Day: July 30, 2023

2Africa submarine network landed Sunday on the waterfront of the Cacuaco municipality, in Luanda, in a ceremony chaired by the Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication Mário Augusto da Silva Oliveira.

The cable from London will circle the African continent and return to London in April next year to start operating.

In addition to Mário Augusto da Silva Oliveira, the event was attended by the minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Carmen Sacramento Neto, and the chairman of Unitel’s Board of Directors, Aguinaldo Jaime.

2Africa is a consortium with Vodafone, WIOCC, China Mobile International, MTN, Orange, Telecom Egypt, STC and Meta (Facebook) and is designed to provide seamless international connectivity to approximately 3 billion people, representing 36% of the global population , and connecting three continents: Africa, Europe and Asia.

The undersea cable project aims to significantly increase the capacity, quality and availability of internet connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world.

UNITEL is the only Angolan operator that joined the consortium, being responsible for creating conditions for mooring and operating the 2África cable connection to Angola.

Through its national fiber network, the operator will be able to provide access to 2Africa to national telecommunications operators and operators from neighbouring countries, such as Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Emílio Miguel de Carvalho Sobrinho recently handed over his credentials to the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, who accredited him as Angolan ambassador to that country.

At the meeting, the Serbian president reiterated his country’s commitment to maintain friendly relations with Angola, based on mutual understanding, respect, support and common values.

Aleksandar Vucic said there is significant potential to improve the economy and cooperation in various areas, such as agriculture and food industry, metallurgical and electrical industry, construction, tourism and ICT.

At the end of the meeting, President Vucic thanked Angola for its consistent position based on the principles of respect for Serbia’s territorial integrity.

On the occasion, the Angolan ambassador reiterated Angola’s commitment to closer relations and proposed the creation of a team to work on speedup of cooperation between Serbia and Angola.

The diplomat also requested an increase in the number of scholarships for Angolan students, under the “World in Serbia” programme.

Agreements signed

Angola and Serbia signed in March 2022 in Belgrade a total of four legal instruments, as part of strengthening the state of bilateral cooperation in the most varied domains between the two states

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Department of State Services (DSS) has not released Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a competent source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The source said on Sunday that contrary to reports in a section of the media, the IPOB leader was only granted access to his personal doctors under the supervision of the Service.

Some sections of the media had reported that Kanu was on Saturday, released for the first time, since his incarceration two years ago to meet with his personal physicians in an Abuja hospital outside the facility of the DSS.

According to the DSS source, access to doctors for suspects in DSS custody is routine in line with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Service.

The DSS source said the IPOB leader was granted access to his personal doctors under the supervision of its operatives.

The source said such access under the supervision of personnel of the service was not only applicable to Kanu but every other suspect in DSS custody.

The source further said Kanu’s access to his personal doctors was also in line with the order of Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

According to the source, even before the order, Kanu had always been given access to medical services.

“Apart from being routine, Kanu was also granted access to his personal doctors in line with the order of a Federal High Court in Abuja.

“Reports that Kanu was released to see his personal doctors is baseless because the access granted him was under the supervision of the DSS.

“The DSS is an organization that believes in the rule of law and so, will continue to comply with orders of court,” the source said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Troops of the Nigerian Army, operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and those of a private security firm have jointly uncovered a major illegal refining site in Delta.

Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, stated on Sunday in Abuja that the operation was undertaken by troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion.

The battalion operates in 6 Division Area of Responsibility at Owahwa community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta.

Nwachukwu stated that the operation was in continuation of the sustained effort to deny oil thieves the freedom of action and to protect the oil sector from economic saboteurs.

He explained that the sting operation on Saturday followed a surveillance report on the activities of illegal oil refiners in the area.

He explained that the troops stormed the site and discovered 35 modular ovens used for illegal oil refining; three fabricated reservoirs; 30 dugout reservoirs and 75 galvanised pipes.

“The operatives have since clamped down on the illegal refining site.

“The Nigerian Army enjoins all law-abiding citizens to continue to support on-going anti-oil theft operations by reporting suspected illicit refining and illegal bunkering in their areas to security agencies,’’ Nwachukwu stated.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ogun State Chapter, on Sunday emphasised the need to combat trafficking in persons by addressing its root causes and tackling the systemic factors that allow it to flourish.

Mrs Taiwo Olusesi, Chairperson, FIDA Ogun Chapter, said this in a statement to commemorate the 2023 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons with theme: “Reach Every Victim of Trafficking, Leave no One Behind”.

The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which holds on July 30 every year was first observed in 2014.

It was enacted to educate people and nations on the scourge of human trafficking, the plight of victims and their relations, the need to protect and preserve the rights of such victims, and ultimately, the urgent interventions required to put an and to incidents of human trafficking.

Olusesi stated that addressing trafficking in person required collaboration, cooperation, and a multi-faceted approach involving governments, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, and individuals.

She noted that the annual event was a solemn occasion that brought to remembrance the grave injustices perpetrated against fellow human beings.

She said the day called for reflection, action, and a united commitment to eradicate this heinous crime from the world.

The FIDA Ogun Chairperson, acknowledging the presence of human trafficking within close communities, said it was our duty to expose it, to confront it head-on, and to bring those responsible to justice.

She said : “We `Leave People Behind’ when we fail to play our part in putting an end to exploitation, refuse to support victim-survivors and their affected families, and leave individuals and groups vulnerable to traffickers and trafficking.

“We must recognise that human trafficking is not an isolated issue.

“It is intertwined with global economic crises, poverty, inequality, gender discrimination, socio-economic inequalities and other social injustices that have left several communities and nations vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers and their sponsors.

“Human trafficking; a modern-day form of slavery, preys upon the vulnerability of individuals, exploiting their hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

“It knows no boundaries, affecting men, women, and children from every corner of the globe and is an affront to our shared humanity and an assault on the principles of justice and equality.

“In line with the theme of the 2023 World Day Against Trafficking in Person, we stand together to raise awareness, to amplify the voices of survivors, and to shine a light on the dark corners where this evil thrives,” she said.

Olusesi said education and awareness were powerful weapons in the battle against human trafficking.

She said that by educating ourselves and others, we empower communities to recognise the signs of human trafficking, to protect the vulnerable, and to report suspicious activities.

“We must also work tirelessly to dismantle the networks that facilitate trafficking, disrupt the illicit trade, and bring traffickers to justice.

“This necessitates strengthening legal frameworks, enhancing international cooperation, and providing comprehensive support to survivors.

“We stand in solidarity with survivors, offering them our unwavering support, compassion, and a pathway to healing and rebuilding their lives.

On this World Day Against Human Trafficking, let us reaffirm our commitment to justice, equality, and the inherent worth of every human being,” she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A Civil Society Organisation, Save Nigeria Movement (SNM), said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should compensate Nigerians with two trillion Naira for losses during the naira redesign by the suspended Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The group said this in a letter to the CBN dated July 6 through its legal representative, Sorkaa & Associates.

The group said the amount represents one trillion naira compensation for Nigerians with bank accounts and another one trillion naira for those without bank accounts.

The group warned that it would take legal action if the apex bank failed to act within 30 days of their notice.

“We have been briefed by Save Nigeria Movement (SNM), a Non-Governmental Organisation (hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’), and our legal services retained.

“The brief of our client reveals that the CBN Naira Redesign Policy introduced in December 2022 to expire in February 2023 brought enormous hardship to Nigerians as attested by the former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

“President Bola Tinubu faulted the suspended Governor of CBN for harshly implementing the Naira redesign policy, stating that there are many Nigerians that suffered within the implementation of the policy.

“The brief of our client further reveals that the Governor’s court case against the CBN at the Supreme Court, which they won, ordered that the new and old naira notes remain legal tender until Dec. 31, 2023.

“This confirmed the illegality of the CBN’s entire policy.

“We hereby demand on behalf of our client the immediate payment of one trillion naira only as compensation to every Nigerian with a bank account who suffered from the economic terrorism of the suspended CBN Governor.

“We hereby also demand on behalf of our client the immediate payment of one trillion naira only as compensation to every Nigerian without a bank account who suffered from the economic terrorism of the suspended CBN Governor.

“Take note that should you fail or refuse to meet the demands of our legal correspondence upon receipt within the next seven days, that is counting from July 6 when we sent the letter, we will not hesitate to take legal steps forthwith without recourse to you.

“Remember, a stitch in time saves nine; please act wisely and pay compensation to Nigerians who had bank accounts and those who did not have bank accounts,” the group said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

KPMG Nigeria, a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services and the African Clean-up Initiative (ACI), have restated their commitments to environmental sustainability.

They expressed the commitment on the sideline of a clean-up exercise at Oniru Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Mr Uzodinma Nwankwo, Partner with KPMG Professional Services Nigeria, said KPMG’s journey to environmental sustainability and governance had been two years old.

Nwankwo said that in recent years businesses had realised the need to assess the impact of their activities on the environment and to initiate needed changes.

“That is why Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) have become a big thing for us at KPMG.

“We in KPMG, as part of connecting to that global journey have come up with our impact plan; that is our channel through which we are driving our strategy commitment toward the ESG.

“There are four pillars: Planet, People, Prosperity and Governance.

“I am specifically responsible for leading the planet pillar, and the planet pillar is looking at what we are doing in ensuring the sustainability of the environment for future generations.

“This has been a two year journey and we are looking at the future; it is a long-term journey toward 2030 and beyond,” Nwankwo said.

He said the ESG agenda is built on the decarbonisation strategy, nature, biodiversity and stakeholder engagement and ensuring that KPMG is engages the participation of clients.

He said KPMG was going beyond rendering financial services to speaking to their clients about the sustainability agenda and reporting requirements.

Nwankwo said companies were now required to report on what they were doing about environmental sustainability.

He said that the Oniru Beach clean-up exercise was one in the series of activities embarked by KPMG over a couple of months to ensure a sustainable environment.

“We joined the international community to mark the World Environment Day 2023 on June 5 with the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution.”

“On June 8, World Ocean Day, was marked by the global community reminding everyone of the increasingly negative impact of activities on the ocean, and that one of the greatest pollutants is plastic.

“On July 3 was the International Plastic Day; so you can see that there is an emphasis on plastic pollution.

“We at KPMG believe the solution to this problem requires collaboration; that is why our people decided to partner with the ACI to embark on this clean–up activity here at Oniru Beach.

“It is a statement of intent that we have started taking measureable action and steps towards being the change that we want to see,” Nwankwo said.

He said plastics are among the significant inventions of the 20th century with 150 million tonnes produced every year, which averages one million tonnes of plastics introduced daily into the environment.

He said that as useful as plastics were, they had become a problem in the ecosystem with only nine per cent of plastics ever produced recycled and 79 per cent ending up in landfills.

Nwankwo said eight million tonnes of plastics end up in the ocean and at the rate they were being mishandled, it was projected that there would be more plastics in the sea than fishes.

He lamented that most marine life inject these plastics, taking them for jelly fish or prey which builds up toxins in the fishes which humans ultimately consume.

He linked the proliferation of cancers in humans to consumption of toxic fishes which had plastics as food.

“At KPMG, we want to be part of the solution and not the problem in the environment.

“We want to advocate changes in lifestyle around reuse, reduce and recycling of plastics,” Nwankwo said.

Mr Shedrack Bright, the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager for ACI, said the clean-up exercise at Oniru Beach was to sensitise the people on environmental sustainability.

Bright said that there was the need to entrench the values of sorting and waste separation at the beach.

He said that the ACI was excited at the partnership with KPMG which was in furtherance of their Cooperate Social Responsibility.

Blessing Onyelekwe, Partnership and Engagement Manager for ACI, said that ACI is the implementing partner for the KPMG Oniru Beach clean-up

Onyelekwe said that KPMG, having seen the impact of ACI on the environment, came onboard to partner with them on environmental sustainability.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The St. John’s Apostolic Faith Mission Church (SJAFM) has been rebranded and re-named to Father Tjijombo St.John’s Mission Church on Friday.

The rebranding was done in honour of the Founder of the SJAFM Church and the late Archbishop Petrus Tjijombo who established the church in 1960.

Speaking at the rebranding and renaming ceremony, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Jenelly Matundu stated that the congregation was witnessing a milestone in the history of the St.John’s church as it was renamed.

“We are renaming the Church Archbishop has worked for his whole lifetime. It is really unfortunate that today we are unable to witness the smile that could have been on his face and listen to his acceptance speech as he accepts the honour of being named after the Church in which he spent his whole life,” she said.

Speaking to Nampa on the sideline of the event, the late Archbishop’s nephew and politician Mike Kavekotora, said there is no one who can fully take up his (Archbishop’s) place as he was a giant.

Tjijombo, he said has left a ‘legendary spiritual legacy as well as motivation to the church congregation and to his family’.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Namibia Rugby Premier League outfit Wanderers went top of the Premier League log standings on Saturday after their 27-17 victory over Khomasdal-based outfit Western Suburbs.

The visitors, Wanderers, who travelled from Pioneers Park to Khomasdal, opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute through Warren Ludwig, and DJ Holtshauzen made no mistake with the conversion that saw them take a 7-0 lead.

The home team Suburbs responded with a try of their own in the seventh minute through Dumarcho Hartung, and Bronwon Willemse converted to level the score at 7-7.

In the 19th minute, Suburbs were handed a penalty which Willemse converted to give his team a three-point lead at 10-7. But their lead did not last long as Wanderers were awarded a penalty in the 29th minute which Holtshauzen scored to level the scores.

Just before the halftime break Suburbs, saw one of their players sent to the bin and immediately Wanderers capitalised on that advantage in the 36th minute as Reben Botha ran in a try which Bredell Wessels converted to extend their lead to 17-10 at half-time.

Before the halftime break Wanderers also saw one of their players sent to the bin, but Suburbs failed to capitalise on their one-man advantage as Sheron Russouw served seven more minutes on the bin at the start of the second half.

With Russouw back in the field of play, Wanderers were once again back to their scoring form as Nandivatu Karuuombe ran in two tries in a space of three minutes, and Wessels failed to convert from any of the tries as Wanderers took a 17-point lead with the score standing at 27-10.

As minutes ran down Suburbs regrouped and ran in their second try of the match through Justin Nel, who found a gap after his teammates tussled with the Wanderers’ defence for over two minutes. Willemse once again converted to reduce the gap to 10 points as the score stood at 27-17 for Wanderers.

In the dying minutes of the match, Wessels missed an opportunity of extending their lead after missing a penalty.

The win puts Wanderers on top of the Premier League table with 53 points from 12 games, while Kudus are now second with 49 points and Trustco United who thrashed Reho Falcon 45-19 on Saturday, are third with 44 points.

Suburbs are fourth with 44 points while Rehoboth occupies the top five position with 31 points.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Police in the Kavango East Region discovered the body of a 26-year-old woman hanging from a tree with a cloth around her neck near Mabiye Beach along the Kavango River on Saturday morning.

The Namibia Police Force in its weekend crime briefing report issued on Sunday, said the deceased has been identified as Ndara Evelyn Mbava.

The police found a suicide note at the scene however its contents of it cannot be revealed.

Her next of kin have been informed.

In an unrelated incident, an on-duty security guard allegedly shot a 17-year-old male student near VIP Bar in Kehemu informal settlement in Rundu on Saturday.

It is reported that the security guard was responding to a robbery incident at the bar when the victim allegedly took out a knife in an attempt to stab the guard. He (victim) allegedly then ran to a house next to the bar, and in the process, the guard shot and injured the victim with a shotgun on the hip.

The victim is admitted in the Rundu State Hospital, and his condition is stable.

The guard employed by Tulimo Security was arrested for attempted murder and discharging of a firearm in a public area.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

After three years of hard work, Futsal Namibia League administrators have expressed gratitude towards the Namibian Football Association (NFA) for admitting them as new members.

Futsal Namibia was officially relaunched in April 2021 for the Under-17 and Under-19 boys, Open League, and Ladies’ teams after its maiden season in 2019 was interrupted in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Futsal is a football game played on a hard court, smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unlimited substitutions are permitted.

In an interview with the media on Friday during the resumption of their 2023 season, league founder Andrei Tirtiran said they are happy to see that their hard work has finally paid off.

“For the last three years, we have been working on becoming NFA member none stop, and we are happy that the NFA has approved our application,” he said.

He added that being admitted as a member of the NFA, they have already started working towards the NFA and the International Federation of Associations Football (FIFA) status.

“We hosted our first referee workshop this week as our goal is to have 20 referees that belong to Futsal Namibia. Soon we will select our men’s and women’s national teams, and we are excited about the development,” he said, adding that due to a lack of infrastructure, they cannot have the league running in all the towns in the country, but their goal now is to launch a league in Rundu and Swakopmund.

Futsal Namibia League director Abisai Simon added that the next six months will see them putting up their heads and working towards growing the league.

“The national team players will be selected from the Premier League, First and Second Division,” said Simon.

Meanwhile, Tirtiran stated that Futsal Namibia League does not have sponsors, therefore, any corporate company interested in partnering with them or taking over the naming rights of the league are welcome to approach them.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

A 72-year-old Namibian male reportedly committed suicide on Friday at Otjikango Ekwenje Village (Okondjatu settlement) in the Otjozondjupa Region.

The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) crime report on Sunday, indicated that the deceased’s body was found hanging under a tree with a wire around his neck some few meters from his house.

“According to the family members, the deceased was left home alone, at the time of the incident,” it read.

The body was transported to Okakarara State Hospital, where it will be further taken to the Otjiwarongo police mortuary for a postmortem.

There was no suicide note found and the next of kin have been informed.

In a similar incident, 41-year-old Eugene Izaaks committed suicide at Rehoboth’s block D, in the Hardap Region, when he shot himself with his own rifle under the chin and died on the spot.

The incident happened at about 01h30, after an alleged argument with his wife.

No suicide note was found.

In an unrelated event, a 23-year-old male was arrested at the Donkerhoek location in Aranos, Hardap region, for reportedly being in possession of 28 bags of cannabis (35 grams) with a total value of N.dollar 1750 00.

According to NamPol, the suspect was apprehended at about 04h05 on Saturday during the police’s routine search.

Police investigations in all matters continue.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency