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Afrobasket 2021: Head Coach wants D’Tigers to be consistent

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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Head Coach of Mark Mentors Basketball Club, Abuja, Adeka Daudu, has called on players of the country’s senior men’s team, D’Tigers, to be more consistent with their play ahead of the Final Round of the Afrobasket 2021.

Rreviewing the performance of Nigeria in the last window of the Afrobasket 2021 Qualifiers played in Monastir, Tunisia, the former National U-18 team coach said despite the team’s 3-0 run, there is still plenty of room for improvement.

“As a basketball coach, I am glad that our team has continued to show class but I must say that the players were a bit shaky against South Sudan and Rwanda even with the wins we recorded.

 “There was a lack of quickness and zeal to play as we used to know with the team. The technical crew must work harder to ensure more commitment from the players,” he stressed

Showing more commitment
Although Coach Daudu admits that the players were under the guidance of a new coach in Mfom Udofia, he noted that they would have shown more commitment given the fact that African basketball is different from what obtains in Europe.

He said; “With a young Coach and young players, it was obvious that the team needed some level of continuity. Coaches Mike Brown and Alex Nwora were not on ground and that to an extent may have been responsible for the way some of the players performed. That said, there’s need for the players to be at their best because the Final Round in Kigali would be tougher. I am happy the team qualified but we must not rest on our oars.”

Coach Daudu further noted that with preparations, he expects that a player from the domestic league who merits it makes the team to the finals in Rwanda.

“I look forward to the return of the Premier Basketball League and to see one or two players that merits a place in the team in the final roster.

“Without sentiments, it must be a player that truly deserves a place in the team and not just for making up the number,” he added.

Nigeria finished top of Group D with three wins defeating South Sudan 75-70, 64-51 against Rwanda and humbled Mali 76-56 in the final playoff in Tunisia last week.

 

NP/Mercy Chukwudiebere

Battle for supremacy in Boko Haram/Iswap camps leaves scores of fighters dead

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Nigerian Army in recent Operations has continued to dismantle all logistics and operational bases of the Boko Haram insurgents along the Lake Chad  Basin axis and Sambisa forest area .

The troops in one of its operations along Sambisa forest discovered and destroyed Abubakar Shekau’ farm and rescued abducted victims.

An intelligence gathering has revealed that a fierce battle between Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) broke out, leading to the death of many of their fighters.

The incident which took place in a border area between Nigeria and the Niger Republic as revealed by Al Thabat, an al-Qaida affiliated media outfit.

According to a statement by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima Al Thabat, Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram, killed Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents in the village of Sunawa on the Nigeria-Niger border.

The battle occurred after ISWAP abducted dozens of women linked to Boko Haram. The group subsequently attacked the ISWAP base and rescued the women.

This incidence has once again exposed the disorganised and disoriented nature of these criminals.

The ISWAP broke off from the Shekau led Boko Haram in 2016, and since then, bitter war of attrition and violent confrontations between both factions have been recurrent.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim

Nigeria needs Private Partnership to develop Sports – Minister

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare says the best model to develop Sports in Nigeria is through Private Public Partnerships that resonates with what obtains in advanced countries.

He made the assertion when he visited the Ilaji sports facilities in Oyo State.

Speaking after a tour of the facilities which has football pitches, handball court, table tennis hall , basketball court, golf course, gym, swimming pool, and hotel  accommodation, the minister described the facilities as world class.

“These are world class facilities that compare with what obtains in Europe and other parts of the world where sports are serious business. You have invested so much in these facilities, you may not get the return on your investment now, but you would get it later. These facilities need to be given visibility and put to good use.

 “The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports will be interested in partnering with you so that we can camp our athletes here with minimal distractions,” Dare said.

He said; ” I will soon be sending some of my directors here on a tour to  inspect the facilities.  The ministry would be willing to partner with you for the benefit of our sports. This is in line with our public private partnership and new sports industry policy. If we have 20 other Nigerians like you, doing this, then we can experience rapid sports development that will groom athletes and bring return on investment.”

The proprietor of Ilaji Sports resort, Dotun Sanusi, said he was ready to partner with the ministry for good use of the facilities.

“I feel humbled to have you visit our facilities. This is our little contribution to building future stars for our country. We are ready and available to partner with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development so that these facilities can be put to good use.

“We have an academy where players from ages 4-25 train. Our vision is to produce future stars for our national teams and those that would also play in Europe. We are still expanding and believe that Nigerian sports can benefit from our noble initiative,” Sanusi stated.

 

NP/Mercy Chukwudiebere

Lawmakers express worry about 2020 budget implementation

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The National Assembly Leadership on Monday, expressed worry over what it described as poor implementation of the capital component of the 2020 budget extended to March 31 this year.

 

The Lawmakers’ made their position known following a presentation by the  Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, confirming that only 30% of the extended capital component of the 2020 budget has been achieved.

 

At an interactive session on Monday, the federal lawmakers led by both the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, told the Minister that she was invited to brief them on level of implementation of the extended budget life span.

 

The Speaker said: “since it is not a usual thing to extend life span of a budget, it is imperative to have visible and identifiable results achieved with the extension granted the capital component of the 2020 budget from December 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021.”

 

“This special session of the leadership of NASS interfacing with you , is meant for oversighting the extension because feelers from the various MDAs on the implementation is not all that cheering.

 

“Many of them have complained to our various committees, the difficulties they are facing in accessing funds said to have been released by your ministry. We want to know the level of performance achieved so far whether it justifies the extension granted or not, ” he said.

 

The Minister in her response said as at the end of January this year,  only 30% implementation of the extended capital component of the budget was achieved, but since all the funds have been released and most of the agencies accessing them, remarkable percentage implementation will be achieved before March 31st this year.

 

In her clarification on the state of foreign exchange, she assured the lawmakers that appropriate authorities and agencies within the government were working towards bridging the existing gap between the two windows of foreign exchange.

 

At present, while the official rate of foreign exchange hovers between =N=360 to =N=379 to a U.S dollar that of the parallel market is about =N=465 to a U.S dollar.

 

 

COV/EDWIN/Lateefah Ibrahim

Covid:19: Nigeria confirms 542 new cases

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has confirmed 542 new cases of Covid-19.

The latest figures bring the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 152,616 with 129,300 Discharged and 1,862 Death.

On its official Twitter page, @NCDCgov is the breakdown of the new cases as recorded.

NSE market indices drop by 0.08%

Nnenna Okoronkwo
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Equities transactions on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange closed in the negative territory on Monday when the market indicators dropped by 0.08 percent.
The all share index shed 0.08 percent to close at 40,154.09 basis points ,being 32.61 points lower than Friday’s 40,186.70 points.
Similarly, the market capitalisation fell by N17 billion to close at N21,008 trillion as against N21,025 trillion at the close of trading last week.
At the close of Monday’s trading, a total of 289.33 million shares valued at N3.57 billion exchanged hands in 4,953 deals just as the market recorded 20 gainers and 25 losers.
UPDCreit led the gainers table after it gained 50k to close at N5.85k,it was followed by Chiplc which gained 3k to close at 36k ,then Academy with a 3k gain to close at 38k.
On the other hand,African Prudential lost 70k to close at N6.60k,while Lasaco lost 16k to close at N1.52k and NIgerins lost 2k to close at 21k.
First bank Nigeria holdings had the highest volume of trade as it traded 57,556 million shares valued at N419.71 million and it was followed by UCAP with 27.44 million shares worth N67.34 million.

 

Suzan O

Tangale Chiefdom: Gombe Security Council meets to forestall reprisal attacks

Zainab Sa'id
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An enlarged Gombe State Security Council has engaged religious groups and other stakeholders as proactive measures to avert reprisal attacks on churches across the state.

This was part of the resolutions reached by the security meeting, with directives to Chairmen of Local Government Councils to put churches under security surveillance to forestall likely attacks by some unscrupulous elements.

The Security meeting presided over by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya was convened to avert further spread of violence due to the severity of the Friday attacks on buildings and businesses in Billiri, Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State, which the council believes had religious and political undertones.

It will be recalled that the peaceful protest by the people of the Tangale Chiefdom over the replacement of the Late Mai Tangle, Abdu Buba Mai Sharu II turned violent as some people hijacked the protest by burning down and destroying shops, worship places and private property, which led to the death of four people.

The Security Council expressed sadness over the senseless killings and destruction of people’s property, which it believes was caused by the spread of fake news, especially through social media.

According to the Security Council, security agencies should fish out those spreading fake news for prosecution, because they were trying to create a scenario of situations that were never there.

Reading out the resolutions of the council to journalists in Gombe, the Commissioner of Internal Security and Ethical Orientation, Mr Dauda Batari Zambuk said 16 people had so far been arrested in connection with the attacks, out of which 15 would be arraigned before a court of law and the 16th suspect, security personnel, was under further investigation.

“Security personnel were already on the trail of the suspected masterminds of the mayhem,” Mr Zambuk said.

He said the government was going to set up an assessment team that would determine the persons affected, properties destroyed and lives lost with a view to offering support to the victims.

“Government will set up a panel of inquiry to get to the remote and immediate causes of the incident to avert future occurrence. The Council consoles the families of the deceased and prays for the quick recovery of the injured and those who lost property that God will replenish them,” The Commissioner added.

He expressed the condolences of the Security Council to the families of the deceased and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured and the replacement property for those affected.

 

Zainab Sa’id

Cross River State to launch skills acquisition academy

Zainab Sa'id
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Arrangements have reached an advanced stage for the launch of the Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa, a skills acquisition centre for youths in Calabar, Cross River State capital, south-south Nigeria.

A statement signed by Eugene Upah, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to Governor Ben Ayade indicated that the academy was established “in line with the governor’s vision to equip the teeming youthful population of Cross River with skills.”

Upah stated that Signor Omang Idiege, the Commissioner for Youths Development and Skills Acquisition, undertook an inspection of facilities because of the upcoming commissioning on March 2nd, 2021.

Renovations

The statement further indicated that the academy, which was destroyed by vandals last October, has undergone a series of renovations preparatory to the launch.

“The Commissioner said that Governor Ayade ordered the reconstruction of the academy to ensure that was opened for training in the first quarter of 2021 to engage trainees.

“The fabrication academy has a number of courses that would kick off on March 2nd. The Governor is very optimistic about seeing the youths gainfully employed. We were billed for opening earlier on but the EndSARS destructions of last year set us back. We had to ensure that the missing items were replaced.” The statement read.

The statement quoted the Commissioner as saying, “some of the courses to be commissioned during the opening include Masonry, Aluminum and Glazing, Welding and Fabrication, Plumbing Technology, Fashion and Design and Information and Communication Technology, ICT.”

                              

Other courses it indicated are Literacy, Electrical Installation and Air Conditioning, Tiling, Carpentry, Refrigeration Technology as well as Painting and Screeding.

It added that more than two thousand young people would be expected to enrol for training at the academy after its official opening next month.

 

Zainab Sa’id

UN pledges support for Nigeria’s digital economic drive

Zainab Sa'id
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The United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General, Mrs Amina Muhammed has pledged the support of the UN to Nigeria’s digital economy sector while urging the federal government to invest in technology.

Muhammed stated this while on a courtesy call on the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami in his office in Abuja.

She noted that “Technology is the lifeline of all other sectors from education to medical and financial services, and a lot of what the economy will see in the coming years will be determined by what we do now, in terms of investments”

The UN Deputy Secretary-General commended the visionary leadership style of Dr Pantami in piloting the affairs of the Ministry which has resulted in the quantum leap recorded in the nation’s economy.

She also applauded the National Digital Economy Policy emphasising that it was in line with the framework of the 2030 agenda on the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

“With the exemplary leadership we have in the sector, right now, the Nigerian government should really prioritise investments in the sector.

“The United Nations really supports this sector and its leadership, to make sure that you are a big part of the success of Nigeria’s growth and development. Technology is what will bring efficiency and connectivity in all aspects of life and especially in the green transitions.” Ms Mohammed said.

Ms Mohammed further advised the Nigerian Minister to embrace partnerships and collaborations in moving the Nation forward, highlighting that the Nigerian economy is very important to Africa.

In his response, Dr Pantami expressed his appreciation to President Muhammad Buhari for his efforts towards diversifying the economy through various enabling policies and for making the sector a priority as the benefits are already manifesting.

Pantami maintained that the support of Mr President could be attributed to the unprecedented achievement recorded in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

“According to data released by the NBS, the ICT sector recorded the highest growth rate of all the sectors of the Nigerian economy in both the fourth quarter of 2020 (Q4 2020) and the entire year 2020,” the Minister said.

The Minister also expressed his gratitude to the United Nations for its support through its partnerships and collaborations with organisations under the global body and noting that more can be done in bridging the digital divide especially in the area of capacity building.

 

Zainab Sa’id

Niger State Governor calls for expansion of security agencies

Zainab Sa'id
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The Niger State Governor, Northcentral Nigeria, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has called on the Federal government to expand the workforce of the nation’s security agencies due to the current resurgence of banditry and other forms of insecurity bedevilling parts of the country.

The Governor stated this on Monday during a visit by members of the National Assembly to the state government on the recent abduction incidence in the state.

Governor Sani Bello further mentioned that the country’s security formations have been overstretched due to the large population and size of the country.

He said the challenges of curtailing insecurity has been very difficult due to a shortage of manpower and equipment.

“The strength of the Nigerian police in Niger state as a whole is not more than 4,000 as against 14,000 and that makes it difficult for effective coverage of the entire state.” Governor Bello said.

He added that there is an urgent need for the use of technology by the Military and other security agencies in managing security effectively.

“I hope we can work together to support the federal government so that it can do the needful in statuary budget provision to acquire the necessary equipment needed for security operations.” He said.

Meanwhile, the leader of the National Assembly delegation and the chief whip of the senate, Senator Sa’abi  Abdullahi, while congratulating the Governor for safely securing the NSTA victims, further said they were in the state to show their solidarity and support to the government and people of Niger State on the unfortunate issue that occurred days ago.

The Lawmaker said their visit is to identify with the government and people of Niger state, adding that it is a solemn period and of great shock not just for the Governor and his cabinet but the entire people of the state and the country as a whole.

“The incidences in the last few weeks have no doubt shook the foundation of the state and the period calls for prayers, it calls for very strong introspection so that we can actually identify the problems and find lasting solutions to them,” he added.

Members of the delegation of the National Assembly members from Niger state that visited the Governor include Sa’abi Abdullahi, Sen. Sani Musa, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago, Honourable. Shehu Bawa Beji, Hon. Saidu Mohammed, Hon. Usman Abdullahi, Hon.  Jafaru Mohammed, and Hon. Mamud Mohammed.

 

Zainab   Sa’id

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