The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the attack by a cult group, Eluku, on a mosque in Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, on October 22, 2019, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the culprits. (more…)
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Minister gives CCECC 4-week ultimatum to complete Lagos-Ibadan rail stations
*Says free train ride from Lagos to Ibadan commences Nov 30
MINISTER of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, has ordered the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to complete all the minor train stations along the Lagos-Ibadan railway project within one month. (more…)
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Migrants continue arriving in Greece from sea, land
Greek authorities, already overwhelmed by the number of asylum seekers and migrants, on Tuesday reported that more people arrived from Turkey by sea and land.
Just in the morning hours, a total of 118 people were intercepted or had arrived on boats at Alexandropouli on the mainland and the islands of Samos and Farmakonisi.
According to UNHCR figures, 42,010 people arrived across the Aegean between the start of the year and October 20.
The number of sea arrivals is by far the highest since an EU-Turkey agreement seeking to shut down the Balkan route in March 2016.
In 2018 there were 32,494 arrivals and in 2017, 29,718.
Under the Brussels Ankara deal, those who arrived since it came into effect are kept on Lesbos, Chios, Kos, Samos and Leros until they are granted asylum or returned to Turkey.
But arrivals have outpaced processing even before the inflow spiked since April, leading to massive overcrowding as the population more than doubled over the past six months.
The government has already started relocating people to the mainland just in order to be able to manage the situation.
Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis initially said 10,000, but later that 20,000 would be moved.
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5 Containers Of Rotten Fish, Other Edibles, Found in Apapa
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Two safety agencies of Lagos State Government on Monday discovered five containers laden with rotten fish and other edibles in Apapa area of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the shocking discovery was made during a site inspection of the containers following reports of air pollution and release of toxic gas into the environment at one of the off duck terminals in Apapa.
NAN gathered that the site inspection was conducted jointly by Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and
Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).“The joint-team discovered edibles, including fish, which had become rotten due to faulty refrigerators.
“The LASEMA team observed the absence of emergency action as well as preparedness plan and appropriate safety measures in place to curtail such incidence and guard against reccurence.
“A total number of 25 containers was located and five containers laden with edibles have faulty refrigerators.
“The edibles have therefore defrosted and have become rotten, causing severe health hazard to the environment,” Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA Director General, told NAN on Monday.
The LASEMA boss said that the rotten edibles inside the containers left huge impact on four of the the affected 13 houses located on the street at Trinity Close, Apapa. (NAN)
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Xenophobia: Ekweremadu Takes Case To International Parliament
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Former Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, has called on the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP) holding in Ethiopia, to pay special attention to the xenophobic attacks on the African continent.
Mr Uche Anichukwu, his Media aide, said in a statement that Ekweremadu made the call on Monday at the opening plenary of the IPTP, October session in Addis-Ababa.
Ekweremadu, who chairs the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee of the IPTP said ”since we are holding this session in Africa, permit me to mention the issue of xenophobia, a development that worries me.
“There is a growing trend in acts and incidences of intolerance, which is destroying the brotherhood, peace, and mutual relationship among the people of Africa.
“As a special parliament focusing on tolerance and peace, we will not close our eyes to the cases of xenophobia wherever it exists.
“I also appeal to our brothers and sisters in Africa to not only continue to tolerate, but to also respectfully accept one another as one people with a common destiny.”
The former Speaker of the Parliament of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), however, commended the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Ahmed Abiy, for his efforts at promoting tolerance and peace in the East African nation.
He also commended the prime minister for ending Ethiopia’s 20-year hostilities with Eritrea.
“It is instructive that the efforts of this government to engender peace was recently recorgnised with the bestowal of the Nobel Peace Prize on Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy.
The award is his contribution in driving the deal that ended the nearly 20-year old border hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
“I hope that our presence and work here will help to reinforce Ethiopian Government’s policy of preaching and working for tolerance with its neighbours, which is yielding peace.
“I also hope that the prime minister’s vision of tolerance and peace will transcend the East African region and impact the rest of Africa, he said.
He also expressed satisfaction on the impact and expansion of the IPTP since its inauguration in Malta in July 2018.(NAN)
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FG Committed To Delivering Rural Electrification Nationwide – Onu
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, on Monday reassured Nigerians that Federal Government was committed to ensuring effective rural electrification for speedy development.
Onu gave the assurance during a one -day capacity building workshop on Small Hydro Power Development (SHPD) organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
The Minister said energy is a critical input for economic growth and sustainable development, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari- led administration was committed to providing rural electrification for development.
“The governments is committed to exploring our solar energy aimed at creating jobs to reduce poverty in the country.
“To also ensure that the quality of life in our rural communities is equal with the urban society through rural electrification.
“The President has promised Nigerians that in the next ten years, he will pull millions of Nigerians out of poverty as this is very important to the country,” he said.
He lamented that Nigeria had continued to suffer under severe electricity shortage due to inadequate electricity generation capacity but assured that adequate measures had been put in place to address the issue.
On his part, the UNIDO Regional Director and Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Jean Bakole, said the energy demand-supply gap in Nigeria calls for concern, especially the cost of doing business.
Bakole said the workshop was aimed at building adequate capacity for policy makers and renewable energy project developers to develop and implement small hydro power projects in Nigeria.
Represented by the UNIDO National Programme Officer, Mr Ruben Bamidele, he revealed that the organisation had conducted many pre-feasibility studies in the country.
Bakole said the workshop, in collaboration with other project facilitators was aimed at building capacity for policy makers to successfully implement power projects across the country.
“Energy is a critical input for economic growth and sustainable development, however, Nigeria suffers from electricity shortage due to inadequate electricity generation capacity.
“Over-reliance on fossil fuel based energy sources and weak transmission and distribution network, leading to low country-wide electricity access.
“The estimated electricity demand in the country is about 20,000MW, on supply side, total installed generating capacity is around 12,500MW, but only about 4,500MW is effectively operating.
“The objectives of the training is to raise awareness among policy makers at the Federal and State level on the potentials of small hydropower towards poverty reduction and economic development,” he said.
According to him, the workshop is expected to create awareness among policy makers on the viability of SHP as an effective tool for poverty reduction and economic development. (NAN)
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Association Urges FG To Register IDP Camps
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also known as Pyrates Confraternity, has urged the Federal Government to register Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and ensure basic needs are made available to them.
The members of NAS, Sahara Deck, made the call during the group’s medical outreach to the IDPs camp in New Kuchingoro in Abuja.
Dr Joseph Oteri, a Medical Consultant with the group, said that the Federal Government needs to develop a holistic approach to address the basic needs of displaced persons.
Oteri emphasised that whatever relief was made available by the government to IDPs camps in the northeast should be replicated in camps in other parts of the country.
“This is a camp not registered by the Federal Government. The Government should take account of the IDP camps in the country and do a count of internally displaced persons because they are many.
“These are the ones you see. The southern part of the country, there is a place in Edo where more than 2,000 to 3,000 people are staying as IDPs and are all from the northeast.
“There is also one at Waru on the way to Apo, which is also not recognised by the Federal Government.
“If it were election, they would come here and ask them to vote but when it comes to support, they do not, which is very bad; they are Nigerians and should be given what is due them.”
He added that donations from civil societies and Nigerians were barely sufficient enough to cater for the needs of the displaced persons.
He, however, said the medical outreaches carried out by the association involved the state government in whatever state it was being carried out to encourage follow-up.
“When we were to do this mission, I made sure to get in touch with the primary healthcare agency of FCT. They are also using the opportunity of this mission to carry out some other interventions.
“Whatever data comes out of this place would be handed over to the FCT primary care agency for follow-up.
“We do not do any mission outside the primary healthcare centre so that the follow-up becomes part of the total package of the treatment for the people,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Mr Otthi Nwaka, Community Base Social Worker with NAS, said the aim of the outreach was to bring the government’s attention to the plight of displaced persons.
“What we are doing now will bring their situation to the attention of the government.
“This is so that they know people being internally displaced is supposed to be temporary; this is a transition camp and not where they should stay permanently,’’ he said.
Mr Stanley Nwodo, the Capoon (President) of the association, said the aim of the mission was also to intervene in the situation of the displaced persons.
“The essence of our mission here is to intervene and carry out what is called a humanistic ideal.
“A camp like this should have a basic medical facility to take care of health conditions of the displaced persons, but there is none that is we why intervened.”
Nwodo also urged the government and well-meaning Nigerians to continue to assist with the basic needs of the displaced persons.
Responding, Mr Luka Yathuma, the Camp’s Secretary, said the population of IDPs in the camp was about 1,724 adding the they had been there since 2014.
Yathuma said the majority of the displaced persons were from the state of Borno while a few others were from Adamawa and Yobe.
He said that though the camp was not registered, the Federal Government was aware of its existence.
“The Federal Government is aware that we are here. In 2014, the National Emergency Management Agency brought food items and some other relief materials.
“The camp is not registered but the government is aware of this camp.
“The Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives) and even the Vice President have visited this place and that means they are aware that we are here.”
He said “the government has a lot to do, basically the attention of the government is focused on the displaced persons camped in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe not in the FCT”.
Furthermore, he pointed out the needs of persons included healthcare, shelter, water, education and food.
“Because, we have a right to these basic needs; we lost everything (in the crisis) and we are asking the government to make these available because they are in the right position to provide them,’’ he said. (NAN)
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Lions Clubs Int’l To Tackle Diabetes Disease In Nigeria
(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The Lions Clubs International, District 404A1 Nigeria, has evolved plans to assist in reducing the prevalence rate of diabetes mellitus disease in the country.
Felicia Obilo, Chairperson, Public Relations and Lions Information, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, in Lagos.
She described diabetes mellitus as a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are abnormally high due to the inability of the body to produce enough insulin to meet its needs.
Obilo explained that if not well controlled, diabetes might cause blindness, kidney failure and lead to limb amputation, in addition to other long-term consequences.
“According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an estimated 1.7 million people had diabetes in Nigeria in 2015”, she said.
Obilo said that the club would assist to improve the capacity of 220 primary healthcare workers from 20 primary healthcare centres in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo and Delta states on diabetes care.
According to her, the training, which will hold on Oct. 30 and 31, seeks to make the workers better equipped to operate in accordance with the World Health organisation (WHO) standards for managing patients with non-communicable diseases.
Obilo explained that the capacity building was part of the club’s activities for the current fiscal year, with support from Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), to implement programmes aimed at tackling diabetes scourge in the country.
“It is believed that one in every two people who have diabetes is unaware of his status. Diabetes also brings a lot of other preventable health challenges,” she said.
According to her, the club will hold sensitisation on Nov. 13 in 20 locations for about 250,000 people on prevention and management of diabetes diseases.
Obilo said that the club would also, on Nov. 14, conduct screening, testing and counselling exercises for at least 10,000 people in 20 primary healthcare centres in the five states.
“Blood glucose meters will be donated to identified diabetics and PHCs to assist them manage the disease properly,” she said.
Obilo said that to ensure the success of the programme, the club had partnered with Diabetes Association of Nigeria, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Talabi Diabetes Centre, PAAS Diagnostics Limited and New Heights Pharmaceuticals.
Other partners, according to her, are Biofem Medical Devices, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo and Delta State Primary Healthcare Boards.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the club, founded in 1917, is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation.
It has over 1.45 million members in more than 45,000 clubs in 210 countries, with Nigeria accounting for about 7,500 Lions in the country.
The club’s intervention projects focus on vision, diabetes control, youth empowerment, eradication of hunger and protection of the environment. (NAN)
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Bahari, Iranian beauty queen begs for her life
Iranian beauty queen detained for almost two weeks at an airport in the Philippines on Tuesday pleaded for help, saying she fears for her life.
Bahareh Zare Bahari, was held after arriving in Manila from Dubai on Oct. 17 based on a request for her arrest by Interpol, the Bureau of Immigration said.
She has been held in a room at Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3 since then, after she applied for asylum.
“Today is 13th day, I’m here without (updates),’’ she tweeted on Tuesday.
“The Philippines is not safe for me anymore, I need a safe place to live without constantly fearing for my life.’’
“Please have consideration,’’ she said in another tweet.
“I need a safe place to live without stress.’’
Bahari, who represented Iran in the Miss Intercontinental pageant held in Manila in January, has been living in the Philippines since 2014 to study dentistry.’’
The Bureau of Immigration said the 31-year-old beauty queen is wanted for an assault and battery case in Iran, but no other details were available.
Bahari denied the allegations, and said the charges aimed to harass her for her political activism.
She said she would be facing imprisonment or even death if she is forced to return to Iran.
“I would be killed or detained for 25 years for criticizing Iran’s government if they bring me back to Iran,’’ she told ABS-CBN News in Manila.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has declined to comment on her case, saying, “Since her application for asylum is being considered, the (department) has no comment on this matter.’ ’(dpa/NAN)