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Stakeholders restate commitment to boost local wheat production

Mosunmola Ore
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Olam, an agribusiness and food conglomerate, have restated commitment to boost local wheat production in the country.

This was stated at the National Wheat Farmers Field Day held in Kano recently, the agribusiness conglomerate revealed that over 30,000 farmers have been trained and equipped through a joint effort of one of its strategic business units – Crown Flour Mill (CFM), Flour Miller’s Association of Nigeria (FMAN) and the Federal Government, in a bid to deepen the national agricultural extension scheme, especially in the wheat segment.

Managing Director, Crown Flour Mill Limited, Mr. Ashish Pande noted that as a member of FMAN, Crown Flour Mill is committed to improving wheat production through adequate financing and research in the country.

He added that the agribusiness conglomerate’s wheat development effort has led to the execution of several well-coordinated capacity building initiatives which include bringing local wheat farmers up to speed with innovative wheat farming practices.

Pande explained: “We wish to get new technologies in Nigeria to further build on the wheat initiative. We look forward to partnering with organisations across the wheat value chain to improve farmers’ yields through high-quality seeds, expanded extension services and improved access to irrigation.”

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, who also attended the event, explained that the Federal Government prioritises the agricultural extension programme considering its implication on national agricultural productivity and food security.

Nanono said the Federal Government is targeting 70,000 workers, adding that 30,000 of them had completed the training designed to expose them to modern farming techniques, fertiliser and chemical application.

According to him, the agricultural development effort would encourage the development of small-scale wheat processing mills to make wheat flour and other wheat products available in the market. He explained that encouraging wheat production and processing would go a long way to boosting food security and economic growth.
Also speaking at the event, Chairman, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN), Alhaji Salihu Muhammad, stated that the developmental drive of the association has introduced the durum wheat variety, one of the most cultivated varieties of the crop, and engaged the services of experienced seed scientists to accelerate wheat production in the country.

He further called for the inclusion of wheat farmers in the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrower Programme (APB) because the exclusion of their 200,000 registered members has negatively affected wheat production in the country.

In his remark, the Kano State Deputy Governor, Nasiru Gawuna, said the state government had concluded plans to establish additional water bodies and upgrade existing dams to encourage wheat cultivation and other irrigation activities. Gawuna said the government had embarked on the rehabilitation and desalting of Watari dam and upgrade of irrigation schemes in Bagwai LGA.

While reiterating the government’s commitment to supporting farmers, Gawuna urged the farmers to utilise the inputs distributed to them to improve their productivity.

 

MTO/Sun

Trump vows to unite US Republicans

Bilkisu Halilu Pai
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Former US President, Donald Trump has said he has no plans to form a new political party, promising instead to unite a Republican Party that has splintered after his supporters overran the United States Capitol in a deadly riot.

In his first major speech since he left the White House last month, Trump said the GOP is “going to unite and be stronger than ever before”.

“I am not starting a new party. That was fake news,” he told the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Sunday afternoon.

“We will be united and strong like never before. We will save and strengthen America and we will fight the onslaught of radicalism, socialism and indeed, it all leads to communism,” said Trump, who spent much of his speech hitting out at US President Joe Biden.

Trump repeated his false claims that the November presidential election was stolen from him and also hinted at another possible presidential run.

“They just lost the White House,” Trump said. “But who knows, who knows, I may even decide to beat them for a third time.”

His supporters dominated this year’s conference, held in Florida due to the state’s loose restrictions on gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the country’s largest annual gathering of Republicans and conservatives, CPAC typically indicates the direction of the Republican Party and its supporters.

While past meetings have served as a forum for debate between a broad coalition of US conservatives, attendees of this year’s meeting devoted the weekend to expressing their commitment to Trump and affirming his continuing dominance of the party.

The event comes as deep divides have emerged within the Republican Party after the Capitol insurrection on January 6 and weeks of false claims by Trump and his supporters that the election was marred by widespread voter fraud.

Trump supporters travelled from across the country to see the former president’s first remarks since he left office in January.

Hats, shirts and other pro-Trump paraphernalia were on display at the conference, where attendees took photos alongside a gold statue of the former president.

Vickie Froehlich, who served as a delegate at the Republican National Convention when Trump was first nominated in 2016, came to CPAC from Minneapolis, Minnesota. If Republicans abandon Trump, she said, “it would be a huge mistake”.

Speakers who took the stage during the weekend, including Senators Rick Scott of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, announced support for continuing Trump’s political mission.

In panel discussions, legislators and activists also argued against the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election results and warned of left-wing conspiracies to silence conservative speech.

Trump was impeached in the US House of Representatives for “incitement of insurrection” in relation to the riot, but was later acquitted in the US Senate.

Aljazeera

COVID-19: Nigeria records 240 new cases

Zainab Sa'id
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Nigeria has recorded 240 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 155,657.

This was contained in a report published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The new cases were recorded in 13 states. Anambra state leads with 85 new infections.

The NCDC also added that 2 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours.

According to the agency, “On the 28th of February 2021, 240 new confirmed cases and 2 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.

“Till date, 155,657 cases have been confirmed, 133,768 cases have been discharged and 1907 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

“Our discharges today include 170 community recoveries in Lagos State managed in line with guidelines.

“The 240 new cases are reported from 13 states- Anambra (85), Lagos (82), Osun (17), Ogun (10), Kwara (9), FCT (8), Kano (7), Abia (6), Ekiti (5), Borno (4), Edo (2), Bayelsa (2) Kaduna (2) and Rivers (1).

No Fuel price increase in March – NNPC

Peace Piak Kanu
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The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC says it is not contemplating any rise in the price of Fuel (Premium Motor Spirit) in March 2021.

The NNPC disclosed this via its official Twitter handle on Sunday evening February 28, 2021.

The Corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, explained that this was in order not to jeopardize ongoing engagements with organized labour and other stakeholders on an acceptable framework that would not expose Nigerians to any hardship.

“NNPC also cautioned petroleum products, marketers, not to engage in arbitrary price increase or hoarding of petrol in order not to create artificial scarcity and unnecessary hardship for Nigerians.”

According to him, the NNPC has enough stock of petrol to keep the nation well supplied for over 40 days.

The Corporation, therefore, urged motorists to avoid panic buying.

“It further called on relevant regulatory authorities to step up monitoring of the activities of marketers with a view to sanctioning those involved in products hoarding or arbitrary increase of pump price,” he added.

 

PIAK/NNPC

Czech Republic turns to Russian vaccine amid surge in cases

Lantana Nasir
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The Czech Republic has requested a batch of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine while awaiting delayed EU-procured shots, the president has said, adding that Prague will also consider seeking Chinese jabs.

The EU member has ranked among the world’s worst-hit countries by the COVID pandemic in the past few weeks, with soaring numbers of infections and deaths, as the situation has been exacerbated by the new variants of the virus.

The vaccination rollout has been slower than expected with only 650,000 jabs administered since December in the country of 10.7 million people, which Czech politicians blame on slow procurement by the EU.

“After consulting the prime minister, I have sent a letter to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, asking him for a supply of the Sputnik vaccine,” President Milos Zeman said on TV Prima.

Information from the Russian embassy suggests it could arrive in the next few days,” he said.

Zeman said he would also welcome China’s Sinopharm vaccine in the country that has recorded over 1.2 million confirmed Covid-19 cases and more than 20,000 deaths, arguing that “vaccines have no ideology”.

Czechs have shown mistrust towards the vaccines on social networks, driven by their experience with low-quality Soviet-made goods shipped to their country during four decades of Communism in 1948-89.

Neither Sputnik V nor Sinopharm have been approved by the European Union regulator EMA, unlike the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines currently used in the Czech Republic.

But Zeman and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said they would not wait for the EMA to give the green light.

“We cannot wait for EMA, when Russia has not applied (for approval),” Babis said on CNN Prima News. He said the approval by Czech drugs authority, SUKL, would suffice.

SUKL must examine the documentation and if they approve it, the Health Ministry has to issue an exemption… and then, whoever is interested, can get inoculated,” he said.

Babis and Zeman have already received both jabs of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Separately, Babis said the government will discuss on Monday whether to introduce compulsory COVID-19 testing at the country’s largest companies. The announcement came after the government imposed stricter restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The seven-day average of new daily infections in the Czech Republic reached 1,383 per million people on Saturday, the highest infection rate in the world, according to data from Our World in Data.

Babis said on Sunday that his minority government will discuss whether to require companies with at least 250 employees to test their workers for COVID-19 or face a fine of up to 500,000 crowns ($23,077.63), to be effective from March 5.

During the first wave of COVID-19 in the Czech Republic last spring, some companies temporarily closed down, which contributed to a record contraction of the economy in the second quarter.

But the latest wave has led to a higher number of people in a serious condition due to COVID-19 and some hospitals have been forced to transfer patients hundreds of miles due to a lack of capacity.

Around one in 10 Czechs have been infected by the coronavirus in the past year, and the death toll has risen to 20,339 from about 600 five months ago.

 

Nigerian Guild of Editors condemns abduction of Students by bandits

Peace Piak Kanu
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The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has condemned the incessant abduction of students by bandits in the country.

This was contained in a Communiqué issued at the end of the NGE Standing Committee meeting held in Lagos State

The Guild expressed concerns that if the spate of abductions is not checked this; “Could discourage parents from sending their children to school and thereby lead to a further increase in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

“We strongly believe that children have the right to education and schools should be made safe for them to learn therefore, a comprehensive security plan should be put in place by all levels of government to prevent further abductions of students. Going to school to acquire knowledge is not a crime,” the NGE stated.

The Guild, therefore, called on the government to urgently revisit the Safe School Initiative, with a view to implementing it for the benefit of Nigerian children.

“The body of editors believes that dialogue and amnesty for bandits have not been positively impactful and therefore, it should be discouraged.

The Guild aligns with the advice of President Muhammadu Buhari to state governors, to stop giving cash and other materials, such as vehicles to bandits because such overtures could empower them to carry out more abductions,” the Guild added.

The NGE also condemned a statement credited to an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, which described Journalists as criminals.

“Sheikh Gumi had, accused media professionals of adding to insecurity in the country by the names used in describing bandits. He levelled the accusation when he featured on Arise Television station, suggesting that ‘nice’ words should be used to describe bandits if the nation desired that they surrender.

Sheikh Gumi and his like-minded are hereby reminded that Journalists don’t create events, they merely report them. Also, journalists should not be expected to eulogise a group of people that abducts innocent children and others at will.”

The Guild further denounced the choice of words by some governors who commented on the state of insecurity in the country.

“They are reminded that holding a public office comes with enormous responsibilities. Those who do not have solutions to the current security situation should not aggravate it with irresponsible public comments. This is no time to play to the gallery.”

The Guild also called on the government to live up to its fundamental responsibility of securing the lives and property of Nigerians adding that the new Service Chiefs should devise a new strategy to rid the nation’s forests of bandits and other criminal elements.

“The Guild also believes that the anti-corruption fight of the Federal Government should be sustained in a credible manner. The new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, should ensure that investigations are well-conducted before arrests are made.  The practice of arresting suspects, parading them for corruption-related offences and then looking for evidence to nail them should be discarded,” the Guild of Editors added.

PIAK/NGE

Lagos State: NIMASA, Nigerian Navy intensify efforts to secure anchorage area

Peace Piak Kanu
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The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Navy are intensifying efforts to protect, interdict, and deter threats around vessels anchored in the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) off the coast of Lagos.

Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, announced this in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria during a courtesy visit by the Shipping Association of Nigeria.

Dr Jamoh said the new security effort was encapsulated in the total deployment of assets under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also called the Deep Blue Project.

He disclosed that the deployment was on-going with the primary aim of providing security in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea and tackling the security challenges encumbering the shipping business in the area.

“We are deploying high-tech assets under the Deep Blue Project to not only deal with piracy and armed robbery in our territorial waters frontally but also respond to the increasing sophistication of these maritime crimes.

“The Nigerian Navy and NIMASA are partnering to ensure a high level of security in our waters. We are tying up all loose ends and very soon everything would become manifest and clear to stakeholders and operators,” he stated.

The NIMASA DG, who responded to security concerns raised by SAN following the cancellation of the SAA contract by President Muhammadu Buhari and transfer of the responsibility for the area’s protection to NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, said there was no security vacuum in Nigerian waters.

According to him, “I can assure you that there is no security vacuum in our waters. From what I know, the SAA is more protected than ever before. The Nigerian Navy has recently deployed 14 warships to enhance security in the area and the wider maritime domain. Other assets, including Special Mission Vessels, interceptor boats, and Special Mission Aircraft, are also being deployed under the Deep Blue Project.

“Besides, there is an emergency mobile line for any vessel in distress in our waters, +2348030685167, and the NIMASA emergency response room can be reached on Channel 16 of the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio channel.”

He added, “The menace of maritime insecurity is an age-long challenge in the industry, and government is doing its best within the available resources to address the issues, with continuous patrols by dedicated vessels to the Secure Anchorage Area. We appeal for a healthy working relationship and further deliberations are welcome.”

He said NIMASA was networking with international bodies, such as INTERTANKO and INTERCARGO, to ensure security in the Gulf of Guinea, with the Yaoundé-based International Coordination Centre (ICC) also playing a central role.

The DG told stakeholders to always contact the Command, Control, Computer Communication and intelligence (C4i) centre located at the NIMASA-owned Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (NMRDC), Kirikiri, in Lagos, for necessary actions under the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act.

The spokesperson for the group and Managing Director of Mediterranean Shipping Company, Andrew Lynch, had urged the NIMASA management to intensify measures to maintain security in the SAA.

Representatives of major shipping lines operating in Nigeria, who attended the meeting, included the Managing Director of Grimaldi Nigeria, Ascanio Russo, and Managing Director of CUA- shipping, Haul Odeyer. Maersk Nigeria and GAC also had representation at the meeting.

PIAK

COVID-19 Vaccine: Nigeria to receive 3.92 million doses of AstraZeneca on Tuesday

Peace Piak Kanu
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Nigeria is scheduled to receive  3.92 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, 2 March 2021.

The announcement was contained in a joint press statement by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NPHCDA, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF and World Health Organisation WHO, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The delivery will mark the first arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country and make Nigeria the next West African country to benefit from the COVAX Facility after Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.

The arrival of the vaccine will enable the NPHCDA to commence the vaccination of Nigerians in priority groups, starting with the frontline healthcare workers.

The Executive Director and Chief Executive of the NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, explained that; “The arrival of this vaccine is the result of the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of His Excellency, President Muhammandu Buhari, the support of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the guidance of the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire.”

He also said that “We are fully prepared to receive and deliver the vaccine to eligible Nigerians as we have commenced the training of health workers and ensured that cold chain facilities are ready at all levels. We have a robust cold chain system that can store all types of COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with the required temperature. We are therefore confident that we will have a very effective roll-out of the vaccine, starting with our critical healthcare workers, who are in the frontline in providing the care we all need,” Dr Shuaib added.

UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Peter Hawkins, said that the delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine is part of an overall 16 million doses planned to be delivered to Nigeria in batches over the next months by the COVAX Facility, as part of an unprecedented global effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

“The COVAX Facility is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with UNICEF as a key implementing partner,“ Hawkins said.

WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, said “The COVAX Facility, has worked exceptionally hard to ensure that Nigeria gets the vaccine as soon as possible so it can start its vaccination programme to the largest population in Africa. Vaccines are a critical tool in the battle against COVID-19. In the meantime, Nigerians must continue to take steps to contain the virus, as the vaccination programme will take at least a year before it is fully effective.”

Nigeria plans to vaccinate at least 70% of eligible Nigerians aged 18 years and above in four phases within two years.

PIAK

Arsenal Tames Resilient Leicester At King Power Stadium

Chidi Uduma Nwoke
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Arsenal came from behind to claim an impressive 3-1 win against a resilient Leicester City side to earn all three points at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester were knocked out of the Europa League in midweek and came into the game looking to bounce back, while Arsenal were looking to consolidate it’s Europa League progression with another vital win. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and Thomas Partey all started on the bench for the gunners.

Arsenal started the game in typical fashion as they gave away an early goal to Leicester. Youri Tielemans put Leicester ahead after 6 minutes with a good finish into the bottom left corner, thanks to some poor Arsenal defending.

Leicester City midfielder Youri Thielemans (8) scores against Arsenal at the King Power stadium

It was a clinical finish from the Belgian, however, the visitors showed character to force their way back into the game.

Willian’s free-kick in the 39th minute found Arsenal defender David Luiz and the brazilian’s flying header beat Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to levelled the scores 1-1.

Arsenal defender David Luiz scores flying header against Leicester City.

VAR had earlier correctly denied Arsenal a penalty for Wilfred Ndidi’s foul on Pepe just outside the box, but the two were involved again as Pepe’s shot struck Ndidi’s hand in the box, spotted by VAR for a penalty.

Alexandre Lacazette stepped up and scored from the spot just before halftime to give Arsenal the lead going into the second half.

Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette celebrates penalty goal against Leicester City

Both sides felt the impact of Thursday’s Europa League games as Emile Smith Rowe, Jonny Evans and Harvey Barnes all went off injured. However, Arsenal opened up a two-goal cushion early in the second half.

Pepe found substitute Martin Odegaard, who passed the ball to Willian on the left. Williams pass into the box then deflected off Tielemans and into the path of the waiting Pepe, who then tapped the ball into the net.

Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe (19) scores third goal during Premier League match against Leicester City.

Pepe has scored four goals in his last seven Premier League starts for Arsenal, while Willian has now made more assists than any other Arsenal player this season with five. Arsenal saw out the game professionally, showing their character to keep out Jamie Vardy and Leicester.

With a busy schedule ahead, Artetea’s rotation seemed to give the gunners a major lift going into this game. The result means Leicester stay third, with Chelsea six points behind but with a game in hand, while Arsenal are up to ninth above Tottenham for a few hours at least.

Leicester will travel to Burnley on Wednesday before going to Brighton on Saturday, while Arsenal face Burnley on Saturday in the Premier League.

Nigerian Academy of Letters to host annual lectures in Calabar

Ime Njoku
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The Nigerian Academy of Letters, NAL, has rescheduled its 2020 lecture series for March 4th, 2021 at the University of Calabar in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.

NAL is the apex organisation of Nigerian academics and scholars in humanities and is aimed at promoting academic excellence in all branches of humanities.

Professor Kehinde Ayobami, the secretary of NAL in a statement indicated that Professor Emeritus, Femi Osofisan and Professor Francis Egbokhare as well as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi would be part of the lecture.

Ayobami further indicated, “the 2020 edition of the annual lecture series of NAL earlier scheduled for Thursday, February 13, 2020, was postponed due to some unforeseen circumstances. The lecture will now hold virtually (via Zoom) on Thursday, March 4th, 2021, at 10am West African Time (WAT) with Professor Florence Obi as chief host.” 

According to him, “the 2020 lecture is titled: ‘History and the Mythopoeic Vocation: The Nation as Capricious Grand Guignol?’ and will be delivered by Professor Emeritus, Femi Osofisan.”

The statement also specified that Professor Francis Egbokhare, the President of NAL would be the chairman of the occasion.

Ayobami commended the university for sponsoring the lecture and urged interested individuals to join the zoom lecture with the meeting ID 895 431 0035.

The Chairman of Local Organising Committee and Director, Teaching and Learning Excellence, University of Calabar, Professor Monday Joshua in an interaction with some journalists in Calabar described the decision of the institution’s management to host the lecture as an honour

Joshua noted, “all arrangements have been concluded for Thursday. We are indeed honoured to be hosting this prestigious lecture and we invite scholars all over the world to join us by logging in come Thursday, March 4th.”

The Nigerian Academy of Letters was inaugurated at a meeting held in the University of Ibadan on November 14, 1991.

Ime N

 

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