Monday, 13 March 2017
Sunday, 12 March 2017
Zenith Bank revives Delta State Principals Cup
The Delta State Principal’s Cup competition for Secondary schools which has been grounded over the years is back with a big bang courtesy of Zenith Bank.
All the secondary schools in the 25 Local Governments of the state will be involved in the competition in which the preliminaries are expected to start today (Monday).
Hideaplux limited, Warri are the organisers of the event and the CEO of the outfit, Tony Pemu, said at the weekend that the Zenith bank initiative was timely.
He said: “It is a big blessing because Delta is noted for talents in all sports especially football but our young ones have not had the opportunity over the years.
“The sponsorship of Zenith Bank will take our football back to where it belongs in the next few years.”
Group Managing Director of Zenith, Peter Amangbo, noted that the Principal’s Cup project in Delta State is part of the bank’s way of developing the Nigerian youth.
“We always try to assist youths to showcase their talents and this is just one of such events. Delta has a rich sports background and we felt is important that the secondary school football competition is revived,” Amangbo said.
There are over 1,200 private secondary schools and 446 public government secondary schools in the state.
Pemu stressed that the schools are excited with the return of the competition and they are already preparing for it.
“We expect one winner to emerge from each of the 25 LGs in the state. The qualifiers will be later grouped into eight where the quarterfinalists will emerge. The work load is very huge because all the schools are involved. The time is short but we are working hard on all logistics,” Pemu said.
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South-East, South-South Professionals to set up Economic Union
By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA—SOUTH-East and South-South professionals have begun arrangements aimed at establishing economic union for the zones. The arrangements, as gathered, is intended to lead Nigeria’s economic emancipation drive.
Already, the groups have concluded plans to hold a conference in collaboration with the governors of all the concerned states in the region on April 18, at Owerri, capital of Imo state.
An official statement jointly signed by the national coordinators, Messrs Emmanuel Ohai, Dowell Mirin, Eze Eluchie, among others, revealed the theme of the conference as “South-East and South-South: Towards Greater Economic Union.”
The group stated that issues to be discussed at the conference include:” fiscal federalism; economic integration; political integration; addressing regional fears, mistrust and political concerns and inter-regional commerce among the eleven states of the South-East and South-South.”
According to the statement, the forum will give the South-East and South-South states an ample opportunity to focus on its natural resources in developing areas of its comparative advantage and ultimately entrench inter-regional trade and commerce.
Lamenting that the region has been stunted by inherent contradictions of the Nigerian State, the statement quoted the conveners of the conference as further stating that the South-South and South-East regions have an enormous and the greatest potentials in terms of human, economic and natural resources in Sub Saharan Africa.
The group which is pioneered online, is known for organising and creating advocacy techniques that have become standard in politics, non-profits, and the industrial sector globally.
The group aims to create a South-South/South-East network of dedicated professionals to synergise and assume leadership positions and to educate and enlighten the youths in the region to take control of their destiny.
The post South-East, South-South Professionals to set up Economic Union appeared first on Vanguard News.
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Wednesday, 8 March 2017
Nigerian, South African unions to meet over xenophobic attacks
Xenophobic Attack
• ULC, Foluso Phillips expresses concern
A newly inaugurated trade group, United Labour Congress (ULC) has said plans are underway to hold talks with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) over the recent attacks of Nigerian in that country.
The union expressed concern over the ongoing xenophobic attacks against foreigners in South Africa, calling on the Federal Government to immediately evacuate Nigerians to prevent further killings.
Nigerians and other Africans have been subjected to huge losses – physically, financially and mentally, following the resumption of attacks on foreigners, in a move that has attracted global criticism, as the South African Government is unable to check the escalation of the onslaught.
Meanwhile the Chairman, Nigeria South Africa Chamber of Commerce, Foluso Phillips said the National Union of Nigerian Students and a host of Niger Delta ‘vigilante’ groups are gathering and threatening to carry out counter reprisal attacks against ‘South African’ companies in Nigeria as an act of retaliation. .
“This does not make sense and relegates us to the same level of naivety and indeed stupidity as the black South Africans causing havoc in their country. The difference is that these companies in Nigeria are Nigerian companies. They employ Nigerians, are managed by Nigerians and serve very many Nigerians, especially the likes of MTN, DSTV, Standard Bank, SA Breweries, Sasol and another hundred other companies.
”To shut them down is to shoot ourselves in the foot and to be quite honest, the South African Government would not care that much. Their people are not being hurt and the destruction of the business in Nigeria does nothing to them in South Africa but a lot to us here,” he said.
He added:”MTN is a Nigerian company employing thousands of Nigerians directly and indirectly, whose livelihood would be challenged by such destructive act. This applies to so many other ‘South African’ companies operating in Nigeria as well.
Speaking in Lagos at the ULC’s inaugural Central Working Committee (CWC), its National President, Joe Ajaero, said: “COSATU should speak out against the misplaced aggression. The ULC is putting in place modalities to reach out to our comrades in that nation for positive steps in building better relations between our citizens in the future.
COSATU is the largest of South Africa’s three labour federations, with 1.8million members from 21 affiliated trade unions.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2n8uv7G
ECOWAS names Nigerian as resource person for commission’s headquarters
ECOWAS Headquarters
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has appointed a Nigerian, Haroun Harry Audu into a pool of Resource Persons for the Commission Headquarter.
Audu, who is a marketing communications consultant, legal practitioner and public affairs strategist, was appointed into the role of Communications Expert to oversee and execute the communication and visibility plan of a European Union fully funded project in support to ECOWAS Drug Unit Advocacy, Monitoring and Coordination Capacities. The operational location of the project is in all ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania and is consistent with the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan. The appointment takes immediate effect.
The first phase of the European Union-funded project will be concluded in November 2018, subject to renewal. Audu is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and he currently serves as a member of its Governing Council. He is also an Associate Registered Practitioner in Advertising, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM); a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and a member of the African Council on Communication Education (ACCE).
The project is to contribute to a reduction of drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related organized crime in West Africa by supporting the implementation of the Regional Action Plan that has been developed by ECOWAS to address these issues. A new ECOWAS Drug Action Plan has been adopted for the period 2016-2020.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mDtOp6
IFMA seals pact with Max-Migold on training
(L-R) Director Max-Migold, Olusola Erubami, President, International Facility Management Association, Nigeria Chapter (IFMA), Pius Iwundu, Chief Executive Officer, Max-Migold, Paul Erubami and the Vice President IFMA, Abimbola Olusegun-Adamolekun at the Partnership Agreement Signing between IFMA and Max-Migold in Lagos.
To deepen capacity for practical facility management knowledge and skills among practitioners in the country, The International Facility Management Association (IFMA), Nigeria chapter, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Max-Migold Limited to deliver world-class training services to corporate organisations and individual professionals in the industry.
According to the two parties, the collaboration is expected to bring to the attention of concerned stakeholders in Nigeria, the need to foster collective actions for development in the industry.
While speaking at the signing ceremony, the President of IFMA Nigeria, Pius Iwundu noted that the training collaboration would create more awareness about facility management in Nigeria observed that it would address the challenges of the nation’s poor maintenance culture.
However, he revealed that public campaigns would be carried out at Industries, public offices, Government agencies and Parastatals and other places where good Facility Management culture can have major and positive impact.
Under new arrangement, IFMA Nigeria will continue to organize training sessions and issue certificates to participants while Max-Migold will lead the academic development process, working with a team of experienced and certified faculties and facilitators.
In his comments, the Chief Executive Officer, Max-Migold, Paul Erubami cited unavailability of undergraduate degree and diploma programmes for facility management and the high cost of foreign professional training as factors that necessitated the development of local training offerings such as the ones being championed by the partnership.
He added that with the partnership, practitioners can now gain the skills and tools to operate their buildings sustainably, cost effectively, and proactively as well as execute maintenance strategies and deliver on occupant services such as Heat Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Mechanical and Electrical, janitorial cleaning, Horticulture, fumigation, Health and Safety. He added that other benefits include increasing asset quality and value through maintenance, as well as ensuring business continuity through risk management and emergency preparedness.
According to the agreement, the training packages available would cater for the needs of business executives, procurement, admin and corporate service leaders who require the cost-effective and sustainable services of facility managements whether in-house or outsourced to achieve the strategic missions of their organizations.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2n8pLin
Disparity in unity schools’ cut-off marks as an albatross
While the Federal Government is keen on promoting nationwide cohesion and educational development, its unity schools’ admission policy is considered an invitation to chaos and mediocrity, Head, Education Desk, IYABO LAWAL reports.
A young girl seeking admission into any of the country’s 104 Federal Government Colleges (Unity Schools) from Anambra State must score 139 points out of a possible 300 to stand a chance of being taken.
But her counterpart from Zamfara state only needs to guess two answers right; in order words, she is required to have just two points. And so, Nigeria’s admission policy into national colleges is considered by some educationists as primarily designed to foster mediocrity though its stated intent is to promote unity among Nigeria’s over 300 ethnic nationalities.
The motto is “Pro Unitate”, for Unity; hence, it seeks to accommodate each tribe and tongue every academic year. The disparity in cut-off marks suggests that diversity is preferred over academic excellence.
And the results bear testimony to this fact. Last year, Nigeria’s four Federal Government Colleges did not produce a single candidate that scored five credits that included English and Mathematics, needed to gain admission into the university.
Federal Government Girls’ College, Bajoga (Gombe State); FGGC, Bauchi (Bauchi State); FGGC Gboko (Benue State), and the Federal Science and Technical College, Kafanchan (in Kaduna State) did not produce a single pupil with credits in English and Mathematics.
Attempts to explain the necessity of this wide disparity in cut-off marks have, in the eyes of some Nigerians, come out hollow and trite. Prof. Abdulrashid Garba, the Registrar, National Examination Council (NECO) during the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) in Abuja in 2015 said the score alone does not determine whether or not a child is admitted. Garba told journalists that in every state, ranking is done.
“If you want to admit 6,000 students in a state, for instance, then you rank from the score of the first person to where the score of the 6,000th person stops and that becomes the cut-off mark.
“Performances vary from state to state; you hear parents say I am from so-and-so state and my child scores high marks but was not admitted but another child from another state was admitted.
“It is so because the cut-off marks for such disadvantaged states are usually lower; there is a clear-cut criteria and it is only for the parents to know the criteria. These schools are unity colleges which means you must take along all parts of the country,’’ he pointed out.
In summary, the registrar said that to ensure the adequate representation of every part of Nigeria, a uniform cut-off marks cannot be guaranteed.
Criticism against the policy also stems from the fact that it discriminates based on gender, subtly suggesting that one gender is incapable of matching the intellectual ability of the other.
For example, a male pupil from Yobe State requires only two points out of possible 300 points to gain admission, while his female counterpart requires 27 points to gain admission to the same school. For Zamfara State, a boy needs four points while a girl requires only two points.
History
Precursors to the ‘Unity Schools’ of today were the King’s College and Queen’s College established in 1909 and 1927 respectively, by the British when Nigeria was still a colony.
Three new ones were established in Warri, Sokoto and Enugu in 1966. It was during the administration of General Yakubu Gowon in 1973 that a decision was taken to spread the idea by establishing unity schools in all the 12 states that existed then.
After the brutal Civil War, Nigerian rulers felt a need to bond the disparate ethnic groups so the next set of unity schools were established in the North, South, West and East.
These include: Federal Government College Sokoto, Federal Government College, Warri, Federal Government College Odogbolu, and Federal Government College, Enugu.
When it was established each college admitted pupils based on the following criteria: 30 per cent on merit; 30 per cent, state quota; 30 per cent, environment; and 10 per cent exigency.
The 30 per cent admitted on merit can gain admission into the colleges of their choice, irrespective of their states of origin if they excel well above the cut-off mark of their states.
The state quota criterion requires the colleges to select 30 per cent of their candidates from each state of the federation; while the environment criterion is reserved for candidates from the host state/community of the college. The 10 per cent criterion is based on exigencies.
However, years of neglect soon led to enthronement of mediocrity, as merit, which used to dictate admissions took the back seat. This progressed into official policy that allows for pupils from some states to get into the schools with two measly points.
The admission criterion that mandates admission from every state is an exception rather than the norm. Parents favour unity schools nearby to enrol their children and this led to a situation where in some schools especially in southern parts of Nigeria admission quotas are over-subscribed while some states have high numbers of unused slots.
Now all pretence to universal academic excellence has been shed, as the results of the pupils of these unity schools have become a crying shame.
Attempts at remediation
Many people have expressed discontent over this situation and it continues to generate heated debates year in, year out. Prior to his removal in August last year, the Registrar/Chief Executive of the National Examination Council (NECO) Prof. Promise Okpala said the issue is a policy matter as his organisation merely conducts the tests.
In 2013, Nigeria’s lower legislative chambers, the House of Representatives, investigated the discriminatory cut-off marks for admissions into Federal Government Colleges (FGCs) to ascertain if truly some states are actually educationally disadvantaged.
Hon. Afam Ogene, who represented Anambra state at the time told his colleagues during plenary that to gain admission into Unity Schools, the cut-off mark system requires candidates from south-east and south-west states to score significantly higher marks than their counterparts from the North or those states tagged “educationally-less-developed states (ELDS) in the NCEE conducted by NECO.
However this move did not gain much traction as several people both in the National Assembly and outside said the disparity is being exaggerated.
Administrators in some unity schools said only a negligible number of students are admitted from educationally less developed states, but others differ.
In 2013, human rights lawyer and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, filed a suit at a Federal High Court in Lagos over admission inequality in Federal Government Colleges.
Agbakoba joined the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister for Education as defendants in the suit asking the court to declare that application of different cut-off marks for unity schools by government based on gender, ethnicity and states of origin is discriminatory and violates fundamental rights to freedom and from discrimination of his grandchildren who are candidates as guaranteed by the constitution.
Two years later, the court declared as unconstitutional, the decades-long state-based, quota system admission into federal government colleges. John Tsoho, the trial Judge, in his ruling declared that the action of the Minister of Education in prescribing and applying different requirements for candidates seeking admission into unity schools is in violation of Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
The court held that the provision of the constitution is superior to any administrative law or policies adopted by the Minister of Education and directed the government to apply uniform admission requirements, especially cut-off marks, to all candidates seeking admission into unity schools.
Currently, admission spots into Nigeria’s unity schools are hotly contested. A statement from the Ministry of Education last year said a total of 89,231 candidates took part in the examination, out of which 46,869 met the cut-off marks.
On the disparity in the cut off marks, the ministry explained that the admission policy was introduced to address the issue of federal character in the schools in addition to fostering peace, unity and amicable coexistence among Nigerians.
The Director Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Mrs. Chinennye Ihuoma while justifying the process said using different cut-off marks was to equitably allocate admission spaces to states that are marginally ahead of others and those marginally behind.
She said: “In Nigeria we have the Federal Character policy and this entails that we have to pick students from all states of the federation to accomplish this. Unity collages and federal universities should have students from all the states of the federation. It is just like the way we have minsters from all the states of the federation.
“To accomplish this, the ministry picks the best from each state. The best from Imo state for instance may not be the best from Lagos, but they are the best in the respective states.
She added: “ “Assuming that the Unity Schools need 20 candidates each from the north and south and we have about 500 students who took the exams from the south and only 50 from the north, pupils who have higher scores from each zone would be considered starting from the highest until we reach the number of required students for the zone. The student in the 20th position from the south might score 150 while that of the north may be five.
On claims that the policy would promote mediocrity and undermine excellence, the official pointed out that it would require a constitutional review for the policy to be changed.
In Nigeria, lowering standards and compromising excellence has not improved the educational system neither will a policy that deliberately promotes mediocrity, education experts who are more concerned about quality than quantity concluded.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mDBRSM
Okezie Ikpeazu moves to tackle joblessness in Abia State
Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu
The need to develop integrated approach to tackle unemployment at the state level has become more imperative now than ever before, the Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has said.
Delivering a lecture entitled: “Unemployment: who will tame this monster”, the governor stated that unemployment has become a socio-economic problem and since little or nothing had been done to put it on check, it has had adverse effects the country and has led to criminal activities and other evil vices.
The governor identified wrong government policies, corruption, lack of skill, ghost workers holding real jobs, difficulty in accessing capital for businesses, wrong education policies, poor power supply and neglect of farming as major factors boosting unemployment.
On the flip side, Ikpeazu also listed high crime-rate, civil unrest, high suicide rate, divorce, frustration, and easy availability of political thugs among other factors as dangers of failure to tackle unemployment by all the major stakeholders.
On what Abia State government is doing to tackle joblessness, Ikpeazu said the state government has embarked upon what he termed the ‘Abia example’ to tackle the menace.
His explanation: “What we have been able to do in Abia State to stem this tide and create jobs for our people since we came on board is the One-Stop-Shop/PPP. We have built a One-Stop-Investment Centre, which is geared towards easing the process of starting a business in Abia State for investors. We have a very short period of providing Certificates of Occupancy and other business requirements so that the businesses can start and employ our people.
“Abia State is currently playing host to the Central Bank of Nigeria Entrepreneurship Development Centre which provides training and empowerment for youths in the South-East.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2n8C12v
The Bala Ngilari example
Bala Ngilari
I’m not in the habit of gloating over another man’s misfortune. Far from me therefore to gloat over the misfortune that has befallen, Bala Ngilari, former governor of Adamawa State. He spent only seven months in office to complete the term of Governor Murtala Nyakko and left in May 2015.
Though there is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face, to borrow some words from King Duncan in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Ngilari, was a gentleman in whom many who know him had absolute trust. But a court in Yola last Monday sent him to jail for five years for not following due process when he authorised the purchase of 25 official vehicles for his commissioners during the short spell – only seven months – that he held office as governor. The amount involved is N167 million, something a little short of what many other governors spend either as security vote weekly or for government house entertainment.
When a colleague of mine heard the aforementioned figure, he cynically remarked that there might have been a mistake. He thought rightly that the figure was N167 billion. His take is that these days nobody does government business in millions either of naira or dollars. Unless you are thinking of chicken feed. Even the chicken, when they come home to roost, they demand more than millions. They price their services in billions of naira, given the exchange rate. But my friend was wrong.
And the judge, Justice Nathan Musa, of the Adamawa State High Court, was right. Probably so. Maybe when and if an appeal court sets his judgment aside, we shall know if there is any miscarriage of justice. But for now, this judge will receive accolade from across the country for his unprecedented judgement. Before now, it seemed easier for the proverbial camel to pass through the eye of the needle than to have any judge in this country sentence an ex-governor to prison for corruption. By the way, is this Justice Nathan Musa a Nigerian?
By the account of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, there is a long list of high profile cases of corruption involving high profile men of yesterday pending in many courts. These cases involve former governors, some senators and some of their business associates. These cases have been in court since the year 2007 but no definite conclusion or conviction has been had. In all cases the funds they were accused of mismanaging are in billions, not the Nggilari’s chicken feed.
The administration of justice system in the old dispensation which was characterised by flip flop prosecution and the delaying tactics of defence has thus far resulted in justice delayed leading eventually to justice denied. In other climes, in other circumstances, where justice does not move at the speed of Mr Snail, Ngilari ought to have had more than a handful of worthy predecessors in any prison of his choice. Meaning that some retired governors who deserve to cool their feet there should have gone ahead of Ngilari to prison. Some of those who should have preceded him have so far managed their loot creatively, diligently and effectively to stay on the wrong side of justice.
An unfortunate combination of immunity and impunity – immunity from prosecution while in office and impunity conferred by wealth outside office – threw these people up as bad examples to the next generation of rulers and leaders who succeeded them in office. Since the profligacy and kleptomania of their predecessors did not attract any consequence, since their predecessors were celebrated for looting public treasury and even rewarded with befitting chieftaincy titles, the new generation of leaders were encouraged to do what pleased their whims and fancy. They, too, had no qualms treating public funds as their personal money. What is worse, many of them play god because they feel they are not accountable to anybody.
The offence for which poor Ngilari was sent to prison is not an exclusive preserve of leaders that served during the Jonathan years of the locust. The offence and other related offences are being committed every day round the country even under Buhari watch. While the Adamawa case is in millions, only N167 million to be specific, the others have run into billions and still counting. The word public procurement act must be Greek to many of the lords in their respective states where they hold court; where contracts are given without due regard to laid down procedure, where bail-out funds are being mismanaged and not utilised for the purposes they were intended to serve; where Paris Club refunds are treated as manna from heaven and shielded away from the prying eyes of the public so that no busy body union leader and other recalcitrant activists have the audacity to call them to account.
But there is hope; hope that it will no longer be business as usual. Only those whom the gods wish to destroy will not ponder to reflect on the tragedy that has befallen Ngilari. Come to think of it: he is not going to prison for outright embezzlement. He has not been sent into the gulag for using public funds to build mansions for himself as it has become the vogue. Nor has he been found guilty of stashing away public funds in soak away pits and private banks in his village at the expense of public good, or at the expense of civil servants and pensioners in the state. The purchase of official vehicles for his commissioners, says the judge, was not in accordance with the public procurement act. For violating the law, he faces the consequence.
“This judgment” says an ecstatic Professor Ishaq Akinola, director of Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, “is a game changer. It is a yellow card for fraudulent governors who believe that state government houses are meant for their personal aggrandisement.”
Soon, Nggilari like Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory, will discover that there is a vast difference between Government House Yola and Government Prison wherever it is located. When General Muhammadu Buhari in his first incarnation as head of state sent governors of the Second Republic to prison for various cases of malfeasance, Sam Mbakwe, ex-governor of old Imo State, was serving in Kaduna prison. When Col. John Shagaya, minister of Internal Affairs, was visiting prison facilities round the country, he came face to face with Mbakwe in Kaduna. The young minister greeted elder Mbakwe and asked how he was feeling. Mbakwe’s reply was sharp and witty: If you know Government House Owerri and you compare it with this place then you would know how I feel.
I guess that serving governors and the coterie of their flattering sycophants and other minions will not fail to appreciate, from the Ngilari example, that there is life outside government house and learn the appropriate lesson.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2m4kis4
Conditional cash transfer beneficiaries in Katsina to get N5, 000 stipends
Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari
The beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s N5, 000 Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) stipend for the poor in Katsina State would be paid before the end of March.
Special adviser to Governor Aminu Bello Masari on Girls’ Child Education, Mrs. Binta Alli who stated this recently, said first set of beneficiaries would come from 12 council areas.
Mrs Alli stated this after a four-day special training for enumerators that would capture the figure of those who are poor and vulnerable in the state.
She said the training was meant to assist enumerators to use correct variables and parameters in determining those adjudged to be poor and vulnerable in the state.
The special adviser, who did not disclose when other beneficiaries from the rest council areas would get to benefit from the stipend, however said they would get to enjoy theirs at a later date.
She explained: “By March ending, the beneficiaries from the 12 local council areas of the state would be paid their stipend. The beneficiaries have been estimated to be from 800 to 1,000 per local council area.’’
She added that 144 participants from the 12 selected local council areas in the state have been selected for the training programme, pointing out that the training of the remaining enumerators would be conducted later.
Meanwhile, the National Programme Coordinator for National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), Peter Papka has revealed that more than 58 million Nigerians are still considered poor despite government’s efforts at reducing poverty in the country.
Pakpa made the disclosure in Katsina in his contribution during the four-day training for enumerators to capture the figure of the poor and the vulnerable in the state.
According to him: “Despite huge investments in various poverty alleviation programmes by governments in Nigeria, more than 58 million Nigerians are still considered poor”.
He said the NASSCO had already established social register on the poor and the vulnerable in 10 states. He said the social register was aimed at building a platform that would assist to sustain poverty alleviation programmes in the country.
He attributed the failure of the previous poverty alleviation programmes in the country to use of wrong method in tackling poverty issues, adding that correct beneficiaries were also not identified.
On his part, the Secretary to the Government of Katsina State (SGS), Mustapha Mohammed Inuwa, said high level of poverty in the North could be traced to the raising of large number of children by some parents who cannot adequately cater for them.
Inuwa said the state government had taken a number of measures aimed at alleviating poverty that included skills acquisition among other programmes for the reduction in the number of the unemployed.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2n1cJGA
Natural remedies for chronic kidney disease
Garlic and ginger… the most potent herbal medicine combination ever
Ahead of the World Kidney Day tomorrow, March 10, 2017, scientists have identified diabetes and high blood pressure as the leading causes of poor kidney health, which in turn are caused by a poor diet, lifestyle and obesity.
Several studies recommend that the only real long-term solution to kidney disease is to drink more clean water, get more exercise and, most importantly, to reject processed and unhealthy foods in favour of natural whole foods.
Also, researchers have identified foods that can treat kidney disease and boost renal function. Top on the list is garlic, ginger and watermelon.
How garlic, ginger, onions, others prevent renal damage
Researchers have found that eating meals rich in ginger (Zingiber officinale), onion (Allium cepa) and garlic (Allium sativum) could be the novel preventive and therapeutic diet or drug against the menace.
A recent study published in Journal of Renal Nutrition concluded: “This study concludes that alcohol-induced nephro-toxicity was attenuated by ginger extract treatment, thus ginger can be used as a regular nutrient to protect the renal cells.”
The study investigated the nephro-protective effect of ginger against chronic alcohol-induced oxidative stress and tissue damage. Results of another study published in World Journal of Life Science and Medical Research revealed that Allium cepa has renal protective effects in diabetic rabbits.
Another study published in Science Alert concluded: “This study shows that cadmium induces nephrotoxicity by impairing renal functions and stimulating lipid peroxidation. Pre-treatment and post-treatment of onion extract in cadmium-treated rats produced mild protective potentials.
However, co-treatment with onion extract during cadmium administration showed significant antioxidative potentials in preventing cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity.”
Meanwhile, results of an animal study published in Food Chemistry found that ginger could help protect against kidney damage, a condition said to threaten one in three diabetics.
The new study assessed the effects of ginger on the blood antioxidant levels and kidney health of diabetic rat models. One study published in Pharmacological Reports in 2008 discovered that garlic could significantly reduce kidney damage associated with mercury chloride exposure in laboratory animals (mercury chloride is a potential carcinogen used in disinfectants, batteries, insecticides and many other products to which humans are regularly exposed).
Another study, published in Food and Chemical Toxicology in 2001, found that garlic in low doses could enhance the antioxidant status of the kidneys, thus protecting them from the cell-damaging effects of free radicals.
Watermelon
There are three reasons why watermelons are good for treating kidney disease. Firstly, they are low in potassium and phosphorus, which are two minerals that dysfunctional kidneys can have problems balancing. Secondly, they are comprised of approximately 92 percent alkaline water, which helps flush the urinary system of accumulated toxins (watermelon fasts can even dissolve kidney stones). Lastly, they help the liver to process ammonia and deliver it to urea, thus easing the strain on the kidneys while ridding the body of excess fluids. Unlike garlic, watermelon is high in natural sugars. For this reason, people with diabetes-sourced kidney disease should be careful not to consume too much of it on a regular basis.
Pawpaw seeds offer protection against kidney damage
Nigerian researchers claim that seed extracts of unripe mature fruits of pawpaw (Carica papaya) can protect the kidneys from damage and could offer hope for the treatment of poison-related kidney (renal) diseases.
The study was published in Biology and Medicine.
The researchers concluded: “It is proposed that the nephroprotective activities of the aqueous seed extract of the unripe, mature fruits of Carica papaya in carbon tetrachloride-induced nephrotoxicity may involve its antioxidant and/or oxidative free radical scavenging activities.
“Also, the results of this study have confirmed the rationale for the folkloric use of the aqueous seed extract of Carica papaya in the treatment of poison-related renal disorders.”
Also, among the Yoruba herbalists, hot infusion of the seeds of the unripe, mature fruits of Carica papaya is employed in the local treatment of poison related renal and hepatic disorders.
Zobo reduces diabetes-induced kidney disease risk
Results of a recent study suggest that aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HSE) has no harmful effect on the liver but when consumed in high doses could be harmful to the kidney.
Commonly called zobo or roselle in Nigeria, Hibiscus sabdariffa belongs to the plant family malvaceae. Another study found that Hibiscus sabdariffa might help treat kidney stones via uricosuric activity. Uricosuric agents are used to lower the uric acid level in the blood and to prevent the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints and kidneys. These drugs are often used to treat gout, a disease in which uric acid crystals deposit in joints and cause pain. By decreasing plasma uric acid levels, these drugs decrease the deposition of crystals in joints, eventually decreasing inflammation and thereby reducing the pain of gout.
The study authors concluded that roselle has a uricosuric effect and they suggested that the chemical constituents exerting this effect should be identified.
Plantain extract boosts kidney health, sexual functions in men
A meal of unripe plantain with local spices like cloves, onions, garlic and ginger could be the answer to erectile dysfunction, low sperm count, ulcer, kidney problems, diabetes, and high blood pressure. According to “Medicinal Uses of Fruits and Vegetables” written by Mr. Olalekan Jagun, unripe plantain contains special dietary fibre called pectin, which increases the number of calories ingested thus can shed weight or treat obesity
Plantain is also recommended for the treatment of urinary stones. The stem juices of plantain (Musa paradisiaca) have been reported for dissolving pre-formed stones and in preventing the formation of stones in the urinary bladder of rats. Stem juice is also used in nervous affectations like epilepsy, hysteria and in dysentery and diarrhoea. Several oligosaccharides comprising fructose, xylose, galactose, glucose and mannose occur naturally in plantain, making it an excellent prebiotic for the selective growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine.
Director of Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Centre, Rev Fr Anslem Adodo, said Plantain Root Juice (PRJ) offers great hope for all forms of kidney problems and diabetes. “It promotes the flow of urine and helps in metabolism. PRJ has proved helpful to diabetics who are lucky enough to know about it. The dosage is two tablespoons thrice daily,” he said.
Chronic kidney disease patients may live longer on a plant-based diet
Also, a study published in the Clinical Journal of American Society of Nephrology found that kidney disease patients who regularly consumed produce, legumes, cereals, whole grains, and fibre lived longer than those who did not.
The researchers concluded that a healthy, plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, whole grains, and fiber and low in red meat, salt, and refined sugars may reduce the risk of early death in people with CKD. Traditionally, CKD patients have been taught to restrict individual nutrients, such as phosphorus, salt, potassium, and protein, but limited evidence show that these efforts prevent complications, according to the investigators.
Unlike some previous research, the investigators found no significant associations between consumption of healthy, whole foods and progression to end-stage renal disease. Neither patient age nor country of origin accounted for the outcomes.
Baking soda prevents kidney disease, renal failure and kidney dialysis
A recent study discovered a new use for common household baking soda. The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) reported that a daily dose of baking soda could prevent kidney damage and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a study entitled, Bicarbonate Supplementation Slows Progression of CKD and Improves Nutritional Status. Baking soda prevents kidney disease and dialysis.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2m4uq3T
Tuesday, 7 March 2017
The xenophobic war against Nigerians
A man holds a brick near the hostels in the Jeppestown area of Johannesburg where clashes broke out / Mujahid Safodien /AFP
As a Nigerian who has lived in South Africa for over 13 years, it is quite distressing having to write articles after periodic bouts of xenophobic attacks against African citizens. These attacks – against Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, Malawians, Somalis, Ethiopians, Nigerians and Pakistanis – reportedly killed 350 foreign nationals between 2008 and 2015. Poor leadership, incompetent governance, and a lack of conflict resolution skills have all resulted in a deadly cocktail of Afrophobia.
This time it was again the turn of the Nigerians, often stereotyped in the popular imagination – even by several academics – as drug-traffickers, who “steal” South African women. This is despite the contributions of its citizens in sectors as varied as business, academia, media, and the arts. In the recent attacks, hundreds of pyromaniac arsonists burned and looted scores of homes and businesses in Rosettenville, Mamelodi, and Atteridgeville which they alleged were drug dens and brothels. The evidence of proof was similar to the witch-hunts of the medieval age. Such “mob justice” surely has no place in a constitutional democracy. Zimbabweans and Pakistanis were also accused of being involved in crimes, and accused of taking away homes and jobs from South Africans. The South African police has, in turn, been accused of widespread corruption and not doing enough to protect foreigners.
The typical response to these attacks from South African officialdom – who themselves sometimes fan the flames of xenophobia – is to engage in “xenophobia denialism.” Officials like Home Affairs Minister, Malusi Gigaba, have sought to portray rampaging vigilantes who are clearly targeting the homes and businesses of foreigners as mere “criminals”, while mouthing unhelpful platitudes about most South Africans not being xenophobic. As evidence, President Jacob Zuma, also noted that there were no refugee camps in South Africa and that most foreigners were therefore integrated into local communities. That the xenophobic attacks have continued unabated over the last decade clearly confirms the abject failure of such integrationist efforts.
The joker in the pack has been Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba. South Africa’s own Donald Trump has played the role of buffoon-businessman to perfection, with an unnerving inability to grasp complex issues, let alone make reasoned arguments. Instead, he has thrived on spewing xenophobic vitriol and espousing a crass nativism totally unbecoming of his position. Like the historic Nero, he has fiddled while his Afropolitan magapolis has burned. Treating his job as if playing a kid’s game of “cops-and-robbers” he ludicrously donned an ill-fitting police jacket to embark on “operations” with his force in the South Rand.
Mashaba has talked as if foreigners and criminals are synonymous, linked prostitution to Nigerians, and complained that migrants were “messing up Johannesburg.” He has engaged in the same “dog-whistle” politics that King Goodwill Zwelithini embarked on in 2015. The attacks in Rosettenville which torched a dozen foreign homes followed Mashaba’s incendiary remarks. This prejudiced pseudo-philosophical politician has offered such gems as: “We are not xenophobic but we work in the interest of South Africans. It is about national identity and pride. There is no nationality called African. You are either South African, Angolan, or Ethiopian. My ID states that I am a South African, not African.” That such divisive rhetoric in such a cosmopolitan city does not elicit more vociferous condemnation says much about the poverty of political and civil society leadership.
The response from the Nigerian government has been forceful, as it has been in the past. Abuja has called on South African authorities to stop the violence, protect its citizens, and threatened to go to the African Union (AU) to protest. Nigeria has claimed that 116 of its citizens have been killed over the last two years, though Tshwane has disputed these figures. Many Nigerians at home are also appalled by these xenophobic acts which have resulted in the vandalism of the offices of South Africa’s MTN in Abuja. While South Africans seem to express hatred against Nigerian citizens, Nigerians have tended to direct their ire at South African companies.
South Africa and Nigeria are Africa’s two largest economies and among its most active peacekeepers. If Africa is to achieve peace and prosperity, both countries will need to work together as the engines of regional integration and prophets of Pax Africana. How then can one possibly justify these horrific xenophobic attacks and a “March Against Foreigners” in a “rainbow nation” claiming to have one of the world’s most liberal constitutions?
• Prof. Adebajo is the director of the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lW3H8U
Making social media-driven activism work
A cross section of participants at the protest
With #IStandWithNigeria now in the past and Social Media Week ending last week, I have been thinking a lot about uses and effectiveness of social media for political advocacy in Nigeria. Social media lit the match of youth activism in Nigeria, from #LightUpNigeria to #OccupyNigeria protests. Young Nigerians also used social media to raise awareness on the gang rape of a young girl in Abia State University using #ABSURape. See also Mirabel Center who got supporters to help raise money to keep their Lagos-based rape crisis centre open. #BringBackOurGirls has also effectively used social media to organize and demand answers from the government concerning the whereabouts of the missing girls from Chibok, Borno State. Examples of the power of social media to galvanize people quickly around a given issue abound.
But while social media has proved to be an effective galvanizing tool, there has been little policy change as a result. The #OpenNASS campaign has led to increased awareness on the importance of transparency in the National Assembly but not to increased transparency in the National Assembly. The then-Governor of Abia State denied the girl was ever raped on his campus and the case was never pursued. #OccupyNigeria got a dubious victory if ever there was one, as prevailing wisdom now is that the fuel subsidy should have actually been removed. While great for getting politicians to walk back dodgy comments and making politicians who would rather Nigerians remain ignorant nervous, there remains a conversation as to how to use social media to drive change in a rentier state where elections often belong to the highest bidder.
Social media as a tool for activism is great in important ways, but making it work as a galvanizing force for political change will take a lot of work.
I do not buy the notion that Nigerians online are an unrealistic portrayal of Nigerians as a general matter — you’re just as likely to find unrepentant misogynists, ethnic jingoists and blind political partisanship online as you are offline — but I do believe that social media helps create echo chambers more effectively than you can ever manage offline. This means that even when you do engage in advocacy on certain issues you’re more likely to preach to the choir even without intending to. The opposition you do get is typically from trolls who are not particularly interested in what you have to say.
The flat structures of most social media movements means there is a low barrier to entry, and that anyone with a passion for the topic can join in. This can be great, as it makes it hard for people in power to target and kill these social movements, but it also means that social media movements are highly susceptible to being captured by interests beyond which they were initially meant to protect. TuFace and Enough Is Enough, for example, could not stop People’s Democratic Party from getting involved with their #IStandWithNigeria protests, for example. Scarcity of good, easy-to-find data analysis on too many issues in Nigeria also means that a lot of politics is guided by perception, not fact, and as a result movements are more likely to be guided by passion than anything else. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that the ability of a social media-driven movement to dictate the agenda relies too heavily on the heat of people’s passions, which can be fickle. The fluidity of these movements also means that groups who birth social media-driven movements have to be willing to let these movements go and take on a life of their own, and die when its time has come. Once they let go, it is very, very easy to lose the narrative.
Perhaps our social media movements can learn a thing or two from those that flourished before the advent of the internet. The Aba Women’s Riot of 1929 is widely known, but what I find incredible is how the women’s groups from Owerri to Calabar were able to coordinate messaging and timing of their protests with women in different towns who spoke different languages. In the United States, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was organized by activists who printed out each of the hundreds of thousands of fliers by hand, and worked across different groups of black workers. In both of these examples, we see successful advocacy (the colonial tax the women were fighting was reversed, and the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. helped black Americans gain equality in the eyes of the law) but these things did not happen immediately and concessions were not made easily. Many people lost their lives and suffered greatly, but these activists knew they were in it for the long game. In the case of the Civil Rights fight especially, they had vibrant — often bitter — arguments but they had a common enemy and clear goals. For social media-driven activism to be successful, we would need to put aside childish things and not let our long memories and past hurts get in the way of building needed alliances. When the rain falls, it falls on everyone equally.
Social media activism in Nigeria will also need to build out an offline arm that is tied to issues and policy, not politicians running for elections at all levels. Keeping hashtags alive means keeping issues alive, and that requires taking the issues to those who are most affected by them — ordinary Nigerians. This definitely needs to be done online, but also in outreach wherever people form community, in churches or mosques or other such volunteer groups and in local town halls. Joining a political party is great if it works for you and you believe you will be heard, but heaven knows Nigerian politicians have enough people surrounding them already.
If this all sounds like a lot, permit me to summarize some advice in brief fashion: Pick an issue. Pick a spot. Dig.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mzs6oP
MOC disburses $370,000 to foreign athletes after dope test report from Sweden
All Kenyans….First set of marathoners racing towards the Eko Atlantic finish point in the second Access Bank Lagos City Marathon. Photo: Ayodele Adeniran
• Nigerian runners, wheelchair competitors get N10.2m
The Main Organising Committee of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon yesterday commenced the disbursement of prize money to foreign athletes after receiving a clean report of their dope test from Sweden.
Over 55,000 local and foreign runners and 30 wheelchair athletes competed for various cash prizes in the second edition Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, which took place on February 11.
The Chief Executive Officer of NILAYO Sports Management Ltd, the official consultant to the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Bukola Olopade, told The Guardian yesterday that the disbursement of prize money to foreign athletes started yesterday and will end on Tuesday next week.
Olopade, a former Sports Commissioner in Ogun State hinted that the decision to make prompt payment of prize money to the foreign athletes came after the MOC received a clean report on their dope test, which was sent to Sweden soon after the race.
“The dope test carried out on foreign athletes after the race was sent to Sweden, and it came out clean. So we have to pay them. Again, prompt payment of prize money to winners is one of the conditions of having a lebel race, which we are pursuing,” Olapade said.
According to him, all Nigerian athletes and wheelchair competitors who won prizes in the race have been fully paid. “Before we started the process of paying the foreign athletes, we had settled all Nigerian athletes, including the wheelchair marathoners. In all, they got a total of N10.2 million,” Olopade added.
Some of the local athletes who spoke with The Guardian yesterday praised the MOC for the prompt payment of prize money saying: This is unlike some marathon races in the country where we had to wait for so long before getting our money. I hope organisers of other marathon races in the country will emulate the MOC of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon,” the athlete said at the Teslim Balogun Stadium yesterday.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lW8FlY
LASTMA, transport unions pledge to sustain free flow of traffic
The management of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and leadership of transport unions in Lagos have cemented agreement to partner at sustaining the free flow of traffic being enjoyed by motorists and commuters in the state.
The agreement was reached at the weekend after the stakeholders meeting between the management of LASTMA and executives of transport unions in Lagos at the Oshodi headquarters of the agency.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer of LASTMA, Chris Olakpe, an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), noted that the transport unions and other service providers in the industry have crucial roles to play in the current drive to have permanent seamless traffic on Lagos roads.
Olakpe condemned the gruesome murder of LASTMA official, Suraju Bakare at Apapa and warned transport union executives to ensure there was no repeat of such occurrence.
He advised them to take advantage of the agency’s ‘open-door’ policy to lodge complaints against erring traffic officials, instead of carrying out jungle justice on law enforcement officials.
The LASTMA boss warned that the agency would use the instrumentality of the law to deal with any motorists who abuse LASTMA officials, while urging the union executives to always educate their members on traffic laws and road safety rules.
According to him, “the union executives must begin to act decisively on the issues of members discipline, as many of the drivers have no regards for law and order.”
He warned the drivers of articulated vehicles and BRT buses to desist from harassing and intimidating other road users.
Speaking at the same occasion, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Wale Musa, attributed the cause of traffic gridlock in Lagos to driver’s impatience, insensitivity and impunity on the roads.
He frowned at the inability of transport union executives to maintain drivers’ discipline on the roads. “Many of the commercial drivers have no regards for law and order on the roads,” he said.
In his own contribution, chairman of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) Chief Remi Ogungbemi, assured LASTMA management that the era of impunity on Lagos roads was over.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mzw68E
Monday, 6 March 2017
IPMAN suspends planned strike, averts petrol scarcity
NNPC
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) yesterday suspended its planned nationwide strike.
This follows the intervention of the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru.Chairman of the IPMAN Committee on forex intervention, products sourcing and distribution, Musa Felande, who spoke after their meeting with the NNPC management in Abuja yesterday, said the meeting in which peace was brokered also addressed all the pending issues concerning the association.
Felande said the meeting resolved n issues relating to products supply, equalization fund, access to forex and pricing of products, which are of interest to IPMAN.
“This is a very remarkable day for IPMAN and the country. We want to let the public know today that IPMAN is now one single group and we are determined to continue to support the government.
“We are calling on all our IPMAN members to go on with the usual supply and distribution of products in their respective stations and retail outlets across the country,’’ Felande said.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mvLEKB
Lagos introduces major environmental protection reforms
Lagos House of Assembly
• To set up sanitation corps agency, street trading banned
• Structures on sewage systems without approval to be demolished
• Commercial drivers must have litterbins in their vehicles
• Residents to obtain permits before sinking boreholes
• Penalties to range from N250,000 to N5m or imprisonment
As part of major internal improvements backed by the new Environmental Management and Protection Bill, passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly, KAI (Kick Against Indiscipline) will be transformed into the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps Agency which will spearhead enforcement of the stringent penalties imposed on defaulters.
Plans have been set in motion to realign the roles and responsibilities of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) officers who will now be LASECORPS(Lagos State Environmental Corps) officers. The agency will be tasked with monitoring and maintaining surveillance along the highways, streets and public drainages, canals, markets and parks and will have the primary responsibility of ensuring that citizens fulfill their civic duty by paying the Public Utilities Levy- a property-based charge, payable by property occupants for the management of solid and liquid waste, wastewater and environmental intervention for Lagos State.
Speaking at the signing of the new Environmental Bill last week Wednesday, His Excellency Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode said “Compliance is the key. The burden of the cost of providing these services will remain low if everyone does their part and pays their Public Utilities Levy.
“With the newly positioned LASECORPS, we will work within the community to enforce the new laws. The state will have a zero-tolerance policy for offenders because simply put, disregarding payment of your PUL or flouting the new regulations ultimately promotes activities that lead to the loss of lives.” He went on further to say “The Public Utility Levy which is to replace all service fees previously paid to the waste management authorities is an annual charge that will take effect as the rollout commences. We have worked closely with the public in determining the rates and have succeeded in keeping this levy relatively low. The PUL will be a major contribution to the state’s ongoing efforts to address severe challenges that are unique to Lagos because of rising urbanisation. The money will be held in the Environmental Trust Fund and managed meticulously by a Board of independent, SEC regulated trustees”.
LASECORPS’s performance evaluations and remuneration will be tied directly to the number of actionable fines they issue for non-compliance. The Environmental Corps will be supported by PUMAU (Public Utilities Monitoring Assurance Unit), a unit that will have oversight responsibility by using innovative monitoring tools to ensure the new standards are effectively enforced.
The Lagos State Government said defaulters of these laws will face stiff penalties from the government which include heavy fines ranging from N250,000 to N5,000,000 and/or imprisonment.
“The primary driver of the new bill and the initiatives that we have undertaken is not just cosmetic but to save lives. Therefore, we will unapologetically prosecute offender to the full extent of the law. We will make CEOs accountable, from the very top to the bottom, and the law is very specific about the consequences of non-compliance,” the governor expressed emphatically.
Another strong highlight of the new law is the prohibition of street trading as it specifically stated that “It is an offence to engage in street trading along the major highways and streets of Lagos and sell in an unapproved market in Lagos while every owner, tenant and occupier of any shop, kiosks, space or stall in any market within the state shall on a regular basis ensure the cleanliness of his space.”
In a similar vein, it is now mandatory for every commercial vehicle in Lagos State to carry a litterbin for the use of the passengers so that passengers will not throw waste onto the road from the vehicle. “If the driver fails to provide the litter bin, the driver will also be penalized alongside the passenger or the occupier of the vehicle who commits the offence”, stated the law.
The government is also planning a clampdown on all illegal structures on sewage systems without approval as such structures will be demolished. Also in the new law, anyone who wants to a sink borehole or any structure connected with the supply of water must obtain permit from the office of drainage services.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lWq9Qc
