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  • Yahaya Seeks Special Attention From UN For Gombe State

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, has sought for special attention from the United Nations towards uplifting the lives of the people.

    Yahaya made the call in Gombe on Monday when he received the Deputy Secretary General, United Nations (UN), Hajiya Amina Mohammed, who paid him a courtesy call.

    He said based on the needs assessment conducted, Gombe people were in dire need of ssistance to enhance their capacity.

    “Our emphasis is on human capital, education, health, youths and women development.

    “But we have challenges with cash resources due to bad governance and poor management of resources.

    “We want you to use your connection within and outside the country to help us in saving the situation and uplifting the lives of the people,” he said.

    In her speech earlier, the Deputy Secretary General of UN,  Mohammed, said she was in Gombe to share with Gov. Yahaya, his visions and priorities for the state to enable the international body assist.

    “Today, we have population of young people who have aspirations, who are in hurry to have things happen.

    “It is urgent that every single person in the state must have his or her aspirations attained, otherwise you will create a sense of injustice and exclusion that can lead to discontent and insecurity,’’ she said.

    She lamented that the governor was coming at a time the country was faced with a lot of challenges, particularly insecurity.

    She said women consisted of 50 per cent of the population and investment must cut across all genders, so that growth would be inclusive.

    “From the UN, you and entire Nigerians have our full support,” she said. (NAN)

  • Don canvasses support to grow apples in Nigeria

    By Raphael Enwelu
    Prof. Ikechukwu Ojukwu, Department of Microbiology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has called on interested individuals and groups to grow apples in large quantity in Nigeria.

    Ojukwu, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Monday, said the abundance of apple in the country would curb importation.

    “I have a farm at Nnobi which I have developed for the purpose of growing apple.

    “People from far and near have been visiting the farm to gain knowledge of how to start theirs.

    “When such is spread all over the country, there will not be need to be importing apples which comes from Ghana and  Cameroon because they have the soil for growing apple,’’ he said.

    Ojukwu called on agricultural stakeholders at the federal, state and local government levels to support the effort.

    “There are enormous financial gains in it which will boost the nation’s GDP,” he said.

  • Kevin Hart Suffers ‘Major Injuries’ In Car Crash

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS)  Comedian and actor Kevin Hart was taken to hospital with “major back injuries” on Sunday following a car accident in Los Angeles.

    According to the California Highway Patrol, Hart was being driven in his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda on Mulholland Highway at the time of the accident.

    The driver, Jared Black, lost control of the car and it tumbled into an embankment, the report stated.

    Black also sustained major back injuries. A third passenger was unhurt.

    The accident happened just after midnight.

    BBC

  • Medical Practitioner Advises NHIS To Adopt Lifestyle Medicine

    (FLOWERBUD NEWS)  Dr Ifeoma Monye, founder, Society for Lifestyle Medicine in Nigeria (SOLONG), on Wednesday, advised the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to adopt lifestyle medicine as a way of boosting national healthcare.

    Monye told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that lifestyle medicine if adopted by NHIS, would be more effective than conventional medicine.

    She said that behavioural attitudes such as laughter, exercise, quality rest should be made available as services of the NHIS to the health advantage of Nigerians.

    “We are saying that conventional medicine should be adjunct, and not the first recommendation.

    “NHIS should adopt lifestyle medicine as a way to go in delivering health services in order to keep the people healthy,” Monye said.

    The medical practitioner said for instance, lifestyle medicine was the best preventive intervention in mental issues.

    According to her, NHIS needs to train a pool of professionals on lifestyle medicine to render services to the subscribers.

    Monye, who stressed the need for behavioural changes, said happier people were usually healthier people.

    She explained that it was high time for people to cultivate good social relations for their wellbeing.

    The SOLONG founder urged people to always watch what they eat, adding that healthier foods were necessary for healthy living.

    She said that lifestyle medicine had a lot to do in the management of overweight and depression for effective results.

    NAN reports that health insurance is basically, a social security system that guarantees the provision of needed health services to persons on the payment of token contributions at regular intervals.

    The insured pays part of the cost and the insurer reimburses it, or the insurer makes payments directly to the provider, all depending on the type of health insurance coverage the individual subscribes to. (NAN)

  • NEMA Receives 153 Nigerian Returnees From Libya

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS)  The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received another batch of 153 stranded Nigerians from Libya.

    The Director-General of NEMA, Mr Mustapha Maihajja, represented by Mr Slaku Lugard, an official of the agency, received the returnees on Wednesday in Lagos.

    Maihajja said that the Nigerians arrived in the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 3:45a.m.

    According to him, the returnees are brought via Al Buraq Air Boeing 737 aircraft with flight number UZ 189 and registration number 5A-DMG.

    He said that the Nigerians were brought by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and European Union on the platform of the Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) Programme.

    He also said that the returnees comprised 59 female adults, four female children and seven female infants as well as 78 adult males, three male children and two male infants.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other agencies which received the returnees included the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

    Others were the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Edo Task Force on Anti-Trafficking.

    In July 2018, NEMA announced that it received a batch of 160 Assisted Voluntary Returnees from Libya who were stranded in failed attempts to reach different European countries.(NAN)

  • 1999 Constitution Can’t Solve Nigeria’s Problems -Babalola

    (FLOWEBUDNEWS)  Legal icon and founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, says the current Nigerian constitution is inadequate to solve the myriads of problems confronting the country.

    He spoke on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti during his conferment with the Africa Role Model and AU Agenda 2063 Ambassadorial Award by the African Union.

    Mr. Babalola said the 1999 constitution was antithetical to the development and progress of the country considering the loopholes inherent in its operational legal framework.

    He said it would be an herculean task for any leader to succeed in making spectacular accomplishments with the 1999 Constitution.

    According to him, the constitution is not suitable for the peculiar nature of the country.

    He said unless bold steps were taken to change the constitution, many developmental efforts may end in futility.

    Mr. Babalola described as irregular the description of the current constitution as “federal,” saying it remained unitary in all ramifications.

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to convene a Sovereign National Conference with membership elected based on zero party system to design a new people-oriented constitution.

    Mr. Babalola said the award given to him was a good omen to millions of Nigerians and Africa.

    “It is a tragedy that Africa today is bereft of transformational leaders such as Ghandi, Kwame Nkrumah, Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Nelson Mandela and Ahmadu Bello

    “For Africa to move forward, we need transformational leaders and not operators of 1999 Constitution.

    “The renaissance has started in ABUAD. ABUAD is the clear leader in reformation of education. We have succeeded in nine years to transform education in the country,” he said.

    The African Union ECOSOCC Nigeria Representative, Tunji Asaolu, said Babalola’s contribution to human capital development was worthy of commendation and emulation.

    Mr. Asaolu said the continental award was conferred on the legal icon based on his legendary impact in all spheres of human life to the benefit of Africa.

    According to him, Babalola is a continental role model whose work and activities are serving as veritable implementation platforms.

    Also speaking at the ceremony, Gov. Kayode Fayemi described Babalola as a pride to Ekiti and entire black race, saying his developmental impact in Ekiti, Nigeria and Africa was enormous. NAN

  • Zimbabwe civil servants accept 76% salary increment with negotiations for more still on

    Zimbabwean civil servants have on Wednesday, accepted a 76 per cent salary adjustment offered by the government with effect from Aug. 1.

    The state media reported that negotiations for higher wages are still on.

    The Herald newspaper reported that the least-paid worker will now earn 1,023 Zimbabwean dollars (about 102 U.S. dollars or 37,000 naira) per month, up from 582 Zimbabwean dollars per month.

    The decision to accept the government offer followed a meeting between the civil servants’ umbrella representative body, the Apex Council, and government representatives.

    The civil servants umbrella body was led by the Secretary for Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare Simon Masanga at a National Joint Negotiating Council meeting on Tuesday.

    Apex Council chairperson Cecilia Alexander said that a cost of living adjustment of the total package would be implemented from beginning of August.

    Alexander said they had provisionally agreed to the offer while they continued with negotiations.

    “It must be reiterated that this is a provisional agreement meant first and foremost to allow the government to cushion its impoverished civil servants.

    “Our substantive demand of 4,750 dollars, which is benchmarked against the interbank rate, still stands and negotiations still continue towards that end,” she said.

    The government had offered the 76 per cent cost of living adjustment which the Apex Council neither rejected nor accepted.

    The council, however, went back to consult with its members and on Tuesday gave the feedback that sealed the deal.

    However, teachers on Monday rejected the offer, insisting that the employer paid them nothing more than 4,600 Zimbabwe dollars per month, which the government said it could not afford.

     

  • Transformer manufacturing: 60 Nigerian engineers depart for China for training

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) says 60 of its engineers on Tuesday departed Nigeria for China for four months training on manufacturing of transformers in Nigeria.

    A statement issued by NASENI Deputy Director (Information), Mr Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, said the training was targeted at establishing a fully indigenous transformer plant to be operated and managed by Nigerians with local content as priority.

    This, according to the statement, is a major leap toward establishing the Federal Government’s proposed Transformer Manufacturing plant and High voltage Testing Laboratory in Nigeria.

    The Transformer Manufacturing Plant and Testing Laboratory are to be located at the Power Equipment and Electrical Machinery Development Institute (PEEMADI), an institute under NASENI located in Okene, Kogi.

    It quoted the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna, expressing his joy while addressing the trainees before leaving Nigeria.

    Haruna said that he felt fulfilled that a new phase in the journey toward having Nigeria’s own transformer manufacturing plant and High Voltage Testing Laboratory had opened with the departure of the engineers to China.

    He appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, for the confidence reposed in NASENI and its management to facilitate the project.

    He also expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a major partner in the implementation of the project.

    He said that the engineers, on completion of their trainings, were to return to Nigeria to deploy different specialisations acquired in China along manufacturing line of transformer plant and High-Voltage Testing Lab.

    This, according to him, includes the production of components and spare parts, bolts and nuts, machines and other equipment used globally to drive the power sector.

    “This particular training is different from that which people normally go for overseas.

    “This one is targeted at not only obtaining capacities but actually to set up a plant which will produce components, spare parts, utilize Nigeria local materials.

    “It is also to achieve domestication of the technology behind manufacturing of transformers and also the High-Voltage Testing Laboratory”.

    Haruna said that currently the production of transformers in the country was through assembling of parts, therefore they lack local contents.

    “The practice is for importers to bring components and transformer parts from other countries for assembly in Nigeria.

    “This mode of supply of Transformers to the market cannot develop local content nor achieve indigenous mass of experts for the country.”

    Haruna said that the practice had encouraged the absence of national standards for transformers which circulate at the local market.

    He said the establishment of Nigeria’s own indigenous transformers manufacturing plant would remove such anomalies.

    In 2013, NASENI, through the Federal Government, signed an agreement with the Chinese Greatwall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).

    The agreement could not be implemented until recently when the project received fresh boost and supports from Buhari and Onu.

  • Plateau Assembly approve Lalong’s request to appoint 15 Special Advisers

    The Plateau House of Assembly has approved the request by Gov. Simon Lalong to appoint 15 special advisers to serve in his government.

    The approval followed a communication from the governor on Wednesday seeking the approval of the assembly to appoint 15 special advisers.

    The governor said that the governor’s request was in accordance with section 196 Sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    “In my bid and determination to form a formidable team that will help me achieve my mandate, I hereby seek the approval of the House to appoint 15 Special Advisers to serve in my government,’’ he said.

    The House, thereafter, approved the governor’s request through a voice vote.

    NAN