The Nation Newspaper

Tag: government

  • UK to announce new £50m malaria programme for Nigeria

    The United Kingdom (UK) says it will announce a new malaria programme worth £50 million in Nigeria that will run until 2024.

    The UK said it would also provide a £9.2 million of new research funds to develop new triple artemisinin combination treatments.

    A statement issued by Ready to Beat Malaria, an NGO, said the UK Government had re-affirmed its commitment to spend £500 million a year on malaria through to 2020-21.

    The statement said that the UK would also announce additional £100 million match fund commitment to the Global Fund to match new contributions from private donors pound for pound.

    It said the funds were part of the Britain’s renewed commitment to accelerate progress against malaria.

    Read Also: http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/fg-ngos-sensitise-community-world-malaria-day/ 

    The statement said the UK government would make this known at the Malaria Summit London 2018, co-hosted by the UK Government, and the Heads of State of Rwanda and Swaziland.

    It said 15 Heads of State and Government from across the Commonwealth were to attend the Malaria Summit together with senior ministerial attendance and leaders from the world of business, science, civil society and international organisations.

    It said the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria would also announce commitments totalling 2 billion dollars from 46 countries affected by malaria between 2018 and 20.

    According to the statement, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will extend its investments in malaria by an additional 1 billion dollars (£700 million) through to 2023.

    It said the 1 billion dollars investment was to reduce the burden of the disease towards ending malaria for good.

    The statement however noted that most effective tools in the fight against malaria such as nets, sprays and treatments are under threat from drug and insecticide resistance.

    “ The malaria parasite and the mosquitoes that carry it are evolving resistance to existing interventions – malaria is fighting back.

    “The Malaria Summit call for new tools to stay ahead of the disease, announcing commitments to invest in future innovations,’’ it said.

    It said GSK is committing to invest a further 175 million dollars in its research and development efforts against malaria.

    The statement added that Novartis would invest more than 100 million dollars through 2023 to advance research and development of next-generation treatments to combat emerging anti-malarial drug resistance.

    It quoted Ms Theresa May, Prime Minister of United Kingdom, saying that: “UK is a proud leader in the fight against malaria, which has seen deaths cut by 60 per cent and saved seven million lives since 2000.

    “We have made a major contribution to that progress, including investing 500million dollars each year over the next three years, developing new drugs and technologies and making life-saving solutions available to millions at risk from malaria.

    “But the job is not yet done. Today there are millions still at risk, economies held back and a child’s life needlessly taken every two minutes from this disease.

    “This is why I am championing a new Commonwealth commitment to halve malaria across member countries by 2023.

    Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who are co-convening the Malaria Summit, said: “History has shown that with malaria there is no standing still – we move forward or risk resurgence.’’

    He added that the commitments made today, from the UK, country leadership and the private sector, show that the world is ready to beat malaria.

    NAN

  • Lagos pays N9.3bn as pension in 1 yr.

    The Lagos State Government said on Friday that it paid N9.3 billion as pension to 2,466 retirees in the state, between May 2017 and March 2018.

    Dr Akintola Benson-Oke, the state Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions, said this at the 2018 Ministerial Press Briefing, to mark the present administration’s three years in office.

    “The state government, through the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), paid the sum of N9.3 billion into the Retirement Savings Account (RSA) of 2,466 public retirees, within the last one year.

    “From August 2015 to date, the sum of N35.92 billion has been paid into the RSA of 8,731 retirees, deceased and withdrawn staff.

    “There has been continued significant reduction in outstanding backlog of terminal entitlements of retired public servants,” he said.

    Benson-Oke said that the Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode led-administration commenced and maintained the trend of paying terminal entitlements of retired employees monthly, since August 2015.

    “The ministry will continue to sensitise retirees on activities of pension fraudsters so that they will get their entitlements without hitch,” he said.

    The commissioner said that the ministry would distribute welfare packages to no fewer than 8, 000 pensioners aged 70 and above this year.

    On the payment of death benefit, he said that 80 beneficiaries of deceased employees in the state were paid N220.7 million within the period.

    The commissioner said that the state’s Public Service Staff Development Centre trained 3, 737 officers in the last one year.

    He said the training provided solutions to problems on human capacity through learning and development initiatives, using technology-driven resources.

    “The essence is not only for self-development, but for the skills and knowledge acquired to be deployed on the job for impactful service delivery to teeming populace of Lagos State,” he said.

    Benson-Oke commended the 17 labour unions in the state public service for supporting government in creating a safe, conflict-free and productive workplace.

    “It is historic to note that in the last three years, this administration has not witnessed any form of crisis, protests or agitations by labour unions,” he added.

    He said the unions’ National Joint Negotiating Council met and interacted with government four times yearly to take decisions on issues pertaining to workers’ welfare and promote industrial harmony.

    Benson-Oke promised that the ministry would continue to intensify efforts towards motivating and training the civil servants for better service delivery and protection of interest of residents of the state.

    NAN

     

  • Ondo Govt tasks residents on tax payment

    Ondo Government on Friday enjoined residents to pay their taxes regularly so that the government can embark on projects to make life more comfortable for them.

    Chief Timehin Adelegbe, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperative Services, gave the advice at a meeting he held with tax collectors in his ministry in Akure.

    According to Adelegbe, Business Premises Inspectors will soon start moving round the 18 local government areas in the state to serve assessment notice of payment to affected individuals for the year 2018.

    He, therefore, called for cooperation from the residents in the state.

    He reiterated the commitment of the current administration to the yearnings of the people of the state, saying government could only meet their needs when there was cooperation.

    Adelegbe advised that the payment should not be made to individuals, but paid directly into government’s account.

    He urged those with complaints to visit the ministry for clarification or call phone numbers on the forms given to them.

    Adelegbe warned that only the accredited officers of the ministry that were permitted to serve the form.

    The commissioner solicited for the cooperation of the residents to be patient with the officials on assignment and urged the tax officials to be serious with their work.

    He commended the business owners in the state for their understanding and prompt payment of their business premises levies in 2017 in spite of the harsh economic situation in the country.

    NAN

  • Irrigated agriculture, key to nation’s food security – Official

    Dr Elijah Aderibigbe, Director, Irrigation and Drainage, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, has called on all Nigerians to embrace irrigation farming to fast track nation’s food security.

    Aderibigbe told our reporter that there was no substitute to irrigation if Nigeria would meet its agricultural policy agenda.

    “The Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the National Roadmap towards increasing the country’s irrigated agriculture landmass, which stood between 150,000 and 170,000 hectares,” he said.

    According to him, the National Irrigation and Drainage Policy, approved in 2015 also called the roadmap and action plan, is in three phases to achieve no fewer than 500, 000 irrigated landmass by 2030.

    He said the roadmap was being implemented through the river basins and implementing agencies such as the World Bank in its Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project.

    He noted that the ongoing irrigation projects in Bakolori, Kano River, Hadeija Valley, Dadin Kowa and Guyuk were being made as models for other schemes to look up to.

    The director gave assurance that the models would be replicated in all the nation’s 12 river basins.

    He said all stakeholders on irrigation would be sensitised to understand the importance of irrigation in increasing agricultural production in the country.

    Aderibigbe added that institutional reforms were key to successful development in irrigation practices.

    While acknowledging the efforts of the state governments and private sectors, the director said irrigation hectare was between 150,000 and 170,000 in the country.

    He said there was an ongoing inventory of current irrigation facilities in the country, stressing that once completed Nigerians would be able to know their actual irrigated hectares.

    Aderibigbe said challenges on irrigation included funding, saying delay in timely release of funds had affected the performances of contractors to work in dry seasons.

    “By the time rain comes, if funding is there, they can’t work,” he said.

    He stressed the need for private sector to be involved in irrigated agriculture, saying that the Federal Government alone cannot fund these projects, because they are ‘capital-intensive’.

    “We also have some programmes under the public private partnership arrangement, so that some investors could come in to develop some lands and the beneficiaries will have reasons to smile.”

    He added that operation and maintenance of projects had been critical over the years.

    He emphasised that the ministry was focusing on participatory irrigation management concept whereby beneficiaries are included in the day-to-day running of the schemes.

    He, however, urged all water user associations to take ownership of irrigation schemes, stressing that Federal Government alone cannot provide and protect these schemes.

    Aderibigbe commended the Federal Government on its commitment to complete all abandoned water projects, noting that most of them were left at 60 per cent completion stage.

    “Some of our projects that were abandoned had been taken up.

    ‘‘We have done the Revised Estimated Total Cost, so that the contractors can go back to site, and finish up, some of them were abandoned at 65, 70 per cent.

    ‘‘If we don’t complete them (projects), it’s like wasting and dumping these resources,” he said.

    NAN

  • Reps to FG: Rescue Dapchi, Chibok Girls

    Reps to FG: Rescue Dapchi, Chibok Girls

    The House of Representatives Thursday called on the Federal Government to rescue the recently abducted school girls from Government, Girls Technical College, Dapchi, in Yobe State.

    The lawmakers arrived at the resolution after a long deliberation on this year’s International Women’s Day, through a motion brought by Chairperson, House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Stella Ngwu (PDP Enugu) urging the Federal Government  to secure freedom for all kidnapped school girls in the country.

    They also enjoined the authorities to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls and provide security for school children and women in the country.

    Lawmakers like Lynda Ikpeazu, PDP, Anambra; Aisha Dukku, APC, Gombe; Garba Tchede, APC, Taraba; and Gudaji Kazaure, APC, Jigawa all called on the government to provide legal framework for gender parity and support Nigerian women in the quest for gender mainstreaming.

    This was as a coalition of Civil Society Organisations including Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution (CDNCD) and Our Mumu Don Do Movement called on the National Assembly to probe the incident.

    “As representatives of the people, the time has come for the National Assembly to take every action that can spur the executive and the nation to act.

    “The National Assembly is invited to conduct a powerful investigation to unravel whatever conspiracy has been alleged so far, and the circumstances surrounding how over hundred girls will be kidnapped in a ‘war zone’ without them being spotted, or meeting police/ military check point.,” the coalition said in a statement by Ariyo- Dare Aroye and Raphael Adebayo, who represented the CSOs.

    The Nigerian Military is conducting Operation Lafiya Dole, in the Morth East with Yobe State being part of the area of strategic operations. But the military was  allegedly withdrawn from Dapchi 21 days, before the school girls’ abduction.

    Some of the parents of the 110 students abducted from the Government, Girls Technical College, Dapchi, could not hold back the tears at the gate of the National Assembly yesterday.

    The parents, both male and female who wore black shirts with inscription, “We are Dapchi People”, said since the abduction of their children, there has been no meaningful contact by government officials on the issue and prayed the government to help rescue their children.

    One of the parents Yahaya Taributu, a male who told The Nation that three of his daughters were taken by the abductors, said the abduction was because of the laxity and incompetence on the part of the security forces.

    He said: “Government should go and bring back our daughters” he said, adding that that could not understand why the military was withdrawn from Dapchi 21 days, before the abduction.

    “We don’t know why government had to withdraw the army, but we believe that government knows better. We cannot, and will not rest over this matter, until we meet four eyes with our daughters”.

    A mother, Aisha Alhaji Bukar, whose daughter one of those captured by the Boko Haram insurgents, could not stop weeping, saying her daughter’s absence has made her a sorrowful mother.

    Also, Aisha Kundili Bukar, whose daughter was also kidnapped and Adamu Gashuama, a father, whose daughter was a victim, said there was no visible security in the town.

    “Even now, if you go to Dapchi, you can carry mothers, fathers and all their children into captivity unchallenged. Dapchi is not safe,” Aisha Kundili Bukar said.

    Read Also: Dapchi Kidnap, Rann attacks won’t happen again – Buhari

  • Ecologist urges govt. to educate Nigerians against carbon

    Ecologist urges govt. to educate Nigerians against carbon

    Mr Habib Omotosho, an ecologist, has advise government to educate Nigerians on green and low carbon initiatives and projects, to enable them support the efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.

    Omotosho, who is the National Coordinator, Environmental Advancement Initiative, an NGO, gave the advice in an interview with our reporter in Abuja on Tuesday.

    “Government should enlighten citizens as well as empowering men and women, youths and children in green and low carbon initiatives and projects.

    “This will assist in actualising green and safe environment for all Nigerians as well as transforming our surroundings into better and appreciable outlooks,’’ he said.

    The expert and urged people to join the advocacy for safe and healthy environment as well as make donations that would support the climate change mitigation activities.

    Read Also :‘Foreigners must not take digital switch over from Nigerians’

    Omotosho also called on the government to invest more in low carbon growth initiatives and support partnership that would increase resilience to climate change risks.

    “Government at all levels should priorities investments in low-carbon energy projects, particularly in the areas of cooking modes, transportation modes and clean energy options.

    “To this end, private sector investments should be encouraged for the production and distribution of clean cooking technologies, low carbon travel options.’’

    He identified such options to include: bicycles, hybrid cars, tricycles and other low carbon or non-carbon emitting energy options.

    “Nigeria has a huge economic potential; a brilliant climate and environment future that cannot be left to be ravaged by the adverse effect of climate change.’’

    NAN

  • Government intensifies efforts to ease scarcity

    Government intensifies efforts to ease scarcity

    •DAPPMA chief gives recipe for sustenance

    After two days of severe fuel scarcity and chaotic queues at the filling stations in Lagos and other cities, respite is underway for consumers.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has increased supply of premium motor spirit (PMS) commonly called petrol to the metropolis.

    The Nation’s survey yesterday showed there was impressive supply to depots in Lagos, making more filling stations to dispense product late yesterday. But the queues were still long and chaotic.

    Policemen were seen stationed at many filling stations to ensure order and contain any likely breach.

    Fuel hawkers took advantage of the scarcity to ply their trade on the ever-busy Ikorodu Road, selling a 10-litre container of fuel for as high as N2, 500 to N3, 500, depending on the buyers bargaining power.

    Some of the hawkers loitered around the filling stations for desperate motorists.

    A depot operator, who spoke to The Nation on the condition of anonymity, said: “Supply has improved considerably. I believe by Wednesday (tomorrow), the queues will fizzle out. As we speak, the depots are loading. Some of the depots will even load overnight. The depots that don’t have adequate safety gadgets may not risk loading at night. But I assure you there is fuel supply and normalcy will return on sustainable basis if only the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will sustain the supply.

    “Some ships are currently offloading. At the Bulk Oil Platform (BOP) jetty, about 25,000 metric tons of fuel is being offloaded while another one is also offloading at the Oando-SPM jetty.

    “The Oando-SPM jetty has deeper draft and accommodates bigger ships, so the one offloading there should be between 30,000 mteric tons and 35,000 metric tons.”

    The Chairman, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, Prince Dapo Abiodun, however, said the problem of fuel scarcity was beyond the supply by the NNPC.

    To him, to ensure sustainability of adequate fuel supply across the country, marketers should be made to resume importation immediately.

    He said that for as long as the NNPC remains the sole importer, there will continue to be scarcity intermittently because NNPC cannot effectively do the importation and distribution without hitches.

    “NNPC is already overwhelmed because the importation and distribution jobs the Corporation is doing alone now was previously done by 30 companies,” he said.

    According to him, the haphazard supply will linger as long as the NNPC remained the sole importer, noting that “the way out of the problem is for the government to take decision on ensuring sustainable and adequate supply. The decision should be choosing one of three options, import subsidy, foreign exchange subsidy and full deregulation.”

    He also noted that the outstanding huge debts owed the marketers constitutes huge obstacle to importation of fuel by the marketers.

    He said the Federal Government has been indebted to the marketers over N800 billion in unpaid fuel imports made by marketers since the past three years.

    Abiodun said: “Marketers must be put in the position to resume importation of PMS. What is happening confirms the inability of NNPC to cope with being the only supplier. They (NNPC) were supplying only 20 per cent of the market till October 2017, and now they are doing 100 per cent, which was done by about 30 companies the importation.

    “The importation logistics and distribution are understandably overwhelming for them (NNPC). One of three options are open for the Federal Government to choose if there should be sustainable adequate fuel supply across the nation.

    “Option one is for the Federal Government to introduce subsidy amount of N600 billion per year with the approval of the National Assembly.

    “Option two is subsidizing of the rate of foreign exchange (forex) for the marketers by the government to enable the marketers import fuel and sell at regulated price of N145 per litre, while the third option is for the government to fully deregulate the downstream subsector.

    “Whichever way, marketers must resume importation to enable the country have an enduring solution to this epileptic supply situation.”

  • Stop the killings in Benue, others, group tells govt

    Stop the killings in Benue, others, group tells govt

    The Nigerian Centre of PEN International, otherwise known as PEN Nigeria, has condemned the violent killings and other acts against humanity being meted out on the citizenry by insurgents and cultists in Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau and Rivers.

    The group, in a statement by its President, Folu Agoi, decried the killings, describing it as an “inferno”.

    “Nigerians are daily inundated with news of scores of citizens killed and many more maimed, besides precious property destroyed in virtually all the states of the federation, particularly Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau and Rivers. PEN Nigeria, hereby expresses, in absolute terms, its condemnation of the raging conflagration that seems to have taken root in Nigeria, threatening to engulf the entire country. The inferno – which manifests itself in carnage, kidnapping, robbery, rape, maiming and sundry other acts of barbarism carried out mostly by suspected itinerant cattle herders, besides suspected insurgents and suspected cultists – is, sadly, inflamed by the failure of the Federal Government to go beyond paying lip service to its understanding of – and commitment to – its basic obligation, as enunciated in Section 14(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), that: ‘The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.’ The group, therefore, called on government to take more drastic steps to put an end to the menace before it engulfs the country, while observing that the growth of violence shows the failure government’s commitment to its responsibility to its citizens.

    “PEN Nigeria, thus, urges the Federal Government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to take decisive action to stem the tide of incessant attacks of innocent citizens, and demonstrate genuine commitment to the safety and welfare of all citizens. Sincere effort must be made to sanitise the country and remove its name from the list of states in which the sanctity of human life is an anathema.”

  • Adeboye charges government on job creation

    Adeboye charges government on job creation

    The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has charged government at all levels to focus on creating jobs and other social investment programmes that would help in ameliorating the suffering of the people. He made the call at a thanksgiving and prayer programme organised by the Throne of Grace Chapel at the church headquarters in Lagos State.

    Adeboye warned that Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder if nothing is done to address the rising cases of unemployment among the youths in the country. “Our children are graduating without any hope of employment. This is a sad tale and in 2018, government must galvanise all relevant stakeholders to get our children employed. We will be creating a lot of social problems and insecurity if we fold our hands and refuse to act,” he said.

     

  • 10 men docked over unlawful possession of guns in Ogun

    10 men docked over unlawful possession of guns in Ogun

    The Police in Ogun on Monday arraigned 10 men at the Ota Magistrates ‘s Court over unlawful possession of guns.

    The accused persons include Tajudeen Toyin (60), Segun Bello (48) ,Lateef Monsuru (31) and seven others.

    They are standing trial on two-count charge of threat to life and unlawful possession of firearms.

    The Prosecutor, Cpl. Abdulkareem Mustapha, told the court that the defendant and others now at large, committed the offences on November 9 at Kajola Village, Atan, Ota, Ogun.

    Abdulkareem said that the defendants were caught by the police with a locally made pistol and one live cartridge, without licence.

    Read also: Three arraigned over cultism, firearm possession

    He said that the offence contravenes Sections 248(d) and 249 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.
    The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B. B. Adebowale, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N50, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.

    She said that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and swear to an affidavit of means.

    Adebowale also said that the sureties should provide evidence of tax payments to the Ogun Government and submit four recent passport photographs to the court.

    She adjourned the case until January 17, 2018 for hearing.

    NAN