Bilateral Ties: Germany Ready To Ramp Up Military Mission In Lithuania

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June 7, 2022

Germany is ready to ramp up its military mission in Lithuania in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said during a visit to Vilnius on Tuesday.

Asked about reports that Spain plans to send German-built Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine, Scholz said Berlin has not yet received an export request from the government in Madrid.

He added that any such request would be carefully assessed.

Spain wants to supply Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles and Leopard tanks, according to government sources cited by newspaper El Pais.

Germany has so far refused to deliver Western tanks to Ukraine.

Service In Somalia: AU Pays Tribute To Slain Burundian Soldiers

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Angel Gimalo

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June 7, 2022

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On a visit to the Great Lakes region, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, who is the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security at the African Union, paid tribute to Burundian soldiers who died while on service in Somalia.

In the company of former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye, who is now a member of the AU advisory panel, he laid a wreath of flowers on one of the graves AU peace battalion, in recognition of Burundi’s contribution to this mission.

With nearly 5,000 men, Burundi is the second largest contributor of troops to ATMIS, which has nearly 20,000 military, police and civilian personnel from five African countries.

Kenya Presidential Polls: Comedian Walter Mong’are’s Clearance Revoked

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Angel Gimalo

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June 7, 2022

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Kenya’s electoral commission (IEBC) has revoked the clearance of comedian Walter Mong’are, famous by his stage name Nyambane, to run for the presidency.

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati on Monday cited new information about the comedian’s academic qualifications.

A presidential candidate in Kenya is required to have a university degree.

The comedian was a student at Kenyatta University located in the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi, before he took up a popular comical role in early 2000s of mimicking former President Daniel arap Moi.

Nyambane was the first presidential aspirant cleared by the commission last week on a Umoja Summit party ticket.

But another aspirant, who was barred from contesting on Monday because of presenting transcripts without a university certificate, questioned why Nyambane had been cleared on similar grounds.

It prompted the commission to summon Nyambane on Monday, but he failed to honour the summons – leading to his disqualification.

IEBC has so far cleared four presidential candidates – David Mwaure, George Wajackoyah, Raila Odinga and William Ruto.

The youngest presidential hopeful, Muthiora Kiriara, burnt his voters card after he was denied clearance for not having the required number of supporters’ signatures.

Belgian King Philippe Visits DR Congo For First Time Since Ascending Throne

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Angel Gimalo

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June 7, 2022

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Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on Tuesday are to begin a seven-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo at the invitation of President Félix Tshisekedi.

It will be King Philippe’s first visit to country since ascending to the throne in 2013.

The royals will be accompanied by Belgian government ministers.

They will visit the capital, Kinshasa, and the cities of Lubumbashi and Bukavu.

The trip was initially scheduled for March 2022, but was cancelled because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In June 2020, King Philippe expressed his “deepest regrets” to the Democratic Republic of Congo for his country’s colonial abuses.

It was the first time a Belgian monarch had formally expressed remorse for what happened during the country’s colonial rule.

Belgium controlled the central African country from the 19th Century until it won its independence in 1960. Millions of Africans died during the bloody colonial rule.

Super Eagles Coach, Peseiro, Set For First Match In Nigeria

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Emenike Agu

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June 7, 2022

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The Super Eagles on Thursday will kick off their campaign to qualify for the 2023 Nations Cup under new coach Jose Peseiro, who lost his first two matches, which were friendlies.

The match against Sierra Leone in Abuja will be Peseiro’s competitive debut.

Nigeria will not be in Qatar in November which seems a watershed moment and a time to start again for many of the players in the Super Eagles squad.

Cyriel Dessers is making a comeback to the team while William Troost Ekong, Alex Iwobi, and Ola Aina said Thursday should mark a new start.

“Really painful because a big football nation like Nigeria always has to be at the World Cup,” said Dessers, who, if he plays against Sierra Leone, will win his fourth cap.

“And not only us feel like that. I think the whole world feels like that. And for sure Argentina will miss their traditional game against Nigeria (laughs).

“But it is a shame actually because if you look at the quality that is in the group, it is a shame we are not going to the World Cup.”

Dessers scored his first goal for the Eagles in the 2-1 loss to Mexico, which was Peseiro’s first match in charge but the 27-year-old believes the manager has made a good start.

“Focus is on ourselves and the next AFCON should be our goal. The preparation starts now with a new coach and I think that was a good start already. There is a lot of quality in the group and we can still improve and we will be a really difficult team to beat.

For Ekong, it has “been a difficult year”. The Watford defender also revealed he feels the same emotion as most Nigerians-upset, about missing out on Qatar 2022, “but that has to be in the past now.”

For Ola Aina, “It is devastating. It is not ideal.”

“We normally qualify for these types of things,” Aina continued, “and yes it is heartbreaking for the nation, for me personally. I have missed out on going to a World Cup; as a whole, it is a disappointing thing.”

Ekong is banking on making Thursday a new beginning for the team as they start another journey. “I think it will be a great way to kick off something good for the future. “We can’t change (the past) so we are trying to look forward now with a new coach.”

Playing under Peseiro is “new and fresh”, according to Aina while Alex Iwobi says he has grown used to the change of managers-even at the club level.

“Even in my career, I have had like five different coaches,” quipped Iwobi when he was asked about Peseiro. “So I am used to chomping and changing. Whenever a new manager comes in, it’s a new start, a new beginning so we just have to go again.”

Iwobi added: “Everyone is starting afresh and so he is so hopefully, we can buy into his ideas like we have done so far. At the end of the day, we are here to fight for our country before anything else.”

What would playing in an empty stadium mean to the team? Ekong says it will spur the team to ‘put on a show’.

Repeated X-rays dangerous, may increase Cancer risk – Physician

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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June 7, 2022

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A Public Health Physician at the Department of Community Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Dr. Aliyu Sokomba, says an x-ray should only be done when it is absolutely necessary considering its associated risks.

Repeated x-rays, the physician warned, could expose patients to ionizing radiation, disrupt cell formation and cause cancer.

Dr. Sokomba who disclosed this during an interview said a patient should worry when asked to repeatedly do x-ray.

The World Health Organisation says prenatal exposure to ionizing radiation may induce brain damage in foetuses following an acute dose exceeding 100 mSv between weeks 8-15 of pregnancy and 200 mSv between weeks 16-25 of pregnancy.

“Before week eight or after week 25 of pregnancy human studies have not shown radiation risk to fetal brain development. Epidemiological studies indicate that the cancer risk after fetal exposure to radiation is similar to the risk after exposure in early childhood.

“Epidemiological studies on populations exposed to radiation, such as atomic bomb survivors or radiotherapy patients, showed a significant increase of cancer risk at doses above 100 mSv.

“More recently, some epidemiological studies in individuals exposed to medical exposures during childhood (paediatric CT) suggested that cancer risk may increase even at lower doses (between 50-100 mSv),” WHO says.

Speaking further with our correspondent, Dr. Sokomba said people should be discouraged from having repeated x-rays except if it is absolutely necessary.

He explained, “When a person is asked to do a repeat x-ray, he is exposed to high ionizing radiation.

“So many risks are associated with ionizing radiation. Once this radiation gets to your body, it disrupts cell formation.

“It is the cell that produces different structures in your body. This abnormal cell formation can cause cancer. The most common side effect of ionizing radiation is malignancy”.

Continuing, the physician said, “That is why it is usually discouraged that people should have repeated x-rays done on repeated occasions except it is absolutely necessary.

“X-ray gives more radiation, ultrasound has very minimal radiation tendency; Magnetic resonance imaging has minimal radiation as well as computed tomography scan.”

He noted that those radiations can penetrate the body and affect vital organs”.

According to the WHO, “Annually worldwide, more than 3600 million diagnostic radiology examinations are performed, 37 million nuclear medicine procedures are carried out, and 7.5 million radiotherapy treatments are given”.

Nigeria’s Foreign Reserves Drop To $38bn

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Elizabeth Williams

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June 7, 2022

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Nigeria’s foreign reserves dropped to $38.483bn by May 31, 2022, a five percent decline from $40.521bn reported by the end of December 2021, data on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s website has indicated.

Foreign reserves are assets held on reserve by central banks in foreign currencies, according to Investopedia. These reserves are used to support the economy and boost foreign exchange market during emergencies or periods of crunch.

“If you do not want your foreign reserves to decline, then do more exports,” said Professor of Economics and former Assistant Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Jonathan Aremu.

“Then, a big question arises, for an economy with foreign exchange challenges and declining foreign reserves, where do political party candidates get dollars to spend in an economy that uses naira?”

Aremu explained that Nigeria’s foreign reserves would keep dropping when more dollars are spent to pay for imports while foreign exchange earnings from exports keep dropping.

Nigeria is an import-dependent and consuming nation. In 2021, the value of Nigeria’s total trade stood at $39.751tn, but total imports stood at $20.843tn while exports were valued at $18.907.79tn.

However, over 70 percent of the exports were made up of crude, which was shipped abroad, refined and re-imported.

Nigeria earned $45.56bn from crude and non- oil products within the same period, according to the NBS’ Foreign Trade Statistics. Crude oil made up over 76.22 percent of this amount, while the non-oil earning was 23.78 percent. Non-oil exports were around $10.836bn.

Nigeria Needs Sustainable Energy To Grow Its Economy – Sylva

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Elizabeth Williams

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June 7, 2022

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Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre, Sylva has said that Nigeria needs affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy resources to eliminate widespread energy poverty and drive economic growth.

Sylva said this at the Nigeria-Africa Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit in Abuja.

According to the minister, energy poverty is still prevalent in the world, especially in Africa where millions of people do not have access to electricity or clean cooking fuels.

Quoting data from the United Nations, he said that about 760 million people lack access to electricity worldwide, with three out of four of them living in sub-Saharan Africa.

He added that one-third of the world’s population (about 2.6 billion people) had no access to clean cooking fuels, with over 900 million of these in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Minister also said that only 48 percent of the Sub-Saharan African Population have access to electricity, while only 18 percent also have access to clean cooking fuels, compared with a global average of 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

The Chief Executive Officer of JRB Solar Investment Limited, Jimoh Badamosi, stressed the need for partnership between state-owned enterprises and private organisations in renewable energy development to address Africa’s energy crisis.

We’Ve To Make Nigerians Happy Again After World Cup Miss — Ahmed Musa

By

Emenike Agu

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June 7, 2022

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Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa has reiterated the need for him and his teammates to bring back the smiles on the faces of Nigerian fans after the unfortunate non-qualification for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The Super Eagles were denied the chance of a seventh World Cup appearance by the Black Stars of Ghana who after playing a barren draw in Kumasi snatched a 1-1 draw in Abuja.

Though it is over two months since the Eagles lost the World Cup ticket, Musa told PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja it still feels like a dream.

The fleet-footed winger was, however, quick to add that the Eagles have to let go of the past and face the next task ahead of them which is to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

“Up till now, I am still feeling that it is still a dream but that is football we have to move on and face our next target which is to qualify for the Nations Cup,” Musa told PREMIUM TIMES.

He continued: “Not going to the World Cup is a big heartbreak for most of the players plus me too but that its life… We know many Nigerians are not happy with us but that is life and as footballers, we just have to move on.

“Let us accept that is how God wants it so we just have to move on to face our next target”

Musa assured that the Super Eagles will not rest on their oars to get the results that would make Nigerians happy and start believing in the team again

“We are still going to continue what we know how to do and also make Nigerians happy, as you know we never play a game to lose but in football, anything can happen,” Musa stated

For the game against Sierra Leone, Musa assured that preparations are going on smoothly with virtually all the invited players already on the ground to start the AFCON qualifiers on the best possible note.

The Leone Stars held Nigeria to a dramatic 4-4 draw the last time they came calling at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.

Having been 4-0 down almost 60 minutes into the game, Sierra Leone clawed their way back to an impressive 4-4 draw and while Musa said they hope to avoid a repeat of such on Thursday he said football has a way of throwing up such dramatic results.

AFCON Qualifiers: Something Will Be Missing Playing Without Fans – Leon Balogun

By

Emenike Agu

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June 7, 2022

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The fanfare that is associated with Super Eagles games in Nigeria will be missing on Thursday when the country’s national football team begin their campaign in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers against Sierra Leone at the M.K.O Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

Following the crowd violence that greeted Nigeria’s disappointing 1-1 draw against the Black Stars of Ghana, FIFA imposed a hefty fine on the country and also ordered that the national team must play their next game behind closed doors.

So from playing in front of a record 60,000 crowd, the Super Eagles will on Thursday be doing their thing just in front of a few accredited journalists and officials who are exempted from the FIFA pronouncement.

Some of the players have been speaking on this development one of which is former Rangers defender, Leon Balogun who admits that something will be missing playing without the fans in Abuja.

In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja, Balogun said even though it is not the first time he would be in this kind of situation. he feels emotional about it.

“I don’t know yet maybe after the game on Thursday I can tell you,” Balogun rhetorically answered when asked how it feels playing for the Super Eagles without the cheering fans.

He continued: “We’ve had a period in our careers that we played without fans during the COVID period but definitely there will be something missing.”

“For me going back to March when we played against Ghana here in Abuja, that was a very touching experience for me seeing fans come out in that numbers and with that unconditional love and support even though it turned to anger and frustration… there would be something missing for sure but it is always nice to enjoy.

“For me when I play for either club or country, when I see fans on the way to the stadium, that always gives me a little more extra boost. It reminds me of one more reason why I do this, surely something will be missing.”

While the Rangers football club of Scotland defender is understandably expecting a tough outing against Sierra Leone, he was quick to state that the absence of the fans must not a reason for the Eagles to perform below par.

“The fans’ absence cannot be an excuse for us to give one per cent less” the defender told PREMIUM TIMES.

“It is going to be a tough game as it has always been when you come to play in Africa, no team will give you anything, you first have to earn the right to play for Nigeria and then work towards getting the good results you desire,” Balogun concluded.