By Oladapo Udom

Nestl Nigeria Plc and the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources have commenced the planting of indigenous trees as a way of preserving the cultural heritage of some communities.

The tree planting projects are part of Nestls activities to mark the 2021 World Environment Day, with the theme as: Ecosystem restoration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event commenced with a tree planting exercise at the African Church Primary School, Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos State on Friday.

Speaking at the event, Dr Hassan Sanuth, Director, Sanitation Services, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, said that the programme was important.

This event is established to leave a mega advocacy on the importance of nature in relation to the survival of mankind on earth.

The theme stands for an opportunity for us to reflect on the activities of man on nature and how it has affected the environment negatively.

It opens up possibilities to how we can act to make sure that we improve the situation and restore the environment to serve us better, he said.

The director said that some communities had been named by some indigenous ecosystem like trees, rivers, birds and animals which had been identified and notified to be part of that community.

For instance, Idi Agbon (place of coconut) is named because the founding fathers of this community identified the prevalence of coconut trees in the community.

Whenever they were describing their domain, they would describe it using agbon (coconut) as a way of description thus people ended up naming the community Idi Agbon, he said.

Sanuth said that we had many communities in Lagos State that were named after landmark ecosystem noting that many of the biodiversities had been destroyed by the activities of mankind.

These legacies need to be protected for the future generations so that they will know their origin.

We must ensure that we resuscitate these plants on our communities so that our legacy will not die but live through the future generations.

These programmes is to last for a decade and the government in collaboration with corporate organisations have decided to imbibe these indigenous plants, rivers and animals in the community, he said.

Mrs Edidiong Peters, Public Affairs Specialist, Nestl Nigeria said the day was set aside to draw attention and galvanise action in promoting awareness of the environment.

Peters said safe guarding the environment was a collective responsibility.

It is not meant for the government or the private sectors alone but it is a collective efforts meant for us all.

That is why we are delighted to be collaborating with the Lagos State Environment on this World Environment Day.

The theme for this years celebration is significant because it comes at a time when the environment needs to be restored, she said.

Peters said climate change was one of the greatest challenges facing society today and that a lot needed to be done in combating its negative effects.

Natures own solution is a useful channel in combating climatic change.

The planting of trees is significant not only for the aesthetic values but also for the purification of air around us.

The trees will help us to absorb the carbondioxide and release more oxygen for us, she said.

Peters noted that Nestl remained dedicated to protecting the environment for future generations.

We believe that this is very important and over the years we have taken a lot of actions regarding our sustainability journey.

We have embarked on sustainable packaging, water replenishment activities, water conservation and the education of young children, she said.

Also, Mr Adeyemi Olalekan, Education Secretary, Ifako Ijaye Local Education Authority, said the environment needed to be protected because it was where humans lived and got their food from.

Olalekan said a tree planted around any community would give that area serene look and improve its air quality and aesthetic composition.

I am happy that tree planting is being extended to schools because this will make it easy for us to educate our children on the different trees and their importance.

What a child sees and feels is knowledge that will last a life time, he said.

The educationist said teachers had been teaching students about trees abstractly but with the programme, it would be more practical. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ezra Musa

Kaduna State Government has pledged to plant 1.2 million trees within the year in an effort to tackle climate change.

Mr Ibrahim Husseini, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, stated this on Friday while inaugurating a tree planting campaign ahead of the 2021 World Environment Day in Kaduna.

According to him, to restore the biodiversity of the environment, massive tree planting must be encouraged to tackle climate change as humans depend on trees for a sustainable environment.

Husseini urged people of the state to imbibe the culture of keeping their environment clean and always avoid felling trees.

He said that government would continue to sensitise people using the media on how to protect the environment through tree planting.

He called on individuals and organisations to plant trees and flowers to help save the environment.

Mr Lawal Jibrin, General Manager Kaduna Environmental Authority (KEPA), said that the agency would ensure the proper nurturing of the trees planted as part of its mandate.

He charged the people to desist from indiscriminate waste disposal and always clear their drains in order to avert flooding.

Jibrin said that the Gov. Nasiru El Rufai-led administration had taken measures to address issue of flooding in the state by ensuring that roads were constructed with standard drainage system.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that KEPA also sensitised students of Government Day School in Rigasa, and gave them trees to plant at the event. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Nigeria on Thursday in New York, called on the global community to take measures to prevent and combat corruption as well as strengthen international cooperation against illicit financial flows.

Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) made the call at UN headquarters while delivering Nigerias statement at the Special Session on Corruption.

The three-day UN General Assembly Special Session on Corruption focuses on Challenges, Measures to Prevent and Combat Corruption and Strengthen International Cooperation.

He spoke of the need for a multifaceted approach to addressing illicit financial flows as recommended by the High Level Panel Report on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity for Achieving the 2030 Agenda (FACTI Panel).

Bawa said the Report (FACTI Panel) provided paths to financial integrity for sustainable development, strongly showing how to redirect the resources lost from illicit flows to finance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs.

Nigeria further calls for the simplification of evidentiary requirements and other mutual legal assistance procedures to seize, confiscate and repatriate proceeds of corruption as appropriate, to enhance international cooperation for timely recovery and return of assets.

Let me reiterate that the fight against Illicit Financial Flows is urgent and important in our collective efforts to address corruption.

We remain committed in our efforts to track, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds and assets to their countries of origin, the EFCC Chairman said.

He said Nigeria looked forward to the full implementation of all the commitments expressed in the Political Declaration, particularly on asset recovery and return, to support development financing as well as the implementation of the agenda 2030 for sustainable development.

The EFCC boss told the international gathering that Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari had made the fight against corruption one of the cardinal objectives of the administration.

He said Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) and whistle blowers were encouraged to join the fight against corruption and contribute their quota in that regard.

The EFFC Chairman explained that one instance of such whistle blowing led to the recovery of m.

Public corruption is being exposed by the day and several Politically Exposed Persons have been and are being prosecuted and divested of their illicit assets.

We have been engaging with International Law Enforcement Agencies around the world and some of the collaboration has led to the recovery and repatriation of stolen funds.

It has led to recovery and repatriation of stolen funds, including the recent return of the 4.2million pounds by the UK Government that was stolen from Nigeria by a former governor.

In addition, Bawa said procurement processes had been strengthened and activities of the gate keepers were being monitored through the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering to serve as deterrence to the stealing of public funds.

Policies have been introduced to mitigate revenue leakages including the development of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS).

The NACS is developed with five identified cardinal pillars on prevention, public engagement, ethical re-orientation, enforcement and sanctions and recovery and management of stolen assets/proceeds of crime.

The strategy is aimed at providing a national road map in the fight against corruption, he said.

Also, he said Nigeria had sustained its commitment to the social re-use of recovered assets as demonstrated in the funding of major road infrastructure projects and other social initiatives consisting of cash transfers to the most vulnerable groups, school meals and funding of micro-credit schemes. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health Francis Collins appeared to have dismissed the Wuhan lab leak theory of COVID-19 as a conspiracy in an email in 2020.

This was according to recent media report on Friday.

Citing a newly released email in April 2020 from Collins to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. magazine Newsweek reported on Wednesday that the subject line of Collins email to Fauci was titled conspiracy gains momentum.

Most of the message was redacted, aside from a link to an article related to a claim that COVID-19 could have originated from a Chinese lab, said Newsweek.

Faucis response email was also redacted, according to the report.

In an interview published in May 2020 by National Geographic, Fauci said, If you look at the evolution of the virus in bats and whats out there now, (the scientific evidence) is very, very strongly leaning toward this could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News

The German Catholic Church has been rocked by a fresh crisis following the shock resignation of one of its most influential bishops over the Churchs sexual abuse scandal.

In essence, for me, it is a matter of sharing responsibility for the catastrophe of sexual abuse by church officials over the past decades, Cardinal Reinhard Marx wrote to the pope in a letter released on Friday.

A former president of Germany BishopsConference, Marx is one of the nations most influential church leaders.

The German Catholic Church is one of the wealthiest in the world.

Marx, the bishop of Munich, said the investigations and expert reports over the past 10 years consistently showed that there had been a lot of personal failure and administrative errors, but also institutional or systemic failure.

Marxs letter was sent to the pope nearly a fortnight ago but was only made public on Friday.

His resignation offer came after the pope last month stepped into the scandal that has engulfed the Catholic Church in Cologne byordering a review of the west German citys handling of a sex abuse scandal.

The pope plans to dispatch a so-called apostolic visitation to Germanys largest diocese this month to investigate possible errors carried out by Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki in handling the claims of sexual misconduct by priests.

Marx described in a newspaper interview last year the decision not to publish a probe into clergy sexual abuse undertaken by the Cologne Archdiocese as devastating for the entire Catholic Church.

An expert report on cases of sexual abuse in the Munich and Freising archdiocese is expected to be completed in the coming months with the probe focused on how sexual abuse by priests in the diocese was possible and whether high-ranking clergy protected perpetrators.

In his letter to the pope, Marx said he had repeatedly considered resigning from office in recent months.

Events and discussions of recent weeks play only a secondary role in this, Marx wrote, saying his plan to resign was a very personal decision.

I want to make it clear: I am ready to take personal responsibility, not only for my own mistakes but for the church as an institution, which I have helped shape and mould for decades.

Marx plans to continue his work as a bishop until a decision is made on his resignation. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Felicia Imohimi

The International Funds for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet)

have signed a Memorandum of Understand (MoU) for agricultural sustainability and enhancement.

Prof. Mansur Matazu, NiMets Director-General, at the ceremony in Abuja said that the IFAD-VCDP and NiMet project would enable the agency to have direct contact with the lead farmers as well as the climate change agent at the community level.

Matazu emphasised that weather and climate forecast was very critical to the agency for easier monitoring of the performance of forecast for farmers as well as feedback.

He added that the agency through the partnership would be abreast of the demand of farmers.

The director-general noted that the agency had set up technical committee for the implementation of the project.

According to him, it has been established in the global altitude for weather information for agriculture that agriculture enhances over 80 per cent per yield.

Therefore, climate risk can be reduced by 90 per cent under this partnership. Our partnership with IFAD-VCDP is a great thing by helping us in fulfilling part of our mandates.

We need to reach out to farmers especially at the grassroots and some partners that have already been on the field.

The partnership makes us do the downscaling activities smoothly, we use this platform to provide services to farmers easily and you.

Earlier, Alhaji Garba Bala, IFAD-VCDP National Programme Coordinator, noted that the project would be piloted in nine states which included Anambra, Ebonyi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Taraba, Niger, Benue, Ogun and Enugu.

Bala said that the VCDP programme was targeted at the poorest of the poor farmers farming below one hectare of land.

He identified climate-related issues and support as key performance indication for VCDP project describing the partnership as timely due to the commencement of the rainy season.

Bala said that the project would provide climate weather information to VCDP farmers.

According to him, the MoU is to get technical assistant from NiMet on climate information for farmers to boost production of rice and cassava in the targeted states.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Adeyemi Adeleye

APC in Lagos State on Friday unveiled its flag bearers for the July 24 local council elections in the state.

Elections will be conducted into the 20 Local Government Councils and the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the state on that day.

The list of chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidates was signed by the partys Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun and the committees Secretary, Mr Lanre Ogunyemi.

The party conducted its primaries across the 57 councils on May 29.

According to the party, the APC chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidates in Agbado-Okeodo are Oladapo Famuyiwa/Ajoke Obe; Oladele Osinowo/Folake Kayode (Agboyi Ketu), Ganiu Egunjobi/Gbenga Abiola (Agege) and Ayoola Fatai/Lucky Uduikhue (Ajeromi).

In Alimonsho Sulaiman Jelili/Ibrahim Johnson (Alimosho), Dipo Olorunrinu/Maureen Ashara (Amuwo-Odofin), Oluwaseun Gabriel/Samson Aromire (Apapa), Funmilayo Akande/Olawale Olufemi (Apapa-Iganmu), Bolatito Sobowale/Omoshalewa Laguda (Ayobo-Ipaja).

Olusegun Onilude/Pedetin Kappa will contest the election at Badagry Central, Henugbe Gbenu/Rauf Ibrahim (Badagry West), Kolade Alabi/Zainat Kupouyi (Bariga).

Rasak Ibrahim/Matthew Olaleye (Coker- Aguda), Kunle Sanyaolu/Lukmon Ishola (Egbe-Idimu), Monsuru Bello/Ayodele Ayodeji (Ejigbo) and Surah Animashaun/Sikiru Owolomanshe (Epe).

Ismail Akinloye/Lateef Adesanya (Eredo), Adesegun Bankole/Adeola Adetoro (Eti-Osa), Olufemi Rafiu/John Ogundare (Eti-Osa East), Yisa Jubril/Samuel Ayodele (Iba), Abdullahi Olowa/Isiaka Olatunji (Ibeju) and Usman Hamzat/Oluwatoyin Akerele (Ifako-Ijaiye).

Olufemi Okeowo/Adejinyan Ojora (Ifelodun), Lasisi Akinsanya/Afeez Akinyemi (Igando-Ikotun), Olusesan Daini/Nuraini Okedina-Maja (Igbogbo Baiyeku), Motunrayo Gbadebo-Alogba/Femi Kabir (Ijede), Mojeed.

Balogun/Yomi Mayungbe (Ikeja) and Wasiu Adesina/Sade Olabanji-Oba (Ikorodu Central).

Banjo Adebisi/Olawale Ameen (Ikorodu North), Olanrewaju Sulaimon/Adesegun Aluko (Ikorodu West), Adewale Anomo/Wasiu Dehinsilu (Ikosi Ejinrin), Abolanle Bada/Olayinka Ogunleye (Ikosi/Isheri), Fuad Atanda-Lawal/Akinbowale Macaulay (Ikoyi/Obalende) and Kunle Agoro/Ayodele Benson (Imota).

Rashidat Adu/Olusegun Ogunbiyi (Iru, Victoria Island), Adebayo Olasoju/Sadiq Saliu (Isolo), Olanrewaju Apatira/Oluwayomi Lawrence (Itire-Ikate), Moyosore Ogunlewe/Saliu Babatunde (Kosofe), Tijani Olusi/Akinyemi Eshinokun (Lagos Island) and Alade Folawiyo/Adejoke Balogun (Lagos Island East).

Omolola Essein/Jubril Emilagba (Lagos Mainland), Bamidele Kasali/Oluremi Alogba (Lekki), Olabisi Adebajo/Adewale Hamzat (Mosan Okunola), Emmanuel Bamgboye/Tunbosun Aruwe (Mushin), Rasaq Ajala/Oluseyi Jakande (Odi-Olowo), Rasulu Idowu/Edna Uche-Ubochi (Ojo), and Olusegun Odunmbaku/Bunmi Oluyadi (Ojodu).

Hammed Tijani/Coker Oladipo (Ojokoro), Olatunde Folorunso/Monsuru Ogungbemi (Olorunda), Oladotun Olakanle/Olufunke Hassan (Onigbongbo), Hassan Akinola/Olanrewaju Moshood (Oriade) and Babatunde Johnson/Kafila Akanni (Orile Agege).

Almoruf Oloyede/Modupe Badmus (Oshodi), Musbau Ashafa/Abiodun Kareem (Oto Awori), Abdulhamed Salawu/Adekunle Ekinyemi (Somolu), Bamidele Yusuf/Muiz Dosumu (Surulere) and Kayode Omiyale/Adedoyin Rojare for Yaba LCDA. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ismail Abdulaziz
Africas leading sugar manufacturer, the Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) has unveiled an innovative sugar brand, tagged: New Look, Same Great Quality.

The ceremony for the unveiling of the white granulated white sugar was conducted on Thursday at the ongoing Kaduna 42nd International Trade Fair.

The vitamin A fortified sugar excited participants who thronged the Dangote Special Day to make enquiries.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Representative of the DSR, Bello Sadik, described the DSR as the market leader, saying the repackaged product is part of the effort at giving the consumer a superior quality.

Acting President of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), Alhaji Suleiman Aliyu, said Dangote Group has broken record in all its investments and undertakings.

He congratulated the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for the repackaged sugar product, and several other innovations.

Dangote has come to rescue Nigeria to make it self-sufficient in food and other products, he said.

Other products that were exhibited at the Dangote Special Day include: Dangote Cement, Dangote Salt and Dangote Fertilizer.

In his speech, representative of the Dangote Group at the event, Mr Hashem Ahmed, said the company had keyed into the Federal Government Backward Integration Policy to make Nigeria self-sufficient in the sugar subsector.

Hashem said that Dangote was passionate about growing Nigerias economy, which informed his current massive investment in sugar and partnership with KADCCIMA and the Kaduna State Government.

He said that the company was currently working on its integrated sugar complexes in Adamawa, Nasarawa and Taraba states, adding that when completed they would have significant impacts on growing the economy.

He said the theme for this years Trade Fair, Promoting domestic production to mitigate the current economic challenges, is apt given the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world leading to border closures.

He said the conglomerate would not rest on its oars until Nigeria, and indeed Africa settle in an enviable position among nations.(NAN)
PR:

Source: NAN News

By Ahmed Abba

Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, has said that there were huge opportunities to be exploited for mutual benefit of China, Yobe and Nigeria, in general.

A statement signed by Mamman Muhammed, the Director General, Press and Media Affairs, quoted Buni as saying this when the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Cui Jianchun, paid him a courtesy call on Thursday.

He said there was also room for partnership between the Chinese Peoples Congress and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the people of the two countries to expand their businesses and attract infrastructural development into Nigeria.

Buni explained that the agricultural revolution in Nigeria by the Buhari regime, in consonance with the APC manifesto, saved Nigeria from food shortages during the COVID-19 global lockdown.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in his wisdom, pushed for agricultural development in which farmers massively engaged in food production which saved the country during the lockdown.

We should collaborate and continue to do business with Chinese investors in Nigeria for infrastructural development. Nigerians are willing to explore and exploit available avenues to move forward, the governor added.

Responding, Jainchun, noted that Nigeria and China had many things in common, saying, this year is a very special year for the two countries to do things that will be of mutual benefit.

He expressed confidence that Nigeria would overcome its security challenges and look forward to a bright future, saying that Nigeria and China can also develop a strategy for political and economic prosperity.

We can also partner for improvements in electricity, ICT, industrial growth, investment and technology, we will encourage investors to invest and create jobs in Nigeria.

The ambassador extended an invitation to Gov. Buni to visit China. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over the meeting of the Police Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those in attendance of the meeting include Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Chairman of the Governors Forum and Governor of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

Others physically attending the meeting are the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Ministers of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammed Bello and the Chairman Police Service Commission, Musiliu

NAN reports that the acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba was also sighted at the venue of the meeting but not part of the deliberations.

NAN reliably learnt that the meeting might confirm the appointment of the acting I-G today.

President Buhari had on April 6 appointed Usman Baba as acting the Inspector General of Police.

Baba was a Deputy Inspector General of Police before his promotion.

details later.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

The aftermath of a case of alleged sexual harassment of a female non-commissioned officer (NCO) by a fellow officer is rocking the South Korean Air Force.

Air Force Chief of Staff, Lee Seong Yong, offered his resignation on Friday.

He felt responsible for the circumstances of the case, Lee announced in a statement.

President Moon Jae-In accepted the resignation, according to his office.

The NCO was found dead in May. Investigators assumed that she had committed suicide.

The soldiers family accuses her superiors of trying to cover up the case.

Earlier on June 2, a military court issued a warrant for the arrest of an air force officer who allegedly molested the NCO in her car on the way to the joint base in the western city of Seosan.

The case was about three months old by then.

The woman with the rank of sergeant had reported the incident, but her superiors had urged her to reach an agreement with the accused, according to South Korean media reports.

They had also not fully informed the Defence Ministry about the case.

On June 3, two of the soldiers former superiors were relieved of their official duties, the news agency Yonhap reported.

They were to be investigated for neglect of duty and attempted coercion.
Moon had called for a thorough investigation into the case.

Source: NAN News

Taiwan thanked both Japan and the United States for the timely offer of COVID-19 vaccines on Fridayas coronavirus cases on the island exceeded 10,000.

The Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) on Friday announced 474 new cases and 21 related deaths.

Since the pandemic began, Taiwan has confirmed a total of 10,446 cases, including 9,248 locally transmitted ones; the related death toll had reached 187.

The island of 23.6 million people with a vaccination rate lower than 3 per cent on Friday saw the arrival of 1.24 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, shipped by Japan Airlines JL 809 directly from Tokyo.

We deeply appreciate it,CECCchief, Chen Shih-chung,told a news conference, displaying a big board saying THANK YOUto Japan.

President Tsai Ing-wen said on Facebook that Taiwan was grateful for receiving the timely assistance on June 4 from Japan, a partner sharing the same values of freedom and democracy, referring to the Tiananmen massacre on June 4, 1989, in China.

Tsai on May 26 slammed China for blocking Taiwans deal with the German pharmaceutical firm BioNTech for supplies of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Tsaialso thanked the United States.

According to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which acts as the de facto U.S. embassy, Taiwan will be included in the first tranche of the more than 80 million COVID-19 vaccines the U.S. will share.

With the strong partnership our countries share, we know well be there for each other in times of need, Tsai tweeted.

In a speech, Tsai said Taiwan would continue to communicate with other countries in order to secure more stable supplies of vaccines. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Mohammed Tijjani

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has seized 373 vehicles with expired vehicle documents, old number plates and without drivers license in Kaduna State.

The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr Hafiz Mohammed, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the seizure was made during a joint operation in Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria.

He added that 252 vehicles were seized in Kaduna, 41 in Kafanchan and 80 in Zaria.

Mohammed stressed the need for motorists to register their vehicles and acquire new number plates.

We still have cases of motorists with unregistered vehicle papers, including tricycles and motorcycles still ply our roads and perpetrate crimes unnoticed.

If a registered vehicle is used to commit, a crime, we can easily trace the person by logging onto our ur database, using addresses of violators.

The defaulters are given ample time to acquire the new number plates, drivers license and renew their expired vehicles particulars, he said.

Muhammed said the joint operation would be sustained and thanked stakeholders involved in the exercise for their cooperation. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Jessica Onyegbula

Rev. Yakubu Pam, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), has urged the Federal Government to initiate dialogue with various groups to douse tension in the country.

Pam gave this advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

NAN reports that while some groups have called for secession or restructuring, others called for a new constitution to reflect the wishes and aspirations of every zone in the country.

Pam, however, said that dialogue was the only way out of the present predicament the country had found itself.

He said that solutions might not be found to the various arguments and agitations by different groups unless the people came together for discussions.

Yes, government is doing a lot in terms of releasing funds and making sure security personnel are covered but it is not enough to release funds and provide names of people who occupy those offices in the security architecture.

Supervision and assessment are very important; our security agencies need to do more because the civil society and some of us are not satisfied with what is going on, he said.

Pam said that civil society seemed to lay complaints more without proffering solutions.

That is not good for our country.

I believe that once we are laying complaints, we should be able to help the government in its policy, advice and tell them what we think should be done, instead of just condemning.

We should be able to bring out some reasonable advice, he said.

According to Pam, the elites including President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Sultan of Sokoto have very big roles to play in ensuring that things do not degenerate.

We need engagement. We cannot just speak and go. Engagement with the civil society should be activated at the grassroots, possibly the six geo-political zones.

We have those representing the senatorial districts at the National Assembly and the Senate. They should be able to engage with the people and hear from them and know what to do.

From the Federal level, let there be engagement. Some of us at the peace level are already moving on engagement in the six geo-political zones.

People are heavy with so many things on their minds.

And if we do not channel the strength of the youths into good ventures and give them hope, they can use it to destroy all that we have built, he said.

Pam said he had trust in the ability of President Muhammadu Buhari to transform the country for the better.

He called on the government to give traditional rulers a role in the constitution as they had direct contact with the people on a daily basis. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has congratulated his Bayelsa counterpart, Sen. Douye Diri as he clocks 62 years.

The governors felicitation is conveyed in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika on Friday in Asaba.

He lauded Diri for his tremendous contributions through service, to the development of his state and country.

According to Okowa, since Diri came into the saddle of governance in Bayelsa, Yenagoa, the capital and other parts of the state have witnessed remarkable improvements in infrastructure and aesthetics.

He commended the governor for his determination in making a difference in the state, including assiduous work toward achieving Universal Health Coverage for Bayelsans.

I must commend you my dear brother governor for your already acknowledged accomplishments in the development of your state in the short time you have held sway.

I am aware of your efforts at ensuring that the Bayelsa Airport becomes operational to give Bayelsans the opportunity to have aviation services instead of travelling to Port-Harcourt and Owerri for such service.

Your Excellency, it is worthy of note that you are delivering universal health coverage and improving health facilities for the people of Bayelsa, and I must commend you for that.

Your selfless and impressive start as governor of Bayelsa has already distinguished you as an emerging nationalist and one to look out for in the emerging political firmament in our country.

I must also acknowledge your unwavering commitment to the course of the South-South region, especially as we contend with prevailing challenges in the region and country.

On behalf of my family, the government and people of Delta, I congratulate a gentleman of honour and integrity, a consummate politician and budding nationalist, Senator Douye Diri, on his 62nd birth anniversary.

I am extremely proud of your great achievements in the short time you have led your state.

I urge you to continue using your God-given exalted position to render service conscientiously to your people.

On this auspicious occasion of your birth anniversary, I join your family, friends and well-wishers to thank Almighty God for your life which has been marked by divine favour and sterling attainments, Okowa added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Leonard Okachie

Mr Chuks Wabara, the Executive Chairman, Ukwa East Local Government Area, Abia has urged the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU) to help in the promotion of Akwete fabric through its entrepreneurship programmes.

Wabara in a statement on Friday in Umuahia by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Charles Williams, made the appealduring a courtesy visit to the management of the university.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akwete people in Ukwa East LGA are well recognised in the knitting of Akwete fabric hence it was named after them.

Wabara urged the university to assist the council in its promotion by sustaining the technical knowledge in the production so that it would not go into extinction.

He suggested that the university could further assist in promoting the local fabrics by establishing a showroom in its Fine Arts Department.

Wabara, who led a delegation of his cabinet, also presented a proposal for the establishment of the Ukwa campus of the university in the council area.

The council area is endowed with tableland, water, ambient environment and humid temperature that could encourage learning.

The essence of the visit is to also extend a hand of partnership to the schools agricultural department as the council is blessed with Abia Palm plantation, he said.

The plantation, he said was capable of providing an inexhaustible supply of crude palm oil for commercial and industrial uses as well as creating jobs.

The visit is an opportunity to congratulate the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Maxwell Ogbulu, who is from the council area on his well-deserved appointment into the prestigious position, Wabara said.

He described it as a huge favour by Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to the people of Ukwa.

In his response, the vice-chancellor thanked the delegation and believed that the visit would create a synergy between ABSU and Ukwa land.

He also promised that the university would look at the proposals to see how the ideas couldbe translated into reality one after the other.

NAN reports that as a show of support, the vice chancellor was decorated with Akwete fabric and other gifts were presented to him. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

According to him, the mileage attained by the most great economies today is tied to the huge investments on technology and innovations.

We need to think and act fast in investing in our universities and other tertiary institutions toward that direction.

If we should do things right, the frustrations that have hung over our institutions, especially the universities, will disappear.

On our part, we shall continue to support research works and innovations in our tertiary institutions as this is what drives national development, he said.

The executive secretary lamented that the traditional appropriation funding window for public universities in the country had failed the nation.

Bogoro noted that for universities to effectively carry out their mandate of teaching, research and community development, there must be enhanced funding.

The dwindling revenue in the country has posed serious threat to these institutions and therefore, emphasises the need for us to do more in driving and supporting research and development.

The TETFund boss who was the guest lecturer commended UNILAG for its research efforts, noting that it had rightfully earned its place as one of Africas best in that space.

Universty of Lagos is the best performer on the National Research Fund grant. They have been very persistent and I want to say that the quality of leadership in this university has made all these possible.

It takes a serious academic to believe in research and go ahead to win grants. We will continue to support focused leadership in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, Bogoro said.

Earlier in his address, the Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the primary

He said the school had since grown in leaps and bounds with more than 15,000 registered students on its various programmes for the session.

the

due to dwindling resources of government in recent times

Earlier, the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies of the university, Prof. Alabi Soneye, said while higher education remained a paramount source of knowledge, qualitative research remained the veritable tool in the development and advancement of society.

Source: NAN News

By Victor Nwachukwu

The Nigerian Bar Association, Imo branch, has set up a help desk to collate data of persons allegedly arrested and detained unjustly by the police in the state.

This is contained in a statement issued by the associations Publicity Secretary, Uzor Enwere, in Owerri on Thursday.

According to the statement, the help desk is aimed at addressing issues of wanton arrest and detention of innocent residents of Imo with a view to ensuring their release.

He stated that the Bars Committee on Human Rights would coordinate the desk at the Bar Centre and complaints received would be taken up with the appropriate quarters.

Considering that the courts are not sitting, the help desk will collate the names of innocent persons unjustly arrested and detained for the purpose of securing their release.

This approach is dictated by the precarious security situation in Imo at the moment, which has the semblance of war situation.

The outcome of our interactions reveal that there is more to the situation than meets the eye, Enwere stated.
He added that the help desk would open by 10am from June 4 at the Bar Centre.

He listed the help desk phone lines to include 08035251755, 08035512622 and 08035512622. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Olayinka Owolewa

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jerome Pasquire, on Thursday described the Esie Museum in Kwara as a wonderful discovery that is of a world class tourist attraction.

Pasquire said this in Esie, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state, shortly after his tour of the Museum alongside Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, where an asphalt road leading to the historical site was also inaugurated.

I am very happy to be here. I have never heard of Esie Museum before. It is really a wonderful discovery. It is a world class museum, which deserves to be well-known across the world, the envoy declared.

Pasquire promised to encourage France nationals to visit the museum for various artefacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, and historical importance.

I shall try to inform many people from France and I can advise them to come here to see this museum.

Even with the new road that the governor just commissioned will help people to come and see this museum. It is very unique in this region and even in the world. It can be a world class tourist attraction in Kwara, he said.

On his two-day visit to the state, the French ambassador said he was impressed with the developmental strides of the AbdulRazaq administration in the last two years.

Within my two days of visit, I have seen so many new projects. I was impressed when I saw projects on rural development, the innovation hub, Ilorin Visual Arts Centre and we also saw some technical institutes.

We saw the big BUA Sugar Company in the north of the state. What is important for Nigeria is more projects and more development, and I am very impressed with what I saw here, he said.

AbdulRazaq had earlier explained that the construction of the Esie Museum road was part of the administrations integrated approach to engineer socio-economic and cultural development to make Kwara the new investment destination.

National Museum Esie is a federal government project. What we have done is to construct a new road leading to it.

This will also encourage more people to visit and open the economic space. We will be working with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture under Alhaji Lai Muhammad to make sure the right infrastructure is put in place and existing facilities upgraded, he said.

This is the first museum in Nigeria and from today onward it will be more known that Esie is on global map. That is the whole idea.

AbdulRazaq commended the French ambassador for his interest in attracting tourists to Esie Museum and other partnerships with the state government.

We thank the French Ambassador to Nigeria for leaving the highway and come down to Esie personally to see what is here, the governor said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Lizzy Okoji

Lynda Ikpeazu, member of the ECOWAS Parliament representing Nigeria, has told the Parliament that Nigeria has not lost control in the fight against insecurity and is determined to ending the menace.

Ikpeazu made this known on Thursday in Abuja during the ongoing Extraordinary Session of the Parliament, responding to recommendations for a concerted regional effort to assist Nigeria fight the insecurity ravaging the country.

Ikpeazu, who appreciated Members of Parliament for their concerns, said that Nigeria was exploring all measures with high level of determination to fight terrorism, banditry and other forms of violence.

She said that insecurity in the region was not peculiar to Nigeria, stating that the nation had a stable political situation.

Nigeria is determined to solve the insecurity confronting the country and several efforts are ongoing.

We are, however, not too big to get help from anyone and I am not the Executive so I cannot speak on that.

Nigeria is not the only country in the region facing insecurity and we are not just folding our hands, there are serious efforts ongoing in the fight against insecurity, Ikpeazu said.

Ikpeazu noted that insecurity was a ripple effect of bad governance, poverty and human rights violation and that was why the Nigerian National Assembly had taken steps of its constitution amendment to address triggers of insecurity.

She said that the House of Representative convened a summit of the Constitution amendment to get the input of all Nigerians in the process,

The National Assembly is holding public hearing across the country to get the suggestions from the Nigerian people on the best ways to govern the country.

This will enable us to get the views and contributions of Nigeria to constitution process which would in turn make them have a feeling of inclusiveness in the process.

Nigeria has definitely not lost control, we have a situation and we are working tirelessly towards addressing it, Ikpeazu added.

Mr Francis Alimikhena, another Nigerian representative at the ECOWAS Parliament said that Nigeria had taken several steps which had yielded positive results in the fight against terrorism.

Alimikhena, however, noted that a collaborated joint-border approach would further help Nigeria and the region in winning the war against terror as most of the insurgents were habouring in neigbouring countries.

If we get the cooperation of other neighbouring countries then we can be sure to win in the fight.

Because most of the terrorism elements when they are being fought from Nigeria, habour and begin to operate from bordering countries.

The Nigerian government and the military have been responsive, that is why when Nigerians clamoured for change of Service Chiefs, they were changed.

And with the way the new Service Chiefs are going we are sure that the war in the North/East will soon be a thing of the past, Alimikhena said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News