Day: July 11, 2024

Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, said the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Shri Balasubramanian, paid him a visit on Wednesday at the State House.

He said, in a statement, that he discussed new green industrial partnership opportunities with the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ngelale said Modi’s administration had proved to be one of the world’s most committed governments on green industrial development.

‘We have agreed on actionable next steps in this sphere at a time when the two most populous democracies in Asia and Africa have many shared aspirations for their economies in the present and the future,’ he said.

Ngelale said he also exchanged views with the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, on the establishment of Africa’s first eco-industrial park, Evergreen City.

‘In the company of the Managing Director of the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp), Dr Lazarus Angbazo, we recorded tremendous progress in our discussions, an
d a deliverable set of time-bound next steps were agreed to,’ Ngelale said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has directed that all projects that require additional funding, especially major projects of the Ministry of Works, be reviewed to ensure probity, proficiency and diligence in execution.

Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, said this while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, on Wednesday.

He said the Council decided to step down projects under the ministry of works inherited by the Tinubu administration, which required cost adjustments and variation.

He said the President directed that the memos presented to the Council by Mr David Umahi, Minister of Works, be looked at once again so that there would be further deliberation at the next council meeting.

He explained that the idea was to re-examine, especially those parts that required augmentation or review.

He said the Minister of Works was directed to work with the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Minister of Finance to look at th
ose projects again and bring them strictly in line with budgetary provisions.

According to him, where there is a necessity for additional funding, this will be brought back to the Council meeting next time for further deliberation.

He said the Council also discussed the National Council on Procurement, which had not been effective in the last 17 years.

Consequently, he said the President had submitted a bill to the National Assembly, which had scaled through the first reading at the House of Representatives.

‘The whole idea is to ensure that we have a robust National Council on Procurement that will look at all aspects of procurement, and to bring every project into the fiscal financial discipline that the President is always talking about,’ said the minister.

He said there was also a discussion on the report by the Daily Trust Newspaper. ‘Recall that we have commented about this in the past and the position of the government on that report.

‘The Federal Government insists that the report on the LGBT or
the so-called Samoa Agreement was misleading, it was false and it was designed to create confusion in the land.

‘My ministry has also briefed the Federal Executive Council on all the steps that we have taken, including writing to the industry’s own Ombudsman with a view to drawing the attention of Daily Trust Newspapers to that very misleading report,’ he said.

He said that the Council expected the industry’s Ombudsman to look at the issue dispassionately, and that the Council would be patient to await the report of the Ombudsman.

‘But suffice it to say that the Federal Government views that report or that story by the Daily Trust Newspaper very seriously and is urging members of the Nigerian press to please report responsibly in the interest of our country.

‘The Council also reiterated its commitment to media freedom and freedom of expression in this country.

‘Like we have said over time, there is no intention whatsoever for the administration of President Bola Tinubu to gag the press.

‘More than ever
before, the government is committed to ensuring that the media will continue to operate in an environment that is very friendly and supportive of their work as a strong pillar for the continuous enthronement of democracy in our land.

‘But like we have said over and over, we call on the Nigerian media to please show restraint in the kind of reporting that they also provide Nigeria.

‘So that fake news, misinformation, or disinformation will have no place in our society,’ said Idris.

Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, explained further that President Tinubu, in line with the desire to enhance more fiscal discipline and further demonstrate to Nigerians his commitment to serving them better, raised the issue of the reconciliation between the Appropriation Act, Public Procurement law and the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

‘The FEC has set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to review the Public Procurement Act.

‘The President directed
that all ministries, departments and agencies should review their intended procurement as provided for in the appropriation.

‘Where there are gaps between appropriated sums and sums required to execute projects, that can be brought to the attention of both the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and Federal Ministry of Finance.

‘Such that the memo that the cabinet secretariat will provide to the FEC, will have clarity of where funding is expected to come from and recommendation so as to guide effectively the Federal Executive Council decision,’ said Bagudu.

Mr Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, said the disturbing report by Daily Trust, was being handled by the Federal Government because, ‘we are conscious of press freedom and if you notice, this administration has not and will not tamper with press freedom.

‘And it will not, particularly because if you know the President, he has been an ardent supporter and believer in press freedom, in fact that is what got him up to thi
s point.

‘He is conscious of that, not only press freedom, but fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution,’ said Fagbemi.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The United States Centre for Disease Control and partners, on Wednesday unveiled a toolkit for the implementation of a project tagged: ‘Baby Showers in Congregational Settings’, in Lagos.

The project’s unveiling, hosted by the Centre For Integrated Health Programs (CIHP), aims at preventing Mother-to-Child transmission of HIV.

It was spearheaded by the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCP), Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the United States Centres For Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), Nigeria.

In a welcome address, Dr Timothy Efuntoye,representative of CDC, Nigeria, expressed the need for collaboration among concerned stakeholders to achieve the success of the ‘Baby Shower Toolkits’ implementation at the grassroots level.

Efuntoye stated that HIV virus was still very much around in Nigeria, adding that a survey carried out in 2018 indicated that about 1.5 per cent of Nigerians were living with HIV.

He said a recent statistics also showed that most people living with HIV w
ere women and children.

He said the centre would continue to support such people with Antiretroviral HIV drugs that would help to keep them alive.

He said the toolkit was unveiled as part of approaches toward ending the transmission of HIV/AIDS to paediatrics, which was highly preventable.

In her remarks, Dr Bola Oyeledun, Chief Executive Officer, CIHP, expressed worry that many children were continuously infected with HIV virus through their mothers due to negligence.

Oyeledun highlighted the roles of various religions, including, Christians, Muslims, traditionalists and other institutional gatherings in reaching and educating members of the communities.

‘We all know that pregnancy is a joyful thing, the ending is supposed to be joyful and the children are supposed to be well and joyful as well.

‘This initiative is to make sure that we have the tool to enable us uniformly build the correct information, the right skills and also measure and document the activities aimed at achieving it.

‘With the cong
regational approach, we can be able to reach and enlighten women, as well as the pregnant ones, and the men too,’ she said.

According to her, the society and its institutions cannot afford to rest on its oars, as many children have continued to be infected with HIV.

The CIHP CEO noted that the document for the research of the Baby Shower Toolkits was done in Enugu, but implemented first in Benue, before moving to Lagos state and spreading to other states of the federation.

Also, Dr Adebobola Bashorun, National Coordinator,NASCP, under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said, ‘together we can prevent mother to child transmission and ensure that every mother and child receive the care they deserve.’

Bashorun, represented by Dr Hafsat Iyanda, stated that the toolkits were designed to empower mothers with the knowledge and tools they needed to nurture their children from the very beginning of life.

He said:’By providing comprehensive information on prenatal care, nutrition, immunisation, and
early childhood development, we aim to foster a generation of healthy, thriving children who will grow to become the foundation of a prosperous future.’

In her address,Dr Folakemi Animashaun,CEO, Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), said that the prevention of the Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV coverage in the country currently stood at approximately 37 per cent.

She pledged the Lagos state government’s unwavering commitment to achieving epidemic control of HIV/AIDS with a primary focus on prevention CDC, CIHP, partners unveil toolkit for prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV transmission

In her remark, Dr Bola Oyeledun, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CIHP, expressed worry that many children were continuously infected with HIV virus through their mothers due to negligence.

Oyeledun highlighted the roles of various religions, including, Christians, Muslims, traditionalists and other institutional gatherings in reaching and educating members of the communities.

‘We all know that pregnancy is a joyful
thing, the ending is supposed to be joyful and the children are supposed to be well and joyful as well.

‘This initiative is to make sure that we have the tool to enable us uniformly build the correct information, the right skills and also measure and document the activities aimed at achieving it.

‘With the congregational approach, we can be able to reach and enlighten women, as well as the pregnant ones, and the men too,’ she said.

According to her,the society and its institutions cannot afford to rest on its oars, as many children had continued to be infected with HIV.

The CIHP CEO noted that the document for the research of the Baby Shower Toolkits was done in Enugu,but implemented first in Benue, before moving to Lagos state and spreading to other states of the federation.

Speaking also, Dr Adebobola Bashorun, National Coordinator,NASCP, under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said, ‘together we can prevent mother to child transmission and ensure that every mother and child receives t
he care they deserve.’

Bashorun, represented by Dr Hafsat Iyanda, stated that the toolkits were designed to empower mothers with the knowledge and tools they needed to nurture their children from the very beginning of life.

He said:’By providing comprehensive information on prenatal care, nutrition, immunisation, and early childhood development, we aim to foster a generation of healthy, thriving children who will grow to become the foundation of a prosperous future.’

In her address,Dr Folakemi Animashaun,CEO, Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), said that the prevention of the Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV coverage in the country currently stood at approximately 37 per cent.

She pledged the Lagos state government’s unwavering commitment to achieving epidemic control of HIV/AIDS with a primary focus on PMTCT.

According to her, the meticulously crafted toolkit will empower religious leaders with the necessary resources to conduct culturally sensitive practices aimed at effectively educati
ng their congregations on PMTCT.

In their goodwill messages,the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Bishop Adegbite, represented by Rev. Stephen Oyinlola, and Imam Alfanla Muhammed of Jama’atu Islamiya of Nigeria, thanked the organisers for the initiative.

The religious leaders also pledged to continue to preach against stigmatisation against persons living with HIV/AIDS .

They also also encouraged the patients to access qualitative health services to reduce maternal and child mortality.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event showcased various testimonials of past and present beneficiaries of the ‘Baby Shower Toolkit’ and how it has helped them to pull through.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The culture of putting on shoes and the type and cost is a great deal for many people, especially celebrities and other famous individuals.

Shoes have become part of the fashion trends that defines a person and his or her social standing; it is personal identifier.

The cost of a shoe is classified by the brand name or the event where it was used as well as the person(s) using it.

The former Philippines first lady, Imelda Marcos, was reported to have a stock of very expensive shoes running into over 3,000 pairs.

People do express themselves through fashion and by styling they can enhance their self confidence and esteem.

Shoes can be classified as both clothing and accessory, as its purpose is functional, just as choosing the right shoe for the right event is important.

There are some grand brands that stands out and these include Jimmy Choo, Dolce and Gabbana, Emporio Armani, Prada, UGG, Balmain, Love Moschino, Burberry, Balenciaga amongst many others.

These luxury shoe brands are a display of meticulo
us detail, exclusive designs, excellence, and are limited editions; they are sort of investments for some people.

According to Forbes India, the world’s most expensive shoes are Moonstar Shoes by Antonio Vietri worth $19.9million, Jada Dubai and Passion Jewellers Passion Diamond shoes worth $17 million while Debbie Wingham heels go for $15.1 million.

The shoes thrown at President George W Bush was worth $10 million, Harry Winston Ruby slippers is worth $3 million.

The Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Sneakers was $2.2 million, Stuart Weitzman Cinderella Slippers is worth $2 million and the Tanzanite Heels is worth $2 million.

These shoes are made from very expensive materials of rare and excellent quality making them worthy of their amounts and high value.

Some of such materials are solid gold, diamonds, gold thread, rubies, Italian leather, tanzanite and Kuwait diamond.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Biodun Ogunlewe, gave the assurance at a one-day public hearing on the bill at the assembly complex, on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Bill for a Law to Repeal the Lagos State Power Sector Reform Law 2018 is to provide for creation and administration of Lagos electricity market and related matters.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari, on March 17, 2023, signed into law, a constitutional amendment that allowed states in the country to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid.

The nation experienced blackout as the national grid collapsed on Saturday for the fourth time in 2024.

Ogunlewe said that the bill, if passed into law, would allow the state government to generate, transmit and distribute electricity directly to end users.

The commissioner said that all electricity users in the state would have access to quality electricity within two years after signing the bill into la
w.

‘We believe that the passage is the beginning of the revolution that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised the people of the state.

‘We are going to witness where the state grid will operate in such a way that we are not encountering the challenges that come from a largely single source.

‘The first thing the people of Lagos should expect from this bill is provisions in respect of other operators coming into the market and in respect of environmental friendliness.

‘At present, there are issues not allowing the operators to do their businesses but they have been resolved in this bill.

‘I believe this bill will make the state the global centre of excellence where everybody is carried along,’ he said.

Ogunlewe said that the state government had ensured that all its class A roads were lighted while most of the class B roads were also lighted.

He added that about 20,000 street lighting poles were functional at present.

The commissioner said, in respect to rural areas of the state, the government would hav
e interventions via off-grid and macro-grid platforms.

‘Talking about the alternative source of energy, at the centre of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu strategy, is an immediate sign-off of nothing less than 1,000 megawatts of non-renewable energy capacity coming in the market.

‘We are going to see a power sector that has a better energy meet.

‘It is not going to be fossil fuel alone, we are going to see a great departure from what we have in the past where there would just be an actual collapse,’ he said.

The commissioner said that the state was looking forward to the third reading of the bill when the committee would have considered comments and suggestions from stakeholders.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Traffic was disrupted along the Kubwa Expressway Thursday evening.

Fire fighters were, however, on ground to respond to the situation.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria