NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Foreign

More Nigerians in South Africa express outrage over invasion of embassy

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President Muhammadu Buhari and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa

 

 

More Nigerians in South Africa on Tuesday continued to express outrage over the reported invasion of the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg and the disconnection of electricity supply to the premises.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Johannesburg City Power officials in company with personnel of the Metro Police Department had stormed the consulate to effect the disconnection of power supply over alleged unpaid bills.

 

But the Nigerian Citizen Association South Africa (NICASA) condemned the action of the South African officials, describing it as ” very retrogressive, xenophobic and avoidable. ”

 

The association said this in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Kazeem Tunde, and made available to NAN in Abuja on Tuesday.

 

” We condemn the unwarranted action by City Power and their police cohort on the property of the consulate of Nigeria.

 

” It is clear that City Power was out to embarass and humiliate Nigeria and Nigerian citizens in the republic.

 

” There cannot be any plausible excuse to warrant the invasion of the Nigerian Consulate.

 

” The action is very retrogressive, xenophobic and avoidable.

 

” If City Power can invade the consulate of any country without consequence, then the police can as well go into any consulate to make an arrest without respecting the Vienna Convention on consular relations,” the statement said in part.

 

It expressed the hope that both countries will take a strong action against those responsible for the ” reprehensible action ” to prevent recurrence.

 

The statement urged Nigerians in that country to remain calm, saying the matter was being handled by the Consul General through diplomatic channels and would be resolved satisfactorily.

 

Similarly, the National Association of Nigerian Students South Africa has expressed displeasure over the incident.

 

The students’ body made its position known in a statement made available to NAN.

 

The statement was signed by Abdulrazak Abubakar and Olusegun Ajayi, President and Secretary General respectively.

 

The group said it was unhappy with what it called the embarrassing treatment of the Nigerian Consulate.

 

” For the record, the new Consul General, who got into the office in August 2022, has been doing his best to clear the said outstanding electricity bill in a mutual agreement process with City Power and he has never failed in honouring that agreement.

 

” It became very baffling how the payment agreement process was thrown to the winds and the men of City Power would have to go and invade the Nigerian Consulate without appropriate notice.

 

” This is a clear deviation from the diplomatic respect that is due the Nigerian Consulate and absolute attempt to humiliate the consulate.

 

” Note that the Nigerian Consulate has among many other things doubled its efforts to make sure that Nigerians in South Africa are promoting peace, legality and productivity and the City Power should not be a distraction at this critical time,” it said.

 

According to the body, the consulate is committed to quality representation of Nigeria in South Africa and would not do anything to jeopardise any indigenous or foreign organisation and business in South Africa and will so request that in return.

 

It urged the South African authorities to respect the Nigerian Consulate and notify it on matters the public, organisations and individuals would want the Nigerian Consulate to act upon.(NAN)

 

Edited by Ismail AbdulAziz

 

 

Business

Alagbon, others take delivery of power transformers, accessories – TC

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By Constance Athekame

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), says its Alagbon 330/132/33kV Transmission Substation in Lagos recently received truckloads of 2 x 100/125 Mega Volt Ampree (MVA) power transformers and accessories.

Mrs Ndidi Mbah, General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said that the transformers, on installation, would increase the capacity of Alagbon Substation to 480 Mega Watts (MW).

According to her, TCN’s Ijora 132/33kV Transmission Substation, Lagos, also took delivery of trucks containing one number 100MVA transformer and accessories at its 132/33kV.

She said that the transformer and accessories delivered at Ijora substation would add 80MW to the capacity of the substation.

”TCN’s Ota 132/33kV Substation in Ogun received truckloads of transformer accessories only.

”The 1X100/125 MVA, 132/33kV transformer will, however, be delivered to Ota Transmission Substation by next week.

”On the other hand, TCN’s Egbin in Ikorodu, Lagos 330/132kV Transmission Substation took delivery of 330kV and 132kV switch gears and accessories.

”These equipment are for the replacement of all obsolete 330kV and 132kV switchgears for efficient operation of the grid.

Mbah said that all these projects were part of TCN’s ongoing World Bank funded projects and in line with TCN’s policy on the efficient execution of its grid expansion plan.

She said that the projects were being vigorously pursued to ensure their timely execution and completion. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

 

Edited by Chidinma Agu/Vincent Obi

Education

869 bag Ph.D, 273 First Class as ABU holds 42nd Convocation

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By Mustapha Yauri

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria will present a total of 35,758 graduands for the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 sessions for conferment of first degrees, postgraduate diplomas and higher degrees at its Diamond Jubilee Convocation.

 

A statement issued on Friday in Zaria by Auwalu Umar, Director, Public Affairs of the University, said the 42nd and Diamond Jubilee Convocation was billed to hold on Jan. 28.

 

Umar said of the 35,758 graduands, 8,842 bagged higher degrees, with 869 Ph.D; 60 M.Phil; 6,179 Masters; and 1,734 Postgraduate Diplomas.

 

He added that 26,916 would receive Bachelors Degrees out of which 273 have First Class, 5,647 Second Class Upper Division; 17,567 Second Class Lower Division, 2,899 Third Class Honours, 45 Pass degrees, and 485 unclassified degrees.

 

He said four outstanding personalities would be conferred with the institution’s honorary doctorate degrees for their immeasurable contributions to humanity.

 

“The honorary degree awardees include former military governor of old Kano State, Col. Sani Bello (Rtd) and Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms Amina Mohammed.

 

“Others are former Bursar of Ahmadu Bello University, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa-Jibo and Katsina-based philanthropist, Hajiya Fatima Kurfi,’’ he said.

 

According to Umar, the pre-convocation lecture scheduled to hold on Jan. 27 would be delivered by Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

 

Umar added that the lecture was entitled: “The Impact of Man-Made and Natural Disasters on Food Security and Agricultural Development in Nigeria.”

 

Similarly, a lecture entitled: “Nigeria: Character Builds a Nation, Dignity Transforms It” would be delivered by an alumnus of the University, Prof. Adebayo Olukoshi, on Jan. 24. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chidinma Agu/Maharazu Ahmed

 

 

Defence/Security

AIG urges Abia Govt to provide jobs to curb cultism, other vices

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By Leonard Okachie

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police,(AIG) Zone 9, Umuahia, Isaac Akinmoyede, has called on government to generate employment for youths and provide an atmosphere conducive for investments, to curb cultism and other vices.

He made the call when the Abia chapter of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) paid a courtesy and advocacy visit to him in his office on Friday.

Zone 9 comprises Abia, Imo and Ebonyi commands.

According to Akinmoyede, one of those conducive atmospheres is security.

He said that Police were trying all within their means to ensure the society became secured.

The police boss, who decried the rising cultism, said it had gone beyond the higher institutions and came down to secondary schools.

 

AIG Zone 9, Isaac Akinmoyede flanked by Abia Chairman of POCACOV, Mrs Adanma Odefa-Wachuku and her counterpart in Imo, Mr Kennedy Onwunali, during the visit.

 

The former Commissioner of Police in Plateau and Imo, expressed regrets that even artisans were now involved in cultism, saying “it is really a big headache”.

Akinmoyede said that incessant strikes and other circumstances that kept students away from school, had always led to the rise in street cultism.

He said: “But thank God the schools are up and doing again, and it is believed that when schools are kept busy, there will be reduction in vices in the society.

“Policing is not an easy task, all what is required is continued support from members of the public and POCACOV, to ensure that we are able to do our job in the best possible way.”

The AIG who commended the group for doing a lot for the police and the society, pledged his support “and in any way I know I can contribute towards the growth of POCACOV I will do so.”

Earlier, the Abia Chairman of POCACOV, Mrs Adanma Odefa-Wachuku, who led the delegation, lauded the Inspector-General of Police for setting up POCACOV.

Odefa-Wachuku described community policing as the present and future of policing “because all the criminals, cultists and others who engage in other vices are from families and communities”.

According to her, POCACOV has the same objective with the police, which is to curb cultism that is worsening on the streets.

The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that POCACOV is a community-driven initiative of the Nigeria Police to sensitise different stakeholders to the dangers of cultism and other vices. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chidinma Agu/Idris Abdulrahman

 

Agriculture

Abia LIFE-ND trains farmers on keeping basic accounting records

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Mr Daniel Alozie, LIFE-ND State Project Accountant, addressing participants at the event in Umuahia on Friday

 

 

By Leonard Okachie

The Abia State Project Coordinating Office of the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises for Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) has trained some farmers on keeping basic accounting records.

 

Participants in the one-day training at the project’s headquarters in Umuahia on Friday were farmers who engage in the production, processing and marketing of the selected commodities in their communities.

 

The beneficiaries consisted of the project’s trainers, otherwise known as incubators, and the executives of the Commodity Apex Development Association (CADA) across the communities of the project’s implementation.

 

The State Project Accountant, Mr Daniel Alozie, said that it is important to train the new incubators (trainers) who were engaged last year to take care of the project’s 900 beneficiaries.

 

 

A cross section of participants at the event 

 

According to him, the primary purpose is because “we discovered over time that most incubation centres did not have records to buttress their expenditures.

 

He explained that the incubators are people that train the project’s beneficiaries in different agricultural commodities and management.

 

Alozie said that they made sure that the resource persons could bring down the teaching to the level of somebody who did not pass through the four walls of higher institutions.

 

“At this point of our project implementation, it is necessary that we keep them abreast of what is happening with respect to the basic accounting records.

 

“A lot of funds have been sent to the incubators'(trainers) accounts and we keep on funding them as the project implementation progresses,” he said.

 

A resource person, Mr Philip Obinna, who taught them the importance of book keeping, described book keeping as the life wire of a business.

 

According to him, proper book keeping will help the farmer to know the financial statement, whether he or she is doing well or not.

 

Another resource person, Mr Lawrence Ubani, taught them “How to prepare simple cash book and bank reconciliation.”

 

He explained that such an important exercise would make them to keep the record of all their entries after which they reconcile it with their bank statements later.

 

A participant, Mrs Elizabeth Deliverer, who is the Managing Director of Delver Farms in Osisioma Local Government Area, said she benefitted a lot from the training.

 

“Most of us do not keep records but now I have learnt how to keep my cash, sales and purchases to move forward,” Deliverer said.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that LIFE-ND is being funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Federal Government and Niger Delta Development Commission as well as the Abia state government.

 

The project, which is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision for national food security, is being implemented in the nine Niger Delta states. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

 

Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Vincent Obi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health

Sultan reassures support for USAID breakthrough Action Nigeria Project

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By Habibu Harisu

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has reassured maximum support to USAID Breakthrough Action Nigeria and other donor agencies implementing different programmes in Sokoto State.

He gave the assurance in Sokoto on Friday when a delegation from USAID Partners Forum led by Breakthrough Action paid him a homage in his palace.

He said he was very much aware of USAID’s humanitarian support in various sectors that comprised education, health,environment, agriculture, business empowerments and others in Sokoto and beyond.

The sultan said the support enhanced the livelihoods of citizens and refocused government policies towards uptimum Utilisation and prudent management of resorces in the society.

He assured that the Sultanate Council would continue to partner agencies so as to reap the benefits of the programmes and services.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Dr Abdulrahman Ibrahim, also the State Co-ordinator, Breakthrough Action Nigeria, said the

team was at the Sultan’s palace to solicit for blessings and inform him about the various USAID-funded programmes being implemented in Sokoto State.

Ibrahim said the visit was to advocate for the Sultan’s continued support to USAID-funded programmes.

He explained that it was also to extend the greetings and apologies of the USAID mission to the Sultanate Council.

According to him, the mission is planning a nutrition-focused assessment aimed at enhancing the plans for implementation of additional funding for nutrition to achieve better food security.

Ibrahim appealed for more private sector participation in the ongoing enrollment of Health Insurance Scheme being implemented by the Sokoto State Government in view of its importance toward achieving health coverage.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that partners in attendance included Integrated Health Project (IHP), GHSC-PSM, Health Workforce, KP Care 2 Project, MCGL, State2State and USAID Advancing Nutrition. (NAN)

 

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

 

Foreign

TEXEM UK avails Nigerians, global leaders of survival tactics

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By Razak Owolabi

British firm, TEXEM UK is availing leaders from Nigeria and other parts of the world organisational survival tactics in the present volatile global economy during its executive leadership programmes in 2023.

 

According to a press statement on TEXEM’s website, the virtual programmes are titled, Self-awareness for better management of change in uncertain times; and Strategic leadership for enduring impact during volatile periods.

 

The statement signed by TEXEM’s Director of Special Projects, Caroline Lucas announced that while the first programme is from Feb. 8 to March 4, the second one is from April 15 to May 6.

 

It says optimising self-awareness and impact, managing office politics for success, communicating effectively and managing difficult conversations, are tools business leaders need during uncertain times.

 

The statement highlighted that, getting the best out of the team, coaching for success, introduction to strategies, implementing and translating strategies, and developing an innovative culture in a team are also important topics to be discussed.

 

“More than ever, deliberate efforts to be better aware of the latest trends to ensure successful business management is now vital for all organisations.

 

“Contrary to the popular opinion that innovation is only essential for growth, it is also a vaccine against losses that come with pandemics.

 

“At this time and even beyond, retooling your business to sail through the turbulent times through creative ideas could be a defining approach to outperforming your rivals, achieving profitable growth and succeeding,” it asserted.

 

The statement disclosed that the programme “Self – awareness for better management of change in uncertain times” is an interactive learning experience that is tailored for mid-career managers.

 

“Leveraging TEXEM’s tested and proven methodology, participants will learn practical skills and actionable insights from the faculties and gain valuable insights from their professional exchange with critical partners and colleagues.

 

“This programme aims to help develop leadership agility for innovation and sustainable success.

 

“Its focus is to help the participants develop a clearer understanding of how to successfully drive innovation for sustainable success,” it explained.

 

Renowned TEXEM faculties expected to deliver the programmes include; Prof. Paul Griffith, John Peters, Ambassador Charles Crawford, and Ambassador Rachel Aron.

 

On the Strategic Leadership for Enduring Impact During Volatile Periods programme, faculties to deliver are Prof. Roger Delves, Prof. Paul Griffith, Prof. Randall Peterson and Ambassador Charles Crawford.

 

The topics to be discussed include, Strategic Leadership: Overcoming Hurdles, Managing Politics, Engaging and Inspiring Change among individuals, teams, and organisations in times of very scarce resources.

 

Others are, Leading during high-stakes strategic change, Change and decision-making for strategic outcomes, Leading the politics of change: engaging internal and external stakeholders; and Understanding and harnessing the levers and inhibitors of growth for value creation.

 

“As a leader, attending this programme will make you versatile and strong in volatile periods so that taking the best decisions for your team and organisational survival will come easy for you.

 

“Among the benefits derivable are, ability to take tough decisions in tough times, increasing your ability and that of your organisation to survive against all odds, and ability to become a dependable risk taker when others are baulking during emergency periods.

 

“It will empower you to become a better manager during difficult situations, enable you to carry along employees easily due to their confidence in your decisions, and arm you with the qualities of an all-round leader,” the statement affirmed. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

 

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

 

 

Education

Bingham varsity matriculates 2,318, set for self-reliance

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By Funmilayo Adeyemi

 Bingham University has matriculated 2,318 students for the 2022/23 academic session in various courses, comprising 1,838 undergraduates and 480 postgraduate students.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Williams Qurix, announced this at the 18th Matriculation Ceremony of the school in Karu on Thursday.

Qurix explained that the school had focused on the 30 per cent content-based curriculum with focus on self-reliance skills.

According to him, the National Universities Commission (NUC) unveiled the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS), which provides 70 per cent content of curriculum while institutions will provide 30 per cent content of the curriculum.

“Each discipline has a number of programmes and each programme has 70 per cent of its curriculum already designed by NUC, which is called the Core Curriculum for Minimum Academic Standard.

“The focus is on new knowledge on entrepreneurship; the focus is doing away with things we have reconjugated years after years so we have removed them, now the 30 per cent gives you a chance.

“For us in Bingham University, we have a chance to design programmes and courses that will focus on centralised skills, for example we are doing something on Discipline Specific Entrepreneurship which means each discipline will have an entrepreneurship programme tailored made to its own area.

“Students in English Department will have English Entrepreneurship Studies, so gone are those days that there are no skill to some courses people are reading, it is no longer that way .

“So, we have to design to suite our own purpose so anybody graduating from the university knows where to major in terms of skills,” he said.

Students at the matriculation ceremony on Thursday.

 

Qurix added that this would also help to provide a sound entrepreneurial education for innovation and creativity to all students of the institution.

He charged the students to abide by the laws guiding operations of the school as the school had zero tolerance for any form of social vices such as cultism, drug abuse, bullying and others.

He said that over 5,000 candidates applied for the university out of which 2,318 were granted admission to study various courses in the 2022/23 academic year, which he said outweighed admission of 1,976 students in the 2021/22 academic session.

Meanwhile, the Guest Lecturer, Dr Marvelous Aigbedion, Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership Studies of the school, tasked institutions on the need for entrepreneurial education in universities.

Aigbedion, who was speaking on the topic titled: “Entrepreneurship, Social Mobility and the Christian View” charged the country to focus more on technical knowhow of the students in various higher institution.

“There is much unhealthy competition among the human race. Every student wants to be best in his or her own field but there is a place for everyone in their chosen careers. For you to fly, you must have a place.

“The major challenge facing us as a country is the technical knowhow on how to harness the best brains for the benefit of our country. We must learn to look at the process of how to fly.

“We must begin to concentrate in this direction by providing entrepreneurial education in our universities that would help students in their career path,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that of the 2,318 admissions, Science and Technology Department got 328 students, Social Sciences 286, Clinical Sciences 265, Health Sciences 424 and Pharmaceutical Sciences 61.

Others are: Basic and Medical Sciences 117, Arts 37, Law 75, Education 15, Environmental Science 89, Administration 141 and Postgraduate School 480. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Politics

386,000 PVCs awaiting collection in Ondo – INEC

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By Muftau Ogunyemi

More than 386,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are awaiting collection in Ondo State, INEC declared in Akure on Thursday.

 

Mrs Olufunmike Segun-Osifeso, head of INEC’s Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Civil Society Organisations in the state made the declaration when she spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

 

“As at the last count on Friday, 1,686,082 PVCs out of the 2,072,092 PVCs received from Abuja have been collected leaving 386,010 cards yet to be collected.

 

“A lot of youths and women have been collecting their cards since the collection moved to the ward level more than two weeks ago.’’ She said.

 

She attributed the faster rate of collection to INEC’s sensitisation programme which involved youths and women.

 

She said INEC had also created an Inclusivity Department to make for easier collection of the cards by the physically challenged.

 

“Large numbers of people with disability are now involved in the electoral process, the result of efforts by INEC for inclusivity,’’ she added.

 

Segun-Osifeso urged potential voters yet to collect their PVCs to expedite action and collect the cards.

 

She noted that those who engaged in double registration might not have any card to collect.

 

“ Segun-Osifeso appealed to those yet to collect their PVCs to hurry and do so, now that the cards were being distributed at the ward level.

 

She stressed that after Sunday, the cards would be taken to INEC offices at local government secretariats for onward distribution. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Alli Hakem

 

 

Economy/Business

TCN receives 8 transformers at Lagos Port – Official

49 total views today

 

 

By Constance Athekame

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says it has  received eight new power transformers under its Project Management Unit at the Apapa Port, Lagos.

 

Mrs Ndidi Mbah, General Manager Public Affairs stated this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

 

Mbah stated that the transformers were six 150/187.5 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA),  330/132/33 Kilo Volt (kV) power transformers and two  100/125MVA, 132/33kV power transformers

 

She stated that the transformers were still at the port, adding that arrangement was being concluded to move them out.

 

Mbah listed the proposed locations for the transformers to include Bauchi- 2×150/187.5MVA, 330/132/33kV.

 

“1×150/187.5MVA, 330/132/33kV – Mayo Belwa, 1×150/187.5MVA, 330/132kV – Yola and 1×150/187.5MVA, 330/132/33kV —Maiduguri.

 

“1×150/187.5MVA, 330/132/33kV – Damaturu, 2×100/125MVA, 132/33kV – Yola, ” she said.

 

According to her, TCN through the contractor, MBH will move all the transformers to TCN Substations mentioned above.

 

She added that the project was among the World Bank-funded projects under Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project  (NETAP).

 

“The transformers are part of the ongoing grid expansion projects under TCN’s Project Management Unit. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

 

Edited by Gregg Mmaduakolam/Julius Toba-Jegede

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