By Itohan Abara-Laserian

BUA Cement Plc says it will sustain competitiveness with the N115 billion Series Fixed Rate Senior Unsecured Bond issue under the companys maiden N200 billion bond issuance programme.

The Chief Executive Officer, BUA Cement, Yusuf Binji, made the disclosure at the digital closing gong ceremony to commemorate the bond issue organised by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Ltd., in Lagos on Tuesday.

Binji said the bond issue was part of the companys growth strategies to access the debt capital market with the intent to raise long-term finance.

Today marks another milestone on our journey to becoming the preferred manufacturer of cement in Nigeria and Africa in general.

As part of our growth strategy, we took the deliberate decision to access the debt capital market with the intent to raise N100 billion, being the first tranche of our N200 billion programme.

However, given the overwhelming response to the tune of over N130 billion and in accordance with the exchanges rules and guidelines, we accepted N115 billion as the subscription amount.

This clearly shows our viable business model and continued strong financial performance, he said.

Binji said diversifying and extending the duration of its funding sources with the inclusion of the bond, at a competitive rate, would further enable the company to achieve its strategic objectives and vision.

The BUA Cement boss disclosed that the company would soon increase its production output to 11 million metric tonnes per annum after the completion of four model production lines in Edo and Sokoto states.

Mr Olumide Bolumole, Divisional Head, Listings Business of the Exchange said it was a delight to see listed companies take full advantage of the opportunities on the NGX platform.

Bolumole also said that the NGX would continue to support corporates to raise long-term funds through its various platforms.

Mr Funso Akere, Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Capital, the lead issuing house to BUA Cement bond transaction, commended investors for investing in the bond.

Akere said the transaction was a landmark, being the largest corporate bond issuance in the history of Nigerias debt capital market.

Alhaji Rasheed Yussuf, the doyen of the market, urged BUA Cement not to disappoint the market, stockbrokers and all investors for the confidence shown to the company.

Source: NAN News

By Shedrack Frank

Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa has called on members of House of Representatives to expedite action on passage of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), as it will correct some of the injustices faced by oil-producing states.

Diri made the call on Tuesday when members of the House Committee on Oil Spill Investigation, Cleanup and Remediation in oil producing states visited him at the Government House, Yenagoa.

He said that PIB, when passed into law, would be an avenue to correct some of the wrongs of oil companies in host communities, adding that the bill had been neglected for long by the National Assembly.

The governor said, Let me appeal that as you go, have very serious interest in PIB. The bill has been there from one assembly to the other.

It is another source of ameliorating what we perceive as cheating on the part of oil companies and Nigeria, on the Niger Delta and its people.

Diri saidthat the people of Niger Delta had suffered so much in terms of environmental degradation and pollution of water bodies, leading to increase in cases of cancer and other strange ailments.

He queried the standards applied by oil firms in their operations in the zone compared with other parts of the world.

The governor, while also calling for the cleanup of Niger Delta as a whole, noted that the Ogoni cleanup, which attracted international attention, was a mere fraction of the polluted environment from oil spills.

What happened in Ogoniland is the same in the whole of Niger Delta. That there is a cleanup in Ogoniland is, to say the least, a fraction of the Niger Delta.

So the cleanup should take place in the whole of the Niger Delta, Diri said.

He expressed the optimism that the report of the committee would bring succour to people of the zone, if implemented.

Earlier, Chairman of the committee, Rep. Amiru Tukur, said that they were in the state on a verification mission to some oil spill sites to ascertain the actual cleanup and remediation.

Tukur also said that the outcome of the visit would form the basis of the report which the committee would submit to the House. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Rita Iliya

Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger, on Tuesday, presented letter of appointment to the new Emir of Kagara, Alhaji Ahmed Gunna.

Sani-Bello described the emergence of Gunna as an act of God, noting that he did not, in any way, interfere in the selection process.

He pointed out that he had directed the electoral college of Kagara emirate to be given free hand in the selection process which produced Gunna as the new emir.

The governor, while reminding the emir of his responsibilities, urged him to rule with truthfulness, be accommodating, just to everyone, show understanding and be father to all.

I also expect him to remember that I did not make him the emir, but God did, and that is the more reason he should be just to everyone in the emirate, he said.

Sani-Bello equally drew the attention of the emir to the security challenges, particularly in his domain, imploring him to unite with his subjects, even as measures were being put in place to address the challenges.

He prayed that God, who gave the emir the throne, would equip him with the needed wisdom and protection, and guide his reign to the path of success.

The governor, however, advised bandits in the state and those assisting them in carrying out their nefarious acts, for whatever reason, to change for the better. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Olubukola Aiyedogbon

Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara says that his administration will begin the upgrading and equipping of Oro General Hospital within the next quarter.

AbdulRazaq made the disclosure in Oro town on Tuesday, whilecommiserating with victims of Mondays inferno at Oro central market, in which no fewer than 30 shops got burnt.

He said that the upgrade of the health facility would build public confidence in the hospital and make healthcare more accessible to the people.

The governor added that government would also supply modern equipment and other required facilities to make it functional, to the satisfaction of people of the area.

I have come to see firsthand; to know what the real issues are, as a follow-up to the visit I had made to this place before. Now, it is time to actualise our plans for the general hospital.

It is going to be expensive but we will start within the next quarter and ensure that people of Oro get more dividends of democracy.

I thank members of staff of the hospital; they have been dedicated despite the challenges.

Going to two years now, we have fixed infrastructure in education, road and health sectors, especially in primary healthcare.

So, we need to move to secondary and tertiary healthcare now. This hospital is one of those serving many communities in the state, he said.

According to the governor, the wards will first of all be renovated and put into a livable condition.

We will also increase the number of staffers and build confidence, so that members of this community can make use of the hospital instead of going to Omu-Aran or Ofa.

We will make things work here by giving the hospital the right equipment.

We will also provide imaging equipment and make sure the pharmacy is working, with right power supply, he said.

Earlier, the governor had inspected Oro central market, where he directed the state emergency agency to get the data of the victims and the extent of damage, to determine governments support.

We have set the state emergency management agency in motion to take enumeration. We will mitigate the loss for the individuals who have lost property.

The incident is quite unfortunate and we stand by the victims at this trying period, the governor said.

AbdulRazaq commended the people of Oro kingdom for always coming together to offer communal support at every stage of their development.

Responding, the Eesa of Oro, High Chief Taye Otunola, who spoke on behalf of the king, said that the community remained grateful for the prompt intervention of the governor, less than 24 hours after the incident.

We are happy to receive you here today. This visit again shows how committed you are to the plight of the masses and the entire people of the state.

Oro community is solidly behind your administration. We will continue to support you, he said.

The Iyaloja of Oro, Mulikat Jimoh, also commended the governor for his prompt visit and sought more support to market men and women in the community.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor also inspected Kwara State College of Education and Iludun-Oro Waterworks.

NAN also reports that AbdulRazaq was accompanied by a member of the state House of Assembly, Mr Felix Awodiji, Chairman, Irepodun Local Government Transition Committee, Jide Oyinloye and Chairman, Government Task Force on Environment, AbdulRazaq Jiddah, amongst others. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Shedrack Frank

The Bayelsa Government has intervened and peacefully resolved the land dispute between some claimants and the Nigerian Navy in Agudama-Epie community of the state.

The committee set up to look into the issue submitted the report to Gov. Douye Diri in Yenagoa on Monday.

Receiving the report, the governor stated that available facts showed that the navy was the rightful owner of the land in dispute.

Diri stated that the land in question was sold to the Nigerian navy by Rear Adm. Porbeni and that the security agency was the rightful occupier of the land.

Clearly, the Nigerian Navy had no other contender to the land.

Maybe the only person who would have had issues with the navy would have been retired Rear Admiral Festus Porbeni who sold it. So, the Nigerian navy did not commit any offence.

Going forward, before you purchase land, visit the Ministry of Lands and Housing. Lawyers say that ignorance of offence is no excuse under the law.

What you did was to buy a land that had already been bought by the navy and in the process you slowed down their pace of development, the governor told the claimants.

Diri commended the committee headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Konbowei Benson, for carrying out the assignment and described it as a good job.

He said the government intervention had prevented a bloodbath.

The governor added: We would have had a bloodbath but the work of the committee averted that.

We are here not just receiving the report. Actually the report is that there was no dispute between the navy and those who bought the land without first ascertaining if it was encumbered.

He further commended the navy for its patience during the period of the committees work and said government was committed to peaceful co-existence of residents of the state.

The governor lauded the presumed landlords for not taking the law into their hands, but reporting the issue to government for necessary action.

On the former claimants appeal for compensation, Diri said it would be looked into administratively and a decision communicated to them through the ministry of lands.

In his remarks, the secretary to the state government said the committee found out that the land belonged to the navy.

Benson however said that the committee, as part of its recommendations, appealed to the governor to support the former claimants to relocate.

Source: NAN News

By Aderogba George

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has reunited five children allegedly abducted at different times by a suspected trafficker, with their parents.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs Stella Nezan, Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of the agency, in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the 32-year-old suspect allegedly abducted and sold the children, ages between four to seven, to unsuspecting women in different parts of the country under the guise of adoption.

The statement quoted the agencys Director-General (D-G), Mrs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, while handing over the children, as calling on parents to ensure adequate protection of their children.

According to Sulaiman-Ibrahim, parents must guard their children to avoid incidences of kidnapping, abduction, trafficking and other crimes against humanity.

She cautioned the parents on the need to watch their children closely and to avoid exposing them to the risk of being easily accessible to traffickers and other criminal minds.

Recounting how the children were rescued, the D-G explained that operatives of the agency had mounted surveillance on the suspect, a native of Nkonni Enagi, Edati, Niger state, for a while now.

The surveillance, she said, followed an intelligence that the suspect, a graduate of Economics from the University of Maiduguri, kidnaps children from Niger state and sells them to families across the country.

According to the D-G, the suspect who claimed to be a staff in charge child adoption matters in the Niger State Ministry of Social Development, had been into the illicit business since 2016.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim said that the suspect usually issue would-be parents with adoption papers purportedly from the Niger State Government.

She said the suspect, however, ran out of luck when a sting operation by the agency led to catching him red-handed while helping some clients fill their adoption application forms and other papers.

The suspect, she said, confessed to have kidnapped and sold six children under the guise of adoption, claiming all his victims were from Niger state.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated that the suspect also confessed to have forged some adoption documents he issued to the people he sold the kidnapped children to.

According to her, the suspect further confessed that he collected the sum of N100,000 for each of the children.

She, however, said that the suspect had been arraigned in court in accordance with the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (TIPPEA), 2015.

While promising a diligent prosecution of the suspect, the D-G called on the general public to continue to assist the agency with useful information that could lead to the arrest of child traffickers in the country.

She also appealed to couples and other members of the public, challenged and in need of children, to endeavour to follow the due process of adoption to avoid any ensuing problem.

According to the statement, all the parents, promised to take more adequate care of their children, thanked the Federal Government and the management of NAPTIP for rescuing their wards. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Florence Onuegbu

The Lagos State Government says it has taken over the welfare of Mary Daniel, the 26-year-old amputee hawker and single mother.

The Special Adviser to the State Governor on Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said in a statement on Tuesday that the state government had provided a temporary shelter for Daniel.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tragic story of the amputee, who hawked pure water in Oshodi area, trended on social media platforms over the weekend.

Adebowale said that Daniel was on temporary protective custody pending when further plans would be concluded by the government to get her an apartment and empower her.

The special adviser said that the move became necessary in order to protect the physically challenged woman from abuse and risk.

According to her, Daniel, an indigene of Ayingba, Kogi, who just moved to Lagos two weeks ago, hawked table water in traffic in Oshodi to earn a living.

The case of Mary (Daniel) was brought to my attention by the Managing Director, Lagos State Lotteries Board and two politicians from Oshodi who expressed concern about her safety, as some kind-hearted individuals have started sending money to her account to assist her, she said.

Adebowale said that after her interaction with Daniel, it was agreed that the present administration should take over the case to ensure her personal safety, hence the involvement of the state government.

The special adviser said that she would personally look over Daniel as a guardian and make sure that she was properly settled in Lagos and become a responsible citizen. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Funmilola Gboteku

National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, has urged Muslim faithful and non-Muslims alike to always seek peace and harmony in the nation.

Tinubu stated this in a statement signed by his Media Aide, Mr Tunde Rahman, on Tuesday in Lagos.

He urged all Muslim brothers and sisters to be guided by the spirit in their interactions with fellow Muslims.

Tinubu noted that it was equally important for them to make peace in their relationship with neighbours and Nigerians of other faiths as well.

He noted that in this holy month of Ramadan, adult Muslims were enjoined to abstain from food and drinks and other worldly things from dawn to sunset.

This spirit of sacrifice, discipline and perseverance symbolised by denying the body of food and drinks must engender the spirit of humility, mercy and kindness in us individually and as a true community of faith.

Through this self control and perseverance, we are moved to beneficial introspection, self-discovery and self-development.

We must do so not only for the holy month of Ramadan but everyday of our lives,Tinubu said

He said that Nigeria faces many challenges, but none of these issues could defeat Muslims as long as they remain true to the tenets of their faith by extending the hand of brotherhood and goodness to those around them.

Tinubu said that Muslims would grow in strength through unity and compassion, not through division and recrimination, adding that the call and spirit of the holy month were much needed now.

May we all join as brothers in pursuit of peace and harmony for all Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

May Almighty Allah continue to guide us with his munificent hand and open our hearts and minds that we may have the ability to fast, worship and reap the spiritual benefits of this holy month,he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

The management of the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) has commended the Federal Government for providing COVID-19 vaccines to the university community, while urging staff to get vaccinated.

Prof. Felicia Olasehinde-Williams, the Dean, Faculty of Education, who spoke with newsmen on Tuesday, said that she was glad that the vaccines have been delivered to the university.

Olasehinde-Williams added that she had already taken the jab and she feels so good about it, as she did not feel any discomfort.

She commended the Federal Government for the procurement of the vaccines and assured that the vaccines would get to all the units in the university.

The don advised other members of staff to take the vaccine without delay.

On his part, Dr Bello Ganiyu of the Department of Science Education, said he and members of his family had also taken the vaccine.

Ganiyu said he disagreed with COVID-19 conspiracy theorists, who campaigned against scientific information about the pandemic, which they started by linking 5G network and ID2020 project to its outbreak.

He added that these same people also spread false news about Bill Gates support for mandatory vaccination and implantation of microchips into patients.

None of these conspiracy theorists came up with any verifiable scientific research report to back up their opposition to COVID-19 vaccine or provided any alternative therapy, he said.

Mr Adeshina Yusuf, a Senior Executive Officer in the Faculty of Education, described the vaccine as a welcome development, stressing that it was advisable that everyone takes the vaccine.

He advised members of the university community to shun negative comments about the vaccine and take the jab, saying even the common analgesics have side effects. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Oluwafunke Ishola

Wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has called for prompt approval and implementation of the states Policy on Food and Nutrition, and the Multi-sectoral plan of Action on Nutrition.

Sanwo-Olu made the call at a Nutrition Policy Dialogue in Lagos.

The dialogue was organised by the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition (CS-SUNN) and Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget Committee on Food and Nutrition.

Theme of the event was: Exploring Innovative Nutrition Policy Alliances for a Healthier Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu, represented by Dr Cecilia Mabogunje, the Medical Director, Massey Children Hospital, Lagos, said that the two documents were currently awaiting approval of the State Executive Council.

She said: I totally align with the action plan in the documents as it aptly creates comprehensive framework that addresses the challenges of malnutrition in the state.

The policy envisions a state where the citizens are adequately food and nutrition secured with high quality of life and socioeconomic development, contributing to human capital development objectives of the state via its development plan by 2025.

Sanwo-Olu said a UNICEF report showed that Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children globally, with a national prevalence of 32 per cent for under five-year-old children.

She said that an estimated two million children in Nigeria were suffering from acute malnutrition, adding that only two of the 10 children suffering from malnutrition were currently reached with treatment.

The governors wife said that seven per cent of women of child bearing age were also suffering from acute malnutrition.

It is clear that any nation under the grip of malnutrition would find it difficult to break out of poverty and sustained economic development.

This is why the goal of the Lagos State Food and Nutrition plan seeks to obtain optimal nutrition status for all residents with particular emphasis on vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents, women, elderly and groups with nutrition need is a step in the right direction, Sanwo-Olu said.

According to her, the success of the school feeding programme in the state gladdens my heart that the state is improving the nutritional status of pupils to enhance mental capacity and school attendance.

Sanwo-Olu said that to boost food security, the state must ensure effective storage technology and facilities.

She said that lack of storage facilities and basic preservatives techniques were some of the hindrances at the household levels affecting food security and malnutrition.

These and others are critical to sustain momentum and build on the feats we have achieved in the policy on food and nutrition, the governors wife said.

She commended the organisers for their efforts in designing a discourse that would propel workable solutions and stimulate synergies and actions to end the scourge of malnutrition in Lagos, and Nigeria.

Sanwo-Olu added that CS-SUNN vision aligns with the state governments agenda to enhance nutritional status of its citizens.

Also, Mrs Simisola Otuyalo, Director in the states Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, said that malnutrition remains a key health challenge in the state.

Otuyalo said that malnutrition impacts negatively on the wellbeing of citizens, drain states human resources, thus hindering adequate economic development.

She said that the states food and nutrition policy focusses on six thematic areas.

According to her, they are food and nutrition security; enhancing care giving capacity, and enhancing provision of quality healthcare services.

Others are improving capacity to address food and nutrition insecurity problems; raising awareness and understanding problem of malnutrition in Nigeria and resources allocation to food and nutrition at all levels.

Commenting, Mrs Beatrice Eluaka, Executive Secretary, CS-SUNN, said that the society had been at the forefront of advocacy of good health, reducing malnutrition and ensuring accountability and implementation of nutrition policies and plans in Nigeria.

Eluakasaid that the organisation was currently implementing Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems (PINNs) project.

She said that the project was designed to strengthen the Nigeria nutrition systems to be more Result-driven, Effective, Serviceable, Efficient, and Transparent (RESET). (NAN)

Source: NAN News