Days after it declared N2.8 billion dividend, the management of Okomu Oil Palm, has committed N80 million to environmental and health safety for its staff and host communities.

The Managing Director of the company, Dr Graham Heifer, said that the 2018 commitment was in line with international best practices.

Heifer spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday on the side-line of activities to mark the companys Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Day.

Activities to mark the day were held at the companys corporate headquarters at Okomu in Udo , Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo.

Heifer said the companys management, which had taken issues of HSE as a priority, was hopeful of getting the Round-table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification this year to meet global standards.

RSPO was established in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders.

Heifer said: We will continue to focus our energy on environmental conservation, health, education and safety issues.

`This is to ensure that any negative impact on our staff, their families, communities, stakeholders and the surrounding biodiversity within our jurisdiction as result of our activities are mitigated and minimised.

The company successfully completed all statutory environmental audits in 2017 without any state and federal sanctions and continues to pursue and maintain certifications by International Standards Organisation to ensure that stakeholders are guaranteed the highest standards possible.

He said that the company has designated more than 10 per cent of its total area as High Conservation Value (HCV) areas, a notable achievement in the area of conservation.

In 2017, we spent N8.4 million on environmental impact assessments and audits.

The company also spent N48 million on staff health, safety and welfare programmes, up from N35 million in 2016.

The managing director further said that the company had invited independent auditors from internationally recognised NGOs who work closely with RSPO for independent assessment.

The independent auditors have said we are good to go and all that is remaining is for us to book an appointment with an auditor from RSPO to do its order which we hope will take place in October.

Once we are certified, we are then able to display the ISPO logo on our banner like the ISO certification.

The certification will be pleasing to us as that will make Okomu Oil Plc the first Nigerian company to be so certified by RSPO, he said.

Mr Benson Imasuen, the Edo Chairman of the Agricultural and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria, commended the management of the company for its proactive measures, especially on HSE-related matters.

It is wonderful to know what Okomu is doing with HSE to ensure safety of human beings and the environment.

Its one of the companies we know that is 100 per cent compliant with RSPO conditions.

We as a union are confident that the company will get RSPO certification this year, he said.

The company on June 12, announced a N2.8 billion dividend after tax for shareholders. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Nigeria Vs Iceland: Saraki meets Super Eagles ahead of Match

The President of the Nigerian Senate Dr Bukola Saraki has met with the Super Eagles players in Russia ahead of their World Cup match against Iceland.

Saraki who is in Russia on a working visit on the invitation of the Chairperson of the Russian Parliament, made out time to meet and address the Super Eagles team.

Saraki who was flanked by the Super Eagles Coach and their trainer, told the boys that his visit was to further encourage them like he did in Abuja Nigeria before they departed.

The Nigerian Super Eagles will be playing against Iceland in their second game at the World cup having lost their first match by two goals down to Croatia.

However, Nigeria who are in group D still stands a chance of qualifying as Argentina only has two one point having drawn their first match and lost the Second while Iceland has one point from their first game against Argentina.

Croatia tops the group with 6 points having won Nigeria in their first leg and defeated Argentina by 3-0 in the second leg on Thursday.

I am here just to encourage you and to tell you that you are lucky and opportune to be here. I know that you can do it and I wish I had the talent to be here too, he said.

He encouraged the players to put up their best and ensure they came out victorious in their remaining two matches at the group stage.

He assured the players of the support and the prayers of many Nigerians back at home.

If Nigeria wins the matcg against Iceland, they will be in second position on the group with 3 points.

Source: NAN

How generator is causing hearing loss to many Nigerians Expert

By Esenvosa Izah

An expert on hearing loss, Dr Bolajoko Olusanya, on Friday identified generators, some prescription drugs, and exposure to loud noise as major causes of hearing loss in the country.

Olusanya, a Medical Director at a Lagos clinic, Phonics Hearing Centre, made remarks in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

In Nigeria, we use generators a lot, because of frequent power outages.

The public should be sensitised to recognise that apart from getting power supply from generators, staying too long near them can cause hearing loss and once you have hearing loss, it is for life.

Also, people who are exposed to loud noise, including pepper grinding machines, those in the aviation industry, as well as factory workers, are at risk of hearing loss.

People should be made aware that if you are working where there is noise, do not stay for too long and if you have to stay, use ear plugs to protect your hearing.

Another risk factor apart from generators is the frequent use of drugs, like some antibiotics are susceptible to hearing loss, he said.

The expert noted that there were no studies till date to show how prevalent hearing loss was among the populace.

He said, however, in 2000, the National Ear Care Centre carried out a survey on the incidence of hearing loss that showed about 14 per cent of school children had hearing loss.

Olusanya said that no other survey had been carried out since then.

According to him, there are no public health strategies in the country to address risk factors and as a result, the number of people with hearing loss will keep increasing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that the number of people with hearing loss is on the increase.

The organisation says it has increased from 360 million to 466 million and it is projected by that by 2050, about almost a million people will have hearing loss.
So, what we need to do as a country is to find out the risk factors of hearing loss in our environment and government should take steps to address them.

It is a wake-up call that the National Ear Care Centre should be equipped and properly resourced to create adequate awareness on the issue, he said.

Olusanya said that in 2005, his clinic carried out a research to find out the major cause of hearing loss in children.

According to him, the findings showed that jaundice was the major cause of hearing loss in children in the Nigerian environment.

Other causes, he said, include infections, some premature babies, and congenital conditions such as cerebral palsy.

We are working on sensitising mothers that once a baby is born and it is discovered that the babys eyes are turning yellow, they should visit the hospital immediately.

The mothers should recognise the risk factors and take necessary steps to get care for their babies, Olusanya said.

Nigeria is said to record more than100, 000 cases per year. Treatment may help, but the condition is not curable.

The condition is usually self-diagnosable but laboratory tests or imaging is often required and chronic cases can last for years or be lifelong.

Deafness is usually the result of inner ear or nerve damage. It may be caused by a congenital defect, injury, disease, certain medication, exposure to loud noise or age-related wear and tear.

The chief symptom is an inability to hear sound. For some, hearing may be possible with surgery or a hearing device. Lip-reading skills, written or printed text and sign language may help with communication.

Source: NAN

The House of Representatives yesterday justified its decision to raise the budget estimates by N578 billion.

It also reiterated its stance not be subservient to the Executive on national budget preparation and approvals.

The House absolved itself of blame in the late passage of the budget. It blamed it all on the Executive.

In its reaction to President Muhammadu Buhari’s complaints while signing the 2018 Appropriation Act, the House said it is within its constitutional powers to alter the document.

The statement yesterday by its spokesman Abdulrazak Namdas, said it jacked up the 2018 budget because some of the projects designed by the executive did not meet the needs of the common man.

The lawmakers said the additional costs and projects to the budget were done in good faith for the sole purpose of improving the lives of Nigerians.

The statement reads: “The House of Representatives is appreciative of President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law and wish to make the following observations:

”That the budget is usually a proposal by the Executive to the National Assembly, which the latter is given the constitutional power of appropriation to alter, make additions, costs or reduce as it may deem necessary. The Legislature is not expected to be a rubber-stamp by simply approving the Executive proposals and returning the budget to Mr. President. Therefore, the additions Mr. President complained of in his speech are justifiable.

”We are on the same page with Mr. President in his desire to return our budget cycle to January-December. By the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, the budget estimates should be with the National Assembly around September of the year. In the case of the 2018 budget, the estimates came behind schedule in November 2017, even though this attempt was seen as one of the earliest in recent years. Going forward, we urge the Executive to speed up the reporting time to the National Assembly by complying fully with the FRA.

”Besides, there were delays that should be blamed on the heads of MDAs. Mr. President will recall that he had to direct ministers and heads of agencies to go to the National Assembly to defend their proposals. This came after the National Assembly had persistently raised the alarm over the non-cooperative attitudes of these government officials. On this grounds, the delay in passing the budget cannot be blamed on the legislature.

”New projects in budget. On this aspect, we have to remind Mr. President that we are representatives of our people and wish to state that even the common man deserves a mention in the budget by including projects that will directly affect his life positively. Some of the projects designed by the executive, as high-sounding as their names suggest, do not meet the needs of the common man.

“National Assembly budget. Before 2015, the budget of the National Assembly was N150billion for several years. It was cut down to N120bn in 2015 and further down to N115bn in 2016. In 2017, the budget was N125bn and N139.5bn in 2018. This means that the budget of the National Assembly is still far below the N150bn in the years before 2015.”

(The Nation Online)

President Muhammadu Buhari told a shocked nation today how the National Assembly mutilated and rewrote the budget proposals for 2018 as presented by the Executive last November.

In a brazen usurpation of executive powers, the National Assembly slashed 347 billion Naira in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to it for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of its own amounting to 578 billion Naira, President Buhari said.

He spoke at the signing of the budget in Abuja, seven months after it was presented to the National Assembly.

President Buhari said the various projects for which the National Assembly denied funds are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation.

Among them are the Mambilla Power Plant, Second Niger Bridge/ancillary roads, the East-West Road, Bonny-Bodo Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Project. President Buhari said the National Assembly slashed funding to them by an aggregate of 11.5 billion Naira.

” Similarly, provisions for some ongoing critical infrastructure projects in the FCT, Abuja especially major arterial roads and the mass transit rail project, were cut by a total of 7.5 billion Naira.

“The provision for Rehabilitation and Additional Security Measures for the United Nations Building by the FCT, Abuja was cut by 3.9 billion Naira from 4 billion Naira to 100 million Naira. He said the cutting will make it impossible for the Federal Government of Nigeria to fulfil its commitment to the United Nations on this project.

Also affected are the provisions for various Strategic Interventions in the health sector such as the upgrade of some tertiary health institutions, transport and storage of vaccines through the cold chain supply system, provision of anti-retroviral drugs for persons on treatment, establishment of chemotherapy centres and procurement of dialysis consumables were cut by an aggregate amount of 7.45 billion Naira.

Another is the planned security infrastructure for the 104 Unity Schools across the country. The National Assembly cut the budget by 3 billion Naira at a time when securing our students against acts of terrorism ought to be a major concern of government.

The National Assembly reduced the provision for the Federal Government’s National Housing Programme by 8.7 billion Naira. It also slashed the funding for Pension Redemption Fund and Public Service Wage Adjustment by N5billion, at a time when government is working with Labour to address compensation-related issues.

Also cut by N14.5billion were the provision for Export Expansion Grant (EEG) and Special Economic Zones/Industrial Parks, which are key industrialisation initiatives of this Administration.

The National Assembly reduced the funding for the completion of the Terminal Building at Enugu Airport from 2 billion Naira to 500 million Naira, an action the President noted, would further delay the completion of this critical project.

Slashed also was the take-off grant for the Maritime University in Delta State, a key strategic initiative of the Federal Government. It was cut from 5 billion Naira to 3.4 billion Naira.

The president noted that Some of the new projects inserted by the National Assembly have not been properly conceptualised, designed and costed and will therefore be difficult to execute”.

” About seventy (70) new road projects have been inserted into the budget of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing. In doing so, the National Assembly applied some of the additional funds expected from the upward review of the oil price benchmark to the Ministry’s vote. Regrettably, however, in order to make provision for some of the new roads, the amounts allocated to some strategic major roads have been cut by the National Assembly.

“Furthermore, many of these new projects introduced by the National Assembly have been added to the budgets of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or the incremental recurrent expenditure that may be required.

” As it is, some of these projects relate to matters that are the responsibility of the States and Local Governments, and for which the Federal Government should therefore not be unduly burdened.

“Another area of concern is the increase by the National Assembly of the provisions for Statutory Transfers by an aggregate of 73.96 billion Naira. Most of these increases are for recurrent expenditure at a time we are trying to keep down the cost of governance.

“An example of this increase is the budget of the National Assembly itself which has increased by 14.5 billion Naira, from 125 billion Naira to 139.5 billion Naira without any discussion with the Executive”.

(NAN)

The Nigerian Intervention Movement (NIM),led by Olisa Agbakobo, on Wednesday adopted Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) as the political party to contest the 2019 general elections.

The political movement announced its adoption of ANN, a relatively new party, at a gathering on Lagos.

Agbakoba, chair of NIM was the former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). NIMs co-chair is Dr Abdul Jelil-Tafawa Balewa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that prominent members of NIM and executive members of the ANN were present at the gathering.

They included Debe Odimegwu-Ojukwu, son of late founder of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Odimegwu Ojukwu; Mr Fela Durotoye, and Mrs Elishama Ideh both presidential aspirants under the ANN platform.

Agbakoba said the decision of NIM to fuse into ANN was borne out of the need to realise its vision for Nigeria.

Represented by NIMs, Deputy-Director-General, Mallam Nasir Kuta, Agbakoba said the limited time to the general elections would not permit NIM to register as a political party to pursue its vision.

Agbakoba said the movement settled for ANN because the party shared in its vision and ideology to build a better Nigeria.

It is trite to state that the majority of Nigerians have been overwhelmed by the extant quality of politics going on in our dear country as manifested by self-serving politics.

For us in NIM, the whole essence of political leadership and government is the welfare and wellbeing of the citizenry.

Therefore, there is need to restore hope to this country. The NIM was formed on 28th November 2017 by a new breed of leaders of conscience towards breathing a new life of constitutional democracy and good governance trajectory that will engender a new Nigeria that works for all of us.

Therefore having come to the reasoned conclusion that political parties are pillars for nurturing popular democracy and nurturing good governance and that political parties that have superintended over the affairs of the country have failed.

And given the timeline of the general elections, it was our resolve to adopt a fresh and untainted political party with elemental potential of delivering dividends of democracy towards realizing a new Nigeria of our dream, he said.

Agbakoba added that ANN was chosen after NIM had scanned no fewer than 17 parties that shared its vision.

He said ANN was the only party appropriate for NIM to pursue its PVC driven ballot revolution in 2019.

He said with the adoption of ANN, the political movement would gradually wind up and fuse into the party democratically.

Agbakoba urged Nigerians to join the ANN with the NIM in order to present a credible alternative in 2019.

He also urged citizens to obtain their PVCs as it was the instrument with which to elect their preferred leaders.

Speaking, National Chairman of ANN, Dr Jay Osi-Samuels said the adoption of ANN by NIM was historic.

He said the marriage of the two platforms was borne out of the need to give Nigerians a credible alternative in 2019.

Samuels said the coming of the two platforms meant they were both one and that the structure now belonged to both groups.

He urged Nigerians to trust the platform to deliver the goods in 2019.

We also urged citizens to obtain their PVCs as that is what they need to realise the country of their dream, he said.

Source: NAN

Former Edo Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has said that he will ensure party supremacy if elected as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at its National Convention on Saturday.

He stated this on Wednesday in Abuja when he had an interactive session with APC young stakeholders.

Oshiomohole stressed that it was the duty of political parties, particularly a governing party to have policies on the economy, social policies and policies that would determine how the society is organised and run.

He maintained that if elected, he would subject the president and other elective officers to the dictates of the party.

He specifically said that his leadership would be clear on issues of the economy and governance and would promote core values of progressives governance.

My hope is that, if by the special grace of God I become the APC National Chairman, we will need to be very clear about all these and other issues.

Anyone elected on our platform, including the President will be expected to conduct government and governance in a way that promote the core values of progressive governance, he said.

He decried the promotion of ethnic and religious matters by major political parties in the country.

According to him, the whole idea of seeking election on a partys platform is to share binding ideas and to positively impact on peoples well being.

Oshiomohole said it was unfortunate that we were yet to have any serious political platform where the agenda was to debate policy choices.

To me, this is what a political party should represent. It is not only meeting during elections, but meeting from time to time to discuss policy options,he said.

He assured that if elected as APC next national chairman, he would subject everyone to the dictates of the partys Constitution.

We will remain faithful to the manifesto of the party on the basis of which we were elected by the Nigerian people.

I believe that everything considered, we are still the favorite party, but we must not take the support of the people for granted.

My task is to be able to assist government at all levels to work in a way that will reflect the core values of the APC. he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oshiomhole would be contesting the APC national chairmanship position with Prof. OserheimenOsunbor who was also a former governor of Edo at the partys national convention slated for June 23.

Source: NAN

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth to a baby girl in an Auckland hospital Thursday, becoming only the second world leader to do so while in office.

It was the first child for the 37-year-old and her 40-year-old partner Clarke Gayford, with the new arrival weighing in at 3.3 kilogrammes (7.3 pounds).

Im sure were going through all of the emotions new parents go through, but at the same time feeling so grateful for all the kindness and best wishes from so many people. Thank you, Ardern said.

She added on Instagram that the baby was healthy and doing well.

Were all doing really well thanks to the wonderful team at Auckland City Hospital.

The charismatic Ardern follows Pakistans prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 1990 as the only women in recorded history to give birth while in power, but she downplayed the significance.

Lots of people juggle a lot of things in their personal and private lives, and Im not unusual in that. Plenty of women have multitasked before me, and I want to acknowledge that, she said when revealing the pregnancy in January.

The birth capped an eventful year for Ardern who became prime minister last October, three months after inheriting the leadership of the Labour Party when it was languishing in the polls.

When no party won sufficient support in the election to form a government, she was anointed prime minister by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, the kingmaker in a three-party coalition also involving the Greens.

Peters, who became Arderns deputy, is now acting prime minister while she takes six weeks maternity leave, although she will continue to be consulted on significant issues.

New Zealand opposition leader Simon Bridges offered congratulations.

Being parents is a joy and a privilege and we are sure your new arrival will fill your lives with all the happiness our children have ours, he said.

Ardern, who refused to discuss plans for motherhood during the election campaign, waited until January to reveal on Facebook she had conceived and was going to be prime minister and a mum.

Her plans for a family had sparked a sexism row during the election when a television host quizzed her on the issue, saying voters had a right to know before they cast their ballots.

She rejected the line of questioning as unacceptable, saying pregnancy and child rearing should not hinder womens opportunities in the workplace.

It is a womans decision about when they choose to have children and it should not predetermine whether or not they are given a job or have job opportunities, she said then.

Pakistans Bhutto, who was assassinated in 2007, gave birth in January 1990 to her daughter Bakhtawar who now describes herself on Twitter as 1st child born to a sitting female Prime Minister.

Ardern was due on June 17 and had said she did not want the pregnancy to drag on and was prepared to be induced if necessary.

The prime minister and Gayford, who hosts a television fishing show, had known the sex of the baby for several months but decided to keep it secret from the public.

Source: NAN

The Borno Command of the Nigerian Police Force said two female Boko Haram bombers died on Wednesday night while attempting to infiltrate 333 Artillery military hangout in Maiduguri.

Edet Okon, The Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), disclosed this in a statement released today in Maiduguri.

Okon said that the first bomber was gunned down by soldiers while trying to buy a ticket to gain entrance into Mammy market, where soldiers socialise. The soldiers had shot her on suspicion she was a bomber.

The bomb exploded and killed the first bomber while the second bomber detonated her IED inside the tricycle. The driver of the tricycle fled the scene.

As a result of the explosions, the two bombers died instantly while fifteen persons were injured and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the scene of incident has been sanitised by a team of EOD personnel and normalcy has been restored.

The Commissioner of Police Borno State, CP Damian Chukwu assures members of the public of the commitment of the force to continue to protect lives and properties at all times.

He also urged residents to be extra vigilant and to promptly report suspicious persons and activities to the Police or other security agencies for necessary actions.

Source: NAN

Fr. Joe Pereira, president of the Mumbai NGO Kripa Foundation says that practicing Yoga will help to combat drug addiction.

Kripa Foundation is an NGO that cares for AIDS patients and drug addicts.

He was speaking to AsiaNews ahead of the Fourth International Day of Yoga, which is being celebrated today.

He has been invited to give an address in London on an initiative on this subject organised by the parliamentary group All Party (UK) in the House of Lords.

The priest said that for 50 years he practiced the Iyengar Yoga method and had been a pupil of its founder Bellur Krishnamukari Sundara Iyengar.

In the same way, for the past 30 years, his foundation has used yoga to help in the rehabilitation of people with alcohol and drug problems.

The Kripa Foundation offers an intense program of yoga and meditation designed especially for people who undergo treatments and recovery sessions [from drug addiction] .

Todays celebration is deeply felt not only in India, but in various parts of the world.

Social networks abound with photos of Indian premier Narendra Modi as he leads an exercise of 55 thousand volunteers in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

However,on the claim that the practice leads to the divine, emphasizing instead the beneficial effects on body and physical health.

According to the Indian priest, meditation and yoga have the power to help us get in touch with the true inner self and to transcend the world of Prakriti and of materialism and to operate from a level of awareness which brings us to our essential uniqueness .

Responding to the perplexities that a Catholic priest who teaches yoga raises, he replies:

First of all, I have been practicing Iyengar Yoga for 50 years.

After the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has received elements of spirituality from the religions of the whole world.

In my work with drug addicts I have found that the answer to the thirst for love and God is fulfilled through the discipline of the body.

With the body, as a temple of the spirit of God, everyone has a journey towards God within his own self .

I love the Catholic Church he concludes because it is truly Catholic, it welcomes this discipline within contemplative practice, he said .

He said he would continue to use yoga for the two dimensions of drug addiction and contemplative prayer.

He added that the Kripa model is now used all over the world as a tool for recovery.

I will propose to the English parliamentarians to implement the same method also in the United Kingdom .He added.

Source: NAN