Day: May 12, 2024

As rescue and recovery efforts continue into the sixth day at the site of the collapsed building at Victoria Street in George, the number of deaths has risen to 16.

In a statement issued on Sunday morning, George Municipality confirmed 16 deaths, with 36 people still unaccounted for, and 14 in hospital.

‘The Joint District Operations Centre adheres to a stringent double verification protocol to ensure the accuracy of the reported numbers. This is done in close collaboration with recovery teams, hospitals and forensic services.

‘We urgently call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese and Shona languages to assist survivors and their families. Interested practitioners can contact Kholiswa Jobela at 078 210 5972 or Apolus Swart at 061 504 4205,’ the municipality said.

READ | Emergency personnel “true heroes” as 36 pulled from building site

The municipality has commended emergency services and firefighters, and everyone supporting the rescuers.

‘Your strength and
dedication is truly inspiring.’

Source: South African Government News Agency

WINDHOEK: Former First Lady Monica Geingos has said she will be focusing on finalising outstanding advocacy commitments with her return to office after three months of mourning her husband, the late President Hage Geingob.

Geingob passed on 04 February 2024.

Geingos in a statement on Saturday said her focus will be managing the administrative transition to former first lady, scaling up the youth development work of the One Economy Foundation and the various non-profit organisations that she serves which amongst others focus on women’s political leadership, gender based violence and sexual and reproductive health.

‘As someone who has been personally affected by the loss of a loved one to cancer, I am considering expanding my previous focus on women’s reproductive cancers to cancer prevention and care in general,’ she said.

She added that losing a loved life partner is extraordinarily painful on its own, and losing a loved one to a cancer as brutal as pancreatic cancer is unimaginably sore.

Geingos then th
anked Namibians for the love shown to her and the family over the loss of President Geingob, saying this speaks to his larger-than-life personality and his impact on many lives.

Moreover, she indicated that the outpouring of love and messages from all over the world bore testament to Geingob’s influence and mirrors his emotional generosity.

‘There are no words to thank all of you for the flowers, gifts, visits, messages, prayers, compassion and love you have shown. It was indeed our collective loss, and we recognise that mourning Hage is not an individual experience,’ she added.

Geingos noted that it was important to remember that Geingob left in the same manner he lived – on his terms -and it is now up to Namibians to follow his guidance and forge ahead in the best way they know how.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Confederation of All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike’s security initiatives to ensure a safe territory.

Its Director-General, Prof. Kailani Muhammed, gave the commendation at a news conference in Abuja,

Muhammed said the FCT had become a safe haven where residents could afford to sleep with their two eyes closed.

‘I am using this opportunity to commend the strong partnership between the FCT Minister and the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe, for their efforts against insurgents and other related crimes in the Capital City.

‘We encourage them not to relent, but maintain and even improve on the template. We advise other state governments to emulate the FCT Minister’s leadership quality and result oriented mechanism.’

The director-general said that Wike, in less than one year in office, had transformed the FCT into a haven with a lot of ongoing road projects, and some security initiatives.

He said some of the achievements inc
luded the rehabilitation of 135 roads completed at almost 90 per cent.

‘The minister has exempted the territory from the Treasury Single Account (TSA). This will allow for efficient use of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and stimulate the growth and development of the FCT.

‘The establishment of FCT Civil Service Commission as directed by President Tinubu within the short period, is also a laudable achievement,’ he said.

Muhammed commended the FCT minister for executing streetlight projects to light up every part of Abuja.

He said that the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, under the leadership of Wike, disbursed N10 million grants to 20 women farmers in the territory.

According to him, the grant is under the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative’s (RHI)’s Women Agricultural Empowerment programme.

He added that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had also inducted desk officers to improve service delivery across FCT public primary and secondary schools.

He added that t
he move was part of ongoing efforts to deliver quality services to residents of Abuja.

‘The FCT minister is planning to provide specialised care and support for children in vulnerable situations, particularly those with disabilities.

‘The overall goal of the initiative is to revamp interventions related to child protection and combating violence against children.

‘This includes efforts to align local laws with international standards, particularly those outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),’ APC group boss said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The world’s first patient with a transplanted pig kidney has died, almost two months after the operation.

In March, Massachusetts General Hospital transplanted the genetically-edited pig kidney into Rick Slayman, a 62-year-old man living with end-stage kidney disease.

The operation was a milestone in xenotransplantation – the transplantation of organs or tissues from one species to another – as a potential solution to the worldwide organ shortage, the hospital said at the time.

Slayman’s death was not linked to the transplant, the hospital reported.

‘Our family is deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick but take great comfort knowing he inspired so many,’ his family said on Sunday.

Slayman’s family paid tribute to the medical team that cared for him.

‘Their enormous efforts leading the xenotransplant gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts.’

The pig kidney came from a pig that was genetically-edited to r
emove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes to improve its compatibility with humans. Scientists also inactivated porcine endogenous retroviruses in the pig donor to eliminate any risk of infection in humans.

The hospital said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by Slayman’s death.

‘We have no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant,’

‘Mr. Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,’it said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Out of Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), has honoured Dr Babagana Adam, for sanitising outdoor advertising in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Adam was the Director, Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS), from May 2019 to March 2024 when he was appointed Permanent Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCT Administration.

The National President of the association, Mr Sola Akinsiku, said during the award ceremony and dinner in Abuja on Saturday, that Adam was honoured for outstanding and exemplary leadership in outdoor advertising.

‘Since the creation of DOAS, I think we have about three to four directors, but he merited the award; he brought professionalism; he brought truthfulness; and he brought dignity to the profession.

‘We started with a fight and had to report him to the National Assembly. We stood our grounds; he stood his ground.

‘In the course of time, he understood us better, and we later found out that some of the decisions he took were a
lso helpful to the promotion of outdoor advertising in FCT,’ he said.

He added that Adam was also honoured because he did not abuse power.

‘He is hard working, works under pressure and delivers. If he disagrees with you, you will know why he disagrees with you,’ he said.

Mr Emmanuel Ajufo, the immediate past President of the association and Chairman, Dinner and Award Organising Committee, said that Adam changed the landscape of outdoor advertising and made the business better.

‘When he came in as head of DOAS, all manner of people who are not professionals were putting up billboards indiscriminately.

‘He reordered that process and brought some sanity to the industry. That alone, is a wonderful thing for us. He is very firm but fair to everybody.

‘We need people like him in the industry, in fact, in this country for us to move forward. Everything is not about money, integrity is very very critical, and the man is filled with integrity.

‘What we have done is just to reward hard work and to use him as an
example to others,’ Ajufo said.

Similarly, the Chairman of OAAN, North Central and Abuja, Mr Haruna Ahmed, said that Adam helped to standardise the practice of the profession in the FCT.

‘When somebody does something that everybody adjudged to be good and the person leaves the stage, it is good to honour that person,’ Ahmed added.

Also, the acting Chairman, FCT Internal Revenue Service, Mr Haruna Abdullahi, described the awardee as a man with a passion for public service.

Responding, Adam, said it was the second time that the association had honoured him, and expressed joy and gratitude for the recognition.

He described the award as a validation, appreciation, and acknowledgement of an excellent and beneficial working relation between DOAS and the association.

‘So, it tells you: treat people nicely and they will treat you better. I was a regulator; I was hard on them, but I also understood their challenges and was helpful to them.

‘We have removed illegal billboards in FCT, we cleaned the city and made
tremendous progress in making the city look beautiful.

‘Cities are like sitting rooms. If you keep them clean and you remove all nuisance, they will look beautiful,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, has advised Nigerians against allowing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to replace the human person in the society.

Kaigama gave the advice in his sermon on Sunday, in commemoration of the 2024 World Communication Day, held at St Joseph Pastoral Area, Dakibiyu, Jabi, Abuja.

The archbishop said that rather than reject AI, the technology should be embraced and used to retain Nigeria’s shared humanity.

‘We must not reject the new developments; but we must not embrace them in a manner that it will take away our humanity and reduce everything to machine and technology.

‘Let us be careful in the use of technology, let us not become proud that we have all the answers and replace God. It is foolish to do so.

‘We should be careful, even though everything God has created is good and God intends that those things he created should serve us.

‘Let us not become proud and arrogant and tend to replace God with these things He Himself has created; let us not
succumb to that temptation and that is the essence of the world communication Sunday,’ he said.

Kaigama particularly advised the youths to ensure proper use of the social media by communicating what is good, honourable and noble at all times.

He further called on Nigerians to use the social media to preach peace and enduring love in their respective communities and beyond.

‘In whatever we do, let us communicate love and peace in a manner that will bring progress and not to create confusion as we see during election.

‘Let all our actions be inspired by ethics and morality; enough of politics riddled with corruption, do not exclude morality from politics, governace and from everything we do.

‘Things must rotate around the principle of morality.

‘I pray that God will help us in our country, guide our leaders to conduct the affairs of the nation with the fear of God,’ the prelate prayed.

In his remarks, the Director of Communication of the archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku, advised against the use of A
I as standard or tool to train children in the communities.

He said that though AI has many answers, it may not be able to give a human and emotional answer required to train the next generation.

The cleric said that AI should not be elevated to a point where it will replace human wisdom and reduce human beings to mere mathematical figures for algorithms.

‘Let us use our heart in our relationship with others, our hearts is more important in the use of this great innovation known as AI,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria