South Africa Vision

Former Athletics South Africa Acting CEO, Terrence Magogodela, has paid back ill-gotten gains he unduly gained from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) grant funding for a sports facility development.

According to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Magogodela agreed to pay back some R388 733,05 after it was found that he signed a funding application to construct athletics tracks in the Northern Cape but used the money to buy property.

‘On the form, he indicated that he was the project coordinator for Inqaba Yokulinda, but he was neither the project coordinator nor a member of [non-profit organisation] Inqaba Yokulinda.

‘The funding application, the business and implementation plan, and an endorsement letter from ASA [Athletics South Africa]were submitted to the NLC. Magogodela channelled the NLC funds towards a property in Gauteng,’ the SIU said.

Following investigations, Magogodela relented to paying back the money.

The SIU also warned that the payment does not shield the former athletics boss f
rom criminal prosecution.

‘Initially, a settlement agreement was reached but Magogodela failed to honour it. This prompted the SIU to approach the Special Tribunal for an application to preserve his Gauteng home. In February 2022, the Special Tribunal granted the SIU a preservation order for Magogodela’s property.

‘Following the full payment made by Magogodela, the SIU will approach the Special Tribunal for an application to discharge his property from the preservation order. However, the settlement agreement does not constitute a full and final settlement between the parties. SIU remains entitled to join Magogodela in any future proceeding and claim appropriate relief from him.

‘The settlement with Magogodela is part of the implementation of the SIU investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover financial losses suffered by State institutions due to negligence or corruption. The settlement agreement does not absolve Magogodela from possible prosecution,’ the SIU said.

Source: South African
Government News Agency

The Federal Government says it plans to create 2.5 million jobs through the Labour Employment Enhancement Programme (LEEP) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said this at the pre-inauguration ceremony for the LEEP in Abuja.

She said that the programme was aimed at actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative.

”The LEEP vision is to train and equip 2.5 million people.

‘In Nigeria, youth unemployment remains a pressing issue, with over 13 million young people currently unemployed.

‘According to recent statistics, initiatives like LEEP play a crucial role in providing young people with access to training, employment opportunities, and entrepreneurial support.

‘This will address the challenge of youth unemployment and promote social inclusion.

”The initiative is a comprehensive strategy aimed at addressing key challenges facing our workforce such as job creation, skills development, and migration control,” s
he said.

She said that in a rapidly evolving global landscape, it was imperative to ensure that the Nigerian workforce was equipped with the necessary tools and opportunities to thrive in the digital age.

She said that the LEEP targeted zero hunger, zero poverty economic growth and decent jobs through six strategic initiatives.

She said this included digital skills initiative, vocational entrepreneurship skills programmes, infrastructure upgrade and NELEX upgrade for employment acceleration.

Onyejeocha said that others were global remote work initiatives and labour compliance enhancement.

She urged development partners such as the World Bank, GIZ, the European Union, UNIDO and the Bank of Industry to support the drive.

She said that the support was imperative for the current administration to mitigate the hardship being faced by Nigerians due to the removal of fuel subsidy.

‘We cannot do it alone and so we need to partner with you to help us succeed in the country,’ she said.

Ms Luri Aganetto, the EU
Programme Manager, pledges the readiness of the union to support the initiative for the good of the Nigerian people.

‘We are optimistic and looking forward to cooperate with the Nigerian government on Labour market information system,’ she said. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The United States Diplomatic Mission has sponsored 100 youths in Lagos for vocational and entrepreneurial training, aimed at boosting self-reliance.

U.S. Consul General in Lagos, Will Stevens, on Thursday in Lagos, commended the youths for their resilience and determination during the training, emphasising the importance of entrepreneurial skills in the green economy job market.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the graduands were offered certificates after three months of training at the Field of Skills and Dreams (FSD) Vocational, Technical and Entrepreneurship Training Institute, Agege.

The theme of the event is: ‘Life Entrepreneurship Skills for Green Economy Job’.

‘I know Nigerian citizens are focused, hardworking and unwilling to give up under any circumstances.

‘It’s very rear to see a Nigerian with one job. They work so hard with entrepreneurial skills with credible potential.

‘That’s why the U.S. Consulate is sponsoring the youths in solar energy installations and fashion designers
,’ Steven said.

According to him, the training focuses on helping and equipping the youth with the green economy.

The U.S. Consul General added that vocations and skill acquisitions were what the people needed to be able to succeed in the 21st century.

The most amazing thing in this programme is the incredible entrepreneurial experience of the students with their dedications in promoting themselves and their community.

‘At the same time, seeing that all of them have been gainfully employed, which mean ‘graduating on Friday and starting a job on Monday’ that’s exactly why we are so proud as a consulate to support such programme.

‘We are also determined to tackle the challenges facing Nigerians and showcase our commitments to partnering with Nigeria,’ he added.

Miss Oluwabusolami Yusuf, in her remarks, thanked the U.S. Consulate for sponsoring the vocational training.

‘This is a great opportunity giving to us to be empowered and trained in various entrepreneurial skills.

‘I am sure the programme will go
a long way in making the youth self-reliant in our various fields of training,’ she said.

Mr Muhammed Ibrahim, who was trained in solar energy installations, thanked the consul for helping the grassroots youth to benefit in such quality training.

‘I really appreciate our sponsor and the institution involved.

‘In fact, I really gained a lot in the training because presently, I have submitted three proposals to different clients where I am expecting a positive response from them. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Dr Danjuma Adda, the immediate past President of the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), has called on the Federal Government to incorporate hepatitis B testing into antenatal, maternal, and child healthcare services.

Adda made this plea on Friday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the 2024 Biennial Conference organised by the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) in Abuja.

He stressed the importance of Nigeria investing in and integrating hepatitis B testing into antenatal, maternal, and child healthcare, as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), to bolster the country’s health system and immunisation program.

According to him, currently, hepatitis B tests are not part of maternal and child healthcare programs.

Adda, who lost his mother to hepatitis, emphasised the necessity for the government to include hepatitis B surface antigen testing in antenatal care and maternal child health programs, ensuring that all women undergo testing.

He asserted
that hepatitis B is preventable with the right vaccine, highlighting two key measures to reduce liver cancer deaths.

‘Liver cancer often develops among those infected early, especially in childhood.

‘Other factors contributing to liver cancer include aflatoxin exposure, alcohol consumption, and herbal medication misuse.

‘Pregnant women, according to WHO recommendations, should undergo screening for hepatitis, enabling early identification and intervention.

‘If a woman tests positive, she should receive prophylactic prevention treatment until delivery. Additionally, all newborns should receive universal vaccination’.

Adda emphasised the importance of attending antenatal care for hepatitis screening and vaccination opportunities.

He urged pregnant women to advocate for themselves and demand hepatitis B testing during antenatal visits.

Furthermore, Adda encouraged pregnant mothers to request ‘back dose vaccination’ for their newborns within 24 hours of birth, noting its potential to protect infants from h
epatitis infection.

‘Hepatitis virus is the primary cause of liver cancer, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Early detection through testing and prompt treatment is crucial in preventing its spread’.(NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Joint Tax Board (JTB) has urged its members of staff to effectively collaborate with relevant agencies to positively project the image of the board.

The Secretary of the JTB, Mr Olusegun Adesokan, made this call at a Strategic Retreat organised by the board in Abuja.

The theme of the retreat is: ‘Encouraging a Culture of Collaboration, Innovation and Adaptation to Respond to Emerging Challenges while Positively Projecting the Image of the JTB.”

He said that the theme provided the underlying inspiration behind the various topics, adding that the outcome of the exercise would meet the objectives and goals earmarked for it.

According to him, it is essential for the JTB secretariat staff to imbibe the culture of collaboration and innovation to enable them to fully understand their roles under the emerging dispensation.

‘The dynamics of our domestic tax ecosystem is currently being influenced by ongoing reforms.

‘At this critical point, it is imperative that the JTB, given its crucial role in the natio
n’s tax administration landscape, is positioned to fully utilise the opportunities that will present themselves.

‘We look forward to an engaging and inspiring session that will motivate the staff of the JTB to be the drivers of positive change.

‘The board will hold that banner of a sustainable, inclusive and friendly tax environment in the country,’ he said.

The former Chairman of the board, Mrs Ifueko Okauru, said that strong collaboration was vital towards strengthening and achieving the goal of the board.

Okauru urged the members of staff to ensure strong communication, adding that such communication would support the board to build a stronger trust to enhance service delivery.

She also advised the board to consistently focus on effective processing to provide decisions that would transform revenue and enhance economic growth of the country.

Mr Collins Umenwosu, Tax Administration and Compliance Officer, JTB, who spoke on behalf of the staff, said that the retreat would support the board to achieve i
ts objectives.

Umenwosu thanked the management of the JTB for the opportunity given to them to participate in the retreat.

He added that the efforts would help the members of staff to know how to address challenges, strengthen and advance the board.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Mariya Mahmoud, has commended the World Bank for disbursing 2 million dollars to the FCT.

The fund is for the implementation of the World Bank-supported Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project in the territory.

Mahmoud gave the commendation when the World Bank ACReSAL project Task Team Lead, Dr Joy Agene, visited her in Abuja on Friday.

She said that the partnership with the World Bank would foster environmental sustainability and agricultural prosperity for residents of the FCT under the ACReSAL project.

She said that the project aligned with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President Bola Tinubu, particularly in addressing environmental degradation and the impact of climate change.

The minister said that Abuja, as Nigeria’s capital city in the past 48 years, had lost its tree covers and land degradation due to physical developmental projects.

According to her, part of the goals of the ACReSAL project is to restore the l
ost trees through afforestation and other climate change adaptation activities.

‘We will do all that is possible for ACReSAL project to be sustained, maintained, and achieved by God’s grace.

‘We will try and provide all that is necessary from our own side. All the requirements necessary to take FCT to the next level will be done to access the entire 10 million dollars.’

Earlier, Agene said that the visit was to brief the minister on the performance of the project so far in the FCT.

Agene added that the visit was also to thank the minister for her support and solicit for more, to ensure the success of the project in FCT.

She said that so far, the World Bank had disbursed about 2 million dollars to the FCT.

She explained that ACReSAL,being a community-based project, was designed to enable communities to access the fund through a community revolving fund.

The task team lead commended the FCT for the formation of 250 community interest groups (CIGs,) through which the fund would be disbursed.

She said tha
t the CIGs would be trained on how to access and utilise the funds.

She explained that each benefiting community would access 25,000 dollars to carry out afforestation, irrigation, and some climate change adaptation activities.

‘The project is here to help communities to adapt to the shock that will come from climate change and to do that, one of the approaches is this revolving fund where communities will get about 25,000 dollars each.

‘Beyond that, we have some investment in gully erosion, flood control and large afforestation at the FCT and we will need your support to do this,’ she told the minister.

Agene also said that the visit was equally to infirm the minister what the FCT Administration needed to do to access more funding amounting to about 10 million dollars.

She identified the conditions as project design, environmental and social instrument, and catchment management plan.

‘Once these three instruments are in place, be assured that the 10 million dollars will be sent to the FCT under the pro
ject.

‘However, there is no way the FCT team can do this without your support and frequent checking and monitoring,’ she added.

Mr Lawan Geidam, Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, FCTA, said that a robust framework had been established to ensure the success of the project.

Geidam, who is also the Chairman of the Technical Committee, assured the World Bank team of active community participation in the implementation of the project.

‘Also, the construction of boreholes in various communities, land restoration initiative, knowledge building programmes and the planned provision of critical agricultural inputs to farmers will improve the livelihood of our communities,’ he said.

The National Coordinator of the project, Mr Abdulhamid Umar, explained that the project was being implemented in 19 states and the FCT, to tackle the challenge of landscape degradation and promote effective watershed management. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria