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Algeria Recalls Ambassador To France

Christopher Ojilere
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Algeria has recalled its ambassador to France for consultations.

This comes following a new spat over the evacuation of Algerian activist Amira Bouraoui who is wanted by Algiers.

Report says President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered ambassador Said Moussi to be recalled “with immediate effect.”

Ms. Bouraoui was arrested in Tunisia on Friday and risked being deported to Algeria, but she was finally able to board a flight to France on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the French-Algerian was sentenced in Algeria in May 2021 to two years in jail for “offending Islam” and for insulting the president.

However, she has not been placed under arrest since then pending an appeal.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Algeria in August 2022 to repair fractured relations after a long period of tension over conflicting memories of Algeria’s bloody war of independence.

 

BBC/Christopher Ojilere

Kwara SDP Reps Candidate Backs Tinubu For Presidency

Lateefat Ibrahim
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A House of Representatives Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency in Kwara State North Central Nigeria, Saheed Olamilekan Popoola, says he is rooting for the Presidential Flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, due to his antecedents as a defender of democracy.

Popoola disclosed that Tinubu came to his rescue while facing torments as the Chairman of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State when he served between 2011 and 2013.

He spoke in Ilorin while answering questions from newsmen at the 36th edition of Media Parliament of Kwara State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The SDP House of Representatives candidate who disclosed that he has remained a committed progressive in his political sojourn, said the APC presidential candidate was the most qualified among the array of candidates in the presidential polls.

“I owe Asiwaju Bola Tinubu my allegiance and loyalty irrespective of my interest because he came to my rescue when they were tormenting me in this state. Then, I was serving as council chairman”, Popoola said.

Unholy alliance

He warned the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state against any unholy alliance with any political party in the state or the State government particularly before, during and after the 2023 general elections .

The Reps Candidate urged the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu to call his officials at the state level to order.

Popoola who is a two-term lawmaker of the state House of Assembly vowed that any collaboration between the state government and the electoral umpire to pervert the forthcoming polls would be resisted.

“I want to enjoin you, journalists to guide Kwara INEC because there is a rumour going round that the present government has a relationship with them and that it is likely to favour APC in Kwara.

“Also, I want to call the attention of the INEC Chairman to warn Kwara REC to desist from such activities because our people will resist any attempt to compromise the general elections in Kwara State”, he said.

Popoola, who spoke on the media parliament titled “With quality legislative, social re-engineering is possible”, described legislation as the most important aspect of governance and appealed to the electorate to vote reasonable individuals into the legislative arm for quality representation.

He also canvassed local government autonomy, saying that there would be a little challenge at the third tier of government if they received funds meant for them directly devoid of the undue interference of the state government.

Autonomy Bill

Popoola, whose seat of Ojomu/Balogun Constituency of Offa Local Government was declared vacant in the state House of Assembly, took a swipe at the lawmakers in some state Houses of Assembly for their failure to concurrently pass the autonomy bill for local government areas.

In his remarks, the state Chairman of NUJ, Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, lamented that state Houses of Assembly have continued to parade themselves as mere appendages of the executive, thus belittling the temple of lawmaking.

“What we have regrettably observed over the years is the parliament that is complicit and complacent, thus submitting its sovereignty to the executive on one hand and making mockery of itself on the other whether wittingly or unwittingly.

“In a standard democratic setting, legislative branch of government should ordinarily be the ‘Primus Inter Paris’ but reverse is the case in our clime. Even the autonomy granted the parliament, which in itself is a constitutional matter, has not deterred the inordinate quest, on the part of the executive, to subdue the legislature,” he said.

He added that if the legislature restructures and pride itself as an independent arm whose work including enactment of laws, oversight and representation, reflect the wishes and aspirations of the people, the society would get it right.

Lateefah Ibrahim

Lagos Governor Increases Sanitation Workers’ Salary

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has announced that the salaries of sanitation workers’ in the state have been increased by 20%.

This according to him was a promise made by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the recent rally organised by the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) in support of the presidential bid of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Mr. Odumboni said the State government was working assiduously to provide the necessary support for sweepers to be more efficient.

Discharged their duties

He made this announcement during a meeting with the sweepers at LAWMA’s headquarters, Ijora-Olopa, where he also revealed that they would be provided with new work tools such as overalls, boots, personal protective equipment (PPE) etc, to enable them discharge their duties effectively.

He also admonished the sanitation workers to ensure they perform their civic responsibility by voting at the forthcoming elections as he urged them to spread the word to their neighbourhoods, stressing that the government was counting on them to make their voices heard through their votes.

“This increase in salary and provision of work tools for the sweepers is a positive step towards improving their working conditions and ensuring they have the necessary resources to perform their duties effectively.

“It is also a clear indication of the government’s commitment to providing support to the hardworking sanitation workers who perform their duties to sanitise the environment.”

Eulogised APC 

The LAWMA boss however eulogised the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whom he said introduced the LAWMA Private Sector Participation PSP and street sweeping schemes during his tenure as Lagos State governor.

“Asiwaju Tinubu aid the foundation for effective waste management, which the state is currently benefiting from,” he said

In appreciation of the gesture by the state government, the sweepers showed solidarity by waving their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in support of Tinubu’s presidential ambition and second term bid of Governor Sanwo-Olu.

Many of the beneficiaries of this gestures have praised the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu led administration for its efforts in improving the lives of the sweepers and for recognising their contribution to the society.

They also promised to cast their votes at the elections, expressing their gratitude to the Lagos State Government for remembering them during this period.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim

Lagos Marathon Organisers To Sign Deal For Abuja Marathon

Christopher Ojilere
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The Organisers of Lagos City Marathon, Nilayo Sports Management, will sign a multi-billion naira contract deals that would see the birth of the Abuja City International Marathon.

This comes days after the successful hosting of the recently concluded 8th Lagos City Marathon, one of only 2 Gold Label races in Africa.

Nilayo Sports Managing Director, Chief Bukola Olopade, will sign the deal in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

The Marathon, which is a full 42 kilometres, has been approved by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, AIMS  the Federal Capital Territory, and the Ministry of Sports, Youths and Social development.

Meanwhile, organisers have fixed October 7, 2023, for the inaugural edition of the marathon as the Nilayo Sports Management Limited boss, Olopade, targets a second gold-label status full marathon race in Nigeria.

However, the main sponsor of the race would also be unveiled in an elaborate ceremony, where the prize money, the class of runners, the route, and other world-class incentives will be announced for the Abuja City International Marathon.

Olopade said, “It would be most delightful to have one full marathon each in Nigeria’s financial capital and the nation’s capital.  By the time, the Abuja City International Marathon attains the Gold Label Marathon status, Nigeria would have become one of the very few countries in the world, with two Gold-Label races, in one country. This is a rare attribute in road running in the world. This would tremendously boost the status of Nigeria, and that is what we have been talking about.”

Australian Government to Remove Installed Chinese-made cameras

Shakirat Sadiq
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The Australian government will examine surveillance technology used in offices of the defence department, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday, amid reports that Chinese-made cameras installed there posed a security risk.

The checks come after Britain in November asked its government departments to stop installing Chinese-linked surveillance cameras at sensitive buildings, citing security risks. Some U.S. states have banned vendors and products from several Chinese technology companies.

“This is an issue and … we’re doing an assessment of all the technology for surveillance within the defence, department, and where those particular cameras are found, they are going to be removed,” Marles says in an interview. Reports said.

Opposition lawmaker James Paterson said his own audit had revealed almost 1,000 units of equipment by Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology (002415.SZ) and Dahua Technology Co (002236.SZ) – two partly state-owned Chinese firms – were installed across more than 250 Australian government offices.

Paterson, the shadow minister for cyber security and countering foreign interference, urged the government to urgently come up with a plan to remove all such cameras.

Marles said the issue was significant though adding: “I don’t think we should overstate it.”

Hikvision said it was “categorically false” to represent the company as a threat to Australia’s national security as it could not access the video data of end users, manage end-user databases or sell cloud storage in Australia.

“Our cameras are compliant with all applicable Australian laws and regulations and are subject to strict security requirements,” a spokesperson said in an emailed response.

Dahua Technology did not immediately respond to request seeking comment.

Cautious Approach
Nigel Phair, an expert on cyber security at the University of New South Wales, said the government was taking a cautious approach. “The concern is that these are Chinese manufactured cameras and there’s data being collected which is going back to the Chinese state.”

“They are being very cautious and that’s not a bad thing in the online environment. We should take a measured approach and we should be looking at where the risks are, where the vulnerabilities are and then produce appropriate controls around that.”

Australian media reported on Wednesday that the national war memorial in Canberra would remove several Chinese-made security cameras installed on the premises over concern about spying.

Australia and China have been looking to mend diplomatic ties damaged in part by a 2018 Australian decision to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G broadband network.

Relations were later damaged further by an Australian call for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

China responded with tariffs on several Australian commodities.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was not concerned about how China might react to the removal of cameras.

“We act in accordance with Australia’s national interest. We do so transparently and that’s what we will continue to do,” he added.

 

 

 

Reuters /Shakirat Sadiq

Delta State To End Farmers/Herders Clashes In Communities

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Delta State Government said on Wednesday that it has strengthened plans to end the lingering clashes between farmers and herders in Uwheru community, Ughelli North Local Government Area (LGA), and other parts of the state.

The Chairman, Delta State Livestock Management Committee (DSLMC), Dr Godfrey Enita, stated this after the committee’s meeting with the stakeholders and representatives of Uwheru community in Asaba.
Enita, who doubles as the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the meeting was fruitful and has given insight on the main causes of the clashes, disclosing that about 40 flash points have been identified in 12 LGAs in the state.
Migrant herders

He noted that the main culprits in the clash were normally migrant herders from the eastern part of the country, who invade Delta communities at certain seasons of the year.
According to Enita, the meeting was convened to look into the root causes of the farmers/herders clashes in Uwheru community, it’s environs and other LGAs.
“We are trying to prevent what happened in Patani LGA from happening at Uwheru. This is because we have observed that these herders who unleash mayhem come from the eastern flank of the country.

“They are not the traditional herders that we have in the state that we know and can easily identify.

“We are told that it was these ones who migrated from the east that caused the kind of havoc that happened at Patani LGA in the state, where a family lost a father and his child. This we want to stop from repeating at Uwheru.”

The commissioner noted that Uwheru community has raised alarm over attacks by certain herders who had prevented them from accessing their farms in the area.

“They said that the herders have taken over part of their community and made it difficult for them to go to their farms.

“We have the representative of the Fulani’s in the state, and the other stakeholders to see how we can identify those particular herders that invade the state and prevent farmers from accessing their farms,” he said.

According to Enita, the action taken was aimed at preventing the Uwheru community from taking laws into their hands to start confrontation which could lead to escalated crisis.

He said that the committee also learnt that certain persons in the community collaborate with the migrant herders by allocating lands arbitrarily to them.

“So, we have assured the community that we are coming to hold a town hall meeting with them and all stakeholders to identify lasting solutions that would enthrone enduring peace in Uwheru and other areas across the state.”

He noted that the state committee’s intervention has become necessary to ensure that nobody takes law into his hands to attack either the farmers or the traditional herders in the state.

The commissioner said that the information at the disposal of the government would help them track those migrant herders who had to swim across the Rivers into the state to cause trouble in the communities.

He said that the committee had created other operational committees to enable it achieve its objectives of securing and ensuring peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders in the state.

“We have identified about 40 flash points in 12 LGAs and critical areas in the state which we shall be deploying our trained officials to manage,” Enita said.

The Chairman, Oshimili North Council, Innocent Esewezie, represented the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), while Alhaji Muktar Usman and Alhaji Maikude Nineve, represented the Fulani and herders.
Mr Jonathan Afiavwure, Mrs Christina Etagbedavwure and Mr Chief Ogarivi Ocho represented the Uwheru community.

NAN/Lateefah Ibrahim

UNICEF Ready To Rehabilitate Flood Damaged Facilities In Anambra

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) and the state Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) has commenced assessment of the level of damage ahead of the rehabilitation and replacement of the destroyed social amenities in some parts of Anambra state by last year’s flood.
Voice of Nigeria gathered that UNICEF commenced the assessment last week and would start repairing the facilities in public schools, markets, Primary Health Care centers and other public places shortly.
Discourage open defecation
One of the reasons for rehabilitations, VON further learnt was to discourage open defecation and outbreak of cholera in the affected areas.
The rehabilitation inspection had taken the officials to Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Awka North and Ogbaru Local Government Areas where the flood destroyed most public facilities, while in Ekwusigo and lhiala lareas,the UNICEF technical team discovered that many farmlands and some buildings were damaged.
A total of 83 facilities in the seven LGAs were adversely affected by the flood.
One of the technical partners of UNICEF, Mr. Mike Onyemelukwe commended the world body and Anambra State Government for their efforts in ameliorating the plight of the affected persons, explaining that it would go a long way in reducing open defecation, which had become rampant in the communities as a result of the flood.
According to him, open defecation and cholera could be prevented if the facilities required were provided.
He said the donor agencies were interested in issues concerning women and children.
The Programme Manager of the state Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency(RUWASSA) Mr Tochukwu Nwosu appealed to the Anambra State government to continue to support UNICEF in its efforts to provide water and sanitation facilities in communities that did not benefit from UNICEF intervention scheme, stating that some communities not affected by the flood also lacked social amenities.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim

Naira Swap: Coalition Of Youths Commend Supreme Court Injunction

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Coalition of youths in Nigeria have commended the interim injunction given by the Apex court in Nigeria, the Supreme court, ordering the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to temporarily suspend the February 10th deadline to end the swap of the old naira notes for the newly redesigned ones to circulate across the country.

It would be recalled the CBN, after the launch of the redesigned naira notes in November 2022, gave 46 days moratorium or swap window till the 31th of January, 2023. Based on reports, it later extended the deadline by 10 days to end on the 10 of February, 2023.

However, the Governors of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states took the CBN to the Supreme court claiming that the new deadline for the currency swap was not feasible, for which temporal injunction was given in favour of the prayers of the Governors.

Arising from a meeting held in Kano state north Western Nigeria, the convener of the Coalition, Ibrahim Sulieman said members of the Coalition of the Arewa Media Activists and Civil Society Groups, salute the courageous efforts of the three APC Governors that took the CBN to the Supreme Court seeking interim injunction stopping the apex bank from ending the timeframe.

“We salute them for stopping the CBN from ending when the now old version of the 200 500 and 1,000 denominations of the naira will no longer be a legal tender on February 10th, 2023.

“Challenges emanating from the Naira swap are really negatively affecting both economic and social well-being of the people,” he said

He said the group also commended efforts of the APC Governor’s Forum and the leadership of the National Assembly for standing against the swap deadlines of the redesigned naira notes.

“And also for pursing the CBN and the President to reconsider the policy for better,” he said.

He explained that the group also decried the persistent fuel scarcity in the country, urging all concerned institutions, especially the NNPC to end the challenges posed by the fuel scarcity.

He stressed that the scarcity, if not ended, the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed TInubu would end the scarcity when voted to power in the coming election.

“We wish to call on all well-meaning Nigerians to remain calm, law abiding, prayerful and determined to vote for APC and Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President in the up coming 25th February,2023,” he explained.

He said casting their votes for APC would bring about a united, prosperous, peaceful and egalitarian Nigeria.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim

President Buhari Welcomes New Labour Leader, Ajaero

Lateefat Ibrahim
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President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Joe Ajaero on his emergence as the new President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.

The President also hailed the National Executive Committee of the NLC on the success of the congress that produced the new leadership.

“After many years of hard work and struggles, the selflessness with which Ajaero dedicated himself today paid off. His journey in the Labour movement has been a remarkable one, marked by many important milestones.

“This victory that emerged from a rancor-free congress,”

The President said it was a mark of the strength of democracy in the nation’s labour movement.

Partner to the administration

“Today, as he rises to the highest position in the NLC, it is our hope and desire that he will use the position to write a new chapter of progress for all workers and the labour movement in the country and the continent in general,” he stated.

The President also expressed hope that Ajaero and his team would continue to be partner to the administration in fulfilling the aspirations of Nigerian people.

President Buhari also congratulated Comrade Ayuba Wabba for a successful completion of his tenure as the head of Nigerian workers and wished him the best in his future undertakings.

He wished the new executive body a successful tenure.

Lateefah Ibrahim

Ondo State Government Budgets N1.5bn For Children Intervention Programmes

Temitope Obatoke
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The Ondo State government on Wednesday revealed that not less than N1.5 billion budgetary allocation had been made available for family and children intervention programmes in this year’s budget.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu stated this when the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Nigeria Country Office team paid him a courtesy visit in Akure.

Akeredolu, represented by his deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said he was delighted that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Office for Nigeria was partnering with the state government to get message on Action Against Forced Labour and Child Labour.

He said the state government had many significant achievements like signing of the Passage of Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAAP) Law to protect people, especially vulnerable children and the Conditional Cash Transfers to Vulnerable households.

He listed other interventions to include the Establishment of the Office of Public Defender (OPD), the Establishment of a State Task Force on Human Trafficking and the Establishment of the Children and Youth Parliament.

Akeredolu said that not withstanding the achievements, called for more collaboration on improved surveillance to monitor and prosecute offenders of forced child labour.

He appealed for the establishment of more social protection programmes to reduce household vulnerability, the establishment of more skill acquisition centres and massive public sensitisation on family planning and violence against children and women.

“We are extremely grateful for the partnership and we look forward to more impactful ones. Ondo State government made provision of significant budgetary allocation of not less than N1.5 billion for family and children intervention programmes in the 2023 Budget to help families because poverty is one of the reasons we are having crisis in the country.”

Speaking, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Team leader, Ms Sophie De-Coninck, said the objective of the visit was to have excellent collaboration with the state government and to inform stakeholders about the ILO’s new projects that would be implemented across the country.

He appreciated Akeredolu for creating an enabling environment in the state for the implementation of the Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa (ACCEL Phase 1) project in the state.

“The objective of the project is to deepen consciousness on Action Against Forced Labour and Child Labour and drive more engagement on child’s rights,” she said.

 

 

 

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