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Environmental Pollution: NESREA seals 12 industries in Kano

Kamila Bello
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The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), has sealed 12 erring industries in Kano for violation of environmental safety standards.

The Director-General, Prof. Aliyu Jauro, represented by his Assistant Director, Musa Shehu said the facilities were sealed after a raid exercise and they were found violating the regulations which are detrimental to the environment and society.

He said they carried out the exercise based on provisions 33 of the National Environmental Regulations.

Over the years, the agency has been reaching out to the regulated community through its compliance monitoring and enforcement activities to encourage voluntary compliance and advise them on how best to carry out their respective operations.

“It is worrisome to note that despite repeated sensitization, some of these facilities and industries have refused to comply with the provisions of the environmental regulations.

“The agency has therefore embarked on a nationwide enforcement exercise to bring an end to the gross negligence and non-adherence to set standards and regulations by some industries and facilities whose activities pose threat to the environment.

“The level of impunity exhibited by these erring facilities must not be allowed to continue. This exercise is an ongoing process and the agency will, without warning, go ahead to sanction any facility that falls below regulatory standards.

“NESREA, therefore, enjoined Nigerians to serve as environmental watchdogs by reporting facilities who carry out activities which are detrimental to the environment,” Prof. Jauro said.

The sealed industries include Tofa Textile Limited, Bompai, AMCD Plastic, Dawakin Dakata, Bin Adam Oil Mills, Dawakin Dakata, Full Mark Urja, Hadejia Road, Larabee Enterprises and Loquat classics in Sharada respectively.

READ ALSO: SON, NESREA to Regulate Electronic waste

 

Kamila/Vanguard

 

Industrialisation: Ogun embraces public private partnership

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Jerome Pasquier has extoled Ogun State Government’s public private partnership initiative geared towards industrialisation, job creation and economic development.

Mr Pasquier praised Ogun state during his inspection tour to Fan Milk Dairy Farm, located at Odeda Farm Institute, Eweje-owned by the State Government and aquaculture hub owned by Obasanjo Farm, Owiwi.

The Diplomat appreciated the State Government for partnering with Fan Milk and making the project a reality.

He also praised the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as Central Bank of Nigeria for their support as he expressed delight with the progress made so far on the project particularly in the production of more milk in Nigeria thereby reducing the importation of goods, training farmers and creation of more jobs, especially in agriculture.

“This is a very interesting project which has large economic value. It is also aimed at producing more milk and create more jobs. This project addresses major economic challenges in Nigeria. I am happy about the support of State Government, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Central Bank of Nigeria”, he stated.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina said various industrialisation strides of the present administration have begun to attract global attention, hence siting of the Dairy Farm by Fan Milk Plc, at the State-owned Farm Institute.

Dr. Odedina said further that the aim of the visit was to acquaint the French Embassy with the recent agricultural opportunities in Ogun State, disclosing that Obasanjo aquaculture hub was commissioned by the State Governor, Dapo Abiodun in 2020 while the Memorandum of understanding between the State and Fan Milk Plc was signed early this year.

“This is a state-of -the-art dairy firm, a public private partnership going on in Ogun State. We are investment ready and this is going to have an impact in job creation, food and as well as industrialisation. It is also telling the whole world that we are working our talk in partnership with the private sector and international development organisations, he said.

The Project Manager, Fan Milk Plc, Mr. Onyena Livinus described the Dairy Farm project as one that would benefit the Fan Milk, the society at large and Nigeria as a whole as it would empower more youths and address economic needs of the nation.

TO BOOST INCOME OF COCOA FARMERS

In a related development, the Ogun State Government has donated 10,000 improved cocoa seedlings to Tulip Cocoa Processing Limited, for onward distribution to farmers in a bid to boost their income.

Handing over the seedlings in Itele, Ijebu-East Local Government Area, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina describes the initiative as a sign of government’s commitment to woo more private organisations to participate in agricultural interventions for improved economy of the State and livelihood of farmers.

Represented by the Director, Tree Crops and Rural Development, James Oyesola, Dr Odedina pointed out that the improved cocoa seedlings would start yielding in two years, and would in-turn make Ogun state the largest cocoa producer in Nigeria as well as create more jobs, ensure food security and economic empowerment.

“This is a community-driven project and the fourth location to give free improved seedlings to farmers as mandated by the State Governor,  Dapo Abiodun. Due diligence will be followed to ensure we get results. So, I urge our state farmers to make judicious use of the farming inputs and nurture them well, as well as utilise the skills of extension officers provided by state government, to boost their income and quality of input to meet world standard”, Dr Odedina said.

The Managing Director, Tulip Cocoa Processing Limited, Johan Van Der Merwe, expressed delight at the proactive of the state government in responding to the request for free cocoa seedlings, for the farmers from whom the company off-take cocoa produce.

Mr. Van Der Merwe expressed optimism that the initiative would impact positively on the farmers, as the new cocoa breeds would replenish the old-dying trees and increase production at the maturation stage.

The President of Agbegbemi Cocoa Farmers Production and Marketing Cooperative Union, Rasheed Adegoke applauded the State government for the gesture.

 

Dominica Nwabufo

 

Uganda’s Volleyball team gets first woman Head Coach

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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Uganda’s national team camp opened a week ago, and training has intensified ahead of the continental competition.

The energy is all the same except this time they are being trained by a woman ,the most qualified female coach, going by her track record.

Shilla Buyungo is the first ever female head coach for the men’s national volleyball team.

The former women’s national team player is being touted as Africa’s first woman to hold the position but is disappointed there is still fuss about a woman taking responsibility that years ago, was only a man’s docket.

“It still beats my understanding why it’s still an issue of female or male but that’s how it is and that’s how I guess we have to fight in this world,” Buyungo said.

The boys are excited about the new coach, whose breakthrough was with the Kampala Amateur Volleyball Club in 2014 when she managed a team the entire season and won the Serie A national league.

She later moved to Airforce Volleyball Club which she has trained from 2017 to 2021.

George Aporo is the Uganda national Volleyball team captain. He is trusting Buyungo to help them put up excellent performance on the court.

He says, “the boys are positive and we’re hoping that we’ll give it all our best such that she’ll have a good time with the team”.

It’s Buyungo’s belief that outside volleyball, the players have a life. She takes this wholesome approach in coaching, and has invested years in learning how to coach the game as it advances. She has always dreamed of her team playing on the global stage.

Buyungo had been coaching U-13s, coached as a graduate assistant coach at University of Bridgeport and when Uganda beat Egypt, she was a player.

The men are advancing from Zone 5 games to international tournaments that feature more teams for the very first time.

The games to take place in Rwanda will be a real test. And they double as qualifiers for the World Cup but it’s difficult to tell how far Buyungo’s side will go.

The Volleyball Cranes are ranked 116th in the FIVB World rankings.

On the continent, Uganda is ranked 18th.

 

Mercy Chukwudiebere

 

 

 

Wizkid, Beyonce bag 2 MTV Awards nominations for ‘Brown Skin Girl’

FELA OLAGUNJU
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Nigerian Mega superstar Wizkid and music queen Beyonce have gotten two MTV VMAs nomination for the song ‘Brown Skin Girl’.

Wizkid alongside American rapper SAINt JHN joined forces with American music sweetheart Beyonce on her project in 2019 to produce a soundtrack album for The Lion King: The Gift.

The record is nominated among the Best R&B category for MTV Music Video Awards(VMAs) for this year’s award and also for the best Cinematography category.

Other records in the best R&B category include; ‘Leave the Door Open’ by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, ‘Go Crazy by Chris Brown and Young Thug, ‘Heartbreak Anniversary’ by Giveon, ‘Come Through by H.E.R. ft. Chris Brown and ‘Good Days’ by SZA.

Other nominees for the best cinematography category include Elias Talbot in “Holy” by Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper, Jeff Cronenweth in Lady Gaga’s “911″ and Andrew Stroud in Lorde’s “Solar Power”.

With his collaboration on this song, the music icon, Wizkid has recorded several success stories including two Soul Train Music Awards, The BET, a NAACP Image Award and a Grammy.

 

F.T.S/S.I/Pulse

Libya launches largest vaccination centre

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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Libya launches its largest Covid-19 vaccination centre in the capital Tripoli, in an effort to speed up inoculations and catch up with the rising number of cases.

Established in the gymnasium of the City sports venue in Tripoli, the vaccination center “is open to everyone without an appointment and can receive between 2,000 to 3,000 people in a day.

The Doctor managing the centre, Rawad Behelille, said; “There are 60 vaccination points. The vaccination centre is considered the largest in North Africa and in the whole of Africa. It was opened to allow the vaccination of as many Libyans as possible to protect them from the coronavirus.”

Ali Al-Megherebi, Tripoli resident also said that ; “because of the health situation in Libya, having been in lockdown for the last three days may be a good thing and even the curfew from six in the morning to six in the evening is a good thing to protect the health of Libyan citizens.”

The Country’s health infrastructure has been dilapidated by a decade long conflict, it has officially recorded 274,453 cases of infection, including 3,811 deaths, since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Health authorities said on Wednesday that they had vaccinated 788,116 people so far , in a nation just over seven million, and facing a third wave of Covid-19.

 

africanews./Mercy Chukwudiebere

Morocco, Israel sign deals to mark historic visit

Nneka Oyibo Ukachukwu
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A historic meeting between the foreign ministers of Morocco and Israel in Rabat on Wednesday witnessed the signing of three accords. This is the first visit by a top official from the Jewish state since ties were normalised between Morocco and Israel last year.

“Today, we are changing this for the benefit of tourism and the economy, for trade and cultural exchange, for friendship and cooperation. This moment will improve our lives, because that is what peace does. War ends life, while peace cultivates it,” the Israeli Foreign Minister, Yaïr Lapid, said.

Nasser Bourita and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid signed agreements on political consultations, aviation and culture.

“To support the momentum in cooperation, we created five working groups for promising sectors: research and innovation, tourism and aviation, agriculture, energy and environment, and trade and investment. These groups have held several meetings and have defined objectives and recommendations,” Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, said during his address.

Morocco was one of four Arab countries  along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, to agree to normalise ties with Israel last year under US-brokered deals.

As part of the Donald Trump-led US brokered agreement, Washington recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, where there has been a decades-old territorial dispute with Morocco pitted against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

 

AN/Nneka Ukachukwu

 

Chad celebrates 61years of independence with military parade

Nneka Oyibo Ukachukwu
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Chad marks 61 years of independence with a large military parade in N’Djamena in the presence of president of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, since the death of his father Idriss Déby Itno in April.

The Chadian army, considered as one of the leading armies in the region, demonstrated its strength by deploying a number of artillery.

The heavy artillery composed of tanks, armored vehicles, long-range guns and other combat vehicles were displayed during this military parade. The army also flew some 20 aircraft, including Russian-made helicopters and attack aircraft.

Dressed as a four-star general, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno was in the front row of the main gallery, surrounded by the 14 generals

Mayor of the second district of N’Djamena, Youssouf Mahamat Yaro, said “we have seen a massive turn-out of people. You know that the transition is the military and everyone has come to show their support, a very special endorsement. This shows quite clearly that the CMT (Transitional Military Council) is 200% accepted, I repeat – 200%”.

In the southwestern Lake Chad region, the army has been fighting the Nigerian group, Boko Haram or its splinter branch, the Islamic State in West Africa (Iswap), since 2015. At least 26 soldiers were killed last week in the largest attack since the death of Marshal Déby.

Chad also participates in the anti-jihadist force of the regional organization G5 Sahel (also including Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger).

Finally, in the Tibesti massif (north) and on the border with Libya, the army is fighting rebels and gold miners.

“Peace, stability and security are the matrix that underpins all the actions of the CMT,” General Mahamat Idriss Deby said in his address to the nation on Tuesday.

“It is for good reason that substantial resources have been mobilized to ensure the security of goods and people, preserve the integrity of our territory and guarantee stability,” he added.

On the announcement of President Déby’s death, his son assumed the titles of President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He promised “free and democratic” elections at the end of an 18-month renewable transition period, but did not rule out an extension of the transition.

 

Nneka Ukachukwu

Lionel Messi becomes first player to get fans token

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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Paris St Germain’s new attacker, Lionel Messi, has become the first player to get a fans token.

This was announced in a statement titled, ‘Paris Saint-Germain concludes first player signing featuring fan tokens’ by the French club on its website.

The statement revealed that Lionel Messi’s transfer included a payment in cryptocurrency fan tokens.

ALSO READ; La Liga returns without Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos

The statement read, “In a world-first for such a high-profile signing, Leo Messi received a large number of ‘$PSG Fan Tokens’.

“The inclusion of the $PSG Fan Tokens in the player’s welcome package instantly ties him with millions of Paris Saint-Germain fans around the world. The move further positions Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most innovative and avant-garde sports franchises in the world.

“Token implementation comes as a great illustration of the way the Club is constantly finding ways to increase and diversify its revenue streams to continue developing as a global brand.

“In 2018, Paris Saint-Germain made a pioneering step into the world of blockchain, becoming the first sports franchise to partner with Socios.com. Since then, Paris Saint-Germain and Socios.com have been working side by side to capitalize on this new and unique way to connect the Club with the Fans, and the best is yet to come. For millions of PSG supporters around the world, Fan Tokens have become a creative way to engage with the Rouge & Bleu.”

The benefit
It said; “Paris Saint-Germain fans have been very active on Socios.com, taking advantage of a host of engagement opportunities on the app. Through $PSG Fan Tokens, fans worldwide get the opportunity to choose a motivational message on the wall of the dressing room before a key game, the Goal of the Season, or the winners of the club’s end-of-season awards. Fans have also experienced unique, personal video calls from first-team stars via the platform, and even more exciting activations are planned for the coming weeks and months.

“The hype surrounding the latest signings in the club’s busy summer transfer window created a huge surge of interest in $PSG Fan Tokens, with trading volumes exceeding $1.2 billion in the days preceding the move.”

Why PSG included fans token in Messi’s deal

Marc Armstrong, Chief Partnerships Officer of Paris Saint-Germain said: “Fully embracing Socios.com and $PSG Fan Tokens has proved a massive success for the Club. We have been able to engage with a new global audience, creating a significant digital revenue stream.”

Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz and Socios.com added, “Paris Saint-Germain are reaping the rewards of their bold approach and I believe this could be the start of a new trend as Fan Tokens and Socios.com play an increasingly prominent role across sport at the very highest level.”

 

 

PUNCH/Mercy Chukwudiebere

US urges pregnant women, Breastfeeding mothers to get COVID-19 vaccine

Mosunmola Ore
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United States health authorities urged pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, arguing that current data demonstrates they do not increase the risk of miscarriage.

READ ALSO:WHO urges African countries to expand COVID-19 vaccination

The Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, said this on Wednesday.

“The agency  encourages all pregnant people or people who are thinking about becoming pregnant and those breastfeeding to get vaccinated to protect themselves from COVID-19.”

“The vaccines are safe and effective, and it has never been more urgent to increase vaccinations as we face the highly transmissible Delta variant and see severe outcomes from COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant people,” Walensky said.

According to a recent study, only one in four pregnant women has received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC said an analysis of current data had found there was not an increased risk of miscarriage among nearly 2,500 pregnant women who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine – the type of shots made by Pfizer and Moderna in the United States – before 20 weeks of pregnancy.

It said miscarriage rates among women who received a COVID-19 vaccine were around 13 per cent, about the same as the typical miscarriage rate of 11-16 per cent of pregnancies.

“The benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant people outweigh any known or potential risks,” the CDC said.

“The increased risk of severe illness and pregnancy complications related to COVID-19 infection among pregnant people make vaccination for this population more urgent than ever,” it added.

MTO/Punch

La Liga returns without Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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La Liga, just three years ago the undisputed monarch of European football, returns for a new season on Friday after a traumatic summer that ended with its crown jewel being given away.

The free transfer of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday drove home the financial turmoil that is eroding the power of Spanish football.

Biggest star
While Messi is the biggest star to leave, and his former club Barcelona have been particularly cavalier in racking up debts estimated at 1.2bn euros, Spanish football has money worries.

The pandemic has cost the top-flight clubs some 2bn euros (1.4bn dollars) and the desperation is showing.

The league is trying to enforce a tough salary cap, while searching for funds.

Its assembly on Thursday will vote on the sale of 10% of commercial rights for 50 years to private equity firm CVC in exchange for 2.7 billion Euros.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are fighting the deal saying ”it is selling their futures.”

Yet the same two clubs are refusing to give up hope of a giant, and potentially toxic, carrot of their own, even though nine of the other Super League clubs have withdrawn and the source of the $4bn loot, bankers JP Morgan Chase, have apologised to fans.

The Euros and Olympics again displayed the depth of talent in Spanish football and this may be the season for youngsters to break out because, with 20 days left in the transfer window, Spanish cubs are not buying players.

Real and Barcelona, who between them won every Champions League final from 2014-18, are living, and dying, by free transfers.

Like Barcelona, Real Madrid decided they could not afford a new contract for their talismanic captain. Like Messi, Sergio Ramos departed for a late-career jackpot at Paris Saint-Germain.

Such is the cachet of Real and Barca that they can still attract a high class of free agent.

Barcelona have picked up Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero.

While Real are, once again, being linked to Kylian Mbappe of PSG, the biggest fee either club has spent is the 9m euros Barcelona gave Betis for Brazilian fullback Emerson Royal.

 

 

NP/Mercy Chukwudiebere

 

 

 

 

 

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