Day: June 2, 2024

Still Waters Foundation has distributed food items and clothing to over 250 vulnerable widows in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to support their efforts in catering for the family. Speaking during the event in Abuja, the founder, Dr Femi Lanre-Oke, said that the theme of the event tagged, 'Renewed hope', was timely due to the present economic situation of the country. Lanre-Oke said that the basis for diligently driving the foundation was derived from the passion and need to impact lives. He emphasised the importance of food in the lives of people especially the underprivileged widows who were facing series of societal challenges and had gone through pain, discrimination and neglect. Lanre-Oke said that the foundation was not just about helping the widows and the less privileged, but also discovering and empowering the youths to become ambassadors of peace. 'This is because the first thing about a widow was that you see a person whose joy has been taken away. 'The husband is no more and more likely to be the strength of that family. So, when you identify with people like that, you are fulfilling the covenant of God In Isaiah 58, ' he said. According to him, when you see a widow, you see somebody whose joy was stolen, whose strength failed, and who is now alone. 'So, when you identify with that, you bring encouragement to them, you bring support to them, you are bringing strength to them. That is the major thing, ' he said. Lanre-Oke, who is also the Lead Pastor, Jesus Praise Evangelical Ministries International (JPEMI), urged government to identify with the windows and their children for the growth of the society. He also urged government at all levels to make life easy and convenient for widows, adding that granting them access to soft loan for a business would go along way. 'If these widows are strengthened number one, they take care of their children. 'If they are encouraged and supported, they make provisions for them, make assistance for them, ' he said. He reiterated the commitment of the f oundation to continue to impact the lives of the less privileged people in the society and other vulnerable. In their separate remarks, some of the widows expressed gratitude to the foundation as some were seen with smiles and relief on their faces. Some of the widows that got Tailoring/ Sewing machines, hair dressing materials among others The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that aside the food items and clothing materials donated, five widows were empowered with two hair dressing machines, two tailoring machines and one melon grinding machine. The Foundation also promised to help the widows by paying the children's school fees, and setup some of them with business among others in the next edition of the program. Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Dr Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, says the Federal Government will deploy technology for the surveillance of mining sites across the country. Alake said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja. He said that the technology would be in addition to the 2,220 personnel of the Mining Marshal Corps drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to combat illegal mining. The corps deployed across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were also trained on modern warfare by the military to secure Nigeria's natural resources. 'We are introducing some technology, we are not just relying on men and materials alone. 'The satellite surveillance gadgets we are putting in there are to enable us to see in real time in all mining sites in Nigeria. 'So that when we notice any infraction, very quickly we can deploy the mining marshals to go there so we don't even have to wait for any interpersonal communication. 'That reduces t he time of knowledge and action. Right now we depend on people passing intelligence to us but when the satellite surveillance gadget is working, we will be able to see it ourselves. 'Which is a step forward in the right direction', he said. The minister said that to attract investors to the sector, especially the big players, it was necessary to put in place policies and initiatives aimed at securing their investments. 'We needed to put in place policy measures to ensure that when these investors come, they are not just coming into the darkness that we had here before. 'They will ask some questions, such as the security of their operating environment, their investment, personnel and the ease of doing business in Nigeria and the sector', he said. He said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu inherited a lot of security challenges such as banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, which were associated with the solid mineral sector. He explained that most mining activities were in the forests, where such crimes were being perpetrated. He said that the administration of Tinubu was determined to sanitise the sector, and reposition it to contribute significantly to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) . According to the minister, concerted efforts are being deployed to curb the menace with other government agencies, such as the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Army and the Police for rapid result. 'I had a meeting with the Inspector General of Police on this issue and he is willing to give us more men to support those that we have on ground. 'Even the EFCC is cooperating with us, they are also arresting, the army also enumerated the number of illegal miners that they have arrested, it is a holistic effort cutting across all security agencies. 'But the mine marshals are just the face of the security apparatus that we are putting in place to combat illegal mining,' he said. Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A Clinical Psychologist, Dr Adedotun Ajiboye, says the Federal Government needs to implement policies and programmes that reduce tobacco consumption and protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke. Ajiboye who works with the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Sunday in Abuja. He was speaking against the backdrop of the World No Tobacco Day 2024 marked annually on May 31 with the theme 'Protecting Children from the Tobacco Industry Interference.' Ajiboye said tobacco was one of the top single greatest causes of preventable deaths globally. He said smoking could lead to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cancer of the lungs, larynx, and mouth pancreatic cancer; and hypertension. Ajiboye said the Nicotine in cigarettes could lead to addiction or substance use disorder adding that tobacco was a significant cause of miscarriages among pregnant smokers. 'Tobacco can lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), t he fetal brain's ability may be reduced when exposed to cigarettes. ' Incidence of impotence is approximately 85 per cent higher in male smokers compared to male non - smokers. He said smoking was a key factor in causing erectile dysfunction, adding that tobacco smoking led most commonly to disease affecting the heart , liver, lungs, etc. 'Based on the health effects revealed above, the government has a huge role to play in reducing preventable deaths caused by tobacco by implementing policies and programmes that reduce tobacco consumption. 'Also implementing policies that protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke.' Ajiboye suggested some key roles of government to include tobacco taxation, by raising taxes on tobacco products to make them less affordable and reduce consumption. He said the government should enact laws that prohibit smoking in public places, workplaces, and public transportation, and implement standards for tobacco products, such as warning labels and ingredient disclosure. Ajibo ye said that there should also be awareness campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco use and providing resources and support for individuals trying to quit tobacco. 'There should be youth access restrictions by enacting laws to prevent the sale of tobacco products to minors. 'There should be monitoring and surveillance by the government through collection of data on tobacco use and related health effects to inform policy decisions. 'Regulation of tobacco advertising by restricting or banning tobacco advertising to prevent promotion to youth and others.' He said the government should also support tobacco research by funding research on tobacco use and its health effects to inform policy and treatment development. The clinical psychologist said the federal government should collaborate with other countries to share best practices and coordinate efforts to reduce global tobacco use. 'By taking these steps, the government can effectively reduce the health impacts of tobacco and protect c itizens' health.' Ajiboye said World No Tobacco Day 2024 is a vital global event aimed at highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. He said this year's theme emphasised protecting children from the tobacco industry's practices, ensuring a healthier future for the next generation. Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, says plans are ongoing by the Federal Government to establish six mineral centres in the six geo-political zones. According to Alake, the aim is to boost the sector. Alake said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja. He said that the plan was part of the President Bola Tinubu's administration's commitment to diversify the country's economy, by developing key sectors such as the solid minerals industry. 'Another one is the creation of six mineral centres in each of the six geo-political zones. 'We have our minerals all over the country and we cannot concentrate the mineral processing centres in one centre, and as we speak those plans are ongoing in the zones', he said. According to the Minister, the centres are also part of the government's commitment to promote value addition to its minerals, aimed at facilitating multiplier effects on the economy. NAN recalls that the minister had announced that no licenc e would be granted to mining companies to operate without presenting a comprehensive plan for value addition such as processing and refining. Alake said that investors in the past extracted raw mineral resources from Nigeria without adding value to them, which he described as a great loss to the country's economy. 'Lithium is one of the finest qualities in the world, and it has other associated minerals like nickel, cobalt, and copper. 'So when an operator takes an ounce of our Lithium out of Nigeria, perhaps he declares Lithium. 'But when he gets to his host country, he now has other associated minerals to his gain and to the loss of Nigeria. 'So our major policy which we enacted is that, henceforth, we would no longer approve an application from an investor that does not show us a concrete plan for local value addition. 'Which means processing here to add local value addition, and this will generate a multiplier effect like local employment, technology and skills transfer,' he said. He said that the move was in line with plans to locally produce Electric Vehicle's (EVs) batteries in Nigeria, whose major ingredient is Lithium. 'Our objective here is to begin to produce EVs batteries with Lithium and other associated minerals, ' he said. The Minister said that the local value addition policy had also been widely accepted by other African countries aimed at developing their local economies. Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, says that plans are ongoing to increase the number of Mining Marshal Corps from 60 to 100. The increase would be across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Alake said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja. He said that the move was part of efforts of the Federal Government to secure the mining operating environment aimed at attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to boost the economic profile of the country. NAN reports that the Mining Marshal Corps inaugurated on March 21, were drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to combat illegal mining. The corps has 2,220 personnel, who have been specially trained by the military in modern warfare as a rapid response squad with 60 deployed across the 36 states and the FCT. 'We are looking at adding to the number to get a minimum of 100 in each state from the 60 on ground,' he said. He said that the President Bola Tinubu`s administration was determined to sanitise the mining sector and reposition it by putting in place policy measures to attract big players to the sector. Alake said that prospective investors would need assurance of the security of the operating environment, their investment, equipment and personnel. The minister said that the insecurity situation at mining sites across the federation prompted the president to establish an inter-ministerial committee on Jan.17. He explained that the committee was to produce a blueprint for securing Nigeria's natural resources, which consisted of mineral sites, marine economy and forests. The minister, however, said that while deliberations were still on-going by the committee on producing a comprehensive security architecture for the natural resources, the mining marshal corps was established in the interim. 'Insecurity is rife in the forests where the solid minerals are deposited. 'The inter-ministerial efforts are ongoing as set up by the preside nt but I couldn't wait because of the criticality in curbing the illegality in the sector,' he said. He said that the initiative was yielding the desired results, as more than 200 suspects had been arrested, with 133 being prosecuted and two foreigners convicted for illegal operations. According to him, many requests are being received from states for the deployment of marshals in areas identified as sites of illegal mining due to their success. 'Every day, I receive requests from states asking for the deployment of these mining marshals to particular areas in their forests where they notice illegal operations going on. 'And they have gone inside the forests, the operating field to arrest, more than 200 have been arrested, about 133 are being prosecuted right now in various courts across the various states of the country. 'And recently, two foreign nationals were jailed, convicted of operating illegally in the mining sector in Nigeria', he said. Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Residents of Apo Resettlement Area in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) have decried the poor state of link roads and other social amenities in the area. The residents, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said they always pass through a lot of difficulties accessing their homes. The residents further said that accessing critical facilities such as schools and hospitals was also a major challenge due to lack of link roads. Elder Babayinka Ojo, a resident of Apo, said that all link roads leading to the markets and some estates had remained inaccessible by both motorists and pedestrians over the years. 'Our city roads are full of potholes some of which have become craters. 'These potholes are hazardous to motorists and pedestrians alike as they increase the risk of accidents, falls and possible injuries. 'Driving at night is incredibly challenging and unsafe because of the dreadful roads and dilapidated link roads. 'The alternative road that is supposed to c onnect Agaba Estate junction to Main Market to decongest the excess traffic leading to the market is not accessible to both motorists and pedestrians,' he said. He said that some abandoned structures in the area have been occupied by criminals and drug addicts who pose serious danger to the residents. 'The Sen. Zephaniah Jisalo neighbourhood roads are an eyesore. 'The worst is a cashew plantation in the area called Agwa TV, which Indian hemp smokers have turned to a 'no go area' between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily,' he alleged. Ojo said that the road linking Lokogoma, Apo Mechanic, Shoprite/burial ground was another death trap to motorists. Another resident, Mrs Esther Ekong, appealed to the Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, to come to their aid by fixing the bad roads in the area. Ekong urged the minister to use his office to assist the community by allocating funds for the construction of roads in the area. Source: News Agency of Nigeria