Category: General

The certificate issued to Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma, Edo, to produce Glucozil herbal capsules for the control of diabetes has expired, NAFDAC declared in Abuja on Tuesday.

Its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated that NAFDAC did not give approval of the drug, but only listed it on Nov. 10, 2020.

She explained that the drug was listed for the management of high blood sugar as stated on the approved label and listing certificate issued to the university.

The certificate, she added, expired on Nov. 9, 2022.

“Treatment, curative and preventive claims for diabetes, benign prostatic hyperplasia and detoxification were never approved for Glucozil as claimed by the university and should be disregarded by the public.

“As specified in the Herbal Medicine and Related Products Labelling Regulations (2021), the listing was subject to the inclusion of the mandatory disclaimer.

“This is the regular disclaimer that is used and required for other listed herbal products which have not undergone clinical trials that NAFDAC deem satisfactory.

“The claims on the product’s label have not been evaluated by NAFDAC,’’ Adeyeye stated.

She added that the attention of NAFDAC had been drawn to a news publication of Aug. 24 that NAFDAC had approved AAU’s Glucozil herbal medicine for diabetes.

She noted that the media publication claimed that Glucozil had been scientifically tested with safety established in both humans and animals.

Adeyeye stated that the university ought to have verified the status of the herbal medicine certificate and the approved claim.

She stressed that manufacturing, distribution or marketing of the product was not allowed until the renewal application had been submitted and approved by NAFDAC.

“From our records, Ambrose Alli University was neither the manufacturer nor the applicant for approval of the said product,’’ Adeyeye stressed.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) says cinema-goers across Nigeria would enjoy discounted tickets on Saturday, Sept. 2, in commemoration of the International Cinema Day.

The National Chairman, CEAN, Mr Opeyemi Ajayi, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

Ajayi said that the discount was targeted at rewarding cinema-goers, bringing back old customers and encouraging Nigerians to cultivate the habit of going to the cinemas.

“Nigeria’s cinemas join cinemas in the United Kingdom and United States of America to announce “The National Cinema Day” which takes place on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.

“The Cinema Exhibitor’s Association of Nigeria welcomes moviegoers to celebrate a day at the movies with discounted tickets of N1,000 to kick-off the first National Cinema Day, on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.

“This one-day event will be held at more than 50 Cinema locations across the Federation, with over 100 screens.

“We believe this will bring together audiences of all ages to enjoy a day at the movies and see any movie of their choice at a discounted ticket price of N1,000.

“We are doing this to say thank you to movie-goers and promote the cinema-going culture as well as to remind audiences about the magic of cinema,” the CEAN chairman said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has urged women in leadership positions to become agents of change in the struggle for women emancipation.

Addressing the Evolution of Women in Leadership Conference at Durban, Dube-Ncube cautioned that it is easy for women to assume that their liberation will come from others, other than themselves.

“Those who are oppressed need not accept a diminished sense of self. This must not be the case with our fight for socio-economic emancipation as women. The evolution of women in leadership is less about celebrating how far we have come, but more about how we re-adjust the lenses of our struggle, such that we usher in a new world,” Dube-Ncube said.

Attended by more than 200 women leaders, entrepreneurs and decision-makers, the main point of the conference was the effect of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) and its impact in hampering impactful change in society.

The Premier highlighted a number of interventions that government has implemented to fight the scourge of GBV, these include, amongst others, the Light-Up Inanda Campaign where eThekwini Metro is working together with Mnambithi Group in Public-Private Partnership providing solar-powered streetlights in Inanda Township, which has been identified as the number one GBV spot in the country.

“The Office of the Premier recently secured funding from private sector partners to build the initial foundation of the GBVF App with a panic button. Making the system fully operational requires effective ward- based GBVF Rapid Response Teams integrated to War Rooms.

“The GBVF App will be linked to members of the Gender Based Violence and Femicide Rapid Response Teams which include war room, members of the Executive Committee (EXCO), traditional leadership, and SAPS,” the Premier highlighted.

The Premier also challenged women to be their own liberators and to understand that the change they want to see is not so that they can be like men, but to usher in a new world characterised by peace, equality, justice and prosperity.

She also urged women in leadership positions to lift more women so that the occupation of leadership positions should be seen less as an exception, but “more as a norm”.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Mr Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, says the FCT Administration has concluded plans to reintroduce monthly sanitation as part of strategies to keep the city clean.

Wike stated this in Abuja on Monday, after a closed-door meeting with contractors handling different projects in the FCT.

He said that he had already briefed President Bola Tinubu on the idea that at least two Saturdays in a month would be declared for sanitation from 7a.m. to 10 a.m.

He explained that the move would enable companies supporting the FCT with logistics to go to market, and other public places to evacuate refuse.

According to him, for Abuja to be clean, everybody has to cooperate.

“We must all make sacrifices. There is nothing like we are going to suffer. You also contribute to refuse.

“So, if you spare three hours on a Saturday at home, to clear the refuse and bring them out for us to evacuate and dispose, then that is the little way you can help.

“We are appealing to you (residents) to cooperate with us so we can achieve our goals.”

On streetlights, the minister said that there were some improvements: “We are not there yet, but I can assure you that everywhere in Abuja will be lit up.”

For those who have distorted the Abuja Master Plan, Wike said that the issue would soon be addressed.

He added that the Federal Capital Territory Administration was working out which areas the parks and the greens were supposed to be and those that were built on.

He also said that the government would look into those who refused to develop their plots for many years.

Wike said that the President Tinubu-led administration would not continue to allow undeveloped land across the city where criminals were taking refuge.

“How can you have empty land in the city and allow people to build shanties on them because you did not develop them.

“Some properties were built for 20 years but not completed. Go and see what is happening there, criminals have taken over the place and as a serious government, we will not allow that.

“We want to make Abuja a safe environment, but we can’t do it alone; we require the support of every stakeholder,” the minister said.

He also said that attention would be given to satellite towns beginning with a visit to the areas to determine the needs and decide on what can be done to improve their facilities and infrastructure.

He pointed out that there was no funding to intervene in all the satellite towns at the same time but one at a time subject to the availability of funds.

“It is unfortunate that contracts were awarded in virtually all the satellite towns but where is the funding? The finding is not there,” Wike said.

He said that what was approved for FCT in the 2022 national budget was N15 billion for “not less than a trillion naira worth of contracts”, stressing the need for the ministry to prioritise its spending.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCTA is considering transportation and food supplies support with the N5 billion palliative received from the Federal Government.

Wike stated this in Abuja on Monday after a closed-door meeting with contractors handling different projects in the FCT.

The Federal Government had on Aug. 17 announced a N5 billion palliative for each state of the federation, including the FCT, to cushion the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Some of the state governments have confirmed receiving N2 billion from the amount, while awaiting the N3 billion balance.

However, the minister said that the FCT was not included in the N5 billion palliative until he wrote a memo informing President Bola Tinubu of the development.

He added that Tinubu has approved the amount, adding that other states have received N2 billion already, expressing confidence that the FCT will equally receive soon.

“But we are yet to decide on what to do with the N2 billion palliative. We have not chosen any area yet.

“Are we going to concentrate on food, but we are thinking that the issue of transportation is very very important, particularly the urban mass transit.

“People would like to have easy transportation to go to where they want to go, and if you give them rice and they eat the rice today, what about transportation tomorrow?

“So, we have not come up with what actually we are going to use the money for, but I believe food support and transportation is very key,” he said.

The minister added that efforts were ongoing to bring back urban mass transportation to be able to reduce the suffering of the masses in terms of transportation.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike said on Monday, that the ministry will deliver the Millennium Tower project in the next two years.

Wike stated this in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with contractors handling different projects in the FCT.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Millennium Tower at Central Area, Abuja, is a multifunctional edifice with facilities for cultural exposition, tourism, socialisation, recreation, hospitality, and commercial activities.

The project is being handled by Salini Construction Nigeria Limited but was abandoned due to lack of funds.

He said that the tower was a very important project that would change the landscape of Abuja city.

“It is a very very ambitious project, but again if we are talking of Abuja being one of the best cities in the world, then we must have such a facility.

“I can tell you it is not easy to go into that project, but we have decided that whatever it takes, it is going to be one of the legacy projects for President Bola Tinubu.

“In fact, we are looking at the next two years, if the way we are going to structure our payment is agreeable with the contractor,” Wike said.

NAN reports that the project, conceived in 2005 had reached 40 per cent completion, and is expected to, upon completion, self-finance itself from revenues generated from all the commercial activities in the complex.

The scope of the project comprises a cultural centre with four museums, an expansive arcade consisting of 40,000m2 platform for hosting national and other events.

It also consists of a five-star hotel with 55 luxury rooms and nine suites for about 130 persons, offices, passive and active recreational facilities, 1200 capacity auditorium, conference rooms,

Others are exhibition halls, shops, a sport centre with an indoor pool, gyms, fitness, squash courts and a two-level 1,200 capacity basement car park.

The millennium tower itself is a 170-meter-tall structure accommodating a revolving panoramic restaurant for more than 130 diners.

The minister added that a careful analysis of all the awarded contracts with the contractors and his team have revealed that most of the projects were abandoned for lack of funds.

“The Minister of State, myself, the permanent secretary, and directors have concluded that it is not possible to carry on with the entire projects in the FCT.

“Therefore, we agreed to take them in order of priority. We have tried to work out most of the projects being handled by Julius Berger and agreed to see that these projects are fully completed,” he said.

Wike added that the Villa Roundabout being handled by China Geo-engineering Corporation (CGC) Nigeria Limited, would be completed in the next six to eight months.

He equally said that the ministry would ensure the completion of the projects being handled by Cetraco Nigeria Ltd, and also put a facelift on Garki, Wuse and part of Maitama in the next one week.

He said that the contractors would be mobilised immediately, adding that Asokoro would equally have a facelift in no distant time.

On the Abuja light rail rehabilitation project, the minister said that an agreement has been concluded with CCECC Nigeria Limited to give them their money in the next two days so they can go to work.

“We are also discussing with the company on the operation cost, because it will not be good to rehabilitate and then you cannot operate.

“We have told them that on Thursday, we are going to meet to talk about the operation cost,” he said.

Wike pointed out that part of the problems of the projects was because they were not being funded by the national budget.

He said that in view of the funding challenge, the ministry would pick some projects that could be completed within a specific period and then decide on what to do again in the following year. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria