The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Life after school convergence holds 5th edition

    The fifth edition of Life After School Organisation (LAS), an initiative borne out of the earnest desire of its founder, Abiola Fagbore popularly known as Ara’nbe, holds at Lagos State University(LASU) on November 7.

    The theme of the platform meant to prepare undergraduates and youths for life is no excuse.

    The initiative, has supported global efforts at developing young people who are capable of contributing immensely and positively to their personal lives, National growth and indeed to global prosperity.

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    This Conference debuted four years ago at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago iwoye, Ogun state, in 2016 and 2017 concurrently, with another edition in 2018 at University Of Ibadan.

    Top guest speakers and panelist such as Kunle Idowu (“Frank Donga”), Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI), J.J Omojuwa, Adeniyi Johnson in previous editions. This years edition will feature speakers like; Makinde Azeez; CEO of Naijaloaded, Pamilerin Adegoke; digital marketer, Yetunde Toyibat Odusote; legal practitioner and a host of others have facilitated previous conferences.

  • Experts urge African countries to take advantage of demographic dividend

     

    By Bola Olajuwon, Assistant Editor/Head Foreign Affairs and Development Agencies

    EMINENT experts have urged African countries to “take full advantage of the region’s demographic dividend by especially investing in youth”.
    The call was made at the first edition of Scientific Conference on National Transfer Accounts (NTA-Africa) co-organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its sub-regional office for West Africa.

    The conference was organised in Senegal with the Regional Centre of Excellence in Generational Economics (CREG) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), partner universities and development partners.

    With the central theme of “Demographic Dynamics and Sustainable Development: The Contribution of NTAs to Agenda 2063”, the meeting aimed to promote the NTA method, its applications and extensions as well as the political dialogue on demographic dynamics for development.

    The conference took place in a context where remarkable economic growth efforts observed over the past two decades have been relatively compromised by unprecedented population growth in many African countries.

    A strategy for taking population issues into account could therefore make it possible to take advantage of demographic trends, to generate productivity gains and improve the quality of life of the population. It is with this rationale that the Sub-Regional Office of the United Nations Economic Commission for West Africa (ECA/SRO-WA) set up a specialised Centre in Demographic Dynamics for Development (DDD), the goal of which, among others, is to promote the capture of the benefits of the demographic dividend.

    In his address at the opening of the conference, the Cabinet Director of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Cooperation of Senegal, Mr. Aliou Ndiaye, said: “Since 2015, Senegal has invested heavily in the process of achieving the demographic dividend”. This commitment has grown considerably since the adoption of the African Union Conference Declaration in January 2016, inviting African countries to “take full advantage of the demographic dividend by investing in youth”.

    “Our country is implementing measures and policies that, through phase II of the Emerging Senegal Plan (2019-2023), will contribute to the creation of a more favourable environment enabling it to reap the benefits of the demographic dividend,” continued the Cabinet Director of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Cooperation of Senegal.

    ECA Director for West Africa Bakary Dosso declared that three motivations explain the presence of the commission as a partner of the conference.

    “The first is the fundamental mission of our organisation, which is to produce ideas and actions to support Africa in its development efforts. The second reason is the universal commitment to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Efforts to achieve these goals guide the actions of the ECA, and beyond it, the entire United Nations System. Lastly, our relationship with the NTA network stems from our close collaboration with the CREG for the development of the Centre’s Strategic Plan, upstream of the operationalisation of the DDD Centre. This momentum has been reinforced by the convergence of the views of the two entities to develop and consolidate a partnership network of Institutions and Structures engaged in capturing the benefits of the demographic dividend,” explained Bakary Dosso.

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    “The ECOWAS zone represents 17% of the surface area and 30% of the population of Africa (estimated at 1.3 billion inhabitants in 2019). It is the most populous sub-region, and is home to the most populous country on the continent, namely Nigeria with 200 million inhabitants in 2019,” said the ECA Director for West Africa.

    “We are pleased to enhance the scope of the NTA Conference by involving it in a political dialogue between researchers and political authorities, with the participation of senior officials and experts from the Ministries in charge of the Economy and Planning, National Observatories on Population, Statistical Institutes and sub-regional organisations,” declared Dosso.

    Coordinator of the CREG Abdelatif Dramani explained: “This conference is an important opportunity that brings together several authorities, policy-makers and practitioners from Africa and the world who are in charge of population and development issues, with the aim of exchanging and discussing the continent’s demo-economic challenges.”

  • Belgian police find 12 men alive inside refrigerated lorry

    Agency Reporter

    Twelve men have been discovered hiding inside a refrigerated lorry in a car park near a motorway in Belgium’s Antwerp province, local police say.

    Police were called to the scene on Tuesday night by the driver who suspected that people had climbed inside his fruit and vegetable lorry.

    Eleven Syrians and one Sudanese man were found safe and well, and were handed over to immigration officials.

    Last week, 39 people were found dead in a refrigerated lorry in England.

    The driver of the vehicle, which had arrived in England via the Belgian ferry port of Zeebrugge, has been charged with their manslaughter.

    It is believed that those who died were migrants from Vietnam or China trying to enter the UK illegally. It is not yet clear how they died, whether they froze or suffocated.

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    The lorry was standing in a car park beside the E34 motorway at Oud-Turnhout.

    The motorway runs from Zeebrugge to Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region.

    The destination of the lorry was not given.

    Every year, thousands of migrants attempt to enter the UK illegally via European ferry ports, typically hiding in vehicles.

    Refrigerated lorries are often targeted because it is easier to bypass heat scanners that way, a spokeswoman for Belgian transport federation Febetra said.

    (www.newsnow.co.uk)

  • U.S. Consular General urges removal of user-fees for people living with HIV

    Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

    United States Consular General, Claire Pierangelo has called for removal of user-fees for people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.

    According to her, such fees have negative effects and constitute a major barrier to people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.

    The Consular General also called for elimination of antenatal care charges for pregnant women living with the virus, and other barriers hindering PLHIV from accessing health services.

    “The United States remains committed to supporting Nigeria as it works to reduce and ultimately eliminate the scourge of HIV/AIDS among its people,” Consul General Pierangelo said.

    She noted the increased funding to make anti-retroviral drugs available so as more people living with HIV to lead healthy, productive lives until the day a cure for the virus is found.

    The Consular General made the call during the formal launch of the Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) surge program in Enugu state.

    The program is a administered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

    It aims to rapidly identify and provide treatment to approximately 43,000 people living with HIV who have not previously received such treatment, by September 2020.

    The program is being implemented in Enugu by PEPFAR’s implementing partner, the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN).

    At the event, the Consul General noted the U.S. government’s $75 million budget increase for HIV control activities in Nigeria, with an increased focus on Enugu State for the ART surge activities.

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    The Consul General noted that the disbursement of the additional PEPFAR HIV funds is contingent upon the Nigerian federal and state governments reducing or eliminating financial barriers to PLHIV access to services, in particular fees charged by healthcare facilities for non-essential services or those already provided by PEPFAR.

    The Consular General said the US Government recently announced the support to Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Enugu States for the launch of an ART Surge, a program designed to put an additional 500,000 people living with HIV on treatment.

    “The 500,000 people would be in addition to the more than 700,000 people already on treatment as part of the overall PEPFAR intervention”, she said.

    Consul General Pierangelo thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for his commitment to work with all stakeholders, as well as his general cooperation with the U.S. government in order to move the State towards achieving control of the HIV epidemic.

    According to a U.S.-supported Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey, about 1.9 million people are still living with the virus in Nigeria.

    These people require appropriate medical treatment to live a normal and healthy life.

  • Reps vow to reclaim Arts and Culture land allocated to individual

    Tony Akowe, Abuja

    The House of Representatives has vowed to reclaim the land belonging to the National Council for Arts and Culture within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that has been ceded to an unnamed individual.

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Culture and Tourism, Hon Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama (PDP-Edo) who spoke during budget defence by the Council however said House will give every legislative support for the rapid development of the nation’s Culture and Tourism sector.

    The lawmaker said the Culture and Tourism sector occupy a critical and strategic position to the growth of the economy and national development, adding that sector remained the only unifying avenue for the country and as such would not be relegated for whatever reason.

    He stressed that under the leadership of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the House would do everything possible to give priority attention to the promotion of the sector through adequate budgetary provision.

    He said “as a Committee, we will wade into the matter to retrieve the landed property from that individual for the Council. You cannot acquire government land and give it to an individual. Rather, you can only acquire an individual’s landed property for government use.

    “We will allow the judiciary to do its own job. Right away, the Committee will pay an on the spot assessment to the site for members to see things for ourselves.

    Read Also: Synergy between legislature, executive ‘ll ensure good governance, says Gbajabiamila

    “If needs be, the leadership of the House of Representatives will take up the matter with President Muhammadu Buhari who is fighting corruption from all directions today and we must all be ready to support him for the benefit of all and sundry. This is corruption of the highest order, to take government land and give it to an individual”.

    The lawmakers passed vote of confidence on the Director General of the Council, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe for his passion in the promotion of Arts and culture in the country which they said has lifted the image of the country in the comity of the nations.

    Defending the council’s budget estimate for 2020, Director General of the Council, Otunba Runsewe raised alarm over poor funding of the Agency despite its numerous responsibilities, citing the meager N100m allocated to it in the 2020 budget proposal as an example.

    Runsewe said; “our financial situation is so pathetic, what can the N100m do for us, from it, we will host the National Festival of Arts and Culture, NAFEST, this festival started in 1973 immediately after the Civil war, it has been a unifying avenue for Nigerians from different ethnic groups and religious backgrounds to come together to showcase their different cultures, “We just finished this year’s edition in Benin City, Edo State and participants from 30 States of the federation and the FCT, Abuja were in attendance, this helps to promote peaceful coexistence in the country.

    “Even at the Edo festival, over 300 unemployed youths acquired various free vocational trainings and obtained necessary certificates in their fields, this is the only way we can keep the youths busy from drugs addiction and other social vices ravaging our society.

    “We also have the annual Abuja carnival to counted with from this allocation, it involves all the States of the federation converging in Abuja for the one week cultural display, we are coming to a point that it will no longer be possible to host the two events due to inadequate funding, we may have to pick one of out of the two.”

    He pleaded with the Committee to assist the Council to retrieve its banded property ceded to an individual despite the Council having all the necessary documents and a huge amount of foreign donation to develop the land.

  • EFCC denies branding successful youth internet fraudsters

    Precious Igbonwelundu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied allegation it was haunding young successful people in its quest to contain internet fraud alias Yahoo-Yahoo.

    Nigerians on social media have overtime accused the agency and the police of branding every young successful person as an internet fraudster with little or no evidence.

    But Chairman of the Commission Ibrahim Magu denied these allegations on Monday evening.
    During an interview after the opening ceremony of a three-day conference and retreat for senior police officers held in Lagos, Magu insisted that the EFCC went after its suspects based on credible intelligence.

    He also reiterated that the EFCC was making plans to rehabilitate arrested internet fraudsters so they could be of great use to the country and society.

    Magu said: “We go after fraudsters and not successful young persons. We do due diligence before clamping down on them.

    “I have also mentioned that we are making arrangement to rehabilitate these arrested fraudsters so that they can be useful to the society,” he said.

    Read Also: EFCC recovers charms, laptops from 10 ‘fraudsters’

    Meanwhile, Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki who was also at the event said the state was using community policing to tackle the menace of highway kidnapping and armed violence which have been prevalent for some months.

    He said his administration was working very hard with the office of the Inspector General of Police (IG) to ensure that attacks on motorists plying the Ore-Benin Highway were a thing of the past.

    Obaseki said: “Our model for community policing is key and we are working very hard with the IG’s office. Do not forget that the current IG was AIG in Edo State and that was when we started working on the whole concept of community policing.

    “That is one of the reasons I am here; to work with the senior management of the police in terms of providing security in the state.”

  • TUC, JNC threaten showdown with KWSG on performance assessment

    Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

    Trade Union Congress (TUC) has threatened a showdown with the Kwara state government over alleged ongoing distribution of performance assessment forms to civil servants in the state.

    TUC alleged that the forms contain questions for its members to assessment the performance of labour movement in the state.

    It specifically stated that the ‘performance assessment forms’ emanated from the office of the state Head of Service (HoS) Susan O. Oluwole.

    Kwara state TUC Comrade Kolawole Olumoh in an exclusive chat with THE NATION said: “It is unfortunate that the office of the Kwara state Head of Service (HoS) has not deemed it fit to summon the labour movement to a meeting as regards the ongoing distribution of forms to our members to assess our performance.

    “The labour movement in the state believes that the action is politically-motivated and it will be very detrimental to the relationship between the unions and the state government. We as labour leaders we are elected constitutionally and we have the mandate to represent the interest of our teaming members.

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    To us, we are seeing the head of service action as a backstabbing and act of indictment on us. We are surely going to take an action on it. We will not take it lightly. We are embarrassed by the action.”

    His Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) in the state Sulaiman Saliu said that “the HoS has no constitutional right to be sending out questionnaires pertaining to labour activities in the state. When we saw the form we looked as indictment. If we are not reacting to some of the things they are doing that does not mean we are stupid, but we have been trying to manage the relationship between labour and the state government.

    “But the way they are going now they want to see the other side of labour movement in the state. We are condemning the action of the head of service in totality, because I don’t know what kind of policy they are making on our behalf without consulting us. We are not accepting it.”

  • Service sector contributed N1.2trn to Edo’s GDP in 2017 – NBS

    The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said that Edo state’s service sector contributed N1.2 trillion to its N2.3 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017.

    Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Joseph Eboigbe disclosed this while presenting the “2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Frame Work (MTEF),” at a-one-day workshop organised by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, at the Government House in Benin City.

    The workshop was organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Edo State Employment and Expenditure for Result (SEEFOR) programme.

    Eboigbe said despite the vast land and gas deposit in the state, the agricultural and industrial sectors contributed less to the state’s GDP, noting that the information provided by the NBS has availed the state government with data to address the structural imbalance in the state.

    According to him, “NBS published the GDP of Edo State covering the period 2013 to 2017, which measured economic activities in the state. It showed which sector contributed the most to the GDP, allowing the state to know the areas of focus. It broke the state into three sectors which include agricultural, industry and services sector.”

    He said the total GDP of the state for 2017 was N2.3 trillion, out of which the services sector contributed N1.2 trillion.

    In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Princess (Mrs.) Otse Momoh Omorogbe said the workshop was organised to facilitate engagement with members of the public for improved service delivery and development.

    Read Also: Obaseki launches Edo PHC Insurance scheme Oct 31

    She said the workshop allows for the participation of residents in the state’s budget preparation, adding, “The state prepared a citizens’ budget which is a simpler form of the state’s approved annual budget. Its main objective is to present Edo State’s budgetary information in a manner that is easily digestible for its citizenry.”

    Director of Budget, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Oseh Michael, who delivered a paper on Edo State Citizen’s Budget, said the objective of the 2019 approved budget is to consolidate on government’s efforts in building a viable state.

    Michael noted, “The objectives of the 2019 budget is to consolidate on government’s efforts to build the Edo of our dreams and to reflect government’s desire to carry everybody along in its plans and projects, aimed at bringing growth and development to Edo State.”

    “Key goals of the budget are continuous investment in repairs of existing structures and the development of new socio-economic infrastructure; strengthening internal capacity for projects execution and governance; continuous investment in programmes and projects for wealth creation, particularly through industrialisation, agriculture and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) development.”

    One of the stakeholders at the event, Stella Ojeme of Child Protection Network, described the programme as apt as it gives stakeholders the opportunity to share ideas to enhance the 2020 budget.

    Ojeme urged the state government to ensure the budget covers the interest of the children who are exposed to abuse.

    President, Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disability (NAPVID), Melody Omosah, said Edo State Government is on the right track, advising the government to ensure that suggestions are accommodated in the state’s 2020 budget.

    PHOTO CAPTION:

    Participants at a one-day workshop organised by the Edo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, at the Government House in Benin City.

  • APC hails Supreme Court’s affirmation of Buhari’s victory

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed Supreme Court’s dismissal of the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar against President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 election victory.

    The party, in a statement by its spokesman Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said: “We congratulate Nigerians, the President; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; party leaders, members and supporters on the Supreme Court’s verdict.

    “Following the earlier judgement of the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which dismissed in its entirety the PDP and Atiku’s petition, the Apex Court was apt in dismissing the appeal for lacking merit.

    “The Party hails the Judiciary for standing firm in the face of the PDP and Atiku’s subterfuge and for siding with the Nigerian electorate who through their votes decided to do away with PDP’s ignominious past and re-elect the President Buhari-led APC administration which has ushered in a new era of progressive growth for our country.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Supreme Court dismisses Atiku’s appeal

    “With the ruling of the Supreme Court, which has finally affirmed President Buhari’s election victory, we enjoin the PDP and Atiku to jettison their destructive and disruptive agenda against Nigeria, which they have made up their minds to pursue for the next four years.

    “The PDP and Atiku should not confuse opposition politics for their unpatriotic agenda. Democratic politics cannot be practiced in the state of anarchy, confusion which the PDP and Atiku wish to achieve. Such diabolic plan will definitely fail.

    “Going forward, the President Buhari-led APC government will continue to focus on delivering our Next Level plans for the country.”

  • New minimum wage: Nasarawa to commence implementation

    Agency Reporter

    Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has promised to commence the process for the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage in the state.

    The governor gave the promise at a two-day retreat for political appointees in the state on Wednesday in Akwanga, Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.

    According to him, now that agreement has been reached on the consequential adjustment for workers on grade levels 7 to 17, the state will soon commence the process for the implementation.

    Sule said he had sworn to obey law as a governor, adding that the ‘N30,000 minimum wage is a law in the country that must be obeyed.

    “We will engage the organised labour in the state on the consequential adjustment for levels 7 to 17 civil servants as soon as we get the temple from the relevant organs of the Federal Government.

    Read Also: Intrigues behind new minimum wage agreement

    “But the adjustment will be determined by our allocation from the Federation Account and accrual from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    “We would be very open to the unions and the public in our transaction so that together we would agree on the adjustment base on our financial capacity,’’ Sule stated.

    The governor also promised to be transparent in running the state and assured that he would deliver on his campaign promises. (NAN)