We’ll help Buhari, Nigerians succeed – Obama

President Mohammadu Buhari(L) with US President Barack Obama during a meeting in Washington DC on Monday
| credits: STATE HOUSE

United States’ President Barack Obama on Monday promised to do everything possible to help President Muhammadu Buhari and indeed all Nigerians succeed.
Obama made the promise while playing host to Buhari during his ongoing four-day official visit to the US.
He expressed confidence in the ability of Buhari to tackle the multiple challenges facing Nigeria.
He said his confidence in Buhari was as a result of the fact that the President came into office with reputation for integrity and a clear agenda to tackle corruption and terrorism as well as other violent crimes.

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Obama said, “It is a great pleasure to welcome President Buhari and his delegation here in the White House for his first visit since the historic election that took place.
“Nigeria is obviously one of the most important countries in the world; one of the most important countries in the African continent.

“Recently, we saw an election in which a peaceful transition to a new government took place. Nevertheless, the people of Nigeria understand that only through a peaceful political process that change can take place.
“President Buhari came into office with reputation for integrity and a very clear agenda: that is to make sure that he brings safety, security and peace to his country.
“He is very concerned about the spread and the violence that is taking place there and the atrocities and has a very clear agenda in defeating Boko Haram and extremists.
“I want to emphasise how much I appreciate President Buhari’s work so far. I have seen him put together a team, so we can do everything that we can to help him succeed and help the people of Nigeria succeed.”
Obama also promised that his country would continue to assist Nigeria in ensuring political stability in the country, Africa and the world.
Buhari commended the US for putting pressure on the past administration led by former President Goodluck Jonathan to conduct credible election.
He said the free and fair elections conducted in Nigeria would not have been possible but for the US gesture.
He said Nigeria would forever remain grateful to the US for that action.
The President said, “The visit of the Secretary of State before the elections to see the former President, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the opposition was a positive trend that saw us through the elections.
“And the maintenance of pressure by United States mainly and Europe to make sure that the elections were free, fair and credible made us to be where we are now.
“It would have been almost impossible if the United States did not maintain the pressure on the former Nigerian Government.”
Buhari was accompanied to the meeting by the governors of Nasarawa, Borno, Imo, Oyo and Edo States among others.

Popular police and EFCC informant, Alhaji Gay, murdered (graphic)

Alhaji Gay is the number one trending topic in Nigeria right now. His real name is Razak Adetunji Alaso and before today, I'd never heard of him but apparently, he's popular within 'Yahoo Yahoo' circle in Lagos. They say he was very popular for tracking 'Yahoo' boys for the police and EFCC. Some say he was an EFCC/police imposter.

He was killed yesterday at Agbado Ijaiye, in Lagos. People in the know say there have been many attempts on his life - he's been stabbed and shot before but he survived. Guess the people after him succeeded this time. Sad! May his soul rest in peace, amen. See a photo of his body after the cut *graphic photo - be warned*

Some reactions below..

Military option alone can’t win terror war – Joe Biden

US Vice President Joe Biden

United States of America’s Vice President, Joe Biden, on Monday told President Muhammadu Buhari, that Nigeria cannot achieve victory in its terror war through military option only.
He said for the war against the Boko Haram sect, that has killed thousands of people in the North Eastern part of the country to be won, Buhari must combine military option with strong socio-economic support programmes.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted Biden as giving the advice during a breakfast meeting he had with Buhari, in his official residence, Naval Observatory.
The President is currently on a four-day official visit to the US.
Adesina said the meeting afforded the two leaders an opportunity to compare notes on the terror war.

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“At the meeting, which held at the Naval Observatory, official residence of the American Vice President, Biden shared with his guest what the US had learnt from the terror war, counseling that victory cannot come from military option alone.
“Military option must be combined with strong socio-economic support programmes, VP Biden said, promising that the US would work with Nigeria in that direction,” the statement read in part.
Biden was further quoted as assuring Buhari of the goodwill of the US in rebuilding the Nigerian economy.
He however said corruption and weak institutions must be tackled if Nigeria was to benefit from reforms.
He added that seasoned technocrats must manage key sectors of the Nigerian economy, and only then would investors be attracted to the country.
The American Vice-President congratulated President Buhari on his victory at the March 2015 elections, adding that it was obvious that the President enjoys the confidence of the Nigerian people.
Responding, Buhari was said to have thanked the US for standing by Nigeria in the run up to general elections early this year.
He noted that the visit of the Secretary of State, John Kerry, was critical as it sent home the message that America would not brook the subversion of the people’s will.
“On oil theft, the Nigerian President estimated losses at between $10bn and $20bn, stressing that such income could have been deployed with salutary impact on various spheres of national life like education and healthcare, among others,” the statement added.
Both America and Nigeria were said to have pledged renewed commitment to work as partners at the meeting.

Ondo workers threaten strike on Wednesday

Civil servants in Ondo State are set to begin an indefinite strike on Wednesday should the state government fails to pay all outstanding deductions made from their salaries for months.
The State Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating ‎Council, Comrade Sunday Adeleye‎, stated this while speaking to journalists on Monday, in Akure, the state capital.
Adeleye said the industrial action would go ahead as the workers had last week issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government, which expires on Tuesday.
He said unless the government responds to the workers’ request by Tuesday, the strike would begin on Wednesday.
He added, “We have been meeting with the representatives of the state government since ‎last week after issuing a statement of a seven-day ultimatum and it(meeting) was all deadlock.
“But if by Tuesday, the state government fails to yield to our demand, the union will have no other option than to call a congress by Wednesday and a total strike action be declared.”

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The labour leader lamented that the cooperative societies for workers had died a natural death due to non-release of workers deductions to the societies, saying these were additional means the workers used to survive.
Adeleye had earlier noted in a statement that‎ non-payment of all deductions from the salary of the workers’ showed government’s insensitivity to the plight of civil servants in the state.

MUSIC: Tha Suspect ft M.I – Lokal GovaMent @dasuspekt

Tha Suspect recruits M.I Abaga for this conscious Afrobeat tune.

“Lokal GovaMent” is a Brand new single off the soon to be released eP “Public Nuisance” and features the new C.E.O of the Choc City music group. “Lokal GovaMent” praises the effort of the average Nigerian/Africans who provide them

    DOWNLOAD

Two Female UNIBEN Students Hit By An Army Vehicle, One Confirmed Dead (Photo)

Two Female students of the University of Benin,,Ugbowo Campus were hit by an oncoming vehicle at 10:15Am sunday morning,,19th July 2015.
It was gathered that the two girls were hit by an Army Vehicle with the inscription “Thunder Storm Patrol 28″ while they were crossing the Lagos/Benin Expressway which is just in front of the school gate.
They were both coming out of their off-campus hostels Located at BDPA Beside Odaro Plaza.
After the hit,,one of the girls was found lying on the road while the girl who was hit first was found in the bush close to the Road side and they were both rushed to the hospital.
An I.D Card found in one of the girl’s Bag indicated she was a 200 level student of philosophy while the details of the other cannot be confirmed yet.
As at the time of filing this report,,it was gathered that the 200 level philosophy student named Halim Rita Awele was dead while the other girl is in critical conditions. She is currently suffering from internal Bleeding.
Different reactions have rolled in on the danger of that express road just in front of the school. Separating an off-campus from the school gate.
Here is what the ex-secretary general of the SUG,,precious erhiabo had to say about the situation.
“It hurts
The solution is this, we take up diggers and shovel to that road tomorrow, no one will tell the government to take over and either construct a flyover or make speed break.
The SUG can take this up tomorrow being a public holiday. We all should be there because volunteers are needed too.
Rest in peace to one of ours, it could have been you or me.”

Bad Guy!!! See What a Fan Did TTo Maheeda In Public (see photo)

Maheeda posted this picture on her instagram page  with the "caption"

“Some fans self .. When they ask for a picture with me.. This is the result.  you will do same!”. -

hahaha tell me what kinda guy would have an opportunity of taking a picture with "Maheeda" and won't take advantage of it? well as for me i would do more than this lol!

Community shuts Shell’s oil field, demands power supply

Koroama community, host to Shell Petroleum Development Company’s Gbarain-Ubie Integrated Gas Plant in Bayelsa State, has shut operations at the gas field.
The community carried out the action as a protest to demand power supply from the power plant component of the facility for its people.
Scores of youths, women, and elders of the community blocked the access road to the facility and suspended ongoing work at the gas plant in the community.
Paramount Ruler of Koroama, in Yenagoa, Local Government Area, Chief Sabu Martins, who addressed the aggrieved members of his community, urged them to remain resolute until their objectives were realised.
The monarch lamented that the community endowed with oil and gas suffered the adverse impact of gas flares and deserved supply of electricity generated with gas from the area to ameliorate their sufferings.
He noted that that the protest had been ongoing for the past three weeks and resulted in forcing contractors to vacate the community until the oil firm gave a commitment to provide electricity to the them.

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Martins said, “Today, my people and I are protesting to SPDC and to the Federal Government. Koroama is a host community and has the largest proved gas and oil reserve in the entire Shell operations in this area.
“We have agreed that we could die here if light, the only demand we make is not given to us. Then Shell will never operate on our land, we have given them time to remove their things, we want the government to intervene.”
Also addressing the protesting members of Koroama community, Miss Ankio Briggs, a community rights activist, noted that the demands of the people who host the gas plant was modest.
Briggs said, “What I have heard them say today is not different from what has been said for a very long time, what they are demanding is in line with what Adaka Boro demanded.
“This story about host communities who I call the owners of the resources, it is about self determination, it is about corporate social responsibility, the demand is just and right.
“I call on the Government of Bayelsa, Federal Government and Shell to look into the demand, although it is not the duty of Shell to provide electricity to Nigerians but it is a social and moral obligation to their hosts.”
Spokesman for Shell, Joseph Obari, in a reaction, said that the oil firm had difficulties meeting the demands of electricity to its gas plant host communities due to limited capacity.
He said, “The Bayelsa State Government is leading discussions with Koroama community to end the blockade of SPDC project sites in the area.
“The community commenced the blockade about three weeks ago to press their demand for free and uninterrupted power supply to the community from SPDC’s gas plant in the area.
“The Gbaran-Ubie Integrated Oil and Gas Plant supplies back-up power to two neighbouring communities under an agreement entered into with host communities in 2006, during the project conception stage.
“Due to limitation imposed by the power capacity of the plant, it has been unable to accommodate other communities’ requests to tie into the power system.”
Obari added that SPDC had progressively fulfilled agreed sustainable community development projects in the community under the Global Memorandum of Understanding.
For example, he said in 2014 alone, projects worth over N100m were completed in the Gbarain/Ekpetiama cluster which covers Koroama.

My political destiny not tied to Jonathan – Close friend

Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s close friend, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, has revealed that his political destiny is not tied to the former President.
Recently, Ikiogha, reputed to be one of the long standing allies of Jonathan, formally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State.
Ikiogha had at an elaborate ceremony held at Community Secondary School, Kpansia open field, Yenagoa, with many PDP faithful, embraced the ‘broom party’.
Ikiogha, a former Bayelsa State Chief of Staff, was believed to be one of the brains behind the emergence of Seriake Dickson as governor in 2012.
But indications of frosty relationship between Dickson and Ikiogha emerged when Dickson removed him in controversial circumstances as Chief of Staff, Government House, Yenagoa and redeployed him to Abuja liaison office.
The current APC chief, in an interview on Saturday, said notwithstanding his friendship with Jonathan, he had decided to jump into the ship of the APC to chart a new political course for himself.

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When asked why he left the PDP for another party when the former president was still in the party, Ikiogha said, “Maybe people are getting it wrong or they are looking at it from a different point of view. Well, I do not have anything with former President Jonathan.
“Our relationship (Jonathan and I) remains very cordial and I feel that my political destiny is not tied to anybody. It is not tied to friendship, it is not tied to even my wife or my mother or my father. You see, yes, here is a man that we started together, we have been able to raise him to the level of the President and he has finished what he needed to do and has come back home. Must I not chart my political course?
“I need to chart a course to do the right thing to do. If because of him, I was in the PDP and because of him I could not move because he was the President and I needed to give him the support as a friend until he is no longer there, must I continue to be blind to say even if he is no longer there I should remain?
“The point is that I have seen a better association, a place that I feel that I can belong to exercise my political opinions and make my suggestions for the betterment of the country. I feel that the platform of APC is better for me and if I have not been able to take that decision years ago because of him, now that he is no longer there, what stops me? Nothing, because I cannot continue to tie my destiny to Jonathan. My political destiny is different from every other person.”
He said he left the PDP because the party was full of deceits and betrayals as well as lack of internal democracy.
On the forthcoming governorship election in the state, the APC leader, who is one of the top aspirants, said the APC would trounce the PDP, irrespective of whether the PDP fields Dickson.
He stated, “Well, my prayer is that there should be free and fair elections, campaign and everything, but I know that even though PDP has been on the ground for 16 years, APC is sure to win the governorship election. How we would go about it, I may not be able to tell you but all what I know is that APC will capture the day.
“But it also depend on who the APC is presenting. The PDP depends also on who they present. But I am sure that if APC presents a good candidate, it will win by a landslide whether the PDP presents incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson.

US wants Nigeria to diversify economy – Adefuye

 
The Nigeria’s Ambassador and Head of Mission in the United States of America, Prof. Ade Adefuye, on Sunday evening listed some of the changes the US authorities expect to see in Nigeria henceforth.
Adefuye spoke with journalists at the Embassy of Nigeria Building in Washington DC shortly before the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari is currently on a four-day official visit to the country.
The ambassador listed one of the priority areas to include Nigeria’s shift of emphasis from oil to non-oil export.
“America will want to see a shift of the emphasis from oil to non oil export, agriculture, power, infrastructure and solid materials and all the things that will help Nigeria to diversify,” he said.
Adefuye added that US would also want to see a world where there would be consultations than confrontations.
He said since that was also the objective of Nigeria, the two countries had to complement each other.
He expressed the optimism that Buhari’s visit would bring about an improvement in the quality of relations between Nigeria and the US.

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The envoy believed that the visit would also strengthen relationship between Nigeria and America and a renewed commitment to protection of Nigeria’s territorial integrity in terms of stopping the offensive of Boko Haram.
Adefuye added that the commitment of Nigeria to the development of the democratic process, rule of law and good governance was also important to the US.

Ignore Obama on gay issues, Group urges Buhari

Project for Human Development, a Civil Society Organisation, on Sunday urged President Mohammadu Buhari not to listen to the US government on issues of gay rights, so as to protect the laws and values of Nigeria.

The call was made at a rally in Lagos, against the backdrop of Buhari’s visit to the US on Monday.

The theme of the rally was, “Gay Marriage: Obama, Please Leave Nigeria Alone.”

Buhari will on Monday, July 20, be at Washington DC on a four-day official visit, during which he will hold talks with President Barack Obama and other senior officials of the United States government.

Director-General of PHD, Mr. Jerry Okwuosa, said the rally was to hint Buhari on the fears by Nigerians that Obama might ask him to decriminalise “the Same Sex Prohibition Law of Nigeria.”

According to him, this is a way for the US to promote gay rights, which is a part of America foreign policy.

”The US is now the major exporter of gay rights in the world. It has recently pressurised Uganda for a reverse of its anti-gay law.

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”Under the influence of the US, Mozambique has recently decriminalised its anti-gay law. At the moment, US is putting pressure on Kenya to legalise gay Marriage.

”President Obama is meeting with President Buhari tomorrow to discuss issues which include security, economy, Ebola and gay marriage legalisation in Nigeria.

”Fear is being entertained that Obama might trade off US assistance to President Buhari’s government with shooting down Goodluck Jonathan’s anti-gay law.

”We are, however, urging President Buhari to reject such a trade-off,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. Sonnie Ekwowusi, a director of PHD, noted that the only way to avoid chaos in any society was for the legislature to make laws in accordance with the values and aspirations of the people.

According to him, homosexuality is not Nigeria culture; it is a taboo or abomination.

”Homosexuality is not our culture. Every society has its own values and should grow with those values. Nigeria has her own values and we must stick to our values and tradition.

”Laws are made in consonant with the values of the people. Every country is interested in protecting what it holds dear.

”Our view is that homosexuality is an acquired habit that ought to be eradicated and not be transformed into an acceptable human conduct by law (in Nigeria).

”Our recommendation with regard to same sex marriage is absolute prohibition,” Ekwowusi said.

The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stated that America would continue to pressurise Nigeria until it legalises same sex marriage.

She made this known on Monday July 13 during a live-web chat with journalists in Washington.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the peaceful rally featured placards with inscriptions such as- ‘Obama, Please leave Nigeria Alone;’ ‘Gay Marriage should Remain Illegal in Nigeria;’ ‘Obama is Not God;’ ‘Gay Marriage, Buhari Don’t Listen to Obama.’

NAN also reports that the protesters, numbering about 50, and including lawyers and youth leaders of both sexes, paraded from the Tafawa Balewa Square, through Lagos City Hall, to the MUSON Centre.

Defectors to APC traitors to Ijaws – Bayelsa PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State has described as “traitors and enemies of the Ijaw nation,” those who defected to the All Progressives Congress.

Reacting to the defections, the State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Osom Makbere, on Saturday in Yenagoa, lashed out at the defected PDP members, describing their action as most reprehensible.

According to him, the defection was wrong because it came at a time when all well-meaning Ijaw sons and daughters were just coming to terms with the “the shocking reality regarding the grand conspiracy to shortchange the Ijaw nation and render us politically impotent in the scheme of things.”

He further lambasted the defectors, saying they were greedy and lack political ideology.

Makbere said, “Some defectors making egress out of the PDP are veterans of the nomadic act of moving in and out of political groups as they do not really place value on ideology or discipline.

“They are people who clearly tide along survival lines, and several of whom were never part of the foundation story of the PDP.

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“They came from other disgruntled units and were absolved in the spirit of congeniality and got empowered through lofty appointments and contracts scarcely executed in their own localities.”

The PDP spokesman said the defectors, as veterans of nomadic stock-in-trade, were once again embarking on an uncertain exodus.

He said the party would not have reacted to their defections because they have their immutable right to dissociate from any political group but for their casting aspersions on the PDP as if some kind of implosion of instability informed their departure.

He reminded the defectors that the PDP is a ship heading for treasure points, saying the party was not bothered about those leaving without genuine reasons.

Makbere added, “For sure, people will miss PDP, the PDP misses no one. Finally, the PDP remains a luxuriant tree full of life and vivacity.

“On the other hand, the defectors can be likened to ‘yellow leaves’ dropping from a tree due to spent time and age. Meanwhile, the umbrella remains open and accommodating to returnees who fail to see their destination as worthy el dorados.”

Gale of defections has hit the PDP train in Bayelsa with the recent one on Friday when former two time member of House of Representatives, Mr. Warman Ogoriba, declared for the APC with scores of sympathisers and PDP faithful.

Before Friday’s defection of Ogoriba, former Chief of Staff to Bayelsa Government, Diekivie Ikiogha left the PDP with thousands of his supporters.

China deports tourists for watching ‘terrorism’ videos

China has deported a group 20 foreign tourists from Britain, South Africa and India for watching video clips that allegedly advocated terrorism and religious extremism, the official state media reported.
At least two of the tourists, however, said they were actually just watching a documentary about the 13th century Mongol leader Genghis Khan.
Xinhua news agency said late on Saturday that the foreigners watched an unspecified documentary in a hotel room and later some of them watched video clips that advocated terrorism in the border region of Inner Mongolia. The foreigners said it was a misunderstanding.
The news agency cited the foreign affairs office of Ordos city, where police had stopped the 10 South Africans, 9 Britons and one Indian on July 10 as they were going to fly to Xi’an, home of the ancient terracotta warriors sculptures and their next stop on a 47-day tour of the country.
Britain’s Press Association reported that the documentary was a BBC production on Genghis Khan, citing a statement from two of the British tourists, husband and wife Hoosain and Tahira Jacobs. They said that the video “may have mistakenly been deemed as propaganda material”.

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“It can only be assumed that junior officials who made the initial arrest in Inner Mongolia made a mistake, due to perhaps their unfamiliarity of the English language,” the statement said.
The Jacobs also said that the group was a mixture of Muslims, Christians and Hindus who had travelled together in the past, including to Israel and the United States. They had visited the Genghis Khan Mausoleum in Ordos the day before they were stopped at the airport.
Xinhua said that the foreigners were criminally detained on July 11 in connection with a law that “stipulates punishment for allegedly organising, leading or joining terrorist groups”.
It said the nine “admitted to their legal acts and repented,” without elaborating. It said police treated the case leniently and deported them on Saturday.
The other 11 were deported on Wednesday.
Calls to the foreign affairs office in Ordos by the AP news agency rang unanswered Sunday. A man on duty at Ordos police, who only identified his surname, Han, said he had no information on the case.

Militants kill three Egypt soldiers in Sinai attack

Three Egyptian soldiers were killed in a rocket attack on a checkpoint by Islamist militants in the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, the military said in a statement.
The official MENA news agency had earlier reported five soldiers killed, quoting security officials.
The discrepancy could not immediately be explained as journalists have limited access to the restive peninsula where jihadists are waging a deadly insurgency.
The military said it killed 20 militants on Saturday in an assault on a jihadist hide-out, posting video of air strikes on a building and two trucks on its spokesman’s Facebook page.
Militants loyal to the Islamic State group have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen in attacks since the military overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which unleased a deadly crackdown on his Islamists supporters.
On Thursday, the militants claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a navy vessel off North Sinai.
The army said no navy men were killed in the attack.

ISIS kidnaps Nigerian in Libya

| credits: www.dailymail.co.uk

The Islamic State has reportedly kidnapped a Nigerian in Libya.

The man’s passport and photo were posted online through the Twitter handle, -T- @TDecker75 on Friday night.

The passport posted on the Internet indicated that the man’s name is Ibrahim Adeola; his date of birth is May 24, 1979; he was born in Imo State.

Adeola’s passport was issued on January 21, 2012 and its expiration date is January 20, 2017.

He was said to have been kidnapped in Wilayat, an eastern part of Libya.

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The Nigerian was reportedly abducted by the IS along with a Ghanaian, Kofi Sekyere and an Egyptian, Bekhit Ebeid.

The terrorist group is known to always kill its hostages usually by beheading them.

SUNDAY PUNCH had reported that there were strong indications that Boko Haram had forged a strong operational alliance with the ruthless IS as the two bodies released a joint video for the first time about one week ago.

It was the first video recording since Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the IS in 2014.

The video showed the picture of a suspected Nigerian soldier in a kneeling position surrounded by three terrorists with AK47 assault rifles. Later in the video, the body of the soldier was shown without the head.

The location of the action was not specified in the latest video.

The audio message released through the militants’ vast social media channels was read by an IS spokesperson who also threatened further violence against Christian and Jewish communities.

The video carried a West African insignia of the IS which indicated that the group had set up a media wing in Nigeria.

In March, the son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammad Uwais, Ibrahim, had travelled to Syria and allegedly joined the IS.

The junior Uwais, who is in his 40s, was said to have made the trip with his two wives and four children.

Beginning in 2014, a number of people from various countries were beheaded by the IS operating in Iraq and parts of Sy