The Nation Newspaper

Tag: support

  • Kanye West withdraws support for Trump

    Kanye West withdraws support for Trump

    American rapper, Kanye West appears to have withdrawn his support and endorsement for Donald Trump by deleting all tweets and wiping his Twitter account of references to the 45th President of the United States.

    According to TMZ, Kanye is unhappy with Trump’s earlier weeks in office and no longer wants to support him.

    The website says that Kanye’s decision to remove the tweets were all his, reporting that the “Muslim ban” and other actions were the catalyst for his decision.

    Kanye had previously tweeted about Trump in a positive light and even met with him at Trump Tower before his inauguration.

    Back then, he tweeted: “I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change.”

    But now, Kanye, who is married to Kim Kardashian, has erased all evidences from his social media.

    It was back in December that Kanye ventured to Trump’s New York headquarters.

    The pair had a meeting before posing together for photographers who were waiting in the lobby.

    When asked about their meeting, Trump said he and Kanye had been friends for a “long time”.

    After the meeting, TMZ reported that the 39-year-old singer had been discussing a potential role with The Donald – looking at becoming an “ambassador of sorts” taking on an “entrepreneurial leadership role”.

  • Presidency: Igbo canvasses support for 2023

    Presidency: Igbo canvasses support for 2023

    A group, The Igbo Conscience (TIC), has urged Nigerians to support the Igbo’s quest for the presidency in 2023.

    Its Protem Chairman, Monday Ubani, said the Igbo would vie for the presidency when the North exhausts its term in 2023.

    Ubani said the debate on the Igbo presidency is healthy and inspiring.

    He said: “We note the renewed debate for a President of Igbo extraction in Nigeria and welcome the debate as a healthy aspect of Nigerian democracy.

    “We see nothing wrong in the debate especially as it aims to assuage the desires of Igbo to lead a country they have made very great contributions to develop.

    “TIC commends all those who have contributed to the debate thus far and observes that there is unanimity of opinion that Igbo deserve the Nigerian presidency, especially as the presidency has gone round the respective zones in Nigeria.”

    Ubani said TIC will not align itself with those who believe that Igbo should take a shot at the Presidency in 2019, stressing that such view was not strategically grounded.

    He said the Igbo presidency must enjoy the overwhelming support of Nigerians across the country, stressing that it was not a project that could be achieved in isolation.

    “We therefore, fully align ourselves with the widespread view that Igbo should get the presidency in 2023.

    “We believe that the presidency is for every Nigerian to give and an Igbo presidency should be a broad and all-encompassing project. It must involve all sections, tribes, religions in Nigeria and not for only Igbo to realise.

    “TIC therefore, calls on Igbo leaders; politicians, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society groups, market women and grassroots organisations to direct their actions and conducts towards creating enabling factors that will facilitate Igbo presidency in 2023.”

    Ubani urged the Southeast to start organising itself into a formidable bloc, adding that it also build bridges across the Niger to make its dream a reality.

    He explained that power was never given on a platter of gold, calling on well meaning Nigerians from the catchment area to develop the political will and temperament that will ensure the success of the campaign.

    Ubani stressed: “We task Igbo to start organising themselves into a serious and formidable political bloc, start building critical bridges of understanding with other sections of the country and engage in strategic political alignments.

    “We warn Igbo that, inasmuch as there is an understanding for power to go round, power is not given on a platter of gold. So, we must all direct our focus towards earning the trust, confidence and understanding of other Nigerians en-route 2023 because these are vital steps towards the realisation of the Igbo presidency project.”

  • AKWA UTD APOLOGISE TO FANS, ASK FOR PATIENCE, SUPPORT

    AKWA UTD APOLOGISE TO FANS, ASK FOR PATIENCE, SUPPORT

    The management and players of Akwa United have apologized to those they refer to as “genuine fans and supporters” for their current poor run in the four-week old Premier league.

    A release by the club media officer Mr.Mfon Patrick yesterday quoted the club Chairman Mr. Paul Bassey as saying that the current poor run of the team is regretted and that despite the “……strong conviction that this may turn out to be our best year in the league we are trying not to misplace the emotional outburst of some fans last Wednesday at the GodswillAkpabio International Stadium.

    “Every fan has the right to feel bad when his or her team is doing badly yet we must guard against taking the laws into our own hands by way of protest or dissatisfaction. We can understand what Liverpool fans are going through for losing two key matches at home in one week, including a semi final against Southampton after losing to Swansea 3-2 in the Premiership yet all hell has not been let loose…..

    “Should we over react to the point of being fined or banned out of Uyo, great will be our loss going forward.

    “The league fixture as it involves Akwa United is the most trying of all the teams. We started off in Ilorin on Sunday, rushed back to play Rivers on Wednesday (they strolled down the road) ran back to Bauchi (over 19 hrs on the road) hurried back to play Rangers(they strolled down the road) and here we are off to Katsina (Two days on the road) and we are expected to get back in time to be ready for Remo Stars.

    “Let it also be on record that the two teams we have played so far at home are the best as per last season’s league, who have gone ahead to fortify their squad in readiness for the CAF Champions League

    “These are not excuses but facts that need be addressed, realities that should evoke sympathy.

    “If there is anytime we need our supporters and fans, it is now. We use this opportunity to thank the Akwa United Supporters Club most heartily for the over ninety minutes performance exhibited on Wednesday and promise that they will not regret supporting us.

    “We call for patience, we call for understanding. We plead that unnecessary pressure should not be exerted on the boys and their coaches to the point where they become tense and anxious in front of their home fans. Elsewhere as we witnessed in Bauchi even when we outclassed them, they stayed with their team to the very end,” the release said.

    The club explained that its pre season transfer acquisition was not faulty and that it stands to defend the quality and pedigree of every coach and player brought into the club and ended by being grateful to His Excellency Governor Udom Emmanuel by providing all that is needed for the club to succeed including the support of the supervising ministry headed by Sir Monday Uko the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports.

  • Children’s centre calls for support for people with disability

    Children’s centre calls for support for people with disability

    The Children’s Development Centre (CDC) in Nigeria has reiterated the need for parents, communities and governments to provide better  support to people living with disabilities through the provision of care and services as well as policy directions.

    The CDC, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), dedicated to the care and support of people living with disabilities, made the call at a Parents’ Summit  in Lagos. It formed part of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the organisation.

    The Summit, tagged: “Overriding Stigma with Compassion in the Community: Is this a Family’s Solution?”, addressed the need for communities to provide adequate support structures devoid of stigmatisation for the care and management of people, particularly children living with disabilities.

    Director, CDC, Dr Yinka Akindayomi, lamented that very little progress has been made in  addressing the challenges and needs of special people as families and the society largely live in denial and unwilling to provide the necessary support.

    According to him, it was the need to change the attitude and direct attention to this area of need that the Centre organised the Parents’ Summit. “For far too long, parents and families have worked in silos, trying to provide care and services to their children with special needs. For as long as parents do not get together to address these issues as a group, it would be difficult to get support from the government and policy makers,” Dr Akindayomi said.

    “It is indeed, disturbing that governments at both the state and federal levels are paying little attention to this area. For instance, only Lagos State has enacted a Disability Act, and that is not even comprehensive enough as it fails to address the issue of stigmatisation of special people,” Dr Akindayomi added.

    The  summit addressed issues such as early detection of disabilities in children and intervention, access to quality and timely information, family financial management and health insurance, nutrition and management of diets to reduce risk factors and child abuse, among others.

    Parents recounted their experiences and challenges, providing care and support for their children with disabilities, while experts in nutrition, insurance, family and behaviourial health services, financial planning and relationships provided the perspective. Parents were encouraged to work as a team to prevent burnout as well as ensure that governments provide the right infrastructure and support. It was resolved at the summit that  parents’ forum as a support group be instituted to gain the government’s attention.

    The CDC is a service oriented, not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to provide a broad range of educational and support services for children, young people and their families within the community. It is a place where children and young people with developmental disability have a “sense of belonging”. It was established 20 years ago. “It is a facility donated by the Lagos State Government, where we have begun to meet our children’s needs for the future and the present,”Akindayomi said.

  • Airtel, Best in Support of Youth Devt

    Airtel, Best in Support of Youth Devt

    Airtel  has been named the Best Company in Support of Youth Development by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos State Chapter.

    The award was presented to the telco at the maiden edition of the Lagos Public Relations Industry Gala and Awards (LaPRIGA) organised by the group.

    The organisers commended Airtel’s contributions toward the development of youths through its various empowerment and youth-oriented programmes, which were described as consistent and impactful.

    Chairman of NIPR, Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Olusegun McMedal,  said: “Airtel is one of the responsible corporate bodies that give priority to youth development by investing in meaningful initiatives targeted at youth not only in Lagos State, but in Nigeria as a whole.

    “That is why the organisation has been recognised for its commitment to youth development. And we encourage the company to keep it up.”

  • Minister urges govs to support filmmakers

    Minister urges govs to support filmmakers

    Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has asked other arms of government to complement Federal Government’s effort by providing an enabling environment for filmmakers in the country.

    Since assuming office, Mohammed has spoken loudly about the potentials in the film sector, describing it as a viable alternative source of revenue to oil and a great employer of labour.

    The Minister who, as part of his routine tour of the film industry, attended the premiere of film, titled ‘My Name is Kadi’ in Abuja, implored Governors to encourage and support movie producers by providing incentives and creating the enabling environment for the Creative Industry to thrive in their respective states.

    He said: “One of the reasons I am here today is that we need to encourage and support the movie industry from whichever part of the country. It’s the same enabling environment that we are going to provide for all of them, but I think the state governments should encourage such filmmakers also by giving them access to grants to help them because this could be very expensive. The state governments will also help by establishing cinema houses to show these films,” he said.

    Alhaji Mohammed said if properly harnessed through regulatory and legislative framework, the film industry has a huge potential to contribute significantly to the development of the economy.

    According to the Minister, “If you look at the GDP of California, which is largely dependent on the Creative Industry, it’s about the sixth in the world. Go to Mumbai in India and other cities, the Creative Industry is the bedrock of their economy.

    “The good news here is that the artists, the film-makers, the musicians have gone far ahead and are today in a domineering position globally,’’ he said.

    He disclosed that government is working with some development partners to provide data and statistics that will encourage the private sector to key into the Creative Industry by investing and making profit.

    He noted that one of the challenges faced by the movie industry in Nigeria is that it’s largely unstructured, given reason government is creating a self-regulatory mechanism for filmmakers through the establishment of the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) to organise and properly structure the industry.

    Alhaji Mohammed decried the proliferation of guilds in the Creative Industry and said such amorphous structure will not augur well for the industry.

    On the issue of piracy, he said his ministry and that of Justice are partnering to curb piracy, noting that the punishment for piracy needs to be stringent enough to discourage the unwholesome practice.

    “We must protect the intellectual property of our artists. We have laws already in place but there are some people who are of the view that the punishment is not stringent enough,” the Minister noted.

    He also harped on the need to discourage Nigerians from patronizing pirated products through advocacy to create awareness on the dangers of piracy to the nation’s economy.

  • Recession: Fed Govt solicits Labour leaders’ support

    Recession: Fed Govt solicits Labour leaders’ support

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has urged stakeholders in the labour sector to support Fthe ederal Government’s efforts at minimising the adverse effects of recession on Nigerian workers.

    The minister stated this in Abuja, during the week, while declaring open the 4th Registrar of Trade Unions Annual Workshop with the theme The Role of Social Partners in Combating the Challenges of Economic Recession.

    He said a lot needed to be done to stem the tide of recession and that stakeholders in industrial relations ought to come together to proffer ways of minimising it.

    Ngige noted that workers bear the brunt of recession with the survival of trade unions threatened, and  downsising, redundancy, casualisation and indecent work, among others, on the increase.

    Ngige expressed optimism that various actions spearheaded by the Federal Government will improve economic activities and steer the nation’s economy out of recession.

    He advised stakeholders in the labour sector to bargain in good faith, open communication and appropriate disclosure of relevant information devoid of deceit, delay and denial.

    The representative of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mrs. Adenike Ajala, stated that despite the current economic situation, the organised private sector is committed to ensuring that they provide decent working environment for workers.

  • Unemployment: UNIDO canvasses more support for SMEs

    Unemployment: UNIDO canvasses more support for SMEs

    As Nigerians grapple with poverty and growing unemployment, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), has urged Federal and state governments to increase their support for entrepreneurship and industrial development by putting in place more business- friendly policies and incentives.

    The Officer in Charge, UNIDO Regional Office, Nigeria, Dr. Chuma Ezedinma, made the call during the UNIDO HP LIFE Stakeholders Workshop in Abuja.

    Participants included representatives of federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government, private sector, non-profit organisations and the academia.

    Ezedinma noted that entrepreneurship and industrialisation were two important ingredients for tackling poverty and unemployment, adding that UNIDO would continue to support and partner the government and private sector to promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) in the country.

    He said: “Entrepreneurship and industrialisation are two important ingredients for stimulating economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction in both developed economies and economies in transition including Nigeria. In fact, successful small businesses are the primary engines for job creation, income growth, and poverty reduction. Small businesses broaden the base of participation in society, create jobs, decentralise economic power, and give people a stake in the future.”

    Ezedinma said the government’s support for entrepreneurship and industrial development was crucial for economic development.

    “The government needs to encourage entrepreneurship and small businesses through its tax policy (corporate tax rate reductions, tax credits for investment and tax holidays), regulatory policy (simpler regulatory processes and reducing the cost of compliance with government regulations), access to capital (here the proposed development commercial banks can be of assistance), and the legal protection of property rights,” he said.

    The Entrepreneurship Expert and Team Leader, UNIDO HP LIFE Project, UNIDO Regional Office, Nigeria, Mr. Francis Ukoh, said the  project was in line with the government’s strategy as outlined in the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) to combat high youth and women unemployment and enhance the growth and competitiveness of Nigeria’s private sector.

  • Lawmakers assure NIMASA of support

    The National Assembly has assured the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) of its cooperation in the areas of  legislative and budgetary support to grow the capacity of professionals in the maritime industry.

    The assurance was given by the leadership of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration  while on oversight visit to Romania to assess the condition of Nigerians students studying various maritime professions at the Maritime University, Constanta, Romania under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).

    According to a statement endorsed by Head, Corporate Communication Team at NIMASA, Hajia Lami Tumaka, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Ahmed Yerima, said the Committee will give full support to NIMASA for the implementation of the NSDP scheme because of its long term impact on the growth of the Nigerian maritime industry.

    Senator Yerima who noted that the scheme has the capacity to address unemployment and properly position the country in the global maritime industry also advised its beneficiaries to put in their best during the training in order to add value to their families, country and the global maritime industry.

    He advised the cadets not to expect maximum comfort at this time of training but rather give their best for the sake of their future.

  • Ambode’s Wrestle Force Tourney: LOC solicits for support

    The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Intercontinental Wrestle Force Championship has called on good citizens of Lagos to give their total support for the competition.

    The Intercontinental Wrestle Force Championship is being packaged to celebrate the achievements of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos since he assumed office. The tournament will be held across 14 centres in the three Senatorial Districts of Lagos from December 4 to18.

    Chairman of the LOC, Otunba Dengel Anifowoshe said that the competition needed the support of every citizen of Lagos State because it is an event meant not only to celebrate the Governor, but showcase the rich tourism potentials of the state to the outside world, as more than 49 international wrestlers across all continents of the world would converge in the state to do their trade.

    “We want to tell the world that we are ready and we are more grateful to the Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode for giving us the approval and all support to organise the event. That is why I am calling on every Lagosian to rally round us, most especially the corporate organisations, political office holders across all tier of the government, as we celebrate our esteemed and sports loving governor, “said Otunba Anifowoshe, who is also the Chairman of the Community Development Association’s (CDAs) in the state.

    Coordinator and initiator of the competition, former Nigerian international wrestler, Prince Hammed Olanrewaju Mohammed said five titles would be at stake during the two weeks tournament, which will start in Epe and end at the Agege Stadium. The titles are the Super Heavyweight, Heavyweight and the Ladies bout, while prizes will be awarded to the Most Entertaining Wrestler, winner of the Most Brutal fight of the tournament, the Best Dressed Wrestler and the Best Lady Wrestler.