Tinubu Directs Slash in Size of Govt’s Officials Attending Foreign Events

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August 28, 2023

President Bola Tinubu has directed the streamlining of the number of federal government officials that would be taking part in foreign events, on government’s sponsorship, starting with the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States (US), next month.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday, August 28, by the special adviser on media and publicity to the president, Ajuri Ngelale.

Government officials, judges, and others will receive a 114% pay raise – RMAFC.

The president ordered a cut down on the number of officials participating in foreign trips to reduce the cost of governance by the administration.

The statement stated that the president’s directive would be implemented by the various ministries, departments and agencies of government, warning that wherever it is discovered that the directive has not been followed, the necessary actions would be taken during the final verification process.

It noted: “As part of a broader effort to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to freeze the processing of visas for all government officials seeking to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly without proof of direct participation in UNGA’s official schedule of activities.

“To prevent any sharp practice in this regard, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria is accordingly guided on official visa processing while Nigeria’s Permanent Mission in New York is further directed to prevent and stop the accreditation of any government official who is not placed on the protocol lists forwarded by the approving authority.

“By this directive of the President, all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies are mandated to ensure that all officials, who are approved for inclusion in the UNGA delegation, strictly limit the number of aides and associated staff partaking in the event. Where excesses or anomalies in this regard are identified, they will be removed during the final verification process.

“The President wishes to affirm that, henceforth, government officials and government expenditure must reflect the prudence and sacrifice being made by well-meaning Nigerians across the nation.”

Nasarawa Demolishes Structures On Water Ways

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Angel Gimalo

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August 28, 2023

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Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, says there is no immediate threat of flooding, calling on the government at all levels to put measures in place to prevent flood emergencies.

Utsev told newsmen in Abuja that the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) had observed an increase in the volume of flow along the River Benue system, registering a flow level of 8.97 meters today.

This, he said, was insignificant, as compared to a flow level of 8.80 meters on the same date in 2022.

According to him, reports from inland dams including Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro also showed a consistent flow regime.

“In Lokoja, the heightened flow volume along the River Benue system, the flow situation at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers in Lokoja, Kogi State, remains within normal parameters.

“The flow level at the monitoring station downstream of the confluence records 7.80 meters today, compared to 8.24 meters on the same date in 2022.

“As at today, there is no threat to lives and properties, especially those states that are contiguous to Rivers Niger and Benue.”

The minister called on all tiers of government to ensure preparedness and deploy appropriate measures to minimise the potential impact of flooding during the peak of the rainy season.

He called on states to increase sensitisation on the need for people living along the river banks to relocate to higher grounds during the peak period of rainfall.

Tinubu Directs Ministers To Revive National Economy

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 28, 2023

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President Bola Tinubu has given the Federal Executive Council (FEC) a directive to marshall the revival of the economy and make life more bearable for the people.

This was disclosed during the inaugural council meeting where he rolled out the road map for the economy going forward and urged the new federal executive council to evolve developmental targets along the eight priority areas of his renewed hope administration.

The council also examined the President’s eight-point agenda including national security, economy, agriculture, power, oil and gas, transportation, education, healthcare, the Digital Economy, Women Empowerment, and Judicial Reform, among others.

Tinubu to Ministers: Revive the economy

Briefing state house correspondents after the meeting, the ministers who were led by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, have unanimously assured that they are inspired by Mr. President’s dispositions and the impact of government will soon be evident across the entire nation.

At the meeting were the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila among others.

Recall that after confirmation of the appointment of the 45 Ministers by the Senate, they were sworn in by the President on the 21st of August, 2023. Since the swearing-in, the ministers had familiarized themselves with their ministries before today’s FEC meeting.

FG Discovers Illegal Crude Oil Connection In Abia

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faith Jegede

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August 28, 2023

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An oil theft situation assessment delegation deployed in the Niger Delta by President Bola Tinubu discovered an illegal oil connection.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd stated that Nigeria loses an average of 7.2 million dollars monthly from the illegal connection discovered at Owaza in Abia State.

It added that clandestine refineries, illegal bunkering operations and environmental devastation the team saw collectively translated into severe economic losses for the nation.

The delegation, led by the Minister of Defence, Malam Muhammed Badaru, has service chiefs, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, as members.

Other members are the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperipe Ekpo, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., Malam Mele Kyari.

Also in the team are the Commander of “Operation Delta Safe’’, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, operatives of security agencies and chief executive officers of regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector.

The team visited the Trans-Niger Pipeline Right of Way in Owaza, Abia where an array of dismantled illegal connections were observed.

“We are ready to do whatever it takes for a peaceful Niger-Delta. Cease and desist from crude oil theft and economic sabotage,’’ Malam Badaru advised at the site.

In his remarks, Kyari said while oil theft in vessels could be tracked, oil-bearing communities must play a vital role in curbing oil theft within their communities.

he added that Oil theft is one of the reasons Nigeria cannot meet her OPEC daily production quota.

Also speaking at the site, Chief Security Officer of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd., Patrick Godwin, said some arrests had been made and culprits arraigned.

In his comments, Ribadu applauded security agencies, community security contractors, and NNPC Ltd. for stepping up the fight against oil theft and economic sabotage.

“The environment and livelihoods are being destroyed while the federation is deprived of revenue capable of shoring up the economy and strengthening the Naira,’’ he said.

Nigeria Renews Call For Return Of Benin Bronzes Following British Museum Thefts

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Koko Lawrence

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August 28, 2023

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Nigerian officials have renewed calls for the repatriation of Benin Bronzes held in the British Museum collection following news of missing, stolen, and damaged items within the institution.

“It’s shocking to hear that the countries and museums that have been telling us that the Benin Bronzes would not be secure in Nigeria, have thefts happening there,” the director of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Abba Isa Tijani, said in an interview.

On August 16, the British Museum announced that a former employee was responsible for the small pieces of “gold jewelry and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century” that had disappeared in increments from its collection. The press release did not name the fired staff member, but two UK media outlets identified them as veteran Greek antiquities curator Peter Higgs.

The institution has come under intense scrutiny after reports that the stolen items total “more than 1,500”, and were listed on the e-commerce website eBay for as little as $51. Additionally, it was revealed that senior officials were emailed detailed warnings about the thefts in 2021.

The Benin Bronzes are brass and bronze artifacts, some dating to the 16th century, that were removed from the West African kingdom of Benin (present-day Nigeria) after British forces invaded in 1897. The British Museum has a particularly large collection of “elaborately decorated cast plaques, commemorative heads, items of royal regalia, and personal ornaments”, with over 900 objects and more than 100 on rotating display in its galleries.

Tijani stressed that the Benin Bronzes were illegally taken from Benin and deposited in the London museum. “It is irrespective whether they are safe there…The issue is that these are stolen artifacts, and they should be returned to Nigeria to the communities that they belong to.”

While the British Museum’s website says it has “positive relationships with the royal palace in Benin City and with the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM)”, it acknowledges that the museum received a written request for their return from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in October 2021.

In the interview, Tijani also said Hannatu Musawa, Nigeria’s newly appointed minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, planned to directly request the immediate repatriation of the contested artifacts.

Tinubu to Ministers: Revive the economy

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Mana Balagbogbo

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August 28, 2023

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President Bola Tinubu on Monday gave the Federal Executive Council (FEC) a marching order to marshal the revival of the economy and make life more bearable for the people.

The maiden council meeting he presided over at the Council Chambers of the presidential villa in Abuja, considered the “Road map for the economy” presented by the minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy, Wale Edun.

Speaking on the issue at the post-FEC press briefing, Edun said the council agreed that the economy is not where it should be.

He said FEC examined eight priority areas and identified targets to deliver in the next three years.

Edun affirmed that President Tinubu has charged the ministers to roll out policies and programmes to turn around the economy.

96th Oscars: Nigerian Selection Committee Calls For Submissions

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Koko Lawrence

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August 28, 2023

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The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has called on Nigerian filmmakers to submit their feature films for consideration.

The filmmakers are expected to enter their films in the International Feature Film (IFF) category of the 96th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars).

The AMPAS officially recognises the NOSC and will choose one film as the country’s official submission for the IFF Award.

The portal, according to the committee, is open for submissions from 28 August 2023 to 15 September on thenosc.org.

The IFF Award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains 50 per cent or more in a language or languages other than English.

The Academy Awards requires that submitted films meet other criteria, including accurate, legible English subtitles, shooting formats, and theatrical releases – details of which are available on the NOSC website.

Nigeria attained the first feat at the Academy with the country’s submission, The Milkmaid. The film was ratified by the Executive Committee of the IFF, having passed the eligibility test before failing to make it past the first shortlist category.

In 2019, Nigeria’s official submission, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart movie, was disqualified for not meeting the non-English dialogue criteria.

It led to the controversy on whether or not Nigerian pidgin should not be considered a local language.

Culture Minister Hannatu Musawa Outlines Eight-Point Plan

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Koko Lawrence

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August 28, 2023

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Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy minister, Hannatu Musawa, has outlined an eight-point plan to boost the Nigerian entertainment and creative sector.

An official statement released Monday by an official in charge of Destination 2030, Maryam Ahman, highlighted the minister’s vision to make Nigeria the world’s creative, cultural and entertainment capital.

Since 2015, the Nigerian creative industries have been tipped to become a significant revenue generator for the country. Specifically, in the same year, Nigeria’s GDP amounted to N94.14 trillion ($308.6 billion), with the creative industries jointly contributing about N5 trillion ($16.4 billion).

In 2021, the former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, also said the creative industry was worth $4.5 billion. However, the value as of today has almost doubled.

To further accelerate the economic potency of the creative industry, the minister promises to provide the necessary tools to enable the continuous growth of entertainment, art and culture.

It read, “We will deliver job opportunities and foster foreign partnerships and local collaborations that proudly exhibit our rich and unique national identity on a local and global stage, and we will elevate our nation’s economic standing.”

The statement disclosed that aside from the ministry’s eight-point plans, multiple initiatives and projects are planned, such as creative hubs and a Nigeria cultural expo.

The projects include a national entertainment centre, a national art gallery, innovative publishing partnerships and a gaming sandbox project.

“We are building a global standard film festival, a culinary academy led by a Michelin star chef and a fashion foundry,’’ the minister said.

Eight-point plan

The first agenda on the eight-point list is Nigeria Destination 2030, a national initiative to grow the arts, culture and creative economy under one united vision.

Aside from growing the creative economy, the initiative aims to position Nigeria as Africa’s creative capital.

Here, the minister promises to deliver more jobs, inbound visitors, and local opportunities to enhance the development of all creative sectors.

Skill acquisition is second on the list aimed at equipping talents through comprehensive training programs nationwide.

Highlighting other listed plans, the statement partly read, “Fastrack the improvement, creation and implementation of policy frameworks that effectively stimulate increased revenue generation, job creation, and sustainable growth across the entire sector.”

“Our Collective Success Requires Focused Strategy, Governance, and Collaboration. Our team is developing a comprehensive and effective strategy for the arts, culture, and creative economy.”

Similarly, the minister noted that innovative strategic partnerships are required to achieve the set goals faster.

As such, the fifth point in the agenda is to facilitate the creation of Public-Private partnerships that will stimulate investment in the creative economy and expedite the development of critical infrastructure, technology, and innovation hubs.

The sixth point on the list is to ensure that Nigeria ranks among the top 20 globally regarding GDP contribution, amongst other growth targets.

Creating an enabling business environment by thriving on technology takes the seventh spot while preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage and sustainability takes the last place on the plan.

The Mandate

In the statement, the minister disclosed that two parties inspired the plan to grow the creative economy better than it was.

She noted, “It is a mandate from the presidency and the people to grow this sector, creating new jobs, new revenue, a firmer policy framework, and supporting new creations & artistic expressions of our greatest resource, The Nigerian People.”

While highlighting that the creative economy is an economy of ideas, innovation, and invention in the digital age, the minister called for collaborative efforts from stakeholders nationwide.

Conclusively, she emphasised that a strong creative and cultural economy is a crucial growth driver and presents an opportunity to accelerate Nigeria’s local and global development.

Residents Storm Warehouse, Loot Palliatives In Bayelsa

By

faith Jegede

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August 28, 2023

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A warehouse in Bayelsa has been broken into and looted by residents in the state.

The warehouse located along Isaac Boro Expressway in Yenagoa the state capital was reportedly forced into and raided.

The warehouse contained, palliatives provided for flood victims in the state but had yet to be distributed. It was not confirmed whether the subsidy palliatives provided by the President to states to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal are among the items looted.

Confirming the invasion of the warehouse, the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, said the incident occurred at about 7:45pm on Sunday almost an hour after the Director-General, Walamam Igrubia, alongside some BYSEMA personnel, left the warehouse premises, adding that during the 2022 flood in the state, the Agency used the warehouse to store food items.

BYSEMA in the statement condemns the action of the yet-to-be-identified persons that invaded the premises of a warehouse and also condemns the attempt to politicise the incident by opposition elements in the state.

U.S, China Agree to Export Control Information Dialogue

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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August 28, 2023

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The United States and China have agreed to launch an export control enforcement information dialogue and a new formal working group on commercial issues, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday, giving Beijing a potential forum to express concerns.

After meetings between U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, the exchange would provide a “platform to reduce misunderstandings of U.S. national security policies,” Raimondo said, adding: “We are not compromising or negotiating on matters of national security. Period.”

The first in-person meeting of the export control information exchange will be held at the assistant secretary level at the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing on Tuesday, Raimondo said.

“The United States is committed to be transparent about our export control enforcement strategy,” she said. “To show you how real this is, the first meeting of that new information exchange is tomorrow in Beijing. We’re wasting no time.”

China has criticized U.S. efforts to block China’s access to advanced semiconductors through export controls, but Raimondo has said those are not open for debate.

The White House this month moved to start prohibiting some U.S. investment in sensitive technologies in China and plans to soon finalize sweeping export restrictions on advanced semiconductors adopted in October.

Some Republicans in Congress had urged Raimondo earlier this month not to open a formal working group on export control issues.

Raimondo noted earlier this year that she had put over 200 Chinese companies on a U.S. export control list and has repeatedly said she not hesitant to use the power as necessary.

The new commercial issues working group is a consultation mechanism involving U.S. and Chinese government officials and private sector representatives “to seek solutions on trade and investment issues and to advance U.S. commercial interests in China.”

Raimondo, who had a meeting lasting more than two hours with Wang followed by a two-hour lunch, said she wants to address concerns from U.S. businesses that are having difficulties operating in China.

“We’re delivering. We will have that formal communication,” she said.

The working group will meet twice annually at the vice minister level, with the U.S. hosting the first meeting in early 2024.

The United States and China also agree to convene subject matter experts from both sides for technical discussions “regarding strengthening the protection of trade secrets and confidential business information,” Raimondo said.