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Fidelity Restates Support to Small Business as Enugu First Lady, ABCON Commend Bank |The Source

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The Source
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By The Source

Fidelity Bank Plc, top Nigerian lender has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing the productivity and prosperity of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs in the country by providing capacity building and advisory services, innovative funding options and other forms of relevant support that would significantly improve their overall contributions to national development.

Fidelity CEO, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe gave the assurance at the Fidelity SME National Capacity Building Webinar organized by the bank for entrepreneurs in Enugu State, in collaboration with the Enugu State Ministry of Trade and Commerce and the Enugu SME Centre; Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN; Nigeria Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (NASME) and Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA.

The webinar which will take place across the country on a state-by-state basis, is part of concerted efforts to assist entrepreneurs across all sectors of the Nigerian economy develop requisite capacity to unlock their full potentials and take their businesses to the next level of growth.

Onyeali-Ikpe who during her remarks on Wednesday provided insights into the bank’s unique approach to managing MSMEs, pointed out that SMEs which are businesses with less than N100m annual turnover contribute about 48 percent of national GDP, account for 96 percent of businesses and 84 percent of employment in Nigeria.

Fidelity Ikpe MD Designate
Fidelity Bank CEO, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe

She noted that despite the significant contribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy, challenges still persist that hinder the growth and development of the sector. Chief among these are funding, lack of infrastructure, poor management, low entrepreneurial skills, improper planning, poor digital skills, etc. The Fidelity CEO however noted that the webinar seeks to proffer appropriate solutions to these challenges in a very practicable manner.

“We have a dedicated SME Desk with innovative products and services to assist your business. Fidelity Bank, in partnership with various private and public institutions provides funding, business advisory services for all our customers. This webinar is an excellent opportunity to network, share information and deepen the SME sector in Enugu State”, she explained.

Themed “Funding and Financial Management”, the Enugu Edition had in attendance special guests including Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, First Lady, Enugu State, Sir Robert O. Anwatu, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Roban Stores, and Chiedozie Atuegwu, Director, Michelle Laboratories Limited, amongst others.

In her remarks, Ugwuanyi applauded the bank for its unrelenting support for MSMEs in Enugu State, stating that the Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led administration remained at the forefront of SME development in Nigeria as exemplified by its continuous investments in infrastructure deployment and provision of labor policy frameworks to further encourage investments.

Speaking in the same vein, President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria ABCON, Dr. Aminu Gwadabe commended the bank for its sustained efforts at promoting MSMEs nationwide. Gwadabe noted that the bank had been very supportive to its 5,000 licensed members nationwide. “The Bureau De Change, BDC does about N1.4trillion per annum. Fidelity Bank controls 60 percent of these transactions in the country”, he explained.

Whilst shedding light on the dynamics of the Bureau De Change sector, Dr, Gwadabe revealed that exchange rate stability was determined by the country’s SME structure. Given the immense potentials inherent in the nation’s MSME space, he said that the fledgling sector, if properly positioned, could assist the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN achieve its mandate on exchange rate stability.

2023: Group Says Fayose Working For Tinubu’s Presidential Ambition |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

A Group, Concerned South-West Professionals, CSP,  has called on the National Headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to call former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, to order, saying his antics are capable of ruining the party in the South-West geopolitical zone.

According to the group, the former governor is on an assignment in the South-West to create division within thevPDP in order to actualize the presidential ambition of his new godfather, Asiwaju  Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Tinubu is a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and is strongly suspected of having a Presidential ambition against 2023.

In a statement released by the Group, and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Ismail Adeyemi, the Group said any attempt by the National leadership of the PDP to merely look on while Fayose decimates PDP in the South-West would not augur well for the party.

The statement reads: “An ex-governor who could not deliver his state to PDP during the last governorship election in Ekiti is going about, hobnobbing with the opposition, casting aspersions on the only PDP governor in the South-West, Mr. Seyi Makinde, and organising parallel congresses.

“Nigerians cannot have forgotten how Fayose consistently opposed former Governor Olusegun Mimiko while the latter served as chairman of the PDP Governors Forum towards the end of his (Mimiko’s) tenure and succeeded in driving him out of the party with his recklessness and bigotry.

”Fayose treated Mimiko, who had been in politics long before him and is his senior in age, with utter scorn, assassinating his character and pouring invectives on him.

“Yet when Fayose succeeded Mimiko as chairman of Southern PDP Governors Forum, nobody struggled with him for that particular position.

“For him now to be going about maligning Governor Seyi Makinde beats the imagination, although we are not surprised because his history of dictatorship, crudity and self-aggrandizement is well known.

“Fayose is on record as pouring invectives on elders of the party, some of whom are old enough to be his father, and it is astounding that members of the NEC and NWC of PDP have kept quiet while he continues to stoke divisions and rancour in the party.”

The Group added that governance is not a matter of age, as many governors have parents and even grandparents but everybody respects their authority.

“By undermining the governor of Oyo State, Fayose is insulting the party executives as a collective.

“He should be called to order before his divide and rule tactics cause chaos in PDP,” the group said.

Chief Judge Dies in Abuja Home |The Source

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Adesina Soyooye
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Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarat

By Adesina Soyooye

The Hon Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati is dead.

Aged 66 years, Kafarati was the immediate past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

Cause of death is not known, yet, but he was said to have died in his Abuja home Thursday night.

A native of Bauchi State, where he was a former Attorney General, he retired as Chief Judge of the Federal High Court on July 25, after he attained the mandatory retirement age of 65 years.

His death has been confirmed by his family.

He will be buried today, Friday February, 26, 2021

More Work For Gumi As Bandits, Again, Kidnap 300 School Girls In Zamfara |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

While the Federal Government is still making frantic efforts  to rescue Kagara Secondary School  boys in Niger State,  suspected bandits have struck again.

Over 300 School Girls have allegedly been kidnapped in Zamfara State. Sheikh Gumi, the self appointed Nigeria’s Special Adviser on Bandits, now have more work to do.

The attack is said to have  taken place Friday at a Government Girls Secondary School in Zamfara state. About 300 schoolgirls kidnapped were kidnapped.

It is the fourth of such massive kidnap by terrorists in Northwest Nigeria, in recent times, starting with the abduction,  last December, of over 300 students from a Government College in Kankara, Katsina State.

The latest kidnap at the Girls School in Jangebe, in Talatu Mafara Local Government Area of the State, happened around 2 a.m on Friday morning, 26th February, 2021.

The gunmen stormed the school and herded the children away.

Scores of the terrorists were said to have overrun a Military checkpoint close to the school before storming the school itself. Several soldiers were said to have sustained injuries.

It was not clear whether some fatalities occurred. However, tt was gathered that some vigilantes are on the heels of the kidnappers to rescue the schoolgirls.

Niger state has also experienced two of such kidnapping by terrorists.

On 14 February, 53 passengers of a bus coming from Kontagora to Minna were kidnapped, after the terrorists ambushed their bus.

The passengers, including children were freed following ransom payment.

On 17 February, 27 students and 15 others were also kidnapped in Kagara from their school premises in the night.

The captives are yet to be released  inspite of promises by Sheikh Gumi of their release, after

he  met and discussed with the Bandits.

According to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello,Niger State Governor, the terrorists are demanding ransom payment before releasing their victims.

A few days ago, Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed, said even in most developed countries, students are kidnapped.

Ex-CBN Top Notch Reveals How Buhari, APC Imported Bandits

By
Bayo Bernard
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By Tosin Olatokunbo

As Nigerians remained at the mercy of arm bandits who have taken over some part of the country, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC  of importing foreigners into the country during the 2015 presidential election, who have now turned against the country.

Mailafia’s said this to Punch, barely hours after suspected bandits kidnapped 300 students in Zamfara state. The bandits who operate in most part of Northern Nigeria have also failed to release students abducted in Kagara, Niger state, last week.

Recall that the former CBN top notch, last year, said an unnamed northern governor was behind the dreaded boko haram islamist group. He was later invited and questioned by the Department of State Services, DSS.

He said some APC stalwarts were so desperate to capture power from former President Goodluck Jonathan that they resolved to bring in fighters from other neighbouring countries, in preparation for war, in case the party lost the election. The plan, he said, has now boomerang, as the fighters have now turned their guns against the country.

He explained that the fighters are angry that the party abandoned them after winning the election, leaving them to fend for themselves. This suggestion was collaborated by some bandits’ leaders recently, when they met with poplar Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gunmi to negotiation the release of some abductees.

Mailafia said the APC government is the precursor of spate of criminality now ravaging the country.

According to him “During the 2015 elections they brought in thousands of foreigners into this country, armed them because it was a case of if Goodluck Jonathan doesn’t surrender, there will be war. They were ready for civil war; they were not ready for peace.

“Of course, Jonathan handed over to them and then they turned their backs on the hoodlums and the hoodlums said ‘look, you brought us here and we are still here’.”

He also blamed some foreign collaborators for the security problems now confronting the country.

“There are certain world powers that want to destroy our country. That is what I believe. There was a container load of weapons that were brought in from Turkey. Another time some were brought in from Iran. But nobody probed further and everything was swept under the carpet and that was the end of it,” he said.

“My name is Mailafia and I am always for peace. I want peace in this country because I know without peace there can be no development but I think the people in government have to be objective and treat us equally. Someone says one thing and they go after him. Others say worse things and they are treated with kid gloves.”

He backed President Mohamamadu Buhari’s resolve not to negotiate with the bandits who he said “have killed, they have maimed, they have raped and they have wreaked havoc.”

Some northern such as Sheik Gunmi have urged government to talk amicably with the bandits for peace to reign The president, on Thursday, directed security forces to route the criminals from their hideouts.

5G Network: NSA, Minister Disagree Over Deployment

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Bayo Bernard
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By Tosin Olatokunbo

The National Security Adviser, NSA Major General Babagana Mungonu (rtd) and the Minister of Communication Isa Patami have expressed divergent views over the deployment of the 5G telecommunication network in Nigeria.

Some experts have warned of deployment of 5G equipment on health and security grounds. In spite of this, the network, promoted mainly by Huwai China, has been tested by telecommunication companies in the last one year, in some parts of the countries in readiness for final deployment, sources in the sector told the magazine.

Pantami said the ministry is working towards the final deployment of the network, noting there is no cause for alarm. According to the minister, efforts are ongoing to produce a national policy on the 5G network deployment in Nigeria based on an extensive research conducted by the Federal Government in partnership with major stakeholders. He said research conducted so far indicates that the elite network has no health or security implications.

But speaking during a public hearing by the National Assembly, the NSA said 5G portends serious risks for the country including health, national security and cyber attacks, among others.

Dr Bala Fakandu who represented the NSA at the hearing said the Office is worried, insisting that the president has the duty to protect Nigerians.

The NSA said there is no final approval from the president for the deployment of 5G contrary to speculations.

Fakandu said  “I am going to talk about the National Security concerns. We are aware that the deployment of 5G will come with different types of equipment and so we understand that the stakeholders in the telecommunications industry will make effort to ensure that they upgrade their systems in order to meet up with the new technology.

“We are concerned about the deliberate vulnerabilities and backdoors within the 5G network equipment. That is one of the key concerns we have and this will make the infrastructure highly susceptible to eavesdropping, tracking, cyber attacks, military and industrial espionage and other malicious activities by foreign actors.

“We understand these are things that will be put in place particularly in the policy that the honourable minister has talked about but I need to emphasise it so that the stakeholders in the telecommunications industry will understand where we are coming from because the national security concerns is the concern of the Office of the National Security Adviser and concern of the President as well.

“In that guise, we are going to ensure on our own position and we urge the honourble minister to carry the office along in the development of the policy so that we can have a robust framework to take care of this areas”

The United States of America, USA and some other European nations have recently expressed concerns over the 5G network, promoted by Huwai a Chinese telecom company, on the strength that it could be used by the communists country to spy on other nations.

Imo Erupts As Okorocha Is Stripped Bare |The Source

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The Source
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Okorocha and EFCC

By Charles Igbo

The forfeiture is monumental and  unprecedented in the history of Imo State. And so is whatever spirit that was behind the acquisition of what were forfeited. They compare only to the infectious shout of  “As the Court pleases” which everybody in the Court exclaimed and acquiesced to. This was followed by an applause outside the Court.

By that simple pronouncements by the Judge, former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, lost all, almost.

The scene was  a High Court in Owerri. The Judge: His Lordship, Hon. Justice Fred Njemanze. He was ruling on a case very dear to the hearts of the Government and people of Imo State.

The foundation to it was laid by the immediate past Governor of Imo State, the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.

On his assumption of office on May 29, 2019, he was confronted with an avalanche of outcry and petitions over a number of things.

To sort things out, he set up a couple of Commissions and Panels of Judiciary. The case at hand stems from the report of one of the Judicial Panels – Lands and Other Related Matters.

In the report, the Judicial Panel had a number of recommendations, a number  which a Government Whitepaper was  issued and gazzetted.

Based on that, the State Government went to Court, and on February 24, an Owerri High Court, presided over by Hon. Justice Njemanze,  granted an Order of Interim forfeiture against all the property ,allegedly, illegally acquired by Okorocha.

The suit, case number, HOW/191/2021 had as first, second and third defendants, Rochas Okorocha, Okorocha’s wife, Nkechi, and Incorporated Trustees of Rochas Foundation against the Attorney General of the State.

In an ex-parte motion argued on behalf of the State by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Louis Alozie, the properties temporarily forfeited  are : Eastern Palm University, Ogboko, Royal Spring Palm Hotels and Apartments; IBC Staff Quaters which Okorocha took over and converted for the purpose of Rochas Foundation College, Owerri, Magistrate Quaters, Orlu, Road/Cooperative office/ Girls Guide illegally converted to private use housing Market Square, Kilimanjaro Eatery, Public building plot B/2 Otamiri South Extension Layout meant for the Ministry of Women Affaira for skills acquisition centre, but illegally acquired by Mrs Okorocha’s All-in-Stall Aba road, Plot P5 Naze Residential Lay out, part of Primary School Board annexed to Mrs Okorocha’s All-in-Stall Aba road, and all the properties as contained in pages 226 to 272 of the Government Whitepaper on the recommendation  of the Judicial Panel headed by

Justice Duruoha-Igwe panel on illegally acquired landed property.

The Judge ordered the Applicant to publish the list of properties in two national and local newspapers to enable anyone who wants to stop making the Order permanent, or who has any interest in any, to apply to the court, and show cause, why the order will not be made  permanent.

Last week, after the Imo State Government sealed the Royal Palm Hotel and Apartments, after  its seizure, Okorocha, along with his Sons-in-Law, aides and supporters went and unsealed it in order to repossess it. He and 14 of them were arrested by the Police detained and arraigned before a Magistrate Court.

Okorocha who was released late in the night, allegedly, on health grounds, was granted bail very late in the night. But he reneged the agreement to appear in court  with his 14 aides and supporters. Only the 14 appeared, and were granted bail to the tune of five million Naira each, and a surety who must be a Traditional Ruler.

Okorocha’s sons-in-law, including, allegedly, Uche Nwosu, were, declared wanted by the Police.

It is not known yet if Okorocha will still appear in Court, since the South-east Governors Forum, headed by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has intervened.

PDP Leadership Visits FFK; The Ayade, Matawalle, Bala Connection |The Source

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Adesina Soyooye
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Femi Fani-Kayode

By Adesina Soyooye

The leadership of the People’s Democratic Party, took a step to “woo back” one of its most unpredictable Chieftains and strong voice, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode to the “main stream” of the party.  FFK’s loyalty to the party, many insist, has been on a shifting  sand in the past few weeks.

The Party’s Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, led the leadership of the Party to visit FFK at his Abuja residence.

FFK had ruffled political feathers, especially, within the PDP when he visited and held a meeting with the Interim Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Mai Mala Buni, who is, also, the Governor of Kebbi State, and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. When the photographs the three of them took were splashed across both the traditional and Social Media, disbelief from across both the PDP and APC was the reaction.

The confirmation by Governor Bello, while addressing APC supporters in Lokoja, that FFK had defected to the APC from the PDP, did not help matters. He was also to say, later, that FFK came to him, asking to be admitted into the Party.

While a dignified, but an uncomfortable silence was the reaction from the PDP leadership, a number of people from the APC reacted in anger, and warned the party’s leadership against re-admitting  FFK into the APC. They cited a number of despicable things he had said of the party and a number of its high profile members, including President Muhammadu Buhari.

With the reaction from the APC members, notably the Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, PGF, Mr Lukman, and President Buhari’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Ahmad Bashir, FFK issued a not-too-strong statement, saying he had not defected to the APC. He, however, admitted holding meetings across party lines, for the unity of the party.

But Lukman was to reveal, and celebrate that the APC leadership rejected FFK’s membership of the the party. He was rejected, he said, adding: “That is the difference between the APC and the PDP.”

Since then, things  have been slow. Nobody could say exactly what the situation was, until a couple of days ago when FFK issued a statement, subtly asserting that he was not rejected by any party. And insisted that he could not be caged by anybody or any party, and that he does what he liked. “I am a lion”, he proclaimed, for effect.

Apparently, the PDP leadership is worried about FFK’s utterances, and/or future political moves. A source told this magazine that even though FFK has a reputation for decamping from one party to the other, and vice versa, (He decamped from the PDP to the APC, and back to the PDP, and subsequently was appointed President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election Director of Media  and Publicity for the 2019 Presidential election) the PDP did not want to lose him again to the APC.

He is punchy, blunt, and his words hurt.

Said a PDP stalwart to this magazine, “FFK is better inside than outside. He can be a formidable enemy. You need to watch his mouth and choice, and use of words.”

Even though it is not public yet what they discussed, we gathered it was not far from his activities and pronouncements in the past few weeks.They want to know exactly where he stands and to appeal to him to stay put in the party.

But another source said that the discussions may have gone deeper than that.

The Govs. Ayade, Matawalle, Mohammed Connection

Unconfirmed sources told this magazine that given the close relationship between FFK and the Governors of Cross River State and Zamfara States, Prof Ben Ayade and Muhammad Matawalle respectively, they suspect three of them could be planning a joint decamp to the APC from the PDP. Also being touted is the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed.

They have reasons to suspect so.

A  few months ago, at the time of the PDP State Congresses, FFK had warned of dire consequences if the leadership of the  PDP in the State is taken away from Ayade. I will stand shoulder to shoulder with him, he thundered. The Governor was, also, one of those FFK visited during his controversial tour of some States to assess projects.

For the records, Governor Ayade is one of the opposition Governors that is very close to Buhari, and does not criticise him, at all.

And so did FFK visit, also, Zamfara’s Matallawe, on a tour of Zamfara State. During that visit, FFK was turbanned and given a title by the Emir of Gusau.

A couple of months ago, Governor Matawalle had threatened to dump the PDP, citing what he called the “personalisation of, and the stranglehold on the party by a South-south Governor.” The Zamfara Governor has not withdrawn the threat.

A few days ago, FFK jumped  into a strong defence of Governor Bala Mohammed who was called the leader of terrorists by his Benue State counterpart, Governor Sam Ortom, over Mohammed’s surprising support of the carrying of AK 47 rifle by Fulani herdsmen. FFK had jumped into the spat between the two Governors, in a strong defence of Mohammed. He never condemned Mohammed’s pronouncement, but focused  on his being labelled a terrorist. Many found that strange.

Said a source who should know to this magazine, “All things put together, it was important for the PDP to start from somewhere to put its house in order, having lost a few high profile members to the APC in the past two weeks. Meeting with FFK is a good idea. If anything is being planned, he is blunt enough to tell them the truth, and why.”

Breaking: Admiral Joe Aikhomu Dies of COVID-19 |The Source

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Adesina Soyooye
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Rear Admiral Joe Omozuwa Aikhomu

By Adesina Soyooye

Death came calling Thursday morning, and picked one of Nigeria’s best in the Navy. Rear Admiral Joe Omozuwa Aikhomu has passed on.

A younger brother to late Chief of General Staff, during the General Ibrahim Babangida regime, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, Joe Aikhomu was aged 65 years.

A native of Irruah, Edo State, he was a well decorated Officer,  and had many successful exploits within Nigeria, West Africa and the world before he retired at the age of 60 years.

Incidentally, he would be the third Navy Admiral from the Aikhomu family to pass on.

Akeredolu, Jegede, To Know Fate As Election Tribunal Fixes April For Judgement |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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Akeredolu and Jegede

By Ayodele Oni

The Election Petition Tribunal hearing the petition of the Ondo Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), in 2020 election,  Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, has fixed April 2021 for judgement.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Umar Abubakar, gave the ruling after Counsels to parties adopted their written addresses on Thursday.

Jegede had filed the petition to  challenge the victory of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in the October 10, 2020 election.

Governor Akeredolu was, on Wednesday  inaugurated for a second term of office along with his deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Among the grounds of Jegede’s petition are that Akeredolu was not properly elected at the primary election conducted by the interim committee of his party, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and that the October 10 election was marred by violence.

Adopting his final brief of arguement, Counsel to the petitioner, Onyechi Ikpeazu accused defence counsel of trying to trivialliase constitutional matter.

According to him, Akeredolu and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, were not validly nominated to contest in the poll.

However, in his final address, counsel to INEC, Charles Edosomwan, faulted the claim of the petitioner that Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa were not lawfully sponsored by the APC.

He, therefore, prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lack of merit.

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