Friday, March 24, 2023 Edition

(YFDI), Comrade Chilota Onyeka (3rd left),

Mr. Kolawole Olobashola (middle) and the Chairman of the Committee, Hajia Ramatu Habu ( right

Buhari assents to Copyright Right, Federal College of Medical Laboratory Bills

By Christiana Ekpa

The President, Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari GCFR assented to 2 Bills recently passed by the National Assembly.

Hon. Nasiru Baballe Ila, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) who made this known in a statement said the two bills were assented to by the President on 17th March, 2023.

The statement reads, “COPYRIGHT ACT 2022, this Act repeals the Copyright Act, Cap C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,

2004 and enact the Copyright Act 2022 to provide for the regulation, protection and administration of copyright. The enactment the new Copyright Act has again demonstrated the commitment of this administration to re-energizing Nigeria’s creative economy and making it more globally competitive in the digital and age.

“The principal objectives of the new law, as outlined in section 1 are to: protect the rights of authors and ensure just rewards and recognition for their intellectual efforts; provide appropriate limitations and exceptions to guarantee access to creative works; facilitate Nigeria’s compliance with obligations

arising from relevant international copyright treaties and conventions; and enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Copyright Commission for effective regulation, administration, and enforcement.

The new Copyright Act expands the rights of authors, raises the sanctions for criminal infringements and more adequately addresses the challenges posed by digital and online use of copyright works. The Act also provides specially for the needs blind, visually impaired and print disabled persons to have access to learning and reading materials in accessible formats.

“FEDERAL COLLEGE OF

MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, JOS ACT, 2023, this Act repeals the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Science, Jos (Establishment) Act, 2018 and enacts the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Jos Act, 2023, establishes the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science, Jos, to make the Institution more effective in the discharge of its functions by strengthening the organisational framework, and to bring its provision in conformity with current democratic principles and operations of existing educational institutions, and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

AHF urges world leaders to focus on TB prevention to save lives

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), has called on world leaders to focus on prevention so as to save lives.

AHF said the day is about honoring the millions of lives lost to TB while renewing the urgency around prevention, treatment, and research for the world’s deadliest infectious disease, which has been a crisis for many decades.

It urged stakeholders to join the NGO in its “Yes! We Can End TB” events globally on World TB Day to support everyone affected by TB and encourage world leaders to do their part in ending this disease that is 100% preventable and treatable.

AHF said in 2021, TB claimed 1.6 million lives, and over 10

million people acquired TB, yet it remained woefully neglected and underfunded in many countries.

“Even though tuberculosis is a global epidemic, over 95% of TB deaths occur in lower-income countries. The World Health Organization currently estimates that finances were less than 40% of what was needed to prevent and treat TB in 2022.”

It said the time is now for heads of state to urgently focus efforts on TB prevention and mitigate millions of avoidable deaths.

“AHF has made TB a top priority with efforts focused on educating our staff and clients, screening for TB in our clinics, and prioritizing, preventing, and treating HIV/TB co-infection, the number one cause of death for people living with HIV. As a preventable and treatable disease, world leaders must do more to end TB, and we’re calling on them

to do just that on World TB Day and beyond,” said Terri Ford, AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy. “With our World TB Day theme ‘Yes! We Can End TB,’ AHF urges all governments and public health institutions to do their part to ensure TB research, prevention, and treatment programs are fully funded and supported. We all must do more to finally stop TB worldwide, particularly in lowerincome countries.”

AHF country teams are using World TB Day to send letters to their respective heads of state, calling on them to attend the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB this September to show their commitment to ending tuberculosis in their countries. AHF will also host a “Reviving TB Advocacy Worldwide” panel discussion with public health thought leaders and TB experts at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference on

April 13.

“Ending TB for us in Nigeria must come with intensified level of case finding and for patients who show up in hospitals to embrace treatment, which is free across health facilities in the country.

“Importantly, we must increase the funding available to TB, improve the level of education and awareness about TB, as well as engage pointedly, the rising incidences of stigma related to TB while not forgetting that TB is curable’’ said Dr. Echey Ijezie, Country Program Director, AHF Nigeria.

He further stated, ‘‘Nigeria’s situation deserves urgent attention as the World Health Organization (WHO) lists the nation among the ten countries accounting for 64% of the global gap in TB case finding, with India, Indonesia and Nigeria accounting for almost half of the total gap’’.

Members of Free Nigeria Movement during a protest calling on FG to set up interim Government and organize a fresh presidential election, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives, Thursday asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to direct all Commercial Banks in the country to immediately overhaul their existing online/electronic banking platforms for efficiency and ease of conducting electronic banking operations.

The House resolution the adopted of a motion moved by Sergius Ogun from Edo State.

Moving the motion, Ogun said Section 88 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) empowers the National Assembly to conduct investigations into the activities of any authority executing or administering laws made by the National Assembly (like the CBN).

He said the CBN is established under Section 1 of the CBN Act,

FG signs MoU with NSCC to standardize older persons’ health care

By Albert Akota

The Federal Ministry of Health has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Senior Citizen Center (NSCC) to create action plans for the provision of healthcare services for older persons across the country.

The Director General, NSCC Dr Emem Omokaro, while speaking at the signing of the MoU in Abuja, said the aim of the MoU was to standardize the care of older persons with certified healthcare agencies.

The DG noted that the challenges facing older persons are intersecting ranging from income, insecurity, health challenges in terms of affordable, accessible, appropriate and acceptable, multi-dimensional poverty, and malnutrition.

She noted different types of care for older persons to include health and social care services, domiciliary care, family care, community care, respite care, and palliative care among others.

According to her, NSCC does not have the professional department to deal with these things which is why a MoU is important to deal with the provisions of such care for older persons.

She said all the professional bodies in the health sector are being brought together such that they can own the process and understand the statutory mandate that they are supposed to play.

Omokaro said there is a need to map out how to finance and provide innovative insurance to assist the older person to have access to health and social care services.

The Director, Head Gender, adolescent, school health and elderly division Federal Ministry of Health Dr John Ovuoraye in his remarks explained that the MoU is important to the achievement of universal health coverage.

Ensure commercial banks overhaul online banking platforms - Reps ask CNB

Cap. C4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to issue legal tender currencies in Nigeria while Section 2 of the Act saddles the Apex Bank of Nigeria with the duty of promoting a sound financial system in Nigeria.

The lawmaker noted that in the wake of the recent naira redesign and cash withdrawal limit policy of the CBN, there has been an increase in the use of online and electronic banking services to carry out monetary transactions across the country.

“Also acknowledges that the use of online or internet banking services by Nigerians in the past three months or thereabout has been characterized by varying degrees of hitches ranging from unsuccessful electronic bank transfers, point of sale (POS) service failure and a host of others.

Ramadan Timing Day 2

“Disturbed that the ineffectiveness or difficulty in using internet banking services across the online banking platforms of most Commercial Banks in Nigeria has brought untold hardship, suffering and difficulties on Nigerians in the past three months.

“Worried that if nothing is done by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Commercial Banks to address these difficulties or ineffectiveness, Nigerians will continue to suffer untold hardships and loss of monies to unsuccessful electronic bank transactions.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated the Committee on Banking and Currency to ensure compliance and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

Polls: Observer groups hail INEC on C/Rivers elections

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

Acoalition of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Accredited Observer Groups, has described the Governorship and State Assembly Elections of 18th March 2023 in Cross River State, as transparent, free, fair and credible exercise.

The group, under the edges of the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, commended INEC for being unbiased in the conduct of the election.

A communiqué signed by Dr. Nwambu Gabriel, the Director General of the group, held that INEC complied significantly with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the extant laws in the conduct of the elections.

Dr Nwambu also commended the Police and other law enforcement agencies for their quick response to resolving emergencies and adhering to the rule of engagement.

He therefore, encourage those who lost in the election to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship by congratulating the winners of the said election.

The statement reads;

‘We, as a coalition of INEC Accredited Observer Groups under the edges of the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, having observed the 18th March, 2023 elections in Cross River State hereby unanimously states as follows:

“That the Governorship and State Assembly elections of 18th March 2023 actually held across the 18 Local Government Areas of Cross River State.

“That we observed the distribution of the sensitive and non-sensitive election materials from the State Headquarters of INEC to the Local Government Areas and then to the RAC Centres for onward movement to various polling units of the state.

“That elections commenced

between 8.30 am and 9.45am across the State with Ad hoc officials observed at about 7am setting up voting cubicles and election materials.

“That there was an increased voter-apathy when compared to the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

“That the BVAS performed optimally at 97% accuracy. A significant improvement when compared to the 25th February, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

“However, we observed 2 instances where the BVAS malfunctioned but supervising officers were quick to replace them as voting continued in good time.

“We observed that during collation in Obanliku LGA, some desperate politicians attempted to induce collation officers to alter already collated results.

“We observed that an ad-hoc staff, one Mrs Glory Effiom Essien who served in Bakassi LGA was shot by a suspected militant on the 19th of March, 2023. However, she is alive and responding to treatment.

“Hoodlums armed with guns and other dangerous material attacked Ogoja LGA INEC collation Centre with an intent of disrupting the collation. Some ad-hoc staffs sustained injuries before the police brought the situation under control.

“Security operatives performed creditably well. The police which is the lead agency in charge of internal security and elections complied significantly with the rule of engagement and fundamental principles of election policing globally.

“We also observed that the Governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Prince Bassey Otu was declared winner of the election having scored the highest number of lawful votes and was declared winner and returned elected.

(Source: Society for the Propagation of Islam Kaduna)

TIPS ON HEALTHY ‘IFTAR’

Choose lean proteins to get the benefits with little saturated fats. Include fish, skinless chicken or turkey and low-fat dairy to have as part of your iftar meal. If you’re vegetarian, you can select other protein sources such as legumes, beans and nuts.

(HealthyEating #Alarabiya.net)

Compiled By Al-Amin Ciroma

Buhari approves re-designation of State House Clinic to Medical Centre

President Muhammadu

Buhari has approved the re-designation of the State House Clinic back to Medical Centre.

The Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar made this known after a precommissioning inspection of the new Presidential (VIP) Wing of the State House Medical Centre by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

Mustapha was accompanied by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed and Minister of State Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba.

Umar said: ”In March 2019, the President had given approval that the State House Medical Centre, Asokoro, which was facing challenges with funding, deterioration of infrastructure and equipment, be scaled down to a Clinic until the challenges were addressed.

”Now with improvement in the problem areas and the addition of the new VIP Wing with state-ofthe-art facilities, we can no longer operate as a Clinic. It is now to operate as State House Medical Centre.”

According to him, all is set for the inauguration of the new world class facility by the President to add to the growing number of completed and commissioned legacy projects of this Administration.

Umar added that the calibration, testing of equipment and training of medical personnel are ongoing, and the presidency is determined to ensure that the Centre remains fully operational and well maintained after inauguration.

Addressing State House correspondents, Mustapha described the newly built VIP wing as ”money well spent.”

He further expressed his excitement and fulfilment that the project was completed within a year as envisaged and will be commissioned after equipping under a year and a half.

The minister of Finance also expressed delight that the project was delivered ”dead-on-time”, and ”on budget”, recounting that funding for the edifice was provided on time in the 2022 appropriation.

“The facility here is world class and we are looking forward to the inauguration very soon”.

“I have volunteered myself as one of the people that will come

Reps want repair of dysfunctional facilities, airports new infrastructures

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives on Thursday called on the Federal Government to repair dysfunctional facilities and provide new infrastructure at the Federal Airports for efficient service delivery to air travellers.

It particularly urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency fix the escalator and lift Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and provide more airside buses and conveying belt at the

airport including other federal airports across the country.

The resolution was sequel to adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Onofiok Luke (PDP, Akwa Ibom) at plenary.

Moving the motion, Luke said there was a breakdown of facilities, lack or paucity of certain infrastructure in some Federal Airports in the country, which has caused inconveniences, difficulty and delay to air travellers.

He noted in particular the breakdown of escalator and

lift at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, which usually help in easing movement of passengers to departure lounge, thereby forcing passengers to use staircase.

“Disturbed that the dysfunctionality of the escalator and lift operates as a major setback to free movement air travellers and causes serious inconveniences to the elderly and air travellers with disability;

“Observes the insufficiency of airside buses at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airports,

Abuja, in conveying passengers especially during the peak hours of 10am to 12noon, and the lack of conveying belt to convey passenger’s bags from checkpoints to baggage sorting area, leading to delay in flight departure,” he stated.

The lawmaker expressed worry over the hardship occasioned on air travellers by the above painted circumstances.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated the Committee on Aviation to ensure compliance and report back within one month for further legislative action.

L-R; The Oba of Benin, Ewuare 11, President Muhammadu Buahri and State Chief of Protocol (SCOP), Amb Lawal Kazaure during an audience at the State House, yesterday in Abuja.

LASG, engineers task students as 7 schools shine in WASH essay competition

The Lagos State Government has advised secondary school students to come up with innovations to address water, sanitation and hygiene issues.

The Managing Director, Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Mr Muminu Badmus, made the call on Wednesday at the Grand Finale and Maiden Annual Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Essay Competition.

The event, which was part of activities to mark World Water Day, was organised by the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) in collaboration with LWC and held at Victoria Island.

It had over 80 schools and representatives from six education districts in Lagos in attendance.

Badmus commended participants in the essay competition, saying the students must go beyond classroom knowledge to providing solutions.

The managing director said analytical skills would help the students to become game changers and pledged continuous support for the essay competition.

He urged secondary school students to keep participating in the competition to boost their knowledge, exposure and get important research skills to become

solution providers.

Badmus cited example of Ansarudeen Grammar School, ‘ADGS’ Surulere which invented a water Filtration and Purification system a few years ago, which won them the Nigerian Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

He said that the winners went on to represent Nigeria later that year in Sweden and were commended for their innovation.

“By asking the right questions, you can develop analytical skills and Investigate effects by digging deep into their causes.

“When you know the cause of a problem, the solution would easily fall on our laps,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Miss Chioma Joseph, SS2 student of Keke Senior High School, Ifako Ijaye, clinched the overall best position in the senior category.

Vetland Senior Grammar School’s Olaoluwa Olaniyn came second while Oyewole Egunjobi of Ayangburen Senior High School and Josephine Hunpe of Lagos State Senior Model College, Kankon Badagry both came third place.

In the Junior Secondary category, Miss Chisom Ezeanya, Lagos State Junior Model College Ojo came first; Esther Ajileye, Eva

Adelaja Junior Girls Secondary School came second while Blessing Nwabueze of District Junior College Agege, came third.

NAN reports that winners were given laptops and other educational gift items while some schools also received cash donations.

The National Chairman, NIMechE, Dr Funmilade Akingbagbohun, said over 80 schools from six education districts participated in the essay writing on topics related to water, sanitation and hygiene.

Akingbagbohun said the competition was organised to address a lacuna in the space of water sanitation and hygiene in Nigeria and engineering is about problem solving.

She thanked the Lagos State Water Corporation for supporting the programme, and commended all the six education districts that participated.

The chairman said 20 out of 80 schools qualified for the grand finale, with seven emerging as winners.

She said all hands must be on deck for effective collaboration towards achieving a clean environment.

The Chairman said everyone had a role to play in ensuring

improved water and sanitation facilities, to promote hand washing and prevent diseases.

Akingbagbohun said that every aspect of life required water.

She said the use of polluted drinking water and poor sanitary conditions in Nigeria had increased water-borne diseases including diarrhea and cholera.

The chairman gave statistics on the consequences of poor sanitation and water and the need to target the youth as game changers to provide solutions.

The guest speaker, Ms Cherish Jefferson, said the problems of water required multi-sectoral solution because its impact affected every sector and segment of life.

Jefferson, a 500 level student of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Lagos, called for collective action, saying SDG 6 was the most important which must be pursued to solve societal problems.

She said SDG 6 stated that everyone should have safely managed water, good hygiene and sanitation and focused on ending open defecation by 2030.

Jefferson called for deliberate efforts towards conserving water to mitigate the impact of climate change. NAN

PHOTO; State House

PDP suspends Anyim, Fayose, Shema, 2 others

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has suspended former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim as well as erstwhile Governors of Ekiti and Katsina States, Mr Ayodele Fayose and Ibrahim Shema.

Also, the party has referred the Governor of Benue State, Dr Sam Ortom to its National Disciplinary Committee over his reported involvement in antiparty activities.

These developments were made

•Drags Benue Governor to disciplinary committee

known in a statement yesterday by National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon Debo Ologunagba.

The suspensions, according to the statement, were approved by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the leading opposition party in the country.

Others suspended along with Fayose, Shema (Katsina), and Sen. Anyim are; Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State) and Dr. Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State).

The statement by Ologunagba reads,

“The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has, after very extensive review of the affairs of our Party in the country and pursuant to the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), referred the Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee over his reported involvement in anti-party activities.

“The NWC also approved the suspension of the following from the

Party with effect from today, Thursday, March 23, 2023.

“Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti State), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Sen. Pius Anyim (Ebonyi State), Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State) and Dr. Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State)

“The PDP urges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our Party across the country to remain united and focused at this critical time”, it said.

Keyamo petitions DSS, seeks arrest of Obi, Datti over alleged incitement

By Our correspondent

Amember of the All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Team, Barrister Festus Keyamo has petitioned the Department of State Service, DSS, accusing the presidential candidate and running mate of the Labour Party in the February 25 contest, Peter Obi and Datti Baba Ahmed respectively of incitement and treasonable felony.

In a petition dated Thursday, March 23, 2023, addressed to the Director General of the DSS, Keyamo accused the duo of Obi and Datti of making incendiary comments and claims capable of causing an insurrection and rebellion against the government of Nigeria and the duly elected President-elect.

In his petition submitted in his personal capacity as a Nigerian, Keyamo urged the DSS to invite/arrest, interrogate and after investigation, if necessary, charge both individuals to court for their conducts, allegedly, which amount to incitement and treasonable felony.

“I write this petition with the full realisation that in a postelection period such as this, there is a need to sooth frayed nerves, lower the temperature and begin the healing process. The President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a statement to this effect a few days ago.

“However, it appears the

President and Vice-Presidential Candidates of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi and Datti BabaAhmed are not prepared to toe this conciliatory path for the sake of peace and national cohesion, whilst exercising their rights to pursue duly laid down constitutional means of addressing their grievances. In this regard, since the declaration of the Presidential election results, they have been hopping from one media house to the other making incendiary comments and claims about the declaration of the President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). These comments and claims are made, not just within the boundaries of exercising their rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to air their grievances publicly, but they have since crossed the line to call for the outright truncation of democracy by insisting on the adoption of other processes outside the contemplation of our Constitution. In some cases, their privies have even called for the establishment of an Interim Government.

“The latest of such are the comments made by Datti BabaAhmed on behalf of himself and Mr. Peter Obi on Channels TV on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, wherein he threatened that if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023, it would “signal the end of democracy”. Posing as an accuser, a judge and a jury all by himself, he unilaterally declared

the duly elected President-elect as “unconstitutional” and, in a subliminal manner, threatened mayhem if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023.

“I also have it on good authority that Mr. Peter Obi and Datti BabaAhmed have camped some youths in a popular hotel in Abuja with the sole aim of instructing them

to push out inciting messages everyday on social media in order to cause panic and fear within the federation and to incite people to riot and social unrest.

“It is noteworthy that Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have submitted Elections Petitions to the courts for adjudication, but their conducts and utterances

amount to subversion of the processes they have instituted in court and a subversion of our Constitution and the laid-down processes for addressing disputes and grievances. These conducts and utterances are a build-up to something more sinister and it is important you rein them in NOW!” the petitioner said.

Troops arrest 21 suspected criminals in Lagos

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Nigerian Military said its troops of Operation AWATSE in the South West region have arrested 14 criminals during a clamp down on the activities of criminal elements within the general area of operations.

Maj-Gen. Musa Danmadami, Director, Defence Media Operations, made this known on Thursday in Abuja, while giving update on two weeks Military operations in the country.

Specifically, he said on 10 March 2023, troops in conjunction with National

Drug Law Enforcement Agency raided Awuyaya and General paints at Ajah general area in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. “During the operation, troops arrested 14 suspected criminals and recovered 5kg cannabis, 7kg illicits drugs, 7 bottles of codeine, 6g of tramadol, 5g

of methamphetamine and the sum of N3,250.00.

“Equally, troops on patrol to Yemetu area in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Idanre - Ominifunfun village in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State and Onini, Victoria Island in Eti-

Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State encountered and arrested 7 armed thugs attempting to disrupt electoral process on 18 March 2023. Troops recovered from armed thugs 4 AK47 rifles, 3 Jack knives, one cartridge gun, 3 mobile phones, 1 cutlass and 350 sachets of cannabis.”

L-R: The Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to Nigeria , His Excellency, Kim Young Chai with the Executive Director/CEO , Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr. Ezra Yakusak,. during the Ambassador’s courtesy visit to the NEPC CEO at the corporate headquarters of the Agency, yesterday in Àbuja...

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

CSHEEH, Unilever partner to integrate oral hygiene into school curricula – Founder

Centre for School Health Education and Environmental Hygiene (CSHEEH), an NGO, says it is working closely with Unilever to integrate oral hygiene into creche, nursery, and primary school curricula in the FCT.

Executive Director/Founder of the centre, Dr Folashade Momoh said this during an enlightenment campaign on the maintenance of good oral hygiene organised for pupils of Dayspring Creche, Nursery and Primary School, Kubwa FCT, Abuja.

Momoh said the essence of the campaign with the theme, “Be proud of your mouth for a lifestyle of smiles”, was to create more awareness among young children.

She noted that oral health hygiene affects every aspect of “our lives as individuals”.

According to her, integrating it into the school curriculum of young ones will help them practice good hygiene every day of their lives.

“We need to catch them young. We should not restrict this sensitisation to only the day of commemoration.

“It should be a continuous thing. We should be good role models to the children because whatever you tell them to do, they want to see you do it.

“If possible, it should be part of the school curriculum. It should not be just about theory. We should make it more practical by encouraging them to practice it at home.

“Let it be part and parcel of their lifestyle so that they will do it on their own.

“We came with 270 oral hygiene packages for the pupils and Unilever has also had health talks with them on steps to oral health hygiene,” she said.

Dr Olatunji Abdulkazeem, a Consultant Orthodontist at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), spoke of the need to bridge the gap left by many doctors who have accepted offers for better opportunities outside the country.

Abdulkazeem, who is also the Chairman, of the Nigerian Dental Association, FCT Chapter, observed that one thing standing out about the mouth is that if it is unable to function well as the only entrance to the body, it will tell on the entire body.

“One of the problems with an unhealthy tissue is the loss of

Polls: Adamawa PDP calls for REC sack over alleged election misconduct

From Umar Dankano,Yola

The 2023 presidential and governorship campaign council of the Adamawa state People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has pleaded with the authorities of the Independent National Electoral commission,INEC, to remove State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barrister Hudu Yunusa over alleged electoral malpractices and compromising the electoral process.

The party through the council stated emphatically that, it has completely lost confidence in the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

Deputy Director General of the Council , Chief Felix Tangwami told the Press conference Thursday afternoon in Yola that

the REC allegedly colluded with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in an attempt to ridicule democracy.

Tangwami said the action and inaction of the REC and INEC in general amounts to compromising their status as umpire.

“The Resident Electoral Commissioner through the Returning Officer of the Governorship elections had earlier announced that the re run is 69 polling units, but REC later wrote to the INEC Headquarters in Abuja claiming that the re run will hold in 77 polling units”.

According to PDP, after the Collation of the results in 20 of the 21 local government areas of the State, it candidate and Governor Fintiri was leading by a

wide margin but the REC allegedly directed the Returning Officer, Dr Bashir Danejo for Fufore to ensure that he change the figure of the two candidates in favour of APC candidate.

It further alleged that it was at that juncture the figures of the APC candidate was raised to above 37,000 while that the PDP was reduced to only 7,000.

The party claimed that it was the increase and decrease that brought about the issue of inconclusive following order hatch plans to scuttle the election.

The party asked why Mr Hudu Yunusa, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) not be remanded for electoral offenses by the headquarters of INEC, nor recalled out of Adamawa as was

the case of counterpart in Sokoto State.

It equally asked of who gave the instructions for Hudu Yunusa from above which he passed to the Returning Officer of Fufore to ensure that the candidate of APC by all means emerge as the Governor elect of Adamawa State.

The party concluded that already their team of lawyers have already been put in place to challenge the alleged anomalies by the Adamawa REC Barrister Hudu Yunusa and the State Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Mele.

Efforts to speak to the embattled REC, Hudu proved abortive as his mobile phone number was not going through at of the time of filling in this report.

Free, fair election is collective responsibility —LANW

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW) has said the task of accomplishing a free and fair election is a collective duty shared by the government, voters, observers, electoral bodies and all stakeholders.

The Acting Executive Director, LANW, Mrs. Hannatu Ahuwan, asserted this while presenting the Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly Elections observation report to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

According to her, the conduct of the electoral process as observed by LANW went smoothly with less hitches and irregularities and

every stakeholder played their part in a manner that is commendable.

She added that this demonstrates a collective expression of interest in the protection and promotion of common democratic values by citizens and other stakeholders to ensure a peaceful, free and fair electoral process.

Mrs Hannatu Ahuwan, explained that LANW with support from Christian Aid is implementing the Improving Inclusive Participatory Governance Systems Project aimed at improving citizens’ participation in governance processes.

“As part of the activities towards

encouraging civic responsibility and ensuring a transparent electoral process, LANW trained and supported election observers in 86 polling units across all wards in Jaba, Jema’a, Kaura and Zangon Kataf LGAs to observe the 2023 Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections that took place on March 18th, 2023’

The LANW Acting Executive Director, stressed that In the future, consider conducting all the elections in one day as against the current practice.

“ This is cost effective, will reduce the untold hardship endured by voters during elections and also address the issue of low voter turnout for the

Gubernatorial/State House of Assembly elections.

“To reduce the high number of invalid votes recorded in both elections, INEC, other government agencies responsible for voter education and the civil society, need to improve on the sensitization drive towards educating the citizenry on how to vote rigging

“ INEC and law enforcement agencies need to look into containing vote buying and voter suppression at polling units by party agents.

“We look forward to improved performance in future elections, especially from the electoral bodies, especially INEC.”

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left) and entourage condoling the family of the Late Hajiya Aisha Ahmed Rufa’i in Kano, yesterday.

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The women wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State has expressed displeasure over the governorship election result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC had declared Senator Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election.

The women, who staged a peaceful protest to Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat on Thursday to register their displeasure, displayed various placards.

Some of the placards read: “A stolen Mandate is Not Acceptable”, “Give Us Who We Voted For”, “No to election rigging”, “Kaduna State has spoken”, “Give us who we voted”, “Kaduna people elected, INEC selected”, “No to Result Manipulation”.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, Aisha Maidana Ibrahim, former Kaduna State women leader and PDP women leader northwest zone, and Maria Dogo, former House of Assembly member representing Chikun constituency and former Commissioner, women affairs, said, “The people of Kaduna State came out Saturday, March 18 to massively voted for Isa Ashiru, the PDP gubernatorial candidate. Everybody heard the result and wondered why INEC should change the result in favour of the APC candidate.”

Ibrahim accused INEC of stealing the mandate of the people of Kaduna State and giving it to the APC, alleging that various results were reduced in most local government areas.

She explained that INEC should be free, fair and objective in dealing with Nigerians to give them what they voted for.

According to Maria Dogo, “INEC should refer it to the server to get the correct result of the election from every polling unit to avoid any controversy.”

NSCDC reiterates commitment to protect schools

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Determined to control attacks on schools across the country, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has assured that its operatives will continue to provide the needed schools’ security to enhance a safe teaching and learning environment.

He gave the assurance at a one-day stakeholders workshop organised by the Corps, with the theme, “Ensuring Schools Security For Sustainable National Development”, at the Corps National Headquarters, Abuja.

The CG hinted that participants were carefully selected from various MDAs who are co-stakeholders in the Safe Schools Initiative programme such as Ministries of Finance and Education, the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum among others.

He stated that the workshop will provide a forum for stakeholders to thoroughly examine the draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document for the purpose of validation and full national implementation.

Represented by the Assistant Commandant General in charge

of Operations, ACG Philip Ayuba, the CG described the Safe Schools Programme of the Federal Government as laudable, reiterating that, it will bring an end to series of attacks on schools and kidnapping of school children in the country.

According to Dr Audi, the workshop also seek to harvest inputs, welcome suggestions and process the various contributions of other stakeholders towards the commencement of Safe Schools Operations in Nigeria.

He pointed out that as the lead agency in the programme, the NSCDC in May 2021, conducted a vulnerability survey of all schools in the country and have published the statistics obtained of all vulnerable schools for necessary action.

The Corps helmsman maintained that in continuation

with its resolve to ensure security in schools, the NSCDC with assistance from the Federal Ministry of Finance, flagged off the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre on the 13th of February, 2023 to commence the national implementation of the programme.

He expressed optimism that at the end of workshop, participants will come up with a carefully and thoroughly examined SOP that will serve as a blueprint for the program’s implementation.

The representative of the Minister of Finance and Coordinator of National Safe Schools Programme, Hajiya Halima Iliya, commended the NSCDC for prioritising schools security and also leading in setting up of a Coordination

Guber polls: PDP women wing protest APC winning in Kaduna Club advocates skills devt to advance women’s growth in Nigeria

Toastmasters (TM) International Club, a non-profit organisation, has underscored the need for adequate investment in skills development, particularly for women, to achieve meaningful growth in Nigeria.

Mr Jude Nnadozie, President, Hatlab TM Club, District 94, Division E, Area 30, Abuja, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

He spoke against the backdrop of the Club’s bi-monthly meeting, with the theme: “The leading edge”, in commemoration of the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD).

Nnadozie said, “When you join platforms like TM, you will meet other people and develop your skills which is important. So, the things we learn are

enormous.

“This is why we have special meetings where we celebrate great women. By our theme, we put spotlight on things women who succeeded in their chosen career have done to succeed.

“Today, we brought together lots of distinguished women on the platform of TM, because they have been there for a while and conquered many grounds we look forward to conquer in life.

“Not just women and girls, but generally on what people can do to succeed in various endeavors.”

In her general evaluation, Mrs Stella George, Division E Director of Toastmasters International, urged people to always participate in meetings to imbibe modern skills which could enable them tackle modern challenges.

The division director quoted Mahatma Ghandi, saying: “The best way to gain yourself is to lose yourself to serving other people” to reiterate the importance of leadership.

According to her, Toastmasters International is a place people could build noble character and become more productive.

“Here you learn about emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication skills, quick thinking, and the ability to organise a group of people.

“You need to build capacity and support others; this is what makes the world go round because you never get tired doing what you love while serving humanity,” she said.

High point of the event was recitation of “Resilience” as

Centre for the Safe Schools Programme at the NSCDC National Headquarters.

She pledged on behalf of the Minister to facilitate the funding of the programme before end of the present administration, as efforts are underway to ensure releases of necessary funds before the government of the day winds off.

In the same vein, the Chairman of the SOP drafting committee, Prof Tyoor Terhemba, expressed confidence in the composition of the participants for the workshop and encouraged them to make the best use of the technical session for useful contibutions to the draft policy document.

Tyoor said the document will be produced, published and made available to key actors who would be trained to carry out major response activities.

key word of the day and panel discussion on gender equity being moderated by Udanga Jarigbe, a Toastmaster.

The discussion by Distinguished Toastmasters Stella George (Division Director), Toju Cole, Soji Salu, Alhassan Mohammed and Titi Ojo, stressed the need for people to understand and be dedicated to core values to achieve success in their career.

The event also featured general evaluation, introduction of table topics by Mr Ifeanyi Nwoko, Vice President of Hatlab Toastmasters Club, and cutting of cake to commemorate the IWD.

NAN reports that TM International Club promotes improvement in public speaking, self-confidence, leadership and networking skills. (NAN)

Adamawa APC quashes purported suspension of SGF by ward committee

From Umar Dankano, Yola

The Adamawa state working committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has accused the opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, of causing crisis in its fold ahead of the supplementry governorship election.

State Secretary of the party, Dr. Raymond Chidama made known the allegation at a press briefing to counter a purported suspension of SGF, Boss Mustapha by his ward executives, saying it was the handiwork of the opposition with a view to further destabilize the party.

Chidama exonerated SGF for any wrong doing, stressing that any group hiding under the auspices of party whom are sponsored by the opposition will certainly meet the wrath of the party.

“We hereby state clearly that such suspension is unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect.

“Meanwhile, local government executive committee, Yola-North is hereby directed to constitute a disciplinary committee immediately and recommend appropriate action “.

Benue PDP Rejects outcome of governorship/ state assembly election

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

The Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Benue State chapter has outrightly rejected the outcome of the Saturday March 18th, 2023 Governorship/House of Assembly elections.

The Party alleged heavy militarisation of the polls and the use of thugs aided by security agents sent to the state by the federal government.

State acting Chairman of the party Isaac Mffo who made this allegation on Thursday while briefing Journalists said “from the reports received and studied by the legal department of our party, the party has arrived at the conclusion that the conduct of the elections fell far below the accepted minimum standards as obtained under our current democratic dispensation.”

According to him,”It is, therefore, the decision of the Benue State Chapter of PDP that the outcome of the March 18th, 2023 elections be challenged at the Benue State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi. “

Ramadan: Jigawa govt reduces working hours for civil servant

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

Jigawa State government has approved the reduction of official working hours in the State by two hours during the 2023 Ramadan fast.

This was contained in a statement signed by the State Head of the Civil Service, Alhaji

Hussaini Ali Kila and issued to news men by his public relations officer Ismail Ibrahim Dutse.

The statement said Civil Servants in the State would now report to the office at 9am and close by 3pm between Monday and Thursday instead of 5pm.

“Furthermore, Workers would report to work on Fridays

by 9am and close by 1pm as usual”.

He explained that the gesture is aimed at providing more opportunities to Civil Servants to prepare for their Ramadan break and also to have more time to observe spiritual activities of the holy Month.

Alhaji Hussaini Ali Kila

stated that it is hope that Civil Servants in the State would use the Ramadan period to pray for God’s guidance and blessings for the State.

“ It is also hope that Civil Servants would use the fasting period to pray for the peace and economic prosperity of the State and Nigeria at large”.

Impersonation: AA wants IGP to arrest Kenneth Udeze, others

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Dr Adekunle Rufai Omoaje has called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Baba Alkali to arrest the trio of Messrs Kenneth Udeze, James Vernibe and Ogunmodede Adeloye for alleged impersonation. This was contained in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

The statement stated that Udeze had claimed to be the National Chairman of the AA, while Vernibe claimed to be the national secretary and Adeloye claimed to be the Osun State chairman of the party.

However, Omoaje said the three of them had since been suspended and subsequently expelled from the party for criminal offences.

He alleged that the three of

them are impersonators who had earlier been arrested and remanded at the Correctional facility in Ilesa but currently on bail.

He said the trio were remanded for various criminal offences including impersonation, adding that the trio have no moral or legal right to represent or speak on behalf of the Action Alliance.

Reacting to a press statement credited to Adeloye where he

denied the candidates of the party who petitioned the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, Omoaje said since Adeloye is not a member of the party, he lacks knowledge of current happenings in the party.

He said Adeloye and his cotravellers have no right under the law to withdraw the petitions filed by members of the party before the tribunal as they are not recognized by the party.

L-R: Business Development Manager Nigeria, (Fertilizer AgroChem Sales), Export Trading group (ETG), Ogu Goodluck Nkemakolam, Principal Investigator of ETG project, Dr.Muhyideen Oyekunle, Chief Executive Officer ETG, Mr.Ashish Lakhotia, Global Lead AgroChem Seedlings business ETG, Dr. Iyad Takrouri and the Deputy National President, Nigeria Agro Input Dealers Association (NAIDA), Mr. Abdulrauf Lawal, during the press conference on “supporting Nigeria toward sustainable input in Agricultural sector” by the Export Trading Group, held yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Emir Bayero congratulates Kano governor -elect, Abba Yusuf

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero has congratulated the governor-elect of Kano State, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, on his victory in the Saturday March 18 election.

A statement by Abubakar Balarabe Kofar-Naisa, Chief Press Secretary to Kano Emirate Council said the emir passed the congratulatory message in a letter signed by him.

He said the first-class emir noted that people of Kano had accepted the democratic system of government, adding that “this is very important looking how they came out en masse to cast their votes as provided by the constitution.”

According to the statement, Emir Bayero also called on the new governor-elect to cooperate with all the community groups in running the government, saying “because doing so will help to improve lives and bring economic growth.x

“Emir Bayero also thanked Islamic Scholars, priests and members of the communities for all the prayers they offered for peace, before, during and after the elections.

“He further wished for lasting peace and stability in Kano state as well as other parts of the country.

“He prayed for Almighty Allah for the successful completion of his tenure as well as the development of his government and the development of the economy of Kano state,” the statement concluded. “Emir Bayero also thanked Islamic Scholars, priests and members of the communities for all the prayers they offered for peace, before, during and after the elections.

“He further wished for lasting peace and stability in Kano state as well as other parts of the country.

“He prayed for Almighty Allah for the successful completion of his tenure as well as the development of his government and the development of the economy of Kano state,” the statement concluded.

Ramadan: Niger Gov urges Muslims to pray for Nigeria

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has called on Muslims to use the holy month of Ramadan to beseech the Almighty Allah to continue to bless the country, and unite its people.

In a Ramadan message, Governor Sani Bello urged Muslim faithful to be well-behaved during the holy month in order to maximize the spiritual and physical benefits inherent in the month.

According to him, good intention, prayers and sincerity

of purpose in the pursuit of good deeds are a necessary condition for reaping the benefits of the holy month.

He reminded Muslims that Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and urged the faithful to accord it all the necessary attention, by being proactive in decisions and

actions that will ensure their full participation in the fast.

Governor Sani Bello appealed to scholars to watch their utterances, concentrate on the true teachings of Islam and educate their audience of what is expected of Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan to earn Allah’s blessings.

CBN, agricultural practitioners unveil agro e-naira in Adamawa

From Umar Dankano, Yola.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with Association of Northern Agricultural and Allied Commodities Practitioners have introduced the agro e-naira engagement programme for local farmers in Adamawa state.

Unveiling of the farmers

programmable money e-Naira engagement by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele said that the project is targeting to capture one million farmers by next year.

Represented by Director, Information Technology, CBN,at the occasion in Yola Thursday, Emefiele said that the system will allow local farmers to access loan

and procure agricultural inputs via the platform using the digital currency.

Emefiele stated that, the platform represented an efficient and easy method for farmers to access the finance they needed.

“We are providing a platform so we can have transparency, we can have accountability and make the program efficient so we

can provide finance to the people who need it”, she stated.

In his remark, the President of ANAACOP, Sadiq Daware said although the agro e-naira program was flagged off with fifty farmers, the association planned to involve one million farmers before the next wet and dry season farming and six million actors in 10 years.

Niger Gov. elect vows to partner Media

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

The Niger state Governorelect, Umar Mohammed Bago has reiterated his commitment to partner with the media and welcome its

constructive criticism to ensure the development of the state.

Bago gave the assurance when the members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger state council led by

Comrade Yakubu Mustapha Bina paid a visit to congratulatory him.

He added that he needs the media support in executing policy trust.

Speaking earlier, the

Chairman of Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ, Niger state council, Comrade Yakubu Mustapha Bina said the Chapel is ready to partner with the new administration for the development of the state.

L-R; The Oba of Benin, Ewuare 11 and President Muhammadu Buahri during an audience at the State House, yesterday in Abuja.

PHOTO; State House

Niger SUBEB threatens Contractors over shady project execution for 2020/21

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) has warned contractors handling its projects across the state to desist from substandard work or face revocation as they move to site for the 2020/21 intervention projects in the state.

The NSUBEB Chairman, Alhaji Saidu Ibrahim handed down the warning during the board routine interface with the contractors to mark the completion of procurement process, charging them to abide by the contract agreement of ensuring standard and quality projects.

He emphasized on the strictly adherence to the specifications and guidelines so as to get value for money and ensure effective and efficient service delivery to the benefit of Niger state.

Saidu Ibrahim stated that 100% of contractors funds are ready just as the bill of quantity has done justice and fairness to the contractors, adding that their payment will be through electrical urging them not to lobby anybody to facilitate their payment.

The board chairman revealed that no fewer than 157 contracts to be executed in the 25 local government areas of the state which include, new projects, renovation and four number model science primary schools in Suleja, Lapai, New Bussa and Beri in Mariga local council among others.

FIRS staff decries irregularities in promotion exercise

From Mika’il Tsoho

Astaff from Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), decried irregularities in staff promotional exercise by the management.

The complain was written in an open letter to honourable minister of finance Hajiya Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, urging her to intervene and call the management to order.

Our reporter gathered that there were controversies surrounding the promotion exercise of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), as staff accuse the management of allegedly violating human resources policies and processes, skewing vacancies, and causing career stagnation and demoralization.

The 2022/2023 promotion exercise, which was not conducted as scheduled, combined two years of eligibility into one period, and left many qualified candidates with limited vacancies.

2023 MOCK-UTME: Notifications slips ready for printing-JAMB

Maryam Abeeb

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has directed candidates, who registered for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) optional Mock-UTME scheduled for Thursday, 30th March, 2023 , that their Notification Slips would be ready for printing from Thursday, 23rd March, 2023.

In a statement by Head, Public Affairs and Protocol , JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, all candidates for the Mock-UTME are to visit https://www.jamb.gov.ng

., CLICK on 2023 MockUTME on the MENU button to print their slips after inputting their Registration Number. This directive is only applicable to those candidates, who had indicated interest to take the mock examination.

The Notification Slip

would contain the Candidates’ Registration Number, Venue, Date, and Time of the Examination to enable them to easily locate their centres before the examination. Candidates are also enjoined to be at their centres one hour before the examination for biometric verification.

The Board also reiterated that the scheduled commencement time for the examination is sacrosanct. In addition, the Board restated its zero tolerance for

examination malpractice.

In the same vein, candidates are advised against going into the examination halls with prohibited items such as wristwatches, calculators, flash drives, phones, among others. They are also warned to desist from the application of “laale” to do fancied drawings and paintings on their hands to avoid unnecessary interference with the whorls of their fingers which could impede biometric verification.

Club advocates skills devt to advance women’s growth in Nigeria

Toastmasters (TM)

International Club, a nonprofit organisation, has underscored the need for adequate investment in skills development, particularly for women, to achieve meaningful growth in Nigeria.

Mr Jude Nnadozie, President, Hatlab TM Club, District 94, Division E, Area 30, Abuja, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

He spoke against the backdrop of the Club’s bi-monthly meeting, with the theme: “The leading edge”, in commemoration of the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD).

Nnadozie said, “When you join platforms like TM, you will meet other people and develop your skills which is important. So, the

things we learn are enormous.

“This is why we have special meetings where we celebrate great women. By our theme, we put spotlight on things women who succeeded in their chosen career have done to succeed.

“Today, we brought together lots of distinguished women on the platform of TM, because they have been there for a while and conquered many grounds we look forward to conquer in life.

“Not just women and girls, but generally on what people can do to succeed in various endeavors.”

In her general evaluation, Mrs Stella George, Division E Director of Toastmasters International, urged people to always participate in meetings to imbibe modern skills which could enable them tackle modern challenges.

The division director quoted Mahatma Ghandi, saying: “The best way to gain yourself is to lose yourself to serving other people” to reiterate the importance of leadership.

According to her, Toastmasters International is a place people could build noble character and become more productive.

“Here you learn about emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication skills, quick thinking, and the ability to organise a group of people.

“You need to build capacity and support others; this is what makes the world go round because you never get tired doing what you love while serving humanity,” she said.

High point of the event was recitation of “Resilience” as

key word of the day and panel discussion on gender equity being moderated by Udanga Jarigbe, a Toastmaster.

The discussion by Distinguished Toastmasters Stella George (Division Director), Toju Cole, Soji Salu, Alhassan Mohammed and Titi Ojo, stressed the need for people to understand and be dedicated to core values to achieve success in their career.

The event also featured general evaluation, introduction of table topics by Mr Ifeanyi Nwoko, Vice President of Hatlab Toastmasters Club, and cutting of cake to commemorate the IWD.

NAN reports that TM International Club promotes improvement in public speaking, self-confidence, leadership and networking skills. (NAN)

L-R: Secretary, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (ADSN), Abuja Branch, Alhaji Sanni Ayodele-Ishaq; Chairman of ADSN, Alhaji Kabir Olayiwola and the Chairman, Ramadan Planning Committee of the Society, Alhaji Ismail Hassan, during a news conference on ADSN Ramadan Annual Lecture and Special Prayer for the Nation, yesterday in Abuja.

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Institutionalizing youth’s inclusion in governance

By Al-Amin M. El-Nasir

Any leader who failed to consciously subscribe to youth inclusion or gender equity at this present age is certainly not the government of the people and he or she should prepare for inescapable failure.

Frantz Fanon in his speech acknowledges the importance of taking the right step at the right time. A people with drenching hearts and tired boots will do everything possible to stay on the rubble. It is apparent that the anticipated dawn has come, as rural dwellers now sing about the compensation of democracy which is becoming apparent in the local communities where such were blurry in sight. This does not mean the representatives from previous years have been redundant in availing growth in these communities, after all, recent developments have been an offshoot of the foundation of those previously in charge.

Kwara State is one of the very first states in Nigeria, and it can not be excused from obvious infrastructural development as well as human capital growth which in recent years has been a “shuttle in a crypt”. Looking at the waves as well as reading the room clearly, the 2023 general election is proof that democracy has bought new robes for future generations to cover their nakedness.

The wave has revitalized the mends of the populace in their duty to choose a candidate that reflects their exuberance. Yes, in the past, we have had a group of young men and women who were elected or appointed into various political offices with much or little background in the political strength to foreground the befitting development or blueprint for the state, but with the support of the people and the coordination of focused leaders, they were able to deliver within their limited space. They certainly performed at their best and we saw a paradigm shift from mediocre in government to technocrats.

It appears history is repeating itself. We have new faces in the political scene of the state, several young minds are introduced to the system, regardless of their background or experience. This has eventually sprung up in numbers,

the “woke generation” who might have given up on the participation of youths in governance since it is perceived to have been the only source of livelihood for the older generation or career politicians.

As it stands, a serious government will focus on youth inclusion, if they intend to perform at best. The name “Saraki” rings a bell when it comes to Youth inclusion in politics. Sen. Bukola Saraki MBBS; CON, ensured the bill “Not Too Young to Run Bill” was initiated and passed when he was the Senate President of the 8th Senate which later got the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR. With the execution of such bill, individuals saw the need to break the ceiling glass and ride on the avant-garde made possible by previous administrations.

This does not mask the efforts and the attitude of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, whose well-intended inclusion of youth and female representation has garnered him public admiration and acceptance. One must learn to strike when the rod is hot. It is the best time in Kwaran history to intensify the inclusion of youth accurately with several progressive youths who are seeking greener pastures in climes other than theirs. This to some extent, reenergizes a sense of hope, among the teaming youths who have given up on the political will of the country.

Kwara has been judged to be a conglomerate, a pathfinder, and equally a determinant for whoever gets the key to the Villa. It has also succeeded in producing the first female under 30 State House of Assembly, a 26-year Rukayyah Shittu, Member-Elect of Iwode/Onire State Constituency, whose ascension is described with total humility.

This is a wake-up call, a clarion call, and a total sense of inclusiveness, which should also be instrumental to facilitating her type who should become aware of selfworthiness, and they should begin to see themselves as achievers and not agents of “kitchen and the other room”. If the intention is to achieve greater development in the state, now is the time, since all components of the state

appear to be adequately, represented.

There is nowhere in the world, where the heart that loves is not young. So, how do you lead a population of 56 percent youth, without their inclusion in governance? Any leader who failed to consciously subscribe to youth inclusion or gender equity at this present age is certainly not the government of the people and he or she should prepare for inescapable failure.

Although, it is not merely the inclusion of youths, but quality personalities who are tremendous in their line of duty. For instance, several Special Advisers, Personal Assistants, Commissioners, and Board Members, and others; who would end up being mere figureheads are not in this category of youths’ inclusiveness. The ones who have impacted lives positively, and avail the people dividends of democracy through their offices such as those House Speaker, House Members, Commissioners and heads of Agencies, and a host of others. The people sing their praises, simply because the policies implemented have been favorable to the masses.

This set of people have proven in their various quarters the efficiency of their fittings. These are Youths who have spoken about their performance through, the people, they have demonstrated beyond doubt the place of Youth in governance. Many will learn on the undertaking pending their mastery of such appointment, while some already have ample experiences to sail through their various duties.

The state must continue to engage the Youths. Kwara Youths are hardworking, relentless, and always seeking possibilities to contribute their ration to the development of the state. This is why one would find out that many Youths in Kwara are a member of a multitude of NonGovernmental Organisations, absolutely due to their sense of commitment. Give the youth, power, they will not abuse it because the future is their focus. The Nigerian Youths have out of obscured circumstances discovered themselves, and they are not ready to mar any given opportunities but to make it worthy.

Al-Amin writes from Ilorin.

Prevalence of pedophilia: The way out

By Owolabi Kuburat Omobolanle

In recent times, reports of rape and pedophilia have cascaded the pages of national dailies and social media. Reports on how young kids are being sexually abused, molested and how aspiring women have been made to face horrifying experience of their lives.

Cases of rape and act of pedophilia is so alarming that it has become a daily occurrence in Nigeria. It’s a barbaric act against everyone: young or old, male or female, though it has a higher rate of occurrence among the females.

Rape according to Oxford English Dictionary, is the act of forcing sexual intercourse upon another person without their consent or against their will. While Pedophilia according to Oxford English Dictionary is the sexual attraction to children by adults or sexual activity between adults and children.

It is pertinent to understand that a nexus exist between rape, defilement and pedophilia in terms of the abuse and imprint left on their victims, and so they are mostly used interchangeably. By and large, defilement is believed to be an unlawful sexual intercourse with an underage below the age of twelve and rape, the same act above the age of twelve – this as explained by section 218 of the 2004 criminal code act.

Regardless of their differences, they all portray sexual abuse against humanity. They are all acts that has rendered the lives of many people useless. Children with great dreams of becoming a doctor, lawyer, banker, etc have watched their dreams and dignity scattered and taken away by some maniac pedophiles or rapists.

Rape/ Pedophilia is an act that hurts the victims in a physical, psychological and sociological way.

Victims of Rape/ Pedophilia suffer psychological problems such as depression, panic attack, self blame, isolation, aggression, feeling of shame and may even turn suicidal.

The effects of sexual assault is even more severe on the part of females as they are the major victims of the barbaric act. Heath problems such as vaginal bleeding or infection, Hypo active Sexual Disorder, Unwanted pregnancy, Vagina inflammation, HIV/AIDS and even death occurs as the result of sexual assault.

As if it’s not enough, victims and family as a result have to live the rest of their lives in stigmatization and infamy.

Young kids with bright future have been made to lose their self esteem because of the cruel act of pedophilia against them.

Earlier this year, a picture of a young girl wearing a white T-shirt up to her knee, stained with blood went viral on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter etc for being raped by an unknown man. Then I start to wonder, “How is she going to survive people’s harsh comments?”, “How will she cope in the world of hypocrites; where she’d be pitied for a while then mocked after?”

Considering how dangerous and scary the act of sexual abuse is to the society, many laws have been passed towards curbing this menace. Nigeria alone has four laws put in place to address the issue of sexual abuse against children and women. We have the Criminal Code which is applicable within the south; the Penal Code which is applicable within the north; The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act and the Child Right Act which was adopted in 2003.

The maximum sentence provided for the act of rape or sexual abuse against children is life imprisonment. The Child Right Act of Nigeria 2003, provides in section 31(1) “No person shall have sexual intercourse with a child.”

(2) “A person who contravenes the provision of subsection(1) of this section commits an offence of rape and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life.”

Section 32 of the Child Right Act further stated in section 32(2), “the term of 14 years imprisonment for any person who sexually abused or sexually exploits a child in any manner.”

However despite all these, the act of sexual abuse remain persistently on the increase. The inconsistency in law is one of major reasons sexual abuse remain on increase. The Child Right Act which has been domesticated by Nigeria was only accepted by 25 states out of the 36 states. I believe this isn’t enough strategy to curb rape. A global collaboration on sexual abuse law is needed to create a hostile rape punishment and environment for these miscreants.

Prevention they say, is better than cure. Thus, preventive measures should be adopted over curative ones. Life imprisonment, castrations, payment of fines etc are all curative measures, which only focus on the perpetrators and not the welfare and future of the victims. Punishing the offender is fundamental however that’s not all. After all, India gives death penalty to rapists, yet India remains one of the top

10 countries in the world with the highest rate of sexual abuse.

Meanwhile, the one million question here is, what is the way out? How do we eradicate rape/ pedophilia for good in Nigeria?. Well, it starts with the family.

The first agent of socialization is the family. To be able to curb the menace of rape/ pedophilia, the family is needed to provide basic education and care to their wards.

The rise or fall of any country lies in the hand of family upbringing. We live in a world where parents have little or no time for their children, they put strangers in care of their children, exposing the children to danger.

I could remember vividly, when I was much younger, my mom would call on us both the females and males and give us sexual orientation. She even came up with the idea of telling us “If a man touches you, your stomach will get big and you’d die”. But many parents have replaced that with the search for greener pastures. Imagine a mother going to work by 7:00 am and returning by 9:00 pm when the kids would have been on bed.

Most parents would blame Nigeria economy and the need to go out for greener pastures, regardless I believe parents should dedicate time for their kids.

Every kid deserves sex education.Teach them what is Vagina, Penis, Breasts, Sexual Intercourse, Pregnancy, AIDS/ HIV etc.

You might be worried about how to educate them if they’re young, however there’s something I read, called age appropriate messaging. It’s not too big to tell a 3 year old girl “Don’t sit on a man’s lap”, “Don’t allow any man touch your breast or Vagina”. Furthermore, parents should maintain a closer relationship with their children. Ask them not to keep secret as their rapists would obviously tell them “Don’t tell anyone”.

In addition, parents shouldn’t leave their children alone with a stranger or family members when they won’t be around for long. Most act of sexual abuse are done mostly by close and trusted relations. Just like the case of the 27 year old man caught fondling his 11 month old niece in Ogun state. There is also the need for parents to censor what their children view, their watchlist must be appropriate with their age.

Owolabi Kuburat Omobolanle is a Public Affairs Analyst.

Russia-Africa conference discusses education and culture

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

In Soviet times, a large number of African students received education and took with them some aspects of Russian culture to the continent. Even now, parliamentarians from different countries have been grateful for the Soviet education, a large number of highly qualified specialists, including doctors and teachers.

Russian and African parliamentarians, academic researchers and experts, during their in-depth conference discussions, have called for an increase in the number of government scholarships and grants for the training of specialists for Africa as a significant part of developing and building trust as well as mutual understanding in the current Russian-African relations.

During the conference on Russia-Africa, organized within the framework of International Development on Parliamentarism forum, the Chairman of the State Duma, Viacheslav Volodin, was convinced that cultural, educational and humanitarian cooperation could be equally important areas needed to be developed and intensified in the current Russian-African relations.

Volodin further suggested to continue discussing the issues of harmonizing legislation in the scientific and educational spheres, and reminded that hundreds of thousands of African students studied in the Soviet Union and Russia, and now 27 thousand African students, majority of them on private contracts, were studying in the Russian Federation. An estimated 5,000 students are currently studying on Russian budget while the rest are paying for their tuition.

“Taken into account that the Pan-African University, which brings together leading universities in Africa, has been created, new opportunities are opening up for cooperation with large Russian universities. Educational exchange can become multilateral,” the Chairman of the State Duma said. “It is necessary to provide legislative support for Russian language learning programs, including the training of Russian teachers from African countries.”

Volodin reiterated that “strengthening all aspects of relations with African countries, including humanitarian and trade and economic cooperation, was now the priority for Russia. The development of inter-parliamentary relations should intensify cooperation between Russia and African countries.”

In addition, Deputy Chairwoman of the State Duma, Olga Timofeeva, told the audience that the African representation is, perhaps, an unprecedented large scale. It proves that ties between Russia and Africa are entering a new phase and there will be frequent interaction in the field of education, health care, demography and culture as integral part of future bilateral cooperation.

According to Timofeeva, Russian parliamentarians have noted that delegations of African countries often include people speaking Russian, who studied in Russia. In Soviet times, a large number of African students received education and took with them some aspects of Russian culture to the continent. Even now, parliamentarians from different countries have been grateful for the Soviet education, a large number of highly qualified specialists, including doctors and

teachers.

In Africa, there are currently seven Russian Centers of Science and Culture: in Egypt, Zambia, Morocco, Congo, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Ethiopia. Russia is ready to expand the network of its centers and humanitarian ties in general, she further informed.

Olga Timofeeva added “that interaction in the field of medicine is promising. Due to the lack of medical infrastructure and specialists, the African continent has become a major source of outbound medical tourism. Africans are interested in developing their own health care system.”

There are still many questions such as: what are the development reserves, what should be paid special attention to? What are the obstacles, and how to overcome them? Possibilities of parliamentary diplomacy could help as a mechanism to build such humanitarian ties. All these issues need some pragmatic or practical answers by parliamentarians.

Director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Irina Abramova, spoke about the role of science in the development of cooperation between Russia and Africa. She noted that “without a technological breakthrough in ecology, health and education, we are not able to break our relations free from the deadlock and solve the problems that both the Russian people and the people of Africa are facing.”

She also emphasized the role of education and academic science and training specialists for Africa. Undoubtedly, Abramova believes that by training specialists, Russia contributes to future of Russian citizens and the people of Africa.

Some, however, observes that Russia triumphantly returns to Africa. “After several years of decreasing intensity (of connections), Russia is triumphantly returning to the African continent. And let its return be active because our Russian friends have a whole series of proposals within the framework of economic cooperation,” said President of the National Assembly of Djibouti Mohamed Ali Houmed.

There are also proposals in the field of education, infrastructure development, tourism, and many other areas. He believes that Russia should continue to promote its initiatives in the field of education with African countries.

The Speaker of the Senate from the Republic of Kenya, Kenneth Lusaka, stressed: “Our interaction and cooperation in the area of culture, science and art is necessary to guarantee future generations life in peace; that makes the role of parliamentarians extremely important here.”

Kenneth Lusaka thanked Russia for strong support in the educational sphere and for scholarships for students who have the opportunity to study in Russia. “We still need Russia’s support in the development of new technologies and education sphere,” he concluded.

Zambia hopes that the conference on Russia – Africa will help Russia to develop multifaceted relations with the entire African continent. The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Zambia, Patrick Matibini, praised efforts in developing inter-parliamentary relations, and noted that relations are still “very influential and really promising.” Matibini discussed, at length, the intensification of bilateral

cooperation in areas of education, medicine, technology and agriculture.

On her part, Chairwoman of the National Council of Namibia, Margaret Mensah-Williams, highlighted the previous educational assistance from Russia, stressed the impact of the huge number of doctors and other specialists in their country who studied during the Soviet time and now in the Russian Federation.

These worthy efforts have always translated further into greater development, she said, and appealed to Russian authorities to maintain that appreciable level of socio-cultural and humanitarian assistance to African countries.

The President of the National Assembly of Mali, Issaka Sidibé, emphasized that Africa should address challenges related to migration, education and the environment. “We, the parliamentarians, should work for the benefit of the nationals. Cooperation should be enhanced to eliminate inequality,” he said.

He added that the conference decisions “are very progressive steps forward but what’s remains to be done is Russia needs roll out concrete proposals and these have to be pursued in a systematic manner and with seriousness, and demonstrate consistency and commitment.”

“It’s important to frequently interact and exchange ideas and get to know of other people’s different experiences,” according to Issaka Sidibé. “This helps to broaden knowledge, offers the chance to learn about necessary first hand practical lessons for accelerating positive changes. We look forward with hope for a brighter relationship, and most importantly refined approach to relations that will bring, through education, a closer friendship with Africans.”

Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Jacob Mudenda, said: “participation in the conference is another opportunity to discuss many issues, compare positions, develop solutions and give impetus to further cooperation, but it is important to turn words into concrete actions.”

He argued that it was distinctively evident from the large number of African delegations that had been invited, so far, to Moscow over the past few years, marked a new chapter to re-activate relations with Africa. But, Russia’s influence might not take roots anytime soon if the conference declarations are not vigorously and promptly implemented.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has praised the legislators’ role in promoting the entire complex of Russian-African cooperation and welcomed steps towards intensifying contacts between the Russian Federal Assembly and African parliaments.

Over these years, African parliamentarians have been attending conferences with their Russian colleagues to deliberate important questions of common interest to both Russia and Africa. But important issues discussed simply remain as mere archival documents and, most probably, many policy initiatives taken at those previous gatherings were forgotten. There were delegations from estimated 40 African countries. The Russia-Africa parliamentary conference took place as landmark event in Russian-African relations.

Kestér Kenn Klomegâh is an Int’l Affairs Analyst.

PDP’s region-wide rejection deserved, party unfair to Southeast

By Chima Christian

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s 2022 nomination, against the spirit and letters of the party’s constitution, seems to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back. For the PDP, that day of reckoning has come for it in the southeast.

The records are there, the southeast has always voted for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Today, the party has so badly lost weight in the region that it went from controlling all the states in 1999 to now controlling one. And the one it struggled to latch on to was after a dutiful implementation of the Lagos formula of violence, voter intimidation and strange manufacture of fictitious votes.

Not only has the party lost almost all the states in the southeast, but the party that has always won the region overwhelmingly in all presidential

elections since 1999 struggled to muster even 10% of the votes in the region this time.

Anyone who is truthful should find it easy to acknowledge that the PDP badly grieved the people of the southeast. The quality of candidates the party has been nominating for various positions, with just a handful of exceptions, has been nothing but mediocre.

From Enugu to Abia, the quality of governance those elected on the platform of the PDP have been offering the southeast is also underwhelming. Perhaps the most poignant example of this subpar PDP leadership in the region is to be found in Abia state which has had 24 unbroken years of PDP leadership. Poor governance in Abia state, as an example, largely explains the southeast’s quest for alternatives.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s 2022 nomination, against the spirit and letters of the party’s

constitution, seems to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back. For the PDP, that day of reckoning has come for it in the southeast.

Save for miracles, even the one they struggled to retain will be taken away from them, and there will be no coming back for the party from there. PDP held so much promise for the people of the southeast. We collectively mourn its eventual death in the region. The eventual death of PDP and the terminal illness of APGA in the southeast should serve as both a warning and a reminder to the Labour Party.

Once that proverbial salt loses its flavour, it is only a matter of time before it is thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

The pictures and videos coming from Abia recast that vision of Africa’s morning. The journey is still far, yet Africa’s morning will come.

Chima Christian is a Public Affairs Analyst.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), has called on Nigerian Government to quadruple current investments, if it must meet the Sustainable Development Goals in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector before 2030.

Dr Moma Enang, UNESCO Regional Office Representative, said this at an event to commemorate the 2023 World Water Day with the theme, “Accelerating Change” on Wednesday in Abuja.

Quoting data from the newly

FCT: AMAC Chair promises to reconstruct Tungan Madaki bridge

By Usman Shuaibu

The Executive Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has promised the residents to reconstruct Tungan Madaki collapsed bridge in the community.

Maikalangu, who made this pledge when he visited the site of the collapsed bridge alongside some of his appointed politicians, saying that he would do everything possible to reconstruct the collapsed bridge.

He told the community leaders as well as the youths that some of his political aides accompanied him to the site of the collapsed bridge in order to ascertain the correct assessment of the work to be carrying out there.

He then assured the people of the community that the work would soon begin at the site, noting that the collapsed bridge would cut-off many people to have access to the community.

Maikalangu, who responded to the questions from the community leaders and residents in Tungan Madaki, expressed with dismay that due to the incident of the collapsed bridge the farmers could no longer transport their farm produce to the neighboring communities, as he said even the students from the FCT College of Education who resident in Tungan Madaki find it difficult to go to school.

Meanwhile, the community leaders and the entire residents of the community where delighted with the Chairman on the inspection tour to the site of the collapsed bridge.

Nigeria needs to quadruple current investments to meet Water, Sanitation SDGs –UNESCO

released 2023 UN World Water Development Report, Enang said there was an increase in global water demand, which stood at 30 per cent.

According to her, there is need for countries to deliberately make efforts to improve access to water for the teeming population, saying 10 per cent of the global population lived in countries with high or critical water stress.

She said the global Official Development Assistance for water and sanitation stood at $8.7 billion in 2020, mainly from development partners, saying there was need for partnerships and cooperation to promote sustainable access to water.

She said all hands must be on deck to deliver the much needed change to humanity in the water sector.

“Nearly every water-related intervention involves some kind of cooperation, intra-sectoral, inter-sectoral and extra-sectoral relationships because Between 2.2 and 3.2 billion people lived under water stress for at least 1 month per year.

“75 per cent of the land surface has been significantly altered, with over 85 per cent of natural wetlands area lost, Nearly all countries show signs of risks related to water quality due to climate change”.

Mr Fred Kafeero, Food and Agriculture Organisation Representative, said over 700 million people in the world face high and critical water stress

and over 90 percent of natural disasters are water related.

He said agriculture currently accounted for 72 per cent of freshwater withdrawals, saying on current trends, an additional 35 per cent in water resources will be needed by 2050, to meet growing demand for food, fibre and feed.

“This is hugely worrying for efforts to end hunger and poverty, because there can be no food and agriculture, and the livelihoods it supports, without clean and sufficient water.

“Water is needed for irrigation of crops, for livestock, and for the many species that live in aquatic ecosystems.

“We need to create synergies by joining hands and working together. Let us value every drop of water and keep our planet blue and clean”.

Kafeero, represented by Mr Oluseyi Fabiyi, said FAO was supporting the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, to promote drip irrigation system as a way of sustainable water management in selected irrigation schemes.

Dr Jane Bevan, UNICEF Nigeria Chief of WASH, said that one-third of children do not have access to at least basic water at home, and two-thirds do not have basic sanitation services.

Bevan said World Water Day was an opportunity for call to action for all stakeholders to deliberately work to improve water and sanitation in the country.

She said it was estimated that 78 million children in Nigeria suffered from poor water access at the moment, saying at least a third of them lack access to water at home, and two thirds lack access to basic sanitation.

According to her, Nigeria is one of the 10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that carry the heaviest burden of diseases caused by inadequate WASH.

“Diseases such as cholera kill children most and a third of the children in this country do not have access to safe water.

“Together with the issues of accelerating climate change and extreme weather, we are seeing increased flooding storms, rainfall, increased temperatures, which means we have more cholera than in the past.

“So we need to do more not less for the children of Nigeria, we owe it to them to really come together and invest more for water and do our best to reach everybody. “

Earlier, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Agnes Aneke, said the day emphasised the significance of water and to create awareness about the global water crisis.

“The primary purpose of celebrating this day is to promote the achievement of SDGs 6, which aims to provide access to clean water and sanitation for everyone by 2030”.

She pledged the commitment of the administration to continue collaborating with development partners and donors to properly execute off water policies in the country.

Highlight of the event was the public presentation of the United Nations 2023 World Water Development Report by Director, UN Information Centre, Dr Ronald Kayanja, and the commissioning of a water and sanitation, facility in Junior Secondary School, Gwarimpa. (NAN)

Foundation advocates prevention, treatment of tuberculosis to mitigate deaths

The U.S.A-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), an NGO, on Thursday called on governments and world leaders to prioritise the prevention and treatment of Tuberculosis to mitigate avoidable deaths in Nigeria.

AHF’s Programme Director in Nigeria, Dr Echey Ijezie, made the call in a statement it issued in Abuja to herald the 2023 World Tuberculosis Day.

The World Tuberculosis Day is commemorated annually on March 24 to elicit support for tuberculosis sufferers.

It is also commemorated to encourage world leaders to focus on ending the disease that is 100 per cent preventable and treatable.

The theme for the 2023 Tuberculosis Day is: “Yes! We Can End Tuberculosis.’’

In commemorating the Day, AHF called on heads of states to attend the United Nations High-Level meeting

on Tuberculosis in September to show their commitment to ending tuberculosis in their countries.

Tuberculosis is a serious infection of the lungs caused by a bacterium that spreads through tiny droplets, released in the air when a sufferer coughs or sneezes.

“Ending tuberculosis in Nigeria must come with intensified level of case finding and patients who show up in hospitals to embrace treatment, which is free across health facilities in the country.

“Importantly, we must increase funding available to tuberculosis, improve the level of education and awareness as well as engage the rising incidence of stigma related to the disease,’’ Ijezie said in the statement.

Ijezie decried the listing of Nigeria by the WHO as one of the 10 countries accounting for 64 per cent of the global gap in tuberculosis case finding.

He stressed that Nigeria’s situation required urgent attention as the WHO also listed it alongside India and Indonesia as accounting for almost half of the total gap in case finding.

In the statement also, AHF’s Chief Global Advocacy and Policy, Mr Terri Ford, said the foundation was focusing on tuberculosis by educating its staff members and clients and by providing tuberculosis screening in its clinics.

“The Foundation is also prioritising prevention and treatment of HIV and tuberculosis co-infection, which is one of the main causes of death of people living with HIV.

“AHF urges all government and public health institutions to do their part to ensure tuberculosis research, prevention, and treatment programmes are fully funded and supported.

“We all must do more to finally stop tuberculosis worldwide,

particularly in lower-income countries,’’ Ford said.

The AHF stated that tuberculosis claimed 1.6 million lives in 2021, the year when more than 10 million new infections were recorded, yet it remained woefully neglected and underfunded in many countries.

“Even as tuberculosis is a global epidemic, more than 95 per cent of deaths occur in lowerincome countries.

“WHO estimated that finances were less than 40 per cent of what was needed to prevent and treat tuberculosis in 2022.

“The time is now for heads of state to urgently focus efforts on tuberculosis prevention and mitigate millions of avoidable deaths,’’ it stressed.

AHF is a global non-profit organisation providing cuttingedge medicine and advocacy for more than 1.7 million people in 45 countries, including Nigeria. (NAN)

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has charged the judiciary to ensure that it retrieved every stolen mandate in the just concluded general elections as the last hope of the aggrieved citizens, as justice delayed is justice denied.

In a communique issued yesterday after a General Assembly meeting to review the 2023 general election at the Council’s National Secretariat in Abuja, IPAC said judiciary must be decisive in upholding the rule

Chekwas Okorie congratulates Abia governorelect, Alex Otti

By Christiana Ekpa

The founder of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chekwas Okorie has congratulated the Governor elect of Abia State, Alex Otti, over his victory in the last governorship election in the State.

A letter of congratulations to Otti by Okorie said “It is from the depth of my heart that I congratulate you for your resounding victory at the Governorship Election of Abia State held on Saturday 18th March, 2023.

“I am confident that your Government will usher in unprecedented development in the State. The good people of Abia State have high expectations from you. Our State has suffered great setback for several years due to poor governance by successive governments especially in all democratic dispensations since 1999.

“You are conversant with the current challenges your new administration will face from the moment your Government is inaugurated on 29th May, 2023.

“All patriotic citizens of Abia State including my humble self owe you our prayers for God’s guidance and wisdom. We also owe our unalloyed cooperation and collaboration to enable your Government succeed where others failed, to the Glory of God.”

IPAC charges judiciary to retrieve every stolen mandate in 2023 general elections

of law in adjudicating on various election petitions.

“IPAC urges the Judiciary to be decisive and uphold the rule of law in adjudicating on various election petitions before it as the last hope of all aggrieved citizens, aware that time is of the essence and justice delayed is justice denied. All stolen mandates must be retrieved to uphold the sanctity of the ballot box”, part of the communique signed by IPAC chairman, Sani Yabagi said.

While charging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put its arts together ahead of the upcoming offseason elections, IPAC said “The integrity of the Commission is at stake each time it conducts flawed elections. The expectations of Nigerians are high and must be met in our collective resolve to build a strong, virile, united, progressive and just democratic nation”.

IPAC also commended Nigerians for their active participation in the 2023 general election, saying the right of the people to choose their leaders is the bedrock of constitutional rule.

The communique said “The ballot is sacrosanct and must reflect the will and mandate of the electorate in a free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful election.

“IPAC will resist any attempt to subvert the people’s mandate freely given to any Political Party and its candidate and urges Stakeholders in the electoral process to respect the wish of the people as sovereignty resides in them. It is the only way we will

collectively deepen the nation’s hard earned democracy.

“Council charges the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sit up and take its Constitutional duty seriously to avoid the preventable glitches and hitches with its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) that questioned its readiness to conduct the elections and authenticity of results declared particularly in Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“Council demands a review of the process in appointing INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners to ensure only competent and patriotic Nigerians head the Commission’s State Offices across the nation as some of the challenges encountered during the elections particularly the use

of BVAS and IReV Portals were caused more by human factor than the equipment.

“More importantly, the Commission must be transparent and upholds its neutrality and integrity as the electoral umpire and discharge its duties without fear or favour as it will be held responsible and accountable for the success and otherwise of the elections it conducted.

“Council condemns in strong terms that violence, killings, arson, kidnapping of electoral officers, intimidation and suppression of voters that characterized the 2023 General Election. They are outrageous, despicable and unacceptable in the quest for sustainable democracy in Nigeria and must stop forthwith. Vote buying, snatching of ballot papers and boxes remain the bane of the nation’s electoral process.

“Accordingly, Council

demands the immediate prosecution of electoral offenders and their sponsors to serve as a deterrent to those who desire to subvert the will of the people. It is the only way to sanitize the country’s electoral processes and procedures, and ensure that the people’s votes count. It will also spur citizens’ participation in future elections unlike the unprecedented voter apathy witnessed in the 2023 General Election.

“IPAC urges INEC to start preparations for the off-season gubernatorial elections, put its act together and ensure future elections in the country meet international standards. The integrity of the Commission is at stake each time it conducts flawed elections. The expectations of Nigerians are high and must be met in our collective resolve to build a strong, virile, united, progressive and just democratic nation.”

APC felicitates muslims as ramadan starts

By Musa Baba Adamu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has felicitated the muslim ummah in Nigeria and beyond as the holy month of Ramadan starts globally.

The APC, in the goodwill message in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, charged the Muslim Ummah “to use the Ramadan to pray for accelerated and shared prosperity, development and security, wisdom for leaders

and decision makers at all levels of social, economic and political life of the country.”

Ramadan marks the commencement of 30 or 29 days of fasting, according to Islamic calendar.

Morka wrote “As the Holy month of Ramadan which marks the commencement of 30 or 29 days of fasting begins, the All Progressives Congress (APC) enjoins Muslim Ummah to use the season for deep reflection and spiritual rejuvenation towards greater devotion to

Allah, and service to the nation.

“Ramadan is one of the most blessed month of the Islamic calendar. The APC hereby calls on Muslim Ummah to pray for Nigeria’s accelerated and shared prosperity, development and security, as they pray for wisdom for leaders and decision-makers at all levels of our social, political and economic life. We invite all faithful to remember and take care of the less-privileged among us.

“With the successful conclusion of the 2023 General

Elections, and as the country gears up for transition from the President Muhammadu Buhari government to the incoming administration of PresidentElect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we urge all well-meaning Nigerians to remain peaceful and patriotic with renewed hope for a more just, secure, peaceful, equitable and prosperous Nigeria.

“We pray the Almighty Allah answers our prayers and enkindles in us the spirit of sacrifice, humility, mercy and kindness”.

•Says INEC’s integrity at stake each time it conducts flawed elections

L-R -Business Development Manager, Export Trading Group(ETG ) Inputs Nig.LTD, Ogu Goodluck; Principal Investigator, Institute of Agricultural Research Zaria, Dr. Muyideen Oyekunle; CEO Export Trading Group Company Limited, Ashish Lakhotia; Head of Agrochemicals and Seeds,Dr.Iyad

POLITICS

Ebonyi guber: PDP rejects election result

By Musa Baba Adamu

Ebonyi State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday said it has rejected the outcome of the March 18 governorship election, wherein the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Francis Nwifuru was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Recall that Nwifuru polled a total of 199, 131 votes to defeat the candidate of PDP, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, who polled 80, 191 votes to come second in the election that took place in the 13 LGAs of the state.

The substantive chairman of PDP, in Ebonyi State, Ifeanyi Nworie, made this known while addressing newsmen in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State.

PDP accused the ruling APC in the state of conniving with INEC to rig the recently conducted gubernatorial election in favour of its candidate, Nwifuru.

Nwori said “We wish to hereby state categorically and unequivocally that the APC perfected a predetermined charade in collaboration with INEC [over the] announced concocted results, which were absolutely condemnable and unacceptable to us. INEC never acquitted itself creditably with patriotism and the high sense of responsibility expected of it”.

Nworie, insisted that it was PDP’s candidate Odii that scored the highest votes [and] won the March 18 governorship election, saying that the party has prepared all its evidence and will soon head to court to reclaim its alleged stolen

mandate.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission in Ebonyi State manufactured [results] to deny the PDP candidate his hard-earned victory following his very impressive showing due to his mass followership by Ebonyi people and his statewide acceptability.

“It has become expedient for us to express our disgust and dissatisfaction over the spurious manufacture of results that upturned the victory against our illustrious

and promising candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii. We unflinchingly state that our candidate was duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast in the election for the office of the Governor of Ebonyi State,” he stated.

He further stated that the March 18, 2023 governorship and House of Assembly election was marred by violence, killings, rigging, manipulation, harassment and other irregularities, allegedly orchestrated by thugs suspected

to be loyal to the ruling APC in the state.

The Ebonyi State PDP chairman further tasked the Ebonyi State Police Command to release all its stakeholders and supporters that were arrested by police during the election, just as it frowned on the killing of party agents at Ezza North, Onicha and Izzi LGAs.

In a swift reaction, the chairman of APC in Ebonyi State, Stanley Okoro Emegha denied any connivance with INEC to announce any gubernatorial

candidate that won election.

“Are you expecting PDP to say anything different than this? APC did not connive with INEC to announce Enugu governor or [that of ] Abia State. We know, that is what they will say, and that is nothing.

“If they didn’t say that, it means they are not a political party. That’s what they will say to help them in their failure. They were shouting that they are on ground but it’s now obvious that they are not,” he stated.

We’ll not be talking about Tinubu if you add Obi, Kwankwaso’s votes – Fayose

By Musa Baba Adamu

Ayodele Fayose, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has hit out at his party amid the outcome of the Presidential election.

Fayose said the PDP would not be talking about the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, if the votes of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and that of the Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso were added together.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, the former Ekiti State Governor said the PDP is currently on the ground, saying that the party does not have a candidate in Lagos State.

Fayose said, “What is

PDP, I won an election for PDP, when the platform was good, but the popularity of the candidate is good. At my time when I was contesting an election in Ekiti, I defeated the incumbent. If PDP is a vehicle, if it is working, it will work if it is not, we go to our houses.

“I am not somebody who is desperate to be in any political party. The national issue in this country is bigger than a political party.

“We are first members of our family before we became members of a political party and we were first Nigerians. Are you happy with the situation in the PDP? Was I the one that drove Obi away, the same Obi that left the party, made almost six million votes? Add Kwakwaso votes, add Obi votes. We will not be talking about Asiwaju. The fact that an incumbent doesn’t perform well does it guarantee

you victory.

“Look at PDP that is on the ground still suspending the exco of Katsina. You are talking about a candidate in Lagos, Do you have a candidate in Lagos? Somebody who was a photographer to a former governor of Lagos State.”

Recall that Tinubu of the

All Progressives Congress, APC, recently won the 2023 presidential election, beating close rivals Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, LP’s Obi and NNPP’s Kwankwaso.

Atiku and Obi have since headed to the courts to challenge the victory of Tinubu.

Senate seat: I’m behind Chimaroke’s failure not Gov Ugwuanyi – Ray Nnaji

By Musa Baba Adamu

Achieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Ray Nnaji has asked Senator Chimaroke Nnamani to stop blaming Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his electoral loss.

Nnamani, who lost his return bid to the Senate, had accused Governor Ugwuanyi of playing a spoiler.

But addressing journalists in Enugu, Nnaji, a former National Auditor of the PDP, disclosed that Chimaroke built the foundation for his failure.

He said: “Former governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani naming

Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the cause of his defeat was laughable because he knew I, Barr. Ray Nnaji was the one that wrote the petition. I wrote the petition to the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and even threatened to take them to court if they failed to discipline him.

“It’s very unfortunate, If he starts digressing looking for another person to blame because I discussed the issue of petition with him. I wrote the petition initially and how it started was when his name appeared in the presidential campaign council of APC, but before then there was a

publication he made at the back of Sun Newspaper where he eulogised Bola Tinibu.

“So, when his name was listed among APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, I thought it was a mistake and I put a call on him and told him that what he is doing is not good, that his name appeared on APC, PCC. I told him to refute it but he refused. I even defended him during an interview that it was a mistake without knowing, I was making a very big mistake.

“Subsequently, he hosted the APC PCC in his house at Agbani, which was published in the Guardian Newspaper on December 28, 2022. The

publication made me look like a stupid person, defending him not knowing he had a different agenda. Then, I couldn’t stomach it any longer and wrote a petition and attached a copy of that publication. I asked the party, why should they allow such a thing to happen, that the man is going to destroy the party? Incidentally, someone I told that what Chimaroke was doing was wrong and that I am going to write a petition against him went and told him.

“So, he called me and said that somebody is here and he said that I am going to write a petition, I said no that I have written and sent to the National

Secretariat already. He asked what he did and I told him it was as a result of anti-party activity. He asked me what he had done to me and I told him it was too numerous to be mentioned.

“He asked what he can do about it and I told him the petition has gone out and it’s like a bullet that can never be controlled once released. He asked me to be his lawyer and I said no, that I cannot be a judge in my own case and that he should look for another lawyer. We discussed it for over 20 minutes that day and I told him that what he is doing is going to mess him up.”

Fayose

INEC perpetrated electoral mess in Enugu – Edeoga vows to reclaim mandate

By Christiana Ekpa

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in last Saturday’s election in Enugu State, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga has vowed to retrieve his mandate which he said was allegedly stolen by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Edeoga, who spoke after Barr. Peter Mbah of the PDP was announced winner of the election, said he was robbed of victory, describing it as “electoral mess”.

Recall that after days of anxiety in Enugu, Mbah was on Wednesday night declared Enugu governor-elect by the Returning Officer, Prof.

Maduebibisi Iwe.

He said Mbah polled 160, 895 votes to beat Edeoga who garnered 157, 552. Frank Nweke of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, came third with 17, 983 votes.

Reacting, the LP candidate urged his supporters to remain calm as he pursues the course of justice through legal means.

He said “I want to thank the good people of Enugu State who were involved in this political process to see that the will of our people is determined electorally. The will of our people was made manifest in the few elections that have happened.

“First of all, the National

Assembly elections where the Labour Party recorded 7 out of 8 wins. So, right now, we have 7 out of 8 House of Representatives seats; the Senate, we have two out of three now; the third one we are in court and we are certain that we are going to get it, because the rigging that gave the PDP victory was manifest. Out of 24 members of the House of Assembly, Labour now has 14, with more to be added when a few shenanigans that were introduced by the INEC electoral officers are resolved. So, electorally, Enugu State has become a Labour Party State. It is a thing of joy and I thank the good people of Enugu State

for giving the Labour Party this resounding victory.

“Of course, it flows from what I just said above that the outcome of the governorship election as announced by the INEC after three or four days of delay does not flow along with what I have just enumerated; the victories of the Labour Party in the other elections. The outcome of the guber election, which was handed over to the PDP, with a margin of 3000 votes is not consistent with the electoral victories that were recorded by the Labour Party.

“One can say clearly that this outcome is not in consonance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of Enugu State,

their democratic intentions. It is a matter that the people are not happy about; it is a matter that has raised disquiet in Enugu State because it is a clear abortion of their democratic intentions and people have become worried and agitated; tempers are rising but we have done everything possible, we have called our leaders to remain calm and resolute. We are certain that this electoral mess which was orchestrated by a few persons within INEC, both in Enugu and Abuja, will be addressed. We have resolved as a party, as a people, to follow the due process of law to retrieve the mandate. Enugu people have expressed their disquiet.

Buhari assents to Copyright Right, Federal College of Medical Laboratory Bills

By Christiana Ekpa

The President, Commander

In Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari GCFR assented to 2 Bills recently passed by the National Assembly.

Hon. Nasiru Baballe Ila, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) who made this known in a statement said the two bills were assented to by the President on 17th March, 2023.

The statement reads,

"COPYRIGHT ACT 2022, this Act repeals the Copyright Act, Cap C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the Copyright Act 2022 to provide for the regulation, protection and administration of copyright. The enactment the new Copyright Act has again demonstrated the commitment of this administration to reenergizing Nigeria’s creative economy and making it more globally competitive in the digital and age.

"The principal objectives of the new law, as outlined in

section 1 are to: protect the rights of authors and ensure just rewards and recognition for their intellectual efforts; provide appropriate limitations and exceptions to guarantee access to creative works; facilitate Nigeria’s compliance with obligations arising from relevant international copyright treaties and conventions; and enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Copyright Commission for effective regulation, administration, and enforcement.

The new Copyright Act

expands the rights of authors, raises the sanctions for criminal infringements and more adequately addresses the challenges posed by digital and online use of copyright works. The Act also provides specially for the needs blind, visually impaired and print disabled persons to have access to learning and reading materials in accessible formats.

"FEDERAL COLLEGE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, JOS ACT, 2023, this Act repeals the Federal School of

Medical Laboratory Science, Jos (Establishment) Act, 2018 and enacts the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Jos Act, 2023, establishes the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science, Jos, to make the Institution more effective in the discharge of its functions by strengthening the organisational framework, and to bring its provision in conformity with current democratic principles and operations of existing educational institutions, and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria", he said.

Kogi 2023: Senator Oseni faults governorship aspirants pushing for zoning

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Ahead of Kogi State governorship election in November, 2023, Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District and Chairman of Senate Committee on Cybercrime and ICT, Yakubu Oseni has faulted some governorship aspirants insisting on zoning arrangements.

Oseni, who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress,

APC, spoke with journalists in Abuja, that zoning or rotation of governorship never existed in Kogi as some interested individuals from other districts outside the Central where governor Yahaya Bello comes from.

He said Kogi East ruled for 16 years without regard to the zoning, insisting that the development has laid to rest zoning rhetoric, hence, anybody can contest governorship.

The lawmaker, however,

stressed that the electorate must be allowed to choose their governor and not an individual, no matter how highly placed such a person is.

He said: “There is no zoning arrangement in Kogi State governorship race. The electorate are the ones to determine their leaders through election.

“The wrong impression by the people that the governorship of Kogi is zoning is not correct. There was nothing like that before or now.

“Kogi East ruled for 16 years until God decided to change it, so where is the zoning arrangement?”

According to him, zoning like religious and tribal politics are those sentiments that posed danger to getting the right person with capacity to govern Kogi State, hence, such sentiment should be downplayed as Kogi faces governorship election this year.

He insisted that the electorate should look out for anyone

that has capacity to deliver, explaining that capacity means governing the State based on party manifesto.

“Hence it’s not in the hands of any individual to select who will be the state governor, let people decide”.

He claimed that Yahaya Bello is the most successful governor in the history of Kogi State, even as he was being portrayed in bad light by some social media ranters.

Ondo election: Tribunal receives nine petitions, sets to begin sitting

By Musa Baba Adamu

Legal battles regarding the just concluded general elections are about to commence in Ondo State as nine

petitions have been received by the Election Petition Tribunal in the state.

According to the Secretary of the Tribunal, Adam Musa, only the petitions for the National

Assembly election held on February 25, have been received. The Tribunal, he confirmed, is yet to receive petitions for the March 18 state House of Assembly election.

Of the petitions received so far, Musa said seven pertain to the House of Representatives while two are for the senatorial election.

Musa, who affirmed that the

Tribunal would begin sitting as soon as the process of servicing ends, stressed that petitions must be submitted within 21 days of the date elections results are announced.

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

Young people have been urged to plan their future by engaging in savings and investments from an early age. This was stated by Mr. Nestor Ikeagu, Director Market Development Department of the Securities and Exchange Commission during the commemoration of the Global Money week by the Commission in Abuja Thursday.

Ikeagu stated that the Commission is on a drive to educate and enlighten the youths on money management as well as encourage them on investments opportunities available in the capital market.

“We are proud to be part of this annual financial awareness campaign highlighting the importance of teaching children & youth about financial education & financial literacy. These sensitisations to Gwagwalada and Nassarawa is aimed to directly speak to

Save and invest for the future -SEC tells youths

the children and youths and highlight how important this is to the SEC.” he stated.

“For today, we have reached out to students in secondary schools with the message on what they can do at this early stage to groom them to better manage their money and also explore avenues of investing. We will continue reaching out to them and mentor them on how to plant their future”.

In her remarks, Divisional Head Financial Inclusion Division of the SEC, Mrs Sa’adatu Faruk stated that the theme this year is on planning and investment, as savings that leads to investment is what brings wealth.

“I enjoin investors to plan

more, save more and be able to do much more investments, this will help to ensure a better life for them in the future”.

At Government Day Secondary School, Karu, Abuja, Senior Manager Market Development Department Mr. Musa Dakup told the students to be financially prudent and prioritise their spending.

“You should not always spend; you need to plan to do meaningful investments with the money you get. You need to have the culture of savings and investments so that you can plan for your future. Don’t waste money, invest your money. Plan for your future and that is why we are here today to enlighten you. The SEC is available to

educate and enlighten you to assist you in making sound financial decisions” He stated.

Dakup enjoined the students to check very well before investing to avoid patronising illegal fund managers.

“Be careful of investments that promise you unreasonably high returns, they never end well. Before long they close down and vanish with investors funds”.

“The list of registered fund managers can be found on our website www.sec.gov.ng. Any company that is not listed there do not do any business with them”.

Global Money Week (GMW) promotes efforts aimed at improving the financial literacy of young people. The ultimate

goal of the campaign is to ensure that all children and young people have access to highquality financial education, they learn about money matters and are able to take smart financial decisions that can improve their future financial resilience and financial well-being.

The week is the world’s largest money awareness campaign for children and youths to learn about money managing skills through fun events and activities in over 100 countries worldwide adding that the earlier children & youth learn about money, saving, investment and budgeting the better they will manage their personal finances throughout their lives.

NMDPRA unveils 6 new regulations for oil, gas industry

From

Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has released six regulations to support sustainable growth and investment in the midstream and downstream sectors.

The unveiling ceremony took place on Wednesday at the headquarters of the NMDPRA in Abuja.

The new laws include the midstream and downstream petroleum operations regulations, petroleum measurement regulations, and assignment or transfer of licence and permit regulations.

Others are natural gas pipeline tariff regulations, gas pricing, domestic demand and delivery regulations, and petroleum (transportation and shipment) regulations.

Farouk Ahmed, NMDPRA’s chief executive officer, said in addition to the six regulations, 14 others have been developed and will soon be issued.

He said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 established a framework for the development of the regulations.

The NMDPRA boss said the regulations have been designed to foster industry expansion through regulatory clarity, fairness, transparency, and industry best practices.

“I would like to commend all our stakeholders who contributed to the development of these regulations,” he said.

“In particular, my thanks go to the Authority’s Regulations Drafting Team who worked tirelessly to deliver on this critical assignment.

“The Authority remains committed to collaborating and engaging with our industry stakeholders whilst promoting

transparency and accountability, in the implementation of these regulations.”

Joseph Folorunsho, NMDPRA secretary/legal adviser, said the objectives of the regulations include overseeing the operations of companies in both midstream and downstream sectors.

He said the regulations will provide penalties for noncompliance as well as procedures for the issuance of licenses, permits, authorisations, and payment of fees.

Folorunsho said the assignment or transfer of license and permit regulations applies to all midstream processing facilities, including terminals, pipelines, and blending infrastructure.

Commenting on the petroleum measurement regulations, Folorunsho said it would assist in ensuring accurate measurement and allocation

of gas (or its derivatives) and crude oil (or its derivatives).

“The objective of the Petroleum Measurement Regulations is to ensure accurate measurement on allocation of gas and crude oil and ensuring installation of appropriate measurement by company and metering of oil and gas operations,” he said.

“Gas Pricing and Domestic Demand Regulations regulates retail gas pricing, prices of marketing natural gas of the strategic sectors, and identifies the unregulated market and makes provisions.

“Petroleum (Transportation and Shipment) Regulations regulates activities relating to transportation loading, shipment and export of crude oil. It prohibits illegal and unauthorised crude oil activities, among others.”

He added that the petroleum (transportation and shipment) regulations are expected to curtail crude oil theft and illegal activities, whereas natural gas pipeline tariff regulations provide a framework for tariff methodology and transportation of natural gas.

FG to site grain hub in Port Harcourt, 25,000 Metric tonnes expected from Ukraine

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Federal Government has reiterated plans to open a grain hub, identifying Port Harcourt, Rivers State as a target location.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this on Wednesday during a briefing after

the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja.

Abubakar revealed that Port Harcourt had been selected as the hub for the 25,000 metric tonnes on wheat expected from Ukraine, as Russia also extends its supply of grains to the country through a United Nations

arrangement.

Noting that the wheat consignment from Ukraine is on the high sea, the agriculture minister stated that the hub would create economic activities in the area.

Meanwhile, the FEC also approved N459 billion worth of contracts for projects in the Ministry of Transportation and construction of

barracks for personnel of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Of the cumulative figure, over N510 million contract is approved for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is geared towards the construction and supply of customised Fire Service search and rescue vans for extrication of accident victims.

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) says it shared N722.677 billion among the three tiers of government in February 2023.

The disbursement shows a decrease of N27.497 billion compared to January’s allocation of N750.174 billion.

FAAC disclosed this in a communique issued at the end of its meeting for March 2023 in Abuja on Wednesday.

The committee said the N722.677 billion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N366.800 billion, distributable value-added tax (VAT) revenue of N224.232 billion, electronic money transfer levy (EMTL) of N11.645 billion, and N120 billion augmentation from forex equalisation account.

According to the communique, in February 2023, the total deductions for cost of collection was N27.449 billion, while total deductions for transfers, savings, recoveries and refunds was N109.909

Seplat sues co-founder, consultancy firm

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo

ABUJA

Indigenous energy company, Seplat Energy Plc, has revealed that it had commenced legal proceedings against its cofounder, Dr Ambrose Orjiako and a consultancy firm, Amaze Limited.

In a statement signed by the Board chairman, Basil Omiyi, on Thursday, the company said that the consultancy agreement with the firm has also been terminated.

The company accused the co-founder through Amaze Limited of “unilaterally making significant commitments on Seplat’s letterhead without prior Board authority or knowledge.”

It was also revealed that repeated warnings had been disregarded resulting in a suspension of the agreement in February 2023.

Part of the statement read, “Seplat Energy Plc announces the termination with immediate effect of the Consultancy Agreement between the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary and its co-founder, Dr. A.B.C Orjiako, acting through Amaze Limited.

FAAC: FG, states, LGAs shared N722bn as allocation in February

billion.

From the total distributable revenue of N722.677 billion, FAAC said the federal government received N269.063 billion, states got N236.464 billion and the sum of N173.936 billion went to the local governments.

A total sum of N43.214 billion was also shared with the relevant states as 13 percent derivation revenue.

FAAC explained that a statutory revenue of N487.106 billion was received for the month of February 2023.

This, it said, was lower than the N653.704 billion received in the previous month by N166.598 billion.

From the balance of N366.800 billion distributable statutory revenue, the committee noted that the federal government received N178.683 billion, states collected N90.630 billion, and local governments got N69.872 billion.

It added that the sum of N27.614 billion was shared as 13 percent derivation revenue among the concerned states.

According to FAAC, the gross revenue available from the value-added tax (VAT) for

February, was N240.799 billion, which is lower than the previous month’s.

The committee, however, said from the N224.232 billion distributable value-added tax (VAT), federal government was given N33.635 billion, states received N112.116 billion and local governments were paid N78.481 billion.

FAAC added that N11.645 billion from the EMTL was distributed to

the federal government (N1.747 billion), states (N5.822 billion), and local governments (N4.076 billion).

For the augmentation of N120.000 billion, federal government got N54.998 billion, states were paid N27.896 billion.

While local governments received N21.506 billion, a total of N15.600 billion was shared to the relevant states as 13 percent mineral revenue.

The committee further said petroleum profit tax (PPT), company income tax (CIT), oil and gas royalties, and import and excise duties decreased significantly. Similarly, value-added tax (VAT) and electronic money transfer Levy (EMTL) also decreased marginally, it added.

FAAC said the balance in the excess crude account (ECA) as at March 22, 2023, stands at $473,754.57.

The Nigerian government announced Wednesday that it recorded a total of 3.8 million (3,834,244) cyber attacks, originating from both within and outside Nigeria during the gubernatorial and state assembly elections.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, disclosed this in a statement issued by his senior technical assistant (Research and Development), Femi Adeluyi.

The statement said on 14 March, the office of the minister released a statement regarding the activities of the ministry and its parastatals before, during and after the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“As a follow-up to that and in line with the ministry’s mandate as well as its efforts aimed at supporting the initiatives of securing Nigerian cyberspace, the minister directed the ministerial standing committee on an advisory role for the protection of Nigerian Cyberspace and ICT Infrastructure to further enhance the cyberspace

surveillance activities of the three cybersecurity centres of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB),” it said.

It added that the committee, inaugurated by the minister on the eve of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, was charged with the responsibility of monitoring of telecommunication infrastructure for the successful conduct of the 2023 general elections, developing and implementing plans to enhance the resilience of critical digital infrastructure against cyber threats, designing procedures and using technologies to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber attacks, as well as developing the ability to recover from any damage that is done quickly.

It was also charged with the responsibility of developing a comprehensive risk assessment, analyzing the nation’s current cybersecurity capabilities, identifying gaps

that need to be addressed and providing professional advice to the government on the effective utilization of digital technologies in the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

The statement noted that based on the minister’s directives, the committee provided close oversight on the activities of the cybersecurity centres.

It said during this period, a series of hacking attempts were recorded, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), email and Internet Protocol Spoofing (IPS) attacks, SSH Login Attempts, Brute force Injection attempts, Path Traversal, Detection Evasion, and Forceful Browsing.

“A total of 3,834,244 attacks were recorded, originating from both within and outside Nigeria.

“Daily breakdown of these attacks is 17 March 2023: 1,046,896, 18th March 2023: 1,481,847, 19th March 2023: 327,718 and 20th March 2023: 977,783,” Mr Pantami said.

“It is interesting to note that the activities of cyber threat

actors in Nigerian cyberspace during the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections are much lower than those during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“This is neither surprising nor unexpected as, Nigeria being Africa’s largest democracy, the Presidential and National Assembly elections are bound to attract more attention of everyone, including cyber threat actors, than during the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.”

The minister noted that the implementation of some recommendations as well as measures taken to fortify cyber defence mechanisms might have helped in this.

“These attainments would not have been possible without the continued support of President Muhammadu Buhari, and the administration in general, towards ensuring Nigeria’s successful transition into the digital economy.

“The digital economy sector has enjoyed Mr President’s unprecedented support and it is highly appreciated,” he said.

Nigeria recorded 3.8 million Cyber attacks during gubernatorial, state assembly elections – Pantami

Agribusiness: Firm set to boost Nigerian farmers’ productivity on insecticide, others

By Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA

The Agricultural Business Giants, Export Trade Group(ETG) has set to boost Nigerians farmers in the areas of productivity and profitability to help them bring the best out of what they produce so that they can take the maximum production and also invest in herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides and to use the best seed.

This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer of Exports Trade Group(ETG) Ashish Lakhotia during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

, We have been working with various governments in SubSaharan Africa to educate the policy populations, and private sector organizations to educate on the best agriculture practices,

working with extension officers to work together with them on these agricultural practices.

He said, “There are 70 lead agronomists, and there are several Junior agronomists who work with the farmers on similar demand, firstly, for agri inputs, but more importantly, to create a sense of urgency to go for the best practices so that the yield goes up significantly.

“We believe that Nigeria is the largest importer and distributor of agri inputs in Sub-Saharan Africa and we want to continue on that track to work together, “he said.

Speaking further, he noted that organizations are looking for able and to create an affordable input program, which farmers see as beneficial for them, these are some of the things that we do together for building sustainable

agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. On the challenge, he explained that a lot of challenges farmers faced at times is the problem of not being able to apply fertilizers at the right time because of a lack of affordability but also lack availability.

“Over the period, we have developed infrastructure in various regions. So have hubs then support the satellite centers from where the move fertilizes, as and when the demand comes up”. Speaking also, Global Head of Agrochem And Seed Business ETG Dubai, Dr. Iyad Takrouri said,” We are providing the farmers with the best seed quality, the best and the latest insecticides, fungicides, and other crop protection that can help them to combat the pests that are attacking the crop and also getting the highest deals and the best quality seeds on time.”

“So, basically, at ETG, we are partnering with the farmers to help them bring the best out of the produce in order so that they can take the maximum production, they need to invest in herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and to use the best seed.

Speaking on the timeliness of the program, he said, We are here to stay and we are committed to Nigeria and its agriculture we know that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and the highest populated country. So we are here to stay.

He said the farmer must succeed for us to succeed. So we are a commercial entity and we are here as an investor, but we have to make sure that we are providing the best solutions for the farmers and that they are getting the best outcome of them because it’s a continuous business.

“We want to be here for hundreds of years as long as we can. So this is why we have to make sure that the farmers are succeeding and for us to prosper and grow, we are here to provide the best solutions and we want the farmers to profit succeed, and prosper. Because this is the future for us and for our industry and the people in Nigeria and across the world”.

On his part, Business Development Manager, Nigeria,Ogu Goodluck, explained that one of the key things I know is that as a Nigerian, the best you can do for the economy apart from the fact that you’re doing business is to ensure that we have a sustainable, investment of people coming into the countries that will bring what would address the various challenges we are facing in the country

L-R, Director Market Development Department, Securities and Exchange Commission Mr Nestor Ikeagu, Assistant Director Mrs Sa’adatu Faruk, Manager, Mrs Joy Utubor and Senior Manager, Market Development Department Mrs Maryam Abdullahi during the Commemoration of Global Money Week 2023 in Abuja, Thursday.

By Stanley Onyekwere

Stakeholders in the health sector have stressed the need to prioritise overall improvement of Primary Health Care Centres ((PHCs) for the delivery of effective services to the teeming people at the grassroots across the FCT.

This, they noted can be achieved by strategically tackling issues of inefficient infrastructure, manpower, power supply and dearth of political will to execute articulated policies.

They spoke at a recent sensitization campaign during the commemoration of the World Oral Health Day, in Kubwa, Abuja.

Chairman, Nigerian Dental Association (FCT-NDA), Dr.

METRO

Stakeholders insist on prioritising strengthening PHCs at rural areas

Olatunji Abdulhakeem lamented the difficulties experienced by patients who have dental health challenges and have to leave their local health centers to secondary health facilities to receive treatment.

Abdulhakeem noted that oral health affects the body’s overall wellbeing, hence the need to prioritise it at the PHCs.

Also, the FCT-NDA scribe called on policymakers to make and implement policies that

would accelerate and encourage the availability of Dental health services across PHC facilities.

Similarly, the convener of the Sensitization campaign and Executive Director, Center for School Health Education and Environmental Hygiene (CSHEEH), Dr. Folashade Momoh educating school children was as important as the message of oral hygiene.

Momoh noted that children are change agents and will

easily assimilate, practice and disseminate information to their family and friends.

She therefore, called on parents to be good role models by practicing oral hygiene with their wards as children easily imitate whatever they see. She further highlighted that Schools should include the practicality of oral hygiene in their curriculum to drive home the needed message.

World Oral Health Day is marked annually on March 20

to raise awareness on a myriad of issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene by calling on governments and agencies to work together towards healthier mouths. And, the theme for 2023 is “Be Proud of Your Mouth, for a Lifestyle of Smiles”. It was gathered that as part of activities to drive the sensitization campaign, about 270 pupils in Kubwa received a health talk on the importance of oral hygiene and some dental hygiene kits.

Foundation charges women to be proactive, charitable

By Stanley Onyekwere

Helpline Foundation for the Needy, an Abuja Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has enjoined women to be proactive and continue contributing to the development of the country.

It was gathered that Helpline has supported thousands of women in and around the nation’s Federal Capital Territory through skills acquisition and other empowerment programmes in the last twenty years.

The NGO, in a statement signed and issued to the media by the Foundation’s Assistant Communication Officer, Kadiri Cecilia, on behalf of its Founder and President, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, stressed the need for women to help one another in the society.

It reveals that it has, within last year alone, empowered more than 700 women with various skill acquisition programs ranging from snacks-making, bag-making and soap-making, among others.

Also, it also discloses that thousands of women and young girls have received trainings in digital skills, as well as artificial intelligence which thus giving them comparative advantage and exposure to digital marketing

Calling on all the women who have benefited from its numerous self-sustaining trainings, financial and equipment assistance, Dr. Ahmadu noted that it was time they began to also empower other needy individuals and contribute their quota to building Nigeria.

The President, while charging the women to remain resolute and determined in their efforts to become better persons, said that the world and Nigeria needed

them more than before, especially in the face of the prevailing global and national economic challenges.

She expressed optimism that this year’s International Women’s Day with the theme, “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality” would go a long way in exposing the women to the

market thereby further improving their skills technologically and availing them more opportunities.

“We celebrate our women who have benefited from our skill acquisition programs over the years. These programs have no doubt helped in ensuring poverty eradication, as well as financial sustainability and stability,

especially among the women.

“Responses through our evaluation so far has proven that our women are doing well and are financially stable and selfreliant compared to when they had not received assistance from us (Helpline).

“More than three hundred women have been empowered

economically through exhibition and sell of their handmade products.

“Moreso, over two hundred women have benefited from our non-profit revolving loan scheme last one year. All these are parts of efforts put in place to better the lives of women in our society”, she stated.

Residents urged to help halt vandalism

By Stanley Onyekwere

In order to mitigate the incessant vandalization of critical public infrastructure in Abuja, the nation’s capital city, residents are enjoined to cooperate with security agencies

to tackle the menace.

The appeal was contained in a recent statement from Director of Press, office of the FCT Minister, Anthony Ogunleye.

In the statement, residents are implored to cultivate the

habit of reporting to security operatives when they see something unusual.

Also, they are encouraged to call and inform security agencies of what is happening around them concerning vandalization, so that they can quickly nip it in

the bud, as timely information is required”, he said.

However, they are assured that relevant agencies of government have put various measures in place to deter the vandals as well as ensure that they are caught and prosecuted.

President Muhammadu Buhari with Sec. BOT Alh. Sikiru Alabi-Macloy, Exec. Council Member Dr. Jibril Oyekan, and Barr. Surajudeen Adedeji as he receives in audience, Officials of the Juma’atul Muslimeen Council of Lagos, at the Presidential Villa, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: State House

How Trump will try to spin his anticipated arrest

Donald Trump’s prediction that he will be arrested this week has yet to come true - but as the waiting game for criminal charges goes on, the former president is plotting a strategy designed to both keep him out of jail and turbo-boost his historic bid to return to the White House.

It is a daunting task, and hunkered down in his Mar-a-Lago home, Mr Trump seems resigned to becoming the first US president to be indicted for a crime. Yet it’s also clear he will not go quietly. His past choices in moments of political crisis are a useful guide to what we might see next.

Was Trump’s Stormy Daniels payment legal? Throughout his 2016 presidential campaign, he leaned in to conflict when other politicians might have backed off. Blasted for criticising war hero John McCain? Trump upped his attacks. Accused of sexual harassment before a debate with Hillary Clinton? He held a press conference with Bill Clinton’s sexual accusers.

During his presidency, it was the same story through two impeachments, a special counsel investigation of Russia election meddling and countless smaller controversies.

“If Trump is indicted, the playbook remains exactly the same,” says Bryan Lanza, a Republican strategist and Trump adviser. “Attack the legal as political.”

The best defence, as the American football saying goes, is a good offence.

Mr Trump is already punching back against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, framing him as a liberal prosecutor hell-bent on pursuing political retribution against the former president.

A press release on Monday referred to him as a “progressive activist”, a “rogue prosecutor” and a “woke tyrant who has politicised the justice system”.

Expect those attacks to continue if an indictment is announced and for Mr Trump to portray himself as a victim of a leftist plot - a common theme of persecution Mr Trump has also regularly relied on in his political career.

According to Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, the former president is both “invigorated and angered” by his

possible arrest. He is focused on appearing defiant in any possible public appearances and ready to portray the criminal case as a de facto attack on his supporters.

The former president will have at least two prime opportunities to mount his counterattack in the days ahead. One is a planned rally in Waco, Texas. And if the past is any guide, Rally Trump is Mr Trump at his most unvarnished, going off script and on the attack, and feeding off the energy of his crowds.

The other opportunity for Mr Trump, if he is indeed indicted, will come on the day he could travel to New York City for any police booking and arraignment.

According to Ms Haberman, he is fixated on the so-called “perp walk” - a New York tradition where the accused is paraded through a crush of reporters on the way into the Lower Manhattan courthouse. Because of security concerns, that may not happen, but another judicial tradition, the press conference on the courthouse steps, seems much more probable.

It would give the former president, steeped in New York tabloid legal drama, the opportunity to lash out at his accusers, portray himself as the victim of a liberal elite and dominate the headlines across the US.

Such themes are already playing out in Mr Trump’s campaign fundraising appeals, which have reached a frenzied pace since he speculated that he may be on the verge of being charged with a crime.

“If this political persecution goes unchallenged, one day it won’t be me they’re targeting, it’ll be you,” read one email. According to a Trump adviser quoted in the Washington Post, the campaign has raised more than $1.5m since Saturday.

For the moment, the standard response from Republicans - including Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and other prominent elected officials - has played into Mr Trump’s hands. They echo Mr Trump’s rhetoric in condemning the New York investigation as an illegitimate political attack.

“I’ve been asked by multiple reporters if an indictment would lead me to rescind my endorsement of Donald Trump,” Ohio Senator JD Vance said. “The answer is:

Trapdoor spider:

Australian researchers have discovered a super-sized species of trapdoor spiders found only in Queensland.

The females of this rare species can live for over 20 years in the wild and grow up to 5cm long - large in trapdoor spider terms.

The males grow up to 3cm. Unfortunately, much of its habitat has been lost due to land clearing, making it likely to be an endangered species, scientists said.

So-called trapdoor spiders build “trap doors” out of leaves to prey on insects. They typically measure about 1.5cm to 3cm.

The newfound species, Euoplos dignitas, is a type of golden trapdoor spider discovered in the semi-arid woodlands of the Brigalow Belt, a region in central Queensland. It is not dangerous to humans.

In Latin, its name means diversity or greatness, reflecting the “impressive size and nature” of the spider, said scientists from the Queensland Museum, which discovered it.

Females of the species have a red-brown carapace, while males have a honey-red outer layer and grey-brown abdomens.

hell no. A politically motivated prosecution makes the argument for Trump stronger. We simply don’t have a real country if justice depends on politics.”

That strategy is less tenable for Mr Trump’s Republican political rivals, however, who may have to step up their efforts to wrest the spotlight from the former president. It’s not a coincidence that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, potentially his most formidable 2024 nomination opponent, directly criticised Mr Trump for the first time this week.

In the past, a frontal attack on Mr Trump has been a fool’s errand for his Republican adversaries - a move of desperation that only solidifies Mr Trump’s standing with his base. Further attacks, with a metaphorical wrestling match in the mud, may only strengthen his position.

“If he’s indicted, he becomes bulletproof,” Mr Lanza says.

In the longer term, however, Mr Trump’s situation is not without risks.

Setting aside the possibility of conviction and a prison sentence, his legal troubles - which go beyond just the New York charges and include investigations by Georgia officials and a federal special counsel - highlight the character traits many Republican voters have said they like least

about him. His pugnacious online persona and his lack of personal discipline were targeted by Mr DeSantis in his recent swipes for a reason.

It also could be a significant distraction for the president and his campaign team, which will have to react to events in New York that are entirely out of their control, where court appearances compete with Republican debates and primary contests on Mr Trump’s calendar.

And if Mr Trump were to overcome the obstacles and win the Republican nomination, his legal travails are much more likely to be a negative component against the Democratic nominee.

“In the end, being indicted never helps anybody,” former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said during an interview on ABC News. “Donald Trump is not someone who could be a winning general election candidate for the Republican Party.”

While Mr Trump has survived the kind of scandals and investigations over the past eight years that would annihilate other candidates, luck can run out and even the best of political instincts can fail when the circumstances change.

Even the sturdiest of ships can wreck in uncharted waters.

New giant species found in Australia

Euoplos dignitas lives in open woodland habitats, building its burrows in black soil.

The females spend their lives underground. Males leave to find a mate in another burrow after five to seven years.

Very few specimens of this species have been collected in recent decades, with only a single female submitted to the Queensland Museum since the 1960s, the scientists said in a study published in the Journal of Arachnology.

A three-day search in May 2021 revealed just one population along several hundred metres of a roadside verge, with most available habitat cleared for agriculture and stock.

The continuing decline of such habitats may render the species “critically endangered” in the future, they said.

The biggest spider in the world is commonly known as the goliath birdeater - with a body length of about 13cm and a leg span of 30cm - larger than the size of a dinner plate.

Source: BBC

Mr Trump arriving for jury duty in New York City in 2015

The species Euoplos dignitas is not dangerous to humans

Ethiopia PM appoints TPLF head as Tigray president

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has appointed a senior member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) Getachew Reda as the head of the newly established interim administration in the northern region of Tigray.

The TPLF, which fought a two-year civil war against the federal government, nominated Mr Getachew last week.

Tens of thousands of people died in the fighting and the conflict sparked a huge humanitarian crisis. All sides have been accused of committing war crimes by the US administration.

The move is part of an implementation of the peace agreement the TPLF and the federal government had signed in South

Africa.

The interim regional administration will be in position until regional elections are held under the supervision of the electoral commission. The date is yet to be set.

Ethiopia’s House of Peoples Representatives on Wednesday removed the terrorist designation of TPLF.The TPLF, which fought a two-year civil war against the federal government, nominated Mr Getachew last week.

Tens of thousands of people died in the fighting and the conflict sparked a huge humanitarian crisis. All sides have been accused of committing war crimes by the US administration.

Inside Somalia’s hidden world of sex work

Two women in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, have been talking to the BBC about how they got drawn into the underground world of sex work in a city living under the threat of violence following years of civil war. We have changed their names to protect their identities.

Mogadishu’s vibrant and bustling Lido Beach offers a glimpse of what the city could become, as it tries to leave the conflict behind.

The seaside resorts, upmarket restaurants, hotels and fresh food are huge attractions.

But lingering nearby is an alternative scene - of partying, drugs and sex-fuelled violence.

The women caught up in this hidden side of the city are young, destitute and often vulnerable in this mainly Muslim nation.

Fardousa, 22, who has been a sex worker for three years, sits in a dark room shaded by red curtains in a bulletridden apartment building in Mogadishu’s Wardhigley district.

Above the screeching noise of the stove, the slim young woman with a soft voice describes what happened to her.

Fardousa explains that she left home at 19, a rare occurrence in Somali society where young women generally do not leave the family before they are married. However, abuse at home or irreconcilable differences with other family members can push some away and this appears to be a growing phenomenon.

“At first I didn’t see it as running away but I couldn’t bear to live with my stepmother any more,” Fardousa says.

“She became my father’s second wife after my mother passed away when I was young. She was very abusive over the years and despite this, my father would always take her side.”

Mogadishu’s sex workers live in the shadows and their voices are rarely heard (model used in the picture)

After leaving home, Fardousa drifted from place to place making new friends, who she thought would look out for her interests, along the way: “I thought they cared about me. Looking back now, I know they weren’t real friends.”

She eventually became addicted to opioids such as morphine, tramadol and pethidine, and joined the underground

party scene at Lido Beach, where she was introduced to sex work.

Fardousa soon found herself enmeshed in Mogadishu’s murky underworld where she went from hotels to strangers’ homes to secluded locations.

But now she knows enough potential clients that she can rely on people contacting her by phone.

“I wait for my phone to ring and then go out with the men to have sex. Other times, my female friends call me when they have men ready.”

‘I needed money for my addiction’

She deals with a variety of clients from all walks of life.

“These men at first were male friends of my female friends, then it changed to having sex with different men that I didn’t know. I was vulnerable and needed the money for my addiction, just like many other young women in this city,” says Fardousa.

Because of its nature, there is no official data on the extent of sex work but the testimony from Fardousa and others offers a glimpse into the dangerous environment that many of these young women find themselves in.

Hodan has been a sex worker for two and a half years. Like Fardousa, the 23-year-old ran away from home and found herself immersed in Mogadishu’s underground lifestyle consisting of fellow young runaways who have no financial support.

She speaks above the sound of children playing football outside in a steady and calm voice.

“I spend most nights in hotels. The same goes for many of these young women. You meet all kinds of men there but things can take a turn for the worse when you actually go off with some of these men,” Hodan says.

As sex work is illegal in Somalia, many of these young women find themselves in precarious situations with no recourse to the authorities.

The BBC requested comment from officials in the police and the ministry of women and human rights development about this and other issues raised in the article, but did not get a response.

“Many times the girls come back abused with marks on their bodies, while other young sex workers are taken advantage of by people they think they can trust,” according to Hodan.

For Fardousa, this led to violence.

“Early on, I used to go with men to places of their choosing to have sex but one night I was beaten and got bruises on my face and was left bleeding. It all started because we didn’t agree on the price,” she says.

“Ever since then, I don’t go to secluded places with any men, regardless of how much they’re offering. It’s just too dangerous. I prefer hotels knowing you won’t be harmed and if you are, then your cries for help will be heard.

“Many other women involved in sex work aren’t so lucky. Sex workers that go with these men to their homes and secluded places are abused and even raped, sometimes by more then one man.”

She also says that the assaults are sometimes filmed and the women are then blackmailed.

“They are shamed into submission.”

‘Hard to face loved ones’

Hodan says this filming can happen to sex workers after being drugged, with perpetrators coercing them to divide their profits.

“If they refuse, then they’re beaten and physically abused by the men with the video being used as a tool against them. In some instances, they’re even known to share the video around to torment the young women even more. It’s a form of digital blackmail.”

A recent report by the British TV network Channel 4 documented these forms of blackmail occurring within the female Somali population at large, beyond the margins of sex work.

“It’s happened to so many young women I know. Most are too ashamed to admit it but we all know what goes around. We’ve been in this lifestyle long enough,” Hodan says.

A UN report found that there was a big jump in sexual violence from 2019 to 2020, saying that abuse is often exacerbated in conflict zones. It also noted that “weak legislation allows perpetrators to walk free, and survivors receive little or no support”.

Women who engage in sex work are among the most vulnerable in Somali society, as they are shunned due to their taboo lifestyle, essentially making them outcasts.

“In Somalia, women like us have no support system in place and there’s nobody you can turn to. The societal pressure makes everything worse, which is why so many of these vulnerable women are reluctant to get help, especially if they face problems with addiction,” Fardousa adds.

There are several women’s organisations in Somalia but when contacted by the BBC they were unwilling to comment due to the sensitivity of the subject.

Hodan and Fardousa emphasise that many women would not enter into such dangerous work if the mechanisms and organisations were in place to support them, often leading them to being trapped in a violent and exploitative lifestyle.

“So many young girls are struggling with addiction which leaves them more vulnerable. A lot of them don’t even have a place to sleep at night,” says Fardousa.

Source: BBC

Getachew Reda will lead Tigray’s interim administration until elections are held

Mogadishu’s Lido Beach is a thriving part of the capital’s life, but nearby there is a hidden side

N ews F rom A s IA

Israel’s Netanyahu to visit UK amid growing turmoil at home

The beachside highway beside the British embassy in Tel Aviv descended into a scene of bitter division between Israelis a week ago, and blood was spilled on the tarmac.

The crowd started to block traffic - by now a frequent tactic of protesters - when a driver attacked one of the demonstrators.

They respond by subduing the driver, beating him back with an Israeli flag pole.

It was week 11 of mass antigovernment protests, ahead of a trip to the UK today by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Look at what [the driver] did... he hit me with the [oil] can,” protester Shay Noter, who suffered a broken nose and bloodied face, told the BBC.

“We have a dictator in Israel that is trying to make his people hate us. You tell your government, you tell your people. He is telling them all the time that we are the enemy.”

Part of the demonstrations have been focused on embassies and the main airport, as Mr Netanyahu has paid a series of visits to European capitals amid growing political turmoil at home.

Protesters were on the streets again this Thursday, rallying against plans by his coalition of far-right and ultra-religious parties to limit the powers of Israel’s courts.

Critics believe this will muzzle legal protections and open the door to an authoritarian, demagogic state. Mr Netanyahu says the changes will “rebalance” the branches of government.

The proposals would give ministers near full control over the committee which appoints judges and would ultimately strip the Supreme Court of crucial powers to strike down legislation.

“Our democracy is literally under attack by the government,” said demonstrator Avinoam Brog.

“My parents’ generation was part of the foundation of the country. Our generation was to protect it... Unfortunately, it’s changed

from protecting it against external enemies to an internal threat by our own government,” he told the BBC.

His daughter, Nitzan Weisberg, said they were protesting against a “post-Zionist, messianic government”.

“What were [we] fighting for? What were all the sacrifices made for?” she asked.

“My father and brothers didn’t fight in wars for a theocracy, for Orthodox Jews, that would persecute LGBT [people], that would discriminate against women, that would persecute Arabs,” she continued.

Mr Netanyahu is travelling to London on Thursday evening for talks on trade and security.

He is due to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for discussions billed by the Israelis as focusing on Iran and “strategic ties” with the UK.

The Israeli leader is expected to repeat his message that the highly controversial judicial reforms are necessary and that the country will “remain a liberal democracy”.

After his election win, he argues, the changes are the will of the people that should not be thwarted by unelected judges.

He has previously denied that minority rights would be affected by his far right coalition partners, saying he has “both hands on the steering wheel”.

And speaking ahead of his cabinet meeting on Sunday he said his government would not accept “anarchy”.

“There are those who are calling for the blocking of highways, for military refusal, for blood in the streets, and to attack public figures. We will not accept this. We will not accept violence by any side,” he said.

But there is growing international pressure on his government, which includes parties that espouse racist, anti-Arab policies, over both its legislation and rhetoric at a time when violence continues to spiral in the region.

Israel’s far-right Finance

Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, sparked a diplomatic crisis this week when he said there was “no such thing” as a Palestinian people, speaking in front of a map which put the occupied West Bank and neighbouring Jordan within Israel’s borders.

Earlier this month, he called for the Palestinian town of Hawara to be “wiped out” after a Palestinian gun attack killed two Israelis, which in turn sparked a deadly rampage by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians and their homes.

Under pressure, Mr Smotrich later said he didn’t mean it.

In the occupied West Bank, the protests feel a world away amid Israeli military outposts and growing numbers of army patrols.

Homes in Hawara still bear the scars of violence, with burned out buildings and vandalised shopfronts yet to be repaired.

Nawal al-Dumaidi, 70, showed the BBC inside her apartment which overlooks the main highway. She was trapped for three

days after the settlers burned the building’s entrance and still has several tear-gas and stun-grenade shells that she says the Israeli military fired at her terrace while the fire raged.

Now, her family fears a deteriorating atmosphere, with the settlers emboldened by their farright allies in government.

“We are suffering all the time. Settlers descend from the mountain, burn olive trees and attack homes,” said Mrs Dumaidi.

“I am afraid that they will occupy Hawara because of its strategic location on the main road,” she added.

Her nephew, Jehad Shurab, talked about the weakness of the official Palestinian leadership, adding that “only God” can help the residents.

“The prime minister of Palestine came here. While he was here, the IDF [Israeli army] is down there [on the road],” he said.

He believes that Mr Smotrich and Israel’s far-right National

Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, are helping create an atmosphere of chaos.

“Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, they are crazy. And you see what’s happening in Israel now... The international community must put an end to such behaviour of teenage Israeli politicians. The European Union, America, and the countries of the world must limit the dictatorial behaviour of these people,” he says.

In the nearby cities of Jenin and Nablus, there are no signs of progress in US-backed attempts to restore the limited security grip of the Palestinian Authority (PA) - the official leadership rejected by a new generation of armed militants whose firepower has grown dramatically over the last 18 months.

In the most deadly start to a year in nearly two decades, Israeli military raids have become increasingly lethal, alongside a continuing wave of Palestinian armed attacks. At least 88 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed since the beginning of January.

UK airstrikes on IS may have killed 26 civilians, charity says

UK airstrikes in Iraq and Syria may have killed at least 26 civilians, research by a charity suggests.

Action on Armed Violence says it has found evidence that at least nine RAF strikes resulted in civilian deaths between March 2016 and March 2018.

A Ministry of Defence admission that it caused one civilian death in its seven-year campaign against the Islamic State group was not now credible, it added.

The MoD said “no evidence” of civilian deaths had been found in the strikes.

A spokesman said military personnel examine all available evidence, including mission data from every strike.

The analysis of UK strikes was carried out by AOAV, which researches the impact of global

conflicts. The BBC has not independently verified AOAV’s findings.

Based on its own research, the charity says at least 26 civilians are likely to have been killed in UK strikes in the two-year period between March 2016 and March 2018, while up to 32 civilians may have actually been killed.

Credible reports

Most of the strikes that resulted in civilian deaths were “self-reported”, meaning military personnel within the US-led coalition highlighted concerns civilians might have been killed following strikes.

Reports of civilian deaths were deemed “credible” in all but one of the nine strikes examined - with civilian casualties believed “likely” or ‘highly likely”.

AOAV analysed MoD strike reports released after each

incident, and cross-checked them with information provided by US Central Command and research by other charities, as well as reports from the ground and from media organisations, including the BBC.

One credible report of civilian deaths took place on 19 May 2017, in the Iraqi city of Mosul. The RAF said Tornado jets engaged seven IS targets there that day. The incident was self-reported.

The New York Times obtained a copy of the US coalition report, which stated that three civilians were near one target location. It said: “The explosion from striking the mortar site was large enough to conclude that any person in the blast radius was seriously injured or killed in the strike.”

The RAF has never accepted that civilian casualties were caused by its strike.

Cockpit footage

AOAV’s analysis also includes civilian casualties likely caused by RAF strikes that have already been identified by another charity, AirWars. One, in Raqqa, Syria, in August 2017 is reported to have resulted in 12 civilian deaths.

A BBC investigation into a RAF strike in Mosul, on 9 January 2017, is also recorded. Two civilians were reported to have been killed when a truck bomb was targeted.

The MoD still does not accept that any civilians were killed, even though the coalition now says those reports of civilian deaths were “credible”.

In May 2018, the MoD admitted to “unintentionally” causing one civilian death when a motorcyclist was killed while crossing the path of a missile fired by a Reaper drone targeting insurgents.

Definitive proof of civilian casualties is hard to establish. The US-led coalition did not have teams on the ground to verify reports of civilian deaths during the campaign. Most analysis was conducted by reviewing video from the cockpit of the aircraft involved.

The US military estimates that 1,437 civilians may have been killed in the bombing campaign against IS between August 2014 and May 2023.

In a statement, the MOD said it has “identified nothing to indicate that such civilian casualties were caused in Syria”. “The RAF always minimises the risk of civilian casualties through our rigorous targeting processes… but no evidence has been identified in these instances.”

Source: BBC

Protester Shay Noter suffered a broken nose after being attacked while blocking a road outside the British embassy

What chicken feet tell us about daily life in Egypt

“Oh God, don’t let us get to the point of having to eat chicken feet,” says a man begging alongside the poultry sellers in Giza market.

Egypt is facing a deepening economic crisis, a situation so acute its people are struggling to feed their families.

The latest nutritional advice from the state suggested cooking up some chicken feeta protein-rich part of the bird usually reserved as scraps for dogs and cats.

This recommendation has sparked anger and intensified criticism of the government.

Many countries are battling soaring inflation but running at just over 30% in March, Egypt is one of those suffering the most.

For many people, items that were previously basic staples such as cooking oil and cheese have become unaffordable luxuries. Some products have doubled or tripled in price within months.

“I eat meat once a month, or I don’t buy it at all. I buy chicken once a week,” says Wedad, a mother-of-three in her sixties, as she picks her way through the stalls. “Nowadays, even one egg is sold for LE5 [US $0.16; £0.13].”

Part of the reason Egypt is struggling is it relies very heavily on imported food rather than domestic agriculture to feed its huge population of over 100 million people.

Even the grain to feed its chickens is shipped in.

Over 12 months last year the Egyptian pound lost half its value versus the US dollar. So in January, when the government devalued the currency again, this pushed the cost of imports like grain sharply higher.

A year ago, Wedad lived comfortably on her monthly pension of LE5,000. She would have described herself as middle-class. Now, like many other Egyptians, she struggles to make ends meet.

Today, she has scraped together just enough money to buy some chicken.

“One seller told me the price for a kilo of chicken fillets was LE160. Others say 175, 190, even 200,” says Wedad, as she shops around.

“Chicken legs are LE90, but even chicken bones are sold now - and the feet cost just 20,” she adds with a sarcastic laugh.

President Adbdul Fattah al-Sisi often blames the turmoil which followed the 2011 Egyptian uprising and rapid population growth for his country’s current economic woes. He also points to the pandemic followed by the war in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in March last year dealt a serious blow to the economy. Egypt is the world’s second biggest importer of wheat, and the two countries were its primary suppliers. When the war disrupted exports, the price of wheat - and consequently breadsoared.

Russian and Ukrainian holidaymakers used to visit Egypt in droves so the tourist sector also lost money.

Tourism, which used to generate about 5% of gross domestic product (GDP), had already been hit hard by the pandemic.

Analysts suggest missteps from the government have made a bad situation far worse.

The power and influence of the presidency, military, security and intelligence agencies has grown while President Sisi has been in charge, according to Timothy Kaldas, a political economist at think tank The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.

Mr Kaldas says this has happened through expansion of regime-owned enterprises, with the military for example, given state contracts for huge infrastructure projects.

Private sector involvement

has shrunk dramatically as a result - with companies not affiliated to the regime unable to compete. Many foreign investors have deserted Egypt. Egypt’s struggles have sent it to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ask for a bailout four times in the past six years. Almost half of the state’s revenue goes towards paying back these debts, which amount to 90% of

GDP.

Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have bought state assets and are helping to prop up Egypt, but have also tightened their conditions for further investments.

Both the West and Gulf neighbours fear the fallout if the most populous country in the Middle East were allowed to fail.

Past economic hardship led to riots and contributed to the fall of both former presidents Hosni Mubarak and Mohammed Morsi. And there are already signs that growing public anger over the economy will cause unrest again.

“I can’t tell you how we women regret the black day that we went to vote for you,” one Egyptian housewife tells President Sisi in a social media video that went viral. “You’ve made our life hell.”

She counts some small

change out from her purse, asking with how she is supposed to feed her children with that.

With the holy month of Ramadan starting on March 23 many worry they won’t be able to have the traditional feast

Meanwhile, back at her apartment, Wedad is trimming green beans and chopping tomatoes to prepare fasouliya khadra, a traditional dish for her grandchildren.

Her mind turns to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It may involve dawn-to-dusk fasting, but typically there are also generous feasts.

“What will I do this year?” Wedad asks, shaking her head. She imagines even chicken will soon be off the menu.

“I can barely afford lentil soup.”

Source: BBC

Food prices in Egypt have tripled in recent months making basic staples unaffordable

With many families no longer able to afford products like beef the government has advised they eat chicken feet

The power and influence of the presidency, military, security and intelligence agencies has grown while President Sisi has been in charge, according to Timothy Kaldas, a political economist at think tank The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Mr Kaldas says this has happened through expansion of regime-owned enterprises, with the military for example, given state contracts for huge infrastructure projects.

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ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : BARR. FRIDAY ONUCHE. 08032264986

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SOLID MINERAL MINERS ASSOCIATION TARABA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ADAMU UDI NUBUNGA. - CHAIRMAN

2. UMAR AUWAL. - SECRETARY

3. AHMAD ADO

4. ZIKENGYU JETHRO YAKUBA

5. MAGAJI ISAIAH JIRAPYE

6. OGUJIUBA AMOBI BENJAMIN

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO PROMOTE MINING ACTIVITIES IN THE STATE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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SARAUNIYA CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. MUHAMMAD BATULU KALTUME. - CHAIRPERSON

2. ABDULHAMEED ABDULLAHI - SECRETARY

3. MUKHTAR LUKMAN

4. AHMADU MUSA

5. IDRIS ADAMU WAZIRI

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO PROMOTE ROYAL RITES AND CULTURAL HERITAGE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : CHAIRMAN

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THE DAVID’S OUTREACH FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.OLOKO OLUFUNMILAYO

2.AGBEDEYI ADEBOLA

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO CARRY ON PHILANTHROPIC ACTIVITIES BY HELPING ADULTS AND CHILDREN THROUGH OUTREACHES IN THE SOCIETY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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FREEDOM AND FULL LIFE IN CHRIST EVANGELICAL CHURCH

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

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2. OMOARE EMMANUEL OLUSEGUN.

3. BELLO SAMUEL TITILAYO.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO PREACH SALVATION THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. NWOKOLO CHIBUEZE JOHN. - CHAIRMAN

2. IGBOKWE HILLARY NWANNEBUIKE - SECRETARY

3. MONDAY ENYIOMA JOSEPH

4. EZIKE OBUM UPUMMKUEZIKE

5. UKEAGBU UCHENNA CASERIS.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO PROMOTE PEACE, UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT AMONG MEMBERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : CHAIRMAN

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REALWAY EVANGELICAL MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. MUSA LUKA AMITSEH. - CHAIRMAN

2. TIKWE MARK - SECRETARY

3. MANJA MARTIN AGGREY

4. BOYI DANIEL ANDEYATSO

5. HELEN MUSA LUKA.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO BRING HUMANITY CLOSER TO GOD THROUGH TEACHING AND PREACHING BIBLE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : CHAIRMAN

AL- NAHL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

OLORUNTOBI IBIGBEMI FOUNDATION FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED

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THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1 IBIGBEMI OLORUNTOBI

2.IBIGBEMI SEUN SAMUEL

3.IBIGBEMI ABIGAIL

4.MUSA DANIEL

5.MUFTAUDEEN YUSUFF OLATUNJI

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : TO PROVIDE MATERIAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OUT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NIGERIA AND TO ENSURE THE IMPROVEMENT OF CHILDREN ENROLLMENT IN SCHOOLS ACROSS NIGERIA.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

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APOSTLE SOLOMON EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION JALINGO

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ALFORD SOLOMON GANGWON. - CHAIRMAN

2. APWENRIKWEN ANDENYANGTSO SAMAILA - SECRETARY

3. SAIDU QUEEN

4. TANIMU SULE ITSON

5. BENJAMIN SHATU.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO ASSIST NEEDY AND LESS PRIVILEGED

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : CHAIRMAN

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OZOR - UDEGBUNEM CHARITY FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. CHIEF LIVINUS C. OHAGWU. - CHAIRMAN

2. OZOR - UDEGBUNEM UMEAYOR OLIVER. - SECRETARY

3. NKOMADU FRANCIS

4. NNABERG JAMES P.

5. NKOMADU PRINCE JAMES NNABUENYI

6. NKOMADU SERGIUS NDUBUEZE

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO ASSIST NEEDY AND LESS PRIVILEGED.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : CHAIRMAN

PUBLIC NOTICE

MOHIBA INVESTMENT LIMITED RC361985

IT HAS COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CLIENTS, MESSRS MOHIBA INVESTMENT LIMITED RC:361984, MESSRS MOHAMMED ASHEIK JIDDA, IBRAHIM HASSAN, AZAKI JIDDA AND IDRIS JIDDA, THAT CERTAIN PERSONS THAT GO BY THE NAMES MESSRS MUSA MOHAMMED AND SALISU MOHAMMED HAVE BEEN PARADING THEMSELVESAND PUTTING THEMSELVES OUTAS DIRECTORSAND SHAREHOLDERS OF MOHIBA INVESTMENT LIMITED RC361985. THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES/DEPARTMENTS, CORPORATE ORGANIZATIONS, BANKS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, INDIVIDUALS, ETC. THAT MESSRS MUSA MOHAMMED AND SALISU MOHAMMED HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROMOTION, INCORPORATION, MANAGEMENT AND OWNERSHIP OF MOHIBA INVESTMENT LIMITED.

WHOEVER THEREFORE, TRANSACTS BUSINESS WITH MESSRS MUSA MOHAMMED AND SALISU MOHAMMED OR THEIR ASSOCIATES, BELIEVING THAT MOHIBAINVESTMENT LIMITEDIS, IN ANY WAY LINKED WITH OR CONNECTED TO THEM DOES SO AT HIS ORHEROWN RISK.

ANNOUNCER: UMAR SALEH, ESQ. AMAZON LAW FIRM D:08023146950

PUBLIC NOTICE

GOVERNMENT COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL BOROKIRI, CLASS 81 OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT. 2020.

TRUSTEES

1. GREEN, BARR. CHRISTOPHER - (CHAIRMAN)

2. KIOLAWSON DATOM - (SECRETARY)

3. WILLS, INIRUO

4. ALABOSON, COLLINS DEINGIKUMO

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

(A) TO FOSTER UNITY AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG MEMBERS.

(B) TO INITIATE PROGRAMMES OR ACTIVITIES NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS.

(C) TO SUPPORT THE GENERAL DEVELOPMENT AND UPLIFTMENT OF OUR ALMA MATER SO AS TO ACHIEVE A COMMON GOAL IN THE PURSUIT OF CORPORATE AND EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR OUR ALMA MATER.

(D) TO ENGAGE IN SUCH ACTIVITIES AS THE CLASS MAY DEEM FIT IN ORDER TO PROMOTE ALL OR ANY OF THE ABOVE IDEALS. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, PMB 198 GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT. 2020.

TRUSTEES

(

1) GLORY EWALEFOH. CHAIRMAN.

(2) ESTHER OKPETE -SECRETARY .

(3). TSOLA OMATSOLA TAWIAH ORITSEJAFO

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR UNDER PRIVILEGED CHILDREN

2. TO PROVIDE DEPRIVED YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE POWER TO EARN A REGULAR AND DECENT LIVELIHOOD BY GIVING THEM ACCESS TO TERTIARY EDUCATION

3. TO INTEGRATE CHILDREN WHO ARE MARGINALIZED BY POVERTY AND LACK OF EDUCATION INTO MAINSTREAM SOCIETY THROUGH WORK PLACEMENTS AND OTHER PROGRAMS.

4. TOASSIST IN THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL INTEGRATION TO UNDERPRIVILEGED

YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THE SOCIETY

5. FACILITATING VOCATIONAL TRAINING TO THE YOUNG ADULTS TO REDUCE THEIR SKILL GAP WHICH WILL HELP THEM IN EITHER GETTING EMPLOYED OR START THEIR OWN ENTERPRISE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, PMB 198 GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

LAWRENCE

I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS KOPDUN LONGDEL NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS LAWRENCE KOPDUN. ALL DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID.ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

NIMLYAT

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS YANKAT NIMLYET NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS NIMLYAT YANGKAT LABONG CJ. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

NKECHI

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS NKECHI JOVITA MADUFOR. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS NKECHI JOVITA ADIOHA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

JIBRIN

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS USMAN FATIMA WITH THE DATE OF BIRTH 08/01/1987 NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS JIBRIN FATIMA WITH THE CORRECT DATE OF BIRTH 20/08/1988. ALL FOR DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PATNAB

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. EBAH JAMES PATRICK - CHAIRMAN

2. ENWERE FRANCIS NNAMAKA - TRUSTEE/SECRATARY

3. ADEYEMI OLUWABUKOLA MOSES

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO IMPROVE THE STATE OF THE MEDICAL SERVICE, ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY, IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF THE UNDERPRIVILEGED AND DISADVANTAGED BY PROVIDING MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES THAT WILL HELP REDUCE DISEASES PREVALENT IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF ORIGINAL RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY (R OF O) IN RESPECT OF PLOT NO. 1069, FILE NO. BN 11019, DAPE DISTRICT CADASTRAL ZONE CO4, FCT ABUJA. BEARING ODE OLUJIMI ADEKA.

ALL EFFORTS MADE TO TRACE THE MISSING DOCUMENTS PROVE ABORTIVE. PLEASE THEAGIS, FEDERAL CAPITALTERRITORYADMINISTRATION (FCTA) AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. LUCKSLEY INDI IGENEGBAI (CHAIRMAN)

2. KATE MODUPE FALANA (SECRETARY)

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO RESCUE MEN THROUGH THE TEACHING AND PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD AND PREVAILING PRAYERS.

2. TO RUN AND ESTABLISH VIBRANT CHURCH BRANCHES AND NETWORK WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN BODIES WITHIN AND OUTSIDE NIGERIA.

3. TO ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WELFARE, AND BENEVOLENCE PROJECTS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PATRIOTIC ELITE CLUB OF AMASSOMA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. YERI, WAIBODEI, PETER (CHAIRMAN)

2. AYOGOI, AYOGOI, SIMON (SECRETARY)

3. AMBAIOWEI,TARI,EBIOWEI (MEMBER)

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO ORGANIZE SEMINARS AND ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGNS TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE OF AMASSOMA COMMUNITY AND BAYELSANS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN NATION BUILDING AND SUCH OTHER LECTURES THAT WILL AFFECT THE SOCIETY POSITIVELY.

2.TO FOSTER UNITYAMONG MEMBERSAND INCULCATETHE ESSENCE OF CITIZENSHIP,MUTUAL CO-OPERATION, PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE AND PROGRESS.

3.TO FIGHT AGAINST ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATIONS AS A RESULT OF POLITICAL, SEX, RELIGIOUS, FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND TO PROMOTE PEACE AND UNITY IJAW NATION.

4.TO EFFICIENTLY HARNESS AND DIRECT THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF BAYELSANS ASSISTING DESERVING STUDENTS MORALLY AND FINANCIALLY.

5.TO BE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO ALL FORMS OF CRIMINALITY AND SOCIAL VICES IN SOCIETY.

6.TO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE IN ANY DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMME IN AMASSOMA COMMUNITY AND OTHER PARTS OF BAYELSA STATE.

7.TO PROMOTE THE OBSERVANCE OF THE TENET OF DEMOCRACY, RULE OF LAW, EQUITY, FAIMESS, RIGHT AND JUSTICE IN AMASSOMA AND BAYELSA AT LARGE.

8.TO ADEQUATELY ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES AND IDEOLOGIES OF GOOD GOVENSANCE

9.TO HONESTLY SEEK FOR THE INTEREST AND PROGRESS OF AMASSOMA COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR AND BAYELSA STATE IN GENERAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. KUDIRAT MOSUN ADEYEMO-CHAIRMAN

2. NOJEEMDEEN O.OLADIPO-SECRETARY/MEMBER

3. PHILLP DAMILOLA ABIOLA MEMBER

4. AWE GRACE OLUWAFUNMIKE MEMBER

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE AT ALL LEVELS IN THE COMMUNITY.

2. TO CREATE AWARENESS AMONG THE LESS PRIVILEGED (ORPHANS, WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS)

3. TO SET UP ON A HUMANITARIAN GRAND. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

RAIN OF PRAYER ASSEMBLY

TREASURE MINDS CLUB

FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2023

NFF’s partners dangle N4 Million for various awards

By Albert Akota

The Super Eagles have a lot to look forward to on Friday, apart from the three points that will put daylight between them and any other team in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying pool.

Nigerian Breweries PLC, longstanding supporter of Nigeria Football, and who are NFF partners with their two products, Life and Goldberg, are offering three million naira in total.

There is the sum of one million naira for Man-of-the-Match, and another one million naira for the new Energy-

Moment-of-the-Match. Then, there is one million naira for Match Winner.

Telecommunication behemoth, MTN is offering the sum of one million naira for that player that is selected Most Valuable Player in the clash with Guinea Bissau’s Wild Dogs at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The Super Eagles will thus be extra motivated for the big game, even as they look forward to climbing to nine points while the Wild Dogs remain on four points in the race.

Sierra Leone are third on the table with two points while Sao Tome and Principe have only one point.

AFCON 2023 Race: In-form Osimhen leads Eagles’ charge for three points against Wild Dogs

NFF’s partners dangle N3 Million for various awards

The Super Eagles have a lot to look forward to on Friday, apart from the three points that will put daylight between them and any other team in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying pool.

Nigerian ball fans will bank on rave-of-themoment Victor James Osimhen to bang in the goals as the Super Eagles go up against the Wild Dogs of Guinea Bissau as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign reaches the halfway mark.

Top-of-the-table Nigeria square up to second-placed Guinea Bissau at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium on Friday from 5pm, with both teams eyeing the full marks in order to consolidate on earlier gains towards landing in Cote d’Ivoire.

Osimhen, with 25 goals in all competitions this season, netted a significant four in a remarkable

10-0 win for Nigeria against Sao Tome and Principe in June last year, days after he had netted the winner in a 2-1 win over Sierra Leone on Matchday 1 at the same Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

With five goals, the former U17 World Cup winner and record goalscorer (with 10 goals) is among the leading marksmen in the qualifying race, and will grab his opportunities with both hands in the two matches against Guinea Bissau in order to put daylight between himself and other contenders.

Coach José Santos Peseiro will surely put his best foot forward in only his third match, with the objective of keeping intact

his hundred per cent record in competitive matches.

Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho could start in goal, and there are Semi Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Kevin Akpoguma, Kenneth Omeruo, Calvin Bassey, Zaidu Sanusi and Bruno Onyemaechi to pick from for the rearguard, as well as England-based quartet Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi and Joe Aribo in the middle of the pack.

Captain Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Terem Moffi and Paul Onuachu are available for the fore sector, as the Eagles aim for all six points that will super-pave their pathway to the finals.

Sierra Leone’s 2-2 draw with Sao Tome and Principe in Agadir, Morocco on Wednesday turned out a boon for the Eagles, as the Leone Stars are stuck on one point after three matches and would no longer be in the contest if Nigeria grab all six points from these two matches.

Coach Baciro Candé, who has led the Djurtus an impressive four points in their previous two games, said on arrival in Nigeria on Wednesday that his boys will play with confidence and invention.

Guinea Bissau have featured in three Africa Cup of Nations finals, making an impressive debut at the 2017 tournament in Gabon.

Telecommunication behemoth, MTN is offering the sum of one million naira for that player that is selected Most Valuable Player in the clash with Guinea Bissau’s Wild Dogs at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

On their part, Nigerian Breweries PLC, who are NFF partners with their two products, Life and Goldberg, are offering two million naira in total. There is the sum of one million naira for Man-of-the-Match, and another one million naira for the new Energy-Moment-of-theMatch.

The Super Eagles will thus be extra motivated for the big game, even as they look forward to climbing to nine points while the Wild Dogs remain on four points in the race.

Sierra Leone are third on the table with two points while Sao Tome and Principe have only one point.

Osimhen gets going against Omeruo and Uzoho at training on Wednesday.

S P R T

Nigeria set to receive FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Trophy

African women’s football giant Nigeria will welcome the original FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Trophy as the train makes its way to the Federal Capital, Abuja on Sunday.

The Trophy has already left FIFA’s headquarters and been to several countries, and will arrive in Nigeria, one of only seven countries to have taken part in every edition of the competition, on Saturday evening. The Trophy will make its way to all the 32 countries taking part in this year’s finals, with Nigeria being the ninth stop on the game-changing global tour.

Since world football’s governing body, FIFA, launched the women’s flagship tournament 32 years ago, only Nigeria,

USA, Norway, Germany, Brazil, Japan and Sweden have played in every edition. All seven nations will again be on display at the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup finals to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from 20th July to 20th August this year.

The one-month championship Down Under will be the biggest in the history of the competition, as it welcomes 32 teams – the same number as featured in the men’s World Cup in Qatar late last year.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup was launched as a 12-team tournament in China in 1991, and stayed on that number for the championship in Sweden in 1995. It became a 16-nation tournament in the USA in 1999 and 2003 and was also

Paris 2024 Race: Olympic Eagles

the same number for China in 2007 and Germany in 2011. It became a 24team tournament in Canada in 2015 and remained that way at the last competition in France in 2019.

Only four countries have won the glittering trophy: USA, Germany, Norway and Japan. USA have been victorious on four occasions and Germany have lifted it twice. Japan and Norway were champions once each.

Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco and Zambia will fly Africa’s flag in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, with ninetime African champions Nigeria already slotted into Group B which will also feature co-hosts Australia, Republic of Ireland and Canada.

fire blanks against

The Super Falcons will play their first match at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup against Canada at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Friday, 21 July 2023.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy will be on display at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja from 12 noon on Sunday, with a photo session planned for a number of invited guests.

Before the display, the FIFA team will pay a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Chief Sunday Dare in his office at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

More information regarding the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour is available at FIFA.com/TrophyTour.

Guinea in Abuja

Olympic Eagle players

By Albert Akota

Nigeria’s U23 boys failed to take advantage of home soil and finished their U23 Africa Cup of Nations final qualifying fixture, first leg match against Guinea 0-0 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday. Success Makanjuola and Timilehin Ogunniyi,

who ran Tanzania out of gas in Ibadan in October last year, could not produce the same fiery performance as Guinea stifled Nigeria’s midfield play, created chances of their own and were solid at the rear.

In the 28th minute, Ogunniyi rocked the crossbar from a free-kick 20 yards out on the right, but that turned out the major effort of the

Olympic Eagles in a tepid game that did not quite live up to its billing.

Makanjuola’s inswinger in the 45th minute was parried from danger by goalkeeper Mory Keita.

In the second half, the visitors came quite close when Ousmane Camara hit the upright from a corner kick. Ifeanyi Ogba blasted a couple

of opportunities wide, and in the 64th minute, Jonathan Alukwu watched in agony as Keita punched away his shot when Nigeria flowed forward.

On the dot of time, Nigerian defender Christopher Nwaeze was handed the red card for a second bookable offence, and will miss the return leg in Rabat on Tuesday.

European Championship 2024 qualifiers: Who do you think will reach Euro 2024?

Here we go again. Qualifying for the 2024 UEFA European Championship in Germany gets under way this week as 53 nations battle for 24 places.

In a repeat of last tournament’s final, England face holders Italy in their first Group C match on Thursday.

Scotland find themselves in a difficult group with Spain and Norway as they hope to reach just their second major tournament this century.

Wales, semi-finalists in 2016, are in Group D with Croatia, Turkey, Latvia and Armenia.

Northern Ireland, who made their only Euros appearance seven years ago, are in an intriguing Group H which includes Denmark and Finland.

Two teams from each group advance straight to the finals, plus there is a backdoor route via the Nations League for a handful of teams.

We want to know who you see booking their spot in next year’s tournament, plus you can have your say in the comments.

Group A

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Group D

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Group F

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Group G

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Group H

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Group I

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Group J

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England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all start their qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 this week

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Man Utd takeover latest: Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus says he has made bid for club

World Tuberculosis Day 2023: Yes! We can end TB!

The advent of COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the disparities that exist in health between and within countries. More importantly, the marginalization and vulnerability of people with TB became too glaring, during this time, that they could no longer be ignored, hence, the reason why concerted efforts are needed to eliminate all barriers that prevent TB patients from accessing care.

Guest Columnist

By Maclawrence Kolapo Famuyiwa

death.

Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus says he has submitted a bid to buy Manchester United.

Zilliacus wants to buy half of the club with the other half bought by fans, who will be part of club decision-making.

Later on Thursday, Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe put in his second bid to buy the club after Wednesday’s confusion and extended deadline.

Interested parties had until 21:00 GMT on Wednesday to enter their bids before the deadline was extended.

On Thursday, an Ineos spokesperson said “Ratcliffe and Ineos can confirm we have submitted a revised bid”.

Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim were the only publicly declared bidders until Zilliacus announced his offer.

As yet there has been no confirmation from Sheikh Jassim but he is expected to submit a second bid.

Zilliacus said: “Any sport club ultimately should belong to its fans. My bid is built on equality with fans.

“The current development, where billionaire sheiks and oligarchs take over clubs and control them as their personal playgrounds is not a healthy trend.

“The current market value of the club is just under $3.9bn (£3.17bn). That means that if every one of the fans of the club would join in buying the club, the

Since 1982, the World TB Day has been annually celebrated on March 24 of every year. This date was chosen to commemorate the date in 1882 that Dr. Robert Koch made known his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the bacterium responsible for causing tuberculosis (TB). The day is set aside to educate the public about the impact of TB around the world and to campaign to end the existence of this deadly disease.

Dr. Koch’s discovery announced in Berlin on March 24th, 1882 was very timely, since it was during the period that TB was blustering like a wild storm through Europe and Americas responsible for the death of one out of every seven people there. It was that timely discovery that led to proper diagnosis and cure of TB infected individuals.

TB is one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers. It is transmitted through the air from infected persons to uninfected persons, when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or spits, the bacteria are released into the air and thereafter infects any person that inhales a handful of these bacteria. In so doing, about10.6 million fell ill with TB in 2021 according to the World Health Organization(WHO) out of whom 1.6 million died. In effect, about 30,000 people fall ill daily with TB and more than 4,000 of them lose their lives even though, the disease is preventable and curable. But with the concerted efforts being put into ending TB, about 74 million lives have since been saved from TB

For 2023, the theme of the World TB Day is “Yes! We can end TB!” This is to conjunctively inspire hope and support high-level leadership, more investment, more rapid uptake of new WHO recommendations, innovations ratification, accelerated action, and multisectoral cooperation to fight the TB epidemic.

This year celebration is epochal because of the opportunities it presents to raise awareness and to sway high-level political allegiances to commit to ending TB during the 2023 UN HighLevel Meeting on TB. It is also expected that the World Health Organization and partners will issue a clarion call to kick-start the new WHO-recommended shorter all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB, which have been found to be comparatively more efficacious and improving drug compliance.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the on-going conflict and socio-economic crises had in recent years significantly stalled the progress previously recorded in putting an end to TB. WHO pinpointed in its latest Global Tuberculosis Report, that TB incidences and deaths have increased, and that is the first time this has happened in a decade.

It thus, becomes imperative that more investments are

needed to play a catch-up on the support needed for the rolling-out of WHO recommended TB preventive treatment options, shorter TB treatment regimens, rapid molecular diagnostics and tests for TB infection, that WHO has ear-marked to be essential in regaining positive momentum at ending TB.

These should be done alongside other innovations and digital tools for the improvement in health outcomes and saving millions of lives. This is also not to forget that investments in research and innovation will also be pivotal in hastening this journey geared towards ending TB, so should be amply applied.

The advent of COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the disparities that exist in health between and within countries. More importantly, the marginalization and vulnerability of people with TB became too glaring, during this time, that they could no longer be ignored, hence, the reason why concerted efforts are needed to eliminate all barriers that prevent TB patients from accessing care.

Poverty, undernourishment, poor living and working conditions etc. determine the onset of ill health. They also a play a significant role in people developing TB infections and how they will be able top cope

The advent of COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the disparities that exist in health between and within countries. More importantly, the marginalization and vulnerability of people with TB became too glaring, during this time, that they could no longer be ignored

with the demands of treatment (including social, financial and medical) and determine their health outcomes. So, in addition to what the health system offers, firm political commitment at the highest level, sterling multisectoral synergy (outside health sector) and an effective accountability system are very consequential.

The adoption of “Yes! We can end TB!” as this year’s World TB Day theme is to bring attention to TB and to remind ourselves that with our collaborative efforts, we can actually end TB by 2030 as part of reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. This would be achievable if those affected with TB, communities and civil societies that are in the fore-front oi ending the disease, are robustly more engaged.

All these should be in conjunction with making access to new diagnostics easy, introducing more efficacious treatment regimens, making use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) for TB response. More critical to ensuring this is the support of high-level leadership, more investments into programmes to end TB, more rapid uptake of new WHO recommendations, innovations ratifications, accelerated actions, and multisectoral cooperation to fight the TB epidemic.

Maclawrence Kolapo Famuyiwa is a Public Policy Analyst.