Chelsea has replaced Frank Lampard with former Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel as it’s new manager, the club announced.
Tuchel, who agreed to an 18-month contract, replaces Lampard who was fired after a 19-month tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Welcome to Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel! ✍️
Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort on Tuesday to halt former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign he will not be convicted of inciting insurrection at the Capitol.
Republican Senator Rand Paul made a motion on the Senate floor that would have required the chamber to vote on whether Trump’s trial in February violates the U.S. Constitution.
The Democratic-led Senate blocked the motion in a 55-45 vote. But only five Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to reject the move, far short of the 17 Republicans who would need to vote to convict Trump on an impeachment charge that he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol assault that left five people dead.
“Forty-five votes mean the impeachment trial is dead on arrival,” Paul said.
Paul and other Republicans contend that the proceedings are unconstitutional because Trump left office last Wednesday and the trial will be overseen by Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy instead of U.S. Chief Justice, John Roberts.
Some Republican senators who backed Paul’s motion said their vote on Tuesday did not indicate how they might come down on Trump’s guilt or innocence after a trial.
The senators voted after being sworn in as jurors for the impeachment trial.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who moved to thwart Paul’s motion, dismissed the Republican constitutional claim as “flat-out wrong” and said it would provide “a constitutional get-out-of-jail-free card” for presidents guilty of misconduct.
There is a debate among scholars over whether the Senate can hold a trial for Trump now that he has left office.
Many experts have said “late impeachment” is constitutional, arguing that presidents who engage in misconduct late in their terms should not be immune from the very process set out in the Constitution for holding them accountable.
The Constitution makes clear that impeachment proceedings can result in disqualification from holding office in the future, so there is still an active issue for the Senate to resolve, those scholars have said.
Reuters
Nigeria is set to institutionalise monitoring of crop variety adoption using genotyping program, tagged “IMAGE” to ensure availability of accurate data on crop variety adoption by farmers and proper seed coordination in the country that would in turn boost access to quality seed by farmers.
The National Agricultural Seed Council in Nigeria held the first physical launch of the IMAGE project and constitution of the national steering committee in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
What is “IMAGE”
One of the most important decisions a farmer faces is what crop varieties to grow with so many varieties available, while significant investment are made by government, donors, research-NGOs, Universities etc. to develop and disseminate improved seed varieties, a general lack of reliable varietal adoption data still exist.
This is what the Institutionalizing Monitoring of Crop Variety using Genotyping program (IMAGE) seeks to resolve by helping partner countries measure accurately, farmer’s adoption of released improved crop varieties.
This process will in turn expose which particular seed is mostly used by farmers and which released improved crop variety is yielding the desired result, giving room for proper seed planning that would greatly impact food production.
IMAGE is a five year project led by country teams in Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia supported by Global Context Development and the Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation with the aim of establishing, institutionalizing and scaling routine monitoring of improved variety adoption and turn over.
Under the project, the three partner countries have selected staple crops to be used as focus crops, Nigeria for example will focus on four staple crops of Maize, Cassava, Cowpea and Rice.
Tanzania will focus on Maize, Cassava, Common Bean and Rice while Ethiopia will focus on Maize, Wheat, Common Beans and Teff.
While delivering his welcome address, the Director General of the National Agricultural Seed Council Dr. Philip Ojo said so far in Nigeria studies of improved seed adoption were mostly based on household surveys which does give accurate data.
“Over time, studies of improved seed adoption in Nigeria are almost based on household surveys and are premised on the assumption that a farmer can accurately self-report their use of improved seed varieties”
“However, many studies have shown that farmers report of seed varieties planted, or whether the seed is improved or local are sometimes inconsistent with the DNA fingerprinting results of these varieties. He added
Dr. Ojo noted that misidentification of seed varieties or type could have several implications for both adoption of improved technology, for planting, for Policy formulation for food security and also for regulatory activities in the country.
“We expect that the IMAGE project will provide insights and evidence for seed sector actors to enhance government agency capacity, improve stakeholders’ coordination, and lead to better investment & resource allocation decisions for varietal development and commercialization in Nigeria”
The Director General appreciated the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting the efforts of the project while commending Global Context Development for successfully coordinating the project.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has sympathised with the victims of the recent Sokoto State central market fire which destroyed shops worth billions of naira.
The Minister who received with sadness the news of the incident commended the efforts of all Federal and State fire authorities, traders and concerned citizens that assisted in putting off the fire.
“The Federal government is disturbed by the frequent fire disasters in the country and I urge all market authorities to put in place preventive measures in markets and sensitise shop owners on safety precautions to forestall fire outbreaks.
“I directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to work with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), to assess the situation and report back within two weeks for the provision of necessary humanitarian assistance,” the Minister said.
She added that it was heartbreaking especially at a difficult time when people were trying to make ends meet.
PIAK
Nigeria has recorded 1,303 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of persons who have tested positive in the country to 124,299.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced this via its official Twitter handle.
According to the tweet, the 1,303 new cases were from 26 states. Lagos reported the highest number of cases with 478 new cases while the nation’s Federal Capital Territory was second with 211 and Jigawa State had the lowest with 1 new case.
“Lagos- FCT-211 Nasarawa-83 Rivers-72 Kwara-42 Edo-36 Ondo-34 Benue-32 Kaduna-32 Katsina-26 Plateau-26 Kano-25 Taraba-25 Osun-22 Delta-21 Oyo-21 Niger-19 Sokoto-18 Ebonyi-17 Ekiti-14 Gombe-13 Ogun-12 Bauchi-11 Zamfara-8 Borno-4 Jigawa-1”
The NCDC also twitted that as of 26 January, 124,299 cases had been confirmed, 99,276 cases treated and discharged, while 1,522 deaths were recorded.
1,303 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;
Lagos-478
FCT-211
Nasarawa-83
Rivers-72
Kwara-42
Edo-36
Ondo-34
Benue-32
Kaduna-32
Katsina-26
Plateau-26
Kano-25
Taraba-25
Osun-22
Delta-21
Oyo-21
Niger-19
Sokoto-18
Ebonyi-17
Ekiti-14
Gombe-13
Ogun-12
Bauchi-11
Zamfara-8
Borno-4
Jigawa-1 pic.twitter.com/hWDRkXJbCD— NCDC (@NCDCgov) January 26, 2021
PIAK
Britain’s multiple world and Olympic long distance champion Mo Farah said the more people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, the greater the chance that the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead on schedule.
Farah, who won gold at the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, said he expected the July-August Games, postponed from last year, to take place.
“I think most people in a career want to go to an Olympics and take part in an Olympics. The key thing is to stay safe and see what the country can do,” Farah said in an interview.
“What they have said to us is basically everyone will be able to get COVID injections, and after that it’s less risk of spreading the disease. And then from there just see what happens and take one day at a time.”
It was not clear if Farah was referring specifically to athletes getting vaccinated or to the general public.
“We have not spoken to any athletes about vaccinations as we await a clearer understanding of the programme’s rollout,” a British Olympic Association representative said.
“As we have clearly stated, the priority at this time remains the vulnerable, elderly and front line workers.”
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said that he was against the concept of compulsory vaccinations and did not like the idea of athletes taking priority ahead of vulnerable people or frontline workers.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has said that although participants will be encouraged to get vaccinated, it will not be mandatory.
Farah will be seeking to defend his 10,000m title in Tokyo after spending the last few years focusing on the marathon.
“I think (the Games) will go ahead but at the same time, for me, I have had the experience of taking part in three Olympics and I have to see it as another race and see what happens.”
CN/Reuters
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has urged the Federal Government to avoid locking down the economy again due to the increasing number of confirmed cases and deaths from the second wave of COVID-19, stating that the lockdown on the economy would bring about a negative impact.
The apex bank suggests that sustaining the tepid economic recovery was perhaps a higher priority than curtailing the fast-spreading variant of the second wave virus via another lockdown.
The remarks were contained in the monetary policy communique read out by the CBN governor Godwin Emefiele following the end of the bank’s monetary policy committee meeting, the first for the year.
“While expressing understanding of the public health dilemma of the recent spike in infections, MPC encouraged Government not to consider a wholesome lockdown of the economy so as not to reverse the current gains of the stimulus earlier provided in 2020.”
As of January 26, 2020, Nigeria had a total number of COVID-19 cases of about 124, 299, and 1,522 deaths as the second wave continue to spread rapidly across the country. Since December 1st, Nigeria’s positive cases have risen by about 56, 742 cases (83% ) from about 67,557 on the last day of November 2021.
However, the Central Bank’s recommendations are hinged on the precarious state of the economy which is highlighted throughout a rather sobering MPC communique. In one statement the apex bank admitted that the rise in covid-19 cases was dragging economic recovery backward as more Nigerians become wary of socializing but the spate of economic recovery cannot be jeopardized.
According to the CBN, “the outlook for the recovery, however, appears to be dampened by the second wave of the pandemic considering its intensity” yet it still maintained that the previous lockdown was the trigger for another recession.
“In the Committee’s consideration, it noted that the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary measures put in place by the Government to forestall its public health impacts, such as the lockdown and other associated restrictions, contributed to the Nigerian economy going into recession, much like almost every other country in the world.”
The members of the monetary policy committee also detailed challenges to economic recovery being experienced by the country such as;
Increase in non-performing loans
“The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), however, noted the marginal increase in the Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) ratio which rose to 6.01 per cent at end-December 2020 from 5.88 per cent at end-November 2020 and above the prudential maximum threshold of 5.0 per cent.
While noting that this development is not unexpected under the prevailing circumstances, it urged the Bank to strengthen its macroprudential framework to bring NPLs below the prescribed benchmark.”
PMI numbers
The MPC noted with concern the continuing sluggish recovery in the Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMIs), which remained below the 50-index point benchmark in December 2020, at 49.6 and 45.7 index points, respectively, compared with 50.2 and 47.6 index points during the previous month.
This weak performance was attributed to the resurgence of the pandemic, foreign exchange pressures, increased costs of production, a general increase in prices and decline in economic activities.
This uptick was attributed to the increase in both the food and core components of inflation, which rose to 19.56 and 11.37 per cent in December 2020, respectively, from 18.30 and 11.01 per cent in November 2020.
This continued upsurge in food inflation was attributed to the logistical bottlenecks, spurred by the increasing security challenges in many parts of the country, which disrupted food production and supply to the market.
Other factors driving the core inflation, include the recent deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry, which led to hikes in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and the upward adjustment in electricity tariff.
Despite the outlook, the CBN expects the economy to recover this year provided the country continues with its economic stimulus.
Suzan O/Nairametric
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has called on the federal government saying that stronger commitment to key reforms can accelerate Nigeria’s economic recovery in 2021.
President, LCCI, Mrs Toki Mabogunje, stated this in Lagos at the Chamber’s first quarterly briefing in 2021, while previewing expectations for the year.
LCCI among many recommendations called for the unification of foreign exchange (forex) rates which would create an enabling environment and maximize opportunities from Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) agreement, and the sustenance of low interest rates regime to expedite recovery and bolster investor confidence in the nation’s economy.
Mabogunje stated: “Accelerating the pace of economic recovery requires fiscal and monetary authorities to be well coordinated to promote growth-enhancing and confidence-building policies that would encourage more private capital inflows into the economy. Investment-led growth strategy is critical for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
“Strong commitment to key reforms will not only boost output recovery but will also put the nation on a path of macroeconomic stability.
“Review of the foreign exchange management framework to expand the scope of market mechanism in the determination of the exchange rate.
“The unification of the exchange rates should be prioritised. This is imperative for expediting recovery and bolstering investor confidence.
On AfCFTA, she noted: “For Nigeria, the trade agreement serves as an avenue for local industries to penetrate new markets and establish strong cross-border supply chains with other African countries.
“We believe the benefits and costs of the agreement will not be evenly distributed among participating countries and only countries with open, friendly, and enabling operating environment stand to benefit materially from the agreement.
“This underscores the need for policymakers to expeditiously create an enabling environment that would enhance the country’s economic competitiveness in the AfCFTA framework.”
On interest rate regime, Mabogunje said: “LCCI lauds the low interest rate regime that prevailed for most part of 2020 and would like to see it sustained in 2021.
“The low yield environment has been beneficial to investors in terms of mobilizing cheap funds for investment in the real economy. The low yield environment also contributed significantly to the impressive performance of Nigerian Stock Market in the previous year.
“A low interest regime will encourage blue-chip corporate to undertake further investments, thereby stimulating aggregate demand and economic growth.”
LCCI counseled that policies to be sustained by the government in 2021 should include: Deregulation of the downstream oil industry and passage of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
“We acknowledge government’s resolve towards deregulating the downstream segment of the oil industry. We also note the push back to the comprehensiveness of the reform. We would like these measures to be sustained in 2021.
“However, it must be noted that deregulation will not yield the desired benefits for industry players and Nigerians given the monopolistic structure of the Nigerian downstream oil industry characterized by huge dependence on the NNPC for product supply,” Mabogunje stated.
LCCI urged government at all levels to set the following as key priorities in 2021: Deepen Investor Confidence; Pursue an investment-led growth strategy; Tackle insecurity; Port reforms and Normalize forex market.
“In 2021, there is need for our policymakers to formulate and implement policies that facilitate business continuity, particularly this time business operators are confronted with disruptions associated with a new wave of the pandemic.
“Policies that harm businesses and scare investors should be discouraged. Our policies must foster economic competitiveness at national and subnational level, support businesses, protect jobs and preserve investments,” she added.
Suzan O/NAN
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to release statutory funds due to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for optimally dispense of duties.
The President who gave the directive at the Presidential Villa, Abuja during a virtual meeting of the board of the agency, noted that NASENI is a mechanism to stimulate linkages between science and technology, academics and the industrial sector on the one hand and the country’s economic and industrial transformation on the other.
President @MBuhari presides over Maiden Edition of the Members of the Governing Board of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in State House on 26th Jan 2021 pic.twitter.com/pbyMKc1NHy
— Comrde Suleiman Abubakar Barde (@Barde6767) January 26, 2021
He stated that for NASENI to succeed, “it must be empowered through adequate provision of financial, human and material resources and allowed to exercise independence to forge partnerships.
“By its mandate, NASENI is strategically poised to develop local capacity in machine building and fabrication, which is critical to Nigeria’s industrial development. However, in order for it to realize its full potential, NASENI must be empowered and given the autonomy and independence to forge international partnerships to acquire the relevant technologies for social, economic and industrial advancement of the country.
“In this regard, I have directed the minister of finance budget and national planning and Federal Inland Revenue Services to commence remittances of funds approved by law to the agency.”
The President observed that the enabling law of the agency was promulgated to an Act in 2004, adding that Section 2, Subsection 1 and 3 of NASENI Act provide for a governing board of the agency under the chairmanship of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
While commending the solar energy and research ingenuity and manufacturing of NASENI, the president also directed the minister of finance to conclude negotiation and acceptance of 85 per cent funding source for the establishment of solar cell production, high voltage testing laboratory transformation in collaboration with China industry cooperation.
“It is important for NASENI board to note that agencies of government with a similar mandate in many countries are under the supervision of their respective heads of states and government. This administration has a premium and importance attached to homegrown technology, science and engineering infrastructure towards the social economic and technological development of respective countries.
“The uniqueness of the mandate of NASENI as enshrined in the enabling law towards actualization and realization of our development programme such as creating 10 million jobs, Economic Recovery and Growth Programme and post coronavirus sustainability plan.
“This is the only deliberate deployment of engineering, science, technology and innovation using technology domestication and reversed engineering of capital goods, making them available in Nigeria that can fast-track the realization of our collective will to build the capacity and reduce poverty of our teeming populace.
“The countries that are at the forefront of economic recovery have only one thing in common, investment and sustained research and development work in a knowledgable economy.
“Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the technology and innovation gap between us and the developed world which NASENI is strategically positioned to fill. It is my desire that this meeting of the governing council will reposition NASENI for the realization of its mandate as envisioned by its founders.”
Suzan O/ THISDAY/OTHERS
African heritage is keen on the moral values while African culture is expressed in its arts and crafts, folklore and religion, clothing, cuisine, music and languages, etc. Expressions of culture are abundant within Africa, with large amounts of cultural diversity being found not only across different countries but also within single countries.
Consequently, the African Union (AU) has recognised the role arts, culture and heritage can play as catalysts for the socio-economic development and integration of the African continent. To that effect, the preservation of valued African property such as historic buildings, artwork, books/manuscripts and other artefacts that have been passed down from previous generations, will take central stage henceforth as the AU strives to uphold these values by dedicating an entire year of 2021 to ‘Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want’ .
The proposed theme of the year 2021 draws inspiration in the African Union Agenda 2063, as a shared strategic framework and blueprint for inclusive growth and sustainable Development; Aspiration 05 envisages:
An Africa with a Strong Cultural Identity, Values and Ethics;
Strengthening the African cultural identity, values, and ethics as a critical factor for Africa’s emergence on the global stage.
African people imbued with a sense of their fundamental cultural unity, a sense of a common destiny and African identity and Pan-African consciousness.
An Africa where work is a key ethic and value, where women play an important role, and in which traditional and religious leaders, including the youth as drivers of change, is recognized.
Worth recalling that, from the onset, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and, thereafter its successor the African Union (AU), has placed culture at the top of their agenda, as stipulated in the OAU Charter, which affirms the commitment of the African Union Member States to ensure the coordination and harmonization of their policies, in the domain of educational and cultural cooperation, among others.
The significant contribution of culture to the integration of societies and to the socio-economic development in general and to poverty alleviation through job creation and social inclusion in particular has been undoubtedly evident.
This reiterates why the AU has not only included culture in all major development blueprints, such as the Lagos Plan of Action 1980-2000 and the African Union Agenda 2063; but it has also adopted various instruments pertaining to culture including the Cultural Charter for Africa (1978), the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance (2006), the Statute of the African Audio-Visual and Cinema Commission (2019) and the African Union (AU) Model Law on the Protection of Cultural Property and Heritage (2018), among others.
According to H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, the AU’s theme of the Year 2021 “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want”, is an important theme and goes hand in hand with the whole movement for the institutional reform of the Union, “as culture is the main marker of identity and through it we know who we really are”. The AUC Chairperson was speaking while addressing the virtual official opening of the 41st Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), on 20 January 2021.
Meanwhile, the 38th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council is scheduled to take place on 3 and 4 February 2021. This meeting will bring together Ministers of External Relations/ Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from the fifty-five (55) Member States of the African Union.
