Amaechi would have been arrested if I were a judge – Segun Oni

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSHqcT1FJ6AHFoxFBb5Fy2qiX8YceKO66Ur0LQXdkIiZqglKPVfppUw6QqWBFmA1-i9pB7IV5wjOuanCXWWasuWRDnxJWMMUfB8rrUbQiBMIzD6ejlBdvPzlpThJ1QFjPPSap1YYsHIc/s1600/Segun-Oni-290x195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSHqcT1FJ6AHFoxFBb5Fy2qiX8YceKO66Ur0LQXdkIiZqglKPVfppUw6QqWBFmA1-i9pB7IV5wjOuanCXWWasuWRDnxJWMMUfB8rrUbQiBMIzD6ejlBdvPzlpThJ1QFjPPSap1YYsHIc/s400/Segun-Oni-290x195.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Segun Oni, has said if he were a Supreme Court judge, the minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi, would have been arrested if indeed he attempted to influence court judgments.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> Speaking to newsmen, Oni said the allegations by the judges against Amaechi would not be taken seriously because of late timing.<br /> <br /> Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro, both justices of the supreme court, had accused Amaechi of attempting to bribe them.<br /> <br /> “I am not in the position to defend Amaechi, but I feel very sad. I am very sad that a justice of the Supreme Court could come up much later to say somebody attempted to bribe him,” he said.<br /> <br /> “If I am a justice of the supreme court, that person would not spend another week before he is arrested. So, because it is a crime, if you see somebody committing crime and you keep quiet and now you are talking about it, do you want people to take you seriously?<br /> <br /> “It’s like somebody saying I saw somebody committing rape last year and I didn’t do anything about it. I don’t think that sounds wise. I am not exonerating anybody and there can be investigation”, he added.<br /> <br /> He dismissed the statement of Timi Frank, deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, who said the party may cease to exist by 2019.<br /> <br /> Oni said APC was the “strongest base that any political system has in Nigeria today”.<br /> <br /> “I don’t see that as a reasonable thing to say. I am sorry, whoever said that, I don’t see it as a reasonable thing to say,” he said.<br /> <br /> “If anybody says it would not last till 2019, I would say that is wishful thinking, and it is not one of the most reasonable things to say.<br /> <br /> “We can have problems, we will face our problems as its comes, we are not saying that there won’t be turbulent times. If there are turbulent times, we go through it. Turbulent times are normal.<br /> <br /> “Even the PDP in its own period had turbulent times and it went through it, but to say that the APC may not exist till 2019, we are already in 2016, you shouldn’t take such a person seriously.”

Latest-News Amaechi would have been arrested if I were a judge – Segun Oni

The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Segun Oni, has said if he were a Supreme Court judge, the mini...

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APC Crisis: I Am Loyal To Atiku, Not Tinubu – Timi Frank

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQOEELEerKyBCy2XEFckygxxjn5T8ICw5btO3ajM1V766ZcnD2-mnB0GU5aEDHJWch3WAvA-wzPjCRicFJ2Wh3_75qPyWin_Bz6CRDxSPfeIvCqVMuvSyE2eyj1_WAHswKgnz8LPZpaI/s1600/tinubu+and+atiku.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQOEELEerKyBCy2XEFckygxxjn5T8ICw5btO3ajM1V766ZcnD2-mnB0GU5aEDHJWch3WAvA-wzPjCRicFJ2Wh3_75qPyWin_Bz6CRDxSPfeIvCqVMuvSyE2eyj1_WAHswKgnz8LPZpaI/s400/tinubu+and+atiku.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> The Deputy National Publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank has denied allegations that he is pulling stunts for the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> Frank, who spoke on Channels Television, Politics Today on Wednesday night said he is only loyal to the Abubakar Atiku and not Bola Tinubu.<br /> <br /> He said: “Anybody that makes any allegation that I'm Asiwaju man does not know. I'm only loyal to one person , that even the person that brought me to the APC, and that is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.<br /> <br /> “He is my only political godfather.<br /> <br /> “I have not fear to let anybody know about that he is my political godfather”, he said.<br /> <br /> Recall that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress decided to move against Mr. Timi Frank over alleged anti-party activities.<br /> <br /> The party is said to constitute a panel to investigate him based on a petition which boarders on anti-party activities.<br /> <br /> It was further learnt that the move may lead to his suspension.<br /> <div><br /></div>

Latest-News APC Crisis: I Am Loyal To Atiku, Not Tinubu – Timi Frank

The Deputy National Publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank has denied allegations that he is pulling stunts ...

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Jamilah Tangaza, former BBC journalist declared wanted by EFCC

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMw9GDs2mLc0PkU6YK0xvKTbgOCBhjU-ahiH4KhqB8Q1yLUnuFGDwAohrU-Q3GOTb3QCzSaaE0juTurSfgIjL-xa74LdVIy94F2XuqAh3zJwWW5FMpMT74I2PIj9HLW-L10FcpS_NwL4/s1600/Mrs-Jamilah-Tangaza1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMw9GDs2mLc0PkU6YK0xvKTbgOCBhjU-ahiH4KhqB8Q1yLUnuFGDwAohrU-Q3GOTb3QCzSaaE0juTurSfgIjL-xa74LdVIy94F2XuqAh3zJwWW5FMpMT74I2PIj9HLW-L10FcpS_NwL4/s400/Mrs-Jamilah-Tangaza1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Jamilah Tangaza, a former BBC journalist and former aide to former FCT minister Bala Mohammed has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Magu told BBC Hausa that she was declared wanted following media reports that she had tried to jump bail. Tangaza was arrested by the EFCC in July over allegations of financial crimes amd released on bail in August.

Latest-News Jamilah Tangaza, former BBC journalist declared wanted by EFCC

Jamilah Tangaza, a former BBC journalist and former aide to former FCT minister Bala Mohammed has been declared wanted by the Economic and ...

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Borno IDPs returning home hit by landmine explosion

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGJdK3XSAg17xZieC0DhjuRCPyWb9_2xupG7PaeJaAZg7wLi_hOz8WfStd0whCVuNDa-Us8Ng7q3fqNUPyI3LSMPZkg3NwKeFAWfrMh0Xq6oXnl7N7d5ErgVaOa8Lfi7WMgcLhyphenhyphen0g-vI/s1600/soldiers-checkpoint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGJdK3XSAg17xZieC0DhjuRCPyWb9_2xupG7PaeJaAZg7wLi_hOz8WfStd0whCVuNDa-Us8Ng7q3fqNUPyI3LSMPZkg3NwKeFAWfrMh0Xq6oXnl7N7d5ErgVaOa8Lfi7WMgcLhyphenhyphen0g-vI/s400/soldiers-checkpoint.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> A truck conveying internally displaced persons, IDPs, ran into a landmine planted on a highway causing an explosion which injured some of the passengers, officials said.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> The displaced persons were being conveyed from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, back to Gamboru-Ngala, a border community about 145km away. The community is one of those liberated from Boko Haram.<br /> <br /> The incident occurred barely an hour after the military authority in Maiduguri, officially okayed the movement of over 200 cars and trucks conveying the returnee IDPs and food items to the liberated border community.<br /> <br /> The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Bello Moduganari, confirmed the incident to newsmen in his office.<br /> “We just received the sad news that one of the vehicles that we had cleared to move to Gamboru-Ngala ran into a landmine at Ngom Village, some 20km away from Maiduguri.<br /> <br /> “There is no report of death in the incident so far, but we have arranged to take the victims to the hospital here in Maiduguri.<br /> <br /> “We learnt the landmine was planted in the centre of the road and an unsuspecting Land Cruiser jeep ran over it”, he said.<br /> <br /> Reporters who were at the venue where the soldiers commenced the escort of the very long convoy of trucks, pickup vans and passenger buses conveying foodstuff and persons.<br /> <br /> The Secretary of the NURTW in Borno, Amodu Musa, branch had earlier informed reporters that they could not convey the passengers because of the bad nature of the road especially during the rainy season.<br /> <br /> “Initially we had ignorantly blamed the soldiers for not trying to help us; but when we went there on our own we met 18 of our trucks stuck in the clay mud blocking the entire routes”, said Mr. Musa.<br /> <br /> “We had to employ the service of a mega crane and towing vans to pull them out; then we also hired tippers to sand fill the route before we could make it to Gamboru some two weeks ago.<br /> <br /> “And when we got to Gamboru we discovered that there were people but no food; a cube of Maggi was being sold for N20. A can of malt was sold at N350 and N300. That was why we pleaded with the military to assist us by allowing the trucks conveying food items to go first before the passenger vehicles”.<br /> <br /> The theatre commander of the operation ‘Lafiya Dole’, Lucky Irabor, had also informed journalists that the movement of persons and trucks through the routes leading to Gamboru was one of the most difficult tasks because of the dangers on the route.<br /> <br /> Mr. Irabor, a major general, dispelled the claims made by the returnee IDPs that soldiers took bribes from truck owners before providing them escorts.

Latest-News Borno IDPs returning home hit by landmine explosion

A truck conveying internally displaced persons, IDPs, ran into a landmine planted on a highway causing an explosion which injured some of t...

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Please don’t leave, FG begs Emirates Airline

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfPj6_cVbeKjYrZAHFbDOO2Zi6NE2tH1z-ALTx2BQBBI9hxm9I62SUH6J5zywx1uA7c695MLWmHefnO3RHCc0ARAXM2ovv4ug6_igfORvLyIKUn-SwebQP-lZCDNf4ks-2dEtgF4TER4/s1600/Emirates1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfPj6_cVbeKjYrZAHFbDOO2Zi6NE2tH1z-ALTx2BQBBI9hxm9I62SUH6J5zywx1uA7c695MLWmHefnO3RHCc0ARAXM2ovv4ug6_igfORvLyIKUn-SwebQP-lZCDNf4ks-2dEtgF4TER4/s400/Emirates1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> The federal government has appealed to Emirates Airline and other foreign airlines operating in the country to reconsider the decision of withdrawing their services.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> According to James Odaudu, deputy director in the ministry of aviation, Hadi Sirika, minister of state for aviation, made the plea in Abuja during a visit by Manoj Gopi Nair, West African regional manager for Emirates.<br /> <br /> Oduadu quoted Sirika as assuring the operators that the challenges confronting the aviation sector would soon be resolved.<br /> <br /> “The minister has appealed to the management of Emirates and other airlines to reconsider their decisions to either suspend their operations or scale them down, considering the adverse effects on their long-standing costumers and the benefits they had reaped in the past,” Oduadu said in a statement.<br /> <br /> “Government is not unaware of the issues that have created operational difficulties for both domestic and foreign airlines, such as Foreign Exchange, Aviation fuel and infrastructural deficiencies and the government has been up and doing to ensure the creation of an environment that is both enabling and profitable for all airlines to operate.”<br /> <br /> But Nair explained that the decision to scale down operation was based on poor access to foreign exchange, high cost of aviation fuel and the state of the Abuja Airport runway.<br /> <br /> On infrastructural deficiencies at Abuja airport, Sirika said the government was already handling the issue, noting that the long-term solution was to concession the major airports.<br /> <br /> He added that the scarcity of aviation fuel, which threatened to cripple the industry in the recent past, had been resolved as government had made it easier for importers to bring in the product.

Latest-News Please don’t leave, FG begs Emirates Airline

The federal government has appealed to Emirates Airline and other foreign airlines operating in the country to reconsider the decision of w...

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PDP asks National Assembly to reject Buhari’s proposal to borrow

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFwFsvDz0T6sIFTh5TlVLYbY5yEUXFCN-WLzoJgPAF7SGoAnPY_n2XQj-4UCfTAZuV5SJfxY0zNUI4ZKuXAh8-e7HeY6ghBN_XwG38iMyhSvnXdTXZzG7uDT2W1lfvHLV5UL5V4Q7-Fs/s1600/Buhari+m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFwFsvDz0T6sIFTh5TlVLYbY5yEUXFCN-WLzoJgPAF7SGoAnPY_n2XQj-4UCfTAZuV5SJfxY0zNUI4ZKuXAh8-e7HeY6ghBN_XwG38iMyhSvnXdTXZzG7uDT2W1lfvHLV5UL5V4Q7-Fs/s400/Buhari+m.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to account for recovered loot over his proposed decision to borrow $29.96bn.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> The president had asked the national assembly for approval to borrow the sum from external sources.<br /> <br /> But the PDP called on the national assembly to reject the proposal “because it will plunge the country into huge debts”.<br /> <br /> “We totally disagree with the APC led federal government on this latest move,  and call on President Muhammed Buhari to first and foremost explain to Nigerians what his administration has done with the so-called  ‘recovered looted funds’ and how far the 2016 budget is fairing,” the party said in a statement by Dayo Adeyeye, its spokesman.<br /> <br /> The PDP said Buhari must itemise what he intends to finance with the proposed borrowing instead of “lumping it up in a coded term, and to plunge the nation into debt.”<br /> <br /> It also said that the approach was not the preferred solution to the economic quagmire “which this government created due to ineptitude.”<br /> <br /> “Nigerians will recall that the minister of information, culture and tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in June 2016 made public through a press statement, an account of recovered looted funds between May 2015 to May 2016 amounting to the sums of N78.3bn, $185.1m, £3.5m and €11,250m in cash; while others were under interim forfeiture. What happened to the recovered funds? Or is it the same funds the EFCC and DSS are planting in houses of opposition figures and justices instead of channeling it into the economy?” the party asked.<br /> <br /> “In addition, the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu recently confirmed our position when he stated that the commission recovered more money in eight months than it recovered in 12 years.<br /> <br /> “Nigerians need to know how much revenue government has been able to generate from crude oil, non-oil and independent revenue sources since assumption of office from May 2015 to September 2016. This clarification will boost confidence of Nigerians on the management of their resources especially in this period of recession before thinking of engaging in external borrowing.<br /> <br /> “It is no gain saying that the APC led federal government has left no stone unturned in castigating the PDP’s 16 years as wasted even with its obvious achievements; one of which was getting reprieve from the Paris Club of Creditors. The APC-led federal government is again taking Nigeria prior to Year 2005 when external debt burden derailed the growth of Nigeria economy and weakened the GDP before the total cancellation of her debt. This proposed action of the APC’s government will be a great injustice to the citizens of this country now and in the future if they are plunged back into debt.<br /> <br /> “Let us state unequivocally, that history will not forgive this APC government and its collaborators if they allow this injustice and maladministration to our economy and citizens to stand. We therefore call on the two chambers of the national assembly to reject this anti-people request by an anti-people government that has no genuine interest for the growth and development of the people of this country.”

Latest-News PDP asks National Assembly to reject Buhari’s proposal to borrow

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to account for recovered loot over his proposed decision to borrow ...

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$2.2 Billion arms cash: Military rejects Jonathan’s claim

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL1AGN4yhpCddblSUm48mvEsm9pT0RgfobA8T0QkNfHKGw3xTb4yidGFHIN8Y1K8QDUz6lLnBiOgklUvXt1A6m4HezrC8ouCQY8aVA5r07pJBlMecX2nwW0UJPJc7Ddkhxapt_Y1KTYf4/s1600/Goodluck+Jonathan+d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL1AGN4yhpCddblSUm48mvEsm9pT0RgfobA8T0QkNfHKGw3xTb4yidGFHIN8Y1K8QDUz6lLnBiOgklUvXt1A6m4HezrC8ouCQY8aVA5r07pJBlMecX2nwW0UJPJc7Ddkhxapt_Y1KTYf4/s400/Goodluck+Jonathan+d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Military sources yesterday rejected former President Goodluck Jonathan’s claim that his administration bought warships and aircraft.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> The former president, who spoke at a lecture he delivered on “Youth Entrepreneurship” at the Oxford Union in the United Kingdom (UK), tried to exonerate former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki of corruption allegations involving $2.2 billion voted for arms procurement.<br /> <br /> Jonathan said he did not believe the former NSA stole the money because weapons were bought for the military to fight Boko Haram.<br /> <br /> Jonathan said: “I don’t believe somebody can just steal $2.2 billion; we bought warships, we bought aircraft, we bought lots of weapons for the army and so on and so forth and you are still saying 2.2billion, so where did we get the money to buy all those things?”<br /> <br /> Investigations however revealed that the former President might have been deceived by his officials on the type of weapons that were bought for the military.<br /> <br /> According to several military sources who asked to remain anonymous because of the “sensitivity” of the matter, many of the weapons bought under the former president were “unserviceable and useless”.<br /> <br /> One said the Jonathan administration bought at least three fairly used (Tokunbo) Alpha Jets for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and two helicopters. But the jets were , the sources claimed, “not worth anything because they were not weaponised and the helicopters were cannibalised.”<br /> <br /> NAF recently reconfigured two demilitarised Alpha jets in its inventory. According to the NAF website, the jets were bought from the United States in 2015 to help in the fight against Boko Haram.<br /> <br /> “The two aircraft are among the four Alpha Jets bought from the United States in 2015 by the immediate past administration to enhance the operational capability of the NAF to combat Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.<br /> <br /> “The aircraft, however, before now, could not be deployed in the theatre of operation due to the inherent weapon delivery deficiency, hence its limited use for training purposes. The urgent need in recent times to commit all NAF available platforms to OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE to enhance the success of the counter insurgency operation necessitated the Service to look inward to seek ways of achieving its drive for self reliance through research and development.<br /> <br /> “ A number of vendors invited to Nigeria to assess the platforms had concluded that it would be difûcult or almost impossible to undertake the project since the Original Equipment Manufacturer had long closed down the production line. A few others who agreed to the possibility of having the aircraft reconfigured to carry munitions have also submitted proposals for initial assessment fee ranging from $20,000 – $30,000 before they could come up with the actual cost for the project. Convinced that the project would work, the NAF consequently assembled a team of technicians to develop a feasible model for the project. The model worked on ground, and has since been mounted on the Alpha Jets, and test fown successfully. This feat is a major research and development breakthrough for the NAF and the nation as a huge foreign exchange saver, given that the project only cost about N4,000,000.00 compared to what would be required to have it done abroad,” NAF said.<br /> <br /> However, the former President may have been referring to the purchase of six decommissioned Norwegian battleships, bought purportedly on behalf of the Navy by former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo.<br /> <br /> The purchase had caused a huge row in Norway forcing that country’s military leadership to apologize to the lawmakers. The battleships were said to be used for anti-piracy operations on Nigerian waters. The Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Commodore Christian Ezekobe, did not respond to our correspondent’s questions on the whereabouts of the battleships.<br /> <br /> However a search on the Navy website revealed that the service has 24 battle ships purchased over several years while it still awaits one battleship built in China, NNS Unity.<br /> <br /> The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is seeking to add an additional C295W military aircraft to its fleet as the battle against Boko Haram reaches an advance stage. NAF has been crucial to the recent victories recorded by the military in the Northeast, through series of sustained aerial bombardment of camps and locations of Boko Haram militants.<br /> <br /> The aircraft is to be purchased from Airbus Defence and Space Company (Spain), which had earlier in the year made proposals to the NAF.<br /> <br /> The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, had played host to Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Alfonso Barnuevo Sebastian De Erice, who led two executives of Airbus Defence and Space Company to the NAF Headquarters and held discussions on the company’s proposal to sell the C295W military aircraft to the NAF.<br /> <br /> According to NAF, based on its operational capabilities, the aircraft was considered suitable to meet some of its operational needs, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and airlift operations.<br /> <br /> The air force has also recommended the aircraft for acquisition and provisions have been made for this in the 2017 budget proposal.<br /> <br /> The CAS urged the visiting team to start looking into training areas for NAF pilots and technicians on the aircraft.<br /> <br /> This, he said, is with a view to ensuring a smooth take-off for the operation of the aircraft in the event of its approval by the Federal Government.

Latest-News $2.2 Billion arms cash: Military rejects Jonathan’s claim

Military sources yesterday rejected former President Goodluck Jonathan’s claim that his administration bought warships and aircraft. T...

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