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UN Official To Visit Niger

Christopher Ojilere
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The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Joyce Msuya, will visit Niger on Monday.

Report says Ms. Joyce will take part in the third High-Level Conference on the Lake Chad Basin during the five-day visit.

UN Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, disclosed this at a news conference in New York on Friday.

Mr. Haq said the event, in Niger’s capital Niamey, would bring together governments from crisis-affected countries, international donors and partners, and multilateral.

Humanitarian crisis
“It will also bring together international organisations as well as civil society, to recommit to addressing humanitarian needs, with more than 11 million people requiring assistance in the region.

 “While in Niger, Msuya will meet crisis-affected people, as well as national authorities, humanitarian and development partners, donors, and members of the diplomatic community,’’ he said.

According to him, Niger’s humanitarian crisis continues to deepen due to growing insecurity and unprecedented violence as the number of people in need has more than doubled since 2017, to 4.3 million this year.

Meanwhile, Faq said the Acting Head of UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, UNOWAS Ms. Giovanie Biha, had just concluded a two-day visit to Conakry, in Guinea.

He said she was there to take part in the closing ceremony, following a tour that went to several cities, called “Promoting Inclusiveness and Social Cohesion in Guinea.

“She also met with the transition authorities, the diplomatic corps, civil society, and our UN colleagues.

“The caravan as they called it in the country was launched on Nov. 10 and supported by the United Nations.

“It aimed to foster reconciliation at national and community levels through the contributions of local cultures, and the strengthening and promotion of human rights in a socially cohesive environment,’’ he said.

In her exchanges with the transition authorities, Faq said Biha reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting the ongoing transition, in close collaboration with ECOWAS the Economic Community of West African States.

 

NAN/Christopher Ojilere

Youth Group Campaign Against Election Violence In Cross River

Oluwasola Akintonde
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A coalition of youth groups under the aegis ‘Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War’ has urged the electorate to shun all forms of violence as the 2023 general election draws near.

The group in collaboration with ‘AWA INITIATIVE’, which represents ‘A Well-Informed Adolescent Initiative’ and Onyx Foundation Africa as well as the Bridge Leadership Foundation took to the streets and markets of Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, southern Nigeria to educate the people about the importance of the Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.

Enhancing PVC collection

The young people carried various placards as well as banners with inscriptions such as “It is your turn to choose, who you want. Go get your PVC” and “Youths With A Difference” as well as “Your Vote Will Count” and “Your Vote Na Your Voice” along the streets equally distributing hundreds of flyers to drive home the message.

The Deputy Coordinator of ‘Vote Not Fight’ campaign, Miss Ukeme Ekong said “the Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War is actually a coalition of youths’ groups in Cross River State engaged in activities targeted at women and young people.

“We decided that at this point, we as young people needed to take the message of non-violence to the communities and others like us. Our message also centres on the collection of PVCs. In Cross River State, more than 300 thousand PVCs are yet to be collected,” she noted.

“we cannot say ‘Vote Not Fight’ when we have not even collected our PVCs. So, it is our civic responsibility as citizens and young people in Cross River to take the message to our people. It is not just enough for us to make all the noise, we must learn to lead by example.

“Our message is to encourage Nigerians to go and collect their PVCs and shun all forms of violence before, during and after the elections. We also emphasized the importance of casting of votes properly. We discouraged vote buying and selling as well as other vices that might rob the people of the opportunity of free, fair and credible elections,” the deputy coordinator said.

Rewarding outcome

According to the deputy coordinator, the people they met were ready to be engaged and asked questions on the locations of the PVC collection centre and the full meaning of the acronym PVC.

Ekong said, “at the various political wards we went to in Calabar Municipality and Calabar South local government area, citizens had the opportunity to interact with us on a personal level. They needed to know the different PVC collection centres in their areas, which we oblige them.

“Some people especially in the rural areas and even in the semi-urban and urban centres do not know the meaning of PVC and what it represents. We were able to help them understand what the acronym PVC stands for. We showed them our own cards as examples of the PVC. So, we had a satisfactory outing because we were able to take the messages to the hearts of most of those we met,” she said.

The young people used the main local language Efik and Pidgin English to educate the people in addition to distributing INEC flyers and stickers designed for awareness creation.

 

Olusola Akintonde

China To Develop Bolivian Lithium Deposit

Christopher Ojilere
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A giant Chinese battery company, Catl, has won a bidding process to develop Bolivia’s huge lithium reserves.

Report says the ultra-light metal is used in electric vehicles, EV batteries, production of which is expected to soar as fossil fuels are phased out.

Bolivian President, Luis Arce said the Catl-led consortium was launching the “historic industrialization” of lithium in Bolivia.

Meanwhile, more than $1bn will be invested in the project’s first phase, he said.

Australia and Chile are the world’s biggest lithium producers, but Bolivia has huge reserves in the Potosi and Oruro salt flats.

Technical hurdles and a lack of infrastructure have long delayed the extraction of lithium in Bolivia, whose reserves are estimated at 21m tonnes.

Mr. Arce said Bolivia was still negotiating with other foreign companies for potential partnerships.

He said the goal was to start exporting lithium batteries in the first quarter of 2025.

Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile share an expanse of salt flats, or salars, called the “lithium triangle”, holding more than 75% of the world’s lithium deposits.

While Australia and Chile are the world’s biggest lithium producers, but Bolivia has huge reserves in the Potosi and Oruro salt flats.

Technical hurdles and a lack of infrastructure have long delayed the extraction of lithium in Bolivia, whose reserves are estimated at 21m tonnes.

 

BBC/Christopher Ojilere

 

Cross River PDP Governorship Candidate Pledges Quality Leadership 

Confidence Okwuchi
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The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, Professor Sandy Onor has pledged to provide quality leadership if elected to office.

Professor Onor made the promise at a rally to round up his tour of local government areas in the northern district of Cross River State, where thousands of supporters converged.

Onor, who is the senator representing Cross River central senatorial district at the national assembly, alongside his deputy, Mrs. Emana Amawhe, have assured the people of better representation and restoration as well as uplifting the state to enviable heights.

He says, “we have come here with renewed hope that things would get better. We came with a commitment that we would do well for the generality of our people. So, we shall tell you the truth always. We would show respect for our people. We are experienced enough to give you quality leadership because I understand the way government functions.”

Experienced Administrators

According to the governorship candidate, his antecedent and those of other contestants on the PDP platform was evidence of the experiences garnered in terms of providing effective, quality administration in the state having served the State and Etung local government areas in different capacities.

He opined that the PDP was the only political party with people of proven capacity, character and integrity to reclaim Cross River State from its current state of backwardness.

“When God gives you power, show character and integrity. We ran into a big mistake instead of going forward, we are returning back. There has been stagnation and decay in our state. There is no real development, real development ended with the PDP. We have tasted APC and now nobody would tell you that APC is an expired drug,” Senator Onor said.  

Continuing, he said, “at this time of our history, we said let the best take it. a government that would sit down with the people and think of how to move the state forward is what we need because currently we have a government that is populated by people, who do not have your interest at heart. We need to take back our state.”

While presenting other candidates of the party from the northern senatorial district to the crowd, he solicited the votes of the people urging them to ensure they collected their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, from designated collection point indicated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Rural development 

Earlier, some of those who spoke at different fora bemoaned the extent of government’s neglect and deprivations on the peoples means of survival across the district and urged the governorship candidate to evolve a robust rural development programme that would give those in villages a sense of belonging.

Some prominent stakeholders enumerated lack of electric power supply due to vandalized distribution facilities in the neighbouring Benue State as well as a lack of safe drinking water within some villages especially difficult to reach areas.

The people noted that the deplorable road network within the district was worrisome for farmers and the villagers, who experience untold hardship traversing the communities to Calabar, the state capital due to lack of expanded and paved roads.

A youth leader named Joehbe Onah said, “the lack of asphalted road network has left 90 percent of our roads dusty and bumpy exposing us to health hazards, road mishaps and economic stagnation. The Okpoma road linking us with Ebony State was in good condition until this administration excavated and abandoned it. Dozens have lost their lives due to poor visibility.”

They lamented the problem of land grabbing, which had deprived them of farm lands resulting to loss of their means of their livelihoods and urged the governorship and other candidates to establish policies that would guarantee people oriented and beneficial projects across villages.

Confidence Okwuchi

Gabon’s Foreign Minister Dies From Heart Attack

Christopher Ojilere
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Gabon’s foreign minister, Michael  Adamo has died after suffering a heart attack during a cabinet meeting.

Report says Mr. Adamo, an ally of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, suffered a heart attack and died “despite efforts by specialists” to revive him.

Reacting to his death on Twitter, President Bongo paid tribute to Moussa Adamo, whom he called a “friend and a great diplomat.”

Moussa Adamo was born in the northeastern town of Makokou in 1961 and started out as a presenter on national television.

In 2000, he was made chief of staff for the defence minister, who at the time was Bongo.

When Bongo was elected president on the death of his father Omar Bongo Ondimba in 2009, Moussa Adamo served as his special advisor.

After a decade as Gabon’s ambassador to the United States until 2020, he became, first, defence minister and then foreign minister in March last year.

 

AFRICANEWS/Christopher Ojilere

Opposition to Rally After Ban in Tanzania

Christopher Ojilere
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The main opposition party in Tanzania, Chadema, is due to hold its first national rally in six-and-a-half years.

Report says such gatherings were banned by the former President, John Magafuli, in 2016.

However, the ban was lifted by his successor, Samia Suluhu Hassan, two weeks ago.

Her decision is part of her 4Rs initiative – Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms, and Rebuilding.

She acknowledged parties had the right to hold rallies but she urged them to be civil and not to “trade insults.”

Meanwhile, Since Magafuli’s death in 2021, President Samia has introduced limited reforms.

She lifted a ban on pregnant girls attending school and oversaw a Covid vaccination campaign.

She has now declared that freedom of political expression is a universal right.

 

BBC/Christopher Ojilere

 

 

Dani Alves Jailed In Spain On Alleged Sexual Assault

Emmanuel Ukoh
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A Spanish judge has ordered Brazil soccer player Dani Alves to be jailed on remand without bail over an alleged sexual assault of a woman in a Barcelona nightclub, the regional court system said on Friday.

The 39-year-old, who denied any wrongdoing, was taken to the Brians 1 jail outside Barcelona.

Earlier on Friday, Alves appeared before a Barcelona judge after local police detained and questioned him. The public prosecutor had requested he be jailed without bail pending trial.

Alves’ representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

His Mexican club Pumas UNAM announced they had terminated his contract with immediate effect.

“The club reiterates its commitment to not tolerate acts by any member, whoever they may be, that go against the club’s spirit and its values,” Pumas sporting president Leopoldo Silva said.

“We cannot allow the conduct of one person to damage our work philosophy, which has been an example throughout history.”

The alleged victim had filed a complaint earlier this month and the case remains open over a crime of sexual assault, Catalonia’s court system said in a statement.

Alves had said earlier this month that he was at the club with other people but denied any such behaviour.

“I was dancing and having a good time without invading anyone’s space,” he said. “I don’t know who this lady is… How could I do that to a woman? No.”

Alves played for FC Barcelona from 2008 to 2016 and briefly returned to the LaLiga team for the 2021/2022 season.

He has played for the Brazil national team since 2006, making 126 appearances and scoring eight goals.

 

 

 

Reuters/Emmanuel Ukoh

Nigerian Professor Emerges  Secretary General Of West African Universities

Confidence Okwuchi
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The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole, SAN, has been elected the new Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities, AWAU.

Th election was done at the ongoing AWAU Conference holding in Banjul, The Gambia.

Also at the conference, the Vice Chancellor of the university of Cape coast Ghana, Johnson Nyarko Boampong emerged as Chairman.

The Association of West Africa Universities, AWAU was established to strengthen and develop the leadership of the University Education System in West Africa.

At the ongoing conference in Banjul, the AWAU members re affirmed it declaration to empower the leadership of the University Education System in West Africa as well as  to formulate a viable sub- regional Agenda for University Education.

AWAU members further rededicated themselves to provide effective forum for the leadership of the West African University Education.

 

Confidence Okwuchi

University Inducts 52 Pharmacists

Confidence Okwuchi
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The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Ilorin, Unilorin has inducted 52 graduands of the 2020/2021 graduating class of the institution as Pharmacists.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Wahab Egbewole asserted that the pharmacist occupy a very important position in the hierarchy of healthcare professions in Nigeria.

He observed that they play key role in patient therapy management, making them feel better and get well as quickly as possible.

Egbewole pledged his commitment to making Unilorin the best again by any ranking in Nigeria and one of the best in Africa.

He reminded the pharmacists that patients’ recovery depends on their ability to effectively collaborate with other healthcare providers to deliver creative and sustainable solutions, especially in cases requiring complex treatment.

“The values of team work are a sine-qua-non for optimal healthcare service delivery and should be upheld by all,” he said.

Mr Ibrahim Ahmed, the Registrar, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, congratulated the inductees on their success, which he said, is a culmination of many years of dedication and hard work, despite the interruption by the pandemic and industrial actions.

“As newly inducted members of the pharmacy profession, I urge you to maintain high ethical conduct and leadership standards set forth by the PCN.

“You should endeavour to serve as examples for the achievement of excellence in the provision of quality pharmaceutical services for sustainable healthcare delivery in Nigeria,” he advised.

He reminded them of the global phenomenon that Pharmacy graduates are statutorily required to undergo 12 months of the continuous training programme under the supervision of a registered and currently licensed pharmacist in an internship centre approved by the PCN.

According to him, the internship period is primarily a training period and a period of preparation for future opportunities.

Ahmed submitted that Pharmacy was a noble profession that guarantee opportunities for new graduates to have great prospects of practicing in different fields such as industries, communities and hospitals.

“With this, you have huge options to select from. In doing this, do not undermine the activities of your colleagues,” he said.

The Managing Director of Keyhealth Pharmacy, Mr Bankole Ezebuilo, admonished the inductees to believe in their dream, challenge and anticipate dividends.

He also advised them to be entrepreneurial in job seeking, saying that self-employment allows them to use their specific skills.

“Running your own business can be exciting but it is not necessarily an easy pathway,” he said.

The Dean of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University, Dr Sa’ad Abdullahi explained that this was the 7th Induction and Oath-taking ceremony of the Faculty.

He advised the inductees to approach the future with an open mind and be willing to learn from those they encounter.

Abdullahi noted that the 7th set of graduates were unique and regardless of their chosen area of practice, they have the opportunity to enrich the lives of those around them.

“I congratulate the inductees on the successful completion of their programme and urge them to be good ambassadors of the Faculty and the University,” he said.

NAN/Confidence Okwuchi

Nigeria’s under-18 male handball team qualify for IHF Intercontinental Championship

Emmanuel Ukoh
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Nigeria’s national under-18 male handball team have qualified for the International Handball Federation (IHF) Trophy Intercontinental Championship.

The team qualified after beating their Guinean counterparts 37-36 in their final match on Friday to end the competition in Brazzaville, Congo unbeaten.

The Nigerian side did not have it easy as they were level 17-17 with Guinea after the game’s first half.

However, they gained a one-point lead to win the game played at the Nicole Oba Gymnasium.

The team have maintained a 100 per cent record in their performance from the Africa Zone 3 tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.

They had defeated Burundi in their first match 45-30, before beating hosts Congo 28-22 on match day 2 and Zambia 55-16 on match day 3.

On the other hand, their under-20 counterparts were however not as lucky in spite of defeating hosts Congo 37-18 on Friday.

The victory was not enough for them to advance as they lost to Guinea on the head-to-head rule.

The national under-20 side had lost to Guinea 26-28 in their first game, defeated Madagascar 51-30 in their second and beat Zimbabwe 50-19 in their third game.

The IHF Trophy Continental phase competition which started on Monday ended on Friday.

 

 

 

NAN/Emmanuel Ukoh

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