UK Engineering Group Acquires Bergen Engines From Rolls-Royce For €91m

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January 10, 2022

UK engineering group Langley Holdings has completed the acquisition of the Norwegian Bergen Engines group from Rolls-Royce for €91 million ($103 million).

The transaction was concluded on 31 December 2021 and will see Langley acquire Bergen Engines AS, producer of liquid and gas-fuelled engines and generator sets, as a stand-alone business unit.

The Bergen Engines unit will focus on the microgrid power generation sector, a focal point for Langley’s net-zero strategy and includes its engine factory, service workshop and foundry in Norway; engine and power plant design capability; its global service network and subsidiaries in nine countries.

Chairman & CEO, Mr Tony Langley: “The acquisition of Bergen Engines is a major step towards our net-zero objectives. The company has a superb reputation and is proving to be highly innovative in adapting its engines to low-carbon and non-fossil fuels. Coupled with that, the emerging microgrid sector fits perfectly to our long-term sustainability goals.”

In 2021, Bergen Engines generated revenues of approximately €250 million ($282 million) and employs almost 950 people worldwide, of which more than 600 are based at its headquarters and production facilities near Bergen in Norway.

According to Bergen, the unit is to become the core of a newly formed Power Solutions Division, working closely with the group’s Italian Marelli Motori and German Piller Power Systems subsidiaries.

The Power Solutions Division is expected to generate around €600 million of Langley’s anticipated €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) revenues in 2022.

France’s Energy Company Signs US Renewable Natural Gas Contract

By

Angel Gimalo

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January 10, 2022

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European biomethane company Waga Energy has signed a contract with Steuben County, New York, USA for the development of a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) project at a municipal solid waste landfill located in the town of Bath.

Waga Energy will build the landfill gas upgrading unit using its patented WAGABOX® technology, which combines membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation to separate methane from landfill gas.

Once completed, the unit will produce grid compliant RNG, also called biomethane, from the methane generated by the decomposition of the waste in the landfill.

The unit will be commissioned by March 2023 and will purify 1,000 standard cubic feet per minute of raw landfill gas to deliver 207,000 mmBtu (60GWh) of RNG.

Waga Energy CEO and cofounder Mathieu Lefebvre said, “We are honoured to have been selected by Steuben County to upgrade the methane from its Bath landfill. This first contract in the United States marks a major milestone to introduce our WAGABOX® solution to the US market.

“We are eager for landfill operators in the United States to see how efficient our technology is, and how our hassle-free operating model can help small and medium-sized landfills generate additional revenues while taking concrete action against climate change.”

The biomethane will be injected into the local grid and can be used for residential consumption or as a transportation fuel, equivalent to supplying around 4,000 homes with clean, local, and renewable energy, saving an estimated 13,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Waga Energy will fund, build, operate and maintain the unit under a 20-year landfill gas supply contract with Steuben County.

Waga Energy will sell the RNG to a private offtaker through a power purchase agreement and will share profits with Steuben County.

Steuben County is home to about 99,000 residents, and its solid waste landfill in Bath is authorized to dispose of 150,000 tons of waste per year.

Case of African swine fever reported in Italy

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Cleopatra Okohai

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January 10, 2022

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A case of African swine fever has been detected in a wild boar in Italy, news agency ANSA said Friday, raising fears of a blow to the country’s meat industry.

Highly transmissible and fatal for pig populations, African swine fever does not present a risk for human health but risks serious repercussions for pork producers.

Italy, with about 8.9 million pigs, is the seventh biggest pork producer in the European Union, representing an 8-billion-euro ($9.1 billion) industry, according to the agricultural association Confagricoltura.

According to reports, the case of the viral disease was detected after tests on the carcass of a wild boar in Ovada in the northern Piedmont region.

The regional research body reported to have carried out the tests could not be reached for confirmation later on Friday.

African swine fever has existed in Africa for decades.

In Italy, it has been endemic on the island of Sardinia since first appearing in 1978.

The disease spread to China – the world’s largest pork producer – in 2018, causing millions of pigs to be slaughtered to prevent an epidemic.

In western Europe, the virus was reported in Belgium in 2018, prompting China to ban all imports of Belgian pork.

After Germany confirmed its first case in a dead wild boar in 2020, China, Japan and South Korea, alongside Brazil and Argentina, also suspended German pork imports.

ANSA said the case in Italy had been referred to Italy’s health ministry, which in turn would notify the World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE) and the European Commission.

In a December 3 situation report on the virus, the OIE said ASF has been reported in 32 countries in five different world regions since January 2020.

It has affected more than one million pigs and more than 28,000 wild boars around the world.

“The events observed in the last six months confirm the global threat of ASF, which continues to spread with serious impacts on pig production systems, animal health and welfare, as well as the socio-economic impacts on livelihoods, national food security and international trade,” the report said.

After Germany’s first case, Confagricoltura said Italy had activated a plan of surveillance and prevention approved by the European Commission since the beginning of 2020.

Once Upon A Time – Jan. 10 – 1946 – UN General Assembly Meets For 1st Time In London

By

Angel Gimalo

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January 10, 2022

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49 BC Julius Caesar defies the Roman Senate and crosses the Rubicon, uttering “alea iacta est” (the die is cast), signaling the start of civil war which would lead to his appointment as Roman dictator for life.

1430 Catholic Order of the Golden Fleece founded in Bruges in celebration of the prosperous and wealthy domains of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

1475 Stephen III of Moldavia defeats the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui.

1776 “Common Sense” Pamphlet by Thomas Paine published, advocating American independence.

1839 First tea from leaves of indigenous plants of Assam, India arrives in the United Kingdom [date approximate].

1858 Frances Havergal, visiting Germany, writes her first popular hymn, “I Gave my Life for Thee” after seeing a painting of the suffering Christ titled Ecce Homo (“Behold the Man”). Thinking the verses of little worth she throws the paper onto a fire but it falls off. When her father sees the words he composes a tune for them.

1946 UN General Assembly meets for 1st time in London.

1960 A car filled with seven Christian workers plunges into deep water in the Black Umbluzi River but Pastor Phineas Dlamini and the other six escape, some with injuries. Dlamini was a leading pastor in the Church of the Nazarene in Swaziland.

Historical Events Today

Today In Film & TV

1999 “The Sopranos”, starring James Gandolfini as mobster Tony Soprano, debuts on HBO.

Today In Music

1958 Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” reaches #1 on the UK pop charts.

Today In Sport

1982 NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers beat Dallas Cowboys, 28-27; “The Catch” – iconic moment in NFL history – Dwight Clark makes fingertip catch for a TD from Joe Montana with 58″ remaining; SF goes on to win Super Bowl.

Do You Know This Fact About Today? Did You Know?

1917 Suffragettes the “Silent Sentinels” first protest outside The White House, in Washington led by Alice Paul and the National Woman’s Party.

Would You Believe This Fact About Today? Would You Believe?

1967 Edward W. Brooke (Sen-R-Mass), takes his seat as the 1st popularly elected African American to the US Senate.

Lagos nurses embark on strike over poor working conditions

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Cleopatra Okohai

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January 10, 2022

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The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Lagos state chapter, has declared a three-day warning strike from Monday, January 10 to Wednesday, 12, 2022, to demand better working conditions from the Lagos State government.

The Chairman of the State chapter, Comrade Julius Awojide, made the statement at an emergency congress in Lagos on Saturday, January 8, 2022, he lamented the reported government insensitivity to the plight of nurses in the state.

He said, “The Council decided to embark on the warning strike after careful consideration to call the attention of the government to the severity of the situation and to get them to address the issues promptly. We engaged the government on several occasions on the issues without the desired pace of outcome.

“In our estimation, the Lagos government is yet to fully come to terms with how incredibly challenging the situation in the health sector has been for our members especially in the last two years.”

Awojide reiterated that the warning strike was necessary to inform the government that nurses would no longer be overworked, undervalued and underpaid without any consequences.

He said that the association took stock of the challenges faced by the nursing profession, as well as other pending issues before the State Government at its State Executive Council meeting, held on 29th December 2021. He asserted that the issues discussed continued to cause great suffering to their members, and by extension to the public.

He decried the poor working conditions of nurses in the state, adding that this had resulted in the mass exodus of professional nurses to better climes.

Awojide said, “More than 496 out of 2,350 nurses in the employ of Lagos State Health Service Commission left between 2019 and 2021 and with less than 15 per cent due to statutory retirement.

“Over 200 nurses left the services of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital within the same period. Over 80 nurses left Primary Healthcare Board within the last two years which has only about 700 nurses and midwives

He stated that replacement-on-exit policy had been rendered ineffective by the inability to easily find replacements, adding that nurses were critical assets.

Awojide explained that the policy was meant to provide immediate placement for the much-needed medical professionals once a medical professional resigns or leaves.

The Chairman said that the massive brain drain and the absence of commensurate replacements have led to an increased workload on nurses in the state.

“Out of the 500 vacancies approved for recruitment by the governor for the health service commission recently, less than 300 applied, especially in a country with a 33.2 per cent unemployment rate.

“A reduced capacity in the health workforce means a reduced capacity to contain and fight new waves of pandemics and outbreaks. A poor retention rate only guarantees paralytic responses to new waves of pandemics within the foreseeable future,’’ Awojide added.

NANS Rejects N10 Per Litre Tax on Carbonated Drinks

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 10, 2022

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The National Association of Nigerian Students in the South-West zone has condemned the Federal Government’s plan to introduce N10 per litre tax on carbonated drinks.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, recently announced the plan while saying it was a move to discourage excessive consumption of sugar in beverages which she said contributed to a number of health conditions including diabetes and obesity.

But the Coordinator of NANS in South-West, Olatunji Adegboye, said in a statement on Monday that imposing tax on soft drinks was not a way diabetes and other health-related ailment associated with consumption of sweetened beverages could be stopped.

Adegboye argued that the introduction of additional duty on the already taxed products showed the government was insensitive and was bereft of ideas to drive its internally generated revenue.

The students’ body described the planned duty as a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government to pile more miseries on the hapless citizens.

The NANS said instead of adding to the economic hardship Nigerians were being made to suffer through the planned duty, President Muhammadu Buhari, should look at how to reduce the cost of governance to free more funds for development.

The statement partly read, “Imposition of additional duty on carbonated drinks is anti-people, anti-democratic, and retrogressive. It contradicts the law of humanity and the law of God. It is not in any way constant with the spirit of fairness and starkly contravenes what President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians while campaigning for our votes.

Consuming yoghurts exposed to sun ‘dangerous’, experts warn Nigerians

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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January 10, 2022

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Nutrition experts have warned Nigerians against consuming poorly preserved yoghurts, especially those stored under the sun, noting that they could cause serious health complications including food poisoning.

According to the experts, while yoghurt consumption is often encouraged because of its nutritional benefits, consuming those stored in the sun, as commonly found in local shopping marts and on the streets across the country could be very dangerous.

The experts stressed that consuming improperly stored yoghurts could be detrimental to the health, noting that those drinking them are at serious risk of food poisoning.

Food poisoning is a food-borne disease. As explained by medicalnet.com, food poisoning is the ingestion of food that contains a toxin, chemical or infectious agent (like a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion) that may cause adverse symptoms in the body.

Symptoms of food poisoning, it stated further may be related only to the gastrointestinal tract causing vomiting or diarrhea or they may involve other organs such as the kidney, brain, or muscle.

According to the experts, the right way of storing yoghurts both commercially and at home is by storing them at a cold temperature, noting that leaving them out in the sun gives room for toxic microorganisms to grow and multiply in them.

Speaking in an interview, a professor of food and nutritional biochemistry, Achinewhu Simon explained that because yoghurts are made from cow milk, they are supposed to be kept frozen, adding that commercially produced yoghurts that are left for days in the sun are not healthy.

Explaining, Achinewhu, a former director of the Rivers Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, said, there are microorganisms present in yoghurts, noting that if left in hot temperature they (the microorganisms) become infected.

“Yoghurt is produced from milk. Those things must be kept frozen but if you expose them to hot temperatures, you are exposing them to be infected by microorganisms and these microorganisms could breed toxins that are detrimental to human health.

“So, such things are supposed to be kept frozen in a temperature that would discourage microorganisms from attacking it and producing toxins.”

The professor discouraged people from consuming yoghurts not bought directly from the fridge as it could constitute a deadly health hazard for them.

Achinewhu stated that the microorganisms found in the yoghurts stored in unfavourable conditions could cause harm to the body through food poisoning.

Also speaking with Newsmen, the Assistant Chief Dietitian, Ajeromi General Hospital, Ajegunle, Olusola Malomo stated that the benefits of yoghurts such as protein, calcium, vitamins, and live culture, or probiotics, which can enhance the gut microbiota could be lost once it is not properly stored.

He stated that if stored properly, the shelf life of yoghurt is between 10 to 21 days, warning that people refrain from buying yoghurts that are not stored in refrigerators.

Such yoghurts, he said, are breeding grounds for toxic microorganisms that cause food poisoning.

No Plan To Seal Schools Over Resumption Date- LASG

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 10, 2022

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The Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, has said that the state government has no plan to seal any schools as it would be counter-productive to learning.

In a statement on Monday, she said that 640 out of the 720 schools visited by the OEQA complied with January 4, 2022 resumption date set by the state government, signifying a compliance rate of about 89%.

Seriki-Ayeni, while commending the schools that adhered to the State’s resumption date, lamented that about 80 schools did not comply.

She, however, clarified that the government had no plan to seal any schools as this would be counter-productive to learning.

The DG explained that rather, the OEQA only issued letters and placed stickers of non-compliance on the gates of schools that disobeyed the directive.

The OEQA boss clarified that the directive for public and private schools to maintain a uniform calendar was not new as it had been in place for several years. She, however, said the renewed enforcement was imperative because of the interruptions to school days occasioned by the lockdowns.

Seriki-Ayeni recalled that in June 2021 there were meetings between representatives of the State government, private school proprietors, private school associations, and other relevant education stakeholders where it was agreed to ensure that the calendar and the January 4th date would be adhered to.

She appealed to public and private school administrators in Lagos State to work with families to ensure that children are in school as expected and start the new term on a sound note.

“Just like we have always done in the past, the State government expects compliance and will continue to dialogue with all schools on matters relating to the progress of education in the State,” She added.

People who eat heavy meals prone to food coma –Nutritionist

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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January 10, 2022

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Man asleep at the kitchen table, too tired to eat breakfast.

A nutritionist, Dr. James Oloyede has cautioned against the consumption of large portions of foods, noting that people who take heavy meals may be prone to postprandial somnolence also called food coma.

According to the nutritionist people who consume heavy meals are most likely to fall asleep after their meal due to the subsequent feeling of fatigue, and sleepiness induced by the large quantities of blood diverted from the brain to the gastrointestinal tract to facilitate digestion.

He explained that the diversion of blood to the gastrointestinal tract usually causes a decrease in energy levels which may cause food coma.

Food coma or postprandial somnolence, as it is known medically, is a medical condition that describes a sense of fatigue, sleepiness, or decreased energy levels that can occur shortly after eating a meal.

This medical condition is not connected only to the type and size of meal consumed but also the time of the day the meal is taken and also the circulation of the blood.

Speaking with Newsmen, Oloyede, who is a former director of Nutrition Services posited that the amount of meal one may have for lunch can cause one to feel sleepy and tired.

“It is not unusual to feel sleepy or tired after a heavy meal. This is not unconnected with a decrease in energy levels after eating, often referred to as a food coma accompanied by a sense of fatigue, sleepiness.

“Those who eat larger lunches may experience more of an afternoon slump than those who eat less at midday,” he said.

Continuing, he explained that eating causes the blood sugar to rise, and a dip in energy may follow. “This is induced by large quantities of blood diverted from the brain to the gastrointestinal tract to facilitate digestion and the shuttling of absorbed nutrients to target cells and tissues after a heavy meal.

“In addition, the digestion process puts the body into a state of rest and digest parasympathetic state as opposed to the ‘fight or flight sympathetic nervous system state’.”

Oloyede explained that when an individual consumes a high-fat meal it stimulates the release of a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) which is secreted by cells of the first portion of the small intestine that promote sleepiness.

The feeling of sleepiness it causes in an individual consuming this diet may differ depending on the extent to which the hormone is released after eating a high-fat meal.

Additionally, scientists have discovered that certain meals, especially those high in carbohydrates and fat can lead to induced oxidative stress, a state of an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant levels in the body. This stress has been found to contribute to postprandial fatigue and sleepiness after meals.

To combat food coma, he suggested that people could engage in post-meal walks, high-intensity exercises, working while standing at the table, or intermittent movement breaks throughout the workday.

But if one feels tired and sleepy after a light meal, it may signify a problem, Oloyede warned.

“If the meal is not larger than usual, it becomes a cause for concern when an individual feels sick, confused, or feeling like sleeping after eating.

“Some near medical conditions that could result to this include reactive hypoglycemia, Insulin resistance, Metabolic endotoxemia and chronic inflammation like diabetic and cardiovascular diseases,” he said.

FG issues Lassa fever alert as death toll hits 102, cases now 4,632

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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January 10, 2022

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With recent cases at 4,632, the Nigeria Centre for Disease on Sunday gave a fresh warning over Lassa fever cases, having recorded 102 deaths.

The Centre, in its latest advisory made available to one of Newsmen in Abuja, warned Nigerians of the possibilities of Lassa fever presenting malaria-like symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough among others.

On its part, the NCDC disclosed that it had sent letters to states on the dangers of Lassa fever and the symptoms to look out for.

Since, the last outbreak of the disease in 2016, the NCDC noted that there had been an increase in the number of recurring cases. In 2019, the Centre noted that a total of 796 cases were reported, while in 2020, a total of 1,165 cases were confirmed during the height of the pandemic.

But in its latest advisory and situation report, the NCDC said, “Lassa fever initially presents like any other febrile disease such as malaria. its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains, chest pain and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth and other body openings.

“Healthcare workers should maintain a high index suspicion for Lassa fever. Any illness that has not responded to 48 hours use of anti-malaria or antibiotics should raise an index suspicion for Lassa fever

“The time between an infection and appearance of symptoms of the disease is 6 to 21 days. Early diagnosis and treatment increase the chances of survival”.

Concerning the deaths, the NCDC stated that Ondo had the highest number of deaths reporting no fewer than 47 deaths, Edo reported 15 deaths, Bauchi 12; Taraba 12; Ebonyi 9; Kaduna 4; Enugu 1 and Nasarawa with two deaths respectively.”

The NCDC gave the number of cases and the respective states as follows, “Edo 2,725; Ondo 1,006; Bauchi 164; Ebonyi 143; Nassarawa 79; Taraba 72; FCT 59; Kaduna 53; Delta 50; Plateau 42; Benue 34; Kano 24 Gombe 22; Kogi 17; Lagos 16; Borno 15; Enugu 14.

Others include Jigawa 12; Abia 11; Anambra 10; Rivers 10; Imo 9; Adamawa 8; Kwara 4; Yobe four; Oyo four; Cross River four; Bayelsa three; Sokoto three; Ekiti three; Ogun three; Osun three; Katsina two; Kebbi two; Niger one and Zamfara one.

The NCDC stated that “Confirmed cases are treated at identified treatment Centres across the country, Lassa fever alert letter sent to states, response team have been deployed to three states.

The NCDC also added that” The five Lassa fever molecular laboratories in the NCDC network are working full capacity to ensure that all samples are tested and results provided within the shortest turnaround time.”