Day: July 27, 2024

The All Progressives Congress Committee of Diaspora Chairmen (APC-CDC) has urged the youth to avoid any protest and give President Bola Tinubu time to address and resolve the nation’s current challenges effectively.

The CDC Secretary General and APC Spain Chairman, Prince Adeayo Tella, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos that Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ for the masses would soon materialise.

Describing the proposed protest as unnecessary, Tella said that Nigerians needed to understand the President and give him a chance to prove himself to the masses.

‘Let us work together as one to see a better Nigeria in no distant time.

‘We must encourage the youth to shun violence because consequences of the protest might not be seen now but until when ventured into.

‘The hoodlums might hijack it. Nigerians must give President Tinubu time to solve Nigeria’s problem.

‘A year is not enough to repair the damage done over two decades,’ the APC diaspora chieftain said.

Tella urged organisers of
the protest not to forget the destruction as well as loss of lives and property in previous demonstrations, especially the 2020 Endsars protest.

‘Let us give Tinubu rest of mind to fulfill his ‘Renewed Hope’ and promises to fix the country in no distant time,’ Tella said.

There have been reports that some Nigerians, under various bodies, are planning a nationwide protest from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10, over the rising cost of living and economic hardships.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes has given Mr Ola Olukoyede, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), until July 30 to appear before it over budgetary allocation issues.

The committee said that Olukoyede, along with his management team, should appear to answer questions relating to the commission’s budget performance and its challenges.

Rep. Obinna Onwusibe, the Chairman of the committee, expressed the panel’s displeasure at an oversight of the commission’s office in Abuja.

The committee condemned what it described as the snobbish attitude of the chairman and the denial of the committee’s members access into the commission’s complex.

The committee had visited the EFCC headquarters after communicating with the anti-graft agency and agreeing on a date for an oversight visit.

The committee was, however, told that the chairman was called for an emergency development at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Reacting, the committee chairman said: ‘In performing our cons
titutional functions we had written to the EFCC for this oversight visit.

‘The latest letter to EFCC was last week and we all agreed that the oversight is going to be today.

‘The essence of the oversight is for the committee to know the budget performance of the EFCC as appropriated by this national assembly.

‘That was exactly why we went and to also see other things, including the challenges being faced by the EFCC.”

He said the committee had requested that the chairman and all the zonal commanders of the EFCC be invited for an interface with the members.

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‘But, the committee also saw that they were not on ground,’ he said.

The committee, however, resolved that it would not continue with the oversight and resolved further to summon the EFCC chairman and his team to appear before it.

‘As far as we’re concerned, the functions and integrity of this 10th National Assembly cannot be taken for granted.

‘We’ve written seve
rally to the commission, requesting information and documents and we are yet to get them,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its partnership with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) continues to make strides in ensuring that the livelihoods of small-scale miners are improved.

Through its Environmental Governance Project, funded by the Government of Sweden and now in its second year, the UNDP has provided crucial support to small-scale miners across five hotspot regions.

According to UNDP Resident Representative Alka Bhatia, the project aims to enhance the livelihoods and safety of small-scale miners by offering comprehensive health and safety training and fostering sustainable mining practices.

One such community is the Xoboxobos small-scale miners’ cooperative at Uis in the Daures Constituency of the Erongo region, which mines dimension stones such as prehnite, amethyst, and tantalum, among others.

The group received first aid, sustainable mining training, and personal protective equipment on Friday.

‘Small-scale miners often get overlooked, but their health, safety,
and the contribution they make to the local economy are substantial,’ Bhatia stated.

She added that training programs not only emphasise safe mining techniques but also provide essential information on environmental management.

A significant goal of the project is also to promote gender inclusivity in a traditionally male-dominated field and currently, women make up about 10 per cent of small-scale miners.

The UNDP, in collaboration with the MME, remains committed to engaging with and empowering local mining communities to ensure their sustainable development and economic contribution.

MME Deputy Executive Director Erasmus Shivolo noted that the successful completion of this project marks a significant milestone in the collaboration, demonstrating a shared commitment to fostering sustainable and legally compliant mining practices in Namibia.

‘The project has not only equipped small-scale miners with the necessary tools and knowledge to improve their operations but also highlighted the importance of ongoi
ng support and education in the mining sector,’ he explained.

Chairperson of the Xoboxobos Miners cooperative Alfred Lukas on behalf of the other miners, welcomed the training and assistance, adding that it will further enhance their efforts and understanding in improving their livelihoods while maintaining sustainable mining.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) on Friday in Abuja unveiled a cutting-edge application aimed at improving early warning and early response to conflicts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the platform was unveiled during a dialogue with stakeholders on the use of ICT devices and the Early Warning Early Response (EWER) application in conducting early response meetings.

The other party to the unveiling of the EWER application is Peace Action for Rapid and Transformative Nigeria Early Response (PARTNER) Project.

Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director General of the institute, said the early warning system in Nigeria had been disjointed, less collaborative, and with many agencies working in an environment that has created noticeable gaps for effective response to early warning on potential conflicts.

Ochogwu, represented by Dr Emmanuel Mamman, Director of Internal Conflict and Prevention at the institute, added that in today’s interconnected world, ‘we must harness the power of technolo
gy to monitor, predict, and respond to conflicts before they escalate.

‘To achieve a robust, effective, and coordinated response to early warnings, IPCR and PARTNER have adopted the use of technology to enhance our conflict-prevention strategy in EWER.

‘The EWER application will be a tool that will assist us in working better at integrating our responses from community, state, and national environments.’

Mr Danjuma Dawop, the Chief of Party PARTNER, Mercy Corps said the unveiling of the technology was timely given the increasing global concerns over rising tensions and violence in various regions.

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He said the platform would aggregate data from various sources, including social media, news reports, and local intelligence, to identify patterns and warning signs of potential conflict.

‘It employs machine learning algorithms to assess risk levels and generate alerts, which can be disseminated to stakeholders via mobile applications an
d other communication channels.

‘We believe that early intervention can significantly reduce the likelihood of conflicts escalating into a full-blown crisis.

‘Our new platform will empower local communities, governments, and organisations in taking proactive measures aimed at preventing conflicts,’ Dawop said.

NAN further reports that the PARTNER Project is a 5-year USAID-funded programme implemented by Mercy Corps in Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara states, among others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Kavango East Health Director Idah Mendai has called for urgent intervention in the alarming increase in malnutrition cases recorded in the region this year, which has thus far, affected 14 000 people and 15 deaths.

Mendai made the call on Friday during an engagement with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality Social Development and Family Affairs, the health directorate, and other stakeholders at Rundu.

According to Mendai, last year, the region recorded 2,716 people affected by malnutrition and 30 deaths, noting that teenage pregnancies are contributing to the high rate of incidences of malnutrition, hence the need for something to be done to curb the number of teenagers from falling pregnant.

‘We are seeing a lot of teenage girls giving birth and leaving their little ones with the grandmothers who struggle to feed them with nutritious food and feed them with Oshikundu instead of milk,’ she said.

She said there is also a need to encourage young mothers to stay with their little ones and
breastfeed even up to a year.

Another factor contributing to malnutrition is ‘The inconsistency in therapeutic food supply as well as the lack of refresher training for health care workers and community care workers on managing malnutrition.’

The director further said HIV patients and pregnant women are among those affected by malnutrition, noting that the region has enough therapeutic food at the moment and to mitigate malnutrition, community awareness should be enhanced.

In response, the committee’s chairperson Dr. Becky Ndjoze-Ojo encouraged stakeholders in the region to work together to tackle some of the challenges the region is facing

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

President Nangolo Mbumba has described the late Katrina Hanse-Himarwa as a fearless trailblazer who exuded enthusiasm and had an energetic approach to dealing with governance issues.

Mbumba said this in a tribute read on his behalf by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa at a memorial service held in honour of the late Hanse-Himarwa at Mariental on Friday.

The president said her passing leaves behind a huge void in the talent pool of the Swapo Party and the Namibian Government at large.

‘In the wake of her tragic passing, we must now take up the challenge and pick up the baton where she left off by continuing with the noble objective of the second phase of the struggle, that of economic emancipation, to make Namibia a prosperous nation in which all its people can benefit from the wealth of its resources,’ Mbumba said.

Hanse-Himarwa, he noted, will be remembered for leading a delegation of Namibians to Germany to negotiate the repatriation of artifacts including the l
ate Captain Hendrik Witbooi’s whip, bible, and human remains to Namibia in 2019.

She will also be remembered for the implementation of the junior primary education diploma, which benefited and capacitated about 4 000 previously unqualified teachers, he said.

The former minister of education, arts, and culture succumbed to cancer on 14 July 2024 in a Windhoek hospital. She also served as governor of the Hardap Region.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency