the Federal High Court and several lawyers from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The highly collaborative project comprised of learned jurists who pivoted on ‘Extradition’ and its garden varieties, including particularly ‘extraordinary rendition’ which the compendium discussed with evident disapproval.

AGF Malami, who had endorsed the project, wrote in the Foreword to the published compendium that: “The compendium consists of constitutional provisions, legislation, subsidiary legislation, judicial pronouncements treaties and other international instruments on extradition as they relate to Nigeria”.

This is how Malami’s negative connection with extraordinary rendition started. But this is a tip of the iceberg. The iceberg lies in the Introduction to the compendium, which I shall hereunder reproduce, verbatim. Now, read on:

“It is easy to confuse extradition with rendition. Rendition is a general term for all procedures, including extradition, for returning wanted persons or aliens generally, from a State. Unlawful or irregular forms of returning persons wanted for trial or punishment include abduction and the so called “extraordinary rendition”.

“Extraordinary rendition is a government sponsored arrest, kidnap and abductions of persons wanted, accused or convicted of a criminal offence either to the state who sponsored the arrest, kidnap or abduction or to a willing third party state.

“Extraordinary rendition denies a person of the right to challenge his transfer to the requesting or receiving state. It involves the violation of the principles of international law especially where the persons transferred are subjected to torture or sham criminal charges or trials.

Abubakar Malami
Abubakar Malami, SAN

“The ‘Dikko Affair’ of 1984 is an example of an attempt at unlawful rendition. After a coup d’état in 1983, the Federal Military Government of Nigeria requested the British government to surrender Umaru Dikko, a former Minister alleged to have been involved in corrupt practices.

“Before the British government responded to the request, an intelligence officer from the Nigerian security forces with three Israeli nationals abducted Mr. Dikko and attempted to cargo him to Nigeria in a crate. This attempt was foiled by the British security apparatus, the abductors were jailed and the relationship between Nigeria and Britain became strained.

“Even though not successful, it was an attempt by Nigeria to go against the international norms in expressing its political will”.

In concluding his Foreword to the compendium, Malami stated that: “It is a very good resource material on extradition and it is therefore my pleasure to recommend the Cases and Materials on Extradition in Nigeria to all and sundry, for use in identifying the position of extradition law in Nigeria”.

Malami did not stop there. He underscored his abiding commitment to the due process of extradition, as opposed to the illegality and abomination of extraordinary rendition by deploying some of the finest lawyers in the Federal Ministry of Justice (his office) to the project.

Not done, Malami went on to profusely thank the United Nations “for its technical support to the Federal Ministry of Justice for the review of laws, development of policy instruments and capacity building for staff of the Ministry in extradition law related areas”.

And there, dear readers, is how much Attorney-General Malami loved extradition and hated extraordinary rendition until 19th June, 2021.v

Think about it.

Aloy Ejimakor, a Lawyer wrote in from Lagos.

The People’s Need Should Drive Infrastructural Development – Ozigbo

By
The Source
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0

The PDP’s Candidate for the forth-coming gubernatorial election in Anambra State, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, has described the state of infrastructure in Anambra as “pitiable and below expectations”.

In a Statement made available to the Press, Ozigbo said that his interest in Anambra State, coupled with the ongoing electioneering had taken him to virtually all the parts of the state. According to him, in each place he visited he could at once, with the ‘eyes of a development expert’, see what the need of the people are, which, he said, were sadly not attended to by the out-going APGA government.

Ozigbo, for example, asked why the Atani-Osammala-Ogwuikpere road is still at the point where Mr. Peter Obi stopped in spite of the fact that what the people along that area needed most was road infrastructure that would enable easy evacuation of their farm produce from the hinterland to Onitsha. Going further, Ozigbo also cited the Umueze-Anam road that Obi stopped at Mmiata in the hope that his successor would extend it to Anaku, but surprisingly, he could not add a meter.  “How else does Government show such people that they are part of the State?”, Ozigbo asked, while vowing to redress what he called “developmental gaps all over the state under Obiano.”

Ozigbo who revealed that he set up a small group to look at the state of infrastructure in Anambra in readiness to hit the ground running after inauguration said their findings show that Obiano has only done 12% of the projects he inherited from his predecessor, which Ozigbo promised to complete in three years. Ozigbo also lamented that in spite of achieving little on roads, that Obiano did not complete one percent of the entire roads he flagged off in the state. “He was busy flagging off roads without working on any of them. During his second tenure election, he flagged of road in almost all the communities in the state but alas he could not complete 1% of the roads he started’, the release said.

The release also pointed out the sorry state of water infrastructure in the state. “In this 21st century, when water borne diseases are becoming a thing of the past, I regret to observe that major cities in Anambra do not have running water,” Ozigbo said while assuring that once elected, he would declare emergency in that area as, according to him, certain things should be considered as not acceptable.”

On the abandoned shopping Mall at Awka  and other places, Ozigbo said that all viable, but abandoned projects would be given priorities by his Government. “I am happy my deputy is knowledgeable in that regard and would provide us the guidance that we need and cherish”, he said.

Kidnappers, Bombers Are Terrorists, Gov Akeredolu Insists

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has cautioned that various criminal activities of kidnappings, bombings and assault on the people in some parts of the country should be addressed as terrorism rather than banditry.

Akeredolu noted that infiltration of the country’s borders and burning down of railway are activities that must be addressed as terrorism and the perpetrators treated as same.

The Governor spoke on Monday in Abuja at the 27th Nigerian Economic Summit  with the theme: “Securing Our Future: The Fierce Urgency of Now.”

Governor Akeredolu, his Kaduna state counterpart, Mallan Nasir El-rufai, and others are among the panelists at the Summit, which centered on addressing the security challenges in the country.

In his introductory remarks, Akeredolu contended that a nation with failed security and justice systems is set to fail.

While lamenting that the dimension of insecurity in the country recently has been surprising, the Governor said he has always believed in multi-level policing as the best way of securing the nation.

“In Ondo State, we don’t have terrorism. Our problem is farmer/herder clashes and kidnap for ransom.

“We have drug abuse and agitation for self determination. We have always preached the multi-level policing in Ondo State. We believe in layers of security.”

The Governor, who explained that although there are criminal trespasses which can be treated by the state, stressed that before the Amotekun corps was established, the Police were not always ready to make arrest.

“Yes, you have criminal trespass. It should be treated by the state. All we had before Amotekun was a police that had the duty to arrest and was not prepared to make an arrest. Things are changing and have really changed in Ondo state.

“Today, if you trespass on other people’s land, the Amotekun will go after you and arrest you. They pay compensations to the farmers and when they fail they are in court. It is the only way you can send signals to the people.

“When you commit a crime and the hands of law doesn’t catch up with you, another person will repeat it.

“I can assure you that when you do not have an effective policing system, there is little or nothing a Governor can do. And the criminal trial is taking too long.”

Speaking on the recent ban on Open Grazing, Governor Akeredolu said nomadic pastoralist is a culture that must be discouraged in the interest of those involved.

He noted that the issue of grazing routes was not a welcome conversation, adding that those were issue of the past that must not be brought back to the fore.

“Speaking for those of us who have put in place anti-open grazing law. We have our reasons and we have no apologies.

“Grazing routes? Grazing routes to where? It is not going to work. There are things we had in the Past.

“Don’t let us imagine it now. Time changes. Grazing with AK 47 is an assault. Ban on open grazing, we are doing it effective in Ondo State.

“Nomadic pastoralist is not a new thing. There were nomadic farmers all over the world. I know of people, high ranking who have ranches today. They can showcase their cows.

“Why are we pushing these people out. It is a culture that must be discouraged in the interest of those who are involved. Even with the President order that anyone with Ak47 should be arrested, how many have been arrested?”

Fr. Mbaka N30m Richer, As Umahi Begs Him

By
The Source
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0
Gov Dave Umahi Attends Fr Mbaka Adoration Ministry

By Charles Igbo

It was a rain of millions of Naira for Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka’s Adoration Ministry on Sunday, October 24, during the Ministry’s Annual Harvest at its headquarters in Emene.

Casually dropping a whooping sum of N30m was the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi. He accompanied that sum with 200 tubers of yam and 100 bags of rice. Present also was the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and other dignitaries.

It is not known why Governor Umahi was that generous to Fr. Mbaka’s Ministry. Mbaka has always used the occasion of the annual harvest to raise money for his Ministry. When his invitees don’t give, he cajoles them to give, and/or tries to twist their their arms.

A very notorious example was the way he treated former Governor of Anambra State, and PDP’s Vice Presidential candidate,  Mr Peter Obi, in 2015. He thoroughly ridiculed and embarrassed Obi for not publicly donating anything to the Ministry.

It triggered a backlash against Mbaka who  had to apologize to Obi profusely.

Usually, Mbaka also uses the ocassion to make political predictions. This last Sunday, there was no such predictions. He had had a serious tango with the leadership of the Catholic Diocece Enugu over such predictions, and was warned to stop forthwith. As a disciplinary measure, he was placed on suspension for one month.

However, the warning has not stopped Mbaka from making political statements, recently, in the main, criticizing President Muhammadu Buhari.

Using his presence at the Harvest as a peg, Umahi appealed to Mbaka to stop his criticism of Buhari, so far.

Recall that Mbaka and Buhari were close. He was one of Buhari’s main campaigners in 2015 and 2019. But Mbaka withdrew his support for the President, and became one of his main critics over what the Presidency alleged was  President Buhari’s refusal to  give Mbaka a contract.

It is left to be seen if Umahi’s largesse, and appeal, will do the magic – that is stop Mbaka from criticizing President Buhari.

Insecurity: Group Says Sheikh Gumi Emboldens Terrorism; Laments FG’s Inability To Curtail Him

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The recent statement by controversial Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, warning President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration against declaring bandits  terrorists,  has been condemned by foremost Media Group, Journalists For Democratic Rights, JODER.

Gumi had warned that declaring Bandits terrorists would destroy Nigeria.

The Executive Director of the Group, Adewale Adeoye, in a statement, said that it is so unfortunate that Sheikh Gumi could be defending armed groups in the country.

Adeoye stressed that it is disheartening that despite the havoc, killings and illicit crimes the bandits engage in, someone would still support and back their atrocities. He said it shows the height at which we have lost our values as a nation.

“I do not know why Sheik Gumi should portray himself as someone defending armed groups from his part of the country. I find it difficult to endure his consistent positions on armed insurgency on the North East.

“I think his utterances show that the bandits have some support in high places. This is something many have guessed, but Sheik Gumi makes it a fact. Bandits not being called terrorist is a new term associated with Political forces in Nigeria. Banditry and terrorism in terms of actions, operations and their activities are the same in form and even in content.

“To attempt to separate Bandits from terrorist is a strange concept because terrorism is also an act of banditry. Terrorism apply banditry as a weapon and Bandits employ terrorism as a weapon.

“He is telling us that if they are categorised as terrorists, Nigeria will burn. He appears to know the mindset of the bandits and that clearly raises suspicion  as to whether he has any network with them.

“I think Nigeria has become so fragile and dangerously so. Unfortunately those who are expected to be peace makers are putting fuel in the rage. Sheikh Gumi’s utterances embolden terrorism and gives backing to illegal conducts which is quite unfortunate”, Adeoye says.

The Medical Doctor-turned Islamic Scholar in a statement titled, ‘Declaring Bandits As Terrorists Will Come With A Prize,’ said the moment bandits are termed terrorists, the direct foreign Jihadist movements will set in in force, which he said may be found palatable and attractive by many teaming unemployed youths.

The statement read:

“Nobody doubts that sentimentalism today overrides sensibility in our polity. For the sake of posterity, some people will have to speak out.

“The acts the bandits are committing now in NW have gradually over time become tantamount to terrorism because wherever innocent people are fatal victims it’s pure terrorism. Yet, innocence these days is relative. We agreed if their children and women are also killed, they are guilty by association or collateral damage, so also the bandits may think the same way. It’s right for vigilantes to lynch Fulanis herdsmen or anyone that looks like them by profiling but wrong for the herdsmen to ransack villages in retribution. They are pushed to believe it is an existential war and in war, ethics are thrown to the winds.

“Yet again, the only helpful part that is against bandits is that no other than them are attracted to join them in the NW because of its ethnic tinge and coloration. However, the moment they are termed Terrorist – Islamic for that matter, the direct foreign Jihadist movements will set in in force. And many teaming unemployed youths may find it palatable and attractive. Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ plus AK47 against a ‘secular’ immoral society where impunity reigns are the magnet for extremists and downtrodden – the majority of our youth”.

Gumi added that already, these deadly terrorist groups are fighting for the soul of these bandits, which he says will give criminality a spiritual cover and remove the stigma of discrediting them with such crimes since now they are fighting a ‘Jihad’ as they will claim.

“In such a situation, does the larger society -as it is- has the moral high ground to fight back? This is the most probable consequence, the price of which is not worth it. Nothing stops the kinetic actions from going on without the controversy of semantics.”

It would be recalled that speakers of the 36 State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria last Saturday called on the Federal Government to declare bandits and kidnappers as terrorists, adding that kidnapping and banditry should be dealt with decisively.

Bandits Are Terrorists, Speakers Tells Buhari; Gumi Threatens Nigeria

By
Uche Mbah
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0

By Uche Mbah

The 36 House of Assembly Speakers rose from a joint conference in Katsina State and  called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits as terrorists and enemies of the Nation.

This came on the heels of Sheik Ibrahim Gumi threatening that declaring bandits terrorist organizations will destroy Nigeria.

Bauchi State Speaker, Abubakar Suleiman, who chaired the Conference said the resolution was part of a five-point communiqué agreed to by the Conference at the end of its meeting.

“We call on President (Muhammadu) Buhari to declare bandits as terrorists and enemies of the state. The Conference has observed all the activities carried out by the bandits as containing the same mode of operations used by terrorists”, he said.

“The Conference also decried the state of insecurity in the country and resolved to work out legislative frameworks, to complement the efforts of the Federal Government to address the security challenges in the country.

“In addition, the Conference also resolved to make appropriate laws to address the fundamental issues that breed insecurity in the land, as well as create employment for the youths and curb the menace of insecurity in the country.”

Don’t Slash My Budget, Lai Mohamed Begs House

By
Uche Mbah
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0
Lai Mohammed

By Uche Mbah

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, has decried inadequate funding for digitization which he insists may cause Nigeria to lose important historical records.

Appearing before the House of Representatives Monday, Mohammed said the Information Ministry is underfunded, and valuable information may be lost.

The Ministry proposed a total budget of N67,741,989,960.

The Minister begged the House Committee on Appropriation not to slash his budget.

“We had an exhibition and I had to take the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, to our office in Radio House to see the need for urgent digitization of the records.

“The danger is that, if I need N1 million to digitize and you give me N200,000 what can I do? Year in, year out, we roll it over. Meanwhile, we are losing these documents by the day.

“There are some pictures that we need to preserve for our grandchildren. If we are unlucky to have floods or rains or fire disasters or termites eat up some of these valuable records, it will not be good for us.

“If we get the timely release of money that we need for the project, it will save us of all these.Very soon, we will be going to the UK to get information about us.”

In his own words, Olusegun Odebunmi, Chairman of the Committee, said the matter will be presented before the Presidency.

“I don’t know why the Ministry of Information is being underfunded and I see some State Ministries being funded more than a whole Federal Ministry,” Odebunmi said.

 

“We need to make an official report on this matter to the House. If we don’t need the services of the Ministry of Information again, we should close it.”

Buhari Jets Out To Saudi Arabia

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
Muhammadu Buhari - Londo Trip

By Akinwale Kasali

President Muhammadu Buhari has left the shores of Nigeria for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the investment conference organized by the Future Investment Initiative Institute.

The Fifth edition of the Flagship Investment organised by business executives,  bankers, Captains of industry and energy experts to brainstorm, navigate and discuss issues on the future of investments across the globe.

The theme of the three-day event titled; “INVESTMENT IN HUMANITY”,  will deliberate on progress and prosperity with energy; true final frontiers in investments;  science in action; and impact of climate change on communities.

President Buhari will also use the opportunity to perform the lesser Hajj in Madina & Makka before returning to the country on Friday.

The President is accompanied by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada, Minister of State for  Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen Babagana Monguno, Director General of National  Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, Managing Director of Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Some participants from the private sector include: Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, Alhaji Aliko Dangote,  Tope Shonubi , Wale Tinubu, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Hassan Usman, Omoboyode Olusanya, Abubakar Suleiman, Herbert Wigwe and Leo Stan Ekeh.

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