Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote Storm Aso Rock

January 20, 2016

The acclaimed richest man in the world, Bill Gates and the richest man on the African continent, Alhaji Aliko Dangoted were in the Aso Presidential Villa today to witness the signing of the re-commitment by the Nigerian government for the eradication of polio.

Also at the Villa for the same purpose were seven governors from seven states in Nigeria.

Bill Gates reminded the Nigerian government that it had no excuse not to succeed in attaining the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard on the eradication of polio so as to make Nigeria truly free of the disease in 2017.

“We cannot afford to lose focus. I look forward to come back here and celebrate with Nigeria in tow year’s time as polio free nation.

This was even as Dangote warned that Nigeria cannot afford to backslide now in its quest to make the country polio free in 2017.

After signing the ‘Abuja Commitment ‘with the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’Forum cum Zamfara state governor, Alhaji Abdulazeez, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed satisfaction with what has so far been achieved.

“The issue of polio eradication in Nigeria has been a matter I, and my predecessors, have given the highest priority. It is this continuous prioritization that has gotten us, as a nation, to where we are today.

“The successful de-listing of Nigeria as a polio endemic country is an enormous achievement for our country that should not be understated. It clearly shows that through sheer commitment, hard work and having the right partnerships, we can succeed.

The President expressed appreciation to Mr. Gates for his continued commitment and support to various health care causes in Nigeria, especially through maternal and child healthcare programs. Buhari assured Bill Gates of his Government’s support as the country continued to work together for the betterment of all Nigerians in particular, the vulnerable ones.

“I am very encouraged by the progress we are making on the immunization front. This gives me comfort that we are on the right track to ensure our children and grand children will never know of polio and its adverse impacts on lives and livelihood. Here, I will commend and thank all our partners, including both Mr. Gates and Alhaji Dangote for their personal commitments to this worthy cause.

“Of course, I also recognize the heroics of our polio eradication team under the National Primary Health Care Development Agency of the Federal Ministry of Health as well as the WHO, UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CDC, USAID, Rotary, Faith based organizations, Traditional Rulers, vaccinators and caregivers.

“I would like to assure you that the Federal government will continue to provide strong oversight and funding for polio program. To this effect, we will reconstitute an expanded Presidential Taskforce on Polio which will include the 36 states’ Governors to sustain the successes of our current polio eradication activities such as surveillance and routine immunization programs.

“I am pleased to inform you that the 6 states mostly impacted by polio have signed an MoU on routine immunization. This MOU is a commitment by the State Governments, namely Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Sokoto and Yobe, to strengthen Primary Health care system through community sensitization and support programs.

“Based on this, I will take this opportunity to call on all state governors, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Federal Ministry of Health to sustain this momentum to ensure we maintain the zero polio case status.”

President Buhari called on all the friends of the country, and partners, locally and abroad, to continue to supporting his government on this very worthy task even as he insisted that Nigeria would succeed.

“On the matter of preventable diseases, failure is not an option.” [myad]

FCT Minister Promises To Develop Satellite Towns To Decongest City

Greenbarge Reporters

January 20, 2016

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has promised to give attention to the development of the six Area Councils and the Satellite Towns so as to decongest the capital city.

The minister, who gave this assurance when he received briefing from the FCT Area Council Services Secretariat at the Banquet Hall, Minister’s Official residence, Gwarinpa I District, (Life-Camp), Abuja, charged the professional departments in the Secretariat to work in harmonious relationship to actualize this lofty vision.

Mohammad Bello noted that if the satellite towns are given the required attention by providing the necessary infrastructure, most residents would not be struggling to remain in the city centre.

According to him, the Area Council Services Secretariat has the onerous task of providing quality policy framework to make these areas more conducive which will in turn reduce the pressure in the city centre.

While receiving briefs from the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), the Minister directed the company to revisit the concept of the Farmers’ Market by building more at other locations in Abuja.

He however insisted that the Farmers’ Markets must be Farmers Market in real sense but not just by name; stressing that the premier Farmers’ Market in Maitama District at inception depicts the freshness of fresh farm produce but now the concept seems to be abused.

The Minister tasked the Abuja Markets Management Limited to ensure that environmental cleanliness remains their watchword in all the FCT Markets and that leakages must be blocked to improve the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Meanwhile, as the management of the Abuja Broadcasting Corporation also briefed the Minister, he assured that money would be made available to the contractor handling the studio facilities of the Aso Television to jump-start the operation of the station. he called on the management team to find alternative ways of funding by looking inwards.

Meanwhile, the minister has charged the medical and health workers under the services of the FCT Administration to remain on red alert over the rampaging Lassa fever.

The minister said that the only case reported in the Territory was that of a man on transit and that the FCT Administration would not leave anything to chance on the lives and well being of all the residents and visitors. [myad]

Rep Decries Dangerous State Of Jebba-Mokwa Road, Says It’s a National Disaster

Greenbarge Reporters

January 20, 2016

The Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Army, Hon. Funke Adedoyin, has described the Jebba-Mokwa Road as a national disaster. Adedoyin said that the road needs urgent reconstruction.

Adedoyin said this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital today when she led a delegation of the Committee on the Army on a courtesy visit to the Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, at the Government House.

The federal lawmaker said that the deplorable state of the road had caused loss of lives and properties as it is a major link road between the Northern and Southern parts of the country.

Adedoyin promised to liaise with the House of Representatives Committee on Works on how to ensure that the road receives urgent Federal Government attention to halt carnage on it.

The House Committee Deputy Chair commended the state government for what she called the excellent relationship between it and the Army and other security forces.

She said that the 22 Armoured Brigade Cantonment at Sobi in Ilorin occupies a strategic position in its operations, which covers Kwara State and parts of the neighbouring state of Niger.

Responding, Ahmed said he had made several presentations at the National Economic Council and other fora of the Federal Government on the need for reconstruction of the Jebba-Mokwa Road.

Ahmed promised greater partnership with the Nigeria Army and other security agencies on security in the state.

He said the nation must tackle its security challenges in parts of the country.

The governor commended the members of the House of Representatives on the Army for their active disposition to the promotion of the welfare of the Nigerian Army. [myad]

Nigerian Air Force Announces Recruitment Exercise

Greenbarge Reporters

January 19, 2016

The Nigerian Air Force has announced the commencement of recruitment of Airmen and Airwomen into the service.
A statement signed by Air Vice Marshal C. N. Chukwu on behalf of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, gave the details of the procedures for applying.
The statement by Chukwu reads in full:
APPLICATION FOR NIGERIAN AIRFORCE AIRMEN/AIRWOMEN RECRUITMENT EXERCISE (BMTC 2016).

GUIDELINES
1.All applicants must be Nigerians not less than 1.68m tall for male and not less than 1.65m for female.
2. Interested applicants are to apply free of charge online at www.careers.nigerianairforce.gov.ng.
3. Applicants are to print out the underlisted documents after completion of application online:
a. Local Government Attestation Form.
b. Parents/Guardian Consent Form.
c. Acknowledgement Form.

QUALIFICATIONS

Non Tradesmen/Women:
a. Applicants must be between the ages of 17 and 22 years by 31 December 2016.
b. Applicants must possess a minimum of 3 credits including Maths and English in SSCE/NECO/GCE.
5. Tradesmen/Women: a. Applicants applying as tradesmen and women must be between 17 and 24 years by 31 December 2016.
b. Applicants must possess a minimum of 3 pasess including English in SSCE/NECO/GCE and must possess at least a lower credit in ND/NCE or any relevant trade certificate from reputable and approved government institutions/organisations.

NOTE:
6. Online registration starts on 8 February 2016 and closes on 25 March 2016.
7. Zonal recruitment exercise will start from 11 – 29 April 2016.
8. NAF Online registration and all other recruitment processes are free of charge and no payment should be made.
9. The Local Government Attestation/Indigeneship certificate must be accompanied by the passport photograph and photocopy of the signees drivers licence or international passport. The signee is also to authenticate the passport photograph of the applicant behind.
10. For further information see the instruction page on the website as from 8 February 2016 or e-mail: airforce.support@swglobal.com. [myad]

Osinbajo Lists Six Poverty Reduction Mechanisms Built Into 2016 Budget

Greenbarge Reporters

January 19, 2016

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has listed six vital poverty reduction mechanisms into the 2016 federal budget which President Muhammadu Buhari which he said the National Assembly is now set to debate.
The Vice President who spoke today when a delegation of Reckitt Benckiser West Africa, a household care products’ company visited him in his office at Aso Villa, said that there are six social protection programmes of the Buhari administration for which funds have been allocated in the 2016 budget.
He told the delegation led by the company’s West Africa Managing Director, Mr. Rahul Murgai and the Chairman in Nigeria, Chief Olu Falomo that the six protection programmes include ‘Teach Nigeria’ where 500,000 graduates would be hired as teachers.
Others are Youth Employment and Empowerment where between 300,000 and 500,000 youths would go through skills acquisition and vocational training; the Conditional Cash Transfer, where one million extremely poor Nigerians will receive N5000 monthly this year; Homegrown School Feeding where one meal a day would be served to public primary school children across the country; Free Education for tertiary education in which 100,000 students of Science, Technology, Engineering would be involved, and Mathematics and the Micro-Credit Scheme that will give N60,000 one time soft loans to market women, and artisans.
“We are dealing with the issues of poverty with the 2016 Budget that is currently being debated,” the Vice President stressed.
He said that in a country where more than 110 million Nigerians are extremely poor, there are bound to be challenges including about 110,000 deaths yearly from Diarrhea.
The company had earlier discussed its ‘Safe the Children Initiative,’ a Corporate Social Responsibility programme designed to curb the deaths of Nigerian children caused by Diarrhea with the Vice President.
Speaking earlier, Mr. Murgai said Reckitt Benckiser which has been doing business in Nigeria for several decades wants to ensure that the people of Nigeria are healthier and happier. He said the company is worried about deaths from diarrhea and has set aside about N1.2 billion to fight it in Nigeria.
Also today the Vice President received a delegation from the Twelve-Twelve Polo and Turf Club, Abuja led by Mallam Murtala Aliyu, the Club’s Advisory Board Chairman. [myad]

FCT Minister Attacks Street Beggars, Prostitutes And Drug Addicts

Greenbarge Reporters

January 19, 2016

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has launched attacks on beggars, prostitutes and drug addicts parading the territory.
He sought for the collaboration of the Social Development Secretariat (SDS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to wage the battle against these categories of residents that have given the city a bad reputation.
The Minister who received briefing from the FCT Social Development Secretariat at the Banquet Hall, Minister’s Official residence, Gwarinpa I District, (Life-Camp), Abuja today tasked the Secretariat to brainstorm and find the best ways of rehabilitating some of the addicts.
He said that social issues must be approached with the seriousness it deserves as one social problem could have multiplier negative effects on the society.
“You all have enormous responsibilities with serious financial challenges which desires proactive steps to effectively tackle them. You also have to brainstorm on how to efficiently tackle the knotty problems of street beggars, commercial sex workers as well as street hawking.”
The Minister lamented the rampant abuse of Master Plan of the FCT which has led to taken over of plots that were earmarked for sporting facilities in the neighbourhoods, saying that something urgent must be done about it.
Malam Bello advised the Secretariat to work as a team to generate database for tourism facilities as such facilities would not only provide areas of recreation and sight seeing in and around Abuja, but would equally serve as avenues of generating funds to the government.
Also speaking during the briefing, the FCT Permanent Secretariat, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye asked Directors of the Secretariat to take drastic measures as the professionals they are, to think outside the box to move the Secretariat to enviable heights.
He asked them to deliver quality services that would positively impact on the lives of the residents of the Territory.
The Acting Secretary of Social Development Secretariat, Alhaji Salisu Kallamu said that there are 17 Orphanages in the Federal Capital Territory with one being directly managed by the Secretariat.
Meanwhile, the Minister also received briefings from the management of the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat where he advised the Secretariat repositioned by keying into the policy of the Federal Government which, promotes agriculture and mass food production for the populace.
Malam Muhammed Bello assured the management of his Administration’s resolve to help them achieve the goals of the Federal Government in that sub-sector.
He encouraged them to go into partnership with the Area Councils in order to carry the people along in all their programmes.
The Minister promised that the FCT Administration would soon pay N113 million being counterpart-fund for Fadama III in order to allow FCTA access more facilities in the programme. [myad]

Fed. University Of Tech. Minna Sacks 460 Students For Poor Academic Performances

Greenbarge Reporters

January 19, 2016

No fewer than 460 students of the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna in Niger State have been asked to withdraw from the institution for reason of poor academic performances.
They were said to have been unable to measure up to the requirement set for students to move to the next level in the pursuit of the university education,
Information reaching us showed that letters of withdrawal have been served on the affected students by the school management. The students asked to withdraw from the institution were those admitted for the just-concluded academic session. They were in 100 level.
It was learnt that the rusticated students could not garner a Gross Point of 1.5 after the session and going by school’s standards, they could not continue the programmes.
It was gathered that with the cancellation of Pass certificates by Universities in the country by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the inability of the students to make the cut off grade, there was no way they could perform better in the next level of their education.
Students from virtually all the programmes being offered by the Institution were affected by the withdrawal policy.
It was also learnt that some 200 and 300 level students would be affected by the same policy when the University completes the compilation of their results.
Meanwhile, the Information Officer of the University, Lydia Legbo, has confirmed that the students were asked to withdraw from the University because of “poor academic performance.”
Legbo said the institution cannot violate the NUC guidelines and that all the affected students were warned to be dedicated to their studies when they were offered admission. [myad]

South Africa Turns Back On Nigeria’s Crude Oil, Goes For Iran’s

Greenbarge Reporters

January 19, 2016

The South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) has indicated the move by the South Africa government to stop importing crude oil from Nigeria following the lifting of the sanctions on Iran.
“Fuel-pump Executive Director of the SAPIA, Avhapfani Tshifularo, told journalists that the potential return of Iranian oil exports to South Africa, threatened to displace barrels from Saudi Arabia and Nigeria that plugged the supply gap when sanctions were imposed on Iran, which is OPEC’s fifth biggest producer.
Vanguard quoted Tshifularo as saying: “the re-emergence of Iranian crude oil provides options for those willing to buy from Iran. Iranian imports are likely to displace the Nigerian and Saudi Arabian crudes, since they seem to have filled the gap since South Africa stopped importing Iranian crude oil.”
It was learnt that, data which was compiled by SAPIA from refiners showed that South Africa stopped importing crude oil from Iran in 2013, following which its oil imports from Nigeria rose significantly, with Saudi Arabia emerging the highest exporter of crude to the country.
Recent data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS), showed that a sharp decline was recorded in revenue accruable to the Federal Government from the petroleum sector, as the country’s earnings from crude oil export dropped to N5.271 trillion for the nine month period, January to September 2015.
The NBS, in its Foreign Trade Statistics for the Third Quarter of 2015, had noted that the value of Nigeria’s crude oil export for the nine month period 2015, represented a decline of 45.39 per cent or N4.381 trillion when compared to crude oil export of N9.652 trillion recorded in the same period in 2014.
It also represented a decline of 55.67 per cent or N6.62 trillion when compared to total crude oil earnings of N11.891 trillion recorded in 2014.
Giving a breakdown of Nigeria’s crude oil earnings in nine-month 2015, the NBS data revealed that the country earned N1.675 trillion from crude oil export in the first quarter of 2015, N1.984 trillion and N1.611 trillion in the second and third quarters respectively.
This was in contrast to crude oil export earnings of N3.234 trillion, N3.269 trillion and N3.149 trillion for the first, second and third quarters respectively, while in the fourth quarter of 2014, the country earned N2.239 trillion from the export of the commodity in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Further breakdown of the 2015 figures showed that the country earned N505.898 billion, N591.964 billion, N577.361 billion, N698.387 billion and N668.526 billion in January, February, March, April and May respectively.
In the months of June, July, August and September, Nigeria’s crude oil export stood at N617.364 billion, N572.813 billion, N512.823 billion and N525.857 billion respectively. [myad]

NATCOM Invests $1 Billion In NITEL, Begins Operations In March

Greenbarge Reporters

January 19, 2016

NATCOM Development and Investment Limited, new owners of Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its sister company, Mobile Telecommunication Limited (Mtel), said it has spent about $1 billion to revive the moribund national carrier, Footprint to Africa reports.
Chairman of NATCOM, Mr. Olatunde Ayeni, said that the funds and other efforts would see the company roll out its mobile lines, and 4G/LTE services for broadband users and engage 4,000 employees across the country by March.
Ayeni told House of Representatives Joint Committees on Communication and Privatisation, that his company would begin a phased rollout from Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt before expanding to other parts of the country.
He said that the initial financial bid was increased to $252.251 million from $221 million when juxtaposed with the liquidator’s reserved price of $256 million.
NATCOM acquired assets and licences of NITEL and MTEL, percentage interest held in South-Atlantic 3 (SAT-3) consortium, and identifiable assets capable of generating viable business units.
“NATCOM’s full submission was duly made to NITEL/MTEL’s liquidator and Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Enterprises on November 7, 2014. NATCOM’s submission was accompanied by a bid bond in the amount of $10 million as stipulated in the liquidator’s Request for Proposal (RFP).”
He said that $10 million had been spent on SAT-3 system, quarterly dues to the consortium, system expansion and upgrade since the acquisition, adding that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had assigned another set of microwave frequency ranges to NATCOM upon request for N176.8 million, computed on the basis of 800 bases station network in the first instance.
NATCOM, he said was requested to pay an additional N6.6 billion to bridge the shortfall of the value of the Naira to the Dollar from N168 to N197, after the payment of the first installment of 30 per cent of the bid price within 14 days of approval by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) and balance within the 90 days, Ayeni said.
NATCOM Development and Investment Limited,has re-branded the name of the company, Footprint to Africa learnt from Nitel and Mtel to Ntel. [myad]

Taraba Gubber Legal Tussle: Group Accuses APC Candidate Of Lobbying Emirs, Elites

Greenbarge Reporters

January 19, 2016

A group going by the name, Taraba Mandate Group has raised alarm with allegation that the governorship flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last year’s election in the state, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan is lobbying emirs and Northern elites to turn the current legal tussle in her favour.
The group, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Gani Bako, alleged that Aisha, now minister of women affaris, has set up a lobbyist group with the mandate to reach out to prominent elites of the North in the traditional sector, military and intellectual leaders.
“The job is to try and either convince the headship of the judiciary to skew the up-coming judgement or get the presidency to thwart the wishes of a majority of voters in Taraba state.
“So far, the lobby group has met one disappointment of one form after the other. In fact, in one of their stop-overs, a prominent Emir famous for his radicalism and forthrightness, told the group off and sternly admonished them to go look for good lawyers instead of behaving as if Nigeria hasn’t moved on from the past when decision of this nature could be influenced from the top.”
The group further alleged that Hajiya Aisha has continued her lobbying and that at each stop, her group would regale the Emirs with the usual lies that she actually won the election. “She would then latch into the old sentiment of faith and gender, saying that she is being persecuted also because she is Fulani.”
The group said that many of those she wanted to lobby, especially the Emirs have unanimously told her to go and look for good lawyers if she felt she has a good case. [myad]

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