Home Blog Page 1278

VIDEO: NFF Holds Congress In Lagos On Eve Of Its 89th Anniversary

By
Emenike Agu
-
0

The foul air surrounding the holding of the General Assembly of the Nigeria Football Association appears to have cleared. The general assembly originally meant to hold in January this year but was postponed has suffered several set backs.

A court injunction botched the planned congress in January. But when the litigants withdrew the case, another date was fixed for 1Tuesday 16 August in Yenegoa in Bayelsa State.

But now, the train has moved to Lagos where another date of 18 August has been announced. The holding of the Congress in Lagos is almost coinciding with the actual, but yet to be accepted anniversary of the football body.

The NFF, Sports Village Square  can authoritatively affirm, was founded as Nigeria Football Association  (NFA) on 21 August 1933. The Congress in Lagos on 18 August is just three days short of the 89th anniversary of the football governing body. But the NFF officials across all generations erroneously believe the body was founded on an unknown date in 1945.

In a three minute and 41 seconds video clip circulated across different social media platforms, the NFF Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi, an attorney announced the new congress date even as he gave the background to the whole episode.

The transcript of his broadcast runs thus:

“My dear colleagues,  please accept my heartfelt sporting greetings to you and every member of Nigerian football family. In light of all that has been happening in recent times within the realm of Nigerian football, I have decided to send this message of assurance and give my personal stands on this issue.

As you all aware, there has been a dark cloud of uncertainties surrounding the administration of our Football in the past few months. We have situation where, first, the issues of court injunction has affected our Football administration

“Many members of NFF Congress have mandated the Executive Committee to call the AGA within the specified time”

“In line with the views of Football fraternity at various fora, Executive Committee must ensure the 2022 NFF elections hold in September 22 withing the life span of the current Executive Committee”

The plaintiff of Bayelsa State high court has filed for discontinuance of the suite.

 In full alignment to the above,  I’m aware that NFF Statues is the supreme Law for the administration of Football in Nigeria subject of course to any conflict with the laws of Nigeria

By virtues of NFF Statues, Annual General Assembly as currently constituted is the supreme legislative body for the NFF. In deed,  the Executive Committee holds the office at the behest of the congress.

The congress has been informed by the NFF General Secretary that after the botched AGA earlier fixed for 16th August, 2022 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has now been fixed 18th of August, 2022 in Lagos”

As Chairman of Lagos State Football Association, I look forward to receiving you at the Centre of Excellence”

In his submission,  The proponent of grassroots Football development affirms that: “I wish to make it abundantly clear that I support the total adherence of the NFF Statues,  the supremacy of the congress and the commitments that NFF Elections be held on or before 20 September, 2022”.

As a Football family,  this is a yet another time when we are called upon to come together and put Football first.

I thank you for your time and I assure you my total commitment and willingness to see to the bright future of Nigerian football.  God bless you “

UN Oceans Treaty: Leaders Make Fifth Attempt To Sign Pact

By
Angel Gimalo
-
0

World leaders will meet at the UN in New York later for more talks to save the world’s oceans from overexploitation.

The UN High Seas Treaty has been through 10 years of negotiations but has yet to be signed.

If agreed, it would put 30% of the world’s oceans into conservation areas by 2030.

Campaigners hope it will protect marine life from overfishing and other human activities.

Two-thirds of the world’s oceans are currently considered international waters, which mean all countries have a right to fish, ship and do research there. But only 1.2% of these high seas, as they are referred to, are protected.

This leaves the marine life living outside those areas at risk of exploitation from the increasing threats of overfishing and shipping traffic.

And with ecosystems in the high seas poorly documented, there is concern among conservationists that creatures could become extinct before they are discovered.

Research published earlier this year, and funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, suggests that between 10% and 15% of marine species are already at risk of extinction.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has said at previous negotiations that the “traditional fragmented nature of ocean governance” has prevented the effective protection of the high seas.

Once Upon A Time – August 16 – 2008 – Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt Sets New World Record Of 9.69 Seconds

By
Angel Gimalo
-
0

1896 Gold first discovered in Klondike, found at Bonanza Creek in the Yukon, Canada by George Carmack

1930 I British Empire Games open in Hamilton, Canada

1945 Puyi, the last Chinese Emperor and ruler of Manchukuo is captured by Soviet troops

1946 Direct Action Day: Widespread riots erupt in Calcutta between Muslims and Hindus over whether Pakistan should be a separate state, killing over 4,000 and leaving 100,000 homeless

2012 Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange is granted political asylum by Ecuador

HISTORICAL EVENTS TODAY

TODAY IN FILM & TV

1930 The first color sound cartoon “Fiddlesticks” by Ub Iwerks (ex Walt Disney studio) is released

TODAY IN MUSIC

1974 Ramones concert debut (NYC’s CBGBs)

TODAY IN SPORT

1743 Champion of England titleholder Jack Broughton publishes ‘Rules of the Ring’ – earliest boxing code

2008 Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt sets new world record of 9.69 seconds to win the coveted 100m gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics

MORE FACTS…

1989 A solar flare from the Sun creates a geomagnetic storm that affects micro chips, leading to a halt of all trading on Toronto’s stock market.

1972 Morocco King Hassan II’s B727 shot during failed coup attempt by General Mohamed Oufkir. Reportedly, King Hassan grabbed the radio and told the rebel pilots “Stop firing! The tyrant is dead!”, fooling pilots to break off attack

FAMOUS WEDDINGS

1290 Charles of Valois, son of King Philip III of France weds Margaret of Anjou, daughter of King Charles II of Naples

1477 Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, weds Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy in Ghent, Belgium

1846 Opera Composer (The Barber of Seville) Gioachino Rossini marries 2nd wife Olympe Pélissier in Paris

Swiss Artist Sculpts Sprawling Model Castle On Dried River Bank

By
Koko Lawrence
-
0

Swiss artist Francois Monthoux’s annual project to build clay sculptures on the banks of Switzerland’s Toleure river has sprawled into a captivating castle complex this year as the drought afflicting Europe allows him to extend his dream world.

Monthoux began this year’s project with modest ambitions six weeks ago but the drought allowed him to build an entire city of spires.

Now he has mixed feelings: he wants it to rain, but is sad at the thought of his dream world disappearing when it does.

“I imagine the life of the people walking under the arches, under the bridge, looking at the monuments, looking at the city,” said Monthoux, who works with clay from the dried bed of the Toleure river in the Vaud canton in western Switzerland.

“So, I enter a bubble, and I become a dreamer … I see their world being created under my fingers,” he added.

Monthoux, a nature lover, says he is sad to see plants dying all around him and “it would be a catastrophe” if an enduring drought meant he could keep going with the project for years. At the same time, he knew from the outset it was temporary.

“Of course, I’m a little bit sad, because I’m sad that the form I gave to the matter will disappear,” he said.

Visitors to the sculpture are enjoying it while it lasts.

“I don’t have words to say what I feel, because it’s … it’s just sublime,” said Heidi Butty, a Vaud resident.

NEMA Resumes Air Ambulance Service

By
Koko Lawrence
-
0

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Air Ambulance service has resumed operations after successful routine maintenance and completion of all civil aviation requirements.

The agency disclosed this in a statement signed by Manzo Ezekiel, the Head, Press Unit, NEMA, on Tuesday in Abuja.

He stated that an official inaugural return flight was held, with Sadiya Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and the Director-General of the agency conveyed from Abuja to Dutse on an official engagement.

He said that NEMA introduced its first air ambulance for emergency healthcare in 2014.

He added that the aeroplane, which was launched at the Trauma Centre, National Hospital, Abuja, was for quick transportation of patients with emergency cases.

Ezekiel recalled Capt. Ibrahim Mamman, the then Chief Pilot and Head of the NEMA Special Wing, as saying the project was part of the transformation agenda of the Federal Government of the time.

He quoted Mamman as saying “the air ambulance can be used to transport patients with critical and traumatic health situations from anywhere.

“As a matter of fact, the jet can go to anywhere in the world; it has a mile range of 3000 miles.”

He stated that operations of the air ambulance service were grounded in 2018 after it was due for routine maintenance and regulatory requirement.

He added that the repair of the aircraft was completed in 2021 and returned from France.

He said that this year, the present management finalised all regulatory requirements in returning the aircraft to its ambulance operations.

Authorities Mandate  Health Insurance For Nigerians

By
Olasunbo Okoromi
-
0

The Director General/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Health Insurance Authority, Prof. Mohammed Sambo, has said the new NHIA Act 2022, now makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians.

Speaking at its stakeholder’s forum, held at NHIA Lagos, Sambo in his presentation titled, The National Health Insurance Authority Act 2022: Critical areas of modification and strategy for implementation, said the NHIA Act was signed into law by President Muhammad Buhari on May 19, 2022, repealing NHIS Act 2004.

He added that it would give hope to 83m vulnerable Nigerians. He said the critical areas of modification were in nomenclature, NHIS to NHIA and the objective of the organisation should be to promote, regulate and integrate.

He added that the strategy for implementation of the Act was in the following thematic areas, legal and regulatory issues, administrative and financial issues, technical issues, policy and advocacy issues and cross-cutting issues.

The Deputy General Manager and State Coordinator of the Yaba State Office, Mrs. Catherine Tanzamado, stressed that the new NHIA Act 2022 would ensure that all Nigerians were covered with a basic minimum package of health services.

Strike: SSANU, Federal Govt. Negotiation Committee Meets Friday

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
-
0

The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists are set to meet with the Federal Government’s negotiation team led by Prof. Nimi Briggs on Friday.

Sources in the Federal Ministry of Education confirmed the plan to news correspondent on Sunday in Abuja.

SSANU and NASU, like the Academic Staff Union of Universities, are on strike following what the unions described as the failure of the government to meet some of their demands.

The strike by the unions commenced with a two week warning strike which started on March 27, 2022, while the extension of another two weeks commenced on Sunday, April 10, 2022, and it is still ongoing.

Some of the demands of SSANU include the inconsistent issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system, unpaid earned allowances, delay in the renegotiation of the FGN, NASU, SSANU agreements, and non-payment of minimum wage arrears.

Others include neglect and poor funding of state universities, non-payment of retirement benefits to outgoing members of the unions, and usurpation of the headship of non-teaching units in clear violation of conditions of service and establishment procedures, among others.

The unions like ASUU had also rejected the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

Confirming the planned meeting to news correspondent in Abuja, the National President, SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, said, “I can confirm that we truly received invitation to meet with the Nimi Briggs committee on Friday. That is official and I can authoritatively confirm that to you.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, in an interview with on Sunday, noted that the ministry would address journalists on Thursday in Abuja.

“The minister will break silence on the issue of strike on Thursday. He will be speaking at the State House. All the issues will be addressed,” he said.

Also, the National President, ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed that the government would meet with ASUU.

He, however, did not mention the specific day of the week.

“Yes, we are meeting this week,” he simply said.

ASUU Strike: Union, Federal Govt To Meet On Tuesday

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
-
2

The Academic Staff Union of Universities is scheduled to meet with Federal Government representatives on Tuesday over its prolonged strike action.

Speaking in an interview, President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke said the meeting was to discuss one of seven issues ASUU is protesting over,

“That is the issue of renegotiation,” Osodeke said, “the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

“It is not just about wages. It has to do with the system, funding, the structure, the autonomy and other issues; and how to fund universities.

“The government has reduced it to just salaries alone. But if they had looked at the whole agreement and implemented it, we will not be talking about funding.”

Professor Osodeke suggested that if Tuesday’s meeting goes well, the strike action may be called off.

“We are willing to sign,” he said.

*ASUU’S DEMANDS*

ASUU embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14.

On March 14, the union extended the industrial action by another two months to allow the government meet all of its demands. A 12-week extension was announced on May 9.

Since May 9, the union has remained on strike, vowing to persist until its demands are met.

The academics are seeking improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy among other demands.

One bone of contention for the academics is the non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion.

But the Federal Government has said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an amount, citing low oil prices during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The agreement was struck in 2009.

Another is the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The academics have proposed an alternative payroll system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

ASUU Vows To Petition Professional Bodies Over AAU ‘Illegal Examination’

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
-
0

The Benin Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has petitioned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State to the National Universities Commission (NUC) over what it insisted was an illegal examination.

The state-owned tertiary institution which is presently part of the ongoing nationwide strike action by the union had recently conducted its second-semester examination.

Speaking Monday in Benin, the zonal coordinator, Prof. Fred Esumeh said that the union will never recognize the outcome of the examination which was not conducted by the striking lecturers.

Esumeh said that going by the fact that the examination was written without the students being taught by the lectures, certificates from the school risked not being recognised by professional bodies anymore.

He accused the authorities of running foul of the law as a semester has 14 weeks as against the three weeks of lectures at the institution before the strike started resulting in some courses not being taught.

The coordinator charged: “This is wrong and we have told the university authorities. Left we no choice, we decided to petition the regulatory and professional bodies on the anomaly that is going in Ambrose Alli University.”

He said that the union intends to eventually petition the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria), Council for the Registration of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and other professional bodies are not to recognize certificates issued by the school.

The unionist added: “In line with our earlier threat, we have written to NUC to draw attention to the conduct of illegal examination by the authorities of AAU. NUC should not recognize the results of the examination. ASUU is still on strike. Lecturers at AAU were not part of the examination and will never recognize it. We intend to petition the different professional bodies not to recognize certificates from AAU.”

Prof. Esumeh who was joined by the chairmen of branches under the zone, said the union frowned at the poor funding and mismanagement of the university’s resources with the management’s inability to meet its obligation of payment of staff emoluments, hence a resort to irregular and selective payment of salaries.

According to him, the recent reduction in the monthly subvention of the university to an abysmally low N41.3 million from N270 million has led to the workers being owed 20 months of salary arrears from 2020 to date, with 15 months of unremitted sundry deductions to staff unions.

This, he noted had put the total amount the university owed the union members and associations at N4 trillion.

“The state government must of a necessity intervene at this point to clear the arrears of emoluments of workers of the university.”

Isa Pantani Chairs Committee To Review IPPIS, TSA, others over Irregularities

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
-
1

The Federal Government of Nigeria has inaugurated a Presidential Steering Committee to review Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS), the Treasury Single Account(TSA) and Government Integrated Financial Management System( GIFMIS) over irregularities.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, who is also the chairman of committee inaugurated it on Friday in Abuja.

Pantami said that the committee would be supervised by the ministry and other relevant government institutions.

He also said that the systems have technical challenges which needed to be corrected.

Pantami said the committee has been mandated to proffer solutions to the possible leakages inherent in the systems that were exploited by people to divert public funds.

“This technical committee has been mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari, through a letter requesting his approval to review some of the technical processes and systems deployed in government.

“This committee, will serve as a presidential committee with the mandate of ensuring the review of the strengths of these systems and the challenges or weaknesses.

“The committee is to advise the president on how to improve the systems particularly, if there are leakages that are being exploited by evil people.

“The issue came about on the July 19, 2022, when we had a meeting with the president along with other ministries where some technical issues and some challenges were discussed,” he said.

The minister explained that the process of deployment for IPPIS commenced in 2006, that of GISFMIS in 2012, while TSA commenced in 2015 accordingly.

He said that as at the time they were deployed, the provision of NITDA Act 2006 under section A of setting the standardisation of ICT deployment in federal public institutions was not followed.

He, however, said as a result of this, ”these three systems were not subjected to government certification and IT project clearance as encouraged by law and many other government policies.

“However, in spite of that, many achievements had been recorded by their deployment.

“For example, based on the report from the relevant institutions of government, the IPPIS saved the government over N120 billion, while TSA saved over N10 trillion for government.”

Pantami said these records showed that government had recorded some gains, particularly in the recent allegations on the system by people who siphoned money

“It is because of this that we must identify where the challenges are if any and see how these systems can be enhanced technically.

“So, that we will be able to consolidate the gains achieved so far and also improve on them to achieve many more successes.

“National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), looking at it’s mandate will serve as the secretariat.

“The approval and the directive has clearly mentioned that all government institutions that manage these three systems must give unlimited access to the committee to ensure very strong recommendations for approval,” he said.

The minister warned that any institution that fails to give access would be reported to President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said, ”a punishment is going to be recommended to the President for implementation.”

Members of the committee are NITDA, Galaxy Backbone, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning as well as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC).

Others are Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation as well as National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission.

The rest are Bureau of Public Service and Reforms(BPSR) and the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy(FMoDE).

The committee is expected to ‘cleanse’ the systems from the manipulation of some corrupt officials.

1...1,2771,2781,279...2,710Page 1,278 of 2,710