Month: April 2023

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NANS seeks holistic approach to rescue abducted students

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to authorities concerned to use all means to rescue university and secondary school students from their abductors.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that two female Microbiology students of Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara and another 10 female secondary school students of Kachia LGA in Kaduna State had been in captivity.

Mr Vanessa Kwere, the Deputy Coordinator, Inter-Campus Affairs of NANS Zone A, made the appeal in a statement issued to NAN in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday.

Kwere issued the statement after NANS delegation met with the management of the university shortly after the union’s Zonal Convention held in Jigawa recently.

He pointed out that the call became imperative in view of the fact that the abducted students were under the care of government, hence they remained the property of government.

Kwere said: “We were notified of the sad news regarding the abduction of two 200 level female students of Microbiology Department, Federal University, Gusau.

“It is indeed a really heart touching incident, we had to stop by to pay a solidarity visit, to also sympathise with the institution on this incident.

“We urge the students to remain calm and keep praying for the safe return of their friends and sisters.”

According to him, the union met with the school management, including Prof. Ahmad Galadima, the Acting Vice Chancellor, who is also the current Deputy Vice Chancellor of the university; Dean Students’ Affairs, Prof. Lawal Sa’ad; Deputy Dean, Student Affairs, Dr Tagba as well as the Chief Security Officer.

Kwere said during the meeting, they discussed how the incident happened and the strategies being currently applied by the institution to rescue the abducted students.

“The meeting was presided over by the pioneer Students’ Representative Council (SRC) and President FUBK, Comrd. Usman Ladan-Fakai, and attended by several NANS officials.

“Present at the meeting include Comrd. Vanessa Enoch Kwere, the Deputy Coordinator Inter-Campus Affairs Zone A, and Comrd. Daniyalu Bello Mailafiya, the Director Special Duties NANS Zone A. And a number of stakeholders from Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara axes,” he said.

The deputy coordinator noted that the Dean Student Affairs had enlightened them on the efforts made by the university to guarantee the safe return of the abducted students.

He said the acting VC also assured them that the university was doing its best to maintain security within the institution, assuring that frantic efforts are being intensified to rescue the abducted students.

In a related development, the union expressed deep concern over the abduction of about 10 female students of Kachia LGA in Kaduna State, who according to preliminary report, were students of Government Secondary School, Awon.

“It is very disheartening to learn about this incident, despite still in worry of the two 200 level female students of Microbiology Department, FUGUS, abducted at their Hall of residence.

“We are in constant turmoil because of this reoccurring incidents, our governing bodies have failed to protect us from such menace, students no longer feel safe in their institutions or anywhere at all.

“Predicaments like this are what discourages and interferes with the educational process of Nigerian students, looking at most of this cases, victims always turn out to be females, we’re fragile beings who are abducted, tortured and explored.

“We students’ representatives demand a serious and immediate intervention from the Federal Government and all relevant security bodies, it is our right to feel safe wherever we are,” he pleaded.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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10th Assembly: Group wants senate presidency zoned to South-East

The South East Forum for Senate Presidency, a pressure group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged the party to zone the office of the Senate President to the South-East.

The Spokesperson of the group, Mr Nkem Ayanta-Lafia made the call at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.

He said following the outcome of the 2023 general elections, the South-West has produced President-elect in Sen. Bola Tinubu and the North-East produced Vice President-elect, in Sen. Kashim Shettima.

The spokesperson said that since the party’s National Chairman was from the North Central, it was important that the position goes to the South-East.

He said that the balancing of various offices in keeping with national diversity, was a kind of national healing and re-integration that Nigeria needed at this time.

Ayanta-Lafia said that the five states in the South-East zone produced six senators-elect on the platform of APC, representing 40 per cent performance.

He said there was no zone apart from the South-West and North-East where the president-elect and vice-president- elect is from, no zone given the number of states had done better than the South-East.

“We urge the leadership of the ruling APC, which possesses a majority of Senators-Elect in the coming 10th Senate to zone the position of President of the Senate to the South east Zone.

“We are appealing to the ruling party to back the emergence of a South easterner for the position.

“`The position will not only assuage the feelings of non-inclusion of the Igbo people in the mainstream of national affairs, but also afford them the opportunity to have a greater stake in the ruling APC.

“We call appeal to other senators-elect from other geopolitical zones interested in the position to, in the interest of national cohesion, unity and equity, jettison them and support the South east zone,” he said.

Earlier, Ayanta-Lafia said that the forum is made up of representatives of various sheds of political and cultural persuasions in the South-East.

He said that the group is campaigning, lobbying, advocating and networking with other integral parts of Nigeria for the realisation of a President of the Senate of an Igbo extraction.. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Imo Strikers emerge 2023 Sheroes Cup tournament champions in Abuja

Imo Strikers FC on Friday defeated Dannaz Ladies 1-0 to win the 2023 edition of the Sheroes Cup tournament which was played at the Area 3 football pitch in Abuja.

The only goal was registered in the 57th minute, courtesy of an own goal after a well-taken corner kick by Oparanmegwa Pattra.

The victory ensured that the Owerri-based female team won the pre-season tournament, organised by Ratels Sports Development Foundation (RSDF) for Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship and nationwide clubs.

Eight clubs from different parts of the country participated in the week-long competition.

Coach of Imo Strikers, Nelly Orisakwe, attributed their success to hard work and prayer.

“We sacrificed a lot and we worked so hard. For the first time we are participating in this tournament and we won.

“We have seen our weaknesses collectively and individually, I will go back and prepare them for the task ahead.”

Also speaking, Coach of Dannaz Ladies, Bashiru Fatai, said the competition had helped them to discover the loopholes in the team ahead of the commencement of the league.

President of RSDF, Paul Edeh, during the prize presentation, promised to sustain the sponsorship of the competition since it served as pre-season tournament for most clubs.

“This pre-season tournament for Championship and Nationwide teams is in its 5th edition and it was conceptualised to help prepare the clubs ahead of the commencement of the NWFL, Championship and Nationwide leagues.

“Amazingly, the competition has also thrown up lots of talents as well as revealed that the FCT Football Association (FA) is supportive of women football development in Nigeria.

“We will continue to partner with the FCT FA which indeed is one of the best football associations in Nigeria,” Edeh said.

The RSDF boss later presented N2 million as the price money for the teams.

Overall winners of the competition pocketed N500,000 being the prize money in addition to the trophy while the first and second runners up smiled home with N300,000 and N200,000 respectively.

A total of N400,000 was shared among the other six participating teams.

The Foundation also gave N50,000 to each of the eight participating teams for feeding at the commencement of the tournament.

Nicholas Elechi, a member of the Board of Trustees of RSDF, donated N200,000 to the winners while urging them to keep winning.

The Foundation also gave a set of jerseys and five balls each to all participating clubs.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Nigeria’s domestic gas network can transport 6.9bn bcf for power, others – Kyari

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), says Nigeria’s domestic gas infrastructure network has capacity to transport 6.9 billion Standard Cubic Feet (BCF) of gas to support power generation and gas-based industries.

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), NNPC Ltd., made this known on Thursday in Abuja at the 2023 edition of the Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (OLEF) hosted by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).

The forum, which was organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), had its theme as “Effective Gas Resources Utilisation: A Lever for Enhancing Energy Security and Achieving Net-Zero Emission Goals in Nigeria”.

Kyari said Nigeria’s huge investment in gas infrastructure is hinged on its growing natural gas reserves, thus supporting the Nation’s aspiration to create Africa’s biggest industrial hub, powered by low-carbon energy.

He said the NNPC Ltd. was taking advantage of Nigeria’s huge natural gas reserves of over 200 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) with a potential to grow to 600 TCF as more investment is expected due to recent resolution of the Production Sharing Contract disputes with partners.

He said this significant reserve would serve as a low-carbon energy alternative that would support growth in power and industrial sectors, address energy poverty, reduce carbon-footprint and create more employment opportunities.

“NNPC is playing a leading role in the realisation of National Gas Expansion Programme, which seeks to deepen natural gas utilisation as an alternative transportation fuel, and an important feedstock for gas-based industries development.

“We are working assiduously to ensure timely delivery of gas pipeline infrastructure projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline corridor, planned Nigeria-Morocco and Trans-Sahara Gas Pipelines, that will connect West African countries to deliver natural gas to international markets,” he said.

For the gas export market, he said the on-going Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Train Seven would expand Nigeria’s LNG production capacity from 22 Million Tons Per Annum (MTPA) to about 30 MTPA.

He said it was leveraging the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act to attract more investment in the Nigerian Petroleum sector, to continue to guarantee access to energy while aligning with global energy transition.

“As part of our sustainability strategy, NNPC is deploying carbon-reduction initiatives to gradually decarbonise our operations and improve our compliances with global emission reduction.

“All of these cannot be achieved if we do not have security of our operations. We will continue to further deepen collaboration amongst all the relevant stakeholders; government security agencies, host communities and others to enhance energy security.

“NNPC will deepen relationship with the Industry, Governments, Research Institutions and the Academia to strengthen its Renewable Energy Division to pursue commercially viable new energy ventures in line with Nigeria’s net-zero aspiration by 2060,” he said.

Kyari, while thanking the SPE for their efforts in promoting innovation, knowledge sharing required for our industry, urged them and other industry stakeholders to continue to collaborate with the NNPC Ltd to guarantee energy security.

In an address, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, Commission Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), said how to provide clean, sustainable and affordable energy to global populace is a critical challenge.

Komolafe, represented by Dr Nuhu Habib, Executive Commissioner, Production and Development, NUPRC, said it was committed to ensure access to enabling environment and regulatory frameworks for progressive investments in gas production and energy transition achievement.

Also speaking, Mr Farouk Ahmed, Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), called for concerted efforts of all levels of government to ensure energy security was guaranteed.

Ahmed, represented by Dr Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), said the authority drafted 20 oil and gas industry regulations to fully deliver value to Nigeria’s economy.

He said out of the regulations, 12 had been gazetted while five out of the gazetted regulations are gas based.

He, however, expressed assurance that the authority is positioned to ensure enabling environment and investments in gas value chain for business to thrive.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Angola focused on boosting ICGLR

Angolan minister of Foreign Affairs Teté Antonio said on Thursday that the country has contributed to the leverage and strengthening of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to face the challenges of peace, security, stability and development.

The diplomat was speaking during a lecture on “Angola’s foreign policy and its role in promoting peace in the Great Lakes Region”, held on Thursday at the Itamaraty Institute, Brasília, Republic of Brazil.

Addressing diplomats, university professors, men linked to culture and researchers in African affairs, Téte António said that the country has the support of the most varied bilateral and multilateral partners in this task.

He pointed to Political-Diplomatic, Defence and Security, Intelligence, Economic and Regional Development vectors, as well as the functioning of the Executive Secretariat of the ICGLR, as the axes that guide the strategy of the Angolan Presidency.

He recalled that since assuming the presidency of the ICGLR, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, has carried out a series of initiatives aimed at ensuring the stability of the political and security situation in the Central African Republic, marked by the acceptance of leaders of the armed groups to abandon the rebellion.

The minister also said the 16th Extraordinary Session of the AU Conference of Heads of State and Government on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Regime Changes in Africa, held in Malabo, on 27 and 28 May 2022, at the proposal of Angola, elected the Angolan Head of State Champion of the African Union for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa.

The Session also gave him the mandate to embark on diplomatic “path”, within the scope of mediating the growing tension that was registered in the common border between the “DRC and the Rwanda”.

During his address, the Angolan diplomat made a brief historical incursion of the Republic of Angola, with emphasis on trends in the evolution of foreign policy.

He spoke of the national liberation struggle, the explicit political-ideological preferences in Angola’s independence process and the signing of the Bicesse Agreement, which brought the country a new phase of political-social intervention and international relations.

The minister clarified the moment of 2002, when Angola began to experience a period marked, above all, by the more concrete political transition process, the promotion and reinforcement of national mechanisms for the consolidation of the democratic process, the broadening and deepening of multilateral, regional relations and bilateral, within the ambit of ties of friendship and cooperation.

As for foreign policy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that the Executive chose economic diplomacy as one of its main instruments for defending the interests of the State, aiming, among others, at promoting trade, attracting productive investment, creating better conditions for the operation of foreign investors and attracting the tourist flow. ART

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Minister calls for commitment to population health

Angolan minister of Health Silvia Lutucuta urged Friday in Luanda the health professionals to actively participate in the identification and resolution of problems that negatively impact the health of the population.

In her message, ahead of World Health Day and the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on April 7, the minister said that this involvement entails the implementation of health promotion actions.

She said that the aim is to protecting this good from an individual and collective point of view, taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals.

The minister took the opportunity to pay homage to health agents from all over the world, in particular Angolans, who work daily to promote the health and well-being of the population in favour of equity, prosperity and sustainability, for all without leaving anyone behind.

According to the official, Angola joins the world movement to congratulate the WHO on the results achieved in international health security, health promotion and disease prevention, so that everyone reaches the highest level of health and well-being.

To the minister, the 75th anniversary of the WHO is also an occasion to remember the public health successes in Angola and the world, aimed at improving people’s quality of life in the last seven decades.

Lutucuta also considered it opportune to demonstrate the promotion of multisectoral actions and community participation in order not to leave anyone behind and mitigate the inequality of social asymmetries

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)