The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has attacked the United Nations for condemning the killing of 43 rice farmers in Borno but kept quiet on the killing of Igbos in Oyigbo, Rivers State.
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The Defence Headquarters, on Monday, faulted a report by the United Nations that 110 civilians were killed by Boko Haram in Saturday onslaught of farmers in the Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, said as of Monday morning, 43 corpses were recovered from the incident scene in the Zabarmari area of the northeast state.
The terrorists were reported to have tied up the farmers, who were working on rice fields, before slitting their throats.
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On Sunday, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, disclosed that at least 110 persons died in the horrific attack.
But reacting on Monday morning, Enenche said the troops counted the corpses together with the locals and 43 deaths were recorded.
He spoke while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily
He said, “I knew it (the issue) is going to come up particularly because it is coming from the United Nations and not a source that does not want to be identified. This is a source that has identified itself that a 110 specifically (were murdered).”
Enenche, however, explained that he contacted the field commandants and “they gave me a synopsis of what happened. When the governor was to go (to the scene) and after they had recovered the dead, the troops had to move in there and they counted 43.
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“Of course, some people ran into the bush and they started coming back and trickling in.
“As at 2pm yesterday (Sunday), I called them and they got back to me at about 7pm yesterday, still counting, looking if they will recover (more corpses). We call it Exploitation after Action Review.”
The DHQ Coordinator said the search for more remains of victims is still on but insisted that 43 corpses were retrieved from the scene as of today.
“Probably we may count up to the figure he (Kallon) gave in the future but as it is now, what we have counted with the locals is still 43 and we are hoping that we don’t get beyond that.
“This is the real situation. I did not sleep, we had to follow it because this is very relevant coming from the United Nations.”
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The massacre of the rice farmers, who were buried yesterday, has attracted strong international and national condemnations with some Nigerians calling on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to sack the country’s service chiefs and overhaul the security architecture of Nigeria.
The United Nations on Wednesday advised the Federal Government to explore its growing youth population and convert it to economic power by increasing investment in the development of industries to create more jobs in the country.
The global body said the economic prosperity of Africa lied in the West African country and the future of Nigeria lies in the numerical strength of its youths and not oil wells.
The Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme, Mohamed Yahaya, stated this on Wednesday at the 14th ǼLEX Annual Lecture (Virtual Edition) tagged, ‘Illiteracy, Migration and Insecurity: Nigeria’s Population Time Bomb.’
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Yahaya stressed that uncontrolled population growth garnished with poverty was a disaster, adding that the situation could be an asset if the Nigerian government started to harness the country’s exploding population to increase its economic output like China and India.
“Nigeria’s potential is not oil but the population of young people. And we have them; but unleashing them is the solution. We need to create the right environment and policies for them to grow.
“Think of Nigeria as a country with all the ingredient for takeoff but not taking off. Nigeria doesn’t need a new ingredient to fly; it has all the ingredients – it has the people, the level of education and a lot of things going for it but it not happening for these youths,” ,” Yahaya said.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the Nigerian economy must grow at the same rate as the country’s population to eradicate youth unemployment and discourage human trafficking and forced labour.
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She stressed that the government had already started diversifying from oil to non-oil revenue.
“Human capital development is the way forward. We should be able to build people, build infrastructure and build capacity, particularly for the young generation of Nigerians. I believe if we do that, we will be able to mitigate the adverse consequences of migration. It is not something the government can run from,” she concluded.
The lecture moderated by Channels Television’s Shola Soyele, also had popular Co-host of TVC’s Your View, Nymat Akashat- Zibiri, as panelist and Theophilus Emuwa as participant, among others.
On her part, Akashat- Zibiri stressed that birth control was important in controlling Nigeria’s bursting population.
The ǼLEX lecture series was inaugurated in 2005 to commemorate the founding of legal practice. The company has since grown to become a full-service law firm with offices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Accra, Ghana.
When you safeguard independent media, you are protecting the country’s democracy, says Ronald Kayanja, Director, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria.
Kayanja spoke at a virtual event held to commemorate the 2020 International Day to End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists.
The event was organised by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in collaboration with UNIC, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Penpushing Media, a private media house.
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Kayanja said that journalists, journalism and media houses must be protected by all means.
He said that attacks on journalists and media houses were a cause for concern and called on authorities to investigate such cases while allowing the relevant arms of the law to bring justice in those situations.
“One way to fight fake news and hate speech which are pervasive through digital media is to strengthen the independent media.
“Just like support is being provided for other sectors of the economy, to build back a better media the industry should also be supported.
“During this pandemic, journalists are also frontline workers, bringing us news updates and briefings.
“We commend the authorities who, even during the lockdown, recognised the importance of journalism and allowed journalists to move around freely,” he said.
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Kayanja said that when journalists did not feel safe, citizens would either not get news reports or get distorted and false news.
He suggested that a way to ensure the safety of journalists was to cause the wheels of justice to move speedily whenever a journalist, or media house was attacked.
“We all need to work together to protect journalism and the media. Let us renew our commitment to this freedom of expression and of the press through increased advocacy for the safety of journalists,” he said.
Mr Sow Lamine, Officer-in-charge, UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja said that peace, justice and sustainable development in societies could be advanced only by speaking truth to power.
He said this required concerted efforts by the executive, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to push for appropriate legislation and develop strong accountability framework that would eliminate impunity against journalists.
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“If you protect journalists, you are protecting the truth,” he said.
Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, UNESCO, in her message delivered by Lamine, said that one of the most important roles of journalists was to bring truth to light.
“For many journalists, telling the truth comes with a price.
“Many have lost their lives while covering conflicts, but more are being killed outside of conflict situations for investigating issues including corruption, trafficking, political wrongdoings and others.
“States, therefore, have an obligation to protect journalists and ensure that the perpetrators of crimes against them are held accountable.
“Judges and prosecutors in particular have an important role to play in promoting swift and effective criminal proceedings,” she said.
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Also, Mrs Funke Fadugba, Chairman, Editorial Board of Penpushing Media, said that owners of media houses had a role to play in terms of job security and welfare packages for journalists.
“If journalists are not well remunerated, there is a tendency for some of them to be compromised.
“We need to uphold professionalism because it is when we are unbiased that we can collectively fight impunity for crimes against journalists,” she said.
Dr Jide Jimoh, Head of Department Journalism at the Lagos State University said that the role of the media had been long recognised by governments and stakeholders must guide the press against authoritarian governments worldwide.
He urged the media to self-regulate and keep to the best standards of ethics and professionalism.
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“Governments must realise the sacrosanct role of the media in society and recognise that where the press is free, society is safe.
“It is futile to gag the press, especially in the age of digital media,” he said.
The head of UN anti-extremism body expressed “deep concern” on Wednesday about growing tensions over satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, urging “mutual respect” between people of different faiths and political views.
The statement by Miguel Angel Moratinos, who heads the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, follows growing anger in the Muslim world over France’s response to the beheading of a teacher who had shown his pupils the images as part of a class on free speech.
President Emmanuel Macron has vigorously defended the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed on free speech grounds, sparking angry protests across swathes of the Muslim world and campaigns to boycott French products.
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The UN High Representative “is following with deep concern the growing tensions and instances of intolerance triggered by the publication of the satirical caricatures depicting Prophet Mohammed,” according to the statement.
“The inflammatory caricatures have also provoked acts of violence against innocent civilians who were attacked for their sheer religion, belief or ethnicity,” Moratinos said in the statement, without explicitly referring to Macron’s defense of the images.
“Insulting religions and sacred religious symbols provoke hatred and violent extremism leading to polarization and fragmentation of the society,” he warned.
AFP
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called for an end to police brutality and attack on #EndSARS protesters in Nigeria.
The UN scribe, who said he is following the developments in the country, condemned the killing of activists demanding police reforms in Lagos and other parts of the nation on Tuesday.
Guterres in a statement on Wednesday also expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
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He called on the authorities to investigate the incidents and hold the perpetrators accountable.
The statement read, “The Secretary-General is following recent developments in Nigeria and calls for an end to reported police brutality and abuses.
“He condemns the violent escalation on October 20 in Lagos which resulted in multiple deaths and caused many injuries.
“The Secretary-General urges the security forces to act at all times with maximum restraint while calling on protestors to demonstrate peacefully and to refrain from violence.”
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The global body encouraged the authorities to swiftly explore avenues to de-escalate the situation and reiterated its readiness to support national efforts towards finding a solution.
In recognition of his various contributions towards the promotion and sustenance of peace, Anambra Lawmaker, Hon. Nonso Smart Okafor has been appointed as a World Peace Ambassador by the United Nations (UN)
The young legislator who received the appointment during the weekend, in Awka, Anambra State Capital, pledged to continue promoting peace, tolerance and mutual understanding among the populace.
Speaking on the UN Ambassadorial Honour, the lawmaker who is representing Nnewi North in Anambra State House of Assembly, said that despite the challenges, all hands must be on deck to achieve enduring peace in the world and most especially, Nigeria, which is necessary for progress.
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He said that the midst of insecurity and separatist movements which is threatening the peace and cooperate existence of Nigeria, the populace should be encouraged to embrace peaceful coexistence and shun divisive tendencies.
According to him, programs and actions that promote reconciliation and cooperation beyond boundaries of religion and ethnicity should always be supported.
Hon. Nonso Okafor promised that he will continue to make every effort and sacrifice for achievable and sustainable peace against all odds.
The lawmaker’s appointment was made in pursuant to the declaration of the United Nations Resolution 53/15 of November 20, 1997.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday explained that Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA) will enhance transparency and corporate accountability in the fight against corruption.
He spoke in a video message presented at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) 2020 Virtual Leaders’ Summit on the sidelines of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA75) in New York.
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He said since the inception of his administration in 2015, the government has been committed to changing international and domestic perceptions regarding Nigeria’s commitment to fight corruption.
”We focused on the task of dealing head-on with this destructive monster, which led to us joining the Open Government Partnership and making reform commitments such as to establish a public central register of beneficial owners of corporate entities.
“We have made significant progress in implementing tougher anti-corruption measures, including my recent assent to the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020. The Act provides a legal framework for the implementation of Beneficial Ownership Information Disclosure in Nigeria.
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”Being an OGP member-country has helped Nigeria learn from other countries tackling similar challenges, and to build a coalition to support these reforms across the private sector and civil society. It has also aided our journey towards building citizens’ trust in government,” Buhari noted.
Let me on behalf of the Government and good people of Nigeria, congratulate you on your well-deserved election as President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
I would like to assure you of Nigeria’s readiness to avail the United Nations all necessary cooperation needed for the fulfillment of your mandate.
2. I wish to also thank the General Assembly for the support accorded His Excellency, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande during his tenure as President of the 74th Session of the General Assembly.
3. We acknowledge the accomplishments of the Assembly under his able leadership, particularly his efforts on attacking global poverty through the Global Coalition on Poverty Eradication.
4. We also commend the tremendous efforts of His Excellency, Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in steering the affairs of the organization during this challenging period of the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as his strong commitment to making the UN more efficient and responsive in its international responsibility.
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
5. It is my privilege to use this opportunity to congratulate Member States on the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations. Over the past seven decades, the United Nations, as the People’s Assembly, has helped to stabilize the global community.
6. In addition to international peace and security, the UN has undertaken programmes on poverty eradication, women’s empowerment, youth development and humanitarian emergencies.
7. The theme of this year’s General Assembly – “The Future We Want, The United Nations We Need: Reaffirming Our Collective Commitment To Multilateralism – Confronting Coronavirus Through Effective Multilateral Action”, is indeed most appropriate and timely, as it captures our common desire for a renewed and revitalized organization in need of multilateral approaches to the many challenges facing the world.
THE FUTURE WE WANT
8. As we reflect on the future we want and the United Nations we need, we must realize that the peoples of the world not only look up to us: they count on us. If the United Nations system cannot mobilize the world to marshal out a truly effective and inclusive response to the Coronavirus pandemic, then the United Nations would have failed in its core mission of giving expression, direction and solution to the yearnings of the international community.
Excellencies,
9. The future we want must guarantee human rights, human dignity, human prospects and prosperity. The principles of “Leaving No One Behind and Doing No Harm” must be expressed through accountability, strategic growth initiatives and elimination of threats of all kinds.
10. In our quest to provide a future of hope and prosperity for Nigerians, our administration has embarked on measures to ensure enhanced national resilience. We intend to achieve this through the implementation of the Economic Sustainability Plan and the Medium Term National Development Plans for the period 2020-2025 and 2026-2030. We expect that these ambitious initiatives will deliver sustainable economic growth and development to Nigeria.
THE UNITED NATIONS WE NEED
11. Predicated on the values that inspired its creation, the United Nations we need has to remain an agent of progress, by giving expression to the tenets of multilateralism, solidarity and international cooperation. It is within the context of this rules-based multilateral order that the world can find solutions to its many problems.
CONFRONTING COVID-19 THROUGH EFFECTIVE MULTILATERAL ACTIONS
12. The world is currently in the grips of the Coronavirus pandemic. Regrettably, our communities and countries are losing lives. The Coronavirus pandemic has devastated the world economy and strained the capabilities of the health system of many countries, including our own country.
13. In the aftermath of Coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria, we prioritized vulnerable groups, including women, children, older persons and the unemployed, in our efforts to provide medical and social assistance to cushion the socio-economic effects of the disease.
14. Accordingly, we have expanded our National Social Register, to include an additional 1 million Nigerians. Our National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) has been the vehicle for reaching out to the poor and vulnerable members of the Nigerian population, as well as providing cover for over 22 million households.
15. I use this opportunity to commend the efforts of the United Nations and the World Health Organization in combating the Coronavirus pandemic.
16. I note, with appreciation, the $2 Billion United States Dollars Global Humanitarian Response Plan launched by the UN Secretary-General to fund the Coronavirus response in the poorest countries of the world.
17. I also commend his call for cease-fire in conflict areas, to enable humanitarian assistance reach groups vulnerable to Coronavirus .
Excellencies,
18. I should also state that Nigeria is committed to working with other Member States in the spirit of global cooperation and solidarity to promote human health and general well-being. Nigeria will continue to partner with the WHO and some countries to ensure accelerated development and manufacturing, as well as uninhibited supply of safe and effective Coronavirus vaccines to all.
POVERTY ERADICATION
19. In order to mitigate its impact on Nigerians, our administration has commenced the disbursement of the sum of N10.9 Billion to households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as palliatives.
20. In addition, we have established a five hundred billion (N500 billion) fiscal stimulus package and sustained delivery of humanitarian and social interventions to poor and vulnerable households, while our Central Bank has launched a N3.5 trillion-stimulus package to boost manufacturing and facilitate import substitution.
21. The international community will need to cooperate in addressing the scourge of poverty, particularly in developing countries. It is in this regard, that we commend the President of the 74th General Assembly for launching an Alliance for Poverty Eradication in June.
22. We encourage global leaders, particularly leaders from the global North, to support the Alliance at this time when the COVID-19 pandemic is reversing gains made in the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and is pushing an additional half a billion people into extreme poverty.
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Mr. President,
23. As we mark the beginning of the UN Decade of Action for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, Nigeria has made significant strides in domesticating the SDGs.
24. There is an ongoing re-alignment of the National Statistical System (NSS) with the requirements and indicators of the SDGs. This is expected to ensure effective tracking and monitoring of the SDGs and guide SDG interventions across the country.
25. Nigeria has also developed its home-grown Integrated Sustainable Development Goals model (iSDG Model) – an analytical framework for assessing how policy-making can better address the indivisible nature of the SDGs.
DISARMAMENT, INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
Excellencies,
26. Nigeria remains deeply concerned over the illicit trade, transfer, and circulation of small arms and light weapons, particularly on the continent of Africa.
27. We urge the international community to renew efforts to stem this traffic and promote the Arms Trade Treaty in order to codify accountability in the on-going battle against trans-border crimes, including terrorism and acts of piracy.
TERRORISM/COUNTER-TERRORISM
Excellencies,
28. The litany of sophisticated terrorist attacks across the globe is a harsh reality of the challenges the world is facing today. We must therefore redouble our efforts to ensure collective security.
29. In Nigeria, we are still facing violent extremism from the insurgency of Boko Haram and bandits. We continue to count on our strong cooperation with UN Counter-Terrorism bodies and neighbouring countries to overcome the terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin and the wider Sahel Region.
30. We will vigorously sustain the rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement of victims of terrorism and insurgency in the North-East. The North-East Development Commission has been established for that purpose.
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
Mr. President,
31. Nigeria is committed to universal nuclear non-proliferation. In this connection, we recall the adoption of the landmark Treaty on The Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which opened for signature on 20 September 2017. Nigeria participated actively in the processes leading to its adoption and was an early signatory and ratifier.
32. With less than ten ratifications needed for the TPNW’s entry into force, we urge other member states who have not done so to quickly ratify the Treaty for the actualization of its important objective.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Excellencies,
33. Climate Change is an environmental crisis which requires urgent action. Our Administration is conscious of the fact that the attainment of national development targets would be greatly impeded unless the consequences of climate change are addressed holistically in line with the Paris Agreement.
34. To this end, Nigeria has intensified climate action through the upward review of reduction in greenhouse gas emission under the Nationally Determined Contributions, which are climate change targets under the Paris Agreement.
35. Nigeria remains steadfast in our commitment to the revitalization of Lake Chad. We are convinced that recharging the Lake will improve the living conditions of our people in the area, promote inter-state cooperation, strengthen community resilience, and assist in addressing environmental and security challenges threatening the region and its resources.
36. Let me, therefore, reiterate the call for international support for the sub-regional efforts to raise the $50 billion USD required to actualize this initiative.
MIGRATION
Excellencies,
37. Nigeria experiences high internal and external migration due to the size of its population, economic situation and climate. We are therefore fully committed to migration management and prevention of irregular migration and human trafficking.
38. I enjoin the international community to also communicate the positive contributions of migrants, particularly in countries of destination, in order to combat racial discrimination and xenophobic attacks, and facilitate the social integration and protection of migrants.
ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS
Mr. President, 39. The global aspiration to recover from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic will not be fully met without addressing existing structures that make it more difficult for countries to generate and retain their financial resources.
40. It is in this regard that I thank the immediate past Presidents of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, Ambassador Tijjani Muhammad-Bande and Ambassador Mona Jul, respectively, for jointly launching the High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity for Achieving the 2030 Agenda.
Mr. President,
41. In the area of human rights, Nigeria has passed a number of human rights-related bills into law. The bills include: the Anti-Torture Act, the Comprehensive Treatment and Care for Victims of Gun-Shot Act, as well as the National Senior Citizens Centre Act. In addition, Nigeria has launched a National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.
42. This measure is designed to strengthen institutions, coordinate the prevention of violent extremism, enhance the rule of law, access to justice and human rights as well as engaging communities and building resilience and integrated strategic communication.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT/GENDER PARITY
43. The United Nations has made progress in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment through initiatives such as the Beijing Declaration and Programme of Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The creation of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), in July 2010, was an important milestone.
44. Nigeria acknowledges the importance of gender equality and recognizes the critical role that women play in development. We also recognize that the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and other internationally-agreed Development Agenda depend largely on the empowerment of women. Nigeria will sustain its affirmative stance through women empowerment initiatives.
QUALITY EDUCATION
Mr. President,
45. Quality education for all is the cornerstone of sustainable development.
46. In this connection, I am happy to announce that the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will be hosting the 4th International Conference on Safe Schools in 2021.
47. I invite you all to Nigeria to participate in the Conference which aims to advocate for the protection of education from attack as we work together towards the future we want.
UNITED NATIONS REFORM
Mr. President,
48. As we urge and strive for inclusion within our societies, we must also ensure inclusion prevails in our collective action as members of the International Community. Nigeria supports the expansion of the UN Security Council to reflect the diversity and dynamics of the 21st Century. Africa deserves permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council.
CONCLUSION
Mr. President
49. I will conclude by reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to promoting international peace and security and sustainable development, as well as strengthening partnerships and cooperation with international and regional organisations.
I thank you.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday told the international community that Nigeria was still battling Boko Haram and bandits.
Buhari’s message was contained in his pre-recorded address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
He urged countries to take a strong action against illicit flow of small arms and light weapons.
“Nigeria remains deeply concerned over the illicit trade, transfer, and circulation of small arms and light weapons, particularly on the continent of Africa. In Nigeria, we are still facing violent extremism from the insurgency of Boko Haram and bandits,” he said.
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He noted that Nigeria counts on cooperation with neighbours and UN counter-terrorism bodies to overcome terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin and the wider Sahel Region.
The President said his administration will sustain the rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement of victims of terrorism and insurgency in the North-East.
On COVID-19, the Nigerian leader added his voice to supply of safe and effective coronavirus vaccines for all.