Players of Brighton

Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation

By Lucy Ogalue
The Minister of Transportation,Rotimi Amaechi has met the Ministers of Transportation of West and Central African countries to deliberate on the development of the Maritime bank

This was contained in a statement by the ministers Media Assistant,Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni, on Saturday in Abuja.

TheMinisters was speaking at the One-Day conference of Ministers of Transportation by the Maritime Organisation for the West and Central Africa (MOWCA) held in Lagos.

Amaechi said that the establishment of a maritime bank was necessary for maritime development in the region.

According to him, Nigeria will make it financial contributions when other countries also make their contributions.

He said the Nigerian government already had a budgetary allocation for the bank this year, stating that he could not guarantee budgetary provision for it in 2021.

The position of Nigeria will change abit. The position of Nigeria now will be, we are ready to contribute our money when others are ready, we will just seat back and watch, when others bring their money, we will bring ours.

We couldnt have been pushing and nobody is responding the way we thought everybody should respond, we will make our contribution when others have made theirs.

I wish we could make our contribution this year because we have budgetary allocation for it but if its next year, I cant guarantee that we will have the budgetary provision, we will try in case you are ready next year.

We believe that this bank is a necessary tool that we need for maritime development in our region both West and Central Africa.

Meanwhile, Mr Didier Mukanzu, Minister of Transport and Communication from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chairman of MOWCA expressed his gratitude to the 25-member states and the Government of Nigeria.

Indeed, the Committee of Experts of MOWCA met in Lagos from September15-16, 2020 on the project to set up the regional maritime bank of development.

The Minister of Transport of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has taken upon himself the commitment to speak with his counterparts from other Member States to convince them to support the project.

The aim is to particularly approve the Charter and they expect the States to express their commitment to the project.

I would like to remind you that this maritime bank project was adopted for the very first time by the 6 session of the Bureau of Ministers held in Abidjan on Aug. 9, 1999.

So more than 20 years ago. Many initiatives have been taken. But this time, the partners are there and ready to invest in the project.

I therefore recommend that these partners not being won over by doubt on the real desire of the sub-region to equip itself with an institution. Great achievements in the world have always has reservations at the beginning.

However, when people actually want to achieve a goal, they must commit accordingly. Ministers, we are at a decisive turning point in this project.

I hope that the will of the sub-region expressed overwhelmingly align so that we can take a big step forward, he said.

Mukanzu said that the approval of the Charter was not the ratification.

He said that the step would allow provisional bodies, based on the agreement of the Ministers responsible for transport of maritime to discuss start-up procedures and their financing.

Source: NAN News

NITDA

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated its resolve to support the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to drive innovation in the petroleum sector.

Mr Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA Director-General said this when officials of the Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) division of the NNPC visited the agencys National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) in Abuja.

Inuwa said that developing an ecosystem was dependent on having stakeholders engaged,while the innovation ecosystem needed support from the government, academia,corporate organisations,entreprenuers and venture capitalists.

Innovation happens when you explore and you need to be an explorer and exploiter at the same time before you become innovative as an organisation.

Getting an idea from conceptualisation to impact is highly required to be an innovator that opens to new ideas.

We are open to this innovation and it will be for the development of our country to drive technology innovation in the oil sector, he said.

Mrs Ugonna Amaechi, RTI Chief Innovation Officer who led the officials said the visit was to seek the support of NITDA on how to effectively drive the petroleum sector with digital technology in research and innovation.

We also require the agency to assist us review some of our strategies,goals,priorities and progress,as well as provide guidance for success.

Innovation is about creating new ways of doing things towards achieving performance efficiency and cutting costs.

Innovation is something Nigeria has come to embrace and for innovation to thrive, there must be triggers which is why the RTI was formed.

RTIs business thematic areas include cybernetics and automation, downstream innovation, energy innovation, refining of petrochemical innovation, upstream innovation, market research and service innovation.

The research aspects of RTI uses a creative, systemic and methodological principles of knowledge to collect, organise and analyse ideas for business growth, sustain development and then solve problems within NNPC, she said.

She said that the organisation intended to embrace human- centred innovation.

We are hoping to learn from NITDAs experience because it focuses on the area of technology to drive business efficiency, quality service and performance excellence, using advancements in applied sciences, engineering and design in line with technology trends, she said.

The RTI was created in March 2020 to handle research technology and innovation in NNPC.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Tennis court of the Australian Open

The start of the Australian Open is set to be pushed back from January to February or March next year due to COVID-19 protocols in the country, the Herald Sun newspaper reported on Saturday.

I am very confident we will have an Aussie Open in the early part of next year, the report quoted Victoria premier Daniel Andrews as saying on Saturday.

The exact timing of it, the exact arrangements we put in place, they are not settled yet and as soon as they are settled, I will be more than happy to share it with you.

Australian Open organisers were not immediately available for comment.

Tennis Australia (TA) had planned for players and their entourages to arrive in Victoria in mid-December to have time to undertake a mandatory two-week quarantine period before competing in Melbourne in January. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Douye Diri

By Shedrack Frank

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa has ordered the release of the balance of cash reward pledged to athletes and sports administrators that participated in the last National Sports Festival (NSF) in Abuja.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor on Media, Mr Daniel Alabrah made this known in a statement issued on Friday in Yenagoa.

Alabrah stated that Diri gave the directive for the payment when the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Daniel Igali, led a procession of the athletes and officials to the Government House.

The procession was to celebrate with the governor and his deputy over their victory at the Supreme Court.

The immediate past administration of Seriake Dickson had pledged to reward the athletes and officials, following the fifth place finish of Team Bayelsa on the medals table at the last NSF in Abuja.

A part of the pledge was redeemed just before the administration left office on Feb. 14 this year.

Diri assured the athletes and administrators that their sports kits would also be provided before the contingent departs for Benin, Edo State, for this years sports festival, which holds in a fortnight.

I charge you to do your best. Contest keenly and fairly, and return with laurels, Diri told them, while pledging to release their sports kits for the festival before their departure for Benin.

I know that the indomitable Ijaw spirit will spur you on to achieving success.

I will continue to promote sports development in the state, just as he did when he was Commissioner for Youth and Sports and urged them to exhibit exemplary conduct while participating in the festival, Gov. Diri said.

The Governor who expressed dismay at the state-owned Bayelsa United Football Club playing in the lower division of the Nigeria Professional League, challenged the team to work hard towards returning to the premier league.

In his remarks, Igali, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, said the athletes and administrators were in the Government House to felicitate with the governor on his latest victory at the Supreme Court.

Presenting the states contingent for the sports festival to the governor, Igali also stated that Bayelsa United Football Club just participated in a pre-season tournament in Port Harcourt and emerged second.

He expressed his optimism that under Gov. Diri, the club would do better in the coming season. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Nigerian Soldiers

By Polycarp Auta

The Special Military Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), in Plateau has arrested 27 suspected cult members operating in various communities in Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Maj.-Gen. Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, the Commander of the task force, said this while speaking with newsmen on Saturday in Jos.

Okonkwo said that the arrest followed raids by troops from Nov. 17 to Nov. 20 in communities in the area.

He said that the suspects 21 males and six females, were arrested in Apata, Jenta Adamu and Jenta Miango communities in the area.

Okonkwo said that the arrest was in continuation of the task forces effort to rid the state of crimes and criminality.

The commander assured that the task force will not rest on its oars until petty crimes, killings and other forms of crimes were curtailed in the state.

This exercise is in continuation of our determination to end all forms of insecurity in Jos and Plateau in general.

The suspects are largely responsible for the crimes and breakdown of law and order in their communities.

They kill innocent people on daily basis; they are very dangerous set of human beings.

Yes, we have redeployed our troops into the hinterlands, but we shall continue to raid communities in the city centre until these crimes are stopped, he said.

He further said that the arrest was to prevent crime during the hosting of the National Festival for Art and Culture (NAFEST) in the state.

Okonkwo said that the task force would continue to clamp down on all criminal elements to ensure a peaceful yuletide in the state.

He urged residents to cooperate and support the task force in its bid to ensure safety of lives and property in the state.

He said the suspects would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

During the raid, we also arrested some drug barons but immediately handed them over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action, Okonkwo said.

NAN reports that items recovered from the suspects included knives, cutlasses, three locally made pistols, ammunition and suspected hard drugs.

The task force had arrested the leader of the notorious Sara-Suka group alongside some members a few months ago. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Men in chains

By Suleiman Shehu

The police in Oyo State have confirmed the arrest of two suspects allegedly linked with the roasting and eating of the flesh of police officers burnt in Ibadan during #EndSARS protest.

Police Spokesman at the Oyo State Command, SP Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the arrest of the suspects on Saturday in Ibadan in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The suspects, a 34-year-old expectant mother and a 43-year-old man have been transferred to the Force Intelligence Bureau at the Force Headquarters in Abuja for further investigation, he said.

The 34-year-old woman was alleged to have eaten some body parts of one of the police victims, an allegation which she denied.

She said that while it was true that she was at the scene, she was only given the body parts to keep by the second suspect, the 43-year-old man.

The 43-year-old suspect did not also deny being at the scene of the incident with other hoodlums, but said it was the woman who voluntarily took the body parts and only asked him for a towel or handkerchief to wrap them in.

The fallen policemen were deployed to contain the #EndSARS protest of Oct. 22, which was hijacked by hoodlums, when they met their deaths. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Ngige in a handshake with ASUU President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi

By Joan Nwagwu

The Federal Government has agreed to pay the salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) using a different mode of payment other than the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, said this while addressing newsmen at the end of a closed door meeting with ASUU leadership on Friday in Abuja.

Ngige said that government would look into the issue of No-work-no-pay sanctioned by the government with a view to approve the payment of the withheld salaries.

The meeting has agreed that the mode of payment applied for the payment of those that had not been captured in the IPPIS platform between the month of February and June 2020 be adopted for the purpose of payment during this transition period.

In addition, the meeting agreed that a suitable template that will address all the anomalies identified in the previous processes should be handled by the Accountant General of the Federation, Executive Secretary of NUC and the Accounting Officers (Vice Chancellors), he said.

Ngige said that government had agreed to ASUUs demand to pay their members salary arrears from February to June, using the old salary payment platform, GIFIMS.

Ngige stated that the demand for the immediate payment of 50 per cent of the initial amount allotted for the purpose of revitalising public universities, which translates to N110 billion, would not be feasible due to paucity of funds.

He said that government had offered to pay N25 billion based on the Memorandum of Action (MOA) of February 7, 2019 signed with ASUU, or in the alternative, urged ASUU to accept N30 billion with the reduction on Earned Allowances.

He added that between the revitalisation and Earned Allowances, the Federal Government had offered a cumulative sum of N65 billion.

On the issue of Earned Academic Allowances and Earned Allowances (EAA/EA), he said that the Accountant General of the Federation had offered to immediately release N40 billion or, in the alternative, N35 billion.

He said that this was to be shared by all the registered trade unions in the universities after providing necessary evidence of having earned the allowance.

The Federal Government reiterated that her offer of N40 billion or N35 billion, whichever is accepted by ASUU, was for all University unions.

ASUU had proposed that N40 billion be paid immediately for all the unions. Vice Chancellors are to submit details of the Earned Academic Allowances and Earned Allowances to the NUC on or before November 30, he said.

He said the meeting agreed that the inauguration of university visitation panels would be carried out as soon as the institutions reopened while awaiting gazetting.

We are expecting ASUU to go and relay the latest proposals to her organs and revert to government so that the universities can reopen next week, he said.

On his part, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU president, said that the union had received the new proposals by the federal government and would consult with its organs before taking a position.

I do not really have much to say as the minister had said it all.

Government has given us offers and we have promised to go back to our organs to brief them and then come back to government. We acknowledge that progress has been made, he said.

Ogunyemi said that ASUU would need till Friday next week to meet with its organs before reverting to government.

The next meeting has therefore been adjourned till Friday next week, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Elderly couple enjoying their meal

By Joan Odafe and Adenike Ayodele

A Public Health Consultant, Dr Claribel Abam, has cautioned geriatrics (the elderly) against embarking on prolonged fasting, which may impact negatively on their body organs.

Abam gave the warning while speaking on Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle at the ongoing 2020 Port Harcourt National Convention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event which held both physically and virtually in about 67 mini convention centres across the nation, was organised by the Full Gospel Businessmens Fellowship International (FGBMFI) Nigeria.

The theme of the event is Come Forth As Gold.

Abam said maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the most important way of enjoying aging.

According to her, the aging process may cause health challenges such as reduced body temperature regulation, depletion of body and brain cells, inflammation and hormonal changes.

She cautioned the elderly against doing things as usual while aging, as the body cannot carry out all its usual functions as it did when the individual was younger.

If you dont maintain your lifestyle, you will age with pain and sorrow but if you maintain a certain lifestyle, your aging will be interesting.

The aging process does a lot to the body and when youre older you no longer need to do things you did when you were 30 years or 40 years, Abam said.

She, however, recommended that the aged adopt a lifestyle of intermittent fasting, as there are numerous benefits associated with it.

Abam said the benefits included protection from diabetes, control and discipline of eating pattern, improving metabolism and immune system, burning of body fat and improvement of skin.

If you take out a fast, say until 6:00 p.m. for one month. Make sure in between the 12 hours theres 12 hours youre satiated so that the organs of your body can function properly, she said.

She advised that intermittent fasting be carried out for a few days, after a long feast or holidays to help the body system rearrange itself.

Anytime you do a comprehensive check and the results show that some things are too high, take out a fast, theyll come down, she said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Lobsan Sangay, President of the Central Tibetan Administration with Robert Destro, in the White House (Twitter)

The head of the Tibetan government in exile has visited the U.S. White House for the first time in six decades, a move that could further infuriate Beijing, which has accused the U.S. of trying to destabilise the region.

Lobsang Sangay, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), was invited to the White House to meet the newly appointed U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Robert Destro, on Friday, the CTA said in a press release.

This unprecedented meeting perhaps will set an optimistic tone for CTA participation with U.S. officials and be more formalised in the coming years, said the CTA, which is based in Indias Dharamshala.

Tibet has become one of the areas of dispute between the U.S. and China, with relations between the worlds two biggest economies at their lowest point in decades.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Beijing in July of violating Tibetan human rights and said Washington supported meaningful autonomy for the region.

Beijing officials have since accused the U.S. of using Tibet to try to promote splittism in China. China has also refused to engage with Destro.

China seized control over Tibet in 1950 in what it described as a peaceful liberation that helped it throw off its feudalist past, but critics led by the exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama say Beijings rule amounts to cultural genocide.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in August that China needed to build an impregnable fortress in Tibet in order to protect national unity. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News