Month: October 2023

A human rights activist, Mr Alexander Orji, has urged Nigerians to stop picketing South African companies in Nigeria.

He said picketing would not stop the killing of Nigerians in South Africa, but worsen the rivalry among citizens of the two nations.

Orji, Director-General of Centre for Protection of Nigerians in Diaspora, made the appeal following threats of attack on South African businesses in Nigeria by the National  Associations of Nigerian Students (NANS).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association, had on Aug. 8 in Yola, Adamawa State, picketed South African businesses, warning them to leave the country within seven days.

Also, the students association in Ogun State have picketed South African companies such as MTN, DSTV and Stanbic Bank.

Orji said that there was a lot of risk in picketing and this would not favour anyone, while violence had never settled any dispute, but ignited the fire.

He said that violence on South African companies could not be the right approach as it would not stop the killings, but rather add to the sufferings of Nigerians there who were mostly  employees.

“Although  Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa is very wrong and condemnable, the picketing approach is also very condemnable.

“Do not forget that  their presence has brought solutions to many gap in goods and services where Nigerians are the employees, doing that will leave some youths jobless.

“Picketing of South African businesses may be tantamount to theft in the name of trying to destroy properties because while doing that miscreants and thugs can use the opportunity to cart away valuables and most times, lives are lost.

“Why most people believe in protest, whether peaceful or not, but I think the best way to resolve issues is peaceful means or roundtable dialogue.

“We need each other, which is why Nigerians leave their country for another, this is because we need something from them and they too do same,” Orji said.

He said a roundtable by the two countries would be the best approach to bring normalcy to the issue.

“We, therefore, urge the National Association of Nigerian Students not to adopt violence or  take laws into their hands as these can be hijacked by unscrupulous elements and cause harm beyond repairs, especially to our people and land.

“Sometimes, chanting war songs does not make one victorious,” he said.

NAN

The Federal Government has empowered more than 11, 000 graduates in Plateau State with N8.94 billion under the N-Power programme.

Dr Sumaye Hamza, the Executive Assistant to Gov. Simon Lalong on Social Investment Program (SIP), disclosed this on Tuesday in her opening remarks at a 4-Day Sensitisation Workshop organised for N-Agro beneficiaries in Plateau.

Hamza, who is also the state Programme Focal Person on National Social Investment programme (NSIP), said the amount did not include N-power Build where skills were provided as well as start-up tools and monthly stipends to over 900 youths.

According to her, some of the components of the NSIP initiated by President Muhammudu Buhari administration and supported by Gov. Lalong include: Job creation, Home grown school feeding, Conditional Cash Transfer and Enterprise Empowerment Programme.

“Government is committed to ensuring that the citizens of Nigeria are supported to boost Agricultural activities and subsequently get out of poverty.

“This is the more reason why the programme seeks to also boost productivity especially amongst the marginalised and vulnerable women and youths.

“It also aims at stimulating economic activities, creates jobs, improve livelihood and reduce inequality and gender stability in communities.

“The more than 11, 000 N-Power graduates in Plateau are benefiting in the area of NTech, NHealth and NAgro right from inception from the N8.94 billion injected by the government in the state.’’

The focal person tasked the 200 participants of the workshop to be attentive, idealistic and focused to launch themselves into self-reliance and be employers of labour.

She also urged the participants to emulate the conveyor of the workshop, Mr Badi Emmanuel of GIZ Nigeria, whom she described as a “motivator and role model” to be committed, determined and focused beneficiaries.

Earlier, Emmanuel, the workshop conveyor, said that the workshop was to sensitise the N-power Volunteers Start-ups under GIZ designated to Green Innovation centers for food and Agricultural sector.

“This workshop is to ginger you, therefore, you should endeavour to share your experiences with each other to be equipped in self-economic decision making and understand the context of start-ups,’’ he said.

NAN

By Stanley Nwanosike
Business centre operators, who have photocopy machines, are currently making brisk business in two centres where Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) pension verification is ongoing in Enugu.

A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who is monitoring developments at the centres on Tuesday, observed that many of the retired senior citizens being verified throng photocopy centres to duplicate most of their credentials as demanded by PTAD.

NAN recalls that PTAD commenced a hitch-free biometric verification of retired civil servants, who served in federal agencies, corporations and institutions, in two centres in Enugu metropolis on Monday.

A business centre operator, Mrs Ngozi Okenwa, said that business of making photocopies had improved, adding that she made over N6,000 alone from making photocopies on Monday.

Okenwa, whose business centre is located at the Good Shepherd Cathedral Hall, one of the centres for the verification, said that her experience today (Tuesday),  was same as Monday.

“It seems today, I will make more sales since the number of customers for photocopy duplicates keep increasing and I have been attending to them since morning,”she said.

Another business centre operator, Mr Chibuike Onyema, said that the gain of over N7,500 he made from making photocopies on Monday was unprecedented in his two-year experience.

Onyema, whose business centre is close to Ingrace Event Centre, another venue of the verification in Enugu, said that he had to temporarily engage his brother to assist him today [Tuesday].

“Since 8 a.m. all we have been doing is to attend to elderly people that came to duplicate their documents.

“Although, it is a bit stressful not sitting for over five hours now but the profit from this endeavor is worth it,”he said.

NAN learnt that the ongoing nationwide exercise was to enable PTAD to have a comprehensive, accurate and reliable database for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.

The database would also be used to address some irregularities in the system, including ghost worker syndrome, duplicate payments, over and under payments, among other needs.

It was also learnt that 270 agencies, including universities, tertiary institutions , health institutions and the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, were expected to be covered by the exercise.

Other agencies included are: Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nigeria Postal Service, Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, Nigerian National Shipping Line and Assurance Bank, among others.

NAN

By Hassana Yakubu

The Chairman, Shehu Plastic & Company Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Usman, on Tuesday said the Company had transformed many Kaduna Street waste to useful domestic materials through recycling.

Usman said this when African Climate Reporters paid a courtesy visit to the recycling plant in Kaduna, Kaduna State.

According to him, waste recycling is a major component of waste management that involves the conversion of waste to reusable products for both domestic and office use.

”This is one of the biggest recycling plants in the North where plastic bottles, rubber and other waste materials are collected and transformed to various domestic uses.

”We buy these plastic bottles, rubbers and other waste materials from scavengers and waste commercial sellers and transform them to various uses.

”The machines grind the waste materials into pieces, after which we take the pieces to where they design new products.

”The pieces are turned into buckets, cups, rubber kettles and basins which can be used for domestic purposes and even in the gardens,” he said.

Shehu said that the company transformed about five tonnes of plastic rubber waste to useful domestic materials monthly, adding that the finished products were sold in Kaduna and other parts of the country.

He said that waste recycling helped in “conserving natural resources, save the environment from pollution and other environmental challenges.”

The Chairman maintained that recycling was an alternative to conventional waste disposal and help to lower greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

He stated that recycling was an important business in developed countries, adding that it was only of recent that African countries were coming up with plans to recycle waste.

According to Shehu,  recycling helps in cleaning the environment and also generates income for many unemployed youths engaged in the business.

Shehu said that there were shortage of recycling companies in the region, adding that epileptic power supply and insecurity were crippling development of many companies in the North.

He said that dirty environment affect the standard of living, aesthetic sensibilities and health of the people as well as the quality of their lives.

Shehu said that producing new products from recycled materials was a cost effective way of managing production cost.

Dr Piman Hoffman, the Director African Climate Reporters, said that the Federal Government should encourage more recycling companies across the country.

He said that these would help in tackling waste causing various diseases and other environmental challenges in the society.

According to him, the economy also benefits from recycling as it reduces the cost to clear dump sites.

He stated that government could save additional millions of naira when such dump sites were reserved for other revenue generating purposes.

Hoffman said that there was need to support recycling companies financially, adding that residents could also benefit by selling recycling materials to cover the cost of disposing waste.

NAN

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Monday said that no Mosque was demolished on Biambo Street, off School Road by Mami Market Junction, near Rainbow Estate in Port Harcourt.

Wike told newsmen at Biambo Street in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of the state that there was no Mosque on ground, hence nothing was demolished.

He described as unfortunate, the false information circulated that the state government demolished a Mosque in Port Harcourt.

“I received calls from several prominent Nigerians on the fake news being circulated online, and I have come here with reporters and you can see there was no Mosque here.

“It’s most unfortunate that fickle minded persons will claim that a Mosque was demolished at this place, when no Mosque existed here; the story was concocted by mischief makers to score cheap points,” he said.

According to Wike, some persons are erecting illegal foundation at the disputed land without approval to embark on any construction work.

“They came here to erect illegal structure, there was no approval from the state government for any structure to be erected here.

“The persons who started the foundation had already dragged the state government to court on the disputed land, and the Rivers government won the case.

“What they attempted to do was to start the illegal construction to tie the hands of the gtate government,” he added.

Wike urged the Muslim Community in Rivers to show him where a Mosque was demolished in the state, and advised them not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to peddle false stories against the state government.

He said the government operated within the rule of law, adding that  he would not be distracted by the circulation of fake reports.

The governor said that several Mosques constructed on the approval of the government existed across Port Harcourt and other major towns of Rivers without the government demolishing them.

“The government gave them notice not to do anything on the land, but they went ahead with the illegal foundation and the relevant agency stopped them.

“Why would we want to bring down any Mosque , when there are other Mosques across the state? What is the special interest on this one?” ( NAN)

(flowerbudnews)  Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has called on men and women of integrity not to shy away from participating in politics, saying that is the only way to sanitize the system.

The Governor stated that the involvement of persons of integrity in politics would enhance good governance and promote sanity in the political environment, adding that participating in politics would not take heaven from men and women with integrity and honesty, but would help to clean up the polity.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the Governor gave the charge at The Cathedral Church of St David, Ijomu Street, Akure, during a thanksgiving service with members of the Omorege dynasty, the Governor’s maternal family, over his electoral victory.

According to the statement, Governor Makinde admonished Christians and people with honesty and integrity, to get involved in politics, noting that the journey would not be easy, but God would take them to where He intended.

“When I started the journey into politics, the two mother’s close to me [referring to his mum and his aunt] woke me up at 12 a.m., one spoke in Ibadan dialect while the other spoke in Akure dialect and all they said was that I should be wary of what I collect from politicians.

Ordinarily, they knew the son they had but at that point, they doubted me, because the general perception was that politics is dirty.

“The general perception is that a child of God cannot be in politics. My mothers doubted me, and so if people who are not close to me doubt me, I will understand. What matters is to serve the people honestly and serve God through service to humanity,” the Governor said.

The Governor added: “Today, I have the testimony of being a politician that attained the governorship without a godfather apart from God the Father. I am telling you that participating in politics cannot stop our going to heaven. We need to participate. Things may not be easy, but God will take you to the top.

It was not easy for Joseph but God made him prime minister in Egypt, the most powerful country on earth at that time. Even David that was anointed, it was not easy for him.

“I have come to thank God, because I came to this church and I said that if God does what I want, I would come to give thanks. I thank the church and the people for your help. I thank the clergy for their prayers. Continue to pray for us, because what is ahead is more than where we are coming from.

Earlier, Venerable C.O. Osinyemi, who spoke on the topic: “Indices of acceptable service,” charged Governor Makinde to serve with honesty and integrity and ensure that his service adds value to the lives of the people.
The clergyman admonished the Governor to focus his service on developing the nooks and cranny of the state, empowering the youth and women, defending the rights of those who are weak, urging him to revive the farm settlements built by Pa Obafemi Awolowo, because according to him, there is no way government can employ everyone but that a lot of people could be reached through agriculture.

Osinyemi further charged the Governor to pay attention to payment of salaries and pensions, among others.

Personalities on the entourage of the Governor included his wife, Mrs. Tamunominini Makinde, Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin and some members of the House of Assembly; chairman of the State Advisory Council, Senator Hosea Agboola; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Funmi Orisadeyi; Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Kehinde Ayoola; executive chairman of SUBEB, Dr Nureni Adeniran; executive chairman of BCOS, Prince Dotun Oyelade and other party chieftains.

(FLOWERBUDNEWS)  Manenzhe was recognised for her short story Maserumo and Ogamba was rewarded for The Valley of Memories, at the awards ceremony held on August 18 in Kampala.Both stories capture the power of African spiritualism, beliefs and reincarnation.

Frances Ogamba’s Valley of Memories begins with a very well crated line, “To live with another man’s wounds is to wake at midnights with a searing pain and listen to the man breathe and exist.

”I am going to my uncle (Okwueke), the man who has been dead for seventy years and has inhabited my body for twenty-three odd years. I am visiting his one-time home through the Milken hill road that sits firmly on a ledge. The road is a coiled wire uncurling on discovery. The tars on it have cracked in some parts and lay bare a dusty terrain.

A slope and a cliff flank the track on both sides, and tall slender trees of a certain breed stick out from the slope like praying hands. The verdure of the lush and virgin forest meld with the skies. The brae of the cliff is patterned in horizontal lines, like cornrows on a child’s hair. Bold writing done with the white chalk is waning from weather effects: Vote for Ugwuanyi. Man of the people. The forest injects a coolness that wiggles along the route, the calm as rich as I’d imagined it’d be.

Frances however, does a lot more than tell a story of her connection with a late uncle, Okwueke, she does the greater work of centering an African understanding of what happens before human life and after death.

Manenzhe and Frances Ogamba received a plaque and cash award of $500 each, as well as a chance to work on their manuscript in a one month residency at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

“Winning this award means a lot to me. I have never won a prize. And this one is quite a big one, and amazing,” Manenzhe said.“

This award means a whole lot. It opens my story to a wide audience,” Ogamba said.

The 2019 Writivism Festival was held at the National Theatre in Kampala from August 15 to 18.

There were conversations, poetry recitals, stage plays, book readings and launches, and writing and photography masterclasses.

There was screening of short films and a photo exhibition by Marie Ainomugisha, Daniel Msrikale, Nebila Abdulmelik and Wasi Daniju.
The festival also paid tribute to the late Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina. CULLED LISTWAND