Author: Ibrahim Abusadiq

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has inaugurated a 7.1 megawatts Solar Hybrid power plant in Bayero University Kano (BUK), to ensure sustainability in power supply.

Osibanjo said that the project would benefit thousands of students and other members of the university community, as well as enhance teaching, research and learning.

According to him, similar projects  are being implemented in 37 Federal Universities and seven University Teaching Hospitals across the country.

The project in BUK will provide electricity for about 55,815 students and 3,077 staff of the university.

Osinbajo explained that the project would also empower the girl child and provide job opportunities, which was one of the major focus of President Muhammad Buhari’s administration.

In her speech, the Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Damilola Ogunbiyi said the Energising Education Programme, (EEP), a Federal Government initiative under REA was aimed at developing off grid capacity power solutions.

She added that the EEP would provide street lighting for illumination and safety, as well as a world class renewable workshop and training centre for each of the EEP beneficiary universities.

According to her, phase one of the EEP consists of nine Federal Universities and one teaching hospital across the six geo-political zones.

Ogunbiyi further explained that the projects would also power 2,850 street lights that would result in the decommissioning of hundreds of generators.

According to her, “the project was fully funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria and will train 180 female STEM students.

“Within this phase, there are seven Solar hybrid projects currently benefiting from funding of the Green Bond issued by the Federal Government.

“While subsequent phases are to be funded by the Nigerian Electrification Project which is also a Federal Government project administered by the REA in partnership with the World Bank and African Development Bank”.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the BUK Vice Chancellor, Prof. Muhammad Yahuza-Bello commended the Federal Government for citing the largest solar power system in Africa at the institution.

According to him, the immediate consequence will be improvement in power supply to the universities..

“This in turn would improve our productivity and efficiency. Research and Technology laboratories could be operated virtually 24 hours a day as obtained in other climates”.

Yahuza-Bello added that the station would enable the university to save about N4.5 million monthly electricity costs.

The vice chancellor appealed to the federal government to support the institution with batteries to keep its one megawatt solar power station developed by the school at the old campus, working.

President Muhammadu Buhari has dispatched a Special Envoy to convey to President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa his deep concerns over reported attacks on Nigerian citizens and property in South Africa since Aug. 29.

Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman, who confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, said the Envoy would also interact with his South African counterpart on the situation.

Adesina revealed that the President had already instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to summon the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria and get a brief on the situation.

He said Onyeama was also to express Nigeria’s displeasure over the treatment of her citizens; and assurance of the safety of their lives and property.

“The Special Envoy is expected to arrive in Pretoria latest Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019,’’ he added.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports  that South Africans commenced fresh attacks, looting and burning of businesses and properties belonging to Nigerians and other nationals and in the process killed three people.

The President of the Nigeria Union South Africa, Mr Adetola Olubajo, said on Monday that the attacks began on Sunday morning in Jeppestown area of Johannesburg when a building was set ablaze by an angry mob.

“The mob also looted several shops that were around the vicinity suspected to be owned by foreign nationals.

“But the Police later dispersed the mob and made some arrest.

“Late in the evening of Sunday, Sept. 1, a group of violent locals suspected to be Zulu hostel dwellers besieged Jules Street in Malvern, Johannesburg looted and burned shops and businesses with Nigerians being the most victims.

According to witnesses living on Jules Street, the Zulu hostel dwellers were very organised and well-coordinated in looting and burning of any shops/businesses suspected to be owned by foreign nationals.

NAN further reports that over 50 shops/businesses were destroyed, looted and burnt over the night in Malvern area of Johanesburg.

Ahead of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s 100 days in office, political parties in Lagos State on Tuesday expressed a potpourri of reactions over his achievements as the state chief executive officer.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s administration was sworn into office on May 29, 2019.

The state chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says the government is on the path of progress, but the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conscience Party (NCP) expressed disappointment over his achievements so far.

Assistant Publicity Secretary of the APC Lagos State Chapter, Mr Abiodun Salami, said in a statement that the governor had done much to put the state on the path of progress.

Salami said the governor was fulfilling his electoral promises of a better Lagos, and residents were already feeling the impact of the Sanwo-Olu administration.

According to him, days spent by the Sanwo-Olu administration in office has been very eventful, with the governor working hard to justify the mandate of the people.

“He is working in line with the wishes of the people, fulfilling his electoral promises.

“Lagos is getting better under Sanwo-Olu. Residents should expect more of these better days,’’ he said.

Highlighting Sanwo-Olu’s achievements so far, Salami said the present administration had taken practical steps to improve infrastructure within the period.

He said the government was fixing many bad roads across the state in order to ease movement of residents.

“The Sanwo-Olu administration is fixing roads across the state in order to address the problem of gridlock and ease movement of residents in the state.

“The Lagos-Badagry Expressway is getting attention, the Pen Cinema Bridge is getting attention; so many impactful projects are getting accelerated attention by the Sanwo-Olu administration,” the APC official said.

He said the governor was working, and the APC and residents were proud of what he had done so far.

Salami said that the present administration had made great interventions in the health, education, transportation and other sectors.

He listed some of the interventions as the improvement of education infrastructure and improving access to healthcare services through medical missions.

The APC official said the present administration had prioritised the welfare of workers as well as taken steps to improve the environment among other achievements.

He described comments by the PDP that the 100 days of Sanwo-Olu was a waste, as an expression of crass ignorance.

He said the PDP was known for failure and that it should not surprise anyone that they had failed to see the many achievements of Sanwo-Olu.

Meanwhile, Mr Taofeek Gani, the Lagos PDP publicity secretary, described the governor’s days in office so far as “very bizarre and unfortunate record breaking and has taken Lagos 20 years backward’’.

He told NAN that under Sanwo-Olu’s watch, Lagos was experiencing worse traffic and waste management in its history.

“In a few days, our children will be resuming school. No rehabilitation has taken place in the schools, everything is in shambles.

“The governor is not prepared for governance.

“He is expending his energy on the probe of his predecessor, Ambode.

“We are disappointed,’’ Gani said.

Also, Mr Fatai Ibuowo, Chairman, National Conscience Party (NCP), Lagos State, said “nothing has been seen in the governor’s 100 days in office.

Ibuowo said that there was no effort by the present government to address the issue of unemployment and infrastructural development in the state.

“We are expecting Sanwo-Olu to do more in the area of education. Lagos needs another University.

“As a party, we can still give the governor more time to prove himself. We have sent him a blueprint on how we think Lagos should be governed.

Nigeria has recalled it Ambassador to South Africa, Ambassador Kabiru Bala and also pulled out of World Economic Summit holding in Cape Town on Wednesday.

A source closed to the presidency told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Nigeria also demanded for full compensation for the loss of life and property of Nigerians affected by the xenophobic attack.

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The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEBP), has decried the rampant sale of donkey meat in the Federal Capital Territory.

Malam Baba Lawan, Director, AEPB, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, also decried the unhealthy state of meat brought into the FCT for sale to residents.

Lawan, in a statement signed by Malam Muktar Ibrahim, Head of Information and Outreach Programme Unit of AEPB, said that the situation had become “totally unacceptable”.

“There is no guarantee of the health status of the meat brought in from the states, unfortunately the jurisdiction of FCT inspection and regulatory agencies does not extend to other states,” the statement said.

Lawan directed the Department of Monitoring and Enforcement to seize and destroy any fresh meat from outside brought for sale in FCT.

“We are determined to protect public interest and not to run anyone out of business.

“We don’t want any economic loss to anyone but there is no going back. The policy has already been approved by FCT Administration. What we want is to upgrade the meat value chain.

“As a budding world class city and capital of Africa’s most populous nation, Abuja attracts a lot of local and foreign dignitaries, therefore, it deserves nothing but the best, especially in food quality.

“Thus, the meat that is consumed in the FCT must meet global food safety standards,” he declared.

The statement also quoted Dr Regina Adulugba, Director, Veterinary Services, in the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, as saying that it was unacceptable that FCT should be left behind while other states had since upgraded their Meat Haulage Policy.

`As soon as ministers settle down, the FCTA will declare an emergency in its Abattoirs and slaughter slabs to ensure that every animal slaughtered in FCT is healthy and safe for human consumption.

“Many of the butchers bringing in fresh meat into FCT today operated in the FCT before absconding to the states.

“It is quite disturbing that their movement out of FCT coincided with intensification of meat inspection and supervisory rules in FCT.

“They are free to operate in the states, but FCT should never be turned to a centre for dumping unhealthy meat. We won’t allow that,” the statement said.