Connect with us

News

How great is America really? A guide!

Published

on

Donald Trump has promised to “make America great again.”

Hillary Clinton thinks it’s already an “exceptional nation.”
How does the US measure up to the rest of the world on key issues that are important to voters? Here’s what we found:

ECONOMY

The economy is the top issue for voters, according to a July survey from the Pew Research Center. But if high unemployment rates were an issue during the 2008 and 2012 races (6.1% and 7.8%), that isn’t the case this year.
America’s jobless rate is hovering around 4.9%. It’s the tenth best among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — a group that includes the world’s richest nations.
But if the jobless rate is declining, income inequality is on the rise.
The US scores an abysmal 0.39 on the Gini Coefficient, which measures how evenly income is distributed. According to this metric, a score of 0 would mean every person made the same amount of money — and a score of 1 would mean all the income was made by one person.
In simple terms: America’s rich are getting richer and its poor are getting poorer.

HEALTH CARE

Health care is a key issue for many voters, and that’s no surprise — the US spends more on health care per person than any other high-income country in the world.
On average, Americans dish out $1,810 more per head than the next highest spenders in Luxembourg, twice as much as Canadians, and almost nine times more than Mexicans, according to our calculations based on OECD data.
However, the extra money doesn’t deliver better health-related outcomes. Studies have shown that Americans have a shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of chronic illnesses than citizens of most other wealthy nations.

GUN POLICY

An estimated 310 million guns are owned by American civilians, according to the US Department of Justice, while the US Census Bureau estimates the current population of the US at 324 million people.
The US has more guns per capita than any other country in the world — and one of the highest rates of death by firearm according to the World Health Organization.
Our calculations based on OECD data show that Americans are 51 times more likely to be killed by gunfire than in the United Kingdom.

IMMIGRATION

The US is home to the most immigrants in the world — 19% of the world’s total.
But when it comes to refugees — last year 65 million people were displacedworldwide — countries in the Middle East and Africa take the most.
Of particular concern are the nearly five million Syrians who have fled since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
Many voters are worried about an influx of Syrian refugees, but the US has accepted far fewer refugees than other Western countries.
Germany has vowed to resettle one million Syrians. Canada said it would welcome 25,000. The US admitted just 1,900 Syrian refugees in the first four years of that country’s conflict, although the number was expected to increase to more than 10,000 by the end of the fiscal year.

ENVIRONMENT

Last December, 193 countries signed the Paris Agreement, a landmark deal that requires every country to reduce greenhouse emissions.
President Barack Obama called the treaty “a turning point for the world,” but his successor will have to take drastic steps to decrease the country’s huge carbon footprint.
China overtook the US as the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses nearly a decade ago — but in the developed world, the US is still the worst carbon polluter per capita, according to the World Bank.

ABORTION

Abortion is another hot-button issue for many voters.
America is one of around 60 countries that provides legal access to safe abortions. Although abortion has been legal since 1973, access to treatment depends on laws determined by each state.
Although it’s almost always a big issue in presidential campaigns, the number of abortions in the US has been generally declining since the 1990s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

TERRORISM

The terror threat also weighs heavily on the minds of many voters.
So how big of an impact does the threat of terror have on the US when compared to the rest of the world? Not very, according to the Global Terrorism Index.
Terrorism is highly concentrated in a small number of countries — and although the number of countries that have experienced a major terror attack is on the rise, the US still ranks low in both attacks and fatalities worldwide.
Victims of terror attacks are mostly from the Middle East and Africa.
Countries like India, Afghanistan and Pakistan have experienced terrorism over an extended period of time. Since 2000, the United States has only been featured once (in 2001) in the top ten countries most affected by terrorism.

News

KFC apologises to Gbenga Daniel’s son over discriminatory treatment

Published

on

By

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Nigeria, an international fast food restaurant chain, has issued an apology to Adebola Daniel, son of Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun state, over discriminatory treatment.

In a statement on its X page on Thursday, the fast-food chain expressed deep regret for the distress experienced by the customer and pledged swift action to address the issue.

On March 27, Daniel posted on his official X page about his experience at the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) branch.

According to Daniel, the restaurant had stopped him and his family from entering, stating that “no wheelchairs were allowed”.

Following his statement, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on March 28, said it had shut down KFC over discrimination against Daniel.

FAAN instructed KFC management to tender an unreserved apology, in writing, to Daniel, and a policy statement of non-discrimination be written and pasted conspicuously at its door post at MMIA before it resumed operation.

Reacting to the accusation, KFC reiterated its commitment to opposing bias or discrimination in any shape or form, with inclusivity and respect as fundamental principles of its values.

“KFC is unwavering in our stance against bias or discrimination in any form, with inclusivity and respect as non-negotiable pillars of our values,” the company said.

“However, this recent incident has underscored the pressing need for immediate action. We have embarked on efforts to address the situation.

“We deeply regret the frustration and distress experienced by our guest and extend sincere apologies to those affected.

“In response, we are urgently implementing inclusion training for all our employees. This incident is not reflective of our standards, and we will act swiftly to rectify it.

“We are actively exploring actions to equip our team members and restaurants better to ensure that every guest feels genuinely welcomed and that we deliver empathetic customer service that proactively addresses the diverse needs of each guest.”

‘FCCPC CONDEMNS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CONSUMERS’

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) condemned the discrimination against Daniel.

In a statement on Thursday, Adamu Abdullahi, FCCPC’s acting executive vice chairman (EVC) and chief executive officer (CEO), said the commission strongly condemns any form of discrimination against consumers, especially those based on disability.

Abdullahi said the commission would work with relevant authorities to ensure appropriate redress for the aggrieved consumer.

He said the commission would also ensure KFC took full responsibility for its actions.

The EVC said section 17 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) emphasises the obligation to eliminate practices detrimental to competition and consumer welfare to safeguard consumer interests.

Abdullahi said discriminatory actions, such as those witnessed at the KFC outlet, undermined their principles and would not be tolerated.

Continue Reading

News

FRSC to impound vehicles transporting animals and humans together

Published

on

By

The Bauchi command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will prosecute owners of vehicles conveying animals with humans, after impounding the trucks.

NAN reports that Patrick Ikaba, FRSC sector commander in the state, said this on Thursday.

Ikaba said the command has been mandated by the FRSC headquarters to seize vehicles conveying animals and passengers at the same time.

Ikaba said this has become imperative because in the event of a crash, the animals fall on the passengers, compounding the fatality rate.

He added that animals and humans must be conveyed separately.

The sector commander urged the public to desist from the act, adding that FRSC is setting up mobile courts for the offence.

“It is either you are carrying animals or you are carrying passengers and this is very common among big trucks as they have adopted it as a method of loading, which is very dangerous,” Ikaba said.

“We advise that henceforth, where you need to load them, they should be separated.

“It is only just one person that is allowed to take care of the animals while they are being transported from one place to the other.

“The move we are making in this regard is to begin to organise mobile courts where any culprit will be made to face a magistrate and explain why he has to contravene the laws of the land.

“This is very serious and we are going to swing into action any moment from now as we are liaising with the courts and we have the magistrate already on ground to take our cases.”

Continue Reading

News

FAAN shuts KFC outlet that humiliated Gbenga Daniel’s wheelchair-bound son

Published

on

By

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has shut down a KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

This move came less than a day after the airport branch of the fast-food restaurant allegedly humiliated a wheelchair user, Adebola Daniel, the son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel.

Sharing his experience, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Daniel said he was “made to feel “less than human” because of his disability.

He said while passing the time alongside his wife and siblings, at the restaurant ahead of his flight, a manager of the restaurant told him to leave the premises because “No wheelchairs allowed.”

“To be disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome and unaccepted. As I’ve said before, it’s a lonely, scary and isolated place. Never has this been more true than it has ever been today where I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand, KFC at an international airport – Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – is unthinkable,” he said.

Reacting, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, announced in a statement on Thursday, March 28, 2024, that the restaurant has been shut down.

According to the statement signed by Obiageli Orah, the law clearly states, “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle, or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person.” This legislation underscores the seriousness with which the Nigerian authorities view discrimination, particularly in spaces accessible to the public.

The incident came to light after a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM) reported on social media the unfair treatment they encountered at the KFC outlet within the airport premises.

Reacting to these allegations, FAAN’s MD/CE, Olubunmi Kuku assembled a team to investigate the claims. The team included other officials of the agency such as the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, and the Regional Manager South West, Sunday Ayodele, among others.

Following the investigation, FAAN said the allegations were confirmed to be true and proceeded to close the KFC facility implicated in the discriminatory act.

As part of the corrective measures, KFC management has been instructed to issue a written apology to the affected individual and to publicly display a policy statement of non-discrimination at their facility.

This statement must be visibly placed at the entrance of the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport before the establishment is allowed to resume operations.

Continue Reading

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

Most Read...