Month: June 2024

The Otjikoto B2Gold Mine on Wednesday handed over blankets, beds and mattresses to the Otjozondjupa Regional Council for further distribution to the destitute, old age homes and victims of shack fires.

B2Gold Mine’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Ignatius |Awaseb and the mine’s Assistant General Manager, Dama Fotolela, handed over the items valued at an estimated N.dollars 500 000 to Otjozondjupa Regional Council Chairperson Marlayn Mbakera.

|Awaseb said the consignment consists of 148 new and used double, quarter and single beds, 162 mattresses, 204 mattress protectors, 235 fitted sheets, 213 duvets and 25 blankets, 237 pillows and 10 bags of second-hand linen.

‘We sourced these blankets, beds and bedding from our farm lodge at the Otjikoto B2Gold Mine outside Otjiwarongo,’ said |Awaseb.

Mbakera on her part thanked the management of Otjikoto B2Gold Mine for the donation, saying their regular donations make her community work much easier.

‘Three weeks ago seven families who fell victim to shack fir
es came to my office looking for assistance, now my office has blankets, beds and linen. I will distribute it without any delay,’ she said.

Mbakera said five of the shack fires, including one fatality, occurred in Otjiwarongo, while the other two occurred in the Kalkfeld settlement, which also falls under her constituency.

She said shack fires are common, especially in the informal areas during winter.

Mbakera concluded by saying the donated items will be strictly distributed to those in need across the seven constituencies of Otjiwarongo, Otavi, Grootfontein, Tsumkwe, Okakarara, Okahandja and Omatako.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

An eight-month-old baby girl was allegedly abandoned at the Onelago cemetery in the area of Omagongati, where she was discovered by a passerby who heard her crying late Wednesday night.

Head of the Namibian Police Force’s Community Policing Sub-division in the Oshana Region, Chief Inspector Thomas Aiyambo told Nampa the baby was discovered around 23h00 by a man who walked past the cemetery and heard her crying.

‘He went to investigate and saw a baby abandoned on the path. The man picked up the child and took her to the Onelago cucashops searching for anybody who might recognise her, but unfortunately she was not identified there,’ he said.

The baby had on a blue babygrow, pink shirt and a blue beanie.

‘The baby is safe and sound,’ Aiyambo said.

He appealed to anyone with information that could help in tracing the baby’s parents to contact the Oshana police.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Brazilian tourist who was charged with culpable homicide and negligent driving following an accident in which nine people died on the B1 road outside Otavi, was on Thursday released on bail by the Otavi Magistrate’s Court.

The 59-year-old Luiz Charles Araujo De Sa appeared before Magistrate Ounjandere Ndjiharine, who set bail at N.dollars 150 000, and conditions that Araujo De Sa remains in Namibia until his case is finalised.

The magistrate also ruled in the bail conditions that Araujo De Sa should surrender his passport, but should he need to go abroad on medical grounds, he has to provide details of his appointment to the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) before travelling.

Araujo De Sa sustained back injuries in the accident, which occurred approximately 20 kilometres south of Otavi on 18 June 2024.

It is alleged that the Toyota Fortuner he was driving, headed from the direction of Otjiwarongo towards Otavi, overtook another vehicle and collided with a seven-seater vehicle.

Araujo De Sa is expected
to return to the Otavi Magistrate’s Court on 25 July 2024.

A privately hired lawyer, Florian Beukes of Metcalfe and Beukes Attorneys, represented him in court, while Public Prosecutor Eliana Doeses appeared for the State.

The nine people who died in the head-on collision between the seven-seater and the Fortuner were identified as Eduardo Vicunga Tyimbsndi, 63; Sofia Kakehere Likuva, 83; Festus Ndakolo, 29; Nelson Domingo Linyunga, 28; Reagan Mwalimu Kwala, 40; Titus Limanga Johannes, 41; Anna Rangaman, 13; and two-year-old Hendrick Mazambo Gab; as well as the 55-year-old Natale Ferreira Gontijo De Amorim, a Brazilian national who was in Namibia as a tourist.

Araujo De Sa and a three-year-old baby girl were the only survivors of the collision.

Police investigations continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

_: Mr Michael Ohiani, Director-General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), says Nigeria requires N348 trillion to address infrastructure deficit in the country.

He said this during a presentation at the Second Quarter 2024 Nigeria Public Private Partnership Network (NPPN) meeting in Minna on Wednesday.

The theme of the meeting was ‘Using PPPs in Infrastructure Delivery in the States to ensure National Food Security and Economic Growth’.

Ohiani disclosed that going by the Medium-Term Development Plan, the country required over N348.1 trillion investment in infrastructure.

He said the private sector would be able to provide the chunk of this investment to the tune of about N298.3 trillion while the sub-national governments can provide N49.7 trillion.

‘This goes to show the importance of the private sector in infrastructure development,’ Ohiani said.

He added that the revised National Infrastructure Investment Master Plan for the next 23 years envisaged that the country would require
$2.2 trillion to bridge the infrastructure deficit in the country.

Ohiani said the various options available through which the government can raise funds were through borrowing, further repatriation of national funds and seeking further foreign intervention.

Other options, he added, were to raise more bonds, Sukuk, tax credit schemes, Public Private Partnership (PPP), both through solicited and unsolicited proposals.

In his keynote address, Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), commended state governors for embracing the benefits and opportunities of PPP as an alternative procurement method.

Akume, represented by Simon Tyungu, a Director in his Office, said the meeting was timely given the infrastructure deficit in the country and government’s efforts to invest in renewal and modernisation.

In his remarks, Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger said his administration was focusing on farming, thereby taking advantage of the vast arable land in the state.

Bago, represented by Alhaji A
bubakar Salisu, the state’s Head of Service, added that the state would continue to partner with the Federal Government and international agencies in respect of agricultural development.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

An unidentified man died after he was allegedly hit by a car on the B10 road along the Hilka Park residential area in Rundu on Wednesday.

The Namibian Police Force’s Acting Regional Commander in the Kavango East, Detective Chief Inspector Hofni Natangwe Angala, confirmed the incident to Nampa on Thursday, saying the driver fled the accident scene.

‘A case of culpable homicide and failing to stop a vehicle after an accident has been opened,’ he said.

Angala said the suspect failed to ascertain injuries and render assistance to the deceased.

The face of the deceased could not easily be identified due to the nature of injuries sustained.

The deceased was dressed in a grey jean trouser and Black and White striped t-shirt.

‘The Rundu Police is thus seeking the public’s assistance, particularly those who may have a family member missing to visit the Rundu State Hospital mortuary for possible identification,’ he said.

The police is also cautioning pedestrians to be vigilant when crossing roads and drivers to
adhere to all road traffic rules to avoid the unnecessary loss of lives.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

he Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, has called for the Armed Forces of Nigeria to exploit the potentials of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to achieve operational efficiency in their operations.

Ogalla made the call at the Second Quarter 2024 Defence Headquarters and Services Departments/Branches Transformation Seminar on Thursday in Abuja.

The theme of the seminar is ‘Harnessing Artificial Intelligence as a Transformation Tool in Contemporary Military Operations’.

According to him, the seminar came at a time the armed forces was exploiting transformational and innovative initiatives toward enhancing operational efficiency in line with best practices.

Ogalla said the complexity of security challenges across the nation underscored the need for innovative strategies and initiatives, adding that emphasis had been on modernisation of hardware and equipment for enhanced national security.

He said the technological innovations required extensive application of artificial intelligence in conj
unction with research and development.

‘We are cautious of the fact that the application of artificial intelligence has permeated all spheres of human endeavor, particularly in the field of finance, medical, space, technology, agriculture, logistics, among several other areas.

‘It is in fact the future of military operations and we must, therefore, ensure that the Armed Forces of Nigeria meets up with this evolving technological achievement.

‘Our armed forces must, therefore, prioritise artificial intelligence in order to achieve the desired innovation and transformation for enhanced operational readiness and effectiveness.

‘This is the desired goal which you, as leaders of the transformation branch of the various services, must work to actualise.

‘I therefore encourage us to use these two days to brainstorm on critical issues and challenges inherent in the application of artificial intelligence for improved operational efficiency.

‘This is because everything that has advantages must have some disadvant
ages.

‘So as much as we want to exploit the advantages of AI, we must also be able to surmount those inherent challenges and disadvantages that could arise from them,’ he said.

The Chief of Naval Transformation and Innovation, Rear Adm. Michael Oamen, said the seminar was designed to explore viable options for integrating artificial intelligence as a veritable tool for improving operational effectiveness in the armed forces.

Oamen said it was aimed at identifying and encouraging innovations, as well as research and development with a view to building capacity and capabilities of the armed forces in support of national security imperatives.

According to him, the second quarter’s seminar has been programmed for two days to cover topics on artificial intelligence in defence transformation, a potential tool for enhancing operational efficiency in the armed forces.

‘It is hoped that proceedings from this seminar will serve as a veritable platform for charting workable strategies.

‘This will improve the integ
ration of artificial intelligent defence research and development, as well as drive transformational and innovative aspirations in the services,’ he added.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria