TUNJI OLANIYI
An Islamic group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Osun State, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, to state categorically whether or not he will return mission schools to the owners if he eventually emerges winner of the re-run poll. (more…)
The Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has told APC stakeholders in the State to move to their respective wards to mobize party members to vote for President Muhammad Buhari in the Thursday’s direct primaries. (more…)
A Consultant Rheumatologist, Prof. Femi Adelowo, on Tuesday cautioned public against indiscriminate use of herbs and concortion, saying there is no scientific proof of their efficacies.
Adelowo spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the West African Rheumatology Conference organised by the Nigerian Society of Rheumatology (NSR) in LASUTH, Ikeja.
Theme of the ongoing conference is: “Rheumatology in West Africa: The Journey So Far.’’
Adelowo, who works with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), advised people with musculoskeletal diseases to avoid visiting herbalists for cure.
“We know that traditional medicines do not work; they are very harmful and have no peer review.
“Often times, out of 1000 people who took herbal medicines, we see only one person coming out to testify of how he took one herb and it worked.
“What about the remaining people? They should have also been invited to come and say it didn’t work for them,’’ the expert said.
The consultant rheumatologist advised patients to accept and use only orthodox medicine.
According to him, any drug given to patients usually went through certain steps and procedures.
“Those steps and procedures on the average take about seven to eight years.
“Because, it is first tried on animals to be sure it does not kill them before it is tried on human beings,’’ he said.
Adelowo said that the treatment and diagnoses of rheumatological diseases were expensive, urging the three tiers of government to subsidise some and make them affordable for people.
He mentioned some of the diseases as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus), Gout, Psoriatic arthritis, Scleroderma, Osteoarthritis, Juvenile idiopathic Arthritis, among others.
The consultant urged the Federal Government to boost the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and ensure that it was good and effective.
Adelowo said that the scheme should be implemented in a way that would make people to pay minimally and enjoy maximally. (NAN)
STATEMENT DELIVERED
BY
HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI,
PRESIDENT OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
AT
THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 73RD SESSION OF UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK,
25TH SEPTEMBER, 2018
Final Copy
Madam President,
Fellow Heads of State and Government,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate you, Madam President, on your well-deserved election as President of the 73rd General Assembly. As you embark on your assignment, I would like to assure you of Nigeria’s support in no less measure than that which we extended to your illustrious predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Laj?ák.
2. We appreciate the effective leadership he gave the 72nd Assembly with such dedication, commitment, and fairness to all member states. I also salute our distinguished Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, who steered the affairs of the Secretariat with focused commitment to the collective United Nations pursuit of global peace and security, equity and justice, inclusiveness, women’s empowerment and human rights.
3. It is appropriate at this point to remember with deep sadness our late 7th Secretary- General Mr. Kofi Annan who passed away on the eve of his 82nd birthday. Kofi’s significant contributions to the work of our Organisation have been acknowledged in the well deserved tributes that poured in from around the world following his death.
4. We in Africa, while mourning the loss of this great son of ours and citizen of the world, take pride in the way he served humanity in a truly exemplary manner. He demonstrated, in his calm but determined manner, the virtues of compassion, dedication to the cause of justice, fairness and human rights. He was a visionary leader who inspired hope even in the face of the most daunting challenges. He devoted his entire life’s career to the UN and the pursuit of its ideals and goals. The world is indeed a better place thanks to his exemplary service.
Madam President,
5. During the past year, the world saw some positive results and encouraging signs from the bilateral and multilateral efforts of the international community to address conflicts, crises and threats to world peace. We particularly commend the efforts of the leaders of the United States, North Korea, and South Korea, to realise our shared goal of a nuclear free Korean Peninsula.
6. In this connection, we acknowledge the commitment to peace shown by President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-Un by initiating a historic Summit. We urge that they continue this positive engagement.
7. Regrettably, many of the crises and threats to peace and security around the world which we debated last year as we did over several previous years remain unresolved. In some cases, matters got worse. The continuing plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, the protracted Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the wars in Yemen, and Syria, and the fight against international and local terrorism such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab come to mind.
8. The terrorist insurgencies we face, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, are partly fuelled by local factors and dynamics, but now increasingly by the international Jihadi Movement, runaway fighters from Iraq and Syria and arms from the disintegration of Libya.
9. In Myanmar, the carnage appears to have thankfully abated somewhat. We commend the United Nations for staying focussed on the situation of the Rohingya people, to bring their suffering to an end, and hold to account the perpetrators of the atrocious crimes committed against innocent and vulnerable members of this community, including women, children and the old.
10. The international community should strengthen its resolve to combat ethnic and religious cleansing everywhere. We support the UN’s efforts in ensuring that the Rohingya refugees are allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar with security, protection, and guarantee of citizenship. We note the indication by the Government of Myanmar of its willingness to address these issues and we encourage them to do so expeditiously.
11. In this context, Nigeria commends the Government and people of Bangladesh in particular and all other countries and organizations that have contributed to shouldering the burden of providing shelter and other vital assistance to the Rohingya Refugees.
12. The carnage and the worsening humanitarian situations in Syria and Yemen continue unabated. But the international community cannot afford to give up on the Syrian and Yemeni people. We must pursue all efforts to find peaceful negotiated political solutions to these wars which cannot be won by force of arms alone. Regarding Syria, we hope that the UN sponsored Geneva process and the Sochi initiative, led by Russia, Iran, and Turkey advance this objective.
13. The International community must keep up the pressure to encourage the parties to pursue the path of dialogue, negotiations and inclusiveness in resolving their sectarian divides and bringing to an end the immense human suffering in Syria as well as Yemen. We commend Turkey, Jordan, Greece, Germany, Italy and France for hosting the millions of the refugees fleeing these brutal conflicts.
14. The situation in the Middle East, grave as it has always been, is now worsened by developments since our last meeting. Nigeria continues to call on the Israelis and the Palestinians to make the necessary compromises in the interest of justice, peace and security, in line with our numerous UN resolutions and applicable international laws.
15. Unilateral, arbitrary and insensitive actions only prolong the conflict and undermine world peace and security. The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza is an appalling result of unrestrained use of power. We urge both parties to re-engage in dialogue on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles, the Quartet Roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative, among others.
16. Nigeria reaffirms its unwavering support for a just two-state solution, negotiated without intimidation and with Israel and Palestine existing side-by-side in peace and security.
17. The crises in the Middle East have deep roots and have remained unresolved for too long. Yet, we should not fall into self-defeating despair and conclude that they are not amenable to solution.
18. We should draw inspiration from the remarkable leadership that got Ethiopia and Eritrea to restore long-lost hope for peace between them, a remarkable show of statesmanship which has now galvanised neighbouring countries, including Djibouti and Somalia to push for peace in the sub-region. I believe that with hard work, commitment, and a disposition to compromise and necessary sacrifices, peace is achievable in the Middle East as well.
19. Most crises usually have a variety of festering causes and effects. It is the failure to address them early and effectively that lead to out- of- control conflicts. Addressing them includes national and international collective actions which positively impact on peoples and communities. Hence, ‘Making the United Nations relevant to all people: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and sustainable Societies’ which is the theme for this year’s General Assembly, is very apt indeed.
Madam President,
20. A topical consequence of the current conflicts around the world is the irregular migration of affected people from the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Africa to Europe. Irregular migration entails huge avoidable loss of human lives, puts strains on services in host countries and communities, and fuels anti- immigrant and racist sentiments in Europe. That is why we welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the first-ever Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and we look forward to its adoption in Marrakech later this year. The aim is to protect the rights of migrants worldwide, while addressing the concerns of countries of ‘origin’, ‘transit’, or ‘destination’ alike.
21. Migration is a constant in human affairs. We in Africa are grateful to countries who treat migrants with compassion and humanity-notably Germany, Italy and France.
22. Irregular migration is not a consequence of conflicts alone, but of the effects of climate change and lack of opportunities at home. Climate Change remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. Very close to us at home, it is our lot in Nigeria, together with our neighbours around the Chad Basin, to live with the Climate change consequences of a drastically shrunk Lake Chad and the parching up of otherwise fertile arable lands.
23. The Lake was a major source of livelihood to more than 45 million inhabitants of the region. Its shrinking meant loss of livelihoods and they are now rendered poor and vulnerable to the activities of extremists and terrorist groups. The instability thus caused in the sub-region intensified internal displacements leading, among other consequences, to intense economic competition especially between farmers and herdsmen.
24. This is why we continue to call for a rededicated international engagement to accelerate the recovery efforts in the Lake Chad Basin to address the root causes of the conflicts in the region. What is required is continuous and robust UN cooperation with national Governments and sub-regional and regional organisations such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, to enhance capacity in conflict prevention, conflict management and peace building.
25. With regard to the Lake Chad Basin plight, I extend our heartfelt appreciation to the United Nations, the Governments of Germany, Norway, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France and a host of other development partners for their laudable support in assisting us to address both the humanitarian challenges and the on-going stabilisation drive in the region.
Madam President,
26. Corruption within countries and illicit flow of funds across national boundaries have huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions in developing countries. Corruption significantly deprives national Governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods to their populations who are predominantly youths, thus giving rise to more irregular migration.
27. The fight against corruption, therefore, involves us all. It is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin.
28. Fighting corruption or resolving international conflicts, crises and wars; defeating terrorism and piracy; curbing arms trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which fuel these conflicts, particularly in Africa; stemming irregular migration by addressing its root causes; and the many other global challenges we are faced with today can only be effectively addressed through multilateral cooperation and concerted action.
29. The only global institutional framework we have to address these challenges is the United Nations System. That is why we continue to call for the strengthening of the Organisation and making it more effective by speeding up the pace of progress towards its reform, including that of its principal organ, the Security Council. The reconstitution of the Council to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community is both a political and moral imperative.
30. We believe that a reformed Security Council with expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is in accord with prevailing international consensus and it is in our collective interest to do so. It is high time we stopped skirting round the issue and establish achievable benchmarks and time frames for these reforms.
31. I assure you all that in this advocacy, I am only reflecting Nigeria’s deep and abiding commitment to our Organisation and its founding principles and goals. From the date we joined in 1960, we have contributed our quota to the fulfilment of the mandate of the UN. We have been active participants in many Security Council and African Union authorised Peace Keeping operations around the world, beginning with the Democratic Republic of Congo operations in 1960.
32. Furthermore, Nigeria has always mobilised the required human and material resources to achieve set United Nations goals, including the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are resolute in complementing the efforts and examples of the United Nations to promote gender equality and youth empowerment as necessary pillars for sustainable development.
33. Without these, there can be neither enduring peace nor security. As we set and implement our national policies to achieve these goals, we, in the spirit of international solidarity, will readily cooperate with other nations seeking to achieve similar goals for their own populations to help ensure that no one is left behind.
34. I thank you all for your attention
Some Nigerians have decried the latest postponement of the resumption date for the National Assembly from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9, saying it would delay INEC’s budget for 2019 general elections.
They expressed their displeasure while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Mohammed Omolori, had on Sunday announced that the National Assembly rescheduled resumption from its annual recess from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9.
Omolori explained that the postponement was due to the activities of primary elections by political parties.
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise for Change Initiative (WA), said the shift in date for NASS resumption might affect the preparation for the forthcoming general elections by the electoral body.
She urged the Executive arm and NASS to ensure speedy approval of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) proposed budget for 2019 general elections by burying their differences in the over all interest of the nation.
“The postponement of the resumption, without doubt, will have its negative effects on the preparations by INEC towards the 2019 elections.
“And I can confidently say, that this will begin to unveil itself in the next few days.
“We must all understand clearly that most of the items captured by the INEC’s budget has to do with procurement of election materials, many of which are items not produced within our country, which may therefore experience some serious delays.
“This is why I want to restate the need for the executive to work closely with the National Assembly, in order to sort out areas of conflicts, and ensure a speedy approval of INEC’s budget as well as passage and assent to the pending Electoral Act, ” she said.
Okei-Odumakin urged the lawmakers to prioritise national interest while performing their statutory duties.
“As valid as the reason for the postponement of the National Assembly resumption may sound, the members must understand that the collective interest of Nigerians, majority of whom are not members of the political parties, must always take precedence over the partisan interests of our elected public officials.
“There should be limit to how far they must go in abandoning their job as servants to the citizens for their pursuit of ambitions.
“It is not too pleasant and the leadership of the National Assembly should urgently review this.
“There is nothing that prevents members of the National Assembly from participating in their political parties affairs, while at the same time performing their statutory duties,” she said.
Also, Dr Abimbola Oyedokun, Lagos State Chairman of KOWA Party, told NAN that with six months to the general elections, INEC might no be able to prepare adequately without the approval of its proposed budget.
Oyedokun urged the National Assembly to ensure that pressing national issues take precedence over their personal political ambitions .
“It’s unfortunate that critical issues such as the funding of the general elections have been left unattended to up till this time.
“The National Assembly is within its rights to postpone resumption of plenary, whether because of party primaries or any other reason.
“It is, however, surprising that a government which controls both the executive and legislative arms of government has been unable to pass such critical legislation less than six months to the general elections.
“It is time for Nigerians to vote in capable legislators into the National Assembly instead of merely endorsing the options provided by the so-called large parties,” he said. (NAN)
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed United Labour Congress (ULC) to consider the weak economy of the country in its decision to commence the proposed indefinite nationwide strike on Thursday.
The leadership of the three unions, ULC, Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress had harmonised their separate demands and agreed to peg the minimum wage at N65, 000.
They had also informed government and private sector employers about their decision through the tripartite minimum wage negotiating committee.
NANS’ National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Bestman Okereafor, made the plea in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday.
The students’ body said that its appeal was predicated on the fact that the ailing nation’s economy, which only recently came out of recession, could further be worsened by the strike.
Okereafor, however, urged the Federal Government to seriously dialogue and meet workers’ demands as much as possible.
“The attention of the national leadership of all Nigerian students under the auspices of NANS has been drawn to the proposed nationwide industrial action to be embarked upon by some organised unions.
“NANS has no doubt that if the planned strike should hold, it will greatly affect all sectors of the nation’s economy negatively, especially the students’ constituency.
“Especially, considering the fact that Nigerians are just gradually moving out of the pain of the recent recession of the economy had on them,” Okereafor said.
NANS said that it was passionately appealing to the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency to look into the plights of workers and meet their demands.
NAN recalls that the workers unions have jointly given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum which expires on Thursday, to press for the N65,000 being demanded as minimum wage. (NAN)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned leaders of political parties, especially the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, against unguided statements and conduct that could heat up the polity.
Mr Yekini Nabena, the APC National Publicity Secretary, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, particularly cautioned Secondus on his political language and conduct
“The national chairman of a political party is expected to exhibit the highest sense of patriotism, decency and decorum in public conduct and discourse.
“Regrettably, the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has not lived up to these basic expectations,“ Nabena said.
He noted that the PDP national chairman weeks ago, took the internal matters of the country’s politics to the international scene by writing letters to various international organisations.
Nabena further noted that soon after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared last Saturday`s Osun governorship election inconclusive, the PDP national chairman accused it of conspiring with the APC to declare the election inconclusive.
This, the APC spokesman said , the PDP national chairman did without basis.
He maintained that the APC would as a rule, ignore irresponsible and baseless utterances and actions as exhibited by opposition political parties, especially the PDP national chairman.
He, however, said that as the nation prepared for the forthcoming 2019 general elections, it was necessary to give word of caution on expected behaviour required of all political sides.
Nabena said Secondus’ “unfounded allegation on the inconclusive Osun governorship election is not expected from such highly placed party official. Accusing the APC of conspiring with INEC, without proof, is taking mudslinging too far”.
“We advise Secondus not to descend to the level unexpected of his office, less he enters the boxing ring with its attendant mud and dirt,“ Nabena said.
The APC spokesman stressed that Secondus` action would only bring him personal attacks and ridicule, adding that a word was enough for the wise.(NAN)
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday insisted organised labour would commence strike from early hours of Thursday, Sept. 27, following Federal Government’s failure to honour its ultimatum on the new minimum wage.
A statement signed by Mr Musa-Lawal Ozigi, TUC, Secretary General in Abuja stated that the decision to embark on strike was sequel to the resolve of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of TUC on September 24.
Ozigi said that following the mandate of the CWC, TUC leadership would take all necessary action to effect the ultimatum on the new minimum wage in collaboration with other stakeholders.
“Strike is hereby declared to commence from early hours of Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018,” the Secretary General said.
He noted that as a result of the TUC’s decision to embark on strike, mobilisation of members would commence immediately.
According to him, all workers, civil society organisations and the masses are hereby put on notice to stockpile their houses for all necessary provisions and food items.
Ozigi, however, called on state councils to form joint state strike implementation committee that would comprise the TUC, NLC and other stakeholders in the state to ensure effectiveness.
He further called on union members to be alert for further directive on or before Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the labour leaders had on September 12 cautioned the Federal Government against foot-dragging on the new minimum wage and allow the tripartite committee to conclude its job to avoid action.
The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, had said that the committee was not pleased with the comments allegedly made by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.
The Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige had earlier told the committee to adjourn indefinitely to give room for further consultations with the government on the new minimum wage.
The Federal Government had assured the organised Labour that the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage would conclude its negotiation before the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum.
Ms Amal Pepple, Chairman, Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen on recently in Abuja.
According to Pepple, we do not want strike and I am sure that even the Federal Government does not want strike, and also Nigerians.
“So, we pray that everything will be resolved before then so labour do not have to embark on any strike,” she said.
Ngige said that the organised labour’s 14-day ultimatum was “a subtle blackmail” to stampede the Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage.
According to him, it is not true that the Federal Government is trying to stall negotiations. (NAN)
The Branch Chief EducationUSA, Dr Alfred Boll, on Tuesday said about 47,000 U.S.-accredited
educational institutions have expressed willingness to admit more young Nigerians.
Boll, who made the disclosure in Lagos at the 19th Annual EducationUSA Career, Colleges and Universities Fair, said young Nigerians would benefit immensely from studying in U.S.
The official of the U.S. Department of State said it was imperative for young Nigerians to take advantage of the many educational development options that the institutions were currently offering.
“Let me say that promoting international education is of great importance to the United States. Here we have so many excellent colleges and universities for young Nigerians to choose from.
“EducationUSA is committed to supporting the increasing number of African students who are interested in studying in the United States.
“So, we want young Nigerians to come to study in the 47, 000 US accredited educational Colleges and universities that are really waiting to admit them,” he said.
According to Boll, the goal of the U.S. and the institution is to help Nigerian international students find the institutions that best suit each student.
He said his home government also strongly believe that when young Nigerians study in the US “they would be exposed to the world”.
Boll urged participants at the fair, especially secondary school students, to begin to look at the options of studying in internationally recognized institutions like those in the U.S.
“We are equipping the next generation of world leaders with the tools they need to build stable economic, promote democracy and the rule of law, and create positive social change in their communities for a safely, more prosperous world.
“We will continue to focus on individual successes. So, for young Nigerians, we hope that that you make the right choice from this fair, “he said.
Mr Russell Brooks, the new Consul-General of the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, said the US Mission in Nigeria was committed to supporting the development of Nigeria and Nigerians.
Brooks said it was the U.S. government’s top priority to support the overall development of Nigeria, adding that the nation’s educational development was one of the targeted areas.
According to him, Education USA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 425 international students advising centres in more than 175 countries.
The Fair, attended by 300 Nigerian students from different schools , afforded students and parents opportunities to interact with representatives of the visiting U.S. educational institutions. (NAN)