Month: August 2023

Some private companies have signed a memorandum of understanding, MOU, to help assist the Cameroon government in the execution of projects of the Presidential Reconstruction plan.

The MOU was signed on July 31, 2023 in the presence of the Prime Minister, Head of government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute.

The first MOU was signed by the President of the Association of Banking Institutions of Cameroon, Gwendoline Abunaw and the Deputy Residence Representative of the United Nations development program, UNDP, Alassane Ba.

Through the agreement, the Association of Banking Institutions of Cameroon allocated F CFA 250 Million to be used for the reconstruction and development of the North West and South West regions.

“We came as APECCAM to give our support to all the efforts the state is doing to rebuild these areas. As a financial institution, we thrive when the economy of our countries thrives,” President, Gwendoline Abunaw said.

The second MOU signed by the Deputy National Coordinator of UNDP, Alassane Ba, was to put F CFA 21 Billion, 154 Million from the Islamic Development Bank at the disposal of the presidential plan.

”I would like to thank the Cameroon government, APECCAM and the Islamic Development bank of Cameroon for quality partnership,” Alasan Bar said.

Motuna Tamanong Obase, National Coordinator of the presidential plan stated; “You can imagine the gratitude we have, when private companies come together to put their hands on deck so that we succeed in making life better for people who have been suffering most from these crisis.”

In 2020, President Paul Biya initiated a two-year plan, whose main aim is to restore social cohesion, reconstruct and rehabilitate basic infrastructure and revitalize the local economy.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

A coss section of farmers, community leaders, security agents and other stakeholders in Jigawa, Gombe, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara have given reasons behind their decision to adopt dialogue in addressing peculiar security challenges in their areas.

The stakeholders spoke in separate interviews while responding to a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the security challenges in the country.

According to them, dialogue is important in addressing the crisis even if it is on temporary basis.

They however all agreed that full scale security offensive is necessary to completely wipe out bandits and other terrorists in the long run.

In Gombe State, which faces the challenge of farmers-herders clashes, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Oqua Etim said the command has been successfully tackling farmland invasions through effective dialogue among stakeholders.

He said that the clashes between farmers and pastoralists is gradually becoming “a thing of the past” since the adoption of dialogue to amicably address it.

Etim said that he engaged stakeholders and worked out strategies that helped address the problem in the state.

He also said the state government had constituted an assessment committee of grazing lands and cattle routes to prevent further encroachment of the routes by farmers.

”If farmers encroach, they would be advised to vacate.

“We equally met with the representatives of the herders and cautioned them against encroachment of cultivated farmlands.

“As humans, we are bound to have quarrels because even the tongue at times gets harassed by the teeth.

“In that case, we can never say we don’t have a friction but it has reduced to the barest minimum.”

The commissioner of police said clear policies had been laid out to guide the dialogue.

He said all the parties involved were not supposed to take laws into their hands.

“As long as the grazing areas and cattle routes were not encroached, and if a cow destroys a farm, the damages would be calculated and the cattle owners bear the cost.”

According to Etim, there is no crisis that could not be resolved through dialogue.

“Once we bring ourselves open for dialogue, then the incidences of clashes will be a thing of the past,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police, therefore, urged farmers and herders to eschew violence and coexist peacefully.

In Jigawa, the police alongside the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), also said recurring farmers-herders clashes was the major security threat in the state.

The command Public Relations Officer, ASP Lawan Shiisu, said the command had initiated meetings with stakeholders and built synergy with other security agencies to address the menace, and protect lives and property.

He said that as part of the efforts, the Command recently hosted a meeting with local council officials, community leaders, members of vigilante, hunters groups and security agencies to find durable solution to the problem.

According to him, similar forum will be organised across the 27 local government areas of the state.

Also, Mr Adamu Shehu, Spokesman of NSCDC in the state said they were pursuing practical measures to promote harmonious coexistence between farmers and pastoralists.

“Whenever we receive report of a clash between farmers and herdsmen, our Agro Rangers operating in the affected area swiftly move to the scene.

“The squad usually intervene to protect the interest of the parties involved, and if that is not achieved, then arrests are made,” he said.

According to him, the mechanism is yielding positive results.

He added that the Corps has been working with relevant agencies of government to resolve conflicts, and foster peace and harmony in Jigawa.

Shehu said the state government is currently reviewing land allocations along cattle routes and grazing lands as part of measures to end farmers-herders clashes.

On its part, the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state of Zinder in Niger Republic, to curb activies of criminal cross-border herders.

The MoU was signed in May 2023 by Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa and his counterpart in Zinger, Mr Lawal Ahamdu-Madugu.

The agreement seeks to integrate and secure livestock routes, as well as control illegal influx of cattle.

Meanwhile, farmers in Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states said that the peace agreements they entered with bandits was their only option of survival.

“We opted for peace with the bandits to ease the suffering we go through as a people and community,” Bello Abubakar, a resident of Isa in Sokoto state, said.

“It is to ease the merciless attacks we suffer almost on daily basis,” he added.

Abubakar explained that the agreement will allow farmers to cultivate their farms at a cost.

“The term of agreement varies depending on what the bandits demanded from the communities.

“Some bandits enforce monthly levy while others agree on quarterly or even annual levy to be paid by the community members.

“The peace agreement with bandits was not official, however it gives the effected communities a way of living together with the bandits without any intimidation or harassment,” he added.

According to Abubakar, the agreements were solely community driven, with no knowledge or input from the government or security agencies.

In Tsaskiya, Katsina State, the community has also gone into such agreement.

A resident who is also a member of the local vigilante group, told NAN in confidence that since the peace deal with the bandits, the community has been at peace.

“We have all returned to our farms without fear, and so far there has been no breach of the agreement,” he added.

He however refused to disclose the terms of the peace deal and with which group of bandits.

In Zamfara, a community leader in Zurmi local government area who spoke with NAN on condition of anonymity said they had also sealed a peace deal with bandits operating in the area.

“The peace deal is to allow us to farm. Money was given to them to exclude our area in their attacks and kidnapping activities.

“There was no involvement of security agencies in the agreement between us and the bandits; and so far the deal has not changed,” he said.

However, Secretary to Zamfara Government, Malam Abubakar Nakwada, said the state government was not aware of such deals, and emphasised that the government would not negotiate with the bandits.

“We reject any move to negotiate with bandits in order to address the security challenges bedeviling the state, the previous efforts at negotiating with the bandits were fruitless.

”The present administration in the state under Gov. Dauda Lawal has no intention of negotiating with criminals

“We are prepared to work in collaboration with security agencies in the fight against insecurity,” Nakwada said.

In Kebbi where bandits have been unleashing terror on citizens, a resident, Alhaji Salim Ka’oje called for use of technology to deal with the criminals.

“Nowadays security personnel needed not to go to battle grounds before fighting their enamies, because with the use of technology they can strike anywhere they want,” he said.

Ka’oje also stressed the need for security agencies to brace up to the challenges and do the needful.

“Security personnel should not relax until the bandits attack before they trail them, they should be brave enough to trace the criminals to their hideouts,” he added.

Ka’oje who led the parents of the school girls abducted from Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri who spent about two years in captivity, said government should not relax until the criminals were eliminated.

Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner, Mr Samuel Titus-Musa, said that the command had received new fighting assets to face the bandits.

NAN gathered that the state government recently ordered the payment of all allowances owed security personnel in crisis prone areas of the state.

Mr Musa Aboki, the Executive Director, Voluntary Aid Initiative, a civil society organisation, believed that the new Service Chiefs have the capacity to initiate new measures to tackle the lingering security challenges in the country.

“I am using this medium to call on stakeholders to cooperate with the new Service Chiefs to succeed in the new assignment given to them”, Aboki said.

Similarly, Ahaji Sa’idu Ibrahim, Vice Chairman Sokoto State House of Assembly Committee on Security canvassed the support of the general public to security agencies, to enable them protect citizens and restore peace and stability.

Ibrahim said the security challenges facing the country needed collective engagement to address.

“Our security personnel are doing their best but government commitment will put them in the right track,” he added.

However, Dr Halilu Mohammed, a Bauchi-based Sociologist, attributed the spate of security threats to poor implementation of security policies in the country.

“Poor policy implementation; weak security systems and lack of probity in security budget financing led to security threats in the country,” he said.

He therefore urged governments at all levels to implement policies and programmes that would improve social and economic wellbeing of citizens to promote peace and stability in the country.(NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government, on Monday, reiterated its commitment to collaborating with state governments to ensure elimination of illegal mining activities across the country.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Mary Ogbe, stated this when the Governor of Taraba, Dr Agbu Kefas, visited the ministry in Abuja.

Ogbe said there was the need for the collaboration between the ministry and Taraba government to curtail incidences of illegal mining in the state.

She said that the illegal activities had become an endemic economic crime, causing hemorrhage to government’s revenue.

The permanent secretary, who was represented by the Director, Human Resources Department, Alhaji Suleiman Kabir, said that the ministry alone could not combat the menace of the mining activities.

According to her, robust dialogue between the ministry and Taraba government will enhance and sustain the efforts at eliminating the activities of illegal miners within the ambit of the law.

Ogbe commended the move by state governments to prevent breakdown of law and order, occasioned by illegal mining.

She also commended the proactive security measures already taken by Taraba government, adding that the governor should lend necessary assistance to legal miners in the state to engender investors’ confidence.

Responding, the governor, who condemned the activities of illegal miners in his state, said it had caused communal clashes and serious environmental degradation.

Kefas urged the ministry to open a corridor of communication and effective collaboration with the state government.

He said that such collaboration would process and authenticate the licences issued by the ministry to investors as well as other documentations for exploration of mineral resources.

He said that the efforts would also help in curbing and eliminating illegal mining activities across the country.

According to him, the measure will create an enabling environment for attracting genuine investors into the state in order to achieve the much-desired socio-economic transformation of the country.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Combined troops of 82 Division, Nigerian Army, sister Services, Nigeria Police and other security agencies have successfully raided hideouts and training camps belonging to the IPOB/ESN in Orsumoghu Forest spanning Anambra and Imo States.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Nwachukwu said the raid was in continuation of ongoing operations to deter enforcement of the illegal sit-at- home order declared by the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN), in the South East.

He said the raid operation was carried out on Monday when troops were alerted of the violent activities of the irredentist group enforcing the illegal two weeks sit-at-home order in Onitsha, Nnewi and Iheme Obosi in Anambra State, as well as at New Market in Enugu state.

He said the troops cleared IPOB camps in Ekeututu, Orsumoghu, Lilu and Mother Valley camps of the dissidents during the operations.

According to him, troops came in contact with the group’s armed fighters, who detonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), also known as Ogbunigwe, and fired using locally-fabricated mortar tube.

Nwachukwu said the valiant troops overpowered the irredentist group in the firefight, compelling them to abandon their position and fled with gunshot wounds into nearby bushes.

“Further cordon and search of the hideouts by the troops, led to the arrest of five fleeing members of the group and recovery of one IPOB flag, one CCTV camera and two detonated IED bombs and a fabricated mortar tube.

“Sadly, five soldiers and two Nigeria Police operatives sustained varying degrees of injuries from the IED detonated by the criminals.

“The Nigerian Army encourages all law- abiding citizens of the South East to continue to support ongoing operations with actionable information and to disregard the unlawful two-week sit-at-home order by going about their normal daily activities and businesses.

“The Nigerian army, in synergy with sister services and security agencies, will undauntedly continue to protect and safeguard lives and property of the good and enterprising people of South East Nigeria, within the ambit of the law and the rules of engagement,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

There now seems to be a shift from going cap-in-hand begging for aids to forging partnerships where hitherto African countries are known to kowtow to the U.S., China and Western countries for aids.

This was demonstrated at the recently concluded Russia-Africa Economic Summit 2023 where many African countries signed partnership agreements with the Russian government and some of its corporations.

The shift from aid to partnership underlined the Russia-Africa Economic Summit 2023 in St. Petersburg, Russia, with the host country seeing African countries as development partners.

Indeed, the words partnership and cooperation resonated throughout the panel discussions at the summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, had this to say about the summit: “We had a substantive and engaging exchange of views on the entire range of themes of strategic cooperation between Russia and African countries.

“We have identified the main areas for further joint work and outlined plans to strengthen foreign policy coordination and increase trade and investment flows, as well as industrial cooperation between Russia and the countries of the African continent.

“I firmly believe that the results we have achieved will form a good foundation for the further deepening the Russian-African partnership in the interests of the prosperity and well-being of our peoples.”

The participants declared their commitment to jointly building a new, fairer multipolar architecture of the world order based on the sovereign equality of states and mutually beneficial cooperation.

To demonstrate the shift, a panel session was aptly titled, ‘From Aid to Partnership: Working Together to Fight Epidemics,’ where Ms Anna Popova, Head of Rospotrebnadzor, noted that Russia and Africa had successfully cooperated in epidemic prevention.

“Cooperation between Russia and Africa is capable of moving from assistance to partnership between countries, which will help the continent to gain sovereignty in the field of biological security, strengthen its own potential and remove obstacles to economic development caused by infections,” noted Popova.

The focus of the session was how to ensure the independence of African countries from external assistance in biosecurity, as well as the possibilities of transition from importing anti-epidemic technologies to their development by African countries.

Ms Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health of the Republic of Uganda, emphasised that the partnership would help to promote cooperation in epidemic control, build human capacity and ensure technology transfer.

From internal mechanisms to battle epidemics to best practices in infrastructure development, the summit was an eye opener for many African leaders.

For example, Mr Nikita Stasishin, Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities, Russia, said African countries could draw a lesson from the the experience of Russia’s construction sector.

In particular, he drew attention to the fact that, “today Russian developers compete not with the cost per square metre, but with the quality of the project.”

This implies, among other things, the creation of a comfortable environment during the integrated development of the territory.

Stasishin said: “On the instructions of the President, an infrastructure menu was launched. This is a huge amount of funds that go towards modernising engineering, transport, utilities and social infrastructure.”

At the same time, he noted the need for a scientific approach to the development of territories: “We have created a huge scientific base with technical solutions for the development of both agglomeration of million-strong cities and single-industry and small towns.

“This is something we could share with African countries.”

It appeared that many African leaders at the Summit heeded the counsel, with Mr Tafadzwa Muguti, Secretary to the administration of the president of Zimbabwe for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province, speaking about the prospects for cooperation with Russia in developing the country’s transport sector.

““One of the opportunities to improve transport infrastructure is to intensify partnership relations with the Russian Federation.

“Through cooperation with Russian cities, we could create new masterplans for the development of municipalities,” she said.

Nigeria is not left out of the new wave of partnerships with Russia to develop key infrastructure as its Vice President, Kashim Shettima, engaged stakeholders during the summit to revive the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria.

“The sooner we get this plant back to production, the better for everyone. We need to walk the talk; the Nigerian people deserve better,” Shettima said at a meeting with the management of Russian Aluminium Company, UC RUSAL, and other stakeholders on the sidelines of the Summit.?

The meeting was in furtherance of the efforts by the Federal Government to reactivate production lines at ALSCON by re-engaging UC RUSAL and other partners.?

Speaking after a presentation by the UC RUSAL management, Shettima noted the enormous benefits of the aluminum company to the economy in terms of energy transition, job creation and its impact on the development of small businesses.

?Ghana is also leveraging the Russia-Africa Summit to develop its transport infrastructure.

Mr Desmond Boateng, Chief Director, Ministry of Railways Development of the Republic of Ghana, said at the summit that the country had embarked on a 4,000 kilometre railway project to connect West African countries.

“We are ready to negotiate with the Russian private sector to find the best ways to create an effective mechanism for mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of this large-scale project.

“Now 250 kilometres have been built, but when all the lines are built, the railway will provide links to Burkina Faso, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire and other countries on the African continent,” said Boateng.

To demonstrate their seriousness, some African countries signed numerous Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and cooperation during the Russia-Africa summit.

This, as part of the Forum’s business programme, a memorandum was signed between Russian Export Centre (REC) and the Agency for Promotion of Investment and Exports of Mozambique (APIEX).

According to the agreements, the parties will organise business missions and educational events aimed at fostering business development and strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

“The memorandum is an important step in the development of economic ties between Russia and Mozambique.

“This cooperation will enable enterprises from both nations to effectively penetrate each other’s markets and bolster the irrespective positions.

“It is also planned to exchange information on major projects in order to attract companies,” said Nikita Gusakov, Senior Vice President of the REC.

He said special attention would be paid to the exchange of analytical materials on priority sectors of cooperation.

“This will enable the parties to stay abreast of current trends and developments in vital sectors of the economy.

“As a result, this collaboration will foster the creation of new opportunities for Russian exports.

“Currently, there is a balance in foreign trade turnover between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Mozambique, demonstrating the complementarity of exports and imports between the two nations.

“Russia remains a major supplier of agricultural and chemical products to the Mozambican market, while Mozambique is one of the suppliers of rare earth metals and tobacco products to Russia’s market,” he said.

In addition, a memorandum was signed with Multi-Services EtMateriel Industriel (MSMI) SARL (Cameroon).

The main objective of the agreement is to jointly promote Russian industrial equipment in the Central African markets, especially in Cameroon.

It is anticipated that REC and MSMI will engage in active information exchange concerning major government projects while also extending support to Russian companies aiming to enter the Cameroon market.

Currently, Cameroon is undergoing significant industrial growth and implementing crucial infrastructure projects, offering favourable opportunities for Russian companies to compete with other global players in this region.

“Cameroon is one of the leading economies in Central Africa and offers a wide range of investment opportunities. The volume of REC Group’s supported exports to Cameroon last year totaled 19.6 million dollars.

“The joint efforts of the REC and MSMI will allow Russian companies to increase their presence in this promising market and strengthen their positions,” said Dmitry Prokhorenko, Director for Development of the REC’s Foreign Network.

It appears REC is on a rampage, revving Russia’s shipments of mineral fertiliser to Africa.

Facilitating this increase is REC’s Senior Vice-President, Mr Nikita Gusakov, who spoke at the session, “Stabilising the Fertiliser Market to Eradicate Hunger in African Countries”.

Gusakov touched on increasing trade between Russia and Africa and the need to carry out settlements with African counterparties in currencies other than the dollar or euro and connect to alternative channels of communication between financial institutions.

He said some transactions were already being made in yuan, and in the medium term, the ruble may also be an option.

He added that the first contracts had already been concluded in Russia’s national currency.

According to him, to incorporate local currencies in a more systematic way, it will be necessary to develop financial infrastructure and the share of goods imported from Africa.

He said this would make it possible for more transactions to be conducted in the national currency later and gradually decrease the number of financial transactions carried out in the currency of a third party.

He added that trade deficit could also be offset by investment, with the financing companies received from exports to Africa being invested on the continent.

The Second Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, organised by Roscongress Foundation was, indeed, a game changer for many African countries, if they walk the talk. (NANFeatures) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

France will begin evacuating its citizens from Niger, which was taken over by the military in a coup, on Tuesday, the French Foreign Ministry said.

It said it would also evacuate other Europeans who wanted to leave the country, a former French colony.

About 500 to 600 French citizens are in Niger.

Italy also said it would fly its citizens out of Niger on a special flight, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Twitter.

He said that its embassy in the Nigerien capital Niamey would remain open.

Tajani did not say when the Italian evacuation would begin.

On Wednesday last week, officers from General Omar Tchiani’s elite unit detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and declared him deposed.

Tchiani decleared himself the new ruler on Friday.

Over the weekend there were pro-coup protests in Niamey.

According to reports, demonstrators gathered in front of the French embassy.

Some reportedly tore down the embassy plaque, trampled on it and replaced it with Nigerien and Russian flags.

Paris had condemned the violence.

In Berlin, a German government crisis team is to discuss the situation in Niger again at 1 p.m. (1100 GMT).

It would make an up-to-date assessment of the security situation for the nearly 100 German civilians in the country.

The French offer to take other citizens with them is expected to be discussed.

France can land several planes with the approval of the Nigerien authorities, although flight operations at Niamey airport are banned until Friday.

Germany on Tuesday had still not activated its own plans for an evacuation.

The coup has been internationally condemned.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum to the coup leaders on Sunday.

If Bazoum is not released and reinstated within a week, ECOWAS would take measures that could include the use of force, it said.

On Monday, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali warned ECOWAS against intervening.

The countries warned that any military intervention in Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against them, a joint statement by the two transitional governments said.

They also said if ECOWAS intervened militarily in Niger, they would withdraw from ECOWAS.

The two nations said they would institute self-defence measures to support the Nigerien armed forces and people if ECOWAS intervened with force.

Shortly after Tchiani’s coup, he declared himself the de facto president and suspended the West African country’s constitution and dissolved all constitutional institutions.

The former colonial power France has about 2,500 soldiers stationed in Niger as well as in neighbouring Chad.

Niger was recently one of its last local partners in the counterterrorism fight in the wider Sahel region.

The country is also of interest to France because of its uranium. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria