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Concern among states as flooding looms due to open Cameroon Dam

By
Mana Balagbogbo
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The Cameroonian government had in a letter addressed to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, weekend, warned of its intention to release water from the Lagdo dam and asked the agency to take precautionary measures.

However, states, some of which are on the frontline of flooding caused by release of water from the dam, said they had already started taking steps to prevent loss of lives and destruction of properties. Such states, including Lagos, Benue and Delta, have also asked people living in flood-prone areas to relocate to higher grounds.

Reacting to the alert from Cameroon government yesterday, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, assured of the state government’s preparedness to promptly tackle any possible emergency that could arise from the impending flood in the state.

According to him, the state government has provided LASEMA with 144 units of facilities that could accommodate 5,000 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the event of any emergency. He said: “Lagos is well prepared. As you can see, LASEMA has changed from management to holistic emergency management.

What we mean here is that we have moved into the improved strategy of clearing canals and ensuring local governments have their local response, called Environmental Guard. “The purpose is to ensure effective clearing of tertiary drainages and environmental gang clearing the secondary drainage, thereby complementing each other simultaneously.

“We have met with the 57 local government chairmen on the need to put all primary emergency responders on alert. We are fine-tuning and strengthening our local response mechanism. ‘We have carried out risk analyses, resource mappings, opened directories in each council to know the vulnerable people in terms of emergency situation.

 All these measures are geared towards ensuring swift, prompt, and effective response. “We are carrying out enlightenment and sensitization programmes to get residents prepared across the councils. “The type of flood we have in Lagos called flash floods disappears within 30 minutes and one hour due to improved infrastructure and machinery in place. We are prepared.”

 Nigeria’s GDP Grows By 2.51% In Q2 Of 2023

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.51% (year-on-year) in real terms in the second quarter of 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics has said.

This growth rate is lower than the 3.54% recorded in the second quarter of 2022 and may be attributed to the challenging economic conditions being experienced, it added.

Frequent Blackouts Blamed For Drop In South Africa’s GDP

In its “Nigeria Gross Domestic Product Q2 2023” report published on the NBS website, the Bureau said the performance of the GDP in the second quarter of 2023 was driven mainly by the Services sector, which recorded a growth of 4.42% and contributed 58.42% to the aggregate GDP.

“The agriculture sector grew by 1.50%, an improvement from the growth of 1.20% recorded in the second quarter of 2022. The growth of the industry sector was -1.94% relative to -2.30% recorded in the second quarter of 2022.”

In terms of share to the GDP, agriculture, and the industry sectors contributed less to the aggregate GDP in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the second quarter of 2022.

Reduction of Working Days Not Economically Beneficial- ASCSN

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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The Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN), says the reduction in the number of days civil servants appear physically at work is not economically beneficial to the country.

ASCSN National President, Tommy Okon said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Okon said that the new development would also affect the productivity of the workfore.

It be would be recall that President Bola Tinubu had on May 29th, announced the removal of fuel subsidy, prompting economic challenges for majority of Nigerians.

FG Encourages Training Of Civil Servant For Efficient Service Delivery

This lead to some civil servants cutting down the number of days they appear at work physically.

According to Okon, Nigeria is not ripe for such system, where people can sit at home and work steadily.

“The issues of poor electricity or internet facilities will naturally pose challenges to such working pattern.

“Nigeria is not there yet because we don’t even have the power, no electricity, the internet facilities and the rest of it.

“We are used to physically being present in the workplace, where things are done. That is the culture of work in Nigeria,”he said.

“Also, when you look at the future of work in other developed countries, yes, we can adopt work at home, we can adopt artificial intelligence, we can adopt every other means,”he said.

He added that, but these can not be adopted in the Nigeria context or African extension, because we are trying to come out of the woods because culture and environment are different.

According to him, if you go by developmental issues in labour management relations, when you look at the three E basics which are energy, environment, and the economy.

Okon noted that there’s a tendency that they wouldn’t not be the same and can’t be achieve, when these things are not there.

ASCSN president also said the palliative programme being mulled by the Federal Government in view of the subsidy removal policy to cushion the hardship was ‘over’ delayed.

According to Okon, salaries of civil servants have remained static despite the subsidy crisis that has impacted much on livelihood of Nigerians.

“What is the take home, if you have removed fuel subsidy for three month now and the take home of the federal civil servant remains static, there is nothing coming and nothing going out, it a problem, ”he said.

He also alleged that the 40 per cent peculiar allowance that the union canvassed for and got from the last administration, was now being taxed.

“We have sent a memo to government that allowance should not be taxed, so that tells you that those managing the economy does not understand how things work,” he said.

He however, called on the governments at all level to ensure proper distribution of the palliatives given to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal in the country.

He also urged them to setup implementation committees both at federal and states level with chairmen yo ensure proper accountability for the palliatives distribution

Nigerian Govt. Reiterates Pledge To End Crude Oil Theft

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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Nigeria’s Minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has reiterated Nigerian Government commitment to stem the tide of crude oil theft in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta, stating that the activities of crude oil theft has resulted in huge economic losses to the Nigerian Government.

The Minister stated this during his visit to the Niger Delta, South South Nigeria as part of a delegation to the area for an assessment of the ongoing fight against crude oil theft in the oil rich region of Nigeria.

Recall that Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu dispatched a high-powered delegation to the Niger Delta for stakeholder engagements and on-the spot assessment of the fight against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta led by the Minister of Defence Muhammed Badaru and comprising of Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperipe Ekpo, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other key stakeholders.

Nigeria Loses 400,000 Barrels of Crude Oil Daily – Ribadu

The Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru, while addressing journalists during the tour in Port Harcourt the Rivers State Capital, stated that the objectives of the delegation and the charge by President Bola Tinubu was to asses the situation of crude oil theft in the area and profer lasting solution to the challenge.

“ We are ready to do whatever it takes for a peaceful Niger-Delta, give peace a chance, cease and desist from crude oil theft and economic sabotage”, he asserts. According to him, the team observed the prevalence of illegal connections on several pipelines costing the country million dollars in losses.

“The damage at one location in Owaza in Abia state is costing Nigeria a loss of 7.2 million Dollars per month”, he revealed.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Melle Kyari noted that while Oil theft in vessels can be tracked, the Host Communities must play a vital role in curbing oil theft within their communities where oil facilities are situated. “These are part of reasons why we cannot meet our OPEC quota”, he added.

The Community Security Contractors also briefed the delegation on recent successes and challenges encountered while carrying out their duties.

According the Chief Security Officer, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, Mr. Patrick Godwin, arrests have been made and some culprits have been prosecuted.

The delegation, however, embarked on an overflight tour on some host communities such as Owaza, Bille, Azuzuama, Ahoada, Rumuekepe Ebocha, Abacheke, Egbema, Ohaji, and Koko communities of Abia, Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Delta states.

At Owaza community, the team visited the Trans-Niger Pipeline Right of Way where an array of dismantled illegal connections where observed.

After a ground assessment of illegal connection points and destroyed illegal refineries,

the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu applauded the role of the Government Security Forces, Community Security Contractors, and NNPC Limited in stepping up the fight against crude oil theft and economic sabotage that profits only a few citizens he labelled as criminals and bandits.

“Enough is enough, the environment and livelihoods are being destroyed and the Federation is deprived of revenue capable of shoring up the economy and strengthening the Naira”, he asserts.

During the aerial assessment, the delegation observed clandestine refineries, illegal bunkering operations, and large scale environmental devastation, collectively translating into severe economic losses for the country.

According to Ribadu, the visit ‘’underscores the unity of purpose among various stakeholders to combat the large scale economic sabotage holding the entire country to ransom”.

“it’s also an opportunity for the delegation to show their presence in the communities and assess the gravity of the situation and the critical need to strengthen collaboration for a comprehensive solution to the crude oil theft bedeviling the country”, he said.

Debt Service: Tinubu Bemoans Use Of Lean Resources

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has bemoaned the use of lean resources for debt service saying the nation will not sustain failed economic theory that sees to the wastage of 90% of its scarce revenue.

He made the statement on Sunday in Abuja while declaring open the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association at the Velodrome, Chief MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.

Addressing the over 16,000 gathering of lawyers, President Tinubu stated that the prosperity of citizens would only occur once poverty is banished from the society with the focused cooperation of Nigeria’s private sector leaders.

“Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue? It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable. We must make the very difficult changes that are necessary for our country to get up from slumber and be respected among the great nations of the world,” the President stated.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Getting it Right: Charting the Course for Nigeria’s Nation-Building,” the President stated that hard decisions must be made to set the country on a growth trajectory, despite the initial pains that meaningful reforms usually bring.

“We cannot have the country we desire without the reforms we have initiated. It is painful at the beginning, in the short and medium term, but we must do what we have to do to take this nation to its great destiny. It is not about you and it is not about me. It is about our generations yet unborn, for whom we must bequeath a great and prosperous country,” he affirmed.

Against the backdrop of the renowned judicial reforms he undertook as Lagos State Governor, President Tinubu renewed his commitment to deal conclusively with the pressing issue of remuneration for judicial officers and legal practitioners.

He stressed that true justice reform must begin with world-class salaries and benefits for legal professionals in Nigeria.

“You are learned. I want to learn. Why are we so blessed and we are still lacking? We must have a change of attitude and a change of our mindset. We accuse our nation and its previous leaders.

“We complain a lot of the past. Is that the solution? No! Let us look forward and be determined! God has given us what we need. We must work hard with determination to make our country great and it begins with you who are seated here with me.“

Referring to the Keynote address delivered by a renowned business mogul, Mr. Tony Elumelu, whom he praised for setting an agenda for economic growth and development, President Tinubu bemoaned the inability of the country to eradicate poverty and tackle poor electricity supply, despite Nigeria’s abundance of gas.

He made a commitment that his administration will ensure that Nigeria generates and distributes the electricity the economy requires to thrive.

“Yes, it is a shame not to have adequate electricity for the mass majority of homes in Nigeria and to power our industries. How can we address poverty without electricity? We can take many people out of poverty with an uninterrupted electricity supply. Poverty is not acceptable and we must banish it,” President Tinubu concluded.

In his welcome address, NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, expressed the confidence of the NBA in the ability of President Bola Tinubu to deliver good governance to Nigeria because of his pedigree and past track record of excellent performance in Lagos State, where he was the governor between 1999-2007.

He said: “President Tinubu got it right in Lagos, and it is our considered expectation that as President of Nigeria, you will not only replicate your achievements in Lagos but surpass them for our country.”

The conference was attended by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Sports, John Enoh; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, past NBA Presidents and many senior government officials.

Nigeria Loses 400,000 Barrels of Crude Oil Daily – Ribadu

By
Rhoda Onuzulike
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The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, says the country is still losing 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily to local and international thieves despite efforts to end the menace.

Ribadu confirmed this when he led a presidential delegation to inspect oil and gas facilities at Owaza in Abia and Odogwa in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers on Saturday.

He said the activities of oil thieves and pipeline vandals had impacted negatively on the nation’s economy and were partly responsible for the rising cost of living in the country.

“It’s unfortunate that few individuals would steal our common resources, and in the process cause unbelievable loss to both the nation, communities and the people.

“Nigeria has the capacity to produce 2 million barrels of crude daily, but we are currently producing less than 1.6 million barrels due to theft and vandalism of pipelines.

“So, we are talking about 400,000 barrels of crude oil going to waste with few criminals and economic saboteurs not even getting much out of it,” he said.

Ribadu said the operators of artisanal refineries collect a small quantity of crude oil when they broke the pipelines while larger volumes of oil were spilled on the environment.

“The value of 400,000 barrels of oil today is about 4 million dollars, and every day, we lose this amount because of this irresponsible behaviour.

“If you multiply 4 million dollars by 365 days (one year), you will see that it is a lot of money running into billions of dollars.

“Currently, the country is in desperate need of money as the Naira is continuously losing its value because we earn less money.

“If we earn more money, it will not only help strengthen our currency but reflect in everything, including cost of living in the country,” he added.

The NSA said that the President Bola Tinubu administration was concerned about the development and was already taking actionable steps to address the matter.

He said huge investments made by the government in building infrastructures for the common good of all were being destroyed by few individuals, and in the process, destroying the environment.

Ribadu called for a united front to tackle oil theft and end decades of attacks on the nation’s oil and gas infrastructures.

“We are working hard with the security forces and those employed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to secure our facilities and end this madness called oil theft,” he said.

The presidential delegation with the NSA were the Minister of Defence, Baduru Abubakar, and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa.

Others included the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri.

The Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources, Ekperipe Ekpo, and senior management officials of the NNPCL as well as other top security personnel were part of tbe team.

DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi To Seek Re-Election

By
Zoe Maven
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The Democratic Republic of Congo’s ruling party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) has confirmed Félix Tshisekedi’s candidacy for the 2023 presidential election at an extraordinary congress in Kinshasa.

Tshisekedi, who has been in power since January 2019, had earlier confirmed that he would run for re-election and the party also voted Tshisekedi as their head for the next five years.

In December, Félix Tshisekedi will face several candidates, including Moïse Katumbi.

His main competitor who is the leader of the opposition party Martin Fayulu said he would not run if proper changes are not made on the current electoral commission.

For the national legislative elections alone, the UDPS is fielding 495 candidates for 500 available seats while for the provincial legislative elections, the party is proposing candidates in all constituencies.

Human Rights Watch recently accused the government of Tshisekedi of “repressing” and “intimidating” the opposition, four months ahead of the presidential elections.

The New York-based group cited the UN Joint Human Rights Office which has noted “political and electoral violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, abductions and threats targeting political opponents.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling to quell an armed rebellion by the M23 insurgency, which Kinshasa and several Western governments say is backed by neighboring Rwanda.

Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan Resume Negotiations Over Disputed GERD Dam

By
Zoe Maven
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Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have resumed their years-long negotiations Sunday over the controversial dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile River’s main tributary.

The Egyptian Irrigation Ministry announced the new round of talks in Cairo. Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam said Egypt wants a legally binding agreement on how the giant dam is operated and filled.

The resumption of talks came after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said last month that they aim to reach an agreement within four months on the operation of the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.

The Blue Nile meets the White Nile in Sudan’s capital of Khartoum, before winding northward through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

Tensions have heightened between Cairo and Addis Ababa after the Ethiopian government began filling the dam’s reservoir before reaching an agreement.

Egypt fears a devastating impact if the dam is operated without taking its needs into account, calling it an existential threat as it relies almost entirely on the Nile to supply water for agriculture and its more than 100 million people.

Key questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs and how the three countries will resolve any future disputes. Ethiopia has rejected binding arbitration at the final stage of the project.

Sudan wants Ethiopia to coordinate and share data on the dam’s operation to avoid flooding and protect its own power-generating dams on the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the Nile. The dam is located just 10 kilometers from the Sudanese border.

Gabon Imposes Curfew And Cuts Internet Access As Voting Wraps Up

By
Zoe Maven
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Gabon’s government has announced a nationwide curfew as well as cut off internet access as voting in major national elections was wrapping up Saturday evening.

Gabon’s communications minister, Rodrigue Mboumba Bissawou, announced on state television that there would a nightly curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m, adding that internet access would be restricted indefinitely as there had been calls for violence and spreading of disinformation.

The announcement came after voters cast ballots to elect new local leaders, national legislators and Gabon’s next president.

Incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba was seeking a third seven-year term and to continue a 55-year political dynasty. Bongo came to power in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled the country for 41 years.

Bongo won his current term in office by a narrow margin in 2016 amid violent protests. This year, the opposition united in favor of his main challenger, economics professor Albert Ondo Ossa, one week before Saturday’s elections.

Ossa’s platform revolves around breaking Gabon out of the status quo. He said that if elected, he would dissolve the National Assembly, redraw the electoral map and organize a new legislative election, with a goal of forming a government committed to addressing economic inequality.

Around 847,000 people were eligible to cast ballots Saturday. Voters in Libreville, Gabon’s capital, complained of polling stations opening late. Voting was scheduled to begin in the morning, but many election sites had failed to open as of 2 p.m.

In anticipation of post-electoral violence, many people in the capital went to visit family in other parts of the country or left Gabon altogether.

Others stockpiled food or bolstered security in their homes.

Niger Coup Supporters Rally After French Ambassador Ordered Out

By
Zoe Maven
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Tens of thousands of people have rallied in Niger Republic in support of last month’s coup, a day after the country’s new military rulers gave France’s ambassador to Niger 48 hours to leave the country.

The Seyni Kountche stadium, the largest in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of vuvuzelas rang out, according to local journalists.

Some citizens insist that the country fully supports the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), led by General Abdourahamane Tiani which seized power after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum’s government on July 26.

On Friday, Niger’s foreign ministry announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave, claiming he refused to meet with the new rulers and citing French government actions that were “contrary to the interests of Niger”.

Paris has since rejected the demand, saying that “the putschists do not have the authority to make this request.”

The West African bloc has applied sanctions against the new regime and threatened to use military means to remove it if the new rulers do not hand back power to Bazoum.

Efforts to find a diplomatic solution are continuing, however, with Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, visiting Nigeria to meet ECOWAS officials.

The US State Department said Phee was also consulting senior officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo — fellow members of the ECOWAS regional bloc.

The new rulers in Niamey accuse ECOWAS of being in France’s pocket.

France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been active in the country for years.

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