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LAGESC arrests 63 for crossing highways, trading on streets

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LAGESC arrests 63 for crossing highways, trading on streets

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, on Tuesday, arrested no fewer than 63 people for allegedly crossing the highway and engaging in illegal street trading.

The state government had in February threatened to arrest and prosecute people crossing the major highways in the state rather than using the pedestrian.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the arrest of the suspects via his verified X handle on Monday, adding that they had immediately been charged in court following the state’s environment management law.

He wrote, “Earlier today, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (@LAGESCOfficial) operatives arrested 63 people for crossing the highway and illegal street trading.

“They have been taken to court for trial per the Lagos State Environmental Management Law 2017.”

The ministry had recently intensified its campaign against street trading and ejecting roadside traders.

The Director, Public Affairs in the ministry, Kunle Adeshina, had in an earlier statement said, “Special operatives of KAI/LAGESC on Wednesday intensified their enforcement drive against street traders in the metropolis, dislodging them along the stretch of Agege Motor Road, Kola, AIT Road, Command Gate, Ayobo Road, Egbeda, lgando, ljegun, Jakande Gate, Okota, and Cele.”

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French regulator slams Google with 250m euro fine

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French regulator slams Google with 250m euro fine

French regulators said Wednesday they were fining Google 250 million euros ($272 million) for breaching an agreement on terms for paying media companies for reproducing their content online.

France’s Competition Authority said in a statement the fine was for “failing to respect commitments made in 2022” and accused it of not negotiating in “good faith” with news publishers on how much to compensate them for use of their content.

Google and other online platforms have been accused of making billions from news without sharing the revenue with those who gather it.

To tackle this, the EU created a form of copyright called “neighbouring rights” that allows print media to demand compensation for using their content.

France has been a test case for the rules and after initial resistance Google and Facebook both agreed to pay some French media for articles shown in web searches.

In 2022, French regulators accepted commitments from Google to negotiate fairly with news organisations.

Under the agreement, the US tech giant has to provide news groups with a transparent offer of payment within three months of receiving a copyright complaint.

Organisations representing French magazines and newspapers – as well as Agence France-Presse (AFP) – had lodged a case with the regulator in 2019.

Google had fought hard against the idea of paying for content and was fined 500 million euros ($530 million) in 2021 for failing to negotiate in good faith.

AFP

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FG to provide student hostels in 36 tertiary institutions

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FG to provide student hostels in 36 tertiary institutions

The Federal Government said it would provide student hostels in 36 tertiary institutions across the country.

This is even as the government has indicated its willingness to construct more hostels once these first sets are completed.

The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, stated this on Tuesday when he hosted the new leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students led by its President, Lucky Emonefe, according to a statement by the Fund on Wednesday in Abuja.

In the statement, the TETFund’s Director of Public Affairs , AbdulMumin Oniyangi, quoted Echono as pointing out that there is increased allocation for maintenance of TETFund infrastructures above five years in the 2024 intervention cycle.

On the NANS secretariat, the agency boss promised to look into it and get the buy-in of the Ministry of Education.

He also disclosed that the intervention agency would work out modalities to incorporate the students body for joint monitoring of projects across beneficiary institutions.

Lamenting the increasing challenge of student housing in institutions of higher learning, the Executive Secretary said: “As I speak, this year, we shall be providing hostels for students in 36 tertiary institutions across the country. We realise that some of the places where our students live are very deplorable. And only about 15 percent of our students are staying on campus. Many of them are living outside campus, and some of them can’t even come back for evening lectures because of the cost and the trouble of walking all the way and coming back. There is also a security situation in their areas.

“So we have a policy to ensure that as much as possible, we will do the minimum of 50 to 60 per cent of our students to live on campus. And provide those hostels. And those hostels will not be match boxes and shanties. They will be solid buildings that can attract other students from anywhere in the world to compare with what other people enjoy when they leave Nigeria.”

He congratulated the national leadership on their successful election, and he applauded the body for its constructive engagements on issues. Nigerian students, he stressed, will continue to be at the centre of any project in tertiary institutions.

Echono also urged students to on-board on its digital services platform for tertiary institutions – Tertiary Education Research, Applications, and Services.

This, he said, would address critical challenges faced by students, researchers, and institutions in accessing educational resources and research materials.

According to him, other services such as sponsored mobile internet access, EagleScan for plagiarism checking, aggregated journal and research subscription inclusive of EBSCO, Blackboard Learning Management System, digital literacy, and intervention funding are available to both public and private tertiary institutions in the country.

“We will continue to support NANS, partner with NANS because there is no doubt that any policy, programme, project that you want to do in the education sector, students must be at the centre of it. Higher institutions exist because of students,” he stated.

Earlier, NANS President, Emonefe said the visit was to formally introduce the new leadership of the association to TETFund management as well as work out areas of collaboration.

Citing the increase in TETFund’s 2024 budget and the new Students’ Loan Bill currently before the National Assembly, the NANS President applauded President Bola Tinubu for his ‘love and commitment to the upliftment of education in Nigeria’.

He also lauded the TETFund boss for throwing his weight behind the bill at the just concluded public hearing on the proposed legislation.

He said: “We are not going to relent. We are going to complement your efforts to ensure that these gigantic projects that TETFund is ensuring in our tertiary institutions. On our part, we are going to monitor, supervise, and protect education infrastructure to complement the efforts of what Mr President and TETFund is doing”.

Senator Ned Nwoko, a member of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TetFund and lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District, also attended the event.

Senator Nwoko joined the TETFund Management to receive the NANS leadership, even as he pledged the committee’s support for Nigerian students.

FID on $25bn Nigeria-Morocco pipeline for Dec — Kyari

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FID on $25bn Nigeria-Morocco pipeline for Dec — Kyari

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari has said that the Final Investment Decision for the $25bn Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project will be made in December 2024.

Kyari made the disclosure while speaking during a Leadership Dialogue Session at the ongoing CERAWeek Conference in Houston, United States, on Tuesday.

According to him, the project, which is at an advanced stage, will create a pipeline that will pass through thirteen African countries to Europe.

Kyari stated that the NNPC Ltd’s focus is to build its capacity to deliver gas to the domestic market and beyond.

He pointed out that as a gas-endowed country, Nigeria must utilise its abundant gas resources to provide the alternative fuel that it needs.

“We understand the arguments towards attaining energy transition, but the cheapest way to achieve that is through gas. We see clear opportunities that gas creates. Today we are building a number of trunklines and other gas infrastructure that will supply gas to a number of gas networks,” Kyari said.

Kyari also said Nigeria was fighting the menace of crude oil theft frontally and through the joint efforts of government and private security agencies, there have been some reasonable improvements in the restoration of the nation’s crude oil production.

He added, “It is an abnormal situation, but it is well within control. We were able to recover some of our production and build back confidence so that investors could bring in their money. We are also doing global advocacy to governments and institutions because stolen oil has to be taken to the market.”

He said an example of the improved security situation was when in 2022, Nigeria’s production fell below one million barrels per day but has now been restored to 1.7 million barrels per day.

As global calls for transition to cleaner energy fuels continue to grow, Kyari also advocated for a differentiated approach to attaining energy transition for the African continent.

According to him, energy transition is a very difficult subject for countries especially in sub-Saharan Africa because geographically, the situations are different as a number of the countries are dealing with energy availability, not transition.

“The world has seen all the challenges thrown up recently by geopolitical events. It is clear that before the energy transition, countries must first attain security of energy supply in their countries. You cannot talk about energy security when it is not even available.

“In most of sub-Saharan Africa, 70 per cent of the population doesn’t have access to clean cooking fuels. Therefore, you must fill the supply gap first,” the NNPCL GCEO stated.

Organised by S&P Global, the conference has grown in recent years to accommodate new energy technologies and climate issues. The 2024 conference is expected to have participants from over 90 countries and will feature 1,400 speakers.

Under the theme “Multidimensional Energy Transition: Markets, Climate, Technology and Geopolitics” the CERAWeek 2024 will explore “strategies for a multidimensional, multispeed and multifuel energy transition,” as the global energy industry tries to respond to, and offer insight into the roadmap towards, growing demand for emissions reductions and moving towards cleaner forms of energy.

No mining licences without local value addition – Alake

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No mining licences without local value addition – Alake

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has affirmed the resolve of the federal government to foreclose the acquisition of mining licences by prospective investors without requisite plans for local value addition.

Alake also stated that the government’s stance now prohibits the exportation of mineral resources such as lithium, gold, and similar commodities. Instead, these minerals must undergo processing within Nigeria, fostering increased value and local benefit for the communities where they are sourced.

A statement by the Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, said the minister gave the commitment while playing host to members of the House Committee on Solid Minerals on an oversight visit to the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, the government has also finalised plans to incorporate a new security outfit with the existing structure of the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps to secure the nation’s natural resources through the infusion of technology and specialised training.

Alake said, “We are no longer going to allow anybody or license any company that wants to go into the mineral sector without giving us a plan for local value addition like processing, and refining and this has a multiplier effect on the economy. It instantly generates employment rather than a few people carting away lithium, gold, and the like to other countries to sell. These minerals must now be processed in Nigeria, creating more value and beneficiation for local communities where they are sourced.”

He applauded the lawmakers for their support in repositioning the mining sector, stressing that changing the economic fortunes of Nigeria was a joint task by both the executive and legislature.

 “The importance of this committee cannot be overstated because whether we like it or not, we are at the cusp of history and it does beckon on us individually and collectively whether as executive or legislature to change the paradigm of Nigeria’s economic fortunes because we have to diversify our economy away from the mono-cultural dependency on oil. Again, that underscores the significance of this committee because of the importance of the ministry in that regard. That is why I view your visit here today with a sense of proprietary, responsibility, and appreciation of the oversight functions that you are saddled with.

“We welcome you and believe that from the type of comradeship that I have personally enjoyed with the committee and the leadership, I have no doubt in my mind, that what the executive of this ministry needs to forge ahead to achieve its stated objectives in terms of logistics support, legislative framework crafting is assured. it gives me great confidence that when you have members of a committee that understand the issues at stake, understand the problems that the ministry faces and know how to give the necessary backup, then we in the executive will have no excuse for failure. We can only forge ahead,” the Minister said.

He also seized the occasion to assure the legislators of the significant contribution of sub-nationals to mining development, stressing that state chairmen of the Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee and five members of the committee are nominated by state governments.

Highlighting the renewed interest of the international community in Nigeria’s mineral resources, Alake stressed that his 7-point agenda has put the mining sector on the global front burner since he assumed office

“With the support of the Permanent Secretary, management and the House committee, we have been able to project the sector globally and the result of our efforts culminated in my election as the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia based on our 7-point agenda which was applauded by all and sundry. This is a group that consists of all African countries’ Ministers of Solid Minerals/Mineral Resources”.

On security, the minister revealed that the Federal Government has finalised a new security outfit to secure the nation’s natural resources that will incorporate the existing structure of the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps with the infusion of technology and specialised training.

“We have come up with what we believe can stem insecurity around natural resources like solid minerals, forests, and marine economy. We decided to use the existing structure of the NSCDC because of the cumbersome process of establishing a new security architecture. In terms of deterrence, the new NSCDC corps will be useful, “he asserted

In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Gaza Gbefwi, stated that the House Committee on Solid Minerals, in fulfilling its constitutional responsibility of oversight, paid a visit to the ministry to ensure that the executive is doing what it is supposed to do for citizens to get maximum beneficiation from the mining sector.

 He expressed appreciation to the minister for cooperating with the legislature in its oversight function of checks and balances, emphasising that the committee would do what is necessary to back up reforms with requisite legislation that would enable the executive to propel the sector into an enviable position, with significant contribution to the nation’s economy.

FG meets SSANU, NASU today over strike

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FG meets SSANU, NASU today over strike

The Federal Government will today (Wednesday) meet with the leadership of the  Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions, The According has learnt.

The National President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, in a message on Tuesday, told our correspondent:

“They invited us for a meeting tomorrow (Wednesday),” Ibrahim said in a terse message sent to our correspondent.

SSANU and NASU commenced a seven-day nationwide strike on Monday to protest the refusal of the Federal Government to release their four-month salaries withheld by the Federal Government in 2021 because they embarked on a strike.

The government of then President Muhammadu Buhari withheld the salaries, insisting on the principle of ‘No work; no pay’.

However, the current administration of President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of the withheld salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, who were also affected by the past administration’s ‘no work; no pay’stance.

SSANU and NASU were, however, displeased to be left out.

They wrote to the Tinubu government, asking that their withheld salaries be equally released.

The government, however, ignored the repeated demands, following which the two unions embarked on a strike.

The According reports that the seven-day warning strike, which began on Monday, grounded academic activities on university campuses across the country.

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Akeredolu never endorsed any aspirant

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Akeredolu never endorsed any aspirant

A few weeks to the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, one of the governorship aspirants, Prof Francis Faduyile, has declared that he will be the next governor of the state in 2025.

Faduyile, who is a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association and former Special Adviser to late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Health, also disagreed that Akeredolu endorsed anyone to succeed him before his death.

The According reports that two of the aspirants, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and another frontline aspirant, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, claimed that the late governor had endorsed them as his successor but Faduyile said nothing of such happened.

Speaking after his visit to members of the State Executive Council of the APC, at the party secretariat in Akure, on Tuesday, the medical doctor said there was no time the late Akeredolu mentioned endorsement of any of the aspirants.

He said, ” I work with Aketi (Akeredolu) and I can tell you for a fact that he has no preferred candidate. I attended all, except one state executive council meeting, and there was no time that he came out to say he is supporting anyone. I don’t know what he does in his sitting room or bedroom but I expect if he has done that, he should inform his cabinet members.

“For those who are saying they have been endorsed, endorsement is good but you have to work for it. I am working for it, I believe that with God, all things are possible but I am not resting on my part that even if he has endorsed me, I will not sit down. We have to work for it.”

On his visit to the state party executives, the aspirant explained that it was meant to formally inform the state exco of his aspiration, expressing optimism that he would have their support.

“I have taken it upon myself to come and inform the state executive committee of the party that I am contesting and I am going to start the local government visitation to seek the support of members of the party so that I can be the candidate of the APC in the forthcoming November election.

“We have discussed with the state executive council and I am very happy that they have been receptive to our aspiration and they have shown a lot of interest in the way that we have presented our point on how we want to improve things in Ondo State. I am very positive that at the end of the entire electoral process, that we will come out victorious,” he stated.

The According reports that the national secretariat of the APC has fixed April 25, 2024, for the state governorship primary while a sum of N50 million has been fixed for the expression of interest and nomination forms for the aspirants.

Aiyedatiwa, group trade words over $180,000 bribery claim

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Aiyedatiwa, group trade words over $180,000 bribery claim

As the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress prepares for the governorship primary, a group within the party has accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of using the state resources to fund his governorship ambition.

The governor, in quick response, however, rubbished the claim, describing it as mischievous.

The group, under the auspicies Ondo State Redemption Initiative alleged that Aiyedatiwa had been wasting the state resources to fund his governorship ambition.

The group, in a statement issued by its President, Pastor Adebayo Ogunsanmi, the Secretary, Jide Oriola, and the Publicity Secretary, Sunday Ayeni, alleged that Aiyedatiwa had set aside $180m to “buy phantom endorsement.”

“Desperate effort by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State to offer $10,000  to each member of the state Assembly for endorsement has been exposed.

“The plot, according to inside sources, will involve a trip by 18 lawmakers from the state to accompany the governor to the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress during which they will stage the endorsement.

“Aiyedatiwa is desperately going round for endorsements. The latest is a plan to get 18 lawmakers from the state to accompany him to the national headquarters of the APC in Abuja where they will endorse him.

“But since he knew that he could not get the 18 members to do the dirty job, he has offered each member $18,000, believing that the money would be too tempting to reject.”

But the Senior Special Assistant to the governor, Mr Sunday Abire, denied the allegation, saying it was a plot by members of the opposition to distract the governor.

“Why will the governor bribe the Assembly in the first instance? The same governor that has been accused by politicians of not being a spendthrift? Which one should we hold dearly now?

“This is the season of mischief and Governor Aiyedatiwa is too focused to be distracted,” Abire stated.

Two Pakistan miners killed, 8 feared dead in gas explosion

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Two Pakistan miners killed, 8 feared dead in gas explosion

Two bodies have been pulled from a collapsed mine in southern Pakistan, rescuers said Wednesday, with eight more people feared dead.

A gas explosion rocked the private coal pit in the mining region of Khost, 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Quetta, on Tuesday evening, trapping 10 people about 800 feet (244 metres) below ground.

“Two dead bodies were recovered by the rescue teams overnight,” Ghani Baloch, the chief inspector of mines for Balochistan province, told AFP.

“We fear the rest of the workers may not be alive, however, our rescue team members are trying their best to recover them.”

A group of eight who attempted to rescue their colleagues also became trapped for several hours but were later brought to safety by a government rescue team — some of them unconscious.

Rescue teams from the government’s mining department as well as the disaster management agency are at the site.

“The cause of the incident was an accumulation of carbon monoxide gas followed by an explosion. As a result, the mine caved in,” Baloch told AFP.

Deadly incidents are not uncommon in Pakistani mines, which are notorious for hazardous working conditions and poor safety standards.

In April 2022, four people were killed and seven others were missing following a gas explosion at a coal mine in southern Poland.

Also, eighteen miners were confirmed dead in 2020 after a carbon monoxide leak at a coal mine in southwestern China, state media reported, with rescue efforts underway to reach five others still trapped underground.

AFP

Reps propose five-month bereavement leave for widows

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Reps propose five-month bereavement leave for widows

A bill seeking one and five months leave to men and women who lost their spouse respectively scaled second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The bill sponsored by the member representing Bida/Katcha/Gbako Federal Constituency, Niger State, Saidu Abdullahi, will grant the widows and widowers a period to mourn their spouse and recover from the physiological trauma.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill at Tuesday’s plenary, Abdullahi lamented the plight of spouses in Nigeria who have lost their partners, adding that the difficulty of single parenting was both deep and complex.

 “The bill is targeted at addressing the pressing issue of supporting individuals who have lost their spouses and helping them navigate the challenging period of widowhood,” he said.

This bill is divided into five clauses. The first clause stipulates the period of leave that is formally granted to a widow and widower with full payment entitlement.

The second clause defines the persons who are eligible for the leave and the third clause states the punishment for the violation of the proposed law.

Part four provides for the interpretation of the terms “widow” and “widower”.

The lawmaker said the widowhood legislation had been enacted in many countries around the world, noting that widows are entitled to 15 days of paid leave in India and 60 days in the Philippines.

“It is important to recognise that the Nigerian Labour Act (2004) does not explicitly provide for any form of leaves that covers widowhood leave warranting a much-needed review.

“However, despite this lacuna in the law, organisations around the country make provision for bereavement leave, a time off work given to employees when faced with the death of spouses.

“In fact, some organisations go a step further to offer some form of financial support formally and informally. Research findings have shown that in Nigeria, public sector organisations grant bereavement leave of 14 days.

“This is no doubt derived from the Public Sector Rules, which state  that ‘An officer may be allowed special leave from duty on full pay on compassionate ground for a period up to two weeks for the burial of spouse/child/parents/parents of spouse.

“Considering that in countries like Australia and Brazil, bereavement leave is typically two days, and in countries like Canada, France, Spain, and the US, it is usually three days; one may say the 14 days prescribed by Public Sector Rules is sufficient.

“But when one looks at the prevalent cultural and religious practices of Nigeria, it seems inadequate. It is always necessary that an organisation looks at the cultural context as the way people mourn is deeply rooted in culture.”

The lawmaker noted that “In eastern Nigeria, the burial of the deceased usually takes place after a few weeks or months (depending on the family) and the mourning period for a widow in modern times is three months even though traditionally, it is up to a year.

“In Islam, while mourning is usually three days, the waiting period for a widow is up to four months. During this period, the bereaved spouse receives visitors for at least a month. Therefore, with our culture in view, giving a widower 30 days and a widow five months of widowhood leave for the death of a spouse may be reasonable.”

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