Day: July 15, 2023

USOSA pledges commitment to advance public secondary education

The Unity School Old Students Association (USOSA) has reiterated its commitment to work with stakeholders to advance public secondary education in the country.

The President-General of the association, Mr Michael Magaji, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday, ahead of its National Education Summit billed for July 20.

Magaji said that the summit would bring about a policy redirection towards developing the entire education sector of the country.

“We are going to design a roadmap and work plan that will chat a way for stakeholders to address the numerous challenges facing the sector.

”We as alumni of unity schools have come together to advance the course of public education at the basic and secondary levels.

” We believe that in the public education today, quality has declined for many reasons- poor funding, lack of infrastructure, high enrollment without commensurate capacity in terms of teaching and infrastructural decay.

”So what we want to do as an association is to help in reversing this decline to promote and advocate public education where tax payers money can be effectively used for the good of everyone particularly the education sector.

”So at USOSA, we are in the solution mood around education to do something about it. We will continue to partner with the owners of the schools -federal government to see how we can improve quality and introduce digital innovation,” he said.

Magaji described education as the responsibilities of all and should therefore not be left in the hands of the Federal Government alone.

”The education summit is targeted at bringing stakeholders together to design a road map that can address the challenges in the sector.

” In education, two key elements are important which are access and quality. So we are going to be working with the government on how to support them to improve access to infrastructure and infuse digital technology into learning experiences,” he added.

He, therefore, said that promoting the teaching of the curriculum in Nigerian languages would be the focus of the summit.

When asked about the proposed 12 years as minimum admission age for entry into JSS 1 of the unity colleges, Magaji said age should not be a barrier if the candidates could demonstrate an aptitude and behaviour that would enable him lead in the community of learners.

The president-general said that the association would be working with the Federal Ministry of Education to proffer strategies in transforming the sector in the next few years.

While acknowledging the efforts of some Nigerians in their inputs towards public and private services of education, Magaji said that awards would be given to them to provide inspirational model for others to follow.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

SW homologation bans Njalla Quan, relegates sports academy

The Homologation and Disciplinary Committee of the South West Regional football league has sanctioned the owner of Njalla Quan Sports Academy and his football team.

In a decision made public on Friday, July 14, 2023, the Committee gave a heavy ban of 10 years from all football activities to Njalla Quan with a fine of FCFA 10 million, for usurpation of office and corruption.

His club NQSA was relegated to the inferior division while an associate while his associate, Lamlen Robert was banned for 5 years from all Fecafoot activities and a FCFA 2 million fine.

The Committee said their meeting on July 6 and July 14, 2023, was at the request of the South West regional football league.

They also said the concerned was found guilty of corrupting some members of the Referees Appointment Commission by offering them money and asking them to resign.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Book on Africa-China Relations Launched

A book, which dwells on Africa-China relations and takes Ethiopia as a case study, was launched in Addis Ababa today.

The book titled "Africa-China Relations" is written by Melaku Mulualem, an Ethiopian who works at the Institute of Foreign Affairs.

His book explores the historical development of China's relationship with Ethiopia from the early days of the People's Republic of China to the present day. It also examines the impact of China's economic and political engagement on Ethiopia. Speaking at the launching ceremony, House of People's Representatives Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs Standing Committee and Ethio-China Parliamentary Friendship Group Chairperson Dima Negewo said the book is a welcome addition to the literature that already existed.

Ethiopia is one of the first countries to have started relationship with China, he noted, recalling ed that China was denied to sit on its own chair at the UN Security Council, instead the Chinese seat was occupied by Taiwan because of ideological power reasons.

However, as soon as a large number of African states gained independence, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to restore China’s seat, he noted.

Minister Counselor of China Shen Qinmin said the book helps to show the historical developments of China's relations with Africa and specifically with Ethiopia.

According to him, the book serves as a good example to talk about China's relationship with Africa from an Ethiopian perspective.

For developing countries, Qinmin stated that they need intellectual communication and support, and need more experts and scholars to speak louder.

Director-General of the Middle East, Asia and Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gebeyehu Ganga said on his part that the two nations have maintained cordial relations for over 50 years, and the analysis in the book enriches understanding of this longstanding bond.

The book also documents the evolution of China-Ethiopia relations using original historical research and policy examinations.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Atanga Nji cements power over General Ngambou

Few days after the President of the Republic, Paul Biya “retired” army General Ngambou, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has instructed the SDO of Mfoundi and DO of Yaoundé 3, to ban Church activities of Eglise Evangelique du Cameroun.

The SDO, Djikdent Emmanuel, explained in a release that the temporary closure of the Nsymeyong parish of the Church is to avert public disorder, risk of clashes, unexplained presence of armed civilians and antagonistic groups.

The General who is in support of a dissident group of the Church known as Eglise Evangelique to Cameroun Decentralisee, had warned that Atanga Nji should not meddle in affairs where he appened his name.

A few days after his rant, he was immediately placed in what the military consider as a waiting point.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

UN agencies reveal over 122 million more people pushed into hunger since 2019

Over 122 million people are said to be facing hunger in the world since 2019 due to the COVID 19 pandemic, repeated weather shocks, conflicts including the war in Ukraine.

These statistics were revealed by the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, SOFI, published jointly by five United Nations specialized agencies.

The 2023 edition of the report revealed that between 691 and 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, with a mid-range of 735 milliom. This according to them represents an increase of 122 million people compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

They state that Africa remains the worst-affected region with one in five people facing hunger on the continent, more than twice the global average.

To them, a progress in hunger reduction was observed in Asia and Latin America, but hunger was still on a rise in Western Asia, the Caribbean and throughout all subregions of Africa in 2022.

“There are rays of hope, some regions are on track to achieve some 2030 nutrition targets. But overall, we need an intense and immediate global effort to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said through a video message during the launch of the report at the UN Headquarters in New York.

He further stated that; “we must build resilience against the crisis and shocks that drive food insecurity from conflict to climate,”.

The report revealed that approximately 29.6 percent of the global population, equivalent to 2.4 billion people, did not have access to food, as measured by the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity. Among them, 900 million individuals faced severe food insecurity.

Millions of children under five continue to suffer from malnutrition: in 2022, 148 million children under five years of age (22.3 percent) were stunted, 45 million (6.8 percent) were wasted and 37 million (5.6 percent) were overweight.

The Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICAF, the World Health Organization, WHO, and the World Food Programme, WFP, have warned that if trend remains as they are, the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 will not be reached.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Why we staggered our online verification- PTAD

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) says staggering “I am Alive Confirmation Solution” for pensioners’ verification is to avoid network failure.

Dr Chioma Ejikeme, Executive Secretary, PTAD, gave the explanation at the South-East Stakeholders Engagement Forum in Awka.

Ejikeme said the agency came up with the “I Am Alive Confirmation Solution”, to transit from manual to automated system of verification.

According to her, for efficient and effective delivery, and prevention a heavy traffic on the website, PTAD has staggered the use of the Confirmation Solution as follows.

“Police Pensioners (April 14 to October 13, 2023), Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pensioners (June 1 to December 31), Civil Service Pensioners ( July 1 to January 31, 2024) and Parastatals Pensioners; August 1 to February 28, 2024”, she said.

She urged pensioners to note the scheduled dates as they concern their respective departments.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by pensioners and Stakeholders from Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra.

Ejikeme, who reviewed the activities of the agency since she took over four years ago, said PTAD had achieved a lot in 10 years of its establishment.

“No pensioner who is alive should be left out of this very critical and important exercise that would determine a pensioner’s eligibility to continue to receive pension.

“Our resolve is to ensure that no eligible pensioner is left out. PTAD wishes to inform all our pensioners in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom, that a survey is being carried out by the Directorate to ascertain the number of pensioners in those countries,” she said.

She advised pensioners living in those countries to visit the PTAD website and take part in the survey, saying “they should log on to our website – www.ptad.gov.ng to access the link for the survey”.

Chief Godwin Abumisi, President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), commended the transformational leadership of PTAD, saying that pensioners are better treated now than before.

Abumisi particularly praised the “I Am Alive Confirmation Solution” initiative by PTAD, noting that the policy has reduced the sufferings of pensioners.

Mrs Nneka Obiamulu, a director in the agency, said there was a lot of mistrust and aggression in the way pensioners related with pension managers, but said that much has improved.

She noted that the huge debt owed pensioners due to challenges in the verification and profiling of pensioners before the establishment of the agency have been resolved.

“We have visited more than 800 pensioners who are incapacitated in their homes and hospitals and our plans is to continue to improve,” she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

UNHCR, Al-Habibiyyah partner to support IDPs

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, a faith-based organisation, have entered into partnership to galvanize support for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The National Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah, Imam Fuad Adeyemi, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

He said currently there were over 3.3 million IDPs in the country.

He explained that the IDPs cut across different regions of Northeast, Northwest, and Northcentral.

” As a part of this partnership, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society will organise fundraising activities to mobilise resources to support internally displaced persons in Nigeria.

” This partnership with UNHCR is an expansion of the work Al-Habibiyyah is doing to support the less privileged in society. In Ramadan, we fed at least 2,000 people every day with our Food Bank Programme in Abuja.

” Moreover, we have over 20 years of experience in fundraising as evident in our annual distribution of Zakat,” Adeyemi said.

He said that the perennial farmers-herders clashes in the Northcentral as well as the banditry and kidnappings in the northwest added to the displacement emergency in the northeast caused by non-state-armed groups.

” These displaced communities are in dire need of support for basic amenities such as shelter, health, education, access to clean water, and protection from sexual violence.

” UNHCR has been at the forefront, responding to the needs of these IDPs, but the increasing number of displaced persons in Nigeria has exacerbated resources.

” This partnership between UNHCR and the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society intends to mobilise support from Nigeria’s Muslim community and galvanise the spirit of Islamic philanthropy as a tool to support some of the most vulnerable populations amongst us.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society is a faith-based organisation in Nigeria whose mandate includes the propagation of Islam in Nigeria and beyond.

The society also promotes Islamic and secular education, inter-religious dialogue and provision of social services such as health care, education and welfare assistance to people in need

The organisaion also ensures advancement of Islamic culture in all facets of human activities.

Al-Habibbiyyah collaborates with fellow Muslims, Islamic organizations and other reputable impact-making organizations whose vision and mandate match theirs to deliver interventions that promote the well-being of the people and human dignity.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Isoni assumes command of AHQ Garrison

The new Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, Maj.-Gen. Koko Isoni, has assumed office following the recent appointment and redeployment of senior officers across Nigerian army formations and units.

Isoni took over from the erstwhile Commander, Maj.-Gen. Kabiru Garba, on Friday at Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja.

The new commander was until his recent appointment the Deputy Theater Commander Joint Task Force Northeast, Operation Hadin Kai.

He commended his predecessor for doing a good job during his tour of duty and urged officers and men of the command to support to him to achieve more.

The immediate past Commander, Maj.-Gen. Garba, in his valedictory speech appreciated officers and soldiers for their support, loyalty and commitment throughout his tour of duty.

He urged them to continue to work together as a team in order to make his successor’s tenure worthwhile.

Highlights of the event were signing of handing and taking-over notes, decoration of the new Commander with AHQ Garrison Insignia, hoisting of new command flag at the quarter guard and group photograph to signify a new era.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria