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President Buhari Approves Review Of Grazing Reserves In 25 States.

Rhoda Onuzulike
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President Buhari Approves Review Of Grazing Reserves In 25 States.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch” 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this on Thursday in a statement.

Buhari’s directive comes after his approval of the recommendations of a committee chaired by his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari.

Among others, the committee recommended the collection of field data on 368 grazing reserves across the 25 states to assess the level of encroachment and encroachers, stakeholder engagements and sensitisation.

This development comes a few months after southern governors banned open grazing in the entire region.

The move was criticised as unconstitutional by the nation’s justice minister, Abubakar Malami.

“The President’s directive followed his approval of the recommendations of a committee chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari,” Adesina said in a statement.

“The Committee also recommended production of maps and geo-mapping/tagging of sites, analysis of findings and report preparations as well as design appropriate communication on Grazing Reserves and operations.

“The number of the Grazing Reserves and States were deduced from considerations of existing security concerns and other pre-existing socio-economic conditions.

“The President directed that the assignment be undertaken with dispatch to bring more understanding on the Grazing Reserves, and implementation.

“Among its Terms of Reference, the Committee was to collate from states and confirm the status of all Grazing Reserves, assess the percentage of available land and those with existing encroachment complications for case-by-case resolution in partnership with state governments and the FCT.

“The Committee will also make recommendations for gazetting of ungazetted Grazing Reserves and create a data base of National Cattle Herders and ensure that Grazing Reserves are well communicated to all stakeholders.

Members of the committee include, Governor of Kebbi State and Vice Chairman, National Food Security Council, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of NEC Sub-Committee for National Livestock Transformation Plan, David Umahi, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar and Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye.

The Technical Sub-Committee consists of representatives from the seven members of the main committee in addition to representatives from the Ministry of Justice, office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, National Agricultural Land Development Authority and the National Space Research Development Agency.

Climate Change: German Govt. To Develop Tech-Driven Solution In Nigeria

Rhoda Onuzulike
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0
Climate Change: German Govt. To Develop Tech-Driven Solution In Nigeria

The German government, through the Consulate  General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Lagos, has joined the Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI) – Solution17 for Climate Action and the United Nations Information Centre for Nigeria (UNIC) to promote Climate Change Adaptation as a build-up to the crucial COP26 – UN Climate Change Conference.

The campaign tagged #NaijaClimateNow, which began in June 2021, is currently calling for doers, creators, innovators, scientists, students, youths, and entrepreneurs to design and implement solutions towards Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria.

The solutions should be through tech-driven sustainable businesses and projects in climate smart agriculture, eco-friendly growers, waste to wealth, food processing programme, food preservation and others.

The registration, which was originally scheduled to close by July 31, was extended to August 31 to allow wider registration and submission of solutions in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

According to Foluke Michael, Project Director of CYCDI – Solution17 for Climate Action, the project was designed to cushion the effects of the pandemic and prevent a climate crisis.

“Solution17 for Climate Action has embarked on massive climate adaptation projects through Green Recovery to build back better in Lagos and Nigeria,” she said.

“Naija Climate Now was launched to support green businesses in climate smart agriculture, food processing, water resources, product value chain, tech for climate, biodiversity protection, and others.”

The support from the government of Germany will help promote the Green Entrepreneurs to champion Green Recovery in Lagos and across other Nigeria states, Michael added.

It will also cover the training of 34 finaliats, incentives for growers and some equipment to support climate action enterprises beyond the project life cycle, she adds.

The impact of the constant devaluation of the naira and massive insecurity that has caused shortage of food supply across Nigeria, has resulted in an enormous economic loss.

The rate of poverty has drastically increased in Nigeria. Households have lost about one-quarter of their incomes, and over 17 million people were added to the poverty class in the country. Also, Lagos State has witnessed a 3.44% growth rate, with over 20% vulnerable to poverty.

Impact of Climate Change on the Economy

Agriculture is the key source of food in Nigeria, and it employs over 70% of the country’s labour force and contributes up to 40% of its national economy. Nigeria is exposed to a range of climate conditions and extreme weather events. One of the important ways climate change affects development and livelihood in Nigeria is through its impact on agriculture.

The impact of climate change has become more extreme in recent times, leading to the loss of land resources, low agricultural productivity, food scarcity and economic hardship, and also fueling herder-farmer violence in the South.

Extreme climate events like flooding, drought, and extreme temperatures have resulted in soil degradation, which has led to low crop yields for most small-scale farmers. When food systems are supplied by rain-fed agriculture, even moderate rainfall patterns can substantially negatively impact productivity and food security.

The conference is scheduled to hold in Glasgow on November 1 – 12.

With registration now extended to August 31 from its earlier July 31 date, “the project will welcome applications from anyone under 35 years old in Nigeria who has ideas or solutions. Submission can either be by individuals or teams.

All eligible entrants must apply online. The process includes screening and interview sessions, presentation of finalists and a virtual Innovation Hub to develop and co-create climate change solutions,” says Foluke Michael.

The support by the German Government and United Nations through UNIC will reduce the rate of unemployment, poverty, zero hunger and climate change in Nigeria.

Argentinian City Wins Global Prize For Urban Farming Project

Angel Gimalo
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Argentinian City Wins Global Prize For Urban Farming Project

An urban farming project in the Argentinian city of Rosario that was designed to improve food security, but evolved to boost resilience to extreme weather events and cut carbon emissions, was on Tuesday named the winner of a global prize for cities.

Rosario – in Argentina’s northeastern Santa Fe province – won the World Resources Institute (WRI) Ross Center Prize for Cities and $250,000 for its two-decade-old initiative.

The project was set up to provide healthy local produce and livelihoods for poor families and later developed to repurpose public and private land and become a pillar of the city’s climate adaptation efforts, the WRI said.

“(Rosario has) climate impact, poverty alleviation, social inclusion,” said Anne Maassen, Global Lead for the WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities. “It is the full package of social-economic and environmental impact.”

The WRI – a Washington-based think-tank – received submissions from 160 cities across 54 countries for the annual award, which spotlights transformative urban change worldwide.

More than two-thirds of the world’s population is forecast to live in cities by 2050, according to the United Nations.

And urban farming could be crucial to feeding these people, producing as much as 180 million tonnes of food a year – or about 10% of the global output of pulses and vegetables – according to a 2018 study in the journal Earth’s Future.

Rosario’s project was launched in the wake of Argentina’s 2001 economic crisis and granted temporary tenure of vacant land to the city’s poorest residents for urban agriculture.

About 300 urban farmers in Rosario now have temporary ownership of public and private land, at least 2,400 families have started their own vegetable gardens, and seven new permanent market spaces have been created, according to the WRI.

The initiative has become a fundamental part of the city’s climate adaptation planning, with green spaces helping to absorb rainfall and prevent floods while local food production cuts carbon emissions associated with the delivery of fresh produce.

Maria Cantore, Rosario’s undersecretary of environment, said she hoped the initiative could serve as a template for other cities worldwide looking to develop their own urban farms.

Cantore said the project was still going strong after 20 years despite elections and changes to the city administration, and that a new climate plan had been presented last December.

“We know we have to move forward with more green infrastructure to be more climate-resilient, and also mitigate the impact of climate change,” she said.

Uganda Helps Farmers Grow Trees For Money To Reverse Forest Loss

Angel Gimalo
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Uganda Helps Farmers Grow Trees For Money To Reverse Forest Loss

From tree-planting drives to tighter laws on illegal logging, countries worldwide are searching for a silver bullet to stop the loss of forests vital for nature and climate protection. 

After decades of losing thousands of hectares each year, Uganda has found a way not only to slow deforestation but to reverse it – mainly by helping people grow their own trees to cut down instead of clearing ecologically valuable rainforest.

New data released by the state-run National Forestry Authority (NFA) in May showed the proportion of the country covered by trees rose from 9% in 2015 to 12.4% in 2017.

In a tweet about the figures, the NFA said its 2019 National Biomass Study, due out in December, will likely show that tree cover has increased further.

Stuart Maniraguha, the NFA’s director of plantations development, said the data – collected using remote-sensing equipment and researchers on the ground – suggests things could be looking up for Ugandan farmers struggling to grow mainly rain-fed crops in increasingly extreme weather.

“As an agricultural country, (more forests) means more reliable rainfall,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “It indicates that we are on a positive journey towards economic and ecology restoration.”

Protection of the world’s forests is seen as vital to curbing global warming as they store planet-heating carbon and help regulate the climate through rainfall and temperature.

Those who live in and around Uganda’s Central Forest Reserves, more than 500 protected areas that cover about 15% of the country, say tree loss has exacerbated the often disastrous effects of erratic weather patterns for communities.

Last year, more than 700,000 Ugandans living near lakes and rivers were displaced from their homes after a year of unusually heavy rain caused the worst flooding since records began.

The NFA said that before the reversal of Uganda’s tree loss, the amount of land covered by forest had plunged from almost a quarter in 1990 to 9% in 2015.

In its 2016/2017 state of the environment report, the National Environment Management Authority attributed the sharp decline mainly to land-hungry farmers, noting that of the 1.9 million hectares of forest and wetland lost between 1990 and 2015, about 80% had been converted to grow crops.

SUSTAINABLE PLANTATIONS 

To restore the forests, Maniraguha said the NFA has used a range of methods, including promoting agroforestry – growing trees and crops together on the same land – and running tree-planting programmes.

And to stop people felling trees in protected areas, the authority gives technical help to farmers growing tree plantations, backed by partners including the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and local charity NatureUganda.

The biggest gains in tree cover over the past few years have occurred in the southwest, where farmers grow trees for use as timber, firewood and electricity poles, Maniraguha said.

The NFA has a goal for 24% of Uganda’s territory to be covered with trees by 2040, he added.

Peter Kasenene, who owns a 200-hectare (500-acre) plantation in Mawojo, in central Uganda – 70 hectares of which he planted under the FAO programme – said farmers like him are helping drive sustainable development on a local level.

“You work only in the first year after planting. Then the trees grow on their own,” said the 75-year-old former university professor who served as a finance minister from 2001 to 2006.

“That one you see there is the third generation – I cut, I replant,” he explained, pointing to a patch of eucalyptus trees which, along with pine, make up most of his plantation.

Kasenene said the FAO pays him 800,000 Ugandan shillings ($225) for every hectare he plants and he also earns a healthy income from selling the wood from the mature trees.

“You get the buyers, they cut the trees and put money in my account – I am comfortable,” he said.

‘FORESTS ARE OUR JEWELS’

Achilles Byaruhanga, executive director at NatureUganda, welcomed the increases in tree cover but said he was concerned reforestation was only happening on tree farms, even though they do offer an alternative source of firewood.

“We need to stabilise the (natural) forest cover and then increase it. We cannot afford to lose more. Natural resources – especially forests – are our jewels,” he said.

For NFA head Tom Okello, growing more trees is not enough if Uganda is going to sustain its success – more needs to be done to stop the root causes of encroachment and deforestation.

“You can’t stop a desperate person looking for firewood from entering into a forest. We must provide an alternative for energy, improve agricultural productivity and fight poverty,” he said.

Nearly 95% of Ugandans rely on firewood or charcoal for cooking, according to the energy ministry.    

In Buikwe district, which includes the Mabira Central Forest Reserve, tree farmer John Tabula urged the government to give communities more power to manage the rainforest in their areas.

Tabula belongs to a group of farmers who had an agreement with the NFA to manage a 3-km (2-mile) tract of forest inside the reserve where they grew eucalyptus to sell for electricity poles and terminalia, also known as Indian almond, for timber.

In return, they patrolled the forest looking out for illegal loggers, he said.

But the agreement expired in 2016 and the government has not renewed it, despite several requests, said Tabula, who also runs a private plantation with support from the FAO.

Today In History – August 20 – 1929 – 1st Airship Flight Around Earth Flying Eastward Completed

Angel Gimalo
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Today In History – August 20 – 1929 – 1st Airship Flight Around Earth Flying Eastward Completed

917 Battle at Anchialus: Bulgaria army counter-attacks Byzantines

1000 The foundation of the Hungarian state, Hungary is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary.

1191 Crusader King Richard I kills 3,000 Muslim prisoners in Akko

1391 Konrad von Wallenrode becomes the 24th Hochmeister of the Teutonic Order.

1534 Turkish admiral Chaireddin “Barbarossa” occupies Tunis

1566 Iconoclasm reaches Antwerp, Belgium

1597 1st Dutch East India Company ships return from the Far East

1604 Spanish garrison of Sluis surrenders to count Maurice

1612 9 Pendle witches hanged at Gallows Hill in Lancaster, England

1619 1st known African Americans in English North America (approx. 20) land at Point Comfort (Fort Monroe), Virginia. They are then sold or traded into servitude.

1641 England & Scotland sign Treaty of Pacification

1648 Battle of Lens: French Duc d’Enghien defeats Spaniards

1672 Former Grand Pensionary of Holland Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis are brutally murdered by an angry mob in The Hague

1741 Alaska first sighted by Danish explorer Vitus Bering at head of Russian expedition

1781 George Washington begins to move his troops south to fight Cornwallis

1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers: Major General “Mad Anthony” Wayne defeats a joint British-Native American force at Fallen Timbers, Ohio in the final battle of the Northwest Indian War

1795 Joseph Haydn returns to Vienna from England

1828 Gioachino Rossini’s opera “Le Comte Ory” premieres in Paris

1828 Hindi reform movement Brahmo Samaj founded by Ram Mohan Roy and Dwarkanath Tagore in Calcutta

1856 Wilberforce University forms in Ohio

1861 Skirmish at Jonesboro, MO

1864 8th/last day of battle at Deep Bottom Run Va (about 3,900 casualties)

1865 President Andrew Johnson proclaims an end to “insurrection” in Texas

1866 President Andrew Johnson formally declares US Civil War over

1879 Government Kappeijne of Coppello resigns

1882 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” debuts in Moscow

1886 Second Salon exhibition by Society of Independent Artists held in Paris; includes Georges Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”

1888 Longest US men’s single tennis tournament match Palmer Presbrey defeats T S Tailer, 19-21, 8-6, 6-1, 6-4, an 80 game 1st-round contest

1892 The Transvaal National Union, a political organisation, is set up with J. Tudhope as president

1893 Shechita (ritual slaughtering) prohibited in Switzerland

1896 Dial telephone patented

1900 Great Britain beats France by 158 runs in Paris; cricket’s only appearance at an Olympic Games

1900 Japan’s primary school law is amended to provide for four years of mandatory schooling.

1901 The Fawcett Commission visits Mafeking concentration camp in Cape Colony

1905 Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen forms the first chapter of T’ung Meng Hui, a union of all secret societies determined to bringing down the Manchus (Qing dynasty)

1908 Congo Free State becomes Belgian Congo

1908 America’s Great White Fleet arrives in Sydney, Australia, to be greeted with a tremendous welcome; 221 American sailors desert to remain in Australia

1910 US-supported opposition brings down Madriz in Nicaragua

1912 Plant Quarantine Act goes into effect

1912 Washington Senators future Baseball HOF pitcher Walter Johnson wins AL-record 15th straight, beating Cleveland Naps, 4-2; in nightcap Carl Cushion no-hits Naps, 2-0 in 6 innings

1913 1st pilot to parachute from an aircraft (Adolphe Pégoud, France)

1913 Piotr Nesterow 1st flight (Kiev Ukraine)

1914 German General von Bulow executes 211 Belgians

1914 Battle at Gumbinnen, East-Prussia: Russians beat Germans

1914 Battle at Morhange: German troops chase French, killing thousands

1914 Bavarian troops kill 50 inhabitants of Nomeny, France

1914 German army captured Brussels as the Belgian army retreated to Antwerp

1915 Chicago White Sox obtain ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson from Cleveland for Robert Roth, Larry Chappell, Ed Klepfer & $31,500; Jackson involved in ‘Black Sox Scandal’ 1919

1918 WWI: Britain opens offensive on Western front

1919 Wichita outfielder Joe Wilhoit (Western League) fails to get a hit, ending a 69-game streak (155 hits in 299 at bats for .505 average)

1920 American Professional Football Association forms; Jim Thorpe installed as president; later to become the National Football League (NFL)

1920 1st US commercial radio station, 8MK (WWJ), Detroit begins daily broadcasting

1920 Allen Woodring wins Olympic 200 m dash wearing borrowed shoes

1920 Israel publishes its first medical journal “Ha-Refuah”

1921 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Germantown CC, PA: Molla Bjurstedt Mallory wins her 6th US singles title; beats 3-time champion Mary Browne 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

1922 1st Women’s World Games (first track & field competition for women) is conducted over 1-day at the Pershing Stadium in Paris

1923 London dock strike ends

1925 WJR-AM in Detroit MI begins radio transmissions

1926 Uprising against Rezā Shāh Pahlavi in Iran

1926 Japan’s public broadcasting company, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai(NHK) is established.

1929 1st airship flight around Earth flying eastward completed

1930 A week before his 22nd birthday Australian cricket’s batting genius Don Bradman scores 232 in 5th Test win over England at The Oval in London

1930 Dumont’s 1st TV broadcast for home reception (NYC)

1931 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Helen Wills Moody beats Eileen Bennett Whittingstall of England 6-4, 6-1 for her 7th and final US singles title

1934 Australian cricket opening batsman Bill Ponsford is dismissed for 266 in his final Test match against England at The Oval; out for 22 in 2nd innings

1935 Military coup by General Pons & president Ibarra in Ecuador

1938 NY Yankees future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig hits record 23rd & final grand slam in 11-3 win over Philadelphia A’s at Shribe Park

1939 1st black bowling league formed (National Bowling Assoc)

1939 Russian offensive under General Zjoekov against Japanese invasion in Mongolia

1940 1st Polish squadrons fight along allies in the Battle of Britain

1940 British PM Churchill says of Royal Air Force, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”

1940 Louis Buchalter is indicted on murder charges in Los Angeles for the killing of Harry Greenberg, a mob associate of casino owner Meyer Lansky and mobster Bugsy Siegel

1941 Police raid 11th district of Paris, takes 4,000+ Jewish males

1942 Dim-out regulations implemented in San Francisco

1944 “Anna Lucasta” opens on Broadway

1944 PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Manito G & CC: Bob Hamilton wins his only major title, 1 up in the 36-hole final over heavily favoured Byron Nelson

1944 French General Charles de Gaulle returns to France

1944 Soviet offensive at Jassy & Kisjinev

1944 US & British forces destroy German 7th Army at Falaise-Argentan Gap

1945 17-year-old Dodgers utility Tommy Brown becomes youngest player to hit a MLB home run in Brooklyn’s 11-1 rout of Pittsburgh Pirates at Ebbets Field

1945 Soviet troops occupy Harbin & Mukden

1947 Boston Braves hit a million attendance for 1st time

Alleged Malpractice: JAMB Withdraws Results Of Additional 13 Candidates

Rhoda Onuzulike
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0
Alleged Malpractice: JAMB Withdraws Results Of Additional 13 Candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has again announced the withdrawal of results of additional 13 candidates who were alleged to have been involved in examination malpractices during this year’s yet-to-be-concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The examination body, which had earlier on Tuesday, announced the withdrawal of a candidate’s result over allegation of impersonation, also announced that 93 candidates’ results have been withheld pending the conclusion of an ongoing probe.

In its second statement on the matter on Tuesday, JAMB said; “The decision followed the consideration and further approval of the recommendations of the investigators by the board’s management at a management meeting held on Tuesday, 27th July 2021.”

The statement, which was signed by the head of public affairs and protocol, Fabian Benjamin, however, noted that the results of 14,620 other candidates who were hitherto under investigation have been cleared and released.

List of Affected Candidates

The examination body listed the additional 13 candidates whose results were withdrawn to include; Gabriel Micheal, Lawson Ruth Joy, Sadiq Mahbub Auwal, Tambaya Yahaya, Anowa Anointing, Ogbonna Joseph Dibia, and Ani Maryrose AdaLoki (Loik Ayomiposi Precious).

Others according to the statement are Ekeocha Chinecherem Michael, Oluwarotimi Toluwanimi Ayanfeoluwa, Edu Teslim Abiola, Simon Friday Promise and Onyeama Odi.

However, unlike its earlier announcement which contained details of the alleged candidate- Attama Lawrence Ikedichukwu, the latest announcement gave no insight into the specifics of the alleged infringements committed by the accused and where they sat the examinations.

The statement simply said; “You will recall that the Board, in its earlier release, stated it would still review the results of the 2021 UTME exercise and any candidate found wanting would have his/her result withheld. Out of the withheld results, thirteen were discovered to have been involved in examination infractions after they were released and the one withdrew bringing the total of the results that have been withdrawn to fourteen.”

The examination body, in its statement, said the results of the blind candidates who sat its examination between June 30 and Jul 1, 2021, have been released.

“In a similar vein, the results of the 332 blind candidates whose examination was conducted this month have also been released,” the statement added.

However, JAMB did not give reasons while 332 candidates’ results were released out of the 335 that registered to take part in the examination.

Earlier, the chairman of JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, the body in charge of the conduct of the examination for the blind candidates, Peter Okebukola, said the examination was scheduled to hold simultaneously across the 11 centres.

Okebukola, a professor of science education, spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on June 30 at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, venue for the candidates from Lagos and Ogun States.

He listed other cities hosting the remaining other centres like the Federal  Capital Territory,  Ado-Ekiti, Bauchi, Benin, Enugu, Jos, Kano, Kebbi, Oyo and Yola.

Lost In Time Ancient Cities

Angel Gimalo
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Lost In Time Ancient Cities

Petra

This ancient city in southern Jordan was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, which flourished from 4th century BC to 106 AD.

Petra was an important intersection for spice and silk trade routes, where traders from Rome, Greece, Egypt, India, and China met.

The large city was built into the side of the Wadi Musa Canyon in the southern part of Jordan, carved into sandstone mountains and cliffs.

It also had an intricately-designed water management system that was built with ceramic pipeline channels.

One stretched out five miles, and is an incredible example of hydraulic engineering.

Petra was annexed by Rome in 106 CE, and the trade routes soon shifted, changing Petra’s fortunes forever.

Hundreds of years later, earthquakes damaged the water system and Petra was abandoned. It was newly discovered in 1912 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Machu Picchu

Rediscovered in 1911, Machu Picchu was hidden for many centuries above Peru’s Urubamba Valley. 

Also called “Lost City of the Incas,” Machu Picchu cannot be seen from below, as it is on top of a mountain and surrounded by agricultural terraces.

Its stone blocks were placed together without mortar. In its heyday, the city was one of the Inca empire’s most important cultural, political, and religious centers.

It is divided into two sections, and has an ancient Sun Temple. Machu Picchu has been designated as a World Heritage Site.

Pompeii

Endless tales have been told about the tragedy of Pompeii, which occurred on August 24, in the year 79 AD.

That was the day that the volcano Vesuvius erupted, and the unfortunate citizens were in no way prepared.

The entire town was swiftly covered in ash and soil, and it is estimated that from 2,000 to 16,000 people perished.

Remarkably, the eruption preserved the city in its state when the lava poured out of the volcano onto its structures and people. Everything was frozen in time.

Any survivors fled, and Pompeii was soon forgotten. The site was excavated in the 18th century, and the evidence found provided a great detail of insight into daily living in this ancient Italian city.

Teotihuacán

Ancient Egypt is known for its breathtaking pyramids, but the 2nd centry BC city of Teotihuacán is certainly no slouch.

It is located about 30 miles outside of Mexico City, and is thought to have been settled around 400 BC.

By 400 AD, it was the most influential, powerful city in its region. It was built with a grid layout, covering eight miles.

Teotihuacán’s real treasure is its massive step pyramids, and there are ancient temples, palaces, plazas, and apartment compounds here as well.

Much of the city’s history is still a mystery, but some believe that its decline came from changing climate conditions like long-term droughts.

Ctesiphon

Some of the world’s earliest civilizations were located in ancient Mesopotamia in Western Asia.

Today, this region forms parts of Syria, Kuwait, Iraq, and Turkey. In the 6th century, one of its greatest cities was Ctesiphon, which was located about 20 miles outside of Baghdad.

It was conquered by Rome, and then by the Byzantine Empire. In 637 AD, it was captured by the Muslims during the Islamic conquest of Persia. There is little left of Ctesiphon, aside from the Ṭāq Kisrā.

This large, vaulted hall is regarded as a king’s former palace; many believe that the ancient city was the inspiration for the city of Isbanir mentioned in the Thousand and One Nights folk tales.

Exploring Borneo South-East Asia, World’s 3rd Largest Island

Angel Gimalo
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0
Exploring Borneo South-East Asia, World’s 3rd Largest Island

The island of Borneo is one of the largest islands in Southeast Asia. In fact, it is the third-largest island in the world.

Borneo has the distinction of being the only island in the world that is shared by three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

The Malaysian part of the island contains two states, called Sabah and Sarawak.

The Indonesian part of Borneo, which is also the largest part of the island, is known as Kalimantan and is composed of five provinces.

Today, Borneo is well-known for its rainforests, its multiethnic population, and its abundant natural resources, which are unfortunately being exploited at the expense of the island’s natural environment.

Borneo is located in Southeast Asia, in the Indonesian archipelago. To its north is the South China Sea.

The Philippines is situated northeast of Borneo, across the Sulu Sea. The Java Sea is located to the island’s south.

Across the Java Sea is the island of Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Borneo, across the Makassar Strait is the island of Sulawesi.

The Celebes Sea is also situated east of Borneo. To Borneo’s west are the island of Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and the Riau Archipelago.

Borneo is the world’s third-largest island. Only Greenland and New Guinea are larger. Its land area is approximately 743,330 sq. km.

The southern two thirds of the island is controlled by Indonesia and is known as Kalimantan, which translates as “diamond river”.

Two of Malaysia’s states, Sabah (“the land below the wind”) and Sarawak (“antimony”), are situated on the northern coast of Borneo, as is the small Sultanate of Brunei.

Borneo has one significant mountain range, which runs from the southwest to the northeast.

The mountainous areas of the island are located mostly in the interior. Land elevations on the island are lowest in the south, rarely surpassing a height of 1,200 meters.

Further to the north, near the Indonesian-Malaysian border, however, elevations are much higher, and can reach more than 2,400 meters.

Among the mountains of Borneo is the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia, Mt. Kinabalu, which reaches a height of 4,095 meters.

Borneo was once covered in rainforests, but this began to change in the 1980s and 90s, as many of the forests were torn down at a rapid pace.

Today, the island still contains forests, though they make up a fraction of what used to be present.

Nevertheless, the forests of Borneo are still among the most biodiverse on the planet. Some of them are mangrove forests, which are situated in the island’s estuaries and coastal areas.

There are also peat swamp forests, located in the lowlands of the island.

Nigerian Institute Set to Collaborate With Ghanaian Parliament

Rhoda Onuzulike
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0
Nigerian Institute Set to Collaborate With Ghanaian Parliament

The National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has said it is open to collaborating with the Parliament of Ghana and its parliamentary services board.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Director-General of NILDS, Abubakar Suleiman, during a study tour of the institute by a delegation of the Parliamentary Service Board of Ghana.

Speaking during the occasion, Suleiman, a professor of political science, said NILDS was ready to collaborate with Ghana in areas of capacity building and democratic consolidation.

“I wish to assure the delegation of our commitment to sharing our experience and expertise with the new Institute especially in providing continuing education for MPs and parliamentary staff as we strive to enhance the professionalism of the parliamentary staff, clerks of committees and legislative aides.” he added

In his remarks, Head of the Ghanaian Delegation, Johnson Nketiah, who doubles as the chairman of the Committee on Administration and Human Resources of the Parliamentary Service Board of Ghana, said the delegation was in Nigeria “for exchange of ideas and best practices between the parliaments of Ghana and Nigeria.”

According to Nketiah, the delegation was in Nigeria to understudy what NILDS is doing.

“We are about to embark on some reforms in our parliamentary service. We’ve heard about the good stories of Nigeria. And we think that there are very good lessons that we can learn from here.”

He said the delegation was interested in what NILDS is doing because ”we also have a similar institution even though very young, called Parliamentary Training Institute of Ghana.”

Another objective of the visit, Nketiah said, is to take away valuable lessons that will help them to improve on their parliamentary services back in Ghana.

While addressing the delegation, Suleiman said the Institute was ready to collaborate with Ghana on areas such as the exchange of legislative experience between the parliament and other parliamentary institutions, including Parliamentary Service Commissions.

He also said the Institute was open to sharing of experience and knowledge as well as templates and guidelines on legislative activities such as oversight as well as capacity-building activities for legislators, parliamentary staff and legislative aides to enable them to perform optimally.

The DG also listed capacity-building activities for political appointees to cover such areas as working with the legislature on budget process; understanding the billing process; legislative oversight function; and public finance management & public procurement, in addition to capacity building programmes for special committees of State Houses of Assembly such as regional workshops for Public Accounts Committees on public financial oversight; parliamentary procedure for workshop Rules and Business Committees; and budget reform workshops for Appropriation and Finance Committees.

As part of the areas of collaboration, Suleiman mentioned capacity building programmes for paramilitaries, police and security committees.

In addition, the DG said the Institute and the Parliament of Ghana can collaborate and share experience/expertise in the following areas: legislative drafting training programmes of the Institute and relevant staff development; knowledge management activities and the training of political parties/ building capacity for NILDS in legislative information management, research and policy development

Also, the DG said the Institute was available to facilitate the exchange of experience to the Parliament of Ghana by the leadership of the National Assembly to interface with leadership and key parliamentary committees as well as internship opportunities for staff of the Institute, Commission and the National Assembly and vice versa.

Aside from the above, Suleiman said the NILDS was ready to undertake surveys and research on security challenges within the ECOWAS sub-region.

US offers $5m bounty for Guinea-Bissau coup leader

Henry Williams
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US offers $5m bounty for Guinea-Bissau coup leader

The United States announced Thursday it is offering a $5 million reward for the arrest of Guinea-Bissau’s former coup leader Antonio Indjai, wanted for his alleged role in a drug deal linked to Colombian Farc guerrillas.

On April 13, 2012, General Antonio Indjai, then chief of staff in the politically unstable West African country, staged a coup, disrupting the electoral process two weeks before the presidential runoff.

U.S. prosecutors indicted him in 2013, accusing him of agreeing to stockpile tons of cocaine for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the sale of which financed the purchase of weapons for the guerrillas and bribes to officials in Guinea-Bissau.

After the coup led by Antonio Indjai, a transitional authority was put in place until the May 2014 election of José Mario Vaz as president.

The $5 million will reward information leading to his arrest or conviction.

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