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Tag: U.S embassy

  • 140 Nigerians received scholarships to study in U.S – Envoy

    Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy, Mr. Aruna Amirthanayagam, said on Friday that 140 Nigerian students have received scholarships worth more than $6 million from different schools in the U.S this year.

    Amirthanayagam stated this at the pre-departure orientation for the students organised by the embassy in Abuja.

    The envoy said the students were awarded full and partial scholarships.

    He said: “Today we celebrate the more than 140 young men and women, members of EducationUSA, who have received offers of admission and scholarships to attend U.S colleges and universities.

    “The list of acceptances is quite impressive including more than 560 schools in all; among them are Boston University, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Vanderbilt University, to name a few.

    “To support these Nigerian scholars, this year EducationUSA members received more than $6million in scholarships from these institutions.”

    The envoy said some of the students got multiple offers from different schools which left them with choices to make.

    He also said the objectives of the scholarships were mutually beneficial to both countries and the opportunity would help groom the next generation of leaders in Nigeria.

    “The U.S offers some of the best educational institutions in the world and I believe that students going to study would benefit tremendously and so will the U.S,” he added.

    He said more than 10,600 Nigerian students were currently studying in more than 980 colleges and universities in the U.S, according to the latest Open Doors Report of the Institute of International Education.

    He said the figure was a 12 per cent increase from 2016 and also contributed to a five per cent increase for all of Africa.

    “Nigeria continues to be the undisputed leader in Africa, sending more international students to the U.S than any other country on the continent, ranking number 14 among countries worldwide,” Amirthanayagam said.

    NAN

  • EFCC secures 340 convictions in six months

    EFCC secures 340 convictions in six months

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday  said it had secured 340 convictions and recovered billions of dollars  in  stolen funds within  the last six months.

    EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, represented by the commission’s  Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Adegboyega, said this in Abuja at the launch of   law enforcement and public engagement project   in Nigeria.

    The CLEEN Foundation in collaboration with the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office of the U.S.Embassy in Nigeria initiated  the project.

    Adegboyega,  who dismissed  the claim  that the EFCC  recorded only few convictions,  said  the commission  recorded more convictions than any  anti-graft agency  in the country.

    The secretary also said that the success  recorded by the commission was  hinged on the  outcomes from the courts, adding that  the responsibility of the commission was to investigate and charge suspects to court.

    “We do not have the control over the courts, we cannot tele-guide the courts; what happened  in the courts  is beyond the control of EFCC,” he said.

    While noting that the rate of corruption was on the rise,  he said the commission was committed to the task of tackling the menace.

    Adegboyega, who  said that the EFCC had a robust platform in conjunction with Interpol to track down corrupt persons, gave an assurance  that there would be no  safe haven for unscrupulous persons.

    He, however,  called for synergy among anti-graft agencies,  stressing that only this would guarantee success in the anti-corruption campaign.

    The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations, Joshak Habilla,  said that  law enforcement agencies  must  be accountable to the public.

    Habilla also urged the security agencies to  engage in activities that would eradicate   corruption in the country.

    He urged members of the  public  to hold police officers liable whenever they err.

    The representative of the  U.S. Embassy,  Aruna Amirthanayagam,  said that the goal of the project was to strengthen relations between criminal justice actors, anti-graft agencies  and citizens through effective communication.

    “This pilot project will focus on supporting the EFCC and the Nigeria Police Force to provide timely and relevant information to the public on their efforts to fight crime and corruption.

    “Over the past year, the U.S. Embassy has been working closely with civil society, Nigeria Police and the EFCC on various initiatives to enhance government transparency, improve security  and investigate and prosecute complex financial crimes.

    “This project supports those efforts by enhancing communication with the public and building trust with law enforcement organisations,” he said.

    The Executive Director of  CLEEN Foundation, Benson Olugbuo,  stressed the need to enhance public confidence in the criminal justice actors such as the police and EFCC.

    He advocated for a system that operates zero tolerance for corruption  while  promoting  open communication in  Nigeria’s law enforcement institutions.

    Olugbuo said this would help  reduce the potentials to partake in acts of  corruption and Nigeria’s socio-economic development would  be significantly improved.

  • U.S. donates $5.5m mosquito nets to Kogi residents

    U.S. donates $5.5m mosquito nets to Kogi residents

    The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has presented over 2.2 million treated mosquito nets to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi for distribution to the residents of the state.

    The U.S. Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the nets, valued at 5.5 million dollars, would be distributed in the 21 local government areas of the state.

    It quoted USAID’s Director for Health, Population and Nutrition, Nancy Lowenthal, as saying that U.S. also provided an additional 1.1 million dollars for logistics, including transportation of the nets, community mobilisation and training.

    Lowenthal said the nets and support for the distribution were a gift from the American people to the people of Kogi.

    The director said that the U.S. was supporting the efforts of the government and people of Kogi to protect the health of all, particularly the young and most vulnerable members of society.

    “I believe that eliminating malaria in Kogi and throughout Nigeria as a whole is possible if we all work together,” she said.

    According to her, malaria is one of the leading killers of children and a leading cause of illness in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season when the mosquito population increases.

    She said sleeping under an insecticide-treated net every night was the best way to prevent malaria.

    “Bed nets put a vital barrier between people and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, particularly during the hours from dusk to dawn.

    “Nightly use of insecticide treated bed nets prevents infections, which in turn prevents the spread of malaria.

    “Since 2011, the U.S. Government has spent more than 420 million dollars to control malaria in Nigeria.

    “Over 50 per cent of U.S. government funding for malaria goes into procuring and distributing insecticide treated bed nets, malaria diagnostic kits and malaria medicines,” she said.

    Lowenthal said that the U.S. government supported advocacy and mobilisation to encourage members of the community to sleep under the bed nets every night, training of health workers, and test for malaria before treatment.

  • U.S. committed to ending malaria in Nigeria – Envoy

    U.S. committed to ending malaria in Nigeria – Envoy

    The Deputy Head of Mission, U.S. Embassy, David Young, on Monday said that his country was committed to ending the scourge of malaria in Nigeria.

    Young, who stated this in Abuja at the commemoration of 2017 World Malaria Day organised by the U.S. Embassy, said prevention and control remained a major U.S. foreign assistance objective.

    “The U.S. Government, through Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is committed to raising awareness about the proper prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this disease,” he said.

    According to him, the U.S. Government supports local partners to design and implement programmes to improve public and private sector adherence to diagnosis and treatment guidelines.

    He disclosed that the U.S. invested over 420 million dollars in the fight against malaria in Nigeria since 2010, and 75 million dollars in 2016 alone.

    He said that the U.S PMI strategy goal was to work with PMI-supported countries and partners to further reduce malaria deaths and substantially decrease malaria morbidity towards the long-term goal of elimination.

    PMI, Young said, delivered nearly 7.5 million Rapid Diagnostic Tests and 12 million Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) treatment doses in support to 3,000 health facilities across 11 states in Nigeria.

    To end malaria for good, Young called on Nigerians to commit to sleeping in a treated bed net every night and remember that not every fever is malaria.

    He stressed the need to demand a “test before treatment”, before beginning a full regimen of ACT.

    According to him, ending malaria will prevent more than 80 million illnesses and more than 300,000 related deaths from malaria annually.

    “Ending malaria will increase school attendance, boost workers’ productivity and significantly lower out-of-pocket cost for treatment.

    “This is why malaria prevention and control remain a major U.S. foreign assistance objective.

    “Each year in Nigeria, more than 80 million people fall ill and 300,000 die from malaria,” he said.

    According to him, early and accurate diagnosis is essential for rapid and effective disease management and surveillance.

    He said that Malaria diagnosis was vital as misdiagnosis allows disease progression from uncomplicated to severe forms, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality.

    Young said that Nigeria had in 2015 adopted the T3 (test, treat and track) strategy for malaria case management.

    He said that the strategy helped to improve overall management of patients with febrile illnesses and reduced the emergence and spread of drug resistance to anti-malarial medications.

  • Nigeria seeks U.S support in eliminating malaria by 2020

    Nigeria seeks U.S support in eliminating malaria by 2020

    Nigeria has seek the support of the United States (US) in the efforts to eliminate malaria by 2020.

    USAID/Presidential Malaria Initiative has made substantial investment of about $490 million covering 11 States and the National Malaria Programme.

    Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole made the appeal Monday in Abuja at the 2017 World Malaria Day celebration organised by the U.S. Embassy.

    The minister, who admitted that the country was still far from its dream of elevating malaria, however asserted that Federal Government was determined to achieve the feat by 2020.

    He said, “A look at the some indices shows that we are still far from our dream of malaria free Nigeria.

    “Our target is to achieve zero mortality rate from malaria by 2020, very ambitious target but doable we can achieve it, that no Nigeria died of malaria by 2020.

    “In addition, there are limited resources for effective programme coordination, monitoring and evaluation.”

    Our current Malaria Strategic Plan which is meant to lead us to pre-elimination, has been praised for being focused and articulate, but it is coming at a time when the resources for malaria control are dwindling.

    “We are working together with the Governor Forum to build a strong alliance on health system, to treat malaria continue with the prevention of malaria and make sure we take malaria off the street.

    “I use this occasion to solicit for more support to enable us achieve a pre-elimination phase in 2020,” he said

    According to him we cannot pretend to be unaware that malaria is still affecting and still killing, we must redouble our efforts so we want to ask for more.

    He assured that the Federal Ministry of Health under his leadership would account for “every penny” donated to this course.

    Adewole said that the Federal Government had also allocated more resources to Malaria control programme in the 2017 appropriation.

    The minister also commended US Agency for International Development (USAID) for its support which he said included financial, logistics, technical input also by provision of net, indoor residual spray and other Anti Malaria commodities.

    The Deputy Head of Mission U.S. Embassy, David Young in his remark called warned against the use of chloroquine in treating malaria because it does not cure the disease.
    He also urged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of sleeping in a treated bed net every night to end malaria for good.

    According to him, “Ending malaria for good is achievable if we play our individual and collective roles, remember that malaria is preventable-ensure that you and all members of your house hold sleep under a treated bed net every night.

    “Malaria is diagnosable; always demand a malaria diagnostic test before accepting treatment, malaria is treatable. Once a fever is confirmed to be malaria Artemisinin Based Combination Therapy (ACTs) are the only effective treatment.

    “Do not use counterfeit or substandard drugs like chloroquine; they do not cure malaria.”

  • U.S. Embassy team takes on Magu over DSS allegations

    U.S. Embassy team takes on Magu over DSS allegations

    •I’m innocent,
    says acting chair

    United States Ambassador to Nigeria W. Stuart Symington and his key staff have met Acting Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Magu on the allegations levelled against him by the Department of State Services (DSS). The meeting was held on Friday, a source told The Nation.
    Magu was said to have told the team that he was innocent of all the allegations raised by the security agency, which aborted his confirmation as EFCC Chairman by the Senate.
    It was an informal session, the source said.
    It was learnt that the session was part of the Embassy’s interest in the nation’s anti-corruption campaign.
    It was gathered that the interaction might assist the US team to have a broader appraisal of the controversy on Magu’s nomination, which was not considered by the Upper Chamber.
    The source said: “The US Embassy took on Magu on every issue in the DSS report to ascertain whether or not he committed the infractions levelled against him.
    “The team wanted to know if Magu had indeed failed the integrity test which made the United States to support him.
    “The Acting EFCC chairman responded to every issue without betraying his emotion. At the end, Magu said he was innocent of all the allegations against him.
    “He said he has also responded to the query given to him by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN),” the source said, pleading not to be named because he is not allowed to talk to the media on the issue.
    Responding to a question, the source said: “The U.S.  Embassy team was satisfied with Magu’s response. The Ambassador and others later took a photograph with him.”
    “With this session, we are hopeful that the US support for the anti-corruption campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari will be more enhanced,” the source added.
    Following the persistent intrigues over Magu’s fate, some donor agencies, anti-graft war partners and foreign missions have been anxious about the future of the battle.
    Most of them were said to be sympathetic to the retention of Magu whom they have rated high.
    The DSS alleged that Magu’s accommodation in Abuja was paid for by a “corrupt businessman” and that he flew first class to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj, contrary to federal government’s directive to its officials not to travel in the elite cabin.
    Magu was also accused of being illegally in possession of confidential EFCC documents when he was a director in 2007.
    He was queried by Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami who was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the allegations.

  • U.S to close mission in Turkey Tuesday

    U.S to close mission in Turkey Tuesday

    U.S. Embassy in Ankara on Tuesday issued a statement saying that U.S. mission to Turkey will be closed.

    According to the statement, an individual approached the U.S. Embassy Ankara main gate and discharged a firearm.

    There have been no reported injuries and the individual is in police custody.

    “Due to this incident, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, and the U.S. Consulate in Adana will be closed for normal operations on Tuesday,’’ the statement said.

    The U.S. Mission also reminded U.S. citizens to review personal security plans, ensure communication connectivity and maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance personal security.

    “I condemn in the strongest terms the heinous attack on Ambassador Karlov,’’ U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass twitted on Monday.

    The Arts and Culture Centre of the municipality of Ankara’s Cankaya district, where the Russia Amb. Andrei Karlov was shot dead on Monday, was only 50 metres to the U.S. Embassy.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. Consulate in Adana informs U.S. citizens that general demonstrations are expected to take place between Ataturk Park and Adana’s Central Train Station on Tuesday afternoon.

    The participants were expected to demonstrate against recent violent terrorist attacks throughout the country and against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

    The report says previous such demonstrations in other cities also included anti-American messages, even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.

  • Philippines on terror alert after foiled bomb attack in Manila

    The Philippines has been placed on “terror alert level 3” after a foiled bombing near the U.S. embassy in Manila, national police chief Ronald Dela Rosa said on Thursday.

    During a press briefing, Dela Rosa said the terror alert level meant that police would create strong checkpoints and conduct raids on lairs of suspected terror groups.

    Two suspects have been arrested in the case, one in Manila and the other in the nearby province of Bulacan.

    They are thought to be part of the Maute terrorist group, based in the south of the country.

    “The foiled bomb attack was an attempt to convince the Islamic State extremist group that Maute group should become its local affiliate’’, Dela Rosa said.

    The Maute group, once described by the military as a small-time extortion gang, has emerged as an armed Islamist group that has some former Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerillas as members.

    The suspects told police that the initial target of the bombing Whad bin Rizal Park was to have a higher number of casualties.

    Dela Rosa said police were currently searching for three people who brought the bomb from Mindanao, the second largest and southernmost major island in the Philippines to Manila.

  • 30 NGOs get $172,000 from U.S. embassy for community projects

    30 NGOs get $172,000 from U.S. embassy for community projects

    The United States (U.S.) Embassy in Nigeria yesterday awarded grants worth $172,000 to 30 local non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
    The grant, which is under the Ambassador’s Small Grants Programme, spreads across 19 states for community-based projects.
    The programme, according to new the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, provides one-time small grants to community development projects.
    This year’ total grant was lower than 2015, which was $250,000 to 35 NGOs covering 20 states
    The beneficiary states include Anambra, Benue, Borno, Cross Rivers, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Federal Capital Territory, Kwara and Lagos.
    Others are Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi and Kogi states.
    Ambassador Symington explained: “The ambassador’s small grant programme was established as a programme for the U.S. Mission in Nigeria to assist groups, neighbourhoods, villages and communities to help themselves.
    “The grant is largely funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFRAR) and by the U.S. Department of State Self Help.”
    The funds, Symington said, was expected to cover projects ranging from purchase of books and equipment for schools, construction of classrooms, health clinics, community centres, food processing mills to boreholes and latrines.
    The funds would provide economic, nutritional and hygienic needs of some families and communities affected by HIV/AIDS as well as providing safe school toilets to mitigate communicable diseases, he added.
    According to him, through grants, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria was able to reach the people and support the initiative, endeavours and development of local communities.
    The ambassador, who said Nigeria was unique in the success of Africa as a continent, stressed the need to support families and communities to make Nigeria great.
    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Adeola Seweje-Chimunda hailed the embassy for the initiative and pledged commitment for the implementation of various projects.
    One of the grantees, Abel Oniye of the Good Samaritan Initiative from Ondo State, said the $3,810 grant for his NGOs was for educational support for the visually impaired School in Owo.
    Oniye, who said the physically-challenged were being neglected by the authorities as little or no attention was paid to them, appealed to the government at all levels to pay more attention to their needs.
    Adi Vera, from Emmanuel Teryila Memorial Liberty Foundation based in Ushongu Benue State, said the $6,640 for her organisation was to assist the out of school youths.
    Vera said she had reached out to over 10,000 youth and was targeting more than 120 more with the grant.
    She added that she want to empower school dropout to make them achieve their purpose of living.

  • U.S. Embassy calls on Nigerians to support FG to fight Boko Haram

    The Information Officer, U.S. Embassy, Mr Sean Mclntosh urged Nigerians to support the government in

    fighting Boko Haram, just as Fredrick Douglas fought and stood up for the right of African Americans.

    Mclntosh spoke at the Black History Month Celebration on Wednesday in Abuja in a film review of the life of Fredrick Douglass, an African American Social Reformer in a programme titled: “From slavery to leadership’’.

    “If you read the heroic act of Douglass you will see the need why Nigerians and Africans at large need to live in unity and fight against Boko Haram.

    “If one man can come out to fight for the happiness of all, without knowing anyone, then I see no reason why people can’t live and understand each other.’’

    Mclntosh noted that people’s ways of life should present dignity, love and passion “to see your brothers grow’’.

    “Our ways of life should not be different from Douglass’s because he fought with love and passion.

    “With dignity he stood for what was right and today there is freedom all over,’’ he added.

    Mclntosh said that Douglass became a remarkable orator that numerous persons doubted if he had ever been a slave.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports said that Douglass was born in slavery as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey near Easton in Talbot County, Maryland.

    As a young boy, he was sent to Baltimore to be a house servant, where he learned to read and write, and later fought for the emancipation of slavery.

    In 1838 Douglas escaped from slavery and went to New York City and in 1841 he addressed a convention of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in Nantucket.

    He so greatly impressed the group that they immediately employed him as an agent.

    During the Civil War he assisted in the recruiting of coloured men for the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Regiments and consistently argued for the emancipation of slaves.

    After the war he was active in securing and protecting the rights of the freemen.