By Deborah Akpede

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mirabel Centre, has urged the public not to blame victims of sexual abuse but the perpetrators.

The NGO made the appeal on Thursday on its official X handle @MirabelCenterNG monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

It stated that a child, who was sexually abused, should never be blamed nor the parent be blamed for any act of abuse suffered.

According to the centre, sexual abuse can occur irrespective of a child’s age, religion, culture or socio-economic level, saying there is no foolproof way to protect children from sexual abuse.

To reduce the risk and protect children from abuse, the NGO urged parents to be well informed about sexual abuse and build an open relationship with their children.

“Accurate information makes us stronger and equips us to build protective environments and respond better when children face problems.

“Speak to your children and listen to them too.

“Build an open relationship with your children. Let them know they can trust you and share any information with you.

“Show more interest in their day-to-day lives and give them a chance to raise topics to discuss,” it stated.

It also appealed to parents to pay attention to what is happening around them and observe their children’s behaviour.

“Be aware of what is happening around you, your community and pay attention to your children’s behaviour and take note of changes.

‘Also, observe the behaviour of adults, who spend time with your children,’’ the organisation stated.

Mirabel Centre, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), provides free support services for survivors of sexual assault, appealed to the public to seek help when abused.

“Seek help immediately from Mirabel Centre if you suspect that a child is at risk or may have suffered abuse.

“Our helplines are 08187243468, 0815 5770000,’’ it stated. (NAN)

Edited by Ifeyinwa Omowole 

By Tosin Kolade

The Federal Government on Thursday commended the efforts of Guinness Nigeria in promoting responsible drinking, environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility for the citizens.

The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako, gave the commendation while hosting a team from Guinness Nigeria, led by Mr John Musunga, its Managing Director in Abuja.

The minister said Nigeria was appreciative of the organisation’s impact in many ways and also in contributing to national growth and development.

“I must commend you for your very high sense of corporate social responsibility.

“Some of the things you are doing are in the conviction that you cannot be an island, you must relate with the environment, community where you do business.

“So, thank you for believing in Nigeria and your persistence to ensure that you continue as a contributor to the economic growth of Nigeria.’’

He said although Nigeria was faced with a lot of economic challenges due to poor decisions, the courage of the present administration would take the country to a path of recovery.

Salako  called on the private sector to assist the government in driving the economy.

While commending the interventions of Guinness in many areas, the minister said the deliberate decision to reduce carbon footprints was laudable as Nigeria was working towards following suit.

He said Guinness Nigeria’s decision to halt the production and sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets was impressive as it would help to reduce underage drinking and environmental pollution.

“One of the things that I advocated when we were doing the review of the public health law in Ogun is for the state to ban the circulation of alcohol in sachets because it makes it easier for people to access the underage and everyone else.

“Some other people with health conditions who should not be doing alcohol, but because it is so easy for them, they can put in the pocket, sell in the garages and all that;  so it’s definitely something that must stop,’’ he said.

The minister however said he would be at the forefront of stopping the production and sale of sachet alcohol products, adding that it would be legislated upon.

In his remarks, Musunga said the visit was to strengthen relationships with its government partners and to further update the minister of the organisation’s interventions in the country.

According to him, Guinness Nigeria has impacted no fewer than 180,000 persons in its employee value chain with an annual tax payment of N14 billion.

Musunga said the organisation was working to reduce importation of goods for its products and relying on local companies to promote backward integration, economic development and livelihood for local businesses.

 While citing the challenges of access to foreign exchange, Musunga said the organisation was supporting local farmers in raw material production for ethanol, saying 80 per cent of products were sourced locally.

“It is cheaper to import; but you look at the economic benefits of sourcing locally and it makes more sense for us to support the communities around us by sourcing locally.

“ So, for example ethanol, we now produce 100 per cent of ethanol from Nigeria.

“The quality specification was not optimal; so, we spent a lot of investment to help the local suppliers upgrade the quality of ethanol from the facilities, albeit more expensive, but for the benefit of the sugar farmers,’’ he said.

On his part, Mr Rotimi Odusola, Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria, said the organisation was working to promote positive drinking, champion inclusion and diversity, for greater impact and sustainability.

According to him, this includes the `Wrong Side of the Road’ project to curtail alcohol abuse, the `Smashed Project’ for alcohol education for young people, `Water of Life Project’, `Recycling Alliance’ among others.

Odusola said the Water of Life Project targeted the provision of solar-powered water facilities for water-stressed communities.

He said that many states had benefited with women taking ownership of operation and maintenance for sustainability.

Odusola said plans were underway to commission a 50,000 metric cube water facility in Lanlate community in Oyo to provide potable water for 11,000 people, adding that such projects had been going on in many cities for 30 years.

The corporate relations director highlighted efforts to reduce carbon footprints to include the Water Recovery plants which took water from its factories, process them and use for cleaning purposes.

“The water recovery plant is a system which takes treated water from our current effluent treatment plant and further purifies it using state of the art technology to the point where it becomes safe for human consumption.

“The recovered water is then re- introduced into our breweries for pasteurisers, hydrants, this process results in the reduction of water taken from the environment,’’ he said.

He added that the organisation partnered with the Food Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) to develop the recycling industry and innovate into more sustainable formats for food and beverage manufacturing firms.

Odusola said partnership with waste management organisations like WeCyclers and Sustyvibes had addressed Post-Consumer Waste by collecting cans and pet bottles in different parts of the country. (NAN)

Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

By Aderogba George

A pressure group under the auspices of “One Nigeria Forum” has advocated balance, equity and true democracy in Nigeria’s governing system to build a greater country.

The group made the call in Abuja at the official unveiling of “One Nigeria Forum” and the first National Abuja 2023 delegates conference.

Addressing the delegates, the Chairman of the group, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, stated that the country had suffered many challenges as deliberate attempt by those who were against its unity.

He said that the country had suffered delibrate consequences of policy summersault, leading to what the legendary Bob Marley in his song described as “One step forward, nine steps backward”.

According to him, no nation has advanced with poor governance and leadership attitude.

“Nigeria today is so terribly divided. This division among tribal, ethnic and religious lines cannot help our transmutation into a nation. This is the kind of country inherited by President Bola Tinubu.

“We anticipated that the president should do all those things he stood for and agitated for long before assuming the saddle of presidential leadership in Nigeria.

” These are in areas such as true federalism, devolution of power, judicial autonomy, local government autonomy, abrogation of state electoral commissions, finding a constitutional role for traditional rulers.

”Going forward, we want to see and be in a country of the State Electoral Commission, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducting every election into political offices in Nigeria,” he said.

Chukumele disclosed that ” One Nigeria Forum” was a group of compatriots and comrades who came across each other on the political turf during the build-up to the last presidential race.

He said that the individuals who constituted the group, had risen from diverse  backgrounds, having built a bond and faith in the future of the country, based on their individual collective convictions for a better Nigeria.

The chairman said that the like minds, having considered some interesting and positive variables, agreed to foster and bolster their belief in the country and its future.

He said that upon this belief, they agreed among themselves to form the socio political forum/association and pressure group to contribute their quota to the advancement and deepening of the ideals of good governance.

Chairman of the event, Alhaji Majeed Dahiru, noted that Nigeria had not attained the purpose of its vision due to lack of unity among the different tribes in the country.

According to Dahiru, there is no country in the world that has attained capital development without national unity of the people therein.

He said that the ultimate task ahead of those in power should revolve on how to build the country.

Dahiru called for consensus of Nigerians to change the elite conspiracy, stressing that there was need to build a united Nigeria from bottom to the top.

Dr Austine Maho, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Daybreak Nigeria, stated that Nigeria democracy was in recession, and that there was need to change the narrative.

Maho, who is also a Public Affairs Analyst, said Nigeria needed true democracy, adding that as at now, Nigerians were not enjoying the kind of democracy they bidded and campaigned for.

He said that what the country was practising at the moment was not a true democracy, but a government for the few elites.

“What we see in the last few years is government of the elite, for the elite and by the elite; we are having a situation whereby you find out that we are now having a generational transfer of power.

“This is not the democracy we bid for, we campaign for, democracy should be people centred  and that is why it is defined as government of the people, for the people and by the people.

“When democracy is no longer people- centred, then the essence is lost, and I think that a group like this, One Nigeria Forum, should push for the true democracy.” (NAN)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

By Sarafina Christopher

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Office said on Thursday that it had inaugurated a new KOICA Alumni Association in Liberia (KAAL) aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and cultural exchange between the two countries.

A statement signed by David Nkwa , IT Specialist at KOICA, indicated that the Alumni included nine participants, who recently returned from a KOICA-sponsored training programme which was held in Seoul.

According to the statement, the training provided for the Liberians is part of Korea’s Official Development Assistance to the Country in Human Capital Development.

Mr Son Sungil, the Country Director of KOICA, Nigeria Office who also doubles as the Regional Director for Liberia and Sierra Leone, in another statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) stated that the relations between Korea and Liberia relations have spanned six decades, “and Korea regards Liberia as a valuable partner.”

The Republic of Korea through KOICA has supported various health security initiatives and livelihood enhancement in Liberia.

The country director who inaugurated the new Alumni, stated that KAAL is expected to help strengthen the economic cooperation, bilateral and cultural exchange between Korea and Liberia.

The participants in the training ww ew re trained on Capacity Building for Survey·Analysis·Utilisation of Educational Statistics.

Others are Convergence Technology Training in Smart Farming and Agricultural Machinery; Digital Capacity Building for Capital Market Development; Economic Growth in the Post-COVID-19 Era; and Capacity Building for Diplomats. (NAN)

(Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

By Sylvester Thompson

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji, has assured that drought resistant, pests resilient and innovative chemicals of TELA maize have immense economic benefits.

The minister gave this assurance during a working visit to the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), where he toured the facilities  on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that TELA maize is the brand name for genetically modified (GM) maize hybrids developed by the TELA maize project.

The hybrids have Bt genes that provides protection against stem borer and helps the maize plant tolerate drought.

“TELA maize is drought tolerant and insect resistant; it provides protection against drought; protection against stem borers, and significant protection against Fall Army Worms (FAW).

“This innovation will counteract the annual Fall Army Worm induced losses exceeding 268 million dollars; it will also save Nigeria a significant foreign exchange in importation of maize of over 4000,000 metric tons annually.’’

Nnaji said that due to advanced genetic technology adoption by NABDA, Nigeria became the first country in the world to release Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea and the second in Africa to deregulate TELA maize for commercial release.

He said achievement in TELA maize, Bt Cotton and Cowpea were more than scientific milestones that echoed Nigeria’s determination and progressive spirit.

The minister pledged to work with the agency and other relevant agriculture and food security stakeholders to ensure that most Nigerian grain farmers had low-cost access to the innovated and profitable maize variety.

Nnaji also hinted that the ministry would ensure that the NABDA  targeted insemination of three to five thousand cattle to elevate local breeds and set the stage for increased milk production.

He said the move would decrease Nigeria’s reliance on imports, noting that in 2022, NABDA in collaboration with international partners, inseminated over 200 cattle with a higher yielding breed from Brazil.

According to the minister, the breed yields 10 to 15 litres of milk per cow daily, up from less than one litre per day.

He acknowledged the agency’s giant strides in cutting edge biotechnology as a vibrant tool of the 21st century.

The minister said NABDA’s pioneering work in bio-energy which introduced unique equipment to assess bio-methane potentials of biomass was groundbreaking.

“This venture moves us closer to our five per cent biomass energy target and promises employment for thousands of our country’s youth and women, especially in rural areas,’’ he said.

Nnaji said further that the strides made in Bt cotton commercialisation and adopting Mahyco Bollgard II Hybrid seed would reshape the cotton industry, ensuring higher yields, enhanced quality and cost-effective management.

On his part, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, Director-General of the NABDA, said it was in April 2022 that former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill establishing the agency into law which was passed by the National Assembly.

He said the act expanded NABDA’s scope of activities, making the agency fully recognised as a research institute.

“As a result of this, the agency can create job awareness, coordinate, facilitate, deploy, domesticate and carry out research in all areas of biotechnology for the development of Nigeria,’’ he said.

The director-general said that Nigerian scientists in the field of biosciences were delighted that Nigeria was among the comity of nations on course in the appreciation and application of modern biotechnology research.

He said the immense benefits drivable from this technology were globally acknowledged, and were as varied as the vast scope of the technology itself.

Mustapha enumerated the 37 Bioresources Centres, the six Centres of Excellence located at the premier Universities and a specialised Centre of Excellence as well as other technical departments.

“NABDA has been able to create awareness among the political class, farmers, and the public on the importance of biotechnology to our national development.

“More biotech crops are on the way and NABDA is working hand in hand with other partnering institutions to fast track the president’s Food Security Agenda,’’ Mustapha said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Kabir Muhammad and Chijioke Okoronkwo