Month: October 2023

(FLOWERBUDNEWS)   President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday welcomed the interest shown by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation  and the Toyota Group to  support projects in which Japanese companies are involved in Nigeria.

The president made his feelings known at an investment talks with top officials of Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and Toyota Group, at the margins of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7), holding in Yokohama, Japan.

Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman in a statement in Abuja, said the Japan Bank for International Cooperation was led by its Deputy Governor, Mr Nobumitsu Hayashi at the meeting.

Adesina quoted Hayashi as telling the Nigerian leader that the bank had lots of resources dedicated for investment in Nigeria, and would be particularly interested in oil and gas, and investments in infrastructure.

President Buhari welcomed the bank, informing the team that Nigeria had introduced the Ease of Doing Business, and bureaucratic bottlenecks were being cleared off the way.

At a bilateral meeting with Toyota Tsusho, a part of the Toyota conglomerate, President/CEO of the group, Ichiro Kashitani, indicated interest in sectors like energy, healthcare and automobiles, saying Toyota would be delighted to have presence all over Nigeria.

According to Kashitani, Toyota Tsusho wishes to also build an advanced medical diagnostics centre, which will foreclose need for foreign travel to obtain cutting edge medical diagnosis.

President Buhari urged the group to also consider setting up a car assembly plant, noting that Nigeria had the capacity to absorb the investment for positive returns.

At another meeting with the Prime Minister of Algeria, Noureddine Bedoui, President Buhari counseled that the political programme in the country be faithfully executed, which would lead to general elections as soon as possible.

“Algeria is a good pan-Africanist nation, with a lot of influence over the continent,” the President said.

Prime Minister Bedoui said dialogue was in progress with all stakeholders leading to elections, hopefully by end of the year.(NAN)

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed Ministers to come up with key performance indicators for Parastatals and Agencies under their ministries which should be evaluated monthly.

The Minister of Communications, Dr Isa Pantami disclosed the President’s directive in Abuja when he received a delegation from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), an establishment under his ministry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the delegation led by the Director General of NITDA, Mr Kashifu Inuwa was on courtesy visit to the minister.

Pantami recalled that the president gave the directive during ministerial retreat and was re-echoed during their inauguration.

The minister who said he would implement the president’s directive to the latter, charged the workers to be passionate and dedicated to their work, develop themselves and contribute their quota to the growth of the nation.

“As instructed by the President, we will come up with the key performance indicators for agencies under our ministries which will be evaluated monthly.

“It is,important that you are passionate about your work, be hardworking and always find ways to improve yourselves because having your integrity intact is better than anything.

“If we are all committed to working passionately, it means the government has succeeded and will deliver on its mandate to develop the country through deployment of Information Communication Technology,” Pantami said.

Pantami also said that the ministry would come up with broad policies which would be handed to the agencies for implementation,

He assured that the ministry will always approve any action-plan of its agencies and intervene in situations where they needed support.

Specifically, Pantami said he was abreast with the events of NITDA having being the immediate past director-general of the agency for three years.

He charged the management of NITDA to take proactive steps towards improving on the delivery of the agency’s mandate.

NAN reports that the delegation briefed the minister on the projects and programmes of NITDA and presented him with a congratulatory card on his appointment.

NAN

The Federal High Court Abuja, on Friday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes impression (EFCC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to respect the status quo on their plans to confiscate the assets and property belonging to the immediate-past Governor of Zamfara, Abdulazeez Yari.

Justice Nkeonye Maha, in a ruling in an ex-parte application for interim injunctions brought by Yari’s Counsel, Mahmud Magaji, SAN, also adjourned the matter until Sept. 5 for further hearing.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yari, through his lawyer, urged the court to restrain the EFCC and AGF from interfering with his enjoyment of the rights enshrined in Sections 34, 35, 37, 41 and 43 of the Constitution.

Magaji prayed the court to stop the anti-graft agency from either inviting or arresting the former governor pending the determination of the substantive suit.

NAN

Ogbaru people living on the borderline of River Niger have called on the Federal Government to dredge the river as permanent solution to perenial flooding of the area.The residents who spoke through their leaders made the call during Early Warning Sensitisation visit of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to Ogbaru and Ihiala Areas on Thursday.Mr Arinzechukwu Awogu, Transition Committee Chairman, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra, said the council had 16 communities which all lived on the bank of River Niger. Awogu said since the flooding of 2012 which left colosal damage on the people, River Niger had continued to overflow its bank every rainy season. “We gathered that this regular flooding resulting from the overflow of River Niger will continue because of excess sand in the river which requires dredging. “Since the reason for the yearly flooding has been known, we appeal on the Federal Government to dredge the River Niger so as to put an end to the problem,” he said. Awogu said that 12 persons lost their lives due 2018 flooding in the area and commeded SEMA and NEMA teams for the sensitisation visit. Igwe Vincent Ijoma, the traditional ruler of Ochuche Umuodu Community of Ogbaru, corroborated the call for dredging of the river and said it was a  better step rather than spending huge sums of money through relief materials to flood victims. “When emergency happens more than once, it is no longer emergency and so government should find a permanent solution to it,”  he said. Mr Greg Okafor, Transition Committee Chairman, Ihiala Local Government Area, appealed to government to assist flood victims in Uli and Azia that were recently affected by flood. Okafor commended SEMA for its plan to establish 28 holding centres across the state in preparation for 2019 flooding. Mr Emeka Obinwa, Executive Assistant to Gov. Willie Obiano on SEMA (Media), said the visit was to alert residents of coastal communities in Anambra of impending flooding this year.He said  the state had holding centres numbering 28, located in Ihiala, Ogbaru, Anambra East, Ananmbra West, Awka North and Ayamelum Local Government Areas for flooding victims. Mr Fred Anusim, Co-ordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-East zone, said there was the need for local government areas  to set up Local Emergency Committee. Mr Kennedy Ekeh, another official of NEMA in a lecture entitled: “Flooding in Ananmbra; Causes, Impact and Management”, warned residents of the area to heed early warning to avoid loss of lives and important property. Ekeh told participants to constantly watch the rising river levels and relocate to safety area to avoid being victims of flooding. (NAN)

(FLOWERBUDNEWS)  The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) says it will deploy a robust Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to drive fundamental reforms that will transform the scheme into a result-oriented public institution.

The Executive Secretary,  Prof. Mohammed Sambo said this during when he visited the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe at the National Assembly complex, in Abuja.

Mr Ayo Osinlu Head, Media & Public Relations disclosed this in a statement, on Thursday in Abuja.

Osinlu said  Sambo, who assumed office on July 15, had continued to inspire internal and external support for the scheme, by series of consultations aimed at building consensus around the reforms.

Sambo, while intimating the senator of his reforms and strategy, said the deployment of ICT, would solve 80 per cent of unacceptable transparency challenges in the processes.

He added that such equipment would further afford the scheme the platforms for effective, real-time monitoring and evaluation.

“The process for the fundamental reforms will transform NHIS into a result-oriented public institution, well positioned for its mandate as a catalyst for socio-economic and human capital development.

“The reforms are anchored on the tripod of three-point Rebranding Agenda, including value reorientation, transparency and accountability, while accelerating the drive to achieving universal access to quality healthcare for all Nigerians,’’ sambo said.

He further highlighted ten action points from the white paper on Independent Fact Finding Panel, investigated during the recent crisis in the organisation as additional undertakings of government which aimed at repositioning the scheme.

This, he said, would particularly be in the areas of staff audit, financial management systems, procurement, internal audit and labour relations.

The NHIS Boss, however, requested the assistance of the senate committee on health, through legislative and advocacy engagements, for  ongoing efforts to rebrand and reposition NHIS to operate effectively as the nation’s healthcare delivery system.

In his remark, Oloriegbe congratulated the NHIS executive secretary, describing his appointment as critical for the agency and the nation especially at this time.

Oloriegbe said there was mounting pressure for practical and quick results from the organisation under the new leadership.

He, however, promised the consistent support of the committee and the 9th senate, which he described as “a better assembly that works for the people.”

Oloriegbe advised the NHIS boss to give immediate attention to challenges of the scheme, particularly in  areas of human resources, stakeholder interests and minimal coverage. (NAN)

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Benin Zonal Command, has taken into custody, a 62 years old cobbler, Chukwudi Agustine, for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl.

Mr Nduka Nwanwenne, the Benin Zonal Comnander, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, in Benin, that the victim who is a student, also helps her mother to sell  “Zobo”, a locally made beverage drink.

Nwanwenne said the suspect had purchased N50 worth of Zobo from the victim and gave her N500 note.

“The little girl, who had no change, agreed to come for her money after the day’s sales because she was familiar with the suspect and the environment.

“Two weeks later, the victim went back to the suspect’s shop to collect her money but she did not meet him there.

“She was however, directed by the suspect’s apprentice to his house. When she knocked at his door, the suspect dragged her in forcefully and defiled her.”

Nwanwenne said that the cry of the victim attracted the suspect’s neighbours who rescued her.

According to the zonal commander, “on realising that the law would catch up with him, the suspect allegedly tried to settle the victim’s mother with the sum of N50,000.

“He later reduced the settlement sum to N30,000 before he was apprehended by the men of the State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) who handed him over to NAPTIP,” he said.

Nwanwenne told NAN that the suspect, who hails from Ishiagu Community in Ohazaria Local Government Area of Ebonyi, had allegedly admitted to the crime as investigation was being concluded to charge him to court.