Day: August 22, 2023

The Benue Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated Prof. Joseph Utev , the Minister for Water Resources and Sanitation on his recent appointment and inauguration.

This is contained in a statement on Tuesday signed by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Mr Daniel Ihomun, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The party said the minister has the capacity to take the ministry to greater heights, having ascended to the level of professorship through uncommon hard work and held a number of other high-ranking positions.

The party further pledged to support the minister in any measure to fulfil his new assignment with distinctions.

The party also expressed its sincere gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for appointing one of their own as a minister.

It appreciated, Sen. George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, as well as Gov. Hyacinth Alia, for seeing to it that Benue is represented well at the national level. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Nasarawa State Government has commenced the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of economic hardship of the petroleum subsidy removal on its citizen.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had on May 29 announced the removal of the subsidy.

Gov Abdullahi Sule, while inaugurating the distribution on Tuesday in Lafia, assured that it would be done without taking into consideration political affiliations.

According to Sule, it is the responsibility of government to take care of its citizen irrespective of their political and religion affiliations, noting the choice of locations for the distribution shows that is not a political party affair.

Sule explained that Nasarawa State Government had received N2 billion so far out of N4 billion palliative Federal Government recommended for the state, noting that the state looks forward to receiving the balance of N2 billion.

“As far as the palliative is concerned, you have been hearing of N5 billion that is going to be given to the states, it is indeed N5 billion, but the N5 billion is not all in cash.

“N4 billion is being given to every state and out of the N4 billion the Federal Government is going to contribute N2. 80 billion that is 52 per cent of the total amount, and the state will contribute N1.92 billion, that is the details of the amount.

“On the part of the Federal Government, it has already sent N2 billion to us, it will send the remaining N2 billion to us. But N1.92 billion of that money will be repaid to the Federal Government by the states under ISPO,” he said.

Sule stated further that the Federal Government had also allocated N1 billion worth of grains to every state.

“In addition to that, the N1 billion that you have not had is not coming in cash, the Federal Government has grains at strategic reserves all over the country, it has maize, so the N1 billion worth of maize at N25,000 per bag will be given to every state.

“Because all their monies supposed to go for food items, how do they come up with the calculation of N4 billion? What Federal Government has in mind is to buy only rice at N40,000 per bag. N100,000 bags of rice at N40,000 per bag is amount to N4 billion,” he explained.

Sule said that the state had engaged traditional and religious leaders, inter-party advisory council, youth and women groups and officials of government in the sharing arrangement to ensure success.

Speaking earlier, Sidi Bage, Emir of Lafia, thanked President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Sule for giving the palliatives to cushion hardship of the people.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Tinubu Support Team (TST), a coalition of concerned Nigerians, has urged the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Govermental Affairs, Mr Zaphaniah Jisalo, to perform beyond expectations of Nigerians.

The coalition on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference called on the minister not to only live up to expectations, but set record as the first indigenous and detribalised Gbagyi man to ascend the office of a federal minister.

The National Coordinator of the coalition, Mr John Lawal, called on the minister to use his vast experience as a two-term Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), former Member of House of Representatives to create harmonious relationship in governance.

Lawal said that with Jisalo’s experience in government affairs, coupled with his level of education, no indigenous Gbagyi man can be more suitable for the office.

He expressed the confidence that the minister would encourage harmonious interface among the various arms of government and relevant international bodies to enhance good governance and leadership.

Lawal also expressed confidence in the ability of the minister to provide leadership in the development of risk measures and disaster management vis-a-vis handling specialised request of Nigerians and unforseen natural disasters.

“Jisalo as a minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs will use his expertise in Applied Psychology and Administration to conduct, coordinate and promote harmonious relationship among the three tiers of government.

“Consequently, TST appreciates, commends and thanks President Bola Tinubu for appointing Zaphaniah Jisalo, a former AMAC Chairman, Member House of Representatives as Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs after deep scrutiny of his performance in different nomenclatures.

“This has actually showed the dexterity of the president as a nationalist who promptly identifies ” political technocrats” that have carved niches for themselves in political administrations irrespective of their tribes and religions.

” We also appreciate the president for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the president appointed his cabinet within the first 100 days, he selected competent individuals from all the geo-political zones,” he said.

He also commended the president for appointing Prince Shuaib-Abubakar Audu, who he described as one of the best brains, technocrats and the scions of late Prince Abubakar Audu.

Lawal said that the appointment of Audu has endeared the president to the good people of Kogi and a testament that the administration represents an era of renewed hope. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Stakeholders in education sector on Tuesday brainstormed on opinions/inputs suggested in the design of the architectural framework for the review of the Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC) in Nigeria.

The stakeholders met at a ‘Workshop for the Validation of the Senior Secondary Education Curriculum Review Framework and Guidelines’, organised by the Nigerians Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The aim is to bring ideas to make Nigerian system of education to be part of the emerging innovations, life-long learning system which could be infused into the curriculum to place the country among the best nation of the world.

Speaking, Prof. Ismail Junaidu, Executive Secretary NERDC, said the workshop was another stage in NERDC’s efforts to democratise the curriculum development process, anchored on the philosophy of having all stakeholders who had contributed to school programmes.

“This validation workshop is expected to take a holistic look at the guidelines with the intent of providing technically sound suggestions for improvement and adoption, afterwards.

“Specifically in this meeting, you will be expected to bring to bare your experiences and expertise on issues relating to the proposed curriculum structure and the implementation framework, ” he said.

According to Junaidu, NERDC in previous national dialogues had collated and harmonised the views, inputs and suggestions of stakeholders including students to come up with the guidelines and framework for the review of the SSEC.

He said the process had provided a clear roadmap for the review of the SSEC, adding that the development of the guidelines followed through several stages which involved curriculum experts, teachers and policy makers.

Also, Dr Iyela Ajayi, Executive Secretary, National Senior Secondary Education Commission, commended the NERDC management for the workshop, saying that it came at the right time since curriculum was subject to review periodically to meet best global practice.

Ajayi, however noted that having an excellent curriculum was one thing, but its implementation was remained the most important focus.

“Therefore, as we embark on the task of reviewing the curriculum periodically, we must also focus on the important issue of curriculum implementation. “

In her contributions, Mrs Kadija Liman, Director Educational Management, Ministry of Education, expressed joy over the move by the NERDC to ensure that the nation’s school curriculum was restructured to meet the present global standards.

Liman said NERDC’s action on new curriculum had taken away some of the burden on the curriculum from the ministry, adding that the ministry would do all it could to ensure its implementation.

Mr David Akoji, Director Special Duties/States Operations, National Orientation Agency in his contributions placed emphasis on inclusion of value re-orientation in the curriculum to inculcate value system in the lives of the younger generation.

Akoji, however, suggested the need for Nigerian government to emulate other countries of the world with best education practices which had yielded positive results in the lives of their younger generation.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the workshop drew the present of representatives from ICPC, CBN, UNICEF, FIRS, Professors from different fields and other critical stakeholders in education.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Cuban head of State Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Tuesday paid tribute to the Cuban internationalist Raúl Díaz Arguelles Garcia, who died in combat in Angola in December 1975.

At the Alto das Cruzes cemetery, in Luanda, the Cuban Statesman laid a wreath on the tomb where the remains of commander Raúl Díaz Arguelles Garcia are laid to rest.

Born in Havana on September 14, 1937, Commander Raúl Arguelles died at dawn on December 11, 1975, in the municipality of Ebo, coastal province of Cuanza Sul in Angola, where he distinguished himself in the fight against the troops of the then apartheid regime of South Africa.

The late commander was part of the Cuban contingent sent to Angola, shortly before the proclamation of National Independence on November 11, 1975, to help stop the invasion of the country by foreign forces.

President Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez arrived in Luanda on Sunday (20th) for a state visit to Angola, as part of the strengthening of bilateral relations.

On Monday, he visited the Agostinho Neto Memorial, where he signed the Book of Honour, and met with his Angolan counterpart, João Lourenço.

On the same day, the Cuban Head of State witnessed, together with the Angolan President, the signing of agreements between delegations from both countries and participated in a solemn session in the National Assembly (Parliament).

Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez ends his visit to Angola this Tuesday (22).

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Cuban head of State Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez visited Tuesday the “Angola e Cuba” school, in the municipality of Cazenga, where he left books and planted a tree.

The Angola and Cuba school was built in 1988 by Cuban technicians, as a result of cooperation between the governments of Angola and Cuba.

Now called “Public School No. 3042 Angola and Cuba”, the infrastructure has capacity for more than three thousand students in three shifts, morning, afternoon and night.

On site, Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez visited the four-story school that benefited from works with funds from the Public Investment Programme (PIP).

The school now has 20 classrooms, one for computing, one for meetings and one for teachers. The infrastructure also includes a library, auditorium and infirmary. Students from Angola and Cuba also have broadband internet service available.

Angola and Cuba maintain excellent cooperation relations in various areas, such as security, education, health, transport, public works, construction, oil, sports, culture, tourism, and agriculture.

The two States established diplomatic relations on November 15, 1975, four days after Angola’s independence, and a year later they signed the General Cooperation Agreement, which gave rise to the Bilateral Commission

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

For 99-year-old Elizabeth Iilonga from Tsumeb, Heroes’ Day holds special significance as her four children and one grandchild selflessly dedicated their lives to Namibia’s liberation struggle.

Iilonga, affectionately known as Kuku Nekulu, in an interview with Nampa commended the Namibian Government for officially designating 26 August as a day of commemoration. The date holds deep significance for her as it memorialises the sacrifices of her children and grandson in the pursuit of a free Namibia.

Born in Oniipa on 24 August 1924 to Henok Shamula and Hilma Matias, Iilonga moved to Tsumeb in 1962 in search of a better life. There, she was employed as a domestic worker, and later became mother to Simon ‘Zhu’ Iilonga Mbako, Selma Iilonga and Elias Iilonga, and grandmother to Tobias ‘Tjo-Tjo’ Iilonga.

Sadly, Elias Iilonga lost his life during the liberation struggle, while Simon and Selma Iilonga passed away after the struggle.

“I lost my husband in 1984 and I was looking forward to the children coming back and taking care of me, but it was short-lived,” Kuku Nekulu said.

She added that she was proud of her children when they were in exile.

“They used to write letters while in exile and I was always happy to hear about their whereabouts. With UN Resolution 435 I was waiting for my children. But war is war, some of them came back but one perished in the war. I was not the only one who lost children. The aim was independence!” she said.

Iilonga said she is very grateful to the people who fought in the liberation struggle and prays to God to always bless them.

In her twilight years, Iilonga is lovingly cared for by her great-granddaughter, Wilhemina Iilonga, who shared insights into her great-grandmother’s health.

“My great-grandmother ceased walking last year after undergoing a leg operation, and her vision has been deteriorating. She predominantly spends her days in front of the television and is experiencing hearing loss,” she said.

Speaking to Nampa in a separate interview, Tobias ‘Tjo-Tjo’ Iilonga, Kuku Nekulu’s grandson and a former fighter for the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), disclosed that their grandmother was a motivating force for them to go into exile and contribute to the country’s liberation. He revealed that his grandmother was an active member of Swapo in Tsumeb during the 1960s, and her dedication inspired them to join the PLAN fighters under the leadership of Ruben ‘Danger’ Ashipala.

Tobias ‘Tjo-Tjo’ Iilonga, born on 21 January 1969 in Oniipa, is the son of Selma Iilonga, Kuku Nekulu’s firstborn. He ventured into exile in 1985 to join PLAN as a combatant and actively fought in various battles until 1989. He spoke fondly of his grandmother’s caring nature, mentioning that she played a nurturing role for individuals like Minister of Labour and Employment Creation, Utoni Nujoma, during the liberation struggle.

“My grandmother is a very kind person; she looked after us and cared for everyone, especially all the Swapo members. She worked as a domestic worker in the homes of white families to support and sustain us,” he said.

Aina Kuutondokwa, Kuku Nekulu’s remaining daughter, is a registered nurse at Eenhana State Hospital. She lived with her mother until her marriage in 2000 and reminisced about Kuku Nekulu’s tireless work ethic, even in her advanced age.

Kuutondokwa recounted instances of her mother being interrogated by apartheid authorities whenever she hosted or sheltered high-profile Swapo members, including Nujoma. She mentioned that her mother sent her children into exile solely for the purpose of achieving independence.

Nujoma, who had a close friendship with the late Simon Mbako, shared his recollections of Kuku Nekulu during the late 90s. He characterised her as a humble woman who possessed a profound command of the Oshindonga language.

“She used to be a formidable woman like all the other women who looked after their children under difficult circumstances, under colonialism but always smiling,” Nujoma said.

Despite challenging circumstances under colonial rule, Nujoma remembered her as a resilient figure who cared for her children with unwavering determination.

Heroes’ Day is commemorated on 26 August to remember and honour the men and women who fought for Namibia’s liberation.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The second consultative stakeholders workshop on the third draft of the Regional Councils Amendment Act 22 of 1992, is underway at Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa Region.

The two-day workshop is being attended by regional governors, chairpersons of the regional councils, regional constituency councillors and chief regional officers.

Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni officially opening, said amending the Regional Councils Act 22 of 1992 is important and necessary since there are gaps and shortcomings in the Act at the moment.

“The purpose of this workshop is to come together and draft a Bill of 2022 with these consultations, starting with the first workshop in October 2022 we had in Swakopmund in the Erongo Region,” he said.

Uutoni further called on all participants to be honest in their input towards the formulation of the Bill, so that the amended Act can benefit the country and its future generations.

Otjozondjupa Governor, James Uerikua added said the participants should contribute towards the new Bill without including their personal interests.

“Contribute towards it without putting your personal interests first, we want to see you applying your total integrity, accountability, transparency, effectiveness and efficiency into the formulation of this Act,” said Uerikua.

Advocate Petrus Harmse, who is a private lawyer based in the capital city, is the lead legal expert hired by Government to assist in drafting the new regional councils law, said Uutoni.

The workshop started Tuesday and ends Wednesday.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology is finalising the Data Protection Bill, which aims to control the collection, storage, and processing of personal data.

On Monday, the ministry held a two-day validation workshop in Windhoek to take public feedback into account and validate the content of the bill before submitting it to Cabinet.

Speaking at the workshop, information and communication technology director Linda Aipinge said the bill aims to protect individual rights, freedom, and privacy.

“We are all aware that with digital transformation, digitalisation requires a large amount of data online and in digital format. And this poses a high risk of breaches, and therefore this necessitates a law that protects the citizens’ privacy online,” Haipinge said.

She said the legislation will also place obligations on controllers and processors of personal information.

“It is very important that you all understand, as processors and controllers, what your obligations are, and if you don’t comply, there will be legal consequences according to the law,” Haipinge said.

According to Samsom Muhapi, who spearheaded the drafting of the bill, the legislation also makes provisions for restrictions and exemptions, which are mostly applicable to national security.

“I think we have our police members, they need to know what the restrictions are,” he said.

He said there are sections dedicated to obtaining information through search warrants. “I think it’s a normal practice at the moment that you can be a police officer, but you have no right to actually enter my home without a search warrant,” Muhapi said.

He noted that the Data Protection Bill contains 76 sections, including a provision for the establishment of a Data Protection Supervisory Authority.

Amongst others, the regulatory authority will receive and investigate complaints about alleged violations of the protection of personal data and report to complainants in respect of such complaints.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

President Hage Geingob on Tuesday received a farewell courtesy call from Modestus Francis Kipilimba, outgoing High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to Namibia.

President Geingob and High Commissioner Kipilimba discussed and concurred that there is a need for African countries to work together in order to strengthen economic diplomacy among themselves and develop their countries.

Dr Kipilimba informed President Geingob that during his three-year tenure, he successfully facilitated various trade agreements between Namibian and Tanzanian businesses in the areas of diamonds, petroleum exploration, construction and meat processing.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Director of the Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia, Ben Schernick said there is a need to address malnutrition as a national priority, as the annual cost of malnutrition equals to N.dollars 11 billion per year.

Schernick said this following the alarming findings that 24 per cent of Namibian children have been identified as stunted leading to economic losses of N.dollars 11 billion a year, by the Cost of Hunger in Africa on Social and Economic Impact of Child Undernutrition (CHASE) in Namibia 2022 report.

Stunting occurs when a child does not have sufficient nutrition to grow and develop which is normally caused by a poor diet alone.

Schernick at a media briefing on Tuesday said the report further indicates that an estimated 12 711 child deaths in Namibia were directly associated with undernutrition before a child turns one year old. It also shows that 23.7 per cent of all repetitions in school are associated with stunting and stunted children achieve 13.9 per cent less in school education.

“We really need to put in efforts and look at the whole system. The gravity of the food and nutrition insecurity crisis and the urgency to take action is not fully understood. The Ministry of Health alone cannot do it, but all of us, starting from individuals ensuring that they eat a balanced diet, especially children under the age of two,” he stressed.

Schernick further indicated the Fill the Nutrients Gap (FNG) Namibia study report for 2021 shows that a family of five needs to spend at least N.dollars 3 131 per month on food items alone in order to meet their minimum nutrient requirements, noting 43.1 per cent of the adult population in Namibia suffered from stunting as children.

Schernick stressed there is an urgent need to promote and enable backyard gardens by decentralising local food production systems, to enable families to acquire a balanced diet from their backyards.

He also called on the government to move away from fragmented social grants and food support programmes towards a Universal Basic Income Grant (UBIG) of N.dollars 500 available to all Namibians who are not on the tax roll or receiving pension and veteran support.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency