Food production: Workshop participants endorse use of GMOs
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as the debate on the use of biotechnology for food production continues in the country opportunity must be given to scientists and scientific evidence to prove that gm foods are safe as any other food from conventional sources1 ebere agozie1 participants at the workshop held at the obafemi awolowo university oau ile ife were drawn from universities and research institutes1 dr rose gidado an assistant director national biotechnology development agencynabda via a statement issued on monday in abuja noted that the nigeria academy of science had earlier endorsed gmos1 the endorsement came a year after the countrys topmost scientific body the nigeria academy of science equally urged government to roll out the technology in all areas to ensure nigeria benefit maximally from it1 gidado who is also the countrycoordinator open forum on agriculturalbiotechnologyofab said scientists were of the view that although government action was belated it was better now than never1 gidado stressed that technology remains one of the most viable options for the country to enhance its food security strategies as well as provide healthy food for its growing population1 professors in various aspects of biosciences were of the view that government in its wisdom has set in motion all the necessary machinery needed to enable the technology take effective root in the country1 this it did by establishing the national biotechnology development agency nabda as the promoter of the technology over 15 years ago and the national biosafety management agency nbma as the regulatory in the last three years gidado said1 prof. eyitope ogunbodede the vice chancellor of oau who spoke said that government economic diversification plan to reposition agriculture as the main stay of the economy would be achieved if conventional agriculture give way to modern tools such as biotechnology1 conventional agriculture has led to food insecurity hunger malnutrition and poverty in the country1 participants at the just concluded 3rdsouth-west agro-ecological biosafety workshop have endorsed the use of genetically modified organisms gmos in the agriculture sector to boost food security in the country1 ogunbodede added that with the national biosafety policy in place the legal framework had been established for the safe and responsible application of modern biotechnology in the country1 prof. bamidele solomon of the chemical engineering department oau and chairman ife biotechnology group listed some of the challenges of food security1 the challenges include climate change persisting pest infestations declining soil nutritional quality gradual reduction in arable land use due to the pressures of urbanisation1 but modern biotechnology has been identified as an important tool that can help countries like nigeria achieve food security and food sufficiency industrial growth health improvement and environmental sustainability1 according to solomon modern biotechnology is a technique used for genetic improvements that is more efficient and precise compared to conventional breeding he said1 prof. durotoluwa oyedele dean faculty of agriculture oau said that biotechnology has the potential to increase agricultural productivity enhance food security move agriculture away from dependence on chemical inputs and reduce environmental problems1 it is important we come to the realisation that food security and agricultural productivity depend largely on domestication of biotechnology he added1 dr babatunde ogundare the deputy dean faculty of science oau said nigeria must step out of the political campaign involving gmos and focus more on scientific information backed by evidence1 we are currently faced with issues of hunger and food insecurity therefore all hands must be on deck to think of the most appropriate strategy that will make safe and healthy food available to all nigerians1 food is the only thing left for the common man it must not be contaminated and it must be free he added1

Cape Town to host 10th Africa PPP conference
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by gami tadanyigbe5 others are judith nyakawa acting director of ppp unit national treasury kenya ben brimble project manager windlab lucy chege head energy environment and information communications technologies ict1 ms justine delvoux ame trades marketing executive disclosed this in a statement on monday in abuja1 according to the statement ame trades business to business events provides vital practical information for companies looking to diversify and realign their business strategies to keep up with global trends1 delvoux revealed that the event was sponsored by nedbank cib almar water solutions allen and overy and kukuza with the support of nepad group1 the forum brings together various ppp units project developers financiers multilateral institutions legal advisors and other international key ppp stakeholders1 the 10th edition of africa ppp will be focusing on energy transport and water partnerships1 executive mayor of the city of cape town patricia de lille and the chief executive officer of wesgro tim harris will be addressing at the opening ceremony1 47 expert speakers from private and public sector will share their expertise present project opportunities and debate current and future state of ppp in the african continent1 the specialised conference has already over 130 confirmed high-level delegates from the related industries1 ame trade limited an independent business to business event organiser has concluded plans for the 10th africa public private partnership ppp conference and showcase scheduled to hold from oct. 24 to oct. 25 in cape town south africa1 she said that the projects would be presented by different ppp units from 12 african countries1 the marketing executive said that since its inception in 2009 africa ppp had become a key platform for industry stakeholders to meet discuss debate and share ppp plans1 she said that to commemorate the completion of a decade there was a new addition to the agenda1 there will be a pre-conference cpd certified training focusing on project preparation skills development for bankable ppps on oct. 23rd1 delvoux said that the workshop would be addressed by norma sephuma ppp consultant sheila galloway group chief executive officer utho capital kantha rattay legal consultant kr consulting and mari bruwer founder mca consulting1 according to her the workshop will enable the participants to delve into practical case studies and learn the essentials of how to develop project assessment methodology1 she added that that ame trade was one of the leading providers of strategic business intelligence for the african middle eastern and south american regions1 our guest speakers include keeta shisholeka director ppp unit ministry of finance zambia samuel joseph chief general manager export-import bank of india1 also in the guests list are shaheed alli principal infrastructure private sector and tmt finance nedbank symerre grey johnson head of regional integration infrastructure and trade nepad1 the africa ppp conference will showcase over 48 ppp projects spanning across the african continent1

POWA donates relief materials to IDPs in Borno
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by hamza suleiman2 she also commended shettima for supporting widows orphans and other vulnerable persons under her pet programme swot foundation1 the items donated include mattresses pillow rice bucket soaps and wrappers1 president of the association and wife of the inspector-general of police hajiya asta ibrahim who led other police officers wives to the campsaid the gesture was to share love and care with the idps currently facing consequences of the boko haram insurgency in the northeast region1 i am extremely happy to be with you here in dalori camp as the president of the police officers wives association powa1 i am here with some of my management team and executives to visit you and share love and care with you1 the police officers wives association powa on monday donated relief materials to the internally displaced persons idps in dalori camp maiduguri1 we are here therefore to showcase these and extend our hands of fellowship in your present predicament1 i assure you that god has not abandoned you keep your faith alive by the grace of god this menace shall be eliminated and peace shall reign supreme once more she stated1 in her remarks hajiya nana shettima the wife of borno governor commended the gesture saying that it would go a long way in providing succour to the beneficiaries1 shettima urged wealthy individuals and philanthropists to assist thousands of widows and children orphaned by insurgency in the state1 zainab bukar one of the idps in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan expressed appreciation to the association for coming to theiraid at this crucial time1 the police officers wives association is known for its humanitarian charitable and philanthropic gestures1

Egypt court upholds 3-year jail term for ex-President Morsi
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five other defendants were ordered to pay a fine of 30000 egyptian pounds each in the case1 dpanan egypts top appeals court on monday upheld a three-year prison sentence and hefty damages on deposed islamist president mohammed morsi on charges of insulting the judiciary state media reported1 the initial sentence was issued in 2017 by the cairo criminal court that convicted morsi of defaming the judiciary in a televised speech he made in 2013 when he was in power1 in his speech morsi accused a judge of overseeing fraud in previous elections1 the criminal court had also ordered morsi to pay one million egyptian pounds 56270 dollars in damages to that judge1 the court of cassation also confirmed the same sentence for 19 other defendants in the same case1 they include alaa abdel-fatah a leading pro-democracy campaigner who rose to prominence during the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time dictator hosny mubarak1 morsi egypts first democratically elected president was toppled by the army in mid-2013 following mass protests against his rule1 he has been tried in several different cases since his ouster1 morsi is serving a final sentence of 20 years in prison in a separate case related to inciting deadly attacks on anti-islamist protesters in 20121 in 2017 the court of cassation upheld a separate 25-year jail sentence for morsi on charges of harming national security by leaking secret state documents to his ally qatar while he was in office1

2019 elections: INEC insists Zamfara APC has no candidate
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by emmanuel oloniruha8 he however said that the commission had stopped every registration request for transfer and replacement of damaged pvcs1 inec chairman prof. mahmood yakubu stated this on the sideline of the opening of a two-day validation workshop titled study on the cost of elections in ecowas region on monday in abuja1 we have issued a statement on zamfara and nothing has changed. we stand by the statement that we issued he said1 yakubu re-emphasised that the deadline for submission of party candidates name to the commission was oct. 18 saying that it would give a full report on that after nov. 181 inec had informed the ruling apc in a leaked memo that it would not be allowed to field candidates for elective positions in zamfara in the 2019 elections1 the commissions acting secretary okechukwe ndeche in a letter to the apc said that the party was barred from fielding candidates for governorship national assembly and state assembly elections1 the commission said this was because apc failed to comply with sections 87 and 31 of the electoral act of 20101 parties according to the act were expected to comply with the timetable and schedule of inec which says that the conduct of primaries must be held between aug. 18 and oct. 71 inec said it received reports from its zamfara office indicating that no primaries were conducted in the state notwithstanding that our officials were fully mobilised and deployed1 the apc national chairman adams oshiomhole later responded to inec in a statement and said that the party had already arrived at a consensus before the deadline1 the independent national electoral commission inec says it stands by its statement that the all progressives congress apc will not field candidates for the 2019 general elections in zamfara1 after hours of intense horse-trading a consensus was reached within the spirit and context of the electoral act and the constitution of our party1 this was done in strict compliance with section 87 6 of the electoral act 2010 as amended he said1 he said that the claim by inec that no primaries were conducted could only be referring to its officials observation that actual voting did not take place1 the apc chairman said that conduct of primaries was not the only mode prescribed for producing candidates in the electoral act 2010 as amended1 we therefore affirm that indeed primaries took place in zamfara state oshiomhole said1 the party chairman also noted that pdp had similar issues in kano state and wondered why inec did not bar the opposition party from fielding candidates1 yakubu further said that the commission would by the end of november print the outstanding permanent voter cards pvcs1 we have printed the pvcs for those who registered in the first quarter of 2018. we are right now simultaneously printing for those who registered in the second and third quarters1 we are looking at the end of november for all the pvcs to be printed including request for transfer and relocation1 let me just repeat the assurance that every citizen that registered and who have applied for transfer or replacement will get his or her pvc before 2019 general elections1 oshiomhole said that following the high level of friction disagreements and threats of violence by various political camps before the primaries all the aspirants met at city king hotel gusau to find a truce1

Super Eagles whip Libya, Ighalo gets hat trick
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a hat trick from china-based odion ighalo and one goal from samuel kalu gave nigerias super eagles a 4-0 win over libya in a 2019 afcon qualifier in uyo1 the victory moved the eagles into second place in group e behind leaders south africa1 the eagles now have six points from three matches one point behind south africa who earlier in the day mauled visiting seychelles in johannesburg 6-01 ighalo converted a fourth-minute spot-kick after being fouled and rounded goalkeeper mohamed nashnush to tap in and double the lead on 58 minutes1 when a libyan failed to cut off a low cross former watford striker ighalo scrambled the ball into the net to complete his hat-trick with a quarter of the qualifier remaining1 a last-minute samuel kalu goal completed the rout of the mediterranean knights whose belgian coach adel amrouche quit this week over unpaid salaries1

Dalung set to be honoured at Independence Heros Award in Calabar
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minister of youths and sports development barr. solomon dalung is set to receive an award of all times at the independence heros award scheduled for saturday oct. 13 in calabar cross river state1 catherine eriom the chief executive officer ceo face of independence nigeria the organisers of the award in a statement said the award was well deserved for dalung1 she said that the sports minister had been able to stir up a reformation in the sports sector having democratised the sector and put in place a vibrant youth council leadership after years of power tussle and inconsistencies1 eriom said that the award was also to recognise dalungs recent youth and women empowerment courtesy of his ngo solomon dalungfoundation and the ministry of youths and sports development1 the award which is in its 8th edition will be held at 5pm at the transcorp hotels calabar1 among the guests of honour are governors of cross river state and abia state1 other notable guests are mr chris agara chief johnbosco onunkwo tonto dikeh commissioner of youths cross river state commissioner of solid minerals cross river state anthony akan captain ekong uwem udoma among others1

Melaye in double police trouble, wanted in Abuja, Kogi
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the adc has nothing to do with this case. the command wishes to state unequivocally that the statement is not only a figment of the imagination of sen. melaye who has mastered the art of political gimmickry but totally false malicious and highly mischievous1 its now double police trouble for kogi-west senator dino melaye he is wanted by the police in abuja and also in his home state of kogi1 on friday kogi state police command sent a detachment of officers to his country home in aiyetoro-gbede in kogi state on oct. 11 to effect his arrest an incident that the senator has now distorted1 he is wanted in connection with a shooting incident on 19 july when his armed thugs attacked a policeman on a patrol1 in a statement in lokoja the command said it took the action in connection with the july 19 shooting of one of its operatives sgt. danjuma salihu by thugs suspected to be loyal to the senator1 the statement signed by the commands spokesman dsp william aya said that the clarification followed the allegation melaye on his twitter page of oct. 12 that the adc to gov. yahaya bello of kogi led some officers to his house to assassinate him1 in abuja the senator along with ben murray-bruce is wanted over an attack on policemen on 5 october during a protest about the osun election. he has not heeded the police invitation1 the commissioner of police sent police officers to his country home for arrest unfortunately we did not get him at home the statement said1 it accused melaye who is representing kogi west senatorial district of mobilising thugs to attack its personnel on routine duty along mopaaiyetoro-gbede on july 19 without any provocation1 the thugs shot and injured force no. 432913 sgt. danjuma saliu who is currently receiving treatment at veda crest hospital abuja the statement said1 aya said melaye was invited officially through letter no. ar3000kgsxvol.43670 dated 2372018 to come and answer the charges on him but refused to show up or give reason for not honoring the invitation1 the senator is wanted by the kogi state police command for criminal conspiracy attempted culpable homicide and unlawful possession of firearms the statement explained1 it then appealed to melaye to report to the command headquarters in lokoja to answer the allegations against him and stop joining issues with people who have nothing to do with the case at hand1

Photos: Fayose takes Fayemis wife round Government House
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peter ayodele fayose @govayofayose4 governor ayo fayose is rounding off affairs in ekiti state where he had reigned for four years1 as the hours ticked for a handover to governor-elect kayode fayemi on 16 october fayose has stepped up the handing over rites1 he will not be attending fayemis second inauguration as governor as he has an appointment with the economic and financial crimes commission but he has handed over the instrument of office to the head of service dr. gbenga faseluka1 today however he took wife of the incoming governor erelu bisi fayemi on a tour of the government house in ado ekiti which he does not plan as he tweeted to hand over to fayemi but again to the head of service1 i am presently taking dr. kayode fayemis wife erelu bisi and other members of the inauguration committee round the govt house1 tomorrow i will hand over the govt house to the head of service1

Obasanjo lobbying U.S for Atiku
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he recalled that the entry ban was placed on atiku following a 500000 bribery scandal in 2005 that involved atiku his fourth wife jennifer and former united states congressman william jefferson1 former president olusegun obasanjo who has recanted his disdain for his former vice president atiku abubakar is reported to be lobbying american to withdraw the ban reportedly placed his former foe from entering the u.s1 81-year-old obasanjo fell out with atiku abubakar before his exit from office as president in 2007 because of quarrel over his third term bid which his then vice president abubakar opposed1 the former nigerian army general who was president of nigeria from 1999 to 2007 on the platform of current opposition pdp also publicly denounced the party just as atiku abubakar also did1 obasanjo also lampooned atiku abubakar in his latest book but they have all swallowed their vows and found solace in the same party they had renounced and castigated because of the gang up to prevent president muhammadu buhari from a re-election1 the new romance of the duo which has sparked interest among some political pundits is getting deeper a gang-up against africas anti-corruption czar1 mr yekini nabena the apc s acting national publicity secretary said in abuja o friday that obasanjo has gone further to lobby the united states to lift the sanctions placed on the candidate for 2019 presidential election of pdp1 we have come across credible reports that former president olusegun obasanjo has made moves to secure united states entry visa for the presidential candidate of the pdp alh. atiku abubakar1 the all progressives congress apc also accused obasanjo of making moves to secure united states entry visa for the 72-year-old 2019 presidential candidate of the peoples democratic party pdp1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that obasanjo had on thursday endorsed the candidacy of atiku who was the vice president when he was in office1 nabena however stressed that former obasanjos intervention in atikus ban from the united states of america was evidence of his legendary hypocrisy and self-serving interest in national affairs1 he noted that obasanjo during and after leaving office had always insisted on atikus unsuitability to govern nigeria based on his knowledge of his extensive corrupt practices while he served as vice president1 recall that the former president while in office had deployed enormous resources of the country on a global dragnet coordinated by the economic and financial crimes commission efcc in getting atiku prosecuted for corrupt enrichment and money laundering1 a report by the u.s senate permanent subcommittee on investigations chaired by senator carl levin reported that atiku used offshore companies to siphon millions of dollars to his fourth wife in the united states jennifer nabena said1 this he said happened while atiku was still the vice president of nigeria between 2000 and 20081 he added that it was on the strength of the report that president george bush barred atiku and other corrupt politically exposed persons from being issued visa to the united states1 this the apc spokesman said was the reason atiku had not been able to travel to the united states till date.nan1

FG places foreign travel ban on 50 persons under EO6
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to this end a number of enforcement procedures are currently in place by which the nigeria immigration service and other security agencies have placed no fewer than 50 high profile persons directly affected by eo6 on watch-list and restricted them from leaving the county pending the determination of their cases1 by ismaila chafe the federal government has placed a foreign travel ban on no fewer than 50 high profile persons directly affected by executive order 6 eo6.1 malam garba shehu the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity confirmed this development in abuja on saturday1 he said this development followed the instant judicial affirmation of the constitutionality and legality of the eo61 he said already president muhammadu buhari had mandated the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice to implement the order in full force1 the affected persons are already on the watch-list and are restricted from leaving the country pending the determination of their cases1 also the financial transactions of these persons of interest are being monitored by the relevant agencies to ensure that the assets are not dissipated and such persons do not interfere with nor howsoever corrupt the investigation and litigation processes1 it is instructive to note that eo6 was specifically directed to relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that all assets within a minimum value of n50 million or equivalent subject to investigation or litigation are protected from dissipation by employing all available lawful means pending the final determination of any corruption-related matter he added1 shehu said the buhari administration had reassured all well-meaning and patriotic nigerians of its commitment to the fight against corruption in accordance with the 1999 constitution as amended and the general principles of the rule of law1 he therefore maintained that the administration would uphold the rule of law in all its actions as well as protect the right of citizens as guaranteed by the constitution1 we therefore enjoin all nigerians to cooperate with the law enforcement authorities towards ensuring a successful implementation of the executive order 6 which is a paradigm-changing policy of the federal government in the fight against corruption he said1

Trump vows severe punishment for Saudis over Khashoggi
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major u.s. defence contractors have expressed concern to the trump administration that lawmakers angered by khashoggis disappearance will block further arms deals with riyadh1 u.s. president donald trump said in a cbs interview on saturday that there would be severe punishment for saudi arabia if it turns out that missing saudi journalist jamal khashoggi was killed in the saudi consulate in istanbul1 khashoggi a prominent critic of riyadh and a u.s. resident who wrote columns for the washington post disappeared on oct. 2 after visiting the consulate1 were going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment trump said1 asked whether saudi crown prince mohammed bin salman gave an order to kill khashoggi trump said nobody knows yet but well probably be able to find out. trump added in excerpts of the 60 minutes interview that will air on sunday we would be very upset and angry if that were the case1 trump said there was much at stake with khashoggi case maybe especially so because he was a reporter1 trump said he did not want to block military sales to saudi arabia one option that has rattled u.s. defence contractors saying i dont want to hurt jobs1 but trump said he did not want to lose military sales to saudi arabia that are coveted by u.s. competitors russia and china also exporters of military equipment1 i dont want to lose an order like that he said mentioning the companies boeing lockheed and raytheon. and you know what there are other ways of punishing he said without elaborating1 turkish sources have told reuters the initial assessment of the police was that khashoggi was deliberately killed inside the consulate1 riyadh has dismissed the claims1 reported by afp1

Aisha Buhari Foundation builds Maternity clinic in Yola
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the facility which is being built through private partnership comprises of emergency operation ward consultation rooms ultra sound room antenatal and gynaecology ward pharmacy laboratory as well as family planning units1 aisha buhari foundation has embarked on the building of a 70-bed antenatal and maternity clinic within the premises of the federal medical centre yola1 aisha buharis personal physician dr. mohammed kamal while inspecting the project said the clinic when completed will cater for the health need of the people of adamawa borno gombe taraba as well as the neighbouring cameroon republic1 kamal said the clinic was built as part of aisha buharis commitment to improve the healthcare of women and children in nigeria1 the inspection was conducted to ascertain the level of work so far done1 kamal conveying aishas optimism said the project would be completed and handed over before the end of the year1 the clinic is being built to complement the existing 17 bed maternity ward at the centre1 the facility when completed will have the capacity of attending to 200 patients1 the chief medical director federal medical centre yola prof. auwal abubakar said the new antenatal complex will assist the centre to adequately cater for the health needs of women and children1 abubakar said that the existing maternal centre was over stretched due to the influx of patients within and outside the state1 he said that the new complex will go a long way in reducing the challenges faced by patients during emergencies1 news agency of nigeria nan recalls that the wife of the president also donated a similar maternity clinic in daura katsina state as part of her efforts to contribute to the well-being of women and children in nigeria1

Buhari sends 3 ministers to families of kidnapped Leah Sharibu, aid workers
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visibly excited students of the government girls science and technical college dapchi from where leah and about 109 of her colleagues were abducted on 19 feb. 2018 trooped out to welcome the delegation when the chopper that ferried them to dapchi landed in the school premises1 president muhammadu buhari has sent a team of three ministers to borno and yobe states to meet with the families of kidnapped leah sharibu and aid workers and further convey his concern and efforts to free them from the clutches of boko haram terrorists1 the ministers team visited maiduguri in borno state and dapchi in yobe state1 in the delegation were hajiya aisha abubakar the minister of state for industry trade and investment who also oversees women affairs and the minister of state for foreign affairs hajiya khadija abba bukar ibrahim1 in dapchi the delegation met with mrs rebecca sharibu mother of leah as well as other members of their family at an emotion-laden ceremony1 alhaji mohammed said president muhammadu buhari sent the delegation as a follow-up to his phone call to leahs mother a few days ago adding that the government will not rest until leah has been reunited with her family1 alhaji lai mohammed minister of information and culture who bore the presidents message said the government will leave no stone unturned to secure the release of the abducted1 earlier the delegation also met with the families of the three aid workers who were abducted in march 20181 at the meeting which was held in the borno state government house alhaji mohammed reassured them of the governments efforts to secure the release of the two that remained in captivity alice loksha and amina liman1 he also condoled with the parents of the third aid worker saifura hussaini ahmed who was killed by her abductors last month1 the minister said this is a trying time for the government and people of borno state but praised the governments resilience in tackling the challenges arising from the boko haram insurgency1 the deputy governor of borno alhaji usman durkwa who received the delegation expressed gratitude to president buhari for sending the delegation to the state saying this shows that the president is a true leader.1

Fake news fuels crisis in Nigeria: Lai Mohammed
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we are dealing with pure criminality population explosion and climate change and that is the way we should look at it1 the minister of information and culture alhaji laimohammed on saturday appealed to all nigerians to join forces with government to combat the menace of fake news1 the news agency of the nigeria nan reports that the theme of the lecture was combating fake news in the cyberspace1 mohammed said the collective efforts of all nigerians were needed in view of the threats fake news posed to peace and unity of the country1 he explained that most of the security issues confronting the country such as herdersfarmers were caused by the misrepresentation of facts in both the mainstream and social media1 the minister said the spread of fake news has also promoted ethnic and religious suspicions among nigerians1 he said the media especially had a huge responsibility to check the problem in view of their strength and reach calling on professionals to always verify their facts before sending out information1 the media have a responsibility to verify the facts before they share because once they share it is always very difficult to retract1 you see most of the issues we have about herdersfarmers clashes killings are being fuelled by fake news1 look at the farmersherders clashes the truth is that they are being caused largely by population explosion climate change and pure criminality1 so it has nothing to do with religion or ethnicity1 nigeria at independence only had 45 million people but today we are 190 million people1 you can imagine the same water same air and same arable land available for 45 million people at independence are now being shared by 190 million people1 it is like a room that can take 45 people you now bring 190 people you can imagine what will happen1 so that is the honest truth about population explosion1 then the other is climate change. we read about earthquakes and flooding in different parts of the world1 these are manifestations of climate change1 so how does it affect nigeria1 the lake chad that used to cover a surface area of 25000sq km and 35 million people from six nations including nigeria cameroon and chad depend on the water for fishing agriculture irrigation and so on1 the same water has shrunk to 2000 sq km1 so these 35 million people have to look for water elsewhere1 that is why we have all these clashes1 of course i must state the issue of criminality too but we must stop presenting the issues as if it is muslims against christians or hausas against ibos. thats not true1 so we should stop this narrative of christiansmuslims or northsouth1 the minister made the appeal while speaking at the inaugural lecture of the guild of professional bloggers of nigeria gpbn in lagos1 if we continue to post fake news attributing different reasons to the real causes of these issues a stage will come when muslims will be suspicious of christians christians become suspicious of muslim for no reason1 and that is not good for our unity he said1 the minister said the government was partnering different media organisations to check the problem of fake news1 he listed some of them as the news agency of nigeria nigeria television authority vanguard newspapers and television continental tvc1 mohammed said the government was also collaborating with local and international social media platforms such as facebook and whatsapp to tackle the problem of fake news1 he described bloggers as critical stakeholders in the media industry in view of their number and capacity to influence others1 while stating the readiness of government to collaborate with them on the threats of fake news the minister urged them to uphold the ethics of the profession to ensure they disseminate only credible information1 he commended gpbn for the lecture saying the initiative would go a long way to deepen professionalism among its members1 in her lecture prof. abigail ogwezzy-ndisika head department of mass communication university of lagos said the media was powerful because of their capacity to influence others and bring about change1 she said it was therefore expected of stakeholders in the industry to always uphold the ethics and report the facts1 the fourth estate of the realm must never relent in its quest of being the watchdog of the society1 this duty of the media is one that cannot be underestimated 1 in this era of social media it behoves of the media to ensure that their platforms are not compromised no matter the cost involvedogwezzy-ndisika added1 the don who was the chairman at the lecture described fake news as a threat to the society and development1 she urged media professionals to pursue conscious efforts to ensure that the threats of fake news were checked1 as the 2019 approaches ogwezzy-ndisika urged the media to always verify whatever they were putting out in order not to cause unnecessary tension before during and after the election1 she said most of the fakes were disseminated through social media and online platforms1 the don advised bloggers to work at the credibility problems in the online media by ensuring whatever they were publishing had all the elements of credibility1 earlier mr chris nwandu president gpbn said media platforms could pass integrity test only if they were credible1 he said it was important for bloggers to ensure they publish truthful information always because that was the right thing to do1 nwandu said he knew the legal consequences of sharing fake news having been arrested by police and remanded in ikoyi prison in 2015 for sharing a facebook post1 he said though the charge of spreading fake news was later withdrawn from court after 18 days in prison the episode opened his eyes to the laws against fake news and the need to verify information before sharing1 nwandu said the association was formed to set standards for members and make sure they comply with the ethics of the profession1 the basic idea behind gpbn is to set up a body that will set standards for the practice of blogging just like every other profession in the world he said1

Netherlands hammer Germany, first time in 16 years
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earlier saturday munich-based newspaper the sueddeutsche zeitung revealed there is a release clause in loews contract which runs until 2022 allowing either party to end the agreement prematurely1 liverpool defender virgil van dijk led the netherlands to a crushing 3-0 win over germany on saturday in the nations league to ramp up the pressure on german coach joachim loew1 these are dark days for the germans still reeling from their woeful world cup display when they crashed out early after finishing bottom of their group1 a first-half header by dutch skipper van dijk gave the hosts the lead in amsterdam1 with the german defence in disarray late goals from memphis depay and liverpools georginio wijnaldum sealed the win on a golden night for the oranje at amsterdams johan cruyff arena1 defeat in loews 168th international means germany are once again last this time bottom of group one in the nations league1 van dijk opened the scoring with a well-taken header after ryan babel had headed against the crossbar on 30 minutes1 depay then compounded germanys misery by stroking home a pass from quincy promes three minutes from time after the pair got in behind the defence1 depay then hit the germany crossbar moments before wijnaldum netted hollands third goal just before the final whistle1 germany now face world champions france in paris on tuesday and loew can ill afford another heavy defeat1 this is the first time the dutch have beaten germany for 16 years and the comprehensive defeat leaves loew under increasing pressure to resign after 12 years in charge1 loew had promised an improved performance from the germans1 yet again his senior players let him down as the bayern munich axis of manuel neuer jerome boateng mats hummels and thomas mueller struggled1 loew pulled a surprise before kick-off by starting manchester city starlet leroy sane on the bench1 schalke striker mark uth made his debut up front with rb leipzig winger timo werner and mueller on the flanks1 loew opted for a 4-3-3 formation just like his opposite number ronald koeman who started with besiktas babel lyons depay and eindhoven striker steven bergwijn up front1 uth and werner both forced chances early on to keep jasper cillessen hollands barcelona goalkeeper busy1 the dutch went ahead after 30 minutes when babel out-jumped germany midfielder joshua kimmich to the ball headed onto the post and van dijk pounced on the rebound1 germany had their chances as mueller and then his replacement sane who came on for the last half an hour both fired wide with the goal at their mercy1 having broken the german defence in the final 10 minutes depay hit the net then the crossbar before wijnaldum swept in their third goal just before the final whistle1

Two men rape 9-month-old baby
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two men from tennessee u.s. accused of raping a 9-month-old girl and filming the attack were indicted tuesday on multiple charges1 isiah dequan hayes 19 and daireus jumare ice 22 are both charged with aggravated rape of a child and aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor fox13 memphis reported1 the alleged attack was reported to police in october 2016 after the girls mother reported finding a cellphone video allegedly showing hayes performing a sexual act on the baby1 she was able to identify hayes through facebook and turned the information over to police authorities said1 prosecutors said ice filmed the video1 police identified hayes and arrested him in february. authorities said he admitted to committing the sexual assault1 both men were being held in the shelby county jail1

Flood destroys farmland
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there are many problems in rice production and the worst of it at the moment is that flood has eroded or washed away crops and even submerged some of our members houses2 flood has destroyed 280 hectares of rice farm in iguoriakhi and iguomo in ovia north-east and ovia south-west local government areas of edo2 he appealed to government to assist the farmers who had been devastated following the destruction of thousands of hectares of their rice farmlands by flood in edo north edo central and edo south2 abdulsalam noted that the flooding would negatively affect governments drive at sufficiency in rice production in the country2 he said that the association was evolving modalities to ensure the farmers were ready for dry season farming to make up for the destruction2 the association will be sensitising rice farmers for dry season farming to make up for the shortfall occasioned by the destruction of rice fields by flood2 the state chairman of rice farmers association of nigeria rifan mr dirisu abdulsalam said in benin that farmers close to the riverine areas in the state were worst hit by the flood2 therefore we appeal for assistance from government and international donors so that our farmers will not go and commit suicide he said2 according to him flooding will reduce rice production chain in the state adding that the affected farmers have lost millions of naira investment2 he therefore appealed to the state government to make tractors available to rice farmers noting that the state had no single tractor2 abdulsalam said edo was one of the major rice producing states in the country2 he expressed regrets that the state government was not giving priority to rice farmers in terms of provision of certified seedlings and funding.nan2

Cholera kills 42 people in Somalia
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no fewer than 42 people have been reported killed by cholera acute watery diarrhea awd in war-torn somalia since december 20172 the country which has also been battling hunger and malnutrition is in dire following the outbreak of cholera2 the world health organisation who said in its latest report on the awdcholera that the somalis health ministry also announced 29 new cases of cholera between sept. 24 and 302 it said that 45 per cent of the new cases involved five years old and below2 the cumulative total of cases is 6423 including 42 associated deaths since the beginning of the current outbreak in december 20172 cholera is a gastrointestinal disease usually spread by contaminated water and food and can cause severe diarrhea that in extreme cases can lead to fatal dehydration and kidney failure within hours2 according to who there has been a downward trend in newly reported cases over the past six weeks2 the un health agency has called for robust investments in somalias fragile health care infrastructure as a means to accelerate the countrys reconstruction after two and a half decades of civil strife2 who which has been training health workers in somalia to help cope with the diseases also urged greater investments in surveillance infrastructure to enhance timely response to disease outbreaks in somalia2

Oil and gas suppliers ready to combat adulteration of petroleum products
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by gami tadanyigbe5 korie called on marketers patronising illegal depotsto desist from doing so saying it would jeopardise the associations efforts in addition to the frequent damages caused by adulterated products1 alhaji abdulahi idris the deputy chairman of nogasas board of trustees made the pledge during the inaugural ceremony of the association held in abuja1 according to him government is managing virtually all aspects of oil and gas but a lot of logistic issues are hindering its efforts at achieving the desired goal1 idris said that collaboration between the association and the government had become necessary because the latter alone could not address all the existing challenges in the oil and gas sector1 there was increasing population and sustained struggle to keep up with high demographic demands for vital industrial and domestic petroleum product1 natural oil and gas suppliers association of nigeria nogasa says it is ready to partner with the federal government in curbing circulation of adulterated petroleum products and pipelines vandalism1 distribution of petroleum products however suffered a great deal of obstacles as a result of fragmented and individual engagement of the job1 we have discovered that the challenges intrigues and delay have translated our experience to take up our rightful place in the industry he said1 the deputy chairman stated that the association had resolved to be a responsible and forthright representative body that would partner with the government among other objectives discourage illicit transactions in the downstream sector1 he further stated that the association would avail itselfof the benefits and various support provisions such asproducts capital insurance banking relationship litigation among others1 in his remarks the president of the association chief benneth korie said the strategic position of the industry as suppliers of natural oil and gas in the overall development of economy could not be overemphasised1 petrol diesel kerosene and domestic gas became difficult to push to end users and consequently private investors and players started coming in to help tackle the challenges1