Day: August 13, 2024

With South Africa having doubled its tally of medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has set his sights on providing financial support to athletes who aspire to participate in the 2028 Olympics.

Addressing a media briefing welcoming the return of team South Africa at the OR Tambo International Airport, the Minister committed to taking 300 athletes to the 2028 Olympic Games taking place in Los Angeles, United States.

‘I can promise the nation that come 2028, the athletes will get [financial] assistance. This is a massive opportunity for our country to showcase the best of our athletes. The road to Los Angeles starts now at school sports and community sports,’ McKenzie said on Tuesday.

He said he was ecstatic about the performance of team South Africa at the Olympics.

‘They have doubled their tally. They got three medals in Toyko, in Paris we [were] standing on six medals. They have done very well under trying circumstances.

‘We must invest money in our
athletes. We are going to make sure that money goes to the right people. As the sports Minister, I am very proud of what our athletes have achieved in Paris,’ McKenzie said.

Swimmer Tatjana Smith, who the Minister described as ‘our most decorated Olympian’ and members of the athletics relay team, returned home to a hero’s welcome this morning, after winning medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

With her recent achievements, Smith has become the greatest Olympian produced by the country, with two gold medals and two silver medals in breaststroke swimming.

South Africa also secured a historic silver medal in the 4×100 meters relay, with the team comprising Bayanda Walaza, Bradley Nkoana, Shaun Maswanganyi, and Akani Simbine.

‘Smith is the most decorated athlete that we have ever produced as a country. You have not only achieved on the field, but you have also achieved off the field. We as a country are proud of you. You have shown us what is possible. We are a sporting nation. You have brought this countr
y together. You are one of the greatest heroes that this country has ever had,’ the Minister said.

Sharing experiences

Smith announced her retirement at the Paris Olympics. However, she has offered to share her experience with other swimmers.

‘I am happy to engage with athletes and give my perspective on the sport. We can learn from each other. I am happy to inspire. I am available if you want to bounce [off] some ideas. I am willing to help and be there,’ she said.

Smith said knowing that this was the last time she gets to wear the country’s colours was a bitter pill to swallow.

‘It’s been 22 years since I have been swimming. It’s going to be a whole lifestyle change. I am also giving myself space to figure out what I can do. It was a bitter sweet moment when I made the decision to retire. Going into Paris, I wasn’t planning on retiring. It happened during the competition. I felt a lot of peace knowing that it’s okay.

‘Sometimes we don’t want to let go because we are unsure of what the future looks lik
e. I just had peace that I need to trust God in this and the He will provide. It is a bitter pill to swallow that I am finished. This is the last time I will be wearing the green and gold colours,’ she said.

The swimmer said while competing in sports comes with a lot of challenges, she managed to overcome them.

‘Sport is expensive, and the cost of living is expensive. You need financial backing to compete at international levels. Representing my country has had its challenges but we still rise above them. We need to get more people and more representation into sports. It’s important,’ she said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

President Bola Tinubu has signed the judicial office holders salaries and allowances bill into law.

The Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Sen. Basheer Lado, announced this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

‘This extraordinary move underscores the president’s absolute prioritisation of the welfare of Nigerian workers above all else.

‘Just like he did when he recently put on hold an ongoing Federal Executive Council meeting to assent to the new National Minimum Wage Bill of N70,000,’ he said.

Lado said that the new act ‘prescribes salaries, allowances and other benefits for judicial officers to reflect the changing realities.

He described the signing of the bill as a landmark achievement and a manifestation of his unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigeria’s workforce.

‘This landmark decision reflects the president’s profound dedication to ensuring that every salary earner, especially those serving in vital and strategic roles, receives the recognition and compensation they deserv
e.

‘In Tinubu’s administration, the welfare of our workers has become a central pillar of national progress.

‘His visionary policies continue to uplift the lives of millions, ensuring that the dignity of labour is upheld and that those who serve our nation are justly rewarded.

‘This assent is a clear testament to the president’s tireless efforts to build a more prosperous and equitable country, where every worker is empowered to contribute to the nation’s greatness.

Lado commended Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Abass Tajudeen for their patriotic commitment to progressively improving the welfare of citizens.

He also lauded the entire members of the National Assembly for prioritising the welfare of the citizens by passing and transmitting the executive bill.

He urged judicial office holders in the country to redouble their efforts in ensuring that justice was served and speedily.

‘The judiciary remains the hope of the common man and it is hoped that Nigerian
s seeking justice get it irrespective of their status in life,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, has implored academia and global experts in research and science to prioritise major water, environment and climate change issues facing the entire global community.

Mahlobo made the call at the International Conference on Water and Environmental Sustainability, currently underway in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal.

The two-day conference which began on Monday, is organised by the University of Zululand in collaboration with the Changán University in China.

The conference presents a distinguished forum for global experts, including researchers, scientists, academics, industry representatives and students to engage in scholarly debate and knowledge exchange.

It is also used to address the ongoing water issues in South Africa, serving as a global platform for experts to discuss and find solutions for pressing challenges related to water scarcity, quality, and management in South Africa.

Addressing delegates on Monday, Mahlobo said the issues of environment a
nd climate change have not been given the priority they deserve.

Mahlobo highlighted challenges, including population growth and migration, which have negatively impacted water availability to the people around the world, and the environment.

He said many countries have not properly planned for population growth and migration which have an impact on the sustainability of water and the environment.

‘I therefore urge you that, in your discussions, you must come up with resolutions on how we deal with these issues especially around the finite resource of water. We call on you as the experts in your respective fields to raise your voices with information and knowledge to those in authority,’ Mahlobo said.

University of Zululand Vice-Chancellor, Professor Xoliswa Mtose, noted that the conference is held at a time when the world is grappling with a myriad of interconnected issues elaborated in the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She said this has generated a lot of researc
h and debate among the academia to galvanise national and global development on issues of water and environment.

‘The collaboration between the University of Zululand and Changán University in China is on knowledge sharing aimed at addressing the challenges of developments in the water and sustainability as depicted in the Sustainable Development Goals framework.

‘Therefore, the research papers to be delivered here today will reflect on the national, continental and global footprint as far as water and environmental issues are concerned,’ Mtose said.

The scholars and academics at the conference indicated that the outcomes of the conference will not only influence the global versatile issues of water and environmental sustainability, but also enable them to enhance collaborations and knowledge sharing.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN) has partnered the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to empower practitioners with the international best practices on business insolvency and asset management recovery.

Both parties at an engagement on Monday in Lagos, stressed the need to jointly build body of knowledge in business and non performing loan recoveries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that BRIPAN is a body of professionals responsible for business recovery and insolvency for financially troubled individuals and businesses.

AMCON is saddled with the statutory responsibility amongst others of recovering the non-performing loan hitherto disbursed by eligible financial institutions to their customers.

Mr Chimezie Ihekweazu, President, BRIPAN, noted that the newly appointed AMCON Managing Director’s history, experience and achievements in the corporate world within and outside the country was valuable in shaping the dynamics of the corporation.

I
hekweazu stated that BRIPAN special interest in insolvency practice and business recovery made it important to maintain the amiable working relationship it had with AMCON.

He added that the practice of insolvency which extended to different branches meant that business relationship with the credit sector must be carefully managed to engender business survival.

‘BRIPAN has committed building a high level of professional standing among its members.

‘We have supported the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the insolvency bill among others and enjoyed institutional relationship with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Securities and Exchange Commission, among others.

‘Based on our practical experiences in insolvency, we have outlined trainings to give proper guidance on advance knowledge for practitioners.

‘It is our utmost hope that by this engagement, our business relationship would continue to be built upon for the advancement of business and asset management recovery reforms in the country,’ he sa
id.

In his remarks, Mr Gbenga Alade, the Managing Director, AMCON, stated that there was room for collaboration particularly to help maximise value in the public sector.

Alade noted that time had value and everything needed to be implemented at the right time to ensure value was not lost.

He stressed the need to reduce political interference in certain situations, saying Nigeria would start to move forward once everyone decides to do the right thing.

‘When paid to withdraw and destroy a file, you must say no because you are doing the right thing.

‘It is only then that Nigeria can change as until the individuals change, Nigeria cannot change,’ he said.

Alade called for BRIPAN’s assistance in addressing the move by the CAC to delist some companies perceived not to be doing business.

This move, he noted, would hamper AMCON’s efforts at recovering some of the debts from these companies.

He also assured of the corporation’s commitment to BRIPAN’s trainings to lift standard of practice on insolvency, risk a
nd rescue mechanisms to engender business longevity.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

As Operation Vulindlela is expected to enter its second phase, government will focus on stabilising the performance of local government to address the immediate challenges in electricity, water, and other basic services.

‘Without these services, businesses cannot function, and investors cannot invest,’ the Deputy Minister of Finance, David Masondo, said on Tuesday.

Addressing the Old Mutual Thought Leaders Forum, Masondo said in the long term, the institutional structure and funding model for local government will be reviewed to ensure that municipalities are financially and operationally sustainable.

‘The ultimate objective should be to balance the need for truly local government that is responsive to the needs of a community, with the need for economies of scale in the delivery of services such as water and electricity.

‘However, none of the challenges facing local government will be addressed, if we do not ensure that capable and qualified people are appointed to municipal administrations. The number o
f people employed in local government has significantly grown since 2006, without a corresponding improvement in outcomes,’ the Deputy Minister said.

READ | Government focuses on growing the economy

He said instances of corruption and patronage in the appointment of senior managers, as well as political interference, have contributed to instability and a loss of technical skills.

‘To rebuild capability in local government, we will strengthen the regulation and oversight of the appointment process for senior managers and protect the administration from undue political interference,’ Masondo said.

Operation Vulindlela is a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms and support economic recovery.

‘The second new frontier of reform is to address spatial inequality through housing, transport, and urban policy that turns our cities into dynamic centres of economic activity.

‘The high cost of transport shuts out millions of South Africans fro
m employment opportunities, creating labour market frictions and preventing job creation. The lowest quintile of households per capita spends more than 37% of their after-tax income on direct transport costs.

‘To promote spatial integration, we will use our housing programs to enable people to live closer to areas of economic opportunity, rather than building houses on the urban periphery,’ the Deputy Minister said.

This will require the release of well-located public land for social housing, as well as a review of regulations to unlock investment in low-income housing in our cities.

‘In addition, we must shift our expenditure on housing from a supply-driven model, through which the government constructs fully complete houses and hands them over to beneficiaries, to a more demand-driven model that provides people with the means to find housing in areas where they want to live. This will also allow us to leverage private sector capital beyond our fiscal resources,’ he said.

Government will also work to res
tore the passenger rail system to operation and invest in integrated public transport systems that are affordable, reliable, and safe.

The last new area of reform that Operation Vulindlela will prioritise over the coming years is digital transformation.

Digital transformation

In the absence of a clear, focused, and effective digital transformation strategy, South Africa is lagging behind its peers.

‘To address this, Operation Vulindlela will work closely with the responsible departments to put in place a comprehensive roadmap for digital transformation focused on digital payments, system inter-operability, and data integration, as the basis for the digitisation of services.

‘This roadmap will support innovation, bring millions of South Africans into the digital economy, and improve access to services. These reforms, in addition to those already completed or underway, will fundamentally transform South Africa’s economy,’ the Deputy Minister said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld results of 215, 267 candidates, who sat for the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) over alleged malpractice.

Dr Amos Dangut, Head, National Office (HNO) stated this while announcing the results on Monday, in Lagos.

According to Dangut, the number represents 11.92 per cent of candidates that sat for the examination.

He noted that the figure was 4.37 per cent lower than the 16.29 per cent recorded in 2023.

‘The withheld results of these candidates that sat for the examination are in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.

‘The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall, in spite of the existing ban and organised cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues.

‘All the cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate committee of the council, for consideration and final decisions,’ he said.

The WAEC boss added that the committe
e’s decisions would be communicated to the affected candidates through their various schools, in due course.

He urged candidates affected by the decisions to call for redress of their cases, if they so wished, via https://waecinternational.org.

According to him, the council will continue to sanction all cases of examination malpractice.

He said that schools, supervisors, teachers and candidates perpetrating the evil were not helping the educational system.

‘All hands must therefore be on deck to sanitise the system,’ he said.

Giving a further breakdown of the results, Dangut said a total of 1,814,736 candidates registered for the examination from 25,126 recognised secondary schools in the country.

He said that of the total number of candidates that sat for the examination, 896,894 are male, while 908,322 others are female, representing 49.68 per cent and 50.32 per cent, respectively.

He added that of the 1,814,736 candidates that registered for the examination, only 1,805,216 sat the examination.

He n
oted that the examination was also administered to candidates from some schools in Benin Republic, Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, where the Nigerian curriculum for senior secondary schools was being used.

‘Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination in Nigeria, 1,685,889 candidates, representing 93.39 per cent have their results fully processed and released while 119,327 others, representing 6.61 per cent, have one or more of their subjects still being processed, due to some issues being resolved.

‘Efforts are, however, speedily ongoing to complete the process and release the affected candidates’ results within a couple of days,’ he said.

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According to him, the analysis of statistics of candidates’ performance in the examination shows that out of the 1,805,216 candidates that sat for the examination, 1,332,089 representing 73.79 per cent obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects.

He explained that this was with or without English Language and or Mathematics.

Speak
ing further, he said a total of 1,301,941 candidates, representing 72.12 per cent obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

‘Of this number, 628,820, that is, 48.30 per cent are male candidates, while 673,121 representing 51.70 per cent are female candidates.

‘A comparison of the percentage of candidates in this category in WASSCE for School, 2023 and 2024, reveals that in 2024 WASSCE, there is 7.69 per cent decrease in performance.

‘That is when compared with those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, which was 79.81 per cent,’ he said.

Dangut further said that a total of 109,115 candidates with varying degrees of Special Needs registered for the examination.

According to him, of the number, 145 are visually challenged, 473 have impaired hearing, 44 are spastic cum mentally challenged, while 38 are physically challenged.

‘All these candidates were adequately provided for in th
e administration of the examination.

‘The results of these candidates have been processed and are also now being released along with those of other candidates,’ he said.

The WAEC boss cited security concerns as one of the challenges encountered by the council in conducting the examination nationwide.

‘The ‘Sit-at-home’ order in the Southeast and the industrial action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), coincided with the days major papers were to be written.

‘These posed serious threat that could have deprived Nigerian candidates the privilege of sitting the papers with their counterparts in other member countries.

‘I am exceedingly glad that the Nigerian populace saw reason to allow candidates sit all the papers.

‘The non-adherence to registration deadline is perhaps the greatest headache the council encountered on the road to conduct this examination.

‘This issue continued to linger as some schools failed to upload their students’ CASS at the stipulated time and many also failed to me
et registration deadlines.

‘It should be known to all and sundry that registration for WAEC examinations is not an open-ended thing.

‘Pre-examination materials, examination materials and post-examination materials have to be produced, using data supplied by candidates in good time, before the conduct of any diet.’

He said that failure to meet the requirements would throw the entire process into jeopardy.

‘We plead for co-operation and understanding in this respect, in order to make future exercises less stressful.

‘We also faced financial issues and inflation.

‘The rate of inflation in the country has affected the cost of everything and the council is not excluded.

‘This has greatly added to the challenges we are facing in terms of the cost of conducting examinations,’ he said.

He said that the constant hike in price and scarcity of petroleum products affected the seamless conduct of the examination.

This, according to him, was because the council had to move examination materials from one point to a
nother.

The WAEC boss also decried the connivance of some supervisors with operators of rogue websites, to deceive and compromise the standard of the examination.

‘During the course of inspection, activities of rogue website operators did not go unnoticed, as some of these miscreants are already having a taste of their pudding.

‘A few supervisors and invigilators, who were caught aiding and abetting examination malpractice, were also brought to book.

‘The council, on its part, through the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC), will mete out appropriate sanctions to affected supervisors, through the various State Ministries of Education,’ he said.

Speaking further, he said as results of the 2024 WASSCE for School Candidates, were being uploaded on the website, candidates should, after checking, apply for their Digital certificate, which would be released 48 hours thereafter.

According to him, candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the council can access their results on its results w
ebsite:http://www.waecdirect.org,

within the next 12 hours.

‘Copies of the result listing will be sent to schools shortly.

‘I need not restate the fact that the results of candidates, who are sponsored by states indebted to the council, will not be released now, until payment is made.

‘We appeal to the concerned to do so, to enable the affected schools/candidates access their results.

‘The Result Checker PIN and Serial Number required by candidates to check their results online, are contained on the Candidate’s Smart Identity Card, issued and used during conduct of the examination.

‘Hard copies of certificates of candidates whose results have been fully processed and released will be ready within the next 90 days, counting from today,’ he stated.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria