Super Eagles

By Emmanuel Afonne

Officials of the Super Eagles, including the teams assistant coach, Joseph Yobo and goalkeeper trainer Aloy Agu are expected to depart the country on Saturday night for Austria, ahead of the international friendly matches with Algeria and Tunisia.

Others to depart on Saturday night are Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor; Media Officer, Toyin Ibitoye; Team Doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran; Equipment Manager, Chidi Ngoka and Physiotherapist, Christopher Nnadozie.

Toyin Ibitoye, Super Eagles, Media Officer, disclosed this on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying that the officials had all received their visas for the journey.

Ibitoye also said team captain Ahmed Musa would depart with the officials from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to play the Desert Foxes of Algeria on Oct. 9 and Tunisias Carthage Eagle on Oct. 13 in friendly matches ahead of competitive games.

According to Ibitoye, the players will begin to arrive the teams camp in Austria immediately after their clubs engagement this weekend.

Our players will start arriving in the camp between Friday and Sunday immediately they finish playing their league games this weekend.

We will be playing our first game on Oct. 9, so, by Oct. 6, every player is supposed to be in camp in Austria.

We will have just two days to prepare and we know Algeria is a strong force in football, Ibitoye said.

The Super Eagles Coordinator, Patrick Pascal who also spoke to NAN, said the Coronavirus pandemic had affected football so much and as such cannot predict what would happen in Austria.

Pascal, however, assured Nigerian fans that the team would live up to the expectations during both matches. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

CAN urges government to overhaul countrys security system

By Ifeoma Aka

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Enugu State chapter, has called on government at all level to overhaul the countrys security system to guarantee the protection of lives and properties of the citizens.

The Chairman of the association, Rev. Ositadinma Edeh, made the call on Tuesday on Tuesday in a statement he signed to mark Nigeria at 60.

Edeh said that Nigeria at 60 called for celebration not minding the numerous challenges facing the nation.

He reminded those in authority that the Most High was sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gave them to anyone he wished, knowing that the positions of authority were given to them by God.

The clergyman urged them to be guided by the biblical injunction in 1 Corinthians 4:2, which says now it is required that those who had been given trust must prove faithful.

Edeh explained that if all in different positions of authority in this country could see themselves from this divine point of view, there would be respect for the rule of law and good governance.

He urged the government of the day to double its efforts in the provision of quality education for Nigerians who desired to be educated.

The CAN boss also called on those in authority to create jobs for the citizens, knowing that would certainly reduce youth restiveness and make them self-reliant.

He said that there should be enabling environment for small and medium enterprises to thrive.

Edeh commended the peace-loving governor of Enugu State and his team, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. for doing his very best to ensure peace and security in the state.

I wish to call on all Nigerians, especially Christians to continue in prayers for peace and security over the nation.

I pray that God will comfort those who lost their loved ones in one form of violence or the other and also for the provision of adequate care for those in different internally displaced persons camps in the country, he added.

Source: NAN News

Spurs edge Chelsea in English League Cup shootout

Tottenham Hotspur overcame visitors Chelsea 5-4 in a penalty shootout to progress in the League Cup following a 1-1 home draw in their fourth round clash on Tuesday.

Chelsea had appeared to be heading into the quarter-finals, thanks to a 19th minute strike from Timo Werner.

But Erik Lamela forced a shootout with an equaliser in the 83rd minute, finishing from close range after controlling a cross from debutant Sergio Reguilon.

In the shootout, Chelseas Mason Mount struck the post to miss the decisive fifth penalty kick after every other penalty kick had been converted.

Germany forward Werner scored his first goal for Chelsea in his fourth appearance, lashing the ball into the net from the edge of the area after receiving a cut-back from Cesar Azpilicueta.

Chelseas new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy had a confident display in his first game since switching from Stade Rennes.

He made a good save to keep out a vicious shot from Spurs Spanish left-back Reguilon in the second half.

But Mendy was finally beaten in the 83rd minute,when Reguilon turned in the box and found Lamela.

He controlled the ball at the far post before netting from close range to force the shootout in which Tottenham prevailed.

The victory was revenge for Spurs for a 2019 League Cup semi-final second leg defeat to Chelsea on penalty kicks.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, got one over his former Chelsea player Frank Lampard.

The Englishmans Derby County side beat a Manchester United team then coached by the Portuguese in a League Cup shootout in 2018.

We were ready to fight. I told the players before the penalty kicks that they were magnificent in the second half. We made Chelsea look ordinary. The team waited for the right moment, Mourinho said.

The League Cup fixture, which came only two days after their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, was the second game of a gruelling run of four matches in eight days for Spurs.

Mourinhos side face Maccabi Haifa at home in a Europa League playoff on Thursday before a league fixture at Manchester United on Sunday.

Mourinho made nine changes to the team who had faced Newcastle, sticking with first-choice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris instead of new signing Joe Hart.

He gave a second start in three days to Eric Dier, who stepped up to score the first penalty kick.

I have to think about three games at the same time. But the players only thought about this game, they were phenomenal. Phenomenal, added Mourinho, just as he praised England international Dier who left the pitch to go to the toilet during the second half.

What happened to Eric Dier is not normal, I have to praise him in a special way. It should be forbidden for a player to play two games in 48 hours at this level. What he did is not human to do.

Source: NAN News

APC Logo

By Emmanuel Mogbede

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that a former two-term governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko is plotting a third-term bid through Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Mr Yekini Nabena, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC made the allegation in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Nabena said that ZLP was one of the political parties contesting the forthcoming Oct. 10 Ondo State governorship election.

According to him Mimiko was first elected as governor of Ondo State on the platform of Labour Party on Feb. 24, 2009.

He contested as the Labour Party candidate and was re-elected on Oct. 20, 2012, for a second term in office, making him the first governor in Ondo State to win a second term election since 1999.

He, however, later defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the end of his tenure as governor in February 24, 2017.

Nabena while making the allegation, said: A former two-term governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko is plotting a third-term bid surreptitiously through Zenith Labour Party.

He said that Mimiko controlled the Zenith Labour Party as its sole administrator.

Nabena said that it was therefore, not surprising that the entire governorship campaign of the ZLP was centred around Mimiko rather than its supposed governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi.

Perhaps, Mimiko deludes himself that the good people of Ondo State have forgotten how they were subjected to his arbitrary, tyrannical and dictatorial actions when he governed the state.

It is on record how Mimiko factionalised his then political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for his political divide and rule tactics in the party and government, Nabena said.

According to him, under Mimiko, government projects and patronage were distributed based on political servitude not priority needs of the state.

He said that this could be the reason most of his associates ditched him and were now front line leaders of the APC, in firm support of its candidate, Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, the states incumbent governor.

Nabena said it was understandable that the ZLPs governorship candidate had nothing substantial to campaign on after joining several political parties to purchase their governorship ticket to contest the Oct. 10 election in Ondo state.

For us in the APC, the good governance credentials of our candidate, incumbent Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu is visible to all, particularly in the area of infrastructure, agriculture, human capital development, industry, and entrepreneurship, among others.

This is the focus of our well received campaigns.

Gov. Akeredolus first-term administration has ensured prudency, accountability, transparency and blocked leakages which has ultimately enhance good governance.

Ondo State has witnessed unprecedented and massive infrastructural developments, culminating in over 300 kilometres of critical roads being constructed and rehabilitated, Nabena said.

According to him, Ondo state is one of the model states that is successfully domesticating and implementing the diversification and agriculture drive of the APC government with over 6,000 trained Agripreneurs.

He said that the Ondo people had confidence in Gov. Akeredolu, who signed into law, a contributory health insurance scheme which enables all classes of people in the state have access to affordable health care services.

Nabena added that under Gov. Akeredolu, the people of Ondo state were better off and were poised to overwhelmingly return him to continue his administrations good work, come Oct. 10.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Foreign Exchange

By Edith Ike-Eboh

A consortium of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure level playing ground for all oil marketers in accessing Foreign Exchange (FOREX) for importation of petroleum products.

The group disclosed this in a communique released after its meeting in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the consortium formed in April 2020, spearheaded by the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) comprises Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), BudgIT and Connected Development (CODE).

Others are Media Initiative for Transparency in Extractive Industries (MITEI), OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative, Women in Extractives (WiE), Dataphyte, Spaces for Change, Extractive 360, Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) and Youth Forum on Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (Youth Forum on EITI).

Also, Publish What You Pay (PWYP), Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development (CentreLSD), Centre for Development Support Initiatives (CEDSI), Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) and Koyenum Immalah Foundation.

It said that CBN must ensure that all marketers importing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol must be treated the same way as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The relevant authorities, especially the CBN should ensure a level-playing field for all importers of PMS and not place the NNPC at an advantage over others, it said.

It also called on the NNPC to take urgent practical steps to reverse the fortunes of the loss making refineries as revealed in its published 2018 Audited Reports of its subsidiaries.

The refineries remain cost centres that the Nigerian government cannot afford given the impact of COVIV-19 and other fiscal pressures on its economy.

The Nigerian government should create an enabling environment for the private sector to contribute to the efficient running of the refineries so that Nigerian can reach its domestic refining goals, it said.

The group further called on the President and the Minister of Petroleum Resources to demonstrate honest commitment to the deregulation efforts by expunging the laws that entrench the potential of returning to a subsidy regime and pre-deregulation state.

It said that government should repeal the law establishing the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and other agencies to ensure full deregulation of the downstream oil sector.

The government repeal the PPPRA Act, the PEF(M)B Act and the Price Control Act specifically, section 6(1) of the Petroleum Act, Schedule 1 of the Price Control Act, all acts that ensure a potential of returning to a price fixing regime and demonstrate to the Nigerian people that the declaration of full deregulation is merely a statement of intent and not yet honored.

There is need for the Federal Government to commit to the sustainability of the deregulation regime by entreating it in law either through a stand-alone legislation, or through appropriate clauses integrated into the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will allow for the sustainability of the no-subsidy regime.

While we await appropriate legislation, we require the government to clarify the role of the Petroleum Support Fund in the new deregulation regime. Clarity is required about how that fund is being managed, whether the over-recovery sums were deposited there and how they are epected to be spent, it said.

It also urged the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to back up its deregulation policy statement by empowering appropriate agencies including the Federal Competition and Consumer Council to take over the consumer protection interests of Nigerians.

It said this might be adversely taken advantage of in a deregulated downstream sector to protect the interests of the people would not suffer exploitation in the hands of profiteering marketers.

On the issue of ameliorating the immediate effects of the removal of petrol subsidy, the group said government should channel the revenues used for subsidy to improve the lives of Nigerians and not the rich.

It noted that this could be achieved by investing in enablers of economic growth and development such as development of rural roads, education, health services and agriculture.

According to the group, if the NNPC must remain a player in the market, it must strive to operate under the same conditions and rules as other players in the sector regulated only by the prevailing market forces and competition.

It commended government for providing initial regulation to support the deregulation efforts in June 2020.

We encourage the government to ramp up its engagements with the public to improve their awareness and understanding of the deregulation process and all it portends for the Nigerian people. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Blood doping

A German sports doctor on trial for masterminding an international doping network for athletes admitted on Tuesday to helping athletes with blood doping for years, but said he made no profit.

The defendant, identified in Germany only as Mark S., is on trial, facing multiple charges in relation to helping at least 23 athletes from eight countries gain an unfair advantage over several years.

I did not make a profit from doping, he said in a statement read by his lawyers in court.

The defendant also said he never put the athletes health at risk but did admit to blood doping.

For me it was always important that there was no damage to the athletes health.

The case is a result of Operation Bloodletting under which police raided the Nordic Ski World Championships in Austria in February 2019 and arrested athletes just hours before the start of an event. Mark S. was arrested in Germany.

Prosecutors say he was behind performance-enhancing blood transfusions mostly for cross-country skiers and cyclists.

They believe he was involved in the practice from at least the end of 2011.

Four other suspects are on trial accused of helping him with the collection and supply of blood.

If convicted, the doctor could be put behind bars for between one and 10 years. The trial is set to continue until at least mid-December.

The trial that started earlier in September continues and a verdict is expected in the coming months.(Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

World Table Tennis Championships

The 2023 World Table Tennis Championships will be staged in Durban, South Africa, the first time since 1939 the tournament has been staged on the African continent.

Durban beat 2017 hosts Dusseldorf 90-39 in a vote by members of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and becomes the first South African city to stage the event, and the second on the continent after Cairo 81 years ago.

We are continuing to see benefits from the forthcoming changes to the format of the World Championships Finals, which will be introduced from next year onwards, leading to more countries bidding from different regions of the world, ITTF Deputy President Khalil Al-Mohannadi said in a news release.

This also reflects the ever-increasing international appeal of table tennis, which is extremely pleasing to see as we continue to work hard to make the sport more global in the future.

South Africa will also play host to the 2023 Netball World Cup, with Cape Town having won that bid last year. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

UN Women, UNDP inaugurate COVID-19 global gender response tracker

By Busayo Onijala

The UN Development Programme(UNDP) and the United Nations Women(UN Women) have partnered to inaugurate a COVID-19 global gender response tracker.

The aim of the tracker is to provide unique data about what governments are doing to support women in their COVID-19 responses, says the agencies.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Gender Tracker which also analyzes gender equality in global pandemic recovery policies was inaugurated virtually.

It is said to look at both contributory and non-contributory global social protection response through two key lenses which are, whether the measures target or prioritize women as recipients of benefits and whether the measure addresses unpaid care work.

The Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said that the tool was being inaugurated in the context that the pandemic is hitting women and girls harder.

Mlambo-Ngcuka said that the social and economic fallouts of the crisis is worsening gender inequality, adding that the tracker would assist governments to address the worrying trend which is worsening by the day.

The pandemic is also threatening to hit women in areas that we as the United Nations are very highly vested in, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

We are seeing spiraling rates of violence against women as they have been under lockdown and we have been able to see through the tracker, that services such as shelter helplines are struggling to respond and cope with the increased demand.

Women are losing their jobs, faster than men in the sectors in which they are highly represented.

It is also sad that they have precarious contracts without security, the contracts are not enforceable and they do not have savings and insurance.

Also, we know that not just during the pandemic, but even before, there has been the crisis of care, where women shoulder the greater burden for unpaid care, she said.

The Executive Director added that the closure of schools worsened the crisis for women, as some of them have to homeschool and take care of children.

Our message to governments is that they must consider the impacts of the crisis on Women and Girls, and take positive steps by using what we are providing as reliable data.

We are excited about this tracker because it provides unique data on what governments are already doing and gives us incredible information in the three policy areas.

According to Mlambo-Ngcuka, the policy areas are, in the measures that have been taken to address violence against women, in ensuring womens economic security and in the support of unpaid care work.

Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy Programme and Intergovernmental Support Division of UN Women said in her report that 2,500 policy measures across 206 countries and territories have been compiled and analysed.

Weve made every effort to ensure that the tracker is as comprehensive as possible and were also following a moving target at a global scale.

The tracker is therefore a living platform and we are striving to improve it with the help of our partners, member states, civil society, and other UN agencies across the UN system, she said.

Meanwhile, UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner said that without action, COVID-19 threatens to unravel the hard-fought gains towards gender equality made since the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action.

The COVID-19 crisis provides an opportunity for countries to transform existing economic models towards a renewed social contract that prioritizes social justice and gender equality.

This new gender response tracker can help accelerate policy reform by guiding on gaps in national efforts and funding and highlighting best practices, he said.

NAN reports that the tracker also shows that the gender response varies widely across countries and regions with Europe leading the response on addressing violence against women and girls.

Source: NAN News

World Heart Day: Stress management vital for healthy heart Ikokwu

By Ikenna Osuoha

Ms May Ikokwu, the Chief Executive Officer, Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI),
says stress management is vital for maintenance of healthy heart among people, especially older persons.

Ikokwu, also the Secretary General, Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN), said this in commemoration of World Heart Day (WHD), in Abuja, on Tuesday.

World Heart day is annually observed on Sept. 29 around the globe to raise public awareness about Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

CVD has many causes: from smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, to air pollution and rare and neglected conditions such as Chagas Disease and cardiac amyloidosis.

In the time of COVID-19, CVD patients faced double-edged threat. Not only were they more at risk of developing severe forms of the virus, but they might also be afraid to seek care for their hearts.

She added that heart related diseases were the highest causes of global mortality, especially among older persons.

She expressed concern over the unprecedented changes in lifestyle and diets, mostly responsible for heart related deaths, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic.

She, however, added that with a paradigm shift in the way of life in this unprecedented times, it is important that we dont stress ourselves but try to stay calm and composed while dealing with the pandemic and putting our best in managing work and personal life balances.

Many people are consuming a lot of junk foods because of its convenience and this habit is totally unhealthy.

Everyone, especially older persons are encouraged to eat a lot of locally grown vegetables, picked fresh from gardens or better still uncooked.

For a healthy heart, reduce the intake of oil, fried and processed foods. The combination of a balanced meal with 30 minutes exercise or one hour walk daily would go a long way in keeping the heart healthy.

She urged adults to walk whenever possible by using the stairs instead of elevators.

She said use the stairs instead of elevators, walk up to your vehicle, drop off a short distance from the drop zone and walk. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Yakubu Uba

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has met with families of policemen and members of Civilian Joint Task Force ( CJTF) killed by insurgents in an ambush on Friday in Borno.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that several security personnel were killed with some injured when the governors backup convoy was attacked along Baga Monguno road.

A statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, said Zulum had on Monday met with the bereaved family of fallen policemen at the police headquarters in Maiduguri where he promised to assist the affected families.

Zulum said he was purposely there to sympathise and condole with brothers, sisters and the families of the deceased policemen.

It is very unfortunate that the incident happened. May Almighty God in his infinite mercy forgive and reward them for their sacrifices and may God grant you the strength to bear the fortitude of this huge loss that is for all of us.

It is so sad, looking at what happened. It is quite unfortunate and I am pained by that incident.

However, those men died as heroes, as patriots and as people that have brought honour to their families even though we never wished that it happened.

Insha Allah, we shall do everything possible to support the families. The education of their children is very important in addition to the support for their means of livelihood.

I want to once again sympathise with the families on behalf of the grateful people of Borno State.

I condole with the Borno state police command, the CP, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and entire Nigerians over the sad moment, Zulum was quoted as saying.

The governor was also at the state specialist hospital in Maiduguri where he consoled with those injured in the incident.

While at the hospital, the Medical Director, Dr. Laraba Bello said that eight injured persons were brought to the hospital on Sunday, made up of a policeman and seven CJTF members, and so far five had been treated and discharged while the remaining three were responding to treatment.

Source: NAN News

Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa

By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Nigerian Army says it is fully in support of the ongoing efforts of Borno State government to relocate and resettle the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state back to their ancestral homes.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Musa described the effort of Gov. Babagana Zulum aimed at resettling the IDPs as commendable and right step in the desired direction.

He said that the Nigerian army being a patriotic and key agency in the war against terrorism in the North East would ensure the actualisation of the governors desire.

According to him, the Army hereby declares its unflinching commitment to the relocation of the IDPs to their original abodes.

Musa also disclosed that the Theatre Command had been directed to do all it takes to ensure the successful and seamless relocation of the affected people in the state.

According to him, the relocation of these law abiding Nigerians to their towns, villages and homes at this stage of the war against insurgency is highly strategic and a decisive political decision.

He said that it was required to actualize both the political and military objectives of the war towards the ultimate end of restoring peace and stability to Borno and NE region.

The NA commiserates with the Borno State Governor, families of all the fallen heroes (military, police and civilian victims) as a result of the dastardly act of ambush by BHT group along Monguno Kross Kauwa Road.

The NA wishes to once again commend His Excellency Governor Zulum and Borno State Government for this important step and to reassure the nation of its determination and commitment to the successful prosecution of the war on terror in Nigeria.

The NA urges other stakeholders in this endeavour to join hands and redouble their efforts towards restoring peace to our dear fatherland Nigeria, he said.

Source: NAN News

Sports very essential in wealth creation Nnawugo

By Ikechukwu Iweajunwa

The Special Adviser to Gov. Hope Uzodinma on Diaspora Affairs (Europe), Mr Aloysius Nnawugo, has described sport as a potential tool for wealth creation.

Nnawugo said this on Tuesday in Owerri, when he held an interactive session with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Imo chapter.

He therefore underscored the need for government at all levels to pay priority attention to sports development in order to create wealth for the nation.

He said that sports had been fully harnessed in developed nations of the world to create wealth and expressed the need for such feat to be replicated in Imo.

The governors aide said that funding and development of sports should not be left in the hands of government alone.

He therefore appealed to groups, corporate bodies and wealthy individuals to assist government to develop sports in the state.

He said his office would liaise with sports managers and educators in America and Europe to contribute in harnessing the potential of Imo youths with abundant talents in sports.

Nnawugo promised to organise a town hall meeting for Imo indigenes in London, where athletes from the state would be invited and wooed to come home and invest their experience in the state.

He said that the governor was poised to transform the sports sector, with emphasis on grassroots sports.

He gave assurance that the state government would partner SWAN to realise its objective in sports.

In a remark, the state Chairman of SWAN, Evarest Ezihe, advised Nnawugo to leverage the opportunities offered by his office to develop sports in Imo.

Ezihe also urged Nnawugo to ensure that Imo athletes in diaspora were encouraged to invest their wealth of experience in the state.

He promised that SWAN would continue to play a leading role in sports coverage in Imo.
He assured Nnawugo that SWAN would continue to provide adequate coverage to his policies and programmes for sports development. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Samuel Ortom

By Emmanuel Antswen

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue on Tuesday swore in his Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Kenneth Achabo.

Achabo replaces Mr Jerome Shimbe who died on Sept. 14. He was aged 64.

Ortom, in a speech at the ceremony, said that Achabo was appointed on merit, after considering the need for the fair sharing of political appointments.

We considered Atabo the best for the job in the spirit of fair play. His wealth of experience and sound character also gave him a huge advantage, Ortom said.

He urged the adviser to always do the right thing, pointing out that the bureau for local government and chieftaincy affairs was a very sensitive one.

The governor warned his appointees against corrupt tendencies, declaring that the menace was a monster that must be collectively eliminated.

He cautioned government appointees against neglecting people in their constituencies.

We must imbibe the spirit of sharing the little we have with them. We must keep everyone close, he said.

Achabo, in his remarks, promised to do the right thing always, so as to make the governor proud. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Scene of a road accident

By Abiodun Lawal

The Ogun Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said 217 people died in 547 road traffic crashes from January to August in Ogun.

Mr Ahmed Umar, the state Sector Commander, said this during the flag off of the last quarter of the year Ember months campaign in the state on Tuesday in Abeokuta.

Umar explained that the command rescued over 1,338 persons in different motor traffic accidents during the period under review.

According to the sector commander, some of the busiest roads in the country were within the territory of the state.

He said that the high traffic on Lagos -Sagamu, Sagamu-Ijebu Ode-Ajebandele and other expressways in the state made the state prone to high record of crashes and injuries.

Umar added that the enforcement of traffic regulations and public enlightenment against excessive speed, overloading, route violation, use of worn out tyres and other offences were aimed at preventing crashes.

Economic and social activities increase during Ember months, these activities make the roads busier and more prone to crashes and gridlock.

FRSCs Ember months operation is therefore aimed at minimising crashes and gridlocks along major corridors in the country, he said.

The sector commander said that the command would continue to engage leadership of various transport unions to ensure compliance with traffic regulations and COVID -19 protocols.

The FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer in-charge of Lagos and Ogun, Mr Imoh Etuk, advised drivers to always obey traffic rules and regulations in order to avoid crashes.

Etuk appealed to drivers to avoid the consumption of alcohol and hard drugs before embarking on any journey.

In his goodwill message, Gov. Dapo Abiodun, said that the state government would do all it could to improve road transportation in the state.

Abiodun, represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Security, Mr Olusola Zubair, commended FRSC for its efforts in managing traffic on the state highways. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

By Kadiri Abdulrahman

THealthcare Care Sector Research and Development Intervention Scheme (HSRDIS).

The information is contained in the apex banks official website,.

The bank stated that the intervention was to help strengthen public healthcare systems with innovative financing of research and development in new and improved drugs, vaccines and diagnostics of infectious diseases in Nigeria.

It said, specifically HSRDIS is designed to trigger intense national Research and Development activities to develop a Nigerian vaccine, drugs and herbal medicines/medical devices against the spread of COVID-19 and any other communicable or non-communicable diseases.

This will be done through the provision of grants to biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, institutions, researchers, and research institutes.

The grants will support research and development of drugs, herbal medicines/medical devices and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, it said.

It added that the scheme was designed to boost domestication of critical drugs and vaccines to ensure their sustainable domestic supply and reduce their bulk manufacturing cost in Nigeria.

According to CBN, the overall objective is to reduce Nigerias dependence on other countries for those critical drugs and vaccines.

It stated that the scheme would be funded from the development component of CBNs Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF).

The scheme provided for a maximum of N50 million grant earmarked for research activities and a maximum of N500 million grant for development and manufacturing.

Disbursement under the scheme shall be made to beneficiaries in tranches subject to approved milestones achieved.

A Body of Experts (BoE) shall be responsible for the review and evaluation of submitted research proposals, it added.

NAN reports that the broad objectives of scheme include: providing grants for R

UNICEF

By Esenvosa Izah

The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) says it has received crucial supplies of test kits to support the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

The UNICEF Country Representative, Mr Peter Hawkins, made this known in a statement on Tuesday following a delivery of 115,800 COVID-19 test kits by IHS Nigeria, the Nigerian subsidiary of IHS Towers.

Hawkins said: Testing remains the mainstay of the response led by the Presidential Task Force and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the first step toward diagnosing the infection.

Tests enable health officials to understand the COVID-19 status of an individual and link that person to care, support and treatment while contributing to the protection of families and communities.

The UNICEF representative commended IHS Towers for its commitment to the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria.

According to him, the company has shown great generosity in supporting governments agenda through partnering with UNICEF.

UNICEF is delighted to receive this huge contribution from IHS Towers, the benefit of which will reach many more children and their families.

This recent support of essential tests makes IHS Towers the biggest private sector donor for UNICEF Nigerias emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Also, the Director-General, NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said testing remained a core strategy of Nigerias response to COVID-19.

Ihekweazu said it was critical for understanding the burden of the disease on the population and targeting response activities accordingly.

The primary goal of the Nigerian Government is to control the spread of this disease.

This donation from IHS Nigeria, through UNICEF, will contribute to the national stockpile of test kits managed by NCDC, and support efforts of the growing network of accredited laboratories across the country for the testing of COVID-19.

We are grateful for the continued support from UNICEF, IHS Towers and other partners, the director-general said.

In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer, IHS, Nigeria, Mr Mohamad Darwish, said the company was glad to have played an important role in supporting government and communities where it operates to provide crucial tools needed to fight the pandemic.

Darwish said: We understand this virus is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

But we are confident that with our support, and that of our other private sector colleagues, we are helping to manage and mitigate the impact of the virus in our country. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Stock Exchange Market building Lagos

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma/Rukayat Moisemhe

Ahead of Nigerias diamond jubilee independence anniversary on Oct. 1, capital market
experts and organised private sector players have been reflecting on the gains and pains in the nations economy.

Market experts in particular have identified some achievements and challenges of the market and pointed the way forward.

In the same way, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) says Nigerias move from an agrarian economy to one heavily reliant on oil and gas reflected the nations mounting economic imbalance since independence.

Experts, therefore, reviewed the nations capital market performance over the years in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday, saying that the market has evolved as a major factor in the Nigerian economy.

Uche Uwaleke, a professor of Capital Market, told NAN that the market evolved from a very tepid beginning to become a major factor in the economy.

He said there is no denying the fact that the capital market has evolved from a very tepid beginning to one that is a major factor in the Nigerian economy, compared to other sectors of the economy.

Fortuitously, the Nigerian capital market as we know it today actually got the breath of life in 1960, the same year as the countrys independence, following the incorporation of the Lagos Stock Exchange in 1960.

This is without prejudice to some capital market activities carried out by the colonial government prior to independence.

With just 19 securities listed for trading in 1961, the flagship Exchange in Nigeria now boasts of over 200 securities.

Uwaleke added that the nations capital market had expanded product offerings beyond equities and bonds, noting that
market infrastructure had been modernised with five other exchanges, including those trading commodities.

According to him, market regulation has improved significantly following the establishment of the Securities and Exchange
Commission in 1980 and the enactment of the Investment and Securities Act as amended in 2007.

Both the regulators and the exchange are implementing a number of confidence-building measures such as the direct cash
settlement system, electronic transactions, corporate governance scorecard for listed companies and whistleblowing system,
among others introduced in the capital market.

The expert, however, noted that in spite of these accomplishments, the capital market was still being faced with a number of challenges.

He said that the introduction of e-dividend had yet to reduce the huge unclaimed dividends as expected in the market.

Uwaleke, also the President of Capital Market Academics of Nigeria, said that relative to the size of the economy, the total market
capitalisation was still small and affecting the contributions of the market to the Nigerian economy.

He said that a relatively small number of companies were listed on all the exchanges with listing concentrated in a few sectors.

He noted that corporate firms do not have significant presence in the bonds market dominated by the Federal Government and the number of individuals or retail investors is quite low.

It goes without saying that a major challenge faced by the capital market over the years has been the dearth of infrastructure and poor ease of doing business in the country generally.

Government can complement these efforts by providing fiscal incentives to issuers and other market participants.

Scaling up financial literacy efforts will go a long way in increasing the rate of retail investors participation and the size of the mutual funds industry.

Mr David Adonri, the Executive Vice Chairman of Highcap Securities Ltd., said that investors confidence was an important factor that propelled capital market investment.

Adonri told NAN that Nigerias capital market was still shallow with market capitalisation of 35 billion dollars, seven per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while it was over 50 per cent in many other countries.

He said Nigerias capital market is still shallow. Her market capitalisation of 35 billion dollars is just seven per cent of GDP, whereas it is over 50 per cent in many other countries.

This is because several companies that occupy the commanding heights of Nigerias economy are yet to list their stocks in the capital market.

He explained that macroeconomic instability and the economy were major disincentives to investment.

Adonri said that non-inflationary macroeconomic growth and foreign exchange rate stability were panaceas for capital market development.

According to him, government privatisation exercises have largely not been done through the capital market.

He added that for the market to thrive and meet expectations, the Nigerian economy must be restructured to make production its centre-piece.

Producers are the ones who require long term capital funds.

Capital market is the main avenue for seeking allocative efficiency of economic resources, while full deregulation of the economy will give it more impetus to excel.

Henceforth, all privatisations need to be through the capital market; it is unwise to borrow externally to finance infrastructure.

Local borrowing, through the capital market, is the ideal option, Adonri said.

To Malam Garba Kurfi, the Managing Director of APT Securities and Funds Ltd., government policies brought most of the development and progress recorded in the capital market.

Kurfi said that many companies listed in the market because of past government policies and decrees.

He, however, lamented that impediments to ease of doing business such as multiple taxes by federal and state governments, the lack of infrastructure and insecurity were affecting market growth and development.

He, therefore, called for harmonisation of taxes by both federal and state government to enhance ease of doing business in the country.

Dr Muda Yusuf, the Director-General, LCCI, told NAN that the transformation in the nations economy underscored the weak productivity level of the non-oil sector in the past six decades.

Noting that the 91 per cent contribution of the non-oil sector to aggregate economic output, Yusuf expressed concerns that the oil sector, with its nine per cent contribution, accounted for over 60 per cent of the nations fiscal revenues.

Yusuf said it is unfortunate that 60 years after political independence, the countrys economic fate is still significantly shaped by trends in international oil prices.

This has continued to see the economy becoming unstable at the slightest emergence of shocks in the global energy market.

Commenting on the nations current democratic environment, the LCCI boss said the two decades of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria had earned the country enormous goodwill as one of the few stable democracies in Africa.

He, however, noted that the core values and ideals of democracy could still be better in areas of transparency, accountability in public and financial management, rule of law, as well as the practice of true federalism.

The LCCI recognises that Nigerias democracy is still work in progress.

However, as in many advanced democracies, it is crucial to recognise the importance of these democratic ideals in order to sustain our democracy and ensure the advancement of the common good for all citizens.

The director-general said that the nations economic performance measured by the growth of the GDP was unimpressive in the last six decades.

According to World Bank data, we note that the Nigerian economy reported annual contraction 13 times (1966, 1967, 1968, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2016) between 1960 and 2019.

It remains a major worry for us that the economy is still structurally defective, given its excessive dependence on the oil and gas sector, and this creates serious vulnerability risks.

It is rather unfortunate that successive governments failed to utilise proceeds from oil exports during periods of high oil prices to develop and strengthen the capacity of the non-oil sector.

Even before the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease, the economy was confronted with myriad of challenges, including spiralling inflation, portfolio investment outflows with attendant impacts on external reserves and exchange rate among others, he said.

Yusuf pointed out that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, which was very profound, had propelled the fiscal authorities to take bold steps on age-long policy reforms for medium to long-term macroeconomic stability.

Notable in this regard includes the economic liberalisation in the downstream segment of the Nigerian oil and gas industry, as well as the power sector.

While these reforms might have led to some form of hardship in the short-run in terms of the rising prices of goods and services, we believe these evelopments are for the good of every Nigerian.

The reforms will help to free resources for investment in critical sectors of the economy.

The transformation in the telecommunications sector stands out as the most successful reform story in the history of the Nigerian economy.

Yusuf pointed out that the financial services sector had been significantly transformed since independence through the maximisation of new technologies
to improve the quality of service delivery.

The sophistication of the industry compares with our counterparts in developed African economies like South Africa and Egypt.

However, the financial intermediation role of the Nigerian banking system is still unsatisfactory.

Due to the risks in the macroeconomic and business environment, banks prefer investing their resources in risk-free government securities
instead of extending credit to critical sectors of the economy.

This has constrained the impact of the sector on the economy from a systemic perspective, Yusuf added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

NAICOM

By Ginika Okoye

Mr Ekerete Gam-Ikon, an insurance expert, has appealed to the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to issue micro insurance licences to more companies to reposition the sector.

Gam-Ikon said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday while speaking on Nigeria at 60.

He noted that issuing licence to micro insurance companies would help them to take care of the insurance needs of the downtrodden.

The expert, who regretted that most insurers were not paying claims to individuals, said micro-insurance would create an avenue for companies to settle individual claims.

If you look at what insurance has done for the corporate companies, then you can only imagine what insurance will be doing for individuals if it was right on course.

Right on course in the sense that a number of insurance companies are paying claims to corporate companies but are not paying to individuals.

More companies that have applied for micro-insurance licences need to be given the licences by NAICOM so that they can take care of individuals.

The micro insurance is to address the insurance needs of the people at the bottom of the pyramid; so, you can have insurance policies that will not cost more than N1,000 to N10, 000.

You can also have property that is not valued at more than N2 million so it will be affordable for those level of people, he said.

Analysing the sector since inception, he said that insurance seemed to have dominated before now as a lot of industrialists were interested in the sector, making it more driven as part of business.

The expert said that the sector started declining when the first law of recapitalisation came to be in the 90s.

According to him, the issue of recapitalisation in 2007 really exposed a lot of companies, and that is why the number of insurance companies reduced.

Even beyond that, we are still struggling with issues because the real capital has not really been brought to the industry and left in the industry.

So, the industry has been running on what I will call low capital, low capacity and inability to attract the kind of clientele that will sustain it, he said.

Gam-Ikon advised the government and insurance sector to develop products that would align with the needs of individuals.

Mr Rasaaq Salami, NAICOMs Head, Commissioner for Insurance Directorate, said the commission was alive to its responsibility as far as the issue of settlement of claims to the insured was concerned.

Salami said the commission had always applied the provisions of the law cautiously, adding that penalties were spelt out in the law for any claims payment defaulter.

NAICOM tries to adhere to the provisions of the law; the commission is not silent on this.

When we receive complaints of non-payment of claims, the commission always attends to it.

These are the things we do to ensure that the customer does not suffer unnecessarily, he said.

The management of NAICOM had recently published a public notice on the registration of a new re-insurance company known as FBS Reinsurance Limited. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

BBNaija: Okowa congratulates Dorathy, Neo

By Enebeli Alex Anayo

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Monday congratulated Dorathy Bachor and Neo Akpofure, both from the state, who were among the five finalists at the just concluded BBNaija reality TV Show.

In a series of tweets on his handle @IAOkowa, the Governor said that the state was indeed proud of the duo whom he described as ambassadors of Delta State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bachor was Runner-Up in the competition while Akpofure was one of the five finalists.

All of us here in Delta State are extremely proud of Dorathy and Neo, who reached the finals of the last competition.

Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa (@IAOkowa)

In his tweet, Okowa reaffirmed that the government would continue to support talented Deltans to achieve their dreams and aspirations.

He said that the 24-year-old Bachor displayed leadership traits that distinguished her as a model for young persons in Delta and beyond.

I am not surprised that she became the last woman standing out of 10 women among 20 housemates in the competition.

Her exemplary conduct in the Big Brother house was good and she did not bring any embarrassment to the state.

As a state, we are very delighted that our daughter, Dorathy Bachor, emerged the Runner Up in the just-concluded BBNaija competition.

We are glad that she and Neo related very well with the other housemates and survived all the evictions and avoided controversies in the house.

They have portrayed the Delta character of being well behaved and worthy ambassadors of the state, the governor stated.

He thanked the people of Delta and Nigerians for making their votes count for Bachor and Akpofure.

Okowa advised them to continue to conduct themselves responsibly at all times and wished them well in their other endeavours.

Source: NAN News

Sanwo-Olu and Akeredolu

By Aderemi Bamgbose/Ayodeji Alabi

Ahead of the Oct. 10 governorship election in Ondo State, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has drummed support for Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on his re-election bid.

Sanwo-Olu who is also the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for Ondo State, said that the sterling performance of Akeredolu in the state was evident.

He made the assertion in Okitipupa, Okitipupa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state during the campaign tour of Akeredolu to seek the blessings of traditional rulers of the area ahead of the poll.

Sanwo-Olu also said that the Ikale people were good people as the Ikale indigenes in Lagos state supported Akeredolu governorship bid, and urged them to repeat the same feat for the governor.

I witnessed all the developments in the state because Akeredolu has been working day and night to ensure things get better; if you dont believe him, you should believe in his works.

His sterling performance is not negotiable and deserves re-election; go and tell the people that you have seen a deliverer who will take Ondo state to higher height, Samwo-Olu said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the traditional rulers in Ikale land had earlier endorsed the re-election bid of Akeredolu, and said that he had performed creditably well since his assumption of office.

Oba Gbadebo Bajowa, the Rebuja of Osooro land, who spoke on behalf of all the traditional rulers, commended the governor for keeping most of his election promises.

He said the re-naming of the state owned university, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) after their illustrious son, late Olusegun Agagu, pleased them.

Bajowa said that the construction of the Ore flyover which was the first in the state and the Ondo State Industrial hub in Ore brought employment opportunities for the teeming youths.

You will succeed in your second term bid because you have made us happy and all traditional rulers are behind you; we support and endorse you, Oba Bajowa said.

Also, Oba Babatunde Faduyile, the Abodi of Ikale land, urged Akeredolu to continue with his good works if re-elected.

Faduyile said he had no doubt that his good works would speak for him at the poll and prayed that God would support him to win the election.

Responding, Akeredolu said that he would not be commending himself for all he had done, but that his works were there to speak for him.

He appealed to Ondo residents to vote for APC en masse, saying that the economy of the state would boom as there were several plans to turn it around.

We have sealed the agreement to reconnect the southern part to the national grid from the Omotosho power plant and soon the darkness witnessed here will be over.

The seaport project in Ilaje LGA, exploration of bitumen, rejuvenation of the Okitipupa Palm Oil Company and other plans that will boom the state economy are in the pipeline, he said.

NAN reports that Akeredolus running mate, Lucky Ayedatiwa, traditional rulers, government functionaries, APC stalwarts as well as party faithful and supporters graced the occasion. (NAN)

Source: NAN News