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Olympic Flag Passed To Paris Mayor Hidalgo For 2024 Games

Zoe Maven
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Olympic Flag Passed To Paris Mayor Hidalgo For 2024 Games

The Olympic flag has been passed to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo for the 2024 Games at the Tokyo closing ceremony on Sunday as thousands gathered near the Eiffel Tower to celebrate the handover.

Hidalgo waved the flag, decorated with the five Olympic rings, after she received it from International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach in Tokyo.

Thousands of people, including medalists who have returned from Tokyo, gathered near the Eiffel Tower to welcome the handover of the Olympic flag to Paris, which will host the Games in 2024.

A flyover by jets from the Patrouille de France (“Patrol of France”) released blue, white and red smoke – the colours of the French flag – in the sky of the capital.

French President Emmanuel Macron was filmed on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower saying the Olympic slogan “higher, faster, stronger” and adding: “Together”.

Organisers planned to unfurl a football-field sized flag with the emblem of Paris 2024 from atop the tower but opted against it due to windy weather.

While Tokyo on Sunday handed off the Summer Games baton to Paris for 2024, the delay has effectively crammed two Olympics together. The next Winter Games convenes in just six months in another major Asian metropolis – Beijing, Japan’s rival in East Asia and home to a much more authoritarian government.

Organisers of the Paris 2024 Games promised on Sunday to “take sport out of its traditional spaces” and “connect with new audiences in new ways” in 2024 – presuming, of course, the absence of a protracted pandemic.

Paris will organise the Games 100 years after last hosting the Olympics in 1924.

Rwanda Defence Force Retakes Strategic Mozambican Town

Zoe Maven
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Rwanda Defence Force Retakes Strategic Mozambican Town

Rwanda Defence Force said on Sunday said Rwandan and Mozambican security forces have recaptured the port town of Mocimboa da Praia, an insurgents’ stronghold.

The Rwandan defence force relayed news the town was recaptured in a twitter post without giving further details. Mozambique’s Defence Ministry said a press briefing will be held at 1400 GMT.

Almost 800,000 people have been displaced in Cabo Delgado and the fighting has brought a $20 billion natural gas project led by oil giant Total to a halt.

Mozambique’s northern-most province of Cabo Delgado, which has gas developments worth some $60 billion, has since 2017 harboured an Islamist insurgency.

The unrest escalated as insurgents, linked to Islamic State, seized entire towns, including the strategically important Mocimboa da Praia.

Last month, the Rwandan government deployed a 1,000-strong force to Mozambique to fight alongside Mozambique’s forces and troops of the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Mocimboa da Praia, 60 kilometres south of the gas projects, previously served as the main airport for international workers flying into the gas developments and its port is used for cargo deliveries.

Rwanda sent in 1,000 troops last month to shore up Mozambican military forces that have been struggling to regain control over the northern Cabo Delgado province, which is home to one of Africa’s biggest liquefied natural gas projects.

Sudan Recalls Ambassador To Neighbouring Ethiopia

Zoe Maven
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Sudan Recalls Ambassador To Neighbouring Ethiopia

Sudan recalled its ambassador to neighbouring Ethiopia on Sunday, frustrated by the stance of Ethiopian officials whom it said were refusing Sudan’s offer to mediate in the ongoing conflict in Tigray.

According to a statement from the foreign ministry, Ethiopia will improve its position if it considered what Sudan could do, instead of completely rejecting all of its efforts.

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday about the conflict in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, which has led to an influx of 53,400 refugees since late 2020.

Hamdok’s offer came within the framework of his presidency of IGAD, a grouping that includes Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti, Sudan, Uganda and Somalia.

Spokespeople for the Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs and the prime minister did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sudan recalling its ambassador.

On Thursday the prime minister’s spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, dismissed the possibility of Sudan mediating on the conflict in the northern region of Tigray.

She described the relationship with Khartoum as tricky, adding that trust should be the basis of any mediation but had “eroded” especially following the “Sudanese army incursion into Ethiopian territory.”

Relations have been soured by disputes over Al-Fashqa, an area of fertile land settled by Ethiopian farmers that Sudan says lies on its side of a border demarcated at the start of the 20th century, which Ethiopia rejects.

Floods In Sudan Damage Thousands Of Homes

Zoe Maven
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Floods In Sudan Damage Thousands Of Homes

Thousands of homes have been damaged in Sudan after torrential rains caused heavy flooding, with many streets in the capital Khartoum deep in water.

In Atbara, a city in Sudan’s north-east, the official news agency SUNA reported that a number of houses had “collapsed” due to the heavy rains.

On Thursday, the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA said some 12,000 people in eight out of the country’s 18 states had been affected.

Heavy rains usually fall in Sudan from June to October, and the country faces severe flooding every year, wrecking properties, infrastructure, and crops.

Last year, heavy rains forced Sudan to declare a three-month state of emergency, after flooding affected at least 650,000 people, with over 110,000 homes damaged or destroyed.

In 2020, the Blue Nile — which joins the White Nile in the Sudanese capital Khartoum — floodwater swelled the river to its highest level since records began over a century ago.

Chibok Schoolgirl Reunited With Family After 7 Years In Captivity

Zoe Maven
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Chibok Schoolgirl Reunited With Family After 7 Years In Captivity

A Nigerian schoolgirl, Ruth Ngladar Pogu who was kidnapped by Boko Haram militants along several others more than seven years ago is free and has been reunited with her family.

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum said in a statement that Ruth Ngladar Pogu surrendered to the military last month along with a person she said she had married.

According to the statement, she had surrendered to the military on July 28. But officials had not announced the development earlier to give them time to contact her parents and other Chibok families.

He expressed excitement being what he calls the father of all sons and all daughters of the state adding that families of those still in captivity must remain hopeful especially in view of this latest development.

Nearly 300 schoolgirls, most aged between 12 and 17, were abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014 from Chibok in northeast Nigeria, sparking an international outcry.

Over the years, many of the girls were released or found by the military, but more than 100 are still missing, Amnesty International said in April to mark the seven year anniversary of the abduction.

Nigeria’s armed forces are still fighting to end the 12-year jihadist insurgency in the country’s northeast, a conflict that has left 40,000 people dead and displaced more than two million others.

Mass kidnappings in Nigeria have again made international headlines this year as heavily armed criminal gangs have targeted schools and colleges to abduct students for ransom. Nearly 1,000 pupils have been snatched in mass abductions since December, mostly in the country’s northwestern and central states. Most have been released but some are still being held after months in captivity

Gov. Babagana receives another Chibok schoolgirl

Rhoda Onuzulike
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Gov. Babagana receives another Chibok schoolgirl

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno on Saturday received Ruth Pogu, one of the 276 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014.

A statement by Mallam Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser to the governor on Communications and Strategy, said Pogu and a man claimed to be her husband, surrendered at a location in Bama Local Government Area of the state.

“Ruth, alongside someone she was said to have married during her captivity, surrendered themselves to the Nigerian military on July 28, 2021, at a location in Bama. Ruth returned with two children.

“Under Zulum’s supervision, security and government officials kept the development secret and used the last 10 days to contact her parents and the association of parents of the missing schoolgirls in order to ascertain her identity,” Gusau said.

He said the governor received the Chibok schoolgirl at the Government House, Maiduguri, in the presence of overwhelmed parents who reunited with her.

“Zulum said reuniting with Ruth was a boost to keeping the hopes of parents, other family members and Borno government alive in the optimism that all others, still in captivity, will be safely found and in good health.

“Ruth and her parents, will undertake a rehabilitation and reintegration programme that will focus on her health, psychosocial wellbeing and her chosen path to a productive future, all of which will be determined by her.

“The Governor commiserated with families of those still in captivity and urged them to remain optimistic, prayerful and cooperative with security agencies should they be required for any measure,” Gusau said.

Chairman of the Chibok Girls Movement, an association of all affected parents, Yakubu Keki, expressed joy over the return.

Keki thanked security operatives and all those who continue to show concern over the plight of parents whose daughters were abducted.

Professor Babagana Zulum- Borno State Governor

Kwara Govt. Inaugurates committee to enhance Food Security

Rhoda Onuzulike
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Kwara Govt. Inaugurates committee to enhance Food Security

The Kwara State Fadama Technical Committee- Fadama NG-CARES Platform has been inaugurated.

The committee was inaugurated in accordance with the project operation manual of the Result Area2 and for the purpose of effective implementation of the project.

Inaugurating the Committee, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hajia Marriam Nurudeen Mohammed, stated that the Committee is tasked to meet at least twice in every six months or at anytime determined by the Chairman.

Hajia Mohammed said that the Committee was to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the project.

The specific terms of the Committee  are to assess the progress of implementation, review and approve work plans and budgets for the Kwara State Fadama NG-CARES platform.

Fadama, is an Hausa name for irrigable land.

Hajia said that the State Fadama NG-CARES Coordination Office would be the Secretariat of the Committee.

The Permanent Secretary, who doubles as the Chairman of the Committee, congratulated the members and charged them to take the task as a vital commitment to actualise Governor AbdulRazaq’s objective towards increasing food security and safe food supply chains in the State.

She also thanked the state Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq  for coming to the aid of the poor and vulnerable in the State at the right time through this agricultural programme.

Presenting the general overview of the committee before her members, the State Project Coordinator, Engineer Busari Toyin Isiaka, dwelled on the agricultural inputs and assets to be disbursed to the prospective beneficiaries.

Busari explained that the Kwara State Fadama Coordination Office is into two  disbursement linked indicators ( DLIs) disclosing that inputs for crop and livestock are captured under DLI 2.1, while assets for production and primary processing are found under DLI 2.3.

The Committee has as its Chairman, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hajia Marriam Nurudeen Mohammed, Managing Director, Kwara Agricultural Development Project, Director, Livestock Services,Director, Fishery Services, Director, Agricultural Engineering Services, Director, Veterinary Services, Director, Agricultural Services, and Representative of the Ministry of Environment as members.

Others are the Representative of the Ministry of Water Resources, the Representative of the Ministry of Local Government, the Representative of Farmers’ Community Associations  and the State Project Coordinator (SPC), Fadama NG-CARES, Engr.  Busari Toyin Isiaka, as the Secretary of the Committee.

The Fadama NG-CARES Result Area2, was one of the five platforms initiated by the state to cushion the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the platform is particularly to intervene in the lives of the poor and vulnerable agriculturally, hence, enhancing food security.

Pres. Buhari Adds “Innovation” to Ministry Of Science And Technology

Angel Gimalo
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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the change of name of Ministry of Science and Technology to Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, announced this in a news briefing in Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power.

He said the change of name was to facilitate economic growth and global competitiveness as well as to make Nigeria a nation of innovators.

The minister said that in 2017 the Federal Executive Council, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the National Science, Technology and Innovation Roadmap (NSTIR 2017-2030).

“This was to use Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to catalyse Nigeria’s economic growth and competitiveness.

“This document laid out a core policy for driving positive socio-economic outcomes through science, technology and innovation in all activities of the economy,’’ Mr Onu said.

The minister said this had necessitated the ministry’s change of name to the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, as approved by the Presidency.

Kwara State Government Harps On Solid Education For Sustainable Development

Precious Obazee
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Kwara State Government Harps On Solid Education For Sustainable Development

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, says that no sustainable development can be achieved without solid education.

The Governor made the remark when he spoke at the Kwara Education Futures Summit, which was held in Ilorin.

AbdulRazaq noted further that the Kwara Education Futures Summit, will analyse the current state of education in Kwara and develop actionable plan to build a new generation who can hold their own anywhere in the world.

The governor added that, he was confident in the future of education in the state as the best brains and hands are working on it.

Malawi To Introduction Of Peace Education In Schools Curricula

Precious Obazee
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Malawi To Introduction Of Peace Education In Schools Curricula

Malawi’s Minister of Civic Education and National Unity, Timothy Pagonachi Mtambo, has asked developers of primary and secondary schools’ curricula to further explore applying Peace Education at primary and secondary level.

Mtambo said the introduction of Peace Education in primary and secondary schools could help in circumventing conflicts that arise out of land ownership wrangles, chieftaincy succession disputes, religious differences and various forms of political propaganda.

The minister was speaking in Blantyre when he opened the United Nations Malawi (UN Malawi)/academia collaboration workshop.

The UN Malawi/Academia Collaboration marks the beginning of a strategic and operational relationship between the UN Malawi and Malawi’s best and brightest intellectuals.

Mtambo admitted that Malawi faces an uphill battle in circumventing conflicts that have, at times, escalated into violence that has threatened the peace that Malawi has enjoyed since independence.

He said it is against this background that the Malawi Government, with support from the UN Malawi, started the process of establishing an institutional framework that would ensure that tensions are handled before they escalate into violence.

He hailed the UN Malawi as an ardent ally to the government in building national capacities for sustainable peace in Malawi.

He also disclosed that the academia has played a leading role in informing state legislation, policy and public discourse.

UN Malawi Resident Representative Maria Jose Torres Macho pledged her organization’s commitment to supporting national efforts to promote peace and tranquillity in Malawi.

Macho emphasized that peace and unity are crucial in the pursuit for social and economic transformation.

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