Day: September 6, 2024

The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on prevention of violent extremism and terrorism.

NCTC is domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The National Coordinator of NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, said the collaboration marked a pivotal moment in their joint efforts to prevent and counter terrorism in Nigeria.

He said that terrorism posed a significant threat to Nigeria’s security, stability, and prosperity, adding that it undermined the fundamental values, challenges the way of life, and endangers the safety of the citizens.

According to him, NAFDAC plays an important role in combating crime by regulating the manufacture, importation, and distribution of drugs, chemicals, and other controlled products.

Laka said that joining forces with NAFDAC would help to enhance their collective efforts in disrupting illicit networks, dismantling their finan
cing sources, and safeguarding communities from the scourge of terrorism.

‘This MoU represents a commitment to shared goals, mutual support, and effective cooperation.

‘It signifies our dedication to leveraging our respective expertise, resources, and capabilities to strengthen our response to terrorism, prevent radicalisation, and protect our society from the devastating impact of violent extremism.

‘Through this partnership, we will work together to enhance information sharing, intelligence cooperation, capacity building, and joint operations.

‘By combining our efforts and forging a united front against terrorism, we are better equipped to confront this multifaceted challenge and uphold the safety and security of our nation,’ he said.

Laka commended NAFDAC for their commitment to the collaborative endeavour, adding that they would collectively embark on a path of shared responsibility, solidarity, and resilience in the fight against terrorism.

In her remarks, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji
sola Adeyeye commended the ONSA for returning the agency to the ports on May 16, 2018.

Adeyeye said that the signing of the MoU was a plus to the country in terms of reduction in death and obliteration of the young minds.

She pledged the continued collaboration of her agency with the NCTC towards preventing the young people from going into substance abuse.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) has sought for partnership with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the effective coverage of its activities in its quest to deliver on its mandate.

The Executive Secretary of the fund, Mr Tosin Adeyanju, made the request when he led the management team on a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of NAN, on Friday in Abuja.

According to him, the mandate of NLTF is to intervene on good causes such as education, sports, water, disaster management, as well as vulnerable Nigerians.

‘We have intervened in several causes in over 365 projects by impacting lives across the country.

‘Since I came on board, we have continued the drive to make sure that we intervene in critical sectors of the country, and support the ‘renewed hope agenda’ of President Bola Tinubu.

‘Therefore, we need the cooperation of NAN to drive home all our interventions and activities across the country,’ he said.

Adeyanju said that there was practically no alternative to NAN in terms of coverage and p
ublicity, because of the agency’s reach and presence globally.

‘So, we deemed it necessary to be here to partner with you on areas that have to do with good courses,” he said.

He further said that with such collaboration, people would feel the positive impact of what the government had done so far and still doing.

While noting the significance of information, Adeyanju said that a lot had been done by Tinubu that was under reported, hence the need to partner with NAN for adequate reportage.

He expressed confidence that the partnership would go a long way to impact positively on the activities of NLTF.

Responding, the Managing Director of NAN, Malam Ali M. Ali, said that NAN prides itself as the biggest news content provider on the continent of Africa.

‘We have over 500 reporters spread across the country, and beyond. We have offices in some selected African countries, and even in Europe.

‘Right now, we are the only resident news agency or wire service from the West African coast in the UN.

‘We also ha
ve offices in South Africa, Abidjan, Addis Abba, and some other places.

‘So, with a work force like this, we welcome the partnership. Your people and my people will sit down and discuss how we can partner for better,” Ali said.

The NAN boss also highlighted other services rendered by the agency with the recent being the introduction of Hausa News portal while that of Yoruba and Igbo would follow shortly.

‘For instance, we have started the news portal in Hausa language, being one of the three major languages in Nigeria; so the next will be Yoruba and Igbo languages in that order,’ he said.

Ali explained that all these efforts were geared toward ensuring that activities of the Federal Government were properly covered.

‘Your request for partnership is a welcome development, and we wish you a successful tenure in office,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State (Oil) Petroleum Resources, on Thursday, said the Federal Government was not responsible for the recent increase in the price of petrol across the country.

The minister said this while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

Lokpobiri said the industry had been deregulated, and that the government was not fixing prices.

‘This sector is deregulated. And we believe that with the availability of products, the price will find its level.

‘What is important is that the product is available in the country; between now and the weekend, there will be availability of the product across the length and breadth of the country,’ he said.

He said it was important to convey to Nigerians that the President was empathetic about what was going on in the country.

‘He is concerned about the hardship of Nigerians, and that was why he directed the Vice President to call this meeting, for us to reflect on what is going on in the country
.

‘But, we believe that by the time there is availability of the product across the country, the price itself will stabilise,’ said the minister.

Lokpobiri said Shettima had summoned him along with Mr Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL), and Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, over the recent hike in the price of petrol.

Also, Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), said regulatory efforts were geared toward stabilising supply of petrol in the country, which he said would impact positively on stability of price.

See also Cashless system helps in tracking election financing – Osinbajo

‘The objective of the regulator is to ensure that there’s increased operating hours from all loading depots; vessels are being cleared promptly and extended hours where safety can permit truck outs as well.

‘More importantly also is the reinforcement of the support being given to loca
l refinancing, because with increased production there will be higher supply, which will stabilise the price,’ said Okuoha.

It will be recalled that the price of petrol was increased from N855 to N897 per litre, depending on the location, from the previous N568-N617.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Kenya and Zimbabwe have settled for a goalless draw in a Group J match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifications played at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, in Kampala, Uganda.

Kenya’s Harambee Stars were forced to play a home game at a neutral venue since they currently don’t have a stadium that fulfills the standards of the Confederation of African Football and FIFA.

Ten minutes into the match, Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi punched out of danger a shot by Eric Johanna. Kenya later got another chance, but Rooney Onyango failed to head the ball into the net.

Kenya made a quick substitution when Amos Nondi replaced injured Omija who had collided with goalkeeper Bryne Omondi.

In the second half, Khama Billiat and Prince Dube led Zimbabwe to put the Kenya defenders under pressure. Jordan Zemura had a goal-bound shot cleared away by Kenyan defender Joseph Okumu on 50 minutes, while Kenya saw Austin Odhimabo’s shot cleared off by defender Godknows Murwira.

Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat tol
d Xinhua after the match that they created few scoring chances and should have taken them.

“This is Football you must always try to use the opportunities created. We shall now regroup and travel to South Africa where we play our next match against Namibia in a few days,” Firat said.

Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees also said his team was not sharp at goal. “We need to improve in our next match against Cameroon that we shall host at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Uganda,” he added.

A record 48 nations are playing in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers. The tournament, Africa’s biggest Football showpiece, will be hosted by Morocco next year. Enditem

Source: The Namibia News Agency

Chinese para swimmer Yuan Weiyi found inspiration in Paralympic champion He Junquan after losing both of his arms 18 years ago. Now at the age of 24, Yuan aims to inspire more people with his strength.

Yuan’s impressive performance at the Paris Paralympic Games saw him finish second in the men’s 50m butterfly S5 final on Friday, adding to his overall tally of two gold medals and two silver medals.

“I’m satisfied with my results in general,” said Yuan, who made his debut to the Paralympics in Tokyo where he grabbed one relay gold and two individual medals.

“I have been working very hard in the past three years. I didn’t perform well in Tokyo. It’s kind of a failure for me. So I tried my best to improve in every detail. Sometimes I suffered setbacks during training. I kept asking myself if I had done enough.”

Yuan’s life took a drastic turn at the age of eight when he suffered a severe electrical shock, resulting in the loss of both his arms.

“When I was at hospital, I watched the swimming competition of
the Beijing Paralympics on TV. I was inspired a lot by He Junquan and many other athletes,” he recalled.

He Junquan, a para swimmer who also faced the challenge of not having arms, participated in four Paralympic Games and collected seven golds, three silvers and two bronze medals.

Yuan’s father left a message on He’s blog and received a reply from the prolific Paralympian just in a few days, where He encouraged Yuan to become more independent in his daily life. Yuan then tried to write and put on clothes using his feet, and he learned fast.

Motivated by his encounter with He Junquan, Yuan expressed his desire to learn swimming. In 2009, He Junquan introduced a coach to Yuan, marking the beginning of his swimming journey.

“Swimming helps me a lot,” said Yuan. “It makes me more confident, more outgoing and more positive. It’s not an easy journey to deal with the handicap, but sports give me a push to overcome all the difficulties.”

In the spirit of passing on the strength he gained from his sources of ins
piration, Yuan aspires to inspire others with disabilities, just as He Junquan did for him.

“I got the strength through the inspiration and I want to pass it rather than keep it on my own.”

For years, Yuan has dedicated himself to assisting a pair of young sisters in his hometown, providing financial support for their education and essential needs.

“I was born in the countryside. I know some kids there would work hard for their dreams but lack of financial support. I want to help them with all my efforts.” Enditem

Source: The Namibia News Agency

One of the most remarkable runs in Paralympic history came to an end on Friday night, as China’s Liu Jing suffered her first defeat in a table tennis final in 16 years.

The Chinese veteran, who collected nine gold medals after securing the women’s doubles WD5 title last week, had won all her previous Paralympics finals since Beijing 2008, before the women’s singles WS1-2 match against Giada Rossi of Italy.

“It was a pity to lose. Rossi was a very good player and has improved a lot in the past years. I wasn’t playing in a way that made me feel comfortable. I was too hurried to attack and did not manage the details well,” said 36-year-old Liu.

Two-time bronze medalist Rossi never expected to win the championship in a 3-0 straight win.

“I don’t know what happened. It is unbelievable,” said Rossi. “She is a strong player, and she always wins the Paralympics. But this was the right moment for me, my moment.”

“When I arrived here, I just wanted to have fun and stay focused on what I wanted to do. Having fun a
nd doing my best, makes me very happy. I have my family here to celebrate,” she added. Enditem

Source: The Namibia News Agency