The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Technology for sustainable drinkable water debuts in Nigeria 

    Technology for sustainable drinkable water debuts in Nigeria 

    Watergen, drinking water generating devices, has launched in the country to provide drinkable water to Nigerians.

    The company is partnering Macif Projects and Distribution as its distributor to achieve the sustainable water goal.

    Macif, in partnership with Watergen, brings innovative technology and solution to provide clean and sustainable water extracted from the atmosphere to Nigerians.

    Watergen explained its innovative solution is based on a world-wide, patented unique heat exchange technology  safe, effective, economical, and environmental friendly.

    These water generating devices are plug-and-drink i.e. they are used to create drinking water sources right at the point of consumption, thereby eliminating the carbon-intensive supply chains and environmentally harmful plastic wastes that cannot be recycled.

    Watergen’s President, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, said, “I am happy we have such a great partner as Nzan Ogbe, that cares for his nation and shares our principles and values in his decision to provide safe, high quality and tastiest drinking water from air to Nigerians. We will support every goodwill of our partner”.     

    Director at Macif, Ukonwa Ikedife, said: “Given that access to safe drinking water is a basic human right and World Health Organisation has placed Nigerians with access to safe drinking water at 19 per cent, Nigeria continues to struggle with providing safe and clean drinking water. Our partnership with Watergen seeks to close this gap while reducing our carbon footprint in contribution towards global climate action.”

    Watergen’s water generation products, which Macif is bringing into the market, ranges from an indoor machine with an output capacity of about 30 litres oper day to an outdoor device that can generate up to 6,000 liters per day. 

    The Watergen GEN-L, GEM-M PRO, Gen M1 and GENNY machines produce 6000 litres, 900 litres, 220 liters and 30 respectively per day.GEN-L is perfect for large communities and factories, while the Gen-M Pro would be appropriate for commercial, residential, and industrial uses such as schools, hotels, and hospitals. 

    The GENNY, which requires a simple plug-in, is suitable for home and office use.While the state-of-the-art water treatment system has unique filters, UV and mineralization cartridge as part of its purification process to produce the highest quality safe and tasty  drinkable water, according to the EPA and NSF61 requirements for safe drinking water.

  • Lagos pensioners get welfare packages

    Lagos pensioners get welfare packages

    Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) has given welfare packages to pensioners in the 57 local governments.

    According to LASPEC Director-General, Babalola Obilana, the gesture was in line with the agency’s responsibilities of supervisng pension matters and ensuring welfare of pensioners.

    He said: “It is also in furtherance of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s agenda of improving pensioners who have served for 35 years or become  60.

    “Lagos is committed to welfare of its workforce and appreciates the contributions of retirees who have sustained it as a “Centre of Excellence.

    ‘’Mr. Governor is aware of global economic challenges and its impact on our retirees, and will promote policies to advance the rights of vulnerable groups and protect the financial freedom of senior citizens.”

  • Real estate firm warns public against fake agents

    Real estate firm warns public against fake agents

    Real estate firm, Winhomes Global Services, has warned the public against being deceived into buying its 25 hectares in Okun Ajah, Lagos.

    The firm said it owns over 17 hectares bought from Etisalat Multipurpose Cooperative Society and `Adekambi and Agbationika families, both of Okun Ajah.

    The firm said it has been in possession of the property for over two years, commenced clearing in January 2021, construction of perimeter fence in February 2021 and sand filling in March 2021.

    Also, Lagos State High Court in Yaba has restrained Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (FCIID) Abuja, and 10 others from further disturbing the owner of Winhomes Global Services.

    Justice E.O. Ashade barred them from restricting her free movement within and out of Nigeria or for the purpose of compelling her to participate in resolution of the disputed land with Survey Plan: BOM/3538/017/2021 /LA dated 29/03/2021.

    The judge made the order while delivering judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit: LD/14092MFHR/2022 filed by the plaintiff against IG and others.

    The applicant, through her lawyer, Chief Bolanle Olugbani, sought a declaration she is entitled to personal liberty as she has not committed a criminal offence.

    In a sister suit marked:  EPD/113324/202, Justice Sharafa Olaitan ordered the defendants to maintain the status quo pending determination of the suit.

    Besides, when the court visited the locus in quo (subject matter of suit) at Okun-Ajah on February 17 with two staff members, it was discovered Winhomes Global Services was in possession of the land.

    Justice Ashade held: “It is my considered view and I find that it is not lawful for the first to ninth respondents to direct parties, including the applicant, to stop work on the land in dispute…without an order of court.

    “It is not part of their (police) statutory duty imposed on them by law. They have clearly exceeded their statutory duty without hearing from the applicant.

    “It is hereby declared that the statutory duties of the first to ninth respondents do not cover or extend to intervention in land disputes under any guise whatsoever or any such other civil transaction willingly entered into by citizens or any person and therefore are not entitled to arrest or detain the applicant on account of such disputes in Nigeria.

    “It is hereby declared that the respondents are not entitled to disturb harass or interfere with the applicant’s right to personal liberty without an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.”

    The court held that the IG lacked the powers to stop the applicant from entering the disputed land, declaring such directive null, void and unconstitutional.

  • ‘Nobody can stop Tinubu’s inauguration’

    ‘Nobody can stop Tinubu’s inauguration’

    A Lagos-based group, Movement for Greater Lagos (MGL), has said despite prophesies, intimidation, pronouncements and court injunctions aimed at truncating the May 29 inauguration of the new administration, nobody could stop President-elect Bola Tinubu’s swearing-in because it had been ordained by God.

    Spokesman, Rasak Akanni, spoke in Lagos at inauguration of more 2,000 members. 

    He said MGL, sponsored by a former chief of staff in the state, Olukunle Ojo, “has been supporting the incoming administration and has vowed to back it till it reaches the exalted position.”

    Akanni described Tinubu as a progressive politician, an astute administrator and a detribalised Nigerian, who performed creditably as Lagos governor.

    He urged people to support Tinubu to enable him realise his plans for the country.

    Akanni hailed the Mujahedeen Asari Dokubo-led organising committee for success of the sit-out and appealed that the support should be extended to the incoming government.

  • Biden calls Republican debt ceiling offer ‘unacceptable’

    Biden calls Republican debt ceiling offer ‘unacceptable’

    President Joe Biden yesterday called the latest Republican offer in talks on lifting the government’s debt ceiling “unacceptable” but said he would be willing to cut spending together with tax adjustments to reach a deal.

    Before leaving Hiroshima, Japan, after a meeting of G7 leaders, Biden suggested some Republicans in Congress were willing to see the U.S. default on its debt so that the disastrous results would prevent Biden, a Democrat, from winning re-election in 2024.

    Less than two weeks remain until June 1, when the Treasury Department has warned that the federal government could be unable to pay all its debts. That would trigger a default that would cause chaos in financial markets and spike interest rates.

    Read Also Biden and his pathway to citizenship

    Reuters quoted Biden as saying he would speak to top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on his flight home and hoped the Speaker of the House of Representatives had been waiting to negotiate with Biden directly.

    “Much of what they’ve already proposed is simply, quite frankly, unacceptable,” Biden said. “It’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely, solely on their partisan terms. They have to move as well.”

    McCarthy, in an interview on Fox News, said he expected to speak with Biden later yesterday.

    “The difficulty is nothing’s agreed to at all,” McCarthy said on “Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo,” adding that earlier discussions had seemed promising to reach a compromise and accusing Biden of reversing course. “We were in a good place, he goes overseas, and now he wants to change the debate,” he said.

  • NAICOM releases Sandbox guidelines

    NAICOM releases Sandbox guidelines

    To encourage innovation that would drive financial inclusion and positive competition, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has released the insurance regulatory’s sandbox operational guidelines, to take effect from May 1,  this year.

    This is expected to be used to test insurance solicitation or distribution; insurance products, underwriting, policy and claims servicing and any activity within the insurance value chain before making them public.

    A sandbox is an isolated testing environment that enables users to run programmes or open files without affecting the application, system or platform on which they run.

    Software developers use sandboxes to test new programming code. Cybersecurity professionals use sandboxes to test potentially malicious software. Without sandboxing, software or applications could have potentially unlimited access to all the user data and system resources on a network.

    Read Also : NAICOM rolls out new guidelines for insurance industry

    Sandboxes are also used to safely execute malicious code to avoid harming the host device, the network or other connected devices. Using a sandbox to detect malware offers an additional layer of protection against security threats, such as stealthy attacks and exploits that use zero-day vulnerabilities.

    The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas, stated that these guidelines are issued in view of the powers conferred on the Commission under the National Insurance Commission Act 1997 and the Insurance Act 2003.

    He added that these guidelines should be read along with the provisions of the Insurance Act as well as other regulations, notices and circulars that the Commission might issue.

    He said: “The guidelines shall come into effect May 1, 2023. It provides insurance institutions, other firms and persons the opportunity to test business models, products and services that will enhance efficiency in meeting consumers’needs; encourage innovation that will drive financial inclusion and positive competition and promote and deliver economic benefits, by lowering the cost of business operations.

    “An applicant would be eligible to be considered for the sandbox after meeting these criteria: Must demonstrate the potential to advance inclusive insurance -The proposed product, service or solution is genuinely innovative with clear potential to advance the objectives of Inclusive Insurance by improving accessibility, efficiency, security and/or quality in the provision of insurance services to consumers in Nigeria.

    “The applicant shall be a registered business in Nigeria; must have a Fit and Proper Management and Leadership; must demonstrate that it has conducted sufficient diligence to understand the potential risks and/or legal and regulatory requirements for deploying the proposed insurance product, service or solution.

    “The commission will accept applications from insurers; insurance brokers; loss adjusters and any  applicant as the Commission deems fit,” he noted.

  • Will Buhari sign Insurance Bill?

    Will Buhari sign Insurance Bill?

    Although it is seven days to the end of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration, the Insurance Bill is yet to be sent for presidential assent. Omobola Tolu-Kusimo writes.

    The long-expected bill of the insurance industry, the Consolidated Insurance Bill, is missing from the list of 35 bills sent by the outgoing Senators to President Muhammadu Buhari to be passed into law, findings by The Nation has shown.

    If the bill does not get Presidential assent before May 29, when the president, will bow out, it would make it almost 20 years that the insurance industry has not been able to get a new law.

    At present, the industry is working with the Insurance Act 2003, an Act that has become obsolete, according to practitioners and regulator.

    The Chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association, Mr Segun Omosehin, had during a briefing in Lagos, said the Consolidated Insurance Bill is going through the final legislative process to get a presidential nod.

    He said the Bill had been passed.

    He said: “The process for reviewing the Insurance Act 2003 has been ongoing since 2020 when the Consolidated Insurance Bill was proposed.

    “Since then, we have been following through with all the processes and I am indeed delighted to inform you the Bill has been passed. It is  going through the remaining legislative procedures preparatory to the Presidential accent.

    “We are hopeful that it will receive speedy attention so that the industry can begin to tap into the opportunities provided by the new law.’’

    Expectations of the Bill

    Meanwhile, the Consolidated Insurance Bill seeks to address many of the industry headwinds by rectifying shortcomings of the Insurance Act 2003. One of the improvements would be in the area of recapitalisation.

    According to experts, the bill has settled the definition of capital in the insurance domain, building on the framework in the Finance Act 2021, ending the incongruity between operators and regulators in the sector, which previously led to the cancellation of several proposed recapitalisation attempts by the regulator.

    It would be recalled that  the last recapitalisation took place in 2007. Subsequent attempts to carry out another one had proved abortive.

    The bill is also expected to introduce harsher penalties for fake insurance certificate perpetrators, improving public trust and reintroducing the risk-based supervision capital model to align the industry with international best practices.

    Experts’ view

    Decrying the exclusion of the bill among the 35 bills passed to Buhari for an assent, Chairman of Session, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) Fellows’ Event, Dan Okehi, called on Fellows in the industry to arise to their responsibilities as it is their obligations to collaborate with NAICOM in ensuring that the bill becomes an Act.

    Okehi stated that Fellows should note that the burden of growth and development of the sector rested on their shoulders as the industry’s policy makers.

    Also, a past President, CIIN, Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, said: “There is supposed to be a synergy between the regulatory body and operators in the industry. The industry doesn’t have much visibility in the public space. This means we are not in government’s contemplation. The way we operate the industry has not given us visibility. It should be our priority.”

    Corroborating, a former member of House of Representatives, Hon. Lanre Laoshe, explained that, with the exclusion of the bill, among the 15 passed to the President for assent, the operators would have to start   from the beginning when National Assembly resumes on June 4.

    Laoshe, an insurance practitioner, said: “If they really want to change their law, let them work or why didn’t the bill go far? Some may not want the bill to get there.’’

    Also, Managing Director, Peninscope Professional Warranty Limited, Mr. Taiye Adediji, pointed out that such omission would hinder development in the industry, cut the time frame that would enable the players acclimatise with the new law, if signed into law.

    Similarly, the Managing Director, Risk Sift Consultant Limited, Mrs. Janet Omoniyi, said the industry could not act on it until the president signed it into law.

    “It means we will continue to use the obsolete law. The industry will have to wait till a new set of National Assembly members comes onboard, brings it up and work on it, then send it to the President.

  • Blinken-Tinubu telephone call will strengthen affinity, says APC chieftain

    Blinken-Tinubu telephone call will strengthen affinity, says APC chieftain

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Sunday Sylvester Moniedafe, has described the recent telephone conversation between United States’ Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as an auspicious diplomatic step toward strengthening relations between the two countries.

    In an interview with journalists in Abuja, Moniedafe, said the needless uproar the phone conversation generated especially from the opposition camps beats his imagination because, according to him, the country has countless and limitless opportunities that will come.

    Chief Moniedafe enjoined those who are “creating a mountain out of a molehill” to understand that the telephone conversation, which was initiated by the US diplomat, “was open and frank, and our ingenious president-elect, the Jagaban, seized the felicitous moment to reiterate his resolve which is aimed at prioritizing institutional reforms and development programs, deepening our democratic institutions and bringing succour to poor and vulnerable Nigerians”.

    Read Also : ‘A new Nigeria unfolds with Tinubu’

    Chief Moniedafe, who holds the traditional title of Jagaban Jimeta in Adamawa State, and frontline contender for the office of the national chairman of the ruling APC, before it was zoned to north central, noted that “Asiwaju was in his element when he converse with the US diplomat that without national unity, national security, economic development and good governance, Nigeria would not be a better place to visit, live in, and do business, as well as continue to play her leading role among African nations”.

    Moniedafe was emphatic that the Asiwaju he has come to know in the political firmament of Africa’s largest democracy and the world’s most populous black nation, “will hit the ground running and Nigerians will have a better deal sooner than later, because he is a pragmatic democrat with demonstrable antecedent”.

  • N500m-worth restaurant opens in Abuja

    N500m-worth restaurant opens in Abuja

    A new restaurant, Tastia Restaurant and Bakery has opened in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    Owner of the restaurant, Kesta Agwu said over N500 million was invested in the new outlet and it is now the largest restaurant in Abuja with a sitting capacity of 230.

    The Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, urged the Federal Government to create special funds to support entrepreneurs in the country, as part of moves to cushion the biting economic situation.

    Kalu commended the owner of the outlet, Kesta Agwu for the initiative of a classy restaurant and urged him to ensure that the standard he started be maintained.

    He noted that the bane of the hospitality business was poor maintenance culture.

    The lawmaker further commended him for creating jobs for Nigerians, noting that the owner of the restaurant should continue to expand so that more jobs would be created.

    Kalu said the government should create policies that will encourage more Nigerians to go into entrepreneurship to boost hospitality business in Nigeria.

    General Manager of the new restaurant, Thelma Elijah said they would be operating an à la carte menu as opposed to the usual quick service restaurant (QRS) offered at other Tastia outlets.

    She said: “There’s the VIP section, a space for birthdays and other events, another section where people can come and rest, buffet services, home delivery and more.

    “Free meals were provided for the first 50 people at the launch as a way to give back to loyal customers who have been with us since we opened our first restaurant in June 2020.”

  • NAHCON advance team lands in Saudi Arabia

    NAHCON advance team lands in Saudi Arabia

    The Advance Team of 31 officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) yesterday departed for Saudi Arabia from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

    The team made up of 21 NAHCON Officials and 10 Medical Personnel will be in Saudi Arabia for the final preparation to receive the first set of Nigerian pilgrims from Nassarawa State who would be arriving in the Kingdom on Thursday for the Pilgrimage.

    The team, led by the Deputy Director, Training, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, is to coordinate the reception, accommodation, feeding and transportation, health and general welfare of the pilgrims throughout the Hajj period.

    During a brief farewell at the Hajj House before their departure to the Holy Land, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan described Hajj as a global issue whose aim is to establish unity among the Ummah.

    He enjoined the officials to take their job seriously by identifying the best goals and methods to achieve success in their assignments which is for the pilgrims to enjoy value for money and obtain Hajj Mabrur.

    “You must be diligent, committed, vigilant and particularly, you must have patience and act in the right manner at all times, so that at the end, you can achieve the benefit of here and the hereafter,” he said.

    The NAHCON boss said that in spite of the challenge posed by the Sudan Military crises, the commission was able to fulfill its promise and is on course to ensure that the Thursday inaugural flight remained sacrosanct.

    Alhaji Hassan prayed to the Almighty Allah to assist the commission in making this year’s Hajj, the best experience for the pilgrims.

    Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakasai described the event as epoch, stressing that it marked the beginning of this year’s Hajj operation.

    He described the Advance Team as the foundation on which the success of this year’s Hajj will be built, adding “if it is very strong, then the rest of the structure will be solid. Therefore, I want to enjoin you to discharge your duties with utmost sense of responsibility and I want to assure you of the commission’s support for your team to achieve the desired objectives.”

    In the same vein, the Commissioner in charge of Planning, Research, Statistics and Library Services (PRSILS), Sheikh Suleiman Momoh enjoined the team members to pray for the success of the Hajj exercise when they get to the Holy land.

    “I just have one request for you and that is, when you get to Madina, please go and pray for the success of this year’s Hajj,” he said.

    Responding on behalf of the Team, Alhaji Tajudeen Akande and Dr. Galadima expressed appreciation to the management for the trust and confidence reposed in them and assured of their determination and readiness to make this year’s Hajj more successful that previous years.

    “On behalf of the team, I want to thank the management for the support extended to us, we will put in our best to ensure we achieve success,” Akande said.