Govt Frustrating Negotiation, ASUU Alleges

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the federal government of refusing to take necessary steps to resolve the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the lecturers.

Speaking yesterday on a live TV programme, the National President of Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, explained that the federal government is frustrating the negotiation between it and the union.

He cited the delay in adopting ASUU's preferred platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), describing the delay as one of the major reasons why the strike has not been suspended.

"The strike is still on as a result of the FG not taking the necessary steps. We gave them two weeks to address our five points demands.

"We engaged the government but they were not forthcoming. They had a whole year to address those issues. They gave us positions that were not acceptable to our members.

"During our first meeting, we thought they were almost resolving the issues.

"What compounded the problem is the issue of IPPIS. We have said that it is a distraction. There is no university in the world that IPPIS is being used.

"We have done three presentations of UTAS to the Minister of Education and his team, the leadership of Senate and Office of the Accountant-General. They only agreed that UTAS is accepted in principles.

"We are almost getting UTAS approved but govt is saying that our members should first migrate to IPPIS before returning to UTAS. That makes no economic sense. The government has made it difficult for smooth negotiation. They said our members will be paid when they move to IPPIS."

Dangote postpones London listing of cement shares till 2023

 

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has delayed plans to sell shares in his cement maker on the London Stock Exchange and will instead concentrate on expanding exports and strengthening the company’s foreign exchange reserves, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Dangote Cement, which is Africa’s biggest cement-maker, is not expected to pursue a United Kingdom’s initial public offering until at least 2023, Temilade Aduroja, head of investor relations at the company, said by email.

“The London listing is not something which will happen in the short to medium term. We are focused on our export strategy and increasing our foreign-currency revenue,” she said.

Dangote, whose net worth is over $14 billion, has long stated his intention of having a secondary London listing to diversify its ownership and gain access to cheaper funds on international markets.

But for some reasons, the dream has not yet come true. He said in 2018 Dangote Cement would be quoted in London last year but Brian Egan, erstwhile chief financial officer later said 2020 was more probable.

Dangote Cement leveraged a fall in yields in the local debt market to raise N100 billion ($259 million) via commercial papers in April and May, the biggest offering of its kind at that time.

In July, the group said in July it was considering exportation of clinker to 15 Central and West Africa countries in an effort to shore up income and address a dearth of foreign exchange in Africa’s largest economy.

Dangote Cement is anticipated to report volume expansion in the third quarter after the relaxation of curbs across Africa “which bodes well for margins as higher realized prices are expected in Nigeria and the Pan-African region,” Sonia Baldeira, senior industry analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence said in note earlier in October.

The company’s third quarter and nine-month to September 2020 financials are due any moment from now.

Shares in Dangote Cement closed at the last trading session of the Nigerian Stock Exchange at N155.30 per share.

WTO Race in Dilemma after US Veto

 

The World Trade Organization(WTO) is facing a leadership dilemma after the United States vetoed Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday.

According to Reuters, the WTO has two options - override its biggest paymaster, the U.S., with a vote or hope for a change of U.S. president and wait until he takes charge.

On Wednesday, the WTO's General Council Chair David Walker announced that the Nigerian candidate had garnered the most support and should be named director general. Shortly after, the U.S. Trade Representative announced its support of the other finalist, South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.

A Geneva-based diplomat commented that Washington changed direction “in a chaotic” way, blocking the process, while a former U.S. Commerce Department official said there may be furious discussions going on behind the scenes to get the U.S. to change its position.

The report said it may come down to the WTO relying on the U.S. election and waiting for a new president before the issue can be resolved.

US Tells WTO Meeting It Does Not Back Okonjo-Iweala As WTO Chief

 

The United States (US) has told a meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Wednesday that it does not back Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next WTO leader, despite cross-regional support for her, two sources at the meeting told Reuters.

The move could undermine the global trade body as it seeks to select a successor to director-general Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down in August. 

A key group of WTO ambassadors had proposed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next chief, but any such decision requires a consensus among the 164 WTO members, meaning any of them could block her appointment.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/just-in-us-tells-wto-meeting-it-does-not-back-okonjo-iweala-as-wto-chief/

Danjuma meet Buhari behind closed doors in Villa, shuns newsmen

 

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday met with a former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.).

The meeting held behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, took place after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

The agenda of the meeting between the two leaders was not made public.

Danjuma did not speak with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

The Presidency has yet to release a statement on the meeting as of the time of filing this report.

The meeting was, however, held about two days after the National Christian Elders Forum which Danjuma and other statesmen belong to, demanded that Nigeria be re-negotiated.

The NCEF had also claimed that the #EndSARS protests in parts of the country were mismanaged by the present regime because the Army was released against unarmed protesters in the country.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Set To Lead WTO, Gets Final Major Endorsement— Reuters Sources

 

A key group of World Trade Organisation (WTO) ambassadors has proposed Nigerian Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to lead the organisation, trade sources told Reuters News Agency on Wednesday, clearing a path for her to become the first woman and African to head the global watchdog in its 25-year history.

The proposal, which still needs full WTO approval next month, caps a more than four-month selection process involving intensive lobbying which saw her square up against South Korean trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee, in the final round.

The recommendation of Okonjo-Iweala was made by three WTO ambassadors, the so-called “troika”, after consulting with members in a series of closed-door meetings in Geneva as part of an intricate and opaque process that some have compared to a papal succession.

It however still needs to be approved by consensus at a meeting of the WTO’s 164 members.

Celebrity Birthday Today - Bill Gates

 

#353

most popular

BIRTHDAY
October 28, 1955

BIRTHPLACE

Seattle, WA

AGE

64 years old

About

Co-founder of Microsoft, which he grew to become one of the most successful companies in history. Forbes ranked him the wealthiest person in the world from 1995 to 2009.

Before Fame

He hacked into his high school's computer system to make sure there would be more girls in his classes than boys.

Trivia

He attended Lakeside School where the Mothers Club used garage-sale proceeds to buy a Teletype Model 33 ASR computer. This was the computer he learned to program on.

Family Life

He married Melinda Gates on January 1, 1994. He has two daughters named Phoebe and Jennifer and a son named Rory.

Associated With

His work was often compared to that of Steven Jobs who was a fierce competitor of his during the computer revolution.

Reps Warn As FG Considers Regulating Of Social Media

 

MEMBERS of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, warned the Federal Government against a clampdown on social media. Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Honourable Odebunmi Olusegun and Honourable Emmanuel Oghene sounded the warning when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, appeared for the 2021 budget defence.

The minister had, during his presentation, said though the social media had come to stay, there, however, was the need for the country to have a social media policy that will regulate it and check fake news and misinformation.

Referring to fake news and misinformation as the biggest challenge facing the country, Mohammed said the nation needed a national policy on social media to determine what could be seen and what cannot be seen.

The minister said: “the biggest challenge facing Nigeria today is fake news and misinformation. Based on that, we dedicated an entire National Council on Information meeting to that issue after which we launched a national campaign against fake news in July 2018.

“We said then that the next war will be fought without a shot being fired, but with the use of fake news. We didn’t stop there. We went on a tour of media houses to solicit their support in the fight against fake news. We launched the campaign to regulate social media which was bitterly contested by the stakeholders.

“We kept saying that if we don’t regulate social media, it will destroy us. In 2017, there was a fake video of the herdsmen and farmers’ crisis. It was a video of what happened in Tanzania and was played in Nigeria as if it was true.

“In 2017, a very popular entertainer in Nigeria raised a false alarm that students of the College of Education, Gidan Ways, Kaduna State, had been murdered.

“There was almost a reprisal only for him to find out that it was not true. In the same 2017, we found out that some of the videos being posted are things that happened in other parts of the world. When there was a problem between South Africans and Nigerians, they were posting videos of what happened in India and Tanzania to suggest that Nigerians were being roasted alive. That was what led to the reprisals in the malls.”

He added that “We are sitting on a time bomb on this issue of fake news. Unfortunately, we have no national policy on social media and we need one.

“When we went to China, we could not get Google, Facebook, and Instagram. You could not even use your email in China because they made sure it is censored and well regulated.

“In June this year, there was a riot in Ethiopia when a popular musician was killed. What the government did was to shut down social media for two days to bring that riot under control. Bear in mind that Ethiopia hosts the African Union (AU) and its office for Africa.

“We need technology and resources to dominate our social media. We need a social media policy to determine what can be seen and what cannot be seen.

“The recent #EndSARS war was fought on social media. They mobilised using social media. The war today revolves around two things. Smartphones and data and these young men don’t even watch television or listen to the radio or read newspapers.

“You will be shocked that when you start arguing with your children, they will be quoting the social media. So, we need a social media policy in Nigeria and we need to empower the various agencies and we need the technology to be able to regulate the social media.” Odebunmi, however, warned against curtailing the use of the social media, as he urged the Federal Government to rather search for technology to work with what currently exists in the social media world.

“Social media has come to stay. What the government should do is to look for technology that will work together with what is in the space.

“We are not asking the government to stop social media. The most important thing is that government should go and look for the technology to regulate, so that you can equally be working within the space,” Odebunmi said.

Oghene also warned against shutting down the social media space in the country, pointing out that it was wrong to always look at the negative sides of social media at all times without mentioning the good side.

“I want to appeal that we should not overdo it because it will harm us. China is not a good example because it is a communist country. Nigeria has always been free, we are a democratic country.

“Let us look at other democracies and see what they have done with their social media. This technology is already here. It is not going to go away.

“We should have enough laws in our law books to deal with social media. If people post things that are not correct, they can be taken to court.

“If the laws are not enough, bring a bill and the National Assembly will pass it into law. If you shut down the social media, democracy will be greatly hampered,” he said.

He said it was social media that called the attention of government to looting of COVID-19 items in some places, adding that there was a time some boys were digging the road but got caught because the social media captured it.

Nigerian Govt Announces Payment of N30,000 to Over 300,000 Artisans

 

Amidst the rampage across the country by mostly young people, the federal government says the implementation of its Economic Sustainability Plan has begun with the payment of N30,000 one-time grant to 330,000 artisans across the country.

The payments are being made to sets of verified beneficiaries of the Artisan Support Scheme, a track under the MSMEs Survival Fund.

In the first stream of payments starting today, beneficiaries are being drawn from the FCT, Lagos, Ondo, Kaduna, Borno, Kano, Bauchi, Anambra, Abia, Rivers, Plateau and Delta States. They form the first batch of applications for the scheme submitted between October 1 and October 10

The MSMEs Survival Fund scheme is a component of the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan, NESP, which was developed by an Economic Sustainability Committee established by President Muhammadu Buhari in March 2020. The President asked his deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to head the committee which produced and is overseeing the implementation of the plan.

Under the ESP, the Survival Fund is generally designed to among other things, support vulnerable MSMEs in meeting their different obligations and safeguard jobs in the sector.

Applications for the Artisans' Support Scheme under the MSMEs Survival Fund opened on October 1.

Meanwhile, the enumeration for the second stream of States under the Artisan Support Scheme has also commenced with enumerators in various States compiling the lists of artisans through their association leaders. All artisans are expected to liaise with their association leaders to document their details.

The registration of applicants for Stream 2 began on the 19th October 2020. States under Stream 2 are: Edo, Ogun, Ekiti, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Enugu, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Taraba, Bayelsa

In the same vein, enumeration and verification of the documents of applicants under the Survival Fund Payroll Support scheme is still ongoing. Dates for the commencement of payment would be announced in due course.

The application process for the payroll support scheme, which began on September 21, had ended on the 15th of October 2020. Accepted applications are categorized by industry sectors, including Education and Hospitality, among other sectors.

However, there may be an extension for applications for some States that have not met their quota on beneficiaries. The Artisan Support Scheme is to benefit about 9,000 Nigerians per State and FCT.

In addition, the formalization support under the MSME Survival Fund will also commence today. This involves free business names' registration for 250,000 MSMEs nationwide by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

According to the CAC, 6,606 business names in each of the 34 states will be registered for free. In Abuja, there would be 7,906 free registrations, 9,084 in Lagos and 8,406 free business names from Kano.

Also, a date for the commencement of the Guaranteed Offtake Scheme under the Survival Fund will be announced soon. This scheme is designed to safeguard existing small businesses and save jobs, while ensuring continued local production by guaranteeing off-take of priority products

The Offtake Scheme is a track specifically for MSMEs that are into production of items approved by the Steering Committee of the Survival Fund coordinated under the leadership of the Industry, Trade and Investment Minister of State Ambassador Mariam Katagum. The basic requirements include CAC certificate, valid BVN, SON or NAFDAC certification.

The N2.3 Trillion Economic Sustainability Plan consists of fiscal, monetary and sectoral measures to enhance local production, support businesses, retain, create jobs and provide succour to Nigerians, especially the most vulnerable.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity

Office of the Vice President

27th October 2020

Nigeria’s manufacturing sector contracts for sixth consecutive month

 

Nigeria’s manufacturing sector shrank for the sixth straight month in October, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s Purchasing Managers Index Survey Report showed on Tuesday.

Manufacturing in Africa’s biggest economy has been slowing since May following the coronavirus pandemic, with severe disruptions to the supply chains.

The Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) measures the economic health and the prevailing direction of the manufacturing and service sectors from the opinions and views of private sector companies polled by the CBN statistics unit.

“The manufacturing PMI in the month of October stood at 49.4 index points, indicating slowing contraction in the manufacturing sector compared with the last five months.

“Of the 14 subsectors surveyed, six subsectors reported expansion (above 50 per cent threshold) in the review month in the following order: electrical equipment, transportation equipment, printing and related support activities, chemical and pharmaceutical products, textile, apparel, leather and footwear and cement.

“The remaining eight subsectors reported contractions in the following order: primary metal, petroleum & coal products, paper products, fabricated metal products, furniture and related products, non-metallic mineral products, plastics and rubber products and food, beverage and tobacco products,” the report said.

The production index in October for the manufacturing sector stood at 50.0 points, implying a halt in contraction, which began in May.

7 sub-sectors witnessed expansion in production level of the 14 surveyed. 1 subsector maintained current level, while 6 reported declines in production.

The new orders index grew at 51.2 points from a contraction last month.

Four subsectors saw expansion in new orders, four remained static while the rest six shrank.

The manufacturing supplier delivery time index stood at 51.8 points, meaning it quickened for the sixth month in a row.

Governor Okowa Presents N378.48bn 2021 Budget

According to Okowa, the capital expenditure constituted 54.76 per cent of the budget, while 45.24 per cent represented recurrent expenditure.

Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has presented a N378.48 billion budget for the 2021 fiscal year to the state's House of Assembly for consideration and approval.

Named "Budget of Recovery", Okowa told the lawmakers on Tuesday that the budget was made up of N207.52 billion for capital expenditure and N171.32 billion for recurrent expenditure.

According to Okowa, the capital expenditure constituted 54.76 per cent of the budget, while 45.24 per cent represented recurrent expenditure.

He said that the allocations were consistent with his administration's plan of spending more on projects and programmes that would impact directly on the socio-economic wellbeing of Deltans.

The 2021 budget is N96.2 billion or 34.05 per cent higher than the N282 billion revised approved budget of 2020.

"The 2021 budget proposals reinforced the state government's commitment to road infrastructure, education, health and job and wealth creation programmes as the principal-drivers of the stronger Delta agenda," he said.

"N113 billion, representing 89.94 per cent of the capital budget, is allocated to the economic sector while N35 billion is assigned to the social sector; the administration sector got 10.93 billion and the regional sector, N42 billion.

"In 2021, we propose to spend N66.66 billion on road Infrastructure; N6.79 billion on health; education will gulp N23.55 billion; agriculture, N2.04 billion and water sector, N1.83 billion.

The governor stated that the budget, which was derived from the state's 2021-2023 FSP/MTEF, was anchored on crude oil production benchmark of 1.86 million BPD, an oil price of 40 dollars per barrel, the exchange rate of N379 per dollar, National Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of three per cent and 11.95 national inflation rate.

The governor pointed out that due to the impact of the COVID-19 on the global economy, government spending was severely hampered by the pandemic, and that Delta was no exception.

Welcoming the governor earlier to the House of Assembly's chamber, the Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, stated that the House would continue to support the state government through passage of people-oriented and development-driven legislations.

"We are more than ready to cooperate with the Executive to develop a smart, sustainable and knowledge-based economy that will be the envy of all," the speaker said.

A motion to accept the appropriation bill for consideration was moved by the majority leader of the House, Tim Owhefere, and was seconded by the minority leader, Innocent Andi and lawmakers also approved a motion, scheduling the second reading of the budget for October 28, 2020.

Cybersecurity and U.S. Election Infrastructure

 

FROM FP ANALYTICS: BEYOND COUNTERING DISINFORMATION, OFFICIALS AND INDIVIDUALS MUST UP THEIR GAMES TO SECURE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM MOUNTING CYBER THREATS

As voters head to the polls for the 2020 elections, the U.S. faces on-going security threats such as disinformation campaigns, data breaches, and ballot tampering in an effort by foreign adversaries to erode the integrity of the democratic process. Recent events from Russian and Iranian hackers stealing data to threaten and intimidate voters to Russian actors actively targeting state, local, and territorial networks demonstrate that elections rely on crucial technological tools to ensure process integrity, the disruption of which would have a debilitating impact on national security and society.

Critical infrastructure (CI) provides essential services and is the backbone of the country’s economy, security, and health. From transportation enabling personal mobility and commerce, to electricity powering our homes and businesses, to telecommunications networks fostering global connectivity—particularly amid the pandemic—CI is the lynchpin to functioning social, economic, and political systems. While these systems have long been subject to threats from terrorism and natural disasters, cyberattacks represent among the most destabilizing and underappreciated risk. With the rapid digitalization of all facets of society and increasing dependence on information and communications technologies (ICT), attackers ranging from nation-states to hacktivists to organized criminal groups can identify vulnerabilities and infiltrate seemingly disparate systems to disrupt services and damage global society—all without a physical attack. As a designated CI subsector, election systems are vital to domestic and international security (see U.N. nonbinding consensus report A/70/174) and election security risks can threaten democracies worldwide.

Cyberattacks are rising in both volume and complexity, putting private companies and average citizens at the front line of this national security challenge that we have yet to fully understand. For instance, 99 percent of voting in the US takes place through a computer system or machine, but despite the highly computerized nature of the election process, it is not garnering the attention it needs. The 2000 presidential election and controversial recount in Florida prompted the first federal initiative through the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to upgrade voting machines in 2002 and establish the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), but cybersecurity wasn’t the focus. More than a decade later, the Presidential Commission on Election Administration warned about the “impending crisis” in outdated voting technology, but still, little was done while the risks were mounting. After several Russian-led cyberattacks aimed at exfiltrating data from state information systems and attacks made toward the 2016 elections, the U.S. finally recognized the urgency to upgrade its antiquated election infrastructure and ensure the integrity of all technological tools that facilitate a fair voting process. Not until 2017 was election infrastructure designated as part of the federal government’s CI sector, which allowed states and localities to leverage the government’s cybersecurity expertise and access unclassified and classified information to improve resiliency. However, lack of coordination in the runup to 2020 has not materially improved security.

The rapidly evolving cyber landscape and ongoing use of outdated technology for CI makes the U.S. and other countries vulnerable, largely undefended targets. With the rise of great power competition and challenges from Russia and China, the cyber arena is a geopolitical plane for actors to deploy tools to disrupt, destroy, and undermine the U.S. and advance adversaries’ foreign policy goals. As voters prepare to cast their ballot in the 2020 elections, this FP Insider Report analyzes the underreported issue of voting machine infrastructure security, derives insights from other countries’ experiences with foreign interference, and pinpoints what voters and officials can do to strengthen security on Election Day—and beyond.

INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY

 

Today, we observe International Religious Freedom Day, a reminder that freedom of worship is a universal human right protected by the laws and Constitution of our Nation. Our work around the world has made it clear that countries that protect religious freedom tend to enjoy stronger economies, greater political stability, and more peaceful relations with their neighbors.

The U.S. Government designated October 27 as International Religious Freedom Day to commemorate the historic signing of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) in 1998. Protecting and promoting this fundamental freedom around the world has been a core tenet of U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance ever since.

But there is much more work for us to do. Believers of nearly all faiths, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Bahá’ís, have faced increased religious oppression and persecution over the past decade. Earlier this year, President Trump affirmed that this Administration “remains cognizant of the stark realities for people seeking religious liberty abroad and has made protecting religious minorities a core pillar of [this] Administration’s foreign policy.”

On June 2, 2020, President Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 13926 on Advancing International Religious Freedom, and declared that the United States must continue “to engage robustly and continually with civil society organizations to inform United States Government policies, programs, and activities related to international religious freedom.” The implementation of E.O. 13926 by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will build on our ongoing work with persecuted communities in Northern Iraq, Northeast Nigeria, and Burma, and expand into other pockets of vulnerability around the world. We are refining our assistance tools to collaborate closely with local faith and community leaders, and to deliver aid rapidly to persecuted communities, families, and individuals who are facing the gravest threats.

I am pleased to be able to mark this International Religious Freedom Day by announcing the establishment of USAID’s new cross-Agency Sector Council on Strategic Religious Engagement and International Religious Freedom. The Senior Advisor to the Administrator for International Religious Freedom, Samah Norquist, and the Director of our Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives, Kirsten Evans, will serve as Co-Chairs of the Council.

President Trump and Vice President Pence have made advancing and protecting religious freedom around the world an American foreign-policy priority. This is indeed America’s first freedom, and USAID is proud to play a vital role in preserving it around the world.

Nigerian govt announces committee to create jobs as nationwide rampage continues

 

The National Executive Council (NEC) has set up a committee charged with addressing unemployment and national security in the country.

This was part of the council’s resolutions at its meeting on Monday, vice-president Yemi Osinbajo’s publicist, Laolu Akande, said in a mail sent to PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday.

The decision was taken on the backdrop of issues triggered by the weeks-long #EndSARS protests where young Nigerians sought an end to police brutality, before it was hijacked by hoodlums who have caused chaos across the country in the past week.

Headed by the vice-president, the committee has the governors of Sokoto, Borno State, Niger, Ondo, Ebonyi, Delta States as members.

The committee, Mr Akande said, is expected to engage “relevant stakeholders” to chart a way forward on “employment, social safety net programmes, and national unity among other key issues of concern” for the country.

This, he said will be done alongside engaging with security agencies, including at state level, “to provide compensation for those who have incurred losses in the last few weeks and a framework for social security to deal with the problem of unemployment and poverty in the country.”

Four in 10 Nigerians are poor and the country’s unemployment rate rose to 27.1% in the second quarter of 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

“The council observed the low morale of security operatives during the period and members resolved to commend the Nigeria police and all the security agencies for their handling of what is clearly an unprecedented problem,” Mr Akande said in his statement.

“NEC also supported President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to a complete overhaul of the country’s security services by improving the capacity of security officers across the rank and file while providing them with the necessary equipment to carry out their jobs effectively,” he added.

Since the protest for police reform turned violent from last week, the has country has experienced series of destruction, large scale looting of public and private warehouses, and lost of lives, including those of security officials.

To this end, Mr Akande said NEC urged the CACOVID leadership, a private initiative committed to given paliatives to Nigerians to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic, “to come out with an independent statement on the status of the distribution of palliatives donated to States which should clearly explain the circumstances behind the delay in the distribution of food items domiciled in warehouses across the country.”

“Council reviewed the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other secessionist groups, stressing that these subterranean and violent tendencies must be quickly addressed given that they have continually hijacked demonstrations and caused mayhem and lawlessness across parts of the country.

NAFDAC blacklists Indian company for manufacturing falsified medicines Falsified

 

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has blacklisted Mars Remedies PVT Limited, India, for manufacturing falsified medicine for a pharmaceutical company in Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement signed by the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Director-General said that the agency also delisted Ciprofloxacin tablets BP 500mg with (NAFDAC Reg. No. C4-0498) which was manufactured for Pinnacle Health Pharmaceutical, Surulere, Lagos.

According to Adeyeye, in view of the unprofessional practice, all products manufactured by Mars Remedies PVT, 635, GIDC Estate Waghodia Vadodara, Gujurat, India, will not be allowed into Nigeria with immediate effect.

She said that a letter addressed to the Managing Director of Mars Remedies PVT Limited titled “Notice of blacklisting as a manufacturer of substandard and falsified medicines” reiterated the agency’s position for zero tolerance for substandard.

Adeyeye said that the stand was in fulfilment of the regulatory obligation of the agency to safeguard the health of the nation.

“In violation of NAFDAC extant laws and regulations, the company illegally manufactured different formulations of Ciprofloxacin tablets instead of the approved formulation for export to Nigeria.

“The variation in the formulation of the Ciprofloxacin 500mg tablets, which may impact on the product quality and shelf –life, was not approved by the agency before the changes were made.

“This constitutes a violation of the NAFDAC Act.

“The company has displayed a flagrant disregard for compliance with global standards necessary to assure the production of quality assured products.

“Therefore the company has been blacklisted accordingly,” she stressed.

Adeyeye, therefore, warned all manufacturers and importers of medicines to adhere strictly to the conditions for which their products were registered by NAFDAC or face similar sanctions.

Omo-Agege’s aide donates relief materials to flood victims

 

Mr. Raymos Guanah, Special Assistant to Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege on Political Matters, has donated relief materials, including food items, to victims of flooding in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said on Monday in Patani that the items were meant to assuage the sufferings of the people as a result of the flood, which had ravaged some parts of the country, with the area badly affected.

Guanah, represented by Mr. Joseph Ekiyor, the chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the council area, said the presentation of the relief materials was a way of identifying with the people in their present condition.

He put the total losses in the council area at more than N500million in farm lands, fishing nets, fishing traps and household property.

Guanah, a former commissioner for Lands and Survey in Delta, called on the state government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to open up the culverts currently under construction on the Patani/Uzere Road.

This, he said, would make flow of water easy, thus prevent flooding and saving he area from further disaster.

“It is time for the federal and state governments as well as the NDDC and the ecological funds office to take urgent steps to address the coastal erosion problem in Abari community.”

“This is devastating and Abari community may be completely washed into the river, if no urgent action is taken,’’ he said.

The aide also stressed the need for the construction of foreshore walls and embankments in the communities by the river to forestall recurrent flooding.

The Chairman of Patani Local Government, Mr. Perez Omoun, commended Guanah’s gesture, saying he had never relented in supporting the people anytime he was called upon.