President Muhammadu Buhari

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that Nigeria will continue to provide support for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) based in Ndjamena, Chad Republic.

Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja on Friday said the president gave assurance when he received Amb. Mamman Nuhu , Executive Secretary, Lake Chad Basin Commission and Head of Mission, MNJTF.

According to him, Nigeria will continue to provide the support in spite being at what he calls the low ebb of resources caused by COVID-19 and fallen oil prices,

President Buhari said despite paucity of resources, security of Nigeria and that of her neighbours must have pride of place, so I will consult with all the relevant officials, and we will do our best.

Nuhu had earlier updated the president on the proposed recharge of Lake Chad, which he said was one of the priorities of Lake Chad Basin Commission, and for which you have great passion.

He also informed the Nigerian leader that the governments of China and Italy were of great support, and positive action should commence soon.

Nuhu commended countries which had contributed troops to MNJTF, adding, however, that kinetic military approach alone would not eradicate insurgency, and emphasis must also be placed on the root causes, particularly poverty.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Aero

By Yunus Yusuf

Airline operator, the Aero Contractors, is set to begin shuttle services from Kaduna to Abuja from Tuesday, Sept. 1, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday.

Sanusi said the operation was in response to the yearnings of airline customers.

He said the airline realised that the train service cannot accommodate many people that would want to travel, due to high demand.

So, it has decided to introduce this shuttle service.

The airline chief said Aero would deploy its Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft and would fly from Kaduna to Abuja twice daily in the morning and in the evening.

He said: A flight with our Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft will take about 30 minutes to get to Abuja, which is against two hours by rail.

In order to serve our customers better, we decided to respond to the call to deploy aircraft between these two major cities.

We are starting with two flights daily and will review as demand increases.

We know that economic activities are picking up, especially in Kaduna after the COVID-19 lockdown.

This is our contribution to the speedy economic recovery of the state and Nigeria.

The airline chief noted that travellers from some northern states had shunned travelling by road due to security threats.

After shunning travelling by road, Nigerians from Kaduna resorted to travelling to Abuja by rail but the rail system can no more meet the high demand of commuters, thereby making air shuttle necessary.

The airlines decision to shuttle between the two cities has become a huge relief to business people, administrators and many others, he stated. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19: Delta Govt. acquires ventilators, says wont be overwhelmed by covid-19

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has inaugurated the States Economic Council, with a charge to members to institute a strong, credible and enduring platform for diversification of the economy.

The governor, at the ceremony, in Asaba on Friday, urged the council to proffer viable alternatives, to build strong public and private partnerships.

They were also to formulate policies and practices that promote institutional transparency and accountability, including systematic disclosure of accurate and reliable financial information.

The council, headed by the Deputy Governor, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, with the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr Barry Pere-Gbe as Secretary, were also expected to enhance business competitiveness.

Okowa charged the body to ensure policies that would create confidence in the investing public and provide innovative strategies for expanding the tax base and improving tax efficiency of the administration.

The governor said the council would initiate reforms aimed at strengthening public financial management systems, including budget management, mid-year budget reviews designed to align annual budgets to emerging scenarios and trends.

He said the inauguration was in line with the State Economic Planning Council Law Cap D14, Laws of Delta State 2008.

According to him, constituting the council is one of the many steps his administration is taking to build a stronger Delta.

The governor said the council had power to formulate and prepare long, medium and short term development plans for the state and local governments.

He said they could do so within the framework of the national objectives and priorities, and transmit same to the National Planning Commission.

As with other sub-national governments and the national government, our economic situation is regrettably still fragile, depending largely on oil earnings and, therefore, vulnerable to price volatility and commodity booms and busts.

Let me stress that we must continue to improve our credibility rating on issues concerning transparency and accountability, not only among our people, but also in the eyes of the business and investment community.

If we are to mobilize the level of support and partnership required to actualise our stronger Delta vision, we must continue to rationalise expenditures, maximise value for money and ensure good project selection to enhance judicious allocation of resources, Okowa said.

He recalled that the average annual growth rate of the state from 2013 to 2015 was 8.9 per cent, but that it had accelerated to an annual average of 13.2 per cent from 2015 to 2017.

Delta did not only surpass the national average on both indices of economic development, but climbed up the rung in the rank of states, especially in the poverty-to-population ratio.

Lagos led the chart (4.5 per cent) of prosperous states on poverty-to-population ratio followed closely by Delta (6.0 per cent).

Delta took a leap forward both in terms of the number of people who migrated from poverty to prosperity, and those rescued from the unemployment market.

More importantly, the economy is now well positioned to engender inclusivity and sustainable development.

We are committed to sustaining this momentum in the Delta State Medium-Term Development Plan (2020-2023) which has been finalized and would soon be unveiled to the public.

This second plan encapsulates the strategic imperatives of our stronger Delta mantra.

Our goal remains to grow the economy in a manner that is rapid, inclusive, sustained and susstainable, he said.

Responding on behalf of members of the Council, Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije, commended the governor for his proactive steps at ensuring security of lives and property in the state.

He expressed confidence that the council would take the right steps to ensure that economic processes and procedures are not just established, but seen to be operational and contribute to the development of Delta.

Other members of the council are Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Chief Chika Ossai; Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Chief Patrick Ukah; Commissioner for Justice, Mr Peter Mrakpor; Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oviemuno Oghoore.

The representative of the Delta State Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (DACCIMA) and Representative of Delta State Economic Recovery Advisory Council (DERAC) and others made the council list.

Source: NAN News

FRSC to sell impounded vehicles in Niger

By Obinna Unaeze

Minna, Aug. 28, 2020 (NAN) The Federal Road Safety Corps in Niger has said that it would auction impounded vehicles that have overstayed in its formations across the state.

This was contained in a statement on Friday in Minna by Corps Commander Joel Dagwa, Sector Commander and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to the statement, in view of the above, members of the public whose vehicles are in the custody of the FRSC are hereby advised to come with evidence of ownership and evidence of payment of fines and demurrage.

The statement urged the affected persons to fulfill the conditions within two weeks of the notice to avoid their vehicles being auctioned in accordance with the provisions of the FRSC establishment Act.

Source: NAN News

Investigation into Lagos helicopter crash begins - AIB

By Yunus Yusuf

Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) Nigeria, says it has commenced investigation into an accident involving a Helicopter Bell 206B3 operated by Quorum Aviation coming from Port Harcourt to Lagos, which occurred on Friday morning.

Mr Tunji Oketunbi, General Manager, Public Affairs, AIB Nigeria, confirmed the development in a statement in Lagos on Friday.

We have began investigation into the accident involving a Helicopter Bell 206B3 with the Nationality registration Marks 5N-BQW operated by Quorum Aviation coming from Port Harcourt to Lagos.

The accident which occurred on the Aug. 28 at the Opebi Area of Ikeja, Lagos, with three passengers onboard, recorded two fatalities.

As the investigating agency, AIB needs and hereby solicits for your assistance. We want the public to know that we would be amenable to receiving any video clip.

We will also need other relevant evidence, or information any members of the public may have of the accident; that can assist us with this investigation, he said.

Oketumbi urged the public to contact the bureau on its official communication channels:Mobile App: AIB-NWebsite: www.aib.gov.ngTwitter: @aibnigeriaInstagram @AIB_Nigeria

He said others were on Facebook: AIB NigeriaEmail:/WhatsApp: 234807 709 0900, 0807 709 0928

Oketumbi said the bureau would appreciate the general public and media to respect the privacy of the people involved and not to assume the cause of the accident until formal report was released.

Source: NAN News

Pharmacy council advises youth against indiscriminate use of drugs

By Felicia Imohimi

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), has urged the youth to desist from drug abuse in order to fulfill their potential and ensure national development.

Dr Elijah Mohammed, Registrar of the council, made the call on Friday at the advocacy workshop on Say no to illicit drugs among the youth in Bayelsa.

The workshop was organised by the council in collaboration with Sen. Diri Duoye, the Governor of Bayelsa.

Mohammed noted that every nations workforce consisted predominantly of both the young people in their prime and the middle aged.

According to him, the contributions of these groups to national development cannot be over-emphasised in view of the various inputs that the category of people adds to the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

It is, also a known fact that controlled medicines such as narcotic drugs have two different potential:

The potential to be used for medical and scientific purposes and also to be diverted to illicit channels for trafficking and abuse, which in effect could jeopardise the wellbeing of the populace.

Curiosity and peer pressure are major reasons people, especially school children and young adults, embark on non-medical drug use.

Mohammed noted that the platform would serve as a vehicle to further achieve the key objectives of providing a platform of interaction to increase awareness on the subject matter.

He added that it would discourage indiscriminate use of medicines and other substances of abuse among the populace especially the youth.

The registrar said that the goal of the workshop was to explore and promote economic development potential among the Nigerian youth.

According to him, it will help the target audience understand and appreciate the fact that it is profitable to live a healthy lifestyle without necessarily engaging in the indiscriminate use of illicit substances.

The registrar noted that based on the 2019 World Drug Report (WDR), in 2017 an estimated 271 million people, or 5.5 per cent of the global population aged 15 to 64 had used drugs in the previous year.

He, however, identified that the Drug Use in Nigeria Survey report released in January 2019 as the first ever comprehensive, nation-wide, survey examined the extent and patterns of drug use in the country.

According to him, based on the report the drug use prevalence in Nigeria is 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million people between the ages of 15 to 64 years.

This is comparatively higher when compared to global prevalence rate of 5.5 per cent as per World Drug Report 2019.

The highest used drug in Nigeria is cannabis (10.6 million) followed by opioids (4.6 million), while non-medical use of prescription opioids and cough syrups is (2.4 million).

He noted that prior to the Drug Use Survey by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in Nigeria, PCN proposed to the ministry of health to constitute a Multi-ministerial, Multi-agency and Multi-sectoral Committee on drug use.

The proposal is to be tagged Codeine Control and Other Related Matters Working Group (CCRWG) to extensively x-ray the issues of drug use in Nigeria and come up with appropriate recommendations to address the problems.

The Memorandum received approval of the Minister and CCRWG was inaugurated on January 23, 2018, he noted.

The registrar emphasised that the Federal Government was committed to the full implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG).

He noted that the objective of the NDDG was to streamline and sanitise drug distribution channels with a view to reducing non-medical access to medicines of abuse.

According to him, the process will involve closure of all open drug markets and relocation of operators of the markets to the already approved Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs). (NAN)

Source: NAN News

AFDB President

By Dorcas Elusogbon

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has congratulated Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, over his re-election as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Ooni expressed his heartfelt joy through a statement signed by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Mr Moses Olafare, obtained by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, in Ile-Ife.

He explained that Dr. Akinwunmis re-election is a product of his good character and hard work.

Omoluabi is the name we descendants of Oduduwa call good character and it is the same way we address people like our very unique Dr. Akinwumi Adesina with such unique human quality.

Aside from being an Omoluabi with enviable human qualities, records of the re-elected AfDB president show hard work, love for ones country and uprightness.

The entire Oduduwa race is indeed proud to have this gem among us; from his humble beginning as a farmers child to his days as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Dr. Adesina has been known as a man of due process and this dissolved the negative charges against him during his re-election bid.

Rather than the probe work they were hired to do, both internal and external auditors at the AfDB ended up appraising the genuine son of Oduduwa for his blemish-free administration.

On behalf of the entire race of Oduduwa globally, I am delighted to congratulate our good son, while I wish him a successful tenure. Ooni Ogunwusi said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Adeniyi Adebayo, minister of trade and Investment,

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Federal Government says the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) reforms are geared towards enhancing Nigerias high ranking in World Bank Ease of Doing Business (EODB) index.

Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, said this on Friday in Keffi, at a workshop on Improvement of Business Enabling Environment and Industrial Policy Growth.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN ) recalls that PEBEC was established in July 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari to remove constraints and bureaucratic bottlenecks to doing business in Nigeria and make the country progressively easier to start and grow business.

Nigeria presently ranks 131 out of 190 countries on the World Bank EODB index moving up 15 places from 146th position.

Sani-Gwarzo, while declaring the two-day workshop opened, said that PEBEC organisation had put together reforms geared toward making it more convenient for business owners including local businesses to thrive.

World Bank rank economies according to so many criteria but today the most important set of criteria is the EODB, while high EODB ranking indicates a regulatory climates that is conducive for local businesses.

PEBEC organisation put together reforms geared toward making it more convenient for business owners to thrive by removing the constraints and bureaucratic bottlenecks to doing business in Nigeria.

This allows pioneer businesses to enter specific areas with inclusive growth potential, especially in agriculture, health, electricity among others, the permanent secretary said.

In addition, he said the President on August 21 also assented to the Companies Allied Matters Bill, 2020 recently passed by the national assembly.

According to him, this important piece of legislation therefore, repealed and replaced the extant Companies And Allied Matters Act, 1990 with several corporate legal innovations geared toward enhancing Ease of Doing Business rankings.

This Ministry is the focal implementing Agency of government saddled with responsibility of promoting EODB and promotion of Industrial policy growth hence it puts together the sensitisation workshop in the North Central Geo-Political Zone to be replicated in other zones.

Soon Nigeria will have regulations for businesses and stronger protection of property rights, especially in enforcing contracts, starting a business, registering property, paying taxes with borders taking cue from the World Bank reform activites under EODB, he said.

In a remark, Mr Alabi Samuel, Director, Human Resources Management of the ministry, said the theme of the workshop was appropriate in view of present reality confronting Nigeria as a nation emphasising the need to diversify sources of revenue in order to survive.

He said the nation must concentrate more on comparative advantaged sectors rather than depending solely on oil.

According to him, the mandate of the ministry is to formulate policies, that will help create wealth and employment, reduce poverty and ensure enhanced service delivery in a manner that will stimulate domestic economy through industrialisation, trade and investment.

Alabi explained that the ministry has been the implementing agency charged with onerous responsibility of stimulating growth, expanding industrial base of the nation and ensure implementation of policies.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop is organised to build the capacity of the staff and critical stakeholders as players and active participants to be equipped as ambassadors of EODB to promote business sensitisation in the grassroots.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 296 new cases of COVID-19 in the country.

The NCDC, which made this known on its official twitter handle on Thursday, added that onlyone death was recorded in the country.

It said till date, 53,317 cases had been confirmed, 40,726 cases discharged while 1,011 deaths had been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The health agency disclosed that the 296 new cases were reported from 17 states.

The NCDC said that Plateau recorded 85 of the 296 cases, followed by Enugu with 46, Oyo with 31 and Lagos 21.

Others states included Rivers-20, FCT-15, Kaduna-13, Bauchi-12, Delta-11, Ekiti-11, Akwa Ibom-7, Ebonyi-6, Kwara-5, Ogun-4, Osun-4, Gombe-3, and Niger-2.

It said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre activated at Level 3, had continued to coordinate the national response activities across the country.

Meanwhile, the agency said that it was not oblivious that the COVID-19 was a battle that would be fought for sometime.

According to the agency, the country is currently in the community transmission phase that requires the collective efforts of every Nigerian to win the fight against the virus.

The agency, however, said that it remained committed to providing support and strengthening the COVID-19 response across the states of the federation.

NCDC reminded Nigerians that clothes and masks provide protection against the spread of the virus when properly worn and cared for.

Wear mask covering your nose and mouth. Handle mask with clean hands and wash cloth face masks after each use, it said.

Source: NAN News

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire.

By Abujah Racheal

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, says the Federal Government will support the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), to meet international standards in researches into the development of a vaccine for the Coronavirus.

Ehanire said this at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 joint briefing in Abuja.

He said the government would support NAFDAC to reach international maturity level and encourage researchers to work towards the development of vaccines for the virus.

Ehanire said Nigeria participated in a World Health Organisation (WHO), African Regional Conference, held virtually and chaired by the Minister of Health of the Congo.

He said the conference was centered on COVID-19, addingthat conversation were on vaccines and implementing the African Region sickle cell strategy.

We shall sustain our interest in developments around COVID-19 and seek opportunities to exchange ideas with countries and organisations investing in new knowledge.

NAFDAC is also trying to reach the maturity level to assure that the product and processes that come out of research work in Nigeria towards the development of vaccine candidates are realizable and that they meet the required standard

The onus lies not only with the Ministry of Health, but is a shared responsibility with the populace.

Our safest, easiest and cheapest option of achieving a balance between saving livelihood and saving lives remains adherence to non-pharmaceutical measures, as we have preached so many times. With these measures, we can balance and uphold our indices, even as we reopen our economy.

The minister, however, urged Nigerians not to relax in observing the COVID-19 preventive measures, saying that the virus would still remain for the foreseeable future, till there was a vaccine available for it.

With the imperative to reopen the economy, relax local and international air travel to support restoration of livelihoods, the minister noted that the experience in other countries was that COVID-19 infection rates have gone up and in some cases, dramatically.

Ehanire, therefore, said Nigerians must strive not to lose its attention to preserve lives or lose the gains it has made over the months.

He also said that training and retraining on infection prevention and control was ongoing in all health facilities as well as ensuring availability of PPE as an investment, to continue the reduction in health worker infections.

Ehanire called on health workers to ensure judicious and prudent use of PPE materials, while observing full Information Prevention Control (IPC), measures.

The minister recalled that Nigeria, was on Aug. 25, declared poliovirus free, he therefore, said all material and human resource assets from polio eradication would be deployed to surveillance and fighting other disease outbreaks, including the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.(NAN)

Source: NAN News