By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigerians are better together and stronger in spite of occasional inter-ethnic tensions in the country.

The president made this known at the 12th Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Colloquium held in Kano on Monday.

Despite occasional inter-ethnic tensions in our national history, it seems to me that we have all agreed on one point that notwithstanding our diversity of ethnicity, culture, language and religion, Nigerians are better together; even stronger together, Buhari said.

The president, who participated virtually in the event to mark the 69th birthday of the former two-term Governor of Lagos State, commended the celebrant for always being an advocate of unity and cohesion in Nigeria.

This has been a constant factor in his outstanding political career, from the time he served in the short-lived senate of the 3Republic to his involvement in the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate of the late Chief MKO Abiola, to his much-acclaimed period of service as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.

The ranks of Asiwajus political collaborators, whether as party members, comrades in the struggle, members of his cabinet, or his advisers, assistants and political associates, have always reflected a pan-Nigeria attitude.

I believe all of us here can also confirm that the same outlook of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other like-minded Nigerians eventually made possible the coalition of four political parties into what we now see as our great party, the All Progressives Congress, he said.

According to him, the objectives of the colloquium, which seeks to provide answers to national issues, further reflect the personal principles of Tinubu in promoting the unity and welfare of the country.

I think this colloquium is a fitting reflection of the service that Asiwaju has given, not only to Lagos State, but to Nigeria and Africa; as well as his continuing commitment and influence, as one of the great pillars of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Equally I salute all those who have kept this colloquium culture alive and thriving, making it a rich source of wisdom in our common quest for a better world and, of course, a greater Nigeria.

Todays event promises an even more relevant and impactful discussion than ever before.

The theme for this 12th edition, Our Common Bond, Our Common Wealth: The Imperative of National Cohesion for Growth and Prosperity, speaks to a very contemporary but potentially ruinous trend, which, in my view, we must all join hands to check at once, he said.

The president said his experience of working in all parts of the country showed possibilities of a strong, united nation.

I can also relate personally to the ideals of one Nigeria. As a military officer, I have served with great comrades from all the nooks and crannies of our country.

I have seen over and over again that their goodness or failings did not depend on ethnicity or religion.

In the course of my career, I have also been opportune to serve in all parts of Nigeria, seeing first-hand the enticing possibilities of a strong, united nation.

More importantly, I fought for the unity of Nigeria during the civil war of 1967 to 1970, and I saw first-hand the unspeakable horrors of war, not just on fellow soldiers on both sides, but on the civilians: innocent children, women and elderly citizens that they left behind.

As we all know, the peace-building, recovery and reconstruction that followed could also not have succeeded under an atmosphere of inter-ethnic animosity.

We must count our blessings in Nigeria and see in them the crucial factors of peace and unity, the president said.

According to the president, the lessons of this colloquium are clear, saying the very best course of conduct, whether as leaders and citizens, is to now ensure that justice and harmony reign in Nigeria.

He said that leaders must devote the resources of the country solely to its development and for the benefit of all the citizens and in the process to ensure that every Nigerian felt comfortable in every part of Nigeria.

We all have a stake in the Nigeria project and, while playing our respective parts in its unity, peace and progress, we must constantly keep faith with the promise of a greater Nigeria.

The president congratulated Tinubu on his 69th birthday, extending greetings to his wife, Yeye Asiwaju, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu and the family, while praying best of health, happiness, strength and wisdom for the celebrant.

It is a mark of true statesmanship that your birthday should be hosted in Kano and celebrated in this way, with friends and associates from all parts of Nigeria joining in, he added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Acha

Dr Uchechukwu Ogah, Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, says the Federal Government has began development of mineral resources across the six geopolitical zone of the country.

Ogah disclosed this on Monday in Enugu during the closing ceremony of the 32Enugu International Trade Fair.

The minister said the government had already commenced developing a lead/zinc processing cluster in Ebonyi and funding the detailed exploration and development of salt and limestone deposits in the state.

According to him, the initiative is part of governments regional mineral projects in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Oga said that the mineral projects were cited based on comparative advantage and was aimed at providing the necessary support for the economy.

He said that the lead/zinc processing cluster was located inEbonyifor the South East region in order to harness the abundant minerals in the area.

He said that the exploration and development of salt and limestone facilities would also serve as input materials for local fertiliser production.

According to the minister, a barite processing cluster is being developed in Cross-River State to meet the needs of the oil/gas sector and for export of Nigerian mined and processed barite.

He appealed to Nigerians to support Federal Governments efforts with business ideas and strategies forsustainablerapid economic growth and development.

Ogah advised the business community, including investors in the region, to tap into the Federal Governments policies aimed at diversifying the economy.

He said that the Federal Government would continue to provide helpful economic innovationsand investment driveplatforms like theEnugu InternationalTrade Fair.

The minister said that the trade fair had done well to keep abreast of global economic challenges by bringing economic players together to showcase their products and network for opportunities.

It has also inspired innovativepolicysolutions to unexpected new challenges in the economic environment.

I am confident that the Southeast will continue to be at the forefront ofinvestmentand industrial innovations to help steer Nigeria towards greater economic development, he said.

Ogah said that the Federal Government had introduced new ideas and strategies to stabilise and grow the economy in spite of the challenges posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The minister noted that the huge investments in critical infrastructure, including roads, railway, inland waterways, energy and agriculture had impacted positively on the economy.

The pervasive economicdisruptions induced bytheCOVID-19 pandemic have challenged nations to innovate.

One pivotal way that proactive countries are adopting to survive the challenging global economic disruptions is to accelerate the evolution of the industrial sector through innovations in the digital economy, he said.

The minister said that to build a robustand competitiveeconomy, one must adopt newtechnologies and strategies that can circumvent the limits ofinterruptionsofglobaleconomic activities caused by COVID-19.

Earlier, the President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Mr Emeka Nwandu congratulated the exhibitors and participants for a success fair.

Nwandu commended the minister for always identifying with the chamber in spite of his tight schedules.

He said that the chamber would continue to cherish the support of relevant stakeholders in future events. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Edith Ike-Eboh

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has advocated that market forces should be allowed to determine gas prices to guarantee the security of supply and demand of the commodity.

Mr Sarki Auwalu, the Chief Executive Officer, DPR, disclosed this while presenting keynote address at the pre-summit conference on Decade of gas, in Abuja, on Monday.

Auwalu said that the right and market-based pricing of gas was critical, as it would assure producers of returns on their investments.

He also outlined five critical levers for gas development, especially as Nigeria moves to leverage its abundant gas resources for national growth, diversification of the economy and to use gas as the fuel for economic transformation.

According to him, the levers include availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability, as well as deliverability.

He noted that these were critical to utilising Nigerias proven gas reserves of 203 trillion cubic feet, TCF, for national development.

Whereas references have been made to the other elements in this discussion, right pricing of gas is requiring particular attention to ensure security of gas supply and security of credible gas demand.

This is because upstream gas producers must be assured that they will receive fair and equitable returns for their investments whereas, the price must be such that the end-users are able to pay for gas offtake in a reliable and consistent manner.

Accordingly, the most robust and sustainable pricing mechanism is that which let the market speak in a way that all costs are reflective of prevailing market conditions and for which the economic dynamics of demand and supply are allowed to interplay in an open, transparent, and free market environment.

Thus, our drive as a nation should be early attainment to the willing buyer; willing seller market status.

Any transitional pricing arrangements, today, must be structured to quickly give way for market-led pricing regime and conditions, he said

Auwalu commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, for their outstanding leadership in deepening gas utilisation in Nigeria.

He noted that these efforts had culminated in the establishment of the National Gas Expansion Programme, National Gas Transportation Network Code and the National Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme.

Others, he noted, include the ongoing construction of the ELPS-II, OB3 and AKK pipelines as critical backbone gas infrastructure required to improve gas deliverability and availability.

He added that government was also working toward the expeditious passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which would enhance clarity in legislative, regulatory, fiscal, and administrative frameworks in the industry.

This bill, when passed into law, will eliminate the uncertainties and bottlenecks associated with gas development in Nigeria and accelerate the growth of the Nigerian gas market to a fully developed and matured status.

Specifically, on gas matters, the PIB provides for the following: promotion of dedicated gas exploration and development, gas terms, fiscal separation of gas as a commodity.

It will also enhance the domestic gas delivery obligation, tariffing structure

By Martha Agas

The Northern Governors Forum has congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader and former Governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on his 69th birthday.

The chairman of the forum and governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong, felicitated with the chieftain, in a congratulatory message by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Makut Macham, on Monday in Jos.

Lalong described the celebrant as an accomplished politician and seasoned administrator, whose strides in the nations socio-political landscape have remained outstanding.

He said that Tinubu stands tall as a politician, statesman and patriot, who exemplifies vision, dexterity and versatility in the course of nation building and national dialogue.

Lalong also described him as a bridge builder, who has continued to work for the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria, as well consistently offering wise counsel toward addressing national issues.

He encouraged him to remain firm in his resolve to contribute to a greater Nigeria, while wishing him many more years of peace, Gods divine protection and good health.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Tinubu was born on March 29, 1952 in Lagos. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ismaila Chafe

The Nigerian Governors Forum has commended President Muhammadu Buharis administration for securing funds to purchase weapons for security agencies to end insurgency and criminal activities.

The chairman of the forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, gave the commendation when he fielded questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.

According to him, the security agencies are being equipped with modern gadges and weapons to enable them to provide adequate security to citizens, including farmers to avoid food crisis in the country.

He stated that state governors were disturbed by the activities of bandits who constituted serious threats to agricultural activities in some parts of the country.

He said: We are very concerned about that and it was one of the issues that came up in my discussion with the president.

For us, theres no use giving just verbal assurances, farmers need to see concrete action on the ground, dedicated to protecting them in doing their businesses.

That is why majority of our states are very focused on the National Livestock Transformation Plan that would confine those who want to graze their cattle to a dedicated space rather than roaming around and destroying crops, leading to conflicts.

But before that comes to fruition, on a state-by-state basis, we are all working hard and we need a wider strategy to enable us to achieve food security because if we dont make concerted efforts, we will definitely end up with food shortage in the country.

According to him, the president will be sending a supplementary budget to the National Assembly, meant to secure funds for the procurement of more equipment and modern weapons for the countrys security agencies.

He said the president wanted an accelerated action on the budgetary request, so as to fortify the military in their effort to end insurgency, banditry and other criminal activities across the country.

Fayemi also commended the zeal with which the new service chiefs had been carrying out their duties as well as the synergy existing among them.

According to Fayemi, the collaboration between the service chiefs will lead to more successes in the fight against insurgency.

Because we know what has been the source of inter-service rivalry in our military, which also affects performance on the field yet, they are supposed to be engaged in the same war against insurgency.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Adkan Residents Estate Association, Gwarinpa II, Abuja has urged the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) to maintain the original design of the estate.

Mr Kabir Akanbi, Chairman of the association, made this call at a news conference to intimate the public of the problems encountered by the residents in recent times.

According to Akanbi, Adkan Estate Abuja Model City, Gwarinpa II is proposed to set up housing units with neighbourhood planning at the heart of it.

He, however, alleged that FHA had taken to selling off some parts of the estate that were meant for recreational facilities for the residents for commercial purposes.

The estate was to be a district centre meant to cater for the diverse needs necessary to have a sustainable society.

The district was to house a recreational centre, a police station, a market and religious centres among other things, he said.

According to him, certain areas were also marked and designated as green areas. These were meant to complement the aesthetics in the estate.

As one of the earliest estate, Adkan estate was built in accordance with this plan.

However, the prospect of residents enjoying these utilities was cut short as the FHA moved into selling off the land within the district centre for commercial purposes.

This naturally led to incidences of insecurity particularly rising cases of theft within the estate and with the traffic left unmanned; a number of cases of children being knocked down by vehicles were reported, Akanbi said.

The leader of the association said the residents had provided a police station by their own effort to curb crime and also made the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) establish an office to control traffic that was an issue for the residents.

It is worthy of mention that sometime in 2016, representatives of the estate had met with the then Executive Director, Business Development of the Federal Housing Authority.

We intimated him of our plans to fully convert the green areas into a recreational centre that will be accessible to the residents of all age bracket within the estate.

The executive director was very receptive of this plan and assured us of the cooperation of the Federal Housing Authority in this regard, buoyed by this positive response we approached the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for further requisite approval.

It was thus with no small measure of surprise and shock that we received the news of the plans to sell off these areas, due to the gentlemans agreement we already had with the federal housing authority, he said.

He added that the places that the FHA allegedly was about to acquire include the service lanes stretching from Citec Villas all the way to Sixth Avenue, Gwarinpa.

Akanbi therefore, appealed to the Minister of Works and Housing and other relevant bodies to intervene in the matter so that the estate would remain fit for residential purposes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the association had once dragged the FHA to court over what it alleged was illegal appropriation in 2014.

When contacted on the allegation by the residents, Mr Kenneth Chigelu, of the Public Relations Unit FHA said the Authority dissociates itself from the purported saleson the social media, of land in Adkan Model city estate.

According to him, thesale is a scam and is not from Federal Housing Authority or any of its agents. The general public is hereby advised to beware.

He said the purported sales of land on the waterway by FHA was not only misleading but malicious.

The recent activity on that axis is as a result of Harmonisation and Integration of All Allocated Plots and Pyhsical Development s along the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) by FCDA, with ministerial approval.

FHAs jurisdiction does not extend to the ONEX such authority is vested on the FCDA.

The Master Plan of Gwarinpa estate is solely rested with FHA. It is therefore wrong to presume any undeveloped parcel of land around any neighnorhood as a recreational centre.

Such a request from the residents of Adkan estate is with the Authority. We are working on it, with a claim that the land was given to themverbally by an Executive Director.

We find this challenging since our allocations are not made verbally, and is usually signed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive.

Without prejudice, the Authority is doing everything it can to make the residents comfortable having on mind the dynamics of Town planning, Chigelu said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Abujah Racheal

Dr Taofeekat Ali, Programme Manager, TB, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), has said that the private sector was using innovative approaches to pick out hidden Tuberculosis (TB) cases.

Ali told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the goal was to end the disease in the country.

We know that statistically, at least 60 per cent of the populace visit the private sector to access health care.

Before the Global Fund, this large proportion of the populace had no access or very little access to TB services because the knowledge and the availability of service in the private sector was limited.

With the Public Private Mix grant under IHVN, we have been able to expand the coverage; we have more private facilities offering TB services.

When we say private facilities, it goes beyond the regular hospital and clinics that you walk into. It also means the community service providers, the patient medicine vendors and the community pharmacies, she explained.

She said that IHVN had increased awareness and included more of the private facilities in the TB campaign.

More personnel have been trained. They have heard messages and have tools to be able to provide TB services. This has led to an increase in coverage as well as notification.

We have doubled the proportion of private facilities reporting TB cases in Nigeria in the last two years.

That is a huge milestone that we are still working on. We are doing this in collaboration with the national programme and all stakeholders so as to move faster.

We are campaigning towards ending TB in Nigeria through the private sector, she added.

On how IHVN has managed COVID-19 and other infectious disease, she said that the Gene Xpert platform was a testing facility that had multiple uses and its arrival in the country was primarily for the diagnosis of TB.

But, over the years, we have seen other diseases leveraging on that platform. With the arrival of COVID 19 and the upsurge in hepatitis, we have experienced some strain on that testing platform.

We know the tenant challenge that came with COVID 19; there was need for rapid upgrading of the facilities to ensure that they were able to test COVID 19, but it has been a collaborative effort.

While there was an increased burden on that facility, we have also been able to leverage and work together in partnership.

The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC), TB programme and all other stakeholders have worked together to ensure that we do not neglect TB while looking at COVID-19.

What we have done is to ensure that the health care workers at the testing laboratories are trained so that they are able to respond to both COVID 19 and TB, she explained.

According to her, IHVN has also worked with other stakeholders to ensure that there were more vaccines in the country.

Source: NAN News

By Edith Ike-Eboh

Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, says that President Muhammadu Buhari has the political will to ensure that Nigeria becomes a gas nation with its huge deposit of gas.

Sylva disclosed this at the Pre-summit conference of the Decade of Gas, in Abuja, on Monday.

He said that President Muhammadu Buharis administration would ensure that the country s vast natural gas resources is taken advantage of to encourage industrialisation.

if you remember, the economic plan of this administration revolves around utilisation of natural gas.

The four key areas are, Energy Security, Transportation, Manufacturing and Industrialisation.

The common denominator is the natural gas, as it is the major fuel to power generation, transportation and key ingredients for manufacturing fertilizer for agriculture.

I can assure you that President Muhammadu Buhari has the political will to surmount the challenges to continue on the pursuit to transform Nigeria as a gas nation, he said

According to him, natural gas is also needed in the petrochemicals for manufacturing, adding that it is no longer acceptable that in spite of the huge deposit of gas, the gap in power supply and demand is still huge in the country.

We must deal with energy poverty in this country.

We must find a way to unlock the natural gas potential of this nation and drag over 120 million of our people out of energy poverty, he added.

He said that the aim of summit was to achieve a robust roadmap that would drive the utilisation of gas in country, using it for economic growth and development.

In his remarks, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations ( NNPC) Malam Mele Kyari, said the Pre-Summit Conference is coming at the most crucial time, as the world transits to cleaner energy.

He said that Nigeria was set to play strategic role in this New World Energy Order.

Technology and Innovation is facilitating a new energy transition aimed at de-carbonsing the world and safeguarding the climate.

But renewable energy sources of solar and wind, a key component of the new energy mix are influenced by seasons and are non-transportable to demand centres that are short of wind or sun.

A transition fuel is therefore necessary and clearly unavoidable, he said.

He added that Nigeria under the visionary leadership of President Buhari had committed huge resources to ensure that domestic gas infrastructure reach every corner of the country, to deepen natural gas utilisation.

This, he said would also spur investment in power and gas-based industries, grow the economy and generate employment for millions of our young people.

All this is at the backdrop of the fact we are a gas nation with over 203 tcf of proven gas reserves and potentially over 600tcf.

Our effort at monetising the huge gas resources has been modest but clearly spurred to higher level by numerous policy and industry interventions since 2016 culminating in the declaration of year 2020 as year of gas and now progressing with the decade of gas from year 2021, he added

Kyari said that several strategic projects had been delivered by NNPC and her partners to deepen delivery of gas into the domestic market and elevate the build-up of greater potentials for export.

The completion of the ELPS II, commission of the OB3 Lot 2, the NPDC Oredo gas handling facility, the SEEPCO gas processing plant can be easily cited even without the mention of the ongoing strategic backbone infrastructure delivery projects as the AKK pipeline.

Others are the OB3 final hook-up, the Nigeria-Morroco pipeline and several other gas-based industries initiatives.

All this will herald the sunset of gas revolution in our country within the Decade of Gas, he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that President Buhari, who declared the summit open virtually, urged stakeholders to join efforts to ensure full utilisation of huge gas deposit in the country for economic development. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Muhyideen Jimoh

Nigerias First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari, is expected to grace the grand finale of the revived National Principals Cup holding at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday.

Dr Ademola Are, Director of Grassroots Sports, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He said the First Lady has been invited as the Special Guest of Honour at the ceremony to close the competition.

He said the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, would also attend the event in the morning before proceeding to Lagos to watch the Super Eagles AFCON qualifier against Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

The Principals Cup, which was revived by the Minister after many years in the doldrums, kicked off on Feb. 26 with a ceremonial football match between Government College, Kaduna and Igbobi College, Lagos.

To add colour to the finals, the First Lady Hajia Aisha Muhammadu Buhari is expected to grace the finals as Special Guest of honour, Are said.

The competition, which is aimed at developing and grooming young talents in secondary schools, started at the state level, culminating in the zonal finals from where the finalists emerged.

The three-day finals in Abuja have 24 table tennis players, 144 athletes and six football teams slugging it out for honours from Sunday to Tuesday.

Source: NAN News

Ethiopias unilateral actions over the filling and operation of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will have massive negative repercussions, Egypts Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Ati warned on Sunday.

Abdel-Ati gave the warning during his meeting in Cairo with the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Donald Booth and Marina Vraila, head of the political, press and information section of the European Union (EU) delegation to Cairo, Egypts Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources said in a statement.

The minister and the U.S. and EU diplomats tackled the current position of the GERD negotiations and ways to restart the talks with the aim of reaching a fair and binding legal agreement for filling and operating the mega dam.

During the meeting, Abdel-Ati reviewed Egypts clear desire to complete the negotiations, emphasising his countrys determination to preserve of its water rights, according to the statement.

The minister also affirmed Egypts full support for the Sudanese proposal which calls for forming an international quartet led by the Democratic Republic of Congo, the current chair of the African Union (AU), that includes the AU, the United States, the EU and the United Nations.

Ethiopia, an upstream Nile basin country, unilaterally carried out the first phase of filling the dam in July 2020 and is planning to go ahead with the second phase in July this year in spite of the concerns of Egypt and Sudan, which have repeatedly called for a prior tripartite binding agreement on the rules of filling and operating the controversial dam.

Ethiopia started building the GERD in 2011, while Egypt is concerned it might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter annual share of the Nile water.

Sudan has recently been raising similar concerns over the 4-billion-U.S.-dollar dam.

Over the past few years, tripartite talks on the rules of filling and operating the giant hydropower dam, whose total capacity is 74 billion cubic meters, have been fruitless, including those hosted earlier by Washington and the recent ones by the AU. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News