David Cameron Gets Hustled Out of Downing Street, but the Cat Stays

The only member of the household on Downing Street to be spared the indignity of one of the fastest political transitions in recent memory will be Larry the Cat, a tabby who holds the title of chief mouser to the cabinet office.

The sudden victory of Theresa May, Britain’s home secretary, in the Conservative Party’s leadership contest on Monday put Prime MinisterDavid Cameron in the unenviable position of having to vacate his residence in about 48 hours. A large blue moving van pulled up on Downing Street on Tuesday to retrieve the Cameron family’s belongings.

It is a rite of passage Britain has experienced many times, but one that is unfamiliar for most Americans. In the United States, a newly elected president has more than two months — between Election Day in early November and Inauguration Day, Jan. 20 — to set up a new administration.

Transitions in Britain are far swifter. A prime minister typically takes up official residence at 10 Downing Street upon getting the job, as Mr. Cameron did in 2010, when his Conservative Party took power after 13 years of Labour Party government.

But the transition can seem even more jarring when a prime minister takes office without a general election. This occurred most recently in 2007, when Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair, and before that in 1990, when John Major took over from Margaret Thatcher.

“The prime minister has said he is glad there will not be an elongated leadership process,” a spokesman for Mr. Cameron’s office said in a phone interview on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because of government protocol. He noted that the need for stability engendered by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union had created a sense of urgency. “This is how British democracy works. When the leader changes, the prime minister changes, and the evacuation of the premises soon follows. It’s a quick departure, but it is what it is.”

Mr. Cameron led his final cabinet meeting on Tuesday. On Wednesday, after his final prime minister’s questions in Parliament, he will visit Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation. Shortly after, Ms. May will be granted an audience with the queen and invited to form a government. She and her husband, Philip, will most likely pose for a photo in front of 10 Downing Street with Mr. Cameron and his family, as their predecessors have done.

Larry the Cat will be staying, the government spokesman said wryly, adding that Ms. May would inherit the tabby, adopted from an animal shelter in 2011 to help address a rat problem.

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David Cameron prepares to hand over to Theresa May

David Cameron will leave Downing Street for the final time as PM later, with Theresa May waiting to replace him.

Mr Cameron will face his last Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, before heading to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to the Queen.

He told the Daily Telegraph: "As I leave today, I hope that people will see a stronger country. It has been a privilege to serve the country I love."

After taking office, Mrs May will set about naming her own frontbench team.

The current home secretary, 59, was the only remaining candidate in the Conservative leadership contest following Andrea Leadsom's withdrawal on Monday.

'Thriving economy'

The contest began when Mr Cameron, who has been prime minister since 2010, announced he would step down after losing the EU referendum in June.

Mr Cameron told the Telegraph: "I came into Downing Street to confront our problems as a country and lead people through difficult decisions so that together we could reach better times.

"As I leave today, I hope that people will see a stronger country, a thriving economy, and more chances to get on in life."

Nike confirm new Ordem 4 football will be used in Premier League, La Liga and Serie A next season

Nike have confirmed the new football which will be used in the Premier Leaguenext season.

The multi-coloured Ordem 4 will be used in the English top flight as well as in La Liga and Serie A in 2016-17.

Blue, green and purple waves surround the Premier League badge on the new ball, with solid black lines in between.

The Nike tick is also prominent on the ball which sides have already been getting to grips with in training ahead of the new campaign.

FARMERS: REVIVE COCONUT INDUSTRY IN BADAGRY

Coconut farmers in Badagry area of Lagos State have appealed to the Lagos State Government to revive the industry in the area, Punch reports.

Some of the farmers who spoke to journalists noted that most of the produce were being imported from other West African countries.

Mr Joseph Setonji, a coconut farmer, pleaded with the state government to address the challenges on ground, noting that several previous appeals by coconut farmers were not heeded.

“In the early days of Badagry, coconut was the major source of revenue to both government and the farmers. But now, the ancient kingdom only lives on her past glory as the major crop supposedly being produced in the community is now being imported from other West African countries, with a higher percentage coming from Ghana.”

He quipped that the major challenge had been the neglect of farmers by the government because they don’t have modern tools and the equipment for the production of coconut. “The government should try to revive the coconut industry and also empower the farmers so as to stop the importation of coconut,” Mr. Setonji added.

Another farmer, Mr Deji Poji, argued that since Badagry was the only destination to get the crop, its increasing demand was the major factor for the importation of the crop.

“The importation of the produce from other West African countries is because of the high demand for it, which the farmers could not keep up with. The government needs to address the challenges of the farmers so that we can be able to meet up to the demand and this will reduce the heavy reliance on importation. If we keep importing coconut, we will continue to be at a loss,’’ he said.

Mr Monday Alapo, another farmer, lamented the felling of coconut trees by some individuals. He noted that there are diverse challenges which the farmers are going through and some individuals are adding to it by cutting down coconut trees. He beckoned on the government to check all the ill-practices because it is rampant in Badagry.

Another coconut farmer, Mr Mauho Adetunji, noted that the rejuvenation of the coconut industry would create job opportunities.

“Coconut is a wonder crop as it can be used to make different things like cups, mats, bags, bangles, sandals, edible oils, ear rings, among others.

“A rejuvenated Badagry in the production of this crop will not only create job opportunities, it will also boost the revenue of the local government, in particular and the state, in general,” he added.

Heart Failure Patients Warned About The Dangers Of Mixing Prescriptions

Mike O’Meara’s life runs on a tight schedule.

Every morning, after a glass of juice and breakfast, the 70-year-old picks up his medication from a blue labeled tray his wife Beth prepared and gulps down 12 and a half pills.

At noon, he swallows three more.

Around dinner time, three more.

And before bed, he reaches for his nightstand drawer to grab his last doses of the day: seven and a half pills.

O’Meara has been diagnosed with diabetes, kidney problems and heart failure. He depends on 16 medicines — 26 pills a day — to manage his health. Taking a variety of pills is not unusual for older patients, but the American Heart Association Monday warned heart failure patients and their doctors that they need to monitor the variety of drugs because of the possibility of unintended consequences.

In the journal Circulation, the American Heart Association said heart failure patients take an average of nearly seven prescription medicines a day and 40 percent of Medicare patients with heart failure also have five or more other chronic diseases. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 5.7 million Americans live with heart failure.

Heart failure is caused by the cardiac muscle’s inability to pump blood efficiently enough to support the body’s needs. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling in the legs.

Among the most dangerous drugs for interaction, according to the study, were several commonly used to treat cancer, migraines, Parkinson’s disease and mental health issues.

Dr. Davy Cheng, a professor at Western Ontario University’s medical school and co-author of the statement, said he hoped it would serve as a “current up-to-date review” of the risks associated with medication given to heart failure patients.

Medications were ranked by their potential for harm based on the severity of the reaction and onset from when the last dose was taken. Researchers formulated the ratings based on existing data, scientific trials and package inserts.

More than 32 prescription medications were found to cause direct damage to the heart. For example, anthracyclines, a class of chemotherapy compounds frequently used to combat cancer, contain five agents known for causing irregular heart rhythms and inflammation. Researchers also linked ergotamine, a migraine medication, to heart valve problems.

Commonly used over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen can contain high amounts of sodium and damage the heart by causing fluid buildup.

Heart failure is a progressive disease, which means the medicines proven effective today may stop working in a few months, said Dr. Gurusher Panjrath, an assistant professor of medicine at the George Washington University’s medical school in Washington, D.C.

And since many heart failure patients are also dealing with other health conditions, keeping track of the variety of drugs they are taking can be complicated. Many of these patients obtain pills from multiple doctors who seldom consult one another on what he or she prescribed. And without oversight, the prescription cocktail can lead to deadly reactions.

“Heart failure is not an easy disease like the flu that you can forget about it then it’s gone,” Cheng said. “Heart failure is a serious disease.”

The AHA statement contained a list of recommendations for medical professionals to better understand their patients’ prescription drug regimens. It suggests doctors regularly do a comprehensive review of the patient’s medicines, including dosage and frequency, and consider verifying the information with the patient’s pharmacy. It also recommended that physicians avoid prescribing new medication to alleviate side effects from other drugs.

Researchers also advised doctors to carefully consider the risk and benefit of every medication before prescribing it to a patient.

While the statement emphasizes a doctor’s role in improving care coordination, patient engagement also plays a key part in bettering prescription drug management, said Robert Page, professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy and lead author of the study. He recommended patients bring an accurate and complete list of medications to every doctor’s visit. Individuals should also learn the risks of their medications and communicate frankly with their doctors.

“Patients need to be engaged now more than ever,” Page said. “Medicine has become very complex.”

So every morning, before breakfast but after his glass of juice, Mike O’Meara’s wife Beth stirs him awake to measure his vitals and record them in a logbook laying on his nightstand.

Glucose. Temperature. Oxygen saturation. Heart rate. Weight. Blood pressure.

And at every appointment, Beth is present with book in hand to share the details of her husband’s condition with his doctors. Mike said his medical team considers the book “gospel” in tracking his progress. While the heart failure diagnosis changed his life, Mike said his new regimen is a small price to pay to stay alive.

“If someone told you, you had to do this to live,” he said, “wouldn’t you live?”

DEFENCE PROCUREMENT: BUHARI MAY SACK INTERIOR MINISTER

AS THE Presidential Committee on Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces concludes its task and is set to submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari this week, there are indications that the president may sack his Interior Minister, Lt. Gen. Abdurahman Danbazau, over his alleged indictment on the report. A highly placed security source, during the weekend, told Nigerian Pilot that the president was not happy with the security briefs he had received so far on the report and is willing to sacrifice the embattled minister to ensure that Nigeria is free of corruption. The source further added that among former army chiefs and other top officers of the Nigerian Army, there were attempts to doctor the report but the panels members resisted. According to the report, the security source said that the committee, which was set up by Mr. President to probe the procurement of arms, ammunition and equipment in the military from 2007 to 2015, said several top retired army officers were indicted and some were already scheming to suppress the content of the report. The source, who described the report as “damning” and “explosive,” said some retired top army officers indicted included present Minister of Interior, Abdurahman Bello Dambazau; the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah, and his predecessor, Azubuike Ihejirika. It is alleged that Dambazau was particularly trying to suppress the content of the report. He was appointed the Chief of Army Staff by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and served between 2008 and 2010. “The committee members are putting things together and will present its findings to the president in the next few weeks or so,” the source said. According to the report, it was reliably gathered that the committee uncovered a whole lot of things, including the outright stealing of funds meant for equipment for the army, inflation of contracts, diversion of money for soldiers’ welfare, money for the rehabilitation of barracks and military facilities and many other corrupt practices. It would be recalled that in March 2016, the committee, predominantly made up of retired military officers, had summoned 292 retired and serving top army officers, including Generals Dambazau, Ihejirika and Minimah. Last August, the president also directed the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Mongonu, to set up a 13-member investigative committee on the procurement of hardware and munitions in the armed forces from 2007. A statement by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, stated that the investigative committee’s mandate was to identify irregularities and make recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the armed forces. The establishment of the investigative committee was in keeping with President Buhari’s determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria’s public service, Mr. Adesina said. “It comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-East, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops’ morale. “The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non- adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which very often resulted in the acquisition of sub- standard and unserviceable equipment,” the statement added. Recently, the president ordered the arrest of the former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, and other top officers of the Nigerian Air Force, after an interim report of an inquiry into the procurement of equipment uncovered widespread diversion of funds and fraud. Those indicted by the report were former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, and another former Chief of
Air Staff, Mohammed Umar, and other top officers, who are all facing corruption charges in the court. “The procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterised by irregularities and fraud,” the panel said. “In many cases, the procured items failed to meet the purposes they were procured for, especially the counter insurgency efforts in the North -East. “A major procurement activity undertaken by ONSA for NAF was that concerning the contracts awarded to Societe D’ Equipment Internationaux, SEI, Nig Ltd. “Between January 2014 and February 2015, NAF awarded 10 contracts totalling nine hundred and thirty million, five hundred thousand, six hundred and ninety dollars ($930,500,690) to SEI Nig Ltd. “Letters of award and End User Certificates for all the contracts issued by NAF and ONSA respectively did not reflect the contract sums. Rather, these were only found in the vendor’s invoices, all dated 19 March 2015,” it said. The panel said some of the award letters contained misleading delivery dates suggesting fraudulent intent in the award process. The observed discrepancies are in clear contravention of extant procurement regulations. The SEI contracts included procurement of two used Mi- 24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at the cost of one hundred and thirty-six million, nine hundred and forty-four thousand US dollars ($136,944,000). “However, it was confirmed that the helicopters were excessively priced and not operationally air worthy at the time of delivery. A brand new unit of such helicopters goes for about thirty million dollars ($30million),” it noted. Furthermore, the helicopters were delivered without rotor blades and upgrade accessories. “Additionally, the helicopters were undergoing upgrade while being deployed for operation in the North- East without proper documentation. It was further established that as at date, only one of the helicopters is in service while the other crashed and claimed the lives of two NAF personnel. “The committee established that ONSA also funded the procurement of four used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at the cost of seven million, one hundred and eighty thousand dollars ($7,180,000). However, it was confirmed that only two of the Alpha-Jet aircraft were ferried to Nigeria after cannibalisation of engines from NAF fleet. “This is contrary to the written assertion of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AN Amosu, to the former NSA that all the four procured Alpha-Jets aircraft were delivered to the NAF. “The non-militarisation of the Alpha-Jets made them unsuitable for deployment to the North-East and they are currently deployed only for training at NAF Kainji. “Furthermore, the procurement of the Alpha-Jets was contrary to the recommendation of the assessment team.” “The committee found that the conduct of Air Marshal Amosu was deliberately misleading and unpatriotic,” the panel said. Amosun and two other senior air force officers arraigned before a Federal High Lagos are already telling the court that they are willing to settle on plea bargain. In a related development, a highly placed EFCC source yesterday confirmed to Nigerian Pilot that the commission was waiting for the official submission of the report before the operatives of the commission would swing into action.

NIGERIA NEEDS DIVERSIFICATION: OSINBAJO

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said that Nigeria needs diversification of the economy and not restructuring because the Federal Government controls the bulk of the resources. The Nation Reports.

Osinbajo who spoke at the second Foundation Lecture of the Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin in Ondo State, said the nation is not earning enough from oil and taxes anymore, adding that the nation is blessed and every nation can feed itself and also export if engaged in agriculture.

On restructuring, he described calling for restructuring of the country simply because the federal government controls a bigger portion of the resources, may not be helpful or make a difference.

He said: “Even if states are given half of the resources of the federal government, the situation will not change; the only change is to diversify the economy.”

He urged Nigerians to embrace technology as a vital key to development.

In his lecture entitled; The Future is Here Earlier Than We Thought.”, he said understanding the way technology works and thinking out of the box is the way to go in the world of today.

He stressed that the path to greatness and development is in critical thinking and coming up with innovative ideas.

According to the Nation, Osinbajo also listed major and global advancements attained through technology and innovative ideas including how some Nigerians have taken due advantage of it.

Recognizing the central role innovation and technology play for national economic growth plan, he said, that the federal government provided extensively for technology and innovation in the current budget.