American Ambassador Sues CEO Of French Auction House Tajan Over Allegedly Withholding 24 Paintings

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September 21, 2022

Craig Stapleton, the former US Ambassador to France, is suing the chief executive of the French auction house Tajan, Rodica Seward, over allegedly withholding a group of 24 of his paintings that she was tapped to resell as part of a deal with the 77-year-old collector.

Stapleton hired Seward in 2010 to secure third-party buyers for the group of paintings he purchased from the auction house, according to a complaint filed by Stapleton’s attorneys with a Paris court. Seward agreed to buy the works from Stapleton.

The documents state that Stapleton agreed to split profits with Seward from the works after recouping the original purchase price. Stapleton claims that Seward failed to sell the works according to their agreement and is withholding information on where the works are currently being stored.

According to court files, Stapleton acquired 32 paintings through Seward between 2011 and 2016, including works by Amy Sillman, Richard Aldrich, Sadie Benning, Farah Attasi and Allison Katz. For 24 of those works, worth a collective €715,886 ($715,474), Seward has allegedly failed to address Stapleton’s requests to begin the resale process or ship the paintings to the US.

In an email to Seward dated from September 2017, Stapleton wrote that as of that month he’d invested a total of $850,000 in the deal and stated that he was “anxious to have a liquidation strategy.” Stapleton is in possession of the remaining eight works he purchased within the five year period.

Between 2019 and 2021, Seward was unable to sell the works despite exchanges in person and via email about the resales. Seward claimed in an email in June 2021 that she’d been clear with the collector about the sales being “a very long-term project.”

In March, Stapleton’s attorney sent a letter to Seward demanding the paintings be returned. In response Seward offered to return only a portion of the group of works, keeping others “as compensation,” for costs related to transportation, storage, framing, and insurance. She asked for an additional sum of €369,380 ($368,870) as reimbursement.

In June, Stapleton’s attorney sent another letter to Seward’s attorney to request the location of the paintings and that a date for their return be set within eight days. Following the request, Stapleton learned that one of the works, Melancholic Interior (2010-2011) by Ioana Batranu, had put up for sale on Tajan’s website. His attorneys were subsequently granted a request for authorities to search Seward’s residence and Tajan offices for the works. Seward has refused to disclose where the paintings are located.

This is not the first time Seward has faced a lawsuit over withholding artworks from consignors. In 2021, Seward and Tajan were accused of planning to sell a drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci in agreement with the Musée du Louvre. Seward was accused of failing to notify the owner of the work of a 30-month French export ban on the sale. She refused the owner’s request to return the work.

Anambra Health Commissioner Warns On The Dangers Of Non Communicable Disease

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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September 21, 2022

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Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, has described Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) as a silent killer that must be tackled in the society.

Dr. Obidike said this at the just concluded 2day training of trainers organised by the AstraZeneca and Healthy Heart Africa partners in Awka.

The training involved participants of Ministries of Health, Primary Healthcare Developments from Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Delta States.

This training of trainers of Health Professionals on Non-Communicable disease is highly commendable because it will help us to educate our people that non-communicable disease shouldn’t be taken for granted.

According to Dr.Obidike, “It may interest you to know that non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory and diabetes are the leading causes of death worldwide, representing an emerging global health threat.

He commended AstraZeneca and Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) for organizing the impactful training that will help in addressing the non-communicable disease issues and urged the participants to help step down the training.

Paul Edeh, a participant commended the Commissioner for his contributions as well as for educating the participants on Non-Communicable diseases and the importance of accurate data.

He explained that the Non-Communicable Disease program will be expanded from the 6 Local Governments to more in the future.

According to him, the Zonal training of trainers is for States in the South East and they will help to step down the training to health facilities.

A Facilitator from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Kosarachi Aluka, said they trained the participants on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) management with a focus on hypertension.

The participants applauded the organisers of the programme and the facilitators for a job well done.

Pregnancy: Why you shouldn’t Sleep on your back after first Trimester

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Cleopatra Okohai

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September 21, 2022

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6109-08395297 © Masterfile Royalty-Free Model Release: Yes Property Release: Yes Pregnant woman getting some sleep

Specialists in maternal health have cautioned pregnant women against sleeping on their backs after the first trimester, noting that such a sleeping position could collapse the veins supplying blood to the vital organs of the body and have adverse effects on the woman.

According to the experts, sleeping on the back for pregnant women after the first trimester is not only an uncomfortable position but might also lead to a shortage of blood to the brain, heart, and shortage of blood to the baby itself, especially when the woman is in that position for a very long time.

The physicians pointed out that the ideal sleeping position for pregnant women during the second and third trimesters is the left side to avoid the weight of the womb and the baby pressing on the blood vessels.

Speaking in an interview monitored by LN247, an Associate Professor and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu State, Dr. Uche Agu, said it was important for women to avoid sleeping facing up.

This, he said, was because the woman might be having a fainting attack owing to the collapse of major veins supplying blood to the heart and brain.

The gynaecologist said, “When a woman is pregnant, sleeping position is important considering the placement of the blood vessels on the spines at the back.

“The relationship of the blood vessels to the spines is quite close to the back.

“Now, the vein that returns blood to the heart and the brain is just already lined on that spine while the artery is also beside it.

“When a woman is pregnant, the womb is enlarged and because of the size of the womb, if the woman lies on her back, that womb presses on those blood vessels.

“And the one it can press more is the vein and the vein can collapse. The vein is collapsible, particularly the one that returns blood to the brain and the heart. That one can collapse easily.”

Continuing, Agu said poor blood supply to the heart and brain makes the woman dizzy, and sweaty and could make her feel like vomiting.

“If it is the artery, the artery can still pump. But if the womb rests on the major vein that pumps blood to the heart and brain, it can collapse and if it collapses, there will be reduced blood to the brain and heart.

“And the woman will be having a fainting attack. She will be feeling dizzy and sweaty. The woman might vomit and she may even die if she stays in that position for a long time.

“If a pregnant woman lies on her back for a long time, like for some minutes, she will start sweating, feeling dizzy because the blood supply to the brain has been reduced.

“This is because that womb is pressing on that major vein, collapsing it and forcing the blood to return to the heart and the brain.

“When blood returns to the heart, the heart pumps it to the lungs and the lungs now pump it to the brain. The blood returning is reduced drastically and that is what makes the woman feel like that. And if that position persists, it can cause death,” he explained.

The maternal health specialist, however, said such a sleeping position might not persist because the woman would turn immediately.

He, however, noted that the sleeping position of a pregnant woman doesn’t affect the child but only the woman.

But Agu also said that the collapsing of the vein is not a permanent thing.

According to him, the ideal sleeping position for a pregnant woman is the left side.

The gynaecologist noted, “We prefer the woman sleeps on the left side. We call it the left lateral position. This is to take the pressure off the veins. If the woman sleeps on her back, that womb will press on the blood vessels but if she sleeps on the left side, the pressure is off the vessels.

“She can sleep on the right side too but that right side may not be very ideal. But she can sleep on either side.

“What we don’t want is sleeping facing up. It is a very uncomfortable position.”

Agu urged pregnant women in their second and third trimesters to avoid sleeping facing up.

Collaborating Agu’s position is another Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr. Philips Ekpe who said the sleeping position in pregnancy might be ignored in the first trimester but not during the second and third trimesters when the womb and the baby had increased in size.

Ekpe, a former Secretary-General of the Nigerian Medical Association, said, “The average weight of a baby is 2. 5kg to about 4kg.

“So in the first trimester, the pregnancy is not that heavy. But by the second and third trimesters, the pregnancy becomes heavy.

“Now, the veins that supply blood to the vital organs like the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, and the baby itself are usually lying on top of the spine.

“If the woman lies on her back, the uterus itself with the baby lying inside is now like a weight that will compress the blood vessels and prevent blood supply to those vital organs and even to the baby which can lead to the collapse of those veins. To prevent that, they should lie on their side.”

According to an online portal, MedicalNewsToday, many women find themselves wondering how best to sleep when pregnant.

“Sleep issues are common during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, when finding a comfortable sleeping position can be challenging.

“Some pregnant women may also worry that certain body positions might affect their health or that of the foetus. As a woman reaches the second and third trimesters, it is ideal to sleep on the left side.

“A National Sleep Foundation survey Trusted Source found that 78 percent of women have more trouble sleeping when pregnant, with 15 percent experiencing restless leg syndrome during the third trimester,” the portal noted.

Almine Rech To Open In New York’s Tribeca District, Joining Growing Mass Of Galleries

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Koko Lawrence

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September 21, 2022

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Almine Rech, a prominent gallery with seven spaces spread across Paris, Brussels, London, Shanghai, and New York, is set to open a second Manhattan venue, this one in the burgeoning Tribeca neighborhood.

Almine Rech will join a mass of galleries that have opened spaces there in the past few years, making Tribeca one of the fastest growing—and most closely watched—art districts in New York.

The new 10,000-square-foot space will be located at 361 Broadway, putting it not far from galleries like Andrew Kreps, P.P.O.W, Bortolami, and spaces run by Pace and David Zwirner. Almine Rech said it would continue to operate its Upper East Side space as well. Housed within a building that was renovated by architect Shigeru Ban, the Tribeca gallery will open in 2023.

“Tribeca was already on our radar since we started considering an expansion but, ultimately, it was feedback from our artists that solidified our location choice,” said Paul de Froment, a New York–based managing partner at the gallery, said in a statement.

Among the artists who are on Almine Rech’s extensive roster are Genieve Figgis, Alex Israel, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Sam McKinniss, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Peter Saul, and Chloe Wise.

No Nigerian Movie Eligible For 2023 Oscars – Committee

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Koko Lawrence

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September 21, 2022

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The Nigerian Official Selection Committee for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences has announced that it will not be submitting a movie for the 2023 Oscars.

The Chairperson of NOSC, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, who communicated the development to the AMPAS, expressed regret that the committee could not find a film suitable for the award.

A statement sent to newsmen, “Although the committee received three epic films following its call for submissions in August, it turned out that none of them will advance to the next stage owing to the voting patterns of members.”

In a session that lasted two hours on September 3, 2023, the NOSC recorded a voting chart of ‘8:5:1:1’ from its 15 members- with ‘no film is eligible’ taking the lead.

This is the second year in a row that Nigeria would not be submitting a film for the International Feature Film category of the Oscars, the last submission being ‘The Milkmaid’ in 2020.

Anyaene-Abonyi said, “Nigerian films had, no doubt, improved significantly as the awareness of the requirements has since grown among filmmakers, and potentially soon, we just might be bringing this award home in succession.”

However, she implored filmmakers to “get more acquainted with Oscars-nominated films in the IFF category to achieve the needed international recognition and put our films in its acclaimed level of creative discourse”.

The Academy annually presents the IFF award to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States of America that contains 50 percent or more non-English dialogue.

Deputy Governor Of Ogun State Seeks Improvement Of Health Technologies And Accessibility

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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September 21, 2022

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The Deputy Governor, Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has said technologies needs to be upgraded in the health industry and to be made easily accessible across the country.

Speaking in Lagos at the 9th Medic West Africa Exhibition and Conference, organised by Informa Markets, the deputy governor explained that there was a need for Medic West Africa to bridge the technology and knowledge in Nigeria and West Africa.

The theme of the exhibition and conference was, Leveraging disruption in healthcare – Opportunities and challenges in technology.

Medic West Africa’s Exhibition Manager, Mr Amogh Wadwalkar, expressed his satisfaction with its growth, continuity of legacy and impact.

He said, “Ten years ago, Medic West Africa began as a platform to showcase the latest innovations in healthcare technology to industry players for the advancement of regional health infrastructures.

Now, it has grown to not only be a peerless exhibition platform but also a place of discourse concerning topical issues challenging the healthcare industry.’’

Informa Markets Group Director for Healthcare, Solenne Singer, also said its role at Informa Markets was to bring together manufacturers to meet with local buyers to aid in the sourcing of health equipment and solutions for their facilities and the people of Nigeria.

Among the technologies exhibited at the conference were state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostics.

Sexual, Gender-Based Violence: Conference Attempts Improvement Of Protection Law

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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September 21, 2022

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Stakeholders at the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Symposium on Tuesday called for the reform of the protection laws as it related to the survivors.

The symposium, with the theme: ”Tales of Survivors”, was organised to commemorate the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month.

Giving his Goodwill message, the Chief Justice of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, said that there was the need to protect the victims/survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, so they could easily seek redress.

Alogba, who was represented by Justice Sherifat Solebo of the High Court, Lagos said that stigmatisation had discouraged a lot of victims from speaking out, making perpetrators to continue in the act.

Alogba said there should be reform of the sentencing guidelines of Lagos State to suit peculiar circumstances.

According to him, sentencing is not just to reflect the practicality of analogical sanctions, but should be reflective of the particular circumstance of each case, as it should not be generalised.

Speaking on ”Expose on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence”, Prof. Olufunmilayo Bammeke, the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos said it was important to have a multi-sectoral approach in responses to survivors.

Bammeke said that sexual and Gender-Based violence survivor were very reluctant to seek redress for fear of being blamed, of being disbelieved and of being stigmatised.

She commended the courage of survivors who were able to go forward to seek redress and that such survivors must have a lot of support.

Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), said the agency was ensuring it contributed to the responses of sexual and gender-vased violence, both preventive and remedial.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that in the past one year, DSVA had provided services to over 4,800 adults and children, who were survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

She said that survivors often faced various multi-facetted challenges, which might have long-lasting impact on their physical, mental and psychological state of mind.

She further stated that she hope that the symposium will inform new polices, which are critical to adequately and proactively prevent and where necessary, respond to sexual and gender-based violence in Lagos State.

During the symposium, some survivors shared their stories, how they took a stand against domestic and sexual violence and how they had been able to show resilience in the face of the challenges that followed.

By telling their stories, the survivors served as motivation to others, letting them know that it is possible to overcome both the trauma of domestic and sexual violence, and to demonstrate that indeed, there is life after violence.

Breaking: Nigerian Court Orders ASUU To Call Off Strike

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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September 21, 2022

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The National Industrial Court has ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to call off the ongoing Strike.

Delivering a ruling on the interlocutory injunction filed by the Federal government , Justice Polycarp Hamman restrained ASUU from continuing with the industrial action pending the determination of the suit.

This order comes a few hours after the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) threatened not to allow any political campaign hold across the country till students of public universities return to classrooms.

More details shortly.

Strike: House of Rep To Meet ASUU, Account General, Others

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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September 21, 2022

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has invited some top government functionaries to a meeting with a view to resolving the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)

Gbajabiamila made this known after five hours closed-door meeting between the leadership of the house and ASUU on Tuesday in Abuja.

Those invited are, the Account General of the Federation, the Auditor General of the Federation, the Director General of the National Information Development Agency (NITDA) and his counterpart in the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

He said that the government officials are to appear on Thursday, September 22 to finalise negotiations for the onward presentation of the agreement to President Muhammadu Buhari for approval and implementation.

The speaker said that meaningful progress had been made, saying that the house was out to interface directly with ASUU as an independent arm of government to find out what solution can be offered.

“Based on our deliberations, we are very hopeful that there is light at the end of the tunnel and we thank ASUU for making this time out for the interest of our students.

“There are principally seven areas ASUU has put forward as conditions for them to go back to class and we have looked at those areas and agreed on certain things.

“In pursuance to finalise the meeting, we have asked that NITDA, Account General of the Federation, Auditor General of the Federation, Salaries and Wages Commission be invited to meet with the leadership on Thursday.

“Once that is done, the leadership of this house will await the return of President Muhammadu Buhari from the ongoing United Nations General Assembly.

“We will meet with Mr President and lay before him the agreements we have reached and we are hopeful that Mr President will buy into the agreement and with that, this matter will be speedily brought to a close,” he said.

In his remarks, the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, appreciated the speaker for intervening in the ongoing strike.

He described the interventions as a good development, saying that the union will wait for the outcome of the meeting with the top government functionaries.

Osodeke said that following the impact of the meeting held with the speaker, he was hopeful that within the immediate future, the issues will be resolved.

Deworming Programme: Ministry Of Health Warns Against Diversion Of Drugs

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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September 21, 2022

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The Federal Ministry of Health has warned against diversion of drugs meant for deworming of school children to curtail the spread of schistosomiasis in the FCT.

Dr Obiageli Nebe, Director and Programme Manager, National Deworming Programme, issued the warning during the FCT 2022 Annual School Deworming Exercise on Tuesday in Abuja.

Nebe said the drugs was for the treatment of schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms that lives in fresh water.

She added that the disease was endemic in the FCT, with Gwagwalada Area Council having the highest burden.

The Programme Manager, therefore, stressed the need for traditional, religious and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) to encourage children to receive the drugs and monitor the dispensing against diversion.

She also tasked the stakeholders to ensure they monitor the national school feeding projects and ensure the vendors deliver quality and good food for the children.

On his part, Dr Johnson Onyemah, Consultant on School Feeding, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said over 54,000 schools nationwide were participating in the programme.

Dr Sadiq Abdrahman, Director, Public Health Department, said the meeting was to solicit support, collaboration and active participation of stakeholders to ensure success of the exercise.

Abdrahman, represented by Dr Eunice Ogundipe, Head of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Unit in the department, therefore encouraged participants to ensure the drugs gets to the targeted persons.

Also speaking, Dr Ibrahim Yusuf, Chairman of SBMC in the FCT, stressed the need for collaboration with traditional leaders to ensure success of the exercise.