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  • Food Crisis: Expert urges FG to prioritize agric sector

     

    Food 

    By Chimezie Anaso

    Awka, June 19, 2024(NAN) Prof. Raphael Okigbo, lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has called on President Bola Tinubu led administration to pay more attention to the agricultural sector with a view to addressing the food crisis in the country.

    Okigbo, a professor of Plant Pathology in the Faculty of Biological Sciences, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Wednesday.

    He said the scarcity and high price of food items had demanded a deliberate effort to address the challenges in the sector.

    The don blamed insecurity and high cost of transportation as the bane of food security in Nigeria.

    Okigbo advised the Federal Government to open the country’s borders to importation of healthy food items in the short run to increase their availability and push down prices.

    According to him, we are not producing enough, our farmers both men and women, can no longer enter the forest to farm because of insecurity; government has to address the problem.

    “Again, the cost of moving produce from the farm to where they are needed has more than quadrupled; this is another harmful effect of removal of petrol subsidy.

    “All this explains the scarcity of food items and their high prices where you find them.

    “So, I want to say that the government should design a good and urgent policy to address the challenges in agricultural sector,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    APC/MNA 

    Edited by Maureen Atuonwu

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  • Chinese investment promotes Namibia’s econ. dev’t-  Minister

    Chinese investment promotes Namibia’s econ. dev’t-  Minister
    Investment
    Windhoek, June 19, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Namibia’s mining industry is one of the largest contributors to the country’s economy, with Chinese investment playing a significant role in the development of the uranium mining sector.
    Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, said this at a press conference held in Windhoek the capital of Namibia.
    In 2023, the mining sector contributed up to 14.4 per cent of Namibia’s gross domestic product, Alweendo said.
    He said that Chinese investment has been instrumental in establishing Namibia as one of the world’s largest producers of uranium.
    Alweendo said, A“I am honored to be here today to recognise the Rossing uranium mine, the longest-operating and largest open-pit uranium mine in the world, with more than 40 years of operation.
     “I hope you will continue to operate for another 40 years.”
    In 2019, Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto officially handed over Rossing to China National Uranium Corporation Limited (CNUC) that holds 68.62 per cent of its equity.
    The CNUC released a report at the conference, detailing the company’s actions and contributions over the past year toward Namibia’s economic, environmental and social sustainable development.
    Chinese Ambassador to Namibia, Zhao Weiping, expressed optimism about Chinese investments in the southern African country in the future, saying that more Chinese enterprises are expected to seek investment opportunities in Namibia this year.
    ”Chinese investment aligns with the interests of both countries and their peoples, and bilateral cooperation has promising prospects,” he said.  (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    UMD/BRM
    ============
    Edited by Ummul Idris/Bashir Rabe Mani

  • Alleged cocaine deal: Court denies Abba Kyari, others’ bail plea

    Alleged cocaine deal: Court denies Abba Kyari, others’ bail plea

    Ruling
    By Taiye Agbaje

    Abuja, June 19, 2024 (NAN) A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, refused to grant bail to the suspended DCP Abba Kyari and four other police officers charged with alleged drug trafficking.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, are four members of the disbanded Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), including Sunday J. Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu.

    Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, held that the defendants had not placed sufficient materials before the court to warrant granting the request.

    Ruling on Kyari’s bail application, Justice Nwite said that bail was at the discretion of the court.

    NAN reports that the suspended IRT boss was detained following his arrest on Feb. 14, 2022 by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for alleged involvement in cocaine deal.

    Kyari, along with four suspended officers, was arraigned on March 7, 2022.

    Two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged.

    While Kyari and the IRT members pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were convicted.

    Meanwhile, Kyari, in his fresh application for bail, said he had spent two years in pre-trial detention by March 7, far in excess of one year which the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015 deemed exceptional circumstances, even for person charged with capital offence.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    TOA/SH

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    Details later

  • A’Ibom tasks public servants on commitment to duty

    Service

    By Isaiah Eka
    Uyo, June 19, 2024 (NAN) The Akwa Ibom Government has urged public servants in the state to show commitment to their duties in order to enhance productivity and service delivery.
    The Head of Civil Service in the state, Mr Effiong Essien, made the call at a media briefing to mark the 2024 Public Service Week in Uyo on Wednesday.
    Esssien said that public service remained the engine room of every government because of its role in policy formulation and implemention.
    “Even the UN recognises the role of the public service in delivering services and developing the society, that’s the reason it set aside June 23 as public service day annually,” he said.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2024 Public Service Week is: “Stay Forward Looking, Make a Difference”
    “Public Service encompasses all government’s ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals.
    “Workers in these outfits sometimes formulate policies, they ensure that  government programmes are implemented. Public service is the bastion upon which government rests,” he said.
    Essien stated that the Akwa Ibom Government was ready to pay the national minimum wage as soon as the process was concluded.
    He said that Gov. Umo Eno had released about N18 billion for the settlement of outstanding pensions, gratuities and leave grants.
    The head of service further said that government had procured 150 housing units to be allocated to workers from between Grade Levels 01 and 08.
    “Public servants in Akwa Ibom have reasons to thank God, the governor gives priority attention to workers welfare.
    “He is also interested in the welfare of retirees. Already, there is an increment in pension to cushion the effect of the current economic challenges,” he said.
    Essien said that the week-long programme would witness a novelty football match, public lecture, road walk and thanksgiving service.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    IE/AZU
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    Edited by Azubuike Okeh

  • PG student captures footages of endangered C’River gorillas

    PG student captures stunning footages of endangered C’ River gorillas
    Gorillas
    By Christian Njoku
    Calabar, June 19, 2024 (NAN) Mr Adekambi Adeyinka, a Masters student at the University of Calabar, has captured stunning footages of the world’s rarest great ape, the Cross River gorillas, in the Afi Wildlife Sanctuary.

    Adeyinka of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife, disclosed this on Wednesday in Calabar while reacting to the need to protect the rare apes on the list of endangered species due to human activities.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the extraordinary sightings marked the first successful photos since three graduate students at UniCal began studying this elusive subspecies in 2023.

    NAN reports that the study was part of the Cross River Gorilla initiative.

    The Cross River Gorilla, known as Gorilla gorilla diehli, is a critically endangered subspecies of the western gorilla.

    It was named a new species in 1904 by Paul Matschie, a mammalian taxonomist working at the Humboldt University Zoological Museum in Berlin, but its populations were not systematically surveyed until 1987.[3][4]

    It is the most western and northern form of gorilla, and is restricted to the forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of Cross River.

    Estimates from 2014 suggest that fewer than 250 mature Cross River gorillas remain, making them the world’s rarest great ape.

    Adeyinka said that the sighting was more than just a visual success and underscored the importance of community involvement and innovative research in conservation.

    “By working closely with local communities, we are not only gathering crucial data but also fostering a deeper understanding and commitment to protect these incredible great apes and their habitat,” he said.

    Dr Joseph Onoja, Director General, Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) expressed hope that the initiative would contribute to the realisation of their strategic pillar of saving species in peril.

    Onoja said the University of Calabar in 2022 commenced a five Year Community Conservation Graduate Student Scholarship Programme for the Conservation of Cross River Gorilla.

    He said the initiative was funded by the Wilder Institute – Calgary Zoo and implemented by NCF in partnership with the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research (CBCR), Ghana.

    “The programme which involves supporting graduate research projects in Nigeria, including scholarships for one Ph.D. student and four master’s students in UniCal for five years.

    “This collaborative initiative extends beyond borders to allow an exchange programme for knowledge sharing that creates successful community conservation initiatives,” he said.

    Prof. Francis Bisong, Secretary, Cross River Gorilla Conservation Project Committee, said Adeyinka’s result was promising as it demonstrated the power of collaboration to save the severely endangered Cross River gorillas.

    Bisong said the capture of two silverback gorillas on trial cameras in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary emphasised the need for innovative technology, collaborative and community engagement to safeguard the species and its environment.

    “These findings highlight the sanctuary’s vital role in gorilla protection and the need for more research and collaboration to conserve Cross River gorillas and the region’s rich biodiversity.

    “I urge the scientific community, conservation organisations, and stakeholders at all levels to support and extend this essential effort to protect one of the world’s rarest and most fragile species,” he said.

    Dr Mary Liao, Conservation Manager, Wilder Institute, said the images captured by the camera traps were an incredible glimpse into the life of the elusive and magnificent creatures. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CBN/DE/IS
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    Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Ismail Abdulaziz

  • German Vice-Chancellor backs deporting terrorists

    German Vice-Chancellor backs deporting terrorists

    Terrorists

    Berlin, June 19, 2024 (dpa/NAN) German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has spoken out in favour of deporting suspected terrorists and dangerous individuals who had immigrated to the country.

    However, Habeck, a member of the Green Party, said that anyone convicted of a serious crime such as murder should not enjoy a right to asylum in Germany even as they trample the country’s laws and order.

    That could mean sending people back to countries considered unsafe, even if they potentially faced persecution there.

    “In plain language, this means that someone like the perpetrator of the police murderer must be convicted, must serve his sentence and can then be deported and should be deported,” Habeck said.

    Those remarks referred to a recent violent attack in the German city of Mannheim, where a knife wielding migrant killed a policeman.

    Habeck noted that the Interior Ministry was looking closely at what was possible with regard to the deportation of serious criminals.

    Interior Ministers from all 16 German States are meeting now in Berlin to discuss the immigration policy.

    This includes the controversial proposals to allow the deportation of serious criminals and people deemed Islamist extremists to countries including Syria and Afghanistan. (dpa/ Nan) (www.nannews.ng)

    COO/BRM

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey/Bashir Rabe Mani

     

     

     

  • Cholera: Lagos issues health advisory to parents, schools

    Schools

    By Oluwafunke Ishola
    Lagos, June 19, 2024 (NAN) The Lagos State Government has called for adherence to precautionary measures to ensure children’s safety amid the cholera outbreak as schools resume from the mid-term and Sallah break.
    The government in an advisory issued on Monday to parents, guardians, and school authorities urged all to adhere to safety guidelines to ensure the health and safety of children.
    It called for daily health checks and monitoring of a child’s health for symptoms such as passage of frequent watery stool with or without vomiting.
    The government appealed to parents to keep their children at home if they exhibit any signs of illness and seek medical advice.
    The state called for hand hygiene by ensuring a child carries a hand sanitizer and encouraging frequent hand washing with soap and water, especially before meals and after using the restroom.
    It advised schools to ensure that all school food handlers follow strict hygiene practices to prevent contamination and spread of cholera.
    “Ensure that Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) are available at school clinics or bays to manage dehydration cases promptly.
    “Schools should notify the emergency hotlines immediately in case of any health emergency or suspected cholera cases,” it said.
    The government appealed to parents to stay in touch with their children’s school for updates on health guidelines and report any health concerns to the school promptly.
    “Together, we can create a safe and healthy environment for our children as they return to their educational activities.
    “Stay safe and vigilant,” the government advised.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lagos state on June 11 alerted residents to the outbreak of cholera in the state.
    The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, had disclosed that laboratory tests confirmed that the outbreak was due to cholera with the identified strain being highly aggressive and contagious, with potential for widespread transmission.
    Abayomi disclosed that 350 suspected cases of cholera were reported in 29 wards across multiple local government areas in the state.
    According to him, there are 17 confirmed cases and 15 fatalities attributed to severe dehydration caused by delayed presentation at health facilities.
    NAN reports that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had called for extensive measures to protect school children against the cholera outbreak in the country.
    UNICEF said cholera “critically affects” children and the young population, noting that efforts should be made to protect them.
    The agency called for efforts to prevent disruption in the academic calendar over the spread of the disease. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    AIO/JNC
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    Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

  • Fire destroys 2 shops in Anambra community market

    Fire destroys 2 shops in Anambra community market

    Fire
    By Monday Ajogun
    Nnobi (Anambra), June 19, 2024 (NAN) An early morning fire, on Wednesday, gutted two shops at the Afor Nnobi Market, by Nnobi Roundabout, in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inferno destroyed goods, including household items and clothing, worth millions of naira.

    The Chief Fire Officer, Anambra Fire Service, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Onitsha on Wednesday.

    Chiketa said: “The Anambra Fire Service received a distress call at 7:52am about a raging fire at Afor Market.

    “The firemen and fire truck at Nnewi Fire Station were deployed immediately and they turned out to the scene and contained the fire.

    “No life was lost, the fire affected about two shops.

    “The cause of the fire was suspected to be power surge in one of the affected shops.”

    According to him, fire kills but it can be prevented.

    He said that it was necessary for the public to know that the time of call always determined the time of response. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    AJOM/USO
    Edited by Sam Oditah

     

     

  • UN urges enhanced protection of healthcare, relief workers in Somalia

    Protection
    Mogadishu, June 19, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) The United Nations in Somalia has called for greater protection for healthcare professionals and humanitarian workers who provide critical services to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in the country.
    In a statement issued to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict that falls on Wednesday, the UN said attacks against healthcare and humanitarian workers are on the rise in Somalia.
    James Swan, the UN secretary-general’s acting special representative for Somalia, said although many of these incidents go underreported but women and girls in the country continue to be exposed to many forms of sexual violence.
    “The sexual violence are higher in the areas affected most by conflict and insecurity.
    “As the health professionals operate in those areas, they often risk their own lives,” Swan said in a statement in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
    According to the World Health Organisation’s surveillance system in Somalia, at least 10 healthcare workers were injured in attacks launched by non-state actors on healthcare facilities between January 2023 and May 31, 2024.
    It added that the figures are believed to be significantly underreported.
    “I pay tribute to the health workers who assist survivors in the aftermath of rape and other forms of sexual violence.
    “And I call for enhanced protection of all those who dispense critical care to those in need,” Swan added.
    Since 2015, the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict has been observed annually on June 19.
    The event marks the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution recognising sexual violence as a weapon of war and a threat to international peace and security. (www.nannews.ng)
    UMD/EAL
    =========
    Edited by Ummul Idris/Ekemini Ladejobi

  • Investors optimistic South Africa’s new govt. can deliver growth-friendly reforms

    Investors optimistic South Africa’s new govt. can deliver growth-friendly reforms

    Optimism

    Johannesburg, June 19, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Investors are optimistic South Africa’s new unity government can deliver stable economic policies to revive growth, but are cautious about how the new coalition’s main partners can reconcile stark ideological differences.
    The African National Congress (ANC) – which has governed since a vote in 1994 that marked the end of apartheid – has struck a deal with the white-led, pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) and smaller parties after failing to win a parliamentary majority in national elections last month.
    The agreement between the ideologically opposed ANC and DA marks a major political shift in the country and paves the way for a Government of National Unity under President Cyril Ramaphosa to bring reforms needed to create economic growth and tackle high levels of unemployment and inequality.
    Investors and credit rating agencies see the two biggest parties in the unity government agreeing on more liberal economic policies, but they could struggle to overcome their ideological differences.
    The ANC, for instance, has increased spending on welfare payments, but the DA had in the run-up to the election pushed to roll back some of them and to scrap some ANC Black empowerment policies.
    The left-leaning Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the party of former president Jacob Zuma, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), will not join the unity government, choosing instead to be part of the opposition alliance.
    “With populist parties choosing to reject the GNU, and the ANC’s bigger partners in the governing coalition centre-leaning and favouring more liberal economic policies, we think the GNU opens the possibility for more growth-friendly structural reforms and prudent macroeconomic policy choices,” HSBC economist David Faulkner said in a note.
    “But the GNU could also face ideological divisions and exacerbate fractures within the ANC, factors that could make establishing a stable policy framework difficult.”
    Among its priorities, the unity government is set to focus on rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, the promotion of fixed capital investment, job creation, land reform, and infrastructure development, the ANC has said.
    “The election outcome is broadly favourable for the economic and fiscal outlook, compared with the alternatives,” S&P Global Ratings said on Tuesday, but it also said the government faces an uphill battle to revive growth and maintain fiscal discipline, while navigating the new realities of coalition politics.
    “Despite the reasonably constructive outcome, significant ideological differences between the ANC and the DA on issues such as affirmative action and foreign policy could destabilise the government,” S&P said.
    Smaller parties in the unity government include the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance.
    Financial markets have welcomed the unity government, with South Africa’s banking index, seen as a gauge of local economic recovery prospects, up 19% since June 7 – when the ANC announced it would seek to form a unity government.
    The rand, one of the few emerging market currencies to chalk up gains since the start of the year, and local government bonds have also reacted positively.
    “The spread between our bonds and U.S. bonds, it’s pretty much back to where it was pre-election,” said Mike van der Westhuizen, portfolio manager at Citadel, a local wealth management firm.
    “That risk premium in bonds is at sort of fair value,” he added.
    Investors anticipate that the unity government will pick up the pace on the ANC’s existing reform plans for electricity, rail and port sectors.
    These are needed to revive an economy that has barely grown in the last decade and has an unemployment rate that is among the highest in the world.
    The DA has endorsed a government programme code-named “Operation Vulindlela”, a Zulu term meaning clear the path, that was initiated in 2020 by the ANC-led government to speed up structural reforms.
    Adam Furlan, emerging markets fixed income portfolio manager at NinetyOne investments – South Africa’s largest asset manager, said the DA’s desire to support the initiative bodes well for policy continuity.
    “We expect that to continue and hopefully at a more brisk pace,” said Furlan.
    Ramaphosa is expected to announce his new cabinet, in consultation with his new coalition partners, a few days after his inauguration on Wednesday.
    Some analysts expressed concern that the ANC is unlikely to give up the key finance portfolio.
    “The best case scenario for asset prices from this point is that DA gets responsibility for finance, public enterprises, and energy, and the worst case, is that their cabinet representation is merely a token one,” Tellimer market research said in a note. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)