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By Lydia Ngwakwe

Lagos:   The Nigeria Economic Summit Group(NESG) in collaboration with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and eHealth, has urged NAFDAC to prioritise the establishment of a testing laboratory for fortification.

The Senior Programme Officer, CISLAC, Mr Muhammed Murtala, said during the groups visit to the Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), that establishing a laboratory for testing fortification in Nigeria, would help to ensure that Nigerians have access to safe and nutritious food.

According to him, fortification is the process of adding vitamins and minerals to food and it is a public health strategy that is used to improve the nutritional status of a population and to prevent micronutrient deficiencies.

He said that the lack of a testing laboratory was a major obstacle to the effective implementation of the mandatory food fortification programme in Nigeria

He noted that NAFDAC currently relies on private laboratories to test fortified foods, which according to him, was expensive and time-consuming.

Mr Dianabasi Akpaninyang, Consultant, Large-Scale Food Fortification and Workforce Nutrition Project, urged the government to partner with the private sector to promote food fortification in Nigeria.

He said, “the government can do this by developing and implementing policies that support food fortification, such as mandatory fortification standards and financial incentives for food producers.

“The private sector can do this by investing in food fortification equipment and by producing and marketing fortified foods.”

He urged the company to ensure their workers are fortified meals, noting that consuming food fortified with all nutrients would improve their productivity and prevent micronutrient deficiencies.

Earlier, Mrs Jessica Nworgu, Manager, Quality Control, FMN, urged the government to equip its lab and ensure the workers had the technical know-how to carry out sample testings.

“I wish that the regulatory bodies like the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) have a good lab.

“I feel that part of their problems is the technical know-how; and if they have the technical know-how, and are trained with the right equipment to carry out these tests, it will go a long way.

“I say this because when we send our samples to them, they are able to analyse only two or three of the micronutrients which does not make sense.

“So, if we have a good lab, or private lab or even advocacy labs that can be set for the manufacturing company, It will be wonderful,” she said.

She also complained about the cost of production for the Vitamin A premix, which is a fortification micronutrient, the recommended tariff of 20 per cent as against five per cent, among others.

The highlight of the visit was a tour to the company’ canteen to check if workers were fed with fortified food, visit to the store where fortificants were kept and how they were mixed.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng) / Flowerbudnews

The Supreme Court will on Thursday, October 5th, 2023, hear all appeals in cases involving Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Recall that on the 13 October, 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had delivered a judgment in an appeal filed by Kanu’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, challenging parts of the Federal High Court’s ruling.

The Federal High Court had retained seven counts out of the original 15 counts against Kanu, after striking out eight out of the 15-count charge.

The Court of Appeal, in allowing the appeal filed by Ozekhome, had directed the Federal Government to immediately release Kanu unconditionally.

The intermediate court proceeded in the aforesaid judgement to prohibit the Federal Government from further detaining Kanu, or prosecuting him on any indictment or charge before any court in Nigeria.

However, a statement by Kanu’s lead Counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said during the resumed hearing, the Supreme Court will be urged to dismiss the appeal filed by the Federal Government.

A statement signed by Ejiofor reads: “On the 5th day of October, 2023, Prof. Mike Ozekhome SAN, leading Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor Esq., and others, will be exchanging the legal fireworks on behalf of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in urging the Supreme Court to dismiss in its entirety the frivolous appeal filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria against this landmark judgement of the Court of Appeal; and to further set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal staying the execution of its earlier judgment.

“We are very firm, and committed to our solemn belief that the wheels of justice, though grinds slowly, but grinds exceedingly fine and towards the attainment of justice at the end of the day

By Flowerbudnews

Enugu: The Royal Ambassadors Charity Home, a non-governmental and non-profit , says it has empowered no fewer than 2,000 widows, orphans, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), destitute children in 27 states across the country.

The Executive Director of the NGO, Amb. David Jonathan, disclosed this during the official inauguration of 35-member State/Zonal/Council Area Executive Working Team for the NGO’s Enugu State Chapter on Saturday in Enugu.

Jonathan, who said that the NGO was also out to assist the poor and persons with special needs, said that the NGO had made tremendous impact in the lives of Nigerians through its members’ efforts as well as philanthropists and public-spirited donors.

According to him, I caught the vision and established this organization 12 years ago; and I envisioned not only helping widows, orphans, PWD, destitute children, the poor and persons with special needs but building Homes that will shelter them.

He said that the NGO had expanded its feasible reach to all regions of Nigeria and 34 countries of the World where Royal Ambassadors Charity Home members’ presence are currently making impact with voluntary humanitarian services and direct assistance.

“It is important we look at how far we have come and think about how farther we can go. We have come a long way but the road ahead is still far,” he said.

The executive director said that the management of the organization had discovered that in Nigeria widows are neglected, victimized, intimidated and humiliated just because they lost their husband to the hands of the invisible dreaded “Mr Death”.

“Our culture and society are not favourable to them at all, the worst of it all is that when any widow does not have a male child, the relatives of her late husband will be given her trouble by trying to possess what their late brother acquired before his death.

“In view of this development, a team of advocates and human rights activists in this organization have commenced advocating for the widows’ fundamental rights, protection and welfare in the National Assembly as well as in our neighborhoods.

“We are very much aware there is no specific law in Nigeria that protects the widow’s rights unlike the PWD’S and children that have laws passed as a bill on their behalf for their protection in Nigeria,” he said.

Jonathan urged residents of Enugu State to join hands with the organization to assist security agencies in fighting against crime in neighborhoods by quickly reporting any suspicious movement or persons within any vicinity to the nearest security station.

“Security is everyone’s business. We cannot have a secure Enugu State if we are indifferent to events that may threaten the security of our neighbourhoods,” he said.

For the newly inaugurated executives, Jonathan directed them to join in the onerous task of serving God and humanity in Enugu State by being a blessing to the society along the path that guarantees superior outcomes.

“I made it clear that it would no longer be business as usual and all hands must be on deck to ensure that people benefit from this organization,” he said.

Dr Amaka Ezekwonna, Coordinator of Royal Ambassador Charity Home, Enugu State Chapter, said that the inauguration was a practical demonstration of the state members’ commitment and desire to serve humanity.

“Royal Ambassador Charity Home, Enugu State has come to provide the channel to reach out to the widows, orphans, PWDs, destitute children, the poor and persons with special needs in Enugu State in particular and Nigeria,” Ezekwonna said.

A physical challenged, Mr Levi Nnamani, appreciated the NGO for assisting him and other physically challenged persons in the state, adding: “I will continue to pray that God will bless Royal Ambassador Charity Home for this unprecedented assistance we are receiving”. (Flowerbudnews)