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    Edo NCoS gets new Controller

    Correctional centre in Nigeria

    By Deborah Coker

    Mr Felix Lawrence, on Friday, resumed office as the new Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Edo Command.

    The commands Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Aminu Suleman, stated this in a statement issued in Benin, on Friday.

    Suleman said that Lawrences deployment to the command was sequel to the recent posting order issued by the Controller-General of NCoS, Jaafaru Ahmed.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new controller took over from Mr Babayo Maisanda.

    Suleman said that the controller, while addressing the personnel at the commands headquarters, stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to achieve unity and full compliance with the service regulations.

    He also quoted Lawrence as assuring the personnel of his full commitment to their welfare, in line with keen focus on achieving the mandate of the NCoS.

    The PRO described the new controller as a thorough-bred professional and seasoned officer, who had attended several courses, both at home and abroad, and had headed several correctional facilities in the country.

    He listed some of the facilities to include the Medium and Maximum Security Custodial Centres in Shendam, Plateau, Kuje in FCT, Enugu in Enugu state and Port Harcourt in Rivers. (NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    Buhari declares 2020 Lagos trade fair open

    Lagos Trade Fair exhibition ground at TBS

    By Oluwatope Lawanson and Solomon Asowata

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday declared the 2020 edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair open, reiterating the Federal Governments commitment to revamping Nigerias Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trade fair, which is being promoted by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), will be on till Dec. 13.

    The fair, the 34th edition, is holding both physically at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos, and virtually.

    The president, represented by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Niyi Adebayo, said the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic had made it imperative to accelerate the growth of the industrial sector.

    Buhari said: We are currently revamping the NIRP with a focus on driving backward integration and increasingly domesticating production of key products, especially sugar, dairy, palm oil, cotton, textiles and garments, automobiles and cassava starch.

    We are also to concession two Brownfield Special Economic Zones (Kano and Calabar) while commencing work on developing four additional Greenfield sites across the country.

    According to him, the government is also facilitating trade and maximising the benefits of international trade through multilateral trade relations with other countries.

    He said the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) was working assiduously to boost the countrys non-oil sector revenue and had rolled out export policies for 22 major products that could generate up to US billion annually in foreign exchange.

    Buhari said: To boost our trade activities and prospects, we must support locally manufactured goods.

    It is in this regard; our government signed the Executive Order 003 in 2017 and several campaigns have been launched to create necessary awareness and momentum.

    As you will agree with me, this will, among other things, enable us create employment for our large and growing population, diversify the economy from a relatively narrow base, build industrial capacity and trade competitiveness.

    He said that it would improve the management of Nigerias foreign exchange reserves to alleviate the economys vulnerability to changes in crude oil prices.

    Once again, I want to use this medium to call for collaboration from various government agencies in this regard.

    These accomplishments I have mentioned are a testament to the fact that all hands are on deck in establishing a solid foundation for even greater successes in future.

    Our government is committed to continuing to forge ahead in the quest of making Nigeria realise its social and economic potential.

    Therefore, the cooperation of us all as patriotic Nigerians as well as that of our friends and partners from around the world will be required to achieve our set targets, the president said.

    Also, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajidr Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said the fair provides unique opportunities for traders, investors and buyers from different parts of the globe.

    Sanwo-Olu said the government was aligning with LCCI on its advocacy for the enthronement of policy consistency through alignment of fiscal and monetary policies.

    This, he said, is to effectively address the myriad of bottlenecks impeding industrialisation, trade and investment in the country.

    He assured the business community of the administrations commitment to improving the business environment to make it more attractive for investment.

    According to him, this is in the face of the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic and devastating outcomes that followed the hijack of the peaceful #ENDSARS protest.

    The governor said several businesses and business owners had been thrown into a state of confusion, debt and total loss following the vandalism and destruction.

    He said:As a government, we are doing all we can to restore hope and to also help these businesses get back on their feet.

    We understand that restoring our city will entail giving hope and succor to entrepreneurs and business owners, and in order to cushion the effect of all that has happened to them, we have provided avenues to give financial support in the forms of loans and grants.

    We will also be providing tax break of PAYE to affected business owners where appropriate.

    The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSTEF) is partnering with the private sector players to help businesses whose properties were looted or vandalised.

    We have also created a N2.5 billion Lagos Recovery Fund for looted businesses, and so far, over 2,500 business owners have applied.

    Earlier in her address of welcome, Mrs Toki Mabogunje, President, LCCI, said the chamber had strong faith in the Nigerian economy and that the country would soon exit recession.

    She said: The LCCI is committed to the vision of the current administration in respect of economic diversification and self-reliance.

    Our programmes, advocacy activities and capacity development are geared toward the realisation of economic aspirations.

    We recognise the imperative of non-oil sector development and the need to add value to our primary products in order to improve earnings for both the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy.

    This trade fair provides a platform to identify non-oil alternatives and highlights the significance of value addition.

    The trade fair equally serves as an avenue to boost economic and commercial activities. (NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    U.S. closer to removing Chinese firms from Wall Street

    Wall Street

    The U.S. government is just one step away from enacting a law that could kick several Chinese firms off Wall Street, which can further escalate tensions between Washington and Beijing.

    According to a report by the Cable News Network (CNN) on Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives had passed a Bill to that effect on Wednesday.

    The Bill seeks to enact a Law that would prevent companies that refuse to open their books to U.S. accounting regulators from trading on U.S. Stock exchanges.

    The Bill is right now only awaiting President Donald Trumps signature to become Law.

    The Bill states that the companies would be removed from the U.S. exchanges after three years if they did not provide U.S. regulators access to their audit information.

    Though the Bill would apply to any foreign country, the focus on China is obvious, as Beijing has resisted such scrutiny.

    All U.S.-listed public companies would also be required to disclose whether they are owned or controlled by a foreign government, including Chinas Communist Party.

    The bipartisan co-sponsors of the legislation said earlier this year that their goal was to kick deceitful Chinese companies off U.S. exchanges.

    The U.S. scrutiny intensified following a scandal involving Luckin Coffee, the Chinese coffee firm that disclosed massive accounting irregularities this spring, which was kicked out of the NASDAQ in June.

    Politicians from both parties in the U.S. have criticised Chinas lack of transparency in its financial system, saying it could be putting American investors at risk of fraud.

    This legislation would give Trump yet another way to put pressure on China before he leaves office in January.

    The Trump administration has targeted companies like TikTok and forced Huawei into a fight for survival and banned Americans from investing in some Chinese firms.

    Meanwhile, several Chinese companies have been preparing contingency plans in the light of the heightened scrutiny from the United States, the report says.

    Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, tensions have been rising between the two countries over the issue of trade, Hong Kong legislation, origins of the virus and Beijings rising military aggression.

    Amid the escalation, the State Department under Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has pursued staunch policy measures against the Chinese government.

    On Thursday, the Trump administration reduced the U.S. visitor visas validity period for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and their family members from 10 years to one month.

    The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on the same day blacklisted four more Chinese firms from accessing military tech, labelling them as being controlled by the Chinese military.

    These moves are among the series of actions taken by the Trump administration, setting a tone for the U.S. President-elect Joe Biden taking office in January. (ANI/NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    World Soil Day: Institute warns against unsustainable soil management practices

    Soil preservation in Africa

    By Felicia Imohimi

    The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) has warned against unsustainable soil management practices like misuse of agro-chemicals, soil sealing, pollution and increased fire frequency.

    NISSs Registrar, Prof. Victor Chude, gave the warning on Friday in Abuja in a statement to commemorate the 2020 World Soil Day (WSD).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the WSD, a UN observance day, is commemorated every Dec. 5, to celebrate healthy soils for food-secured future.

    The theme for 2020 WSD is Keep soil alive, Protect soil biodiversity.

    Soil biodiversity is the variety of life that exists within the soil, including bacteria, fungi, earthworms and termites.

    A teaspoon of topsoil typically contains a vast range of different species and up to six billion microorganisms.

    Chude expressed concern that soil biodiversity was under threat.

    He emphasised that some unsustainable farming practices including tillage, use of agro-chemicals, effects of climate change and soil pollution among others could have adverse consequences for the health and biodiversity of soils.

    Land use change, unsustainable practices, soil sealing, pollution and increased fire frequency can damage soil biodiversity and its function beyond repair.

    Some ecosystems may never recover, hence the need to preserve our soils before it reaches this stage.

    This year, by addressing the increasing challenges of soil management in line with 2020 theme, the institute aim is to raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being.

    NISS encourages people around the world to engage in proactively improving soil health, sensitise the public on the scope of bio-diversity and its benefits to life as well as fight soil biodiversity loss.

    If we do not act soon, the fertility of soil will continue to be adversely affected at an alarming rate, threatening global and national food supplies, food and nutrition security, Chude said.

    He urged everyone to play a quality role in protecting soil biodiversity education and managing soil resources sustainably.

    According to him, we all should also play quality role in protecting soil biodiversity by supporting soil biodiversity and sustainability research as well as investing in innovation and refusing, reducing, reusing and recycling materials before sending them to a landfill.

    The registrar explained the WSD, an international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002.

    He noted under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership, FAO has supported the formal establishment of WSD as a global awareness raising platform.

    The FAO conference unanimously endorsed World Soil Day in June 2013 and requested its official adoption at the 68th UN General Assembly.

    In December 2013, the UN General Assembly responded by designating Dec. 5, 2014 as the official WSD.

    Chude explained that the WSD Dec. 5 corresponded with the official birthday of late H.M King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, who was one of the main proponents of the initiative.

    Speaking on the theme, he noted that plants nurture the whole creatures in the soil that in return feed and protect the plants, adding that this diverse community of living organisms keeps the soil healthy and fertile.

    This vast world, according to him, constitutes soil biodiversity and determines the main biogeochemical processes that make life possible on earth.

    It is worthy of note that beneath our feet, lies an outstanding diverse community of plants, animals and microbes that make up our soils.

    Soils are more than just dirt-soil biodiversity helps us breathe and fight climate change, strong support for agriculture and food security, major reservoir of global biodiversity among others, he said. (NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    DPRs 2014 revenue collection higher by 36%, Auwalu tells reps

    Mr Sarki Auwalu, DPR Boss

    By Edith Ike-Eboh

    The Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr Sarki Auwalu, says the department exceeded its revenue target by 36 per cent in 2014.

    Auwalu made this known when he appeared before the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee in Abuja on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DPR was summoned by the committee over the report by the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF) on variance between the budget and actual revenue figures by revenue collecting agencies.

    Auwalu said that between 2010 and 2014 the DPR had continued to exceed its target on revenue collections.

    The Departments performance on revenue collection for the year 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were over and above the target.

    It is important to note that from 2010 to 2015 we made 141, 170, 146, 129 and 135 per cent in revenue respectively.

    By this, in the year under review that is 2014, the DPR collected revenue over and above the budget by 36 per cent, he said.

    On underpayment of four per cent Cost of Collection (COC) to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as submitted by the AGF, he said that the amount in question was paid in December 2015.

    An initial shortfall of N94.794 million being outstanding of cost of collection for the period November 2014 was recorded.

    However, the sum of N4.923 million and N60.458 million were paid on Dec. 23, and Dec. 30, 2014, respectively, he said.

    This, according to him, is a balance of N29.411 million observed by the auditor as underpayment of four per cent of COC in November 2014.

    Giving a breakdown of the payments, he said that the outstanding N29.411 million was included in the payment of N2.549 billion being the four per cent of COC on total collection of N63.002 billion in Feb 2015.

    In his remarks, the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Wole Oke, commended the DPR for the clarification saying, We have no claim against you, this is very clear and straight forward.(NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    COVID-19 Vaccines: Interpol issues global alert over organised crime networks
    As countries gear up to vaccinate their citizens against coronavirus, the International Police, Interpol, on Thursday in Lyon issued a global alert over organized crime networks targeting the vaccines.

    Jurgen Stock, Interpol Secretary-General, who gave the warning in an official statement in Lyon, France, urged countries to prepare for organised crime networks targeting COVID-19 vaccines, both physically and online.

    He, therefore, called for increased law enforcement and vigilance across its 194 member countries.

    As governments are preparing to roll out vaccines, criminal organizations are planning to infiltrate or disrupt supply chains.

    Criminal networks will also be targeting unsuspecting members of the public via fake websites and false cures, which could pose a significant risk to their health, even their lives.

    It is essential that law enforcement is as prepared as possible for what will be an onslaught of all types of criminal activity linked to the COVID-19 vaccine, which is why INTERPOL has issued this global warning, he added.

    The Interpol also advised the public to take special care when going online to search for medical equipment or medicines.

    In addition to the dangers of ordering potentially life-threatening products, an analysis by the INTERPOLs Cybercrime Unit revealed that of 3,000 websites associated with online pharmacies suspected of selling illicit medicines and medical devices, around 1,700 contained cyber threats, especially phishing and spamming malware, it said.

    On Wednesday, the United Kingdom became the first country in the world to authorise the use of Pfizer-BioNTech for emergency purposes, thus, paving way for the delivery of the vaccines from next week.

    More than 100,000 people in Russia have already been inoculated against the coronavirus, said Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, while presenting the Sputnik Vaccine to the United Nations over a video link. (ANI/NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    Fertility control, key to increasing per capita income  AAFP
    By Ikenna Osuoha

    Dr Ejike Oji, the Chairman, Technical Management Committee, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP),
    says fertility control is key to increasing Nigerias per capita income, aimed at engendering higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    Oji made this known at the flagship News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Thursday in Abuja, adding that
    Nigeria is among countries with low Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) at 12 per cent.

    He noted that about 20 per cent of women and girls in the country were unable to access family planning services and commodities,
    resulting to youthful bulge.

    The medical practitioner said that about 70 per cent of Nigerias population was under 30 years, which remained a threat to
    the countrys economic stability and security.

    He noted that demographic crisis is being heightened by youthful bulge, emigration, clashes, shrinking of physical space as a
    result of Sahara desert and Lake Chads encroachment.

    Oji, who reiterated the imperatives of regulating the number of children per family, said it was paramount in securing a healthy and
    prosperous future for generations unborn, as well as stabilising the economy.

    According to him, the countrys youthful bulge is not just unemployed but largely unemployable.

    The Family Planning advocate decried the rate of emigration of skilled and unskilled labour to foreign countries, saying it was orchestrated by demographic crisis.

    Oji advocated generational deliberate steps, massive investment in appropriate education, security, ease of doing business and justice as veritable steps to transiting the country to demographic dividends.

    He called for political will among state governments in particular to complement Federal Governments commitment to attaining the rebased 27 per cent prevalence for family planning as promised by Nigeria in the FP 2020 Initiative. (NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    Nigerian Army tasks religious leaders on counter terrorism narratives
    By Sumaila Ogbaje

    The Nigerian Army has urged religious leaders to produce appropriate narratives that would counter the terrorists ideologies towards discouraging the young minds from accepting extremist ideologies.

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, made the call at the Second Nigerian Army Spiritual Warfare Seminar organised by the Chaplain and Islamic Directorates on Thursday in Abuja.

    The theme of the seminar is Insecurity in Nigeria: Repositioning Authentic Religious Narratives in the Information Spectrum.

    Buratai, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Lt.-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, said the seminar was aimed at evolving narratives to defeat the ideologies of religious based terrorist groups.

    He said that the ongoing military operations against the Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists as well as other criminal groups were driven by the desire to keep Nigeria safe for everyone.

    The COAS said that Nigerian Army had recorded great successes in these fights by applying all forms of kinetic operations, adding that the ideological beliefs of the terrorists had remained one of the challenges.

    According to him, the terrorists groups believe strongly that their ideologies have enhanced their generation of resources and the recruitment of new fighters to their folds.

    As such, we need to come up with positive and authentic narratives that can kill the ideology of the terrorists and of course wither out the inspired groups.

    This, therefore, underscores the importance of this seminar as clerics play key roles in producing appropriate narratives required to counter the ideologies of these religious based terrorists groups, he said.

    Buratai said the theme of the seminar was carefully crafted to ensure that authentic narratives are always available in the information Spectrum.

    He also called on communities and the states to join the common purpose of rejecting the ideologies of the terrorist groups and challenge those who espouse them.

    This, according to him, can be better achieved through the provision of authentic counter narratives targeted at the ideologies of the terrorist groups.

    He said that religious leaders and clerics who regularly interface with people at the grassroots, families and local communities had important role to play in tackling terrorism and preventing violent extremism.

    It is therefore my hope that this seminar will lead to a renewed and sustained focus on preventing terrorism and also effectively support the ongoing military efforts in the Nations counterterrorism and counter-insurgent operations, he said.

    The Chief of Administration (Army), Maj.-Gen. Usman Yakubu, said the military had continued to use both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to achieve successes.

    Yakubu said that the army had carried out several civil military interventions such as medical outreaches and other developmental projects to change the negative narratives used by the terrorists.

    According to him, violent and terrorist-extremisms ideology is a major challenge, hence the need for the army to organise the seminar.

    He said that the religious leaders were the major stakeholders in the drive to shaping and changing the wrong and negative narratives since they have direct contact with those who live in the rural areas.

    Dr. Obadiah Mailafiya, who was a guest speaker at the event, said there was a global conspiracy and sabotage to destroy Nigeria by external factors because of its potential and those of the citizens.

    Mailafiya called on all including civil society organisations to rally round the military in restoring the desired stable security in the country, adding that the fight against insurgency was a collective war. (NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    Lagos Govt earmarks N32.76bn for security in 2021

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    By Florence Onuegbu

    The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it had earmarked N32.76 billion in the 2021 Appropriation Bill for security.

    Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this during the 14th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security.

    The theme of the meeting was Lagos Security: Resilience in the Face of Adversity.

    Sanwo-Olu said that the year 2020 had been one of complex challenges to safety and security architecture in the state, adding that there had been significant threats to collective health, safety and security.

    He said that the challenges had tasked governments resilience and crisis management capacity, but it had remained resolute and risen above the challenges.

    According to him, government has been able to contain all major threats to safety and security in the state, and now is in a better position to prevent them in future.

    At the 2021 budget presentation on Nov. 10, I stated that the Lagos State Government will commit N9.16 billion to social protection in order to critically address other contributors to crime such as substance abuse, youth unemployment and poor education.

    Sanwo-Olu said that it was easier to prevent crime than control it, hence, government would embrace a deliberate and determined approach toward crime prevention and the preservation of law and order.

    Nothing will deter us from protecting the lives and property of Lagos residents now and in the future. Safety and security will never be compromised in our state.

    We have taken proactive measures of making the necessary budgetary provision for security.

    We committed N32.76 billion to Public Order and Safety in the 2021 Appropriation Bill, which I presented to the State House of Assembly on Nov. 10.

    We understand the correlation between development and security, the events of the recent past have shown that there can be no meaningful progress and development without security, he said.

    The governor urged Lagos residents to join the government in upholding the security of the state, as security agencies and the government could not do it alone.

    According to him, even as the government takes bold actions to secure the state, it is the duty of all residents to ensure that they do nothing to jeopardise the peace, safety, stability and security of the state.

    He urged Lagos residents to remain vigilant and report all suspected attempts to disrupt law and order to the appropriate authorities.

    Sanwo-Olu assured the people that the government would do more in the areas of intelligence-led policing, improved operational capacity and welfare of the security agencies.

    He thanked the private sector for their support for the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). (NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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    NGO pledges support for WASH programmes in FCT

    Newsan

    By Patricia Amogu

    Society for Water and Sanitation (Newsan), an NGO, on Thursday pledged its support for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RUWASSA) programmes in all area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

    Mr Desmond Obieshe, Spokesman for Newsan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja that the collaboration with RUWASSA would help in bridging the missing gaps in the WASH sector in the FCT.

    I believe that collaboration with RUWASSA will help us to bridge the gaps missing in the WASH sector here in the FCT.

    We are giving our full support during this time that issues in WASH has become enlisted as a state of National emergency,

    We are committed to fighting issues relating to WASH, thats why we are coming to throw our weights behind RUWASSA which is an umbrella body that sees to all water supply sanitation and hygiene issues in the rural communities in the FCT,Obieshe said.

    He said that the NGO had just finished collating some data that would be helpful in correcting data related issues in the water sector.

    If we have data then it becomes very easy for us to know the specific issues we are dealing with, and spearhead accurate solutions to them, he said.

    Obieshe said that the NGO would hold a stakeholders meeting in Abuja to share a recent report on data collected from all the area councils in the FCT.

    According to him, the planned stakeholders meeting will report back and share data collected among stakeholders in the WASH sector and also come up with a working group that will outline subsequent action plans to tackle major issues in the sector.

    Collecting data wasnt easy around communities in the FCT, we visited all the area councils and submitted letters to the appropriate persons in charge, asking for convenient dates to come back and hold meetings with desk officers.

    Some of the area councils didnt have designated desk officers to attend to us or even give us data,that was a major challenge in the collection of data, we also visited crucial stakeholders that see to WASH activities .

    All responses were collected online after which we analysed and then summed up data and that is the result we now have with us, the NGO. (NAN)

    Source: NAN News

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