All Posts in "Day: June 28, 2023"

Sahara Group, Nairobi Varsity To Boost Sustainability In Kenya

Mohammed Shosanya

Sahara Group and the University of Nairobi are working towards establishing a partnership aimed at involving more young Kenyans in the nation’s march towards sustainability.

They met at the University’s corporate affairs division in Nairobi to chart a course for a sustainable future in Kenya through collaboration that will focus on giving students mainstream participation.

The partnership will prioritize use of innovation challenges, Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) contests, creative writing and debate competitions, and thought leadership platforms to facilitate generational sustainability in Kenya.

Speaking at the meeting in Nairobi, Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, said the partnership would be driven by the Sahara Group Foundation, Sahara’s directorate for sustainability, and Asharami Synergy Limited, the energy conglomerate’s downstream company in Kenya.

“Sahara Group is on a mission to spearhead Africa’s march towards sustainability and an inclusive energy transition and we welcome this opportunity to work with the University of Nairobi with great excitement. Together, we can enhance awareness creation and ultimately birth innovations that will create sustainable livelihoods and economic development in Kenya,” he said.

Obioma said the partnership would commence with the involvement a creative writing competition for university students in Kenya.

“How and what young Kenyans understand about the terms climate change, climate action, and energy transition will play a critical role in leveraging their energies and skills in promoting sustainability. Hopefully, through the art of storytelling, we expect the competition to create more awareness among young Kenyans and inspire innovative solutions that will help address environmental, social, and economic challenges in Kenya,” he said.

Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Nairobi, John Orindi, said the planned partnership resonates with the institution’s ongoing efforts towards empowering students to become change agents for sustainability in Kenya.

“The creative writing contest presents another opportunity for our students to contribute towards raising awareness and proffering solutions for issues like deforestation and pollution and suggest renewable energy solutions to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and adoption of clean energy technologies in households and businesses,” he said.

According to Orindi, the partnership can add more traction to sustainable waste management through initiatives on improved collection and the recycling of waste materials to conserve the environment.

Lavinah Gonah, Operations Manager, Asharami Synergy Kenya, said the company remained committed to investing in and supporting partnerships that will create jobs, promote sustainable development, and galvanise action among young Kenyans as active participants in promoting sustainability in Kenya.

“Scheduled to run from July 1 – August 12, 2023, the competition is open to university students in Kenya. They are to send in short stories on “Creating a sustainable path for Africa’s energy transition” to creativekenyans@sahara-group.com. Entries should be in the form of creative stories that can facilitate the understanding and participation of primary/secondary students in conversations regarding energy access and sustainability,” she added.

admin by — June 28, 2023 in Power 0
Stop Tampering With Electrical Installations, IBEDC Warns Consumers

Mohammed Shosanya

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc,has advised consumers to stop tampering with electrical installations,saying the act was illegal and dangerous.

It can also lead to electrical accidents,Engr. Kingsley Achife,Managing Director of the company,said in a statement on Tuesday
to felicitate with Muslims and all Nigerians on the occasion of Eid-El-Kabir.

He cautioned consumers against engaging unqualified individuals to fix electrical faults in their vicinity and emphasizes the importance of properly earthing their premises.

He reiterated the commitment of IBEDC to providing good service delivery, even during the holidays.

He assured customers that the technical crew remains dedicated to promptly resolving any faults that may arise during this period.

He added:“To ensure a seamless customer experience, the customer care line, 07001239999, will remain active to respond to complaints and reports efficiently”.

He advised motorists to refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol and to observe traffic rules meticulously, in order to prevent collisions with electrical poles and other accidents.

He implored customers to take advantage of IBEDC’s hassle-free payment channels to settle their bills and purchase electricity units, thereby avoiding disconnection.

He disclosed that the latest addition to these convenient payment channels is the IBEDC Care payment app, available for both Android and iOS users.

Other vending platforms include Quickteller, Payarena, Jumia, Watu, Buypower, and ATM.

He said:“To cater to customer needs, IBEDC offices will remain open during the public holidays from 9 am to 3 pm. Customers may also reach us via email at customercare@ibedc.com”

He was also quoted in the statement as emphasizing that the festival of Eid-El-Kabir epitomizes the values of love and sacrifice, which are fundamental pillars for the existence and progress of humanity.

He admonished Muslim faithful and all citizens to embody the spirit of love needed in fostering the continuous prosperity of Nigeria.

admin by — June 28, 2023 in Power 0
Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections Not Transparent -EU Observation Mission

Mohammed Shosanya

The 2023 general elections in Nigeria lacked transparency, was not inclusive, and fell short of benchmarks and standards the commission set for itself, eroding gains made over time in the nation’s democratic process,the European Union Election Observation Mission,has said.

In its final report on the 2023 general elections released at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday,the group declared that public confidence and trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were severely damaged during the presidential poll and was not restored in state level elections.

This development forced frontline civil society to call for an independent audit of the entire process,it also said in the report.

Speaking to journalists,Barry Andrew, EOM’s Chief Observer,noted that across the country, the pre-poll environment was volatile and challenging, affected by economic crises.

He said,fundamental freedoms of assembly and movement were broadly respected, yet the full enjoyment of the latter was impeded by insecurity in some parts of the country.

According to him,abuse of incumbency by various political office holders distorted the playing field and wide-spread vote buying detracted from an appropriate conduct of the elections.

He said:”Incidents of organised violence shortly before and on election days in several states created an environment deterring voter’s participation. Media raised voters’ awareness, fact-checkers stood up against disinformation and civil society demanded INEC’s accountability. The overall outcome of the polls attests to the continued underrepresentation of marginalised groups in political life”.

The observation mission also noted gaps and ambiguities in the electoral Act , especially as it concerns INEC’s accountability and transparency including a lack of “INEC independent structures and capacities to enforce sanctions for electoral offences and breaches of campaign finance rules”

He questioned the selection process of those to be appointed to serve as RECs amd National Commissioners for an independent body as INEC.

He noted determination of Nigerians , especially the youth to embrace tenets of democracy fully, while candidates and parties who disputed the outcomes of the election took their myriads of complaints to the courts.

He said,early in the process, while enjoying a broad stakeholder trust, INEC introduced a series of positive measures to strengthen the conduct of the elections.

He lamented that,closer to the polls some started to doubt INEC’s administrative and operational efficiency and in-house capacity.

He added:”Public confidence gradually decreased and was severely damaged on 25 February due to its operational failures and lack of transparency. While some corrective measures introduced before the 18 March elections were effective, overall trust was not restored.

“The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal ([ReV) was widely seen as an important step to ensure the integrity and credibility of the elections. In practice, multiple missteps and lack of transparency before the polls, compounded by severely delayed display of presidential result forms, dashed the public trust in election technologies used.

“INEC failed to give a timely and comprehensive explanation for the failures on 25 February, hence the improved online display of results forms from the 18 March state elections just fuelled further speculations about what exactly caused the delays after the presidential poll.

“A total of 93.4 million voters were registered for the 2023 elections. Owing to civic mobilisation during registration, two-thirds of the 9.5 million new registrants were youth.

“Yet, poor institutional planning and, again, lack of transparency negatively affected the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC). Confidence in collection rates per polling unit was undermined due to their belated publication. Overall, an external independent audit could have helped to assure accuracy and inclusiveness of the voter register”.

admin by — June 28, 2023 in News 0

Mohammed Shosanya

Innocent Iweka Okwuosa,President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria,ICAN,will not volunteer silence in the face of threats to national existence and cohesion.

ICAN,he said,is apolitical, but its strategic management and technical skills can help rebuild the socio-economic fortune of the nation.

Okwuosa spoke on Tuesday while giving his acceptance speech during his investiture as the 59th President of the Institute, at the ICAN secretariat in Lagos.

He said:“Our voice as an Institute will be more audible and clear, in its intensity, depth and breadth. We will pursue our public interest mandate with greater vigour and determination.”

According to him, after a painstaking analysis of the state of the nation and the profession, the Council has chosen ‘ICAN on a new trajectory’, as the working theme of this presidential year.

He said:“Surely ICAN will be on a new trajectory this presidential year. This presidential year, we will explore the mechanisms of its workings to see how it can be further strengthened so that ICAN can continue to maintain this enviable time tested transition.

Okwuosa also said that the ICAN Accountability Index (ICAN-AI) has been the Institute’s clear demonstration of advocacy for accountability and effective public finance management in the country.

He added:“During this year, we will work on the sustainability and institutionalisation of the AI, example of such effort could be the adoption of ICAN-AI Framework for its States Fiscal Transparency Accountability & Sustainability Programmes (SFTAS) initiative or the replacement of SFTAS with ICAN AI.

He further said that ICAN’s previous accountability and transparency has focused on the public sector through the ICAN AI; that this year, the Institute will expand on this to the private sector.

“We will partner with the NGX Regulation Ltd to introduce corporate reporting awards among listed companies in Nigeria. This will further promote the adoption of integrated thinking in corporate reporting whereby corporations imbibe best practices in volunteering sustainability and financial information for investors which will help unlock capital in the Nigerian capital market.

He added that ICAN has made its mark in the country in terms of its intelligent and professional contributions to national discourse, budgeting, financial planning, and policy formulation.

“We will raise the bar, this Presidential Year, by making more significant contributions on relevant accounting, finance, and economic issues. A Think Tank of the Institute will promote thought leadership and take charge of the production of the Institute’s position papers on national issues,” he said.

admin by — June 28, 2023 in News 0
ASF France Amplifies Campaign Against Torture In Nigeria

Mohammed Shosanya

Avocats Sans Frontières France,has reaffirmed its strong commitment to combating torture in Nigeria,saying it abhors torture in all its forms, contexts and settings.

The group expressed this in a statement to mark the 2023 International Day in support of victims of torture.

It also urged justice system stakeholders to Implement the Anti-Torture Act (2017).

“Today, we join the global human rights community and the world at large to commemorate the 2023 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Avocats Sans Frontières France reaffirms its strong commitment to combating torture, we unequivocally condemn torture in all its forms, contexts and settings.

“Torture seeks to annihilate the victim’s personality and human dignity. It has no place in our world of today, but despite the absolute prohibition of torture under international, regional and national laws, torture continues to be perpetrated around the world and more vehemently in Nigeria. Today being the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we stand in solidarity with all victims of torture and reemphasize the fact that torture remains a crime against humanity all over the world”,it also said.

It said,in Nigeria, the poor conviction rate of torture in spite of its prevalence is a clear indicator of the problem and the level of the work that needs to be done to establish a zero-tolerance culture to torture in Nigeria.

It also said,impunity for acts of torture and other ill-treatments must be flushed out, perpetrators of torture must be held accountable and criminal justice systems and institutions must be reformed to ensure redress for victims of torture.

The Anti-torture Act (2017) was passed by the 8th National Assembly and signed into law by Former President, H.E Muhammadu Buhari on the 29th of December, 2017. It fills the existing legislative gaps by explicitly making the right to freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment non-negotiable.

The Act makes comprehensive provisions for penalizing acts of torture and other cruel treatments. There has been little or no implementation of this law by criminal justice system actors which contributes to the impunity in the regular use of torture.

The Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, speaking to the media at the ASF France Nigerian Office said “we must re-write the narrative of security agencies deploying systemic torture as a means of interrogation or eliciting confessions. We must establish a zero-tolerance culture to torture, and this can be attained by the effective implementation of the Anti-torture Act. Criminal justice actors must not relent until this new culture becomes our reality.

“True justice in cases of torture can only be achieved when victims of torture obtain redress for the violation of their rights and the perpetrators are held accountable. Above all, respect for human rights and human dignity must continue to be at the centre of our efforts against torture, and shape our responses and actions in creating a zero-tolerance culture to torture in Nigeria. The Federal Government must vehemently condemn torture and work with criminal justice actors and CSOs to end torture in Nigeria”

Since 2009, Avocats Sans Frontières France has been working to end torture in Nigeria by implementing the Promoting the United Nations Convention against Torture (ProCAT) project which aimed at ending all forms of torture by security agencies in Nigeria.

As part of efforts to commemorate the 2023 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, ASF France will be implementing a capacity building training for members of the National Committee Against Torture (NCAT) on its role as Nigeria’s preventive mechanism against torture.

admin by — June 28, 2023 in News 0
Vandalism: EKEDC Arraigns Five In Court

Mohammed Shosanya

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC),has arraigned five individuals in court for acts of vandalism and assault carried out against its staff members

According to the company,Ayomide Oyebanjo, on the 30th of November 2022, was arraigned for assault of Mr. Sanmi Matthew, a driver of the Ikate zonal office.

The defendant,who used bottles to inflict multiple injuries on the driver,was charged to Court on a 6-count charge bordering on conspiracy, assault causing harm, demanding money with menace, belonging to unlawful society, obstruction of duty and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

He pleaded guilty to the count charge for assault causing harm and pleaded not guilty to the other charges. He was convicted for assault causing body harm and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment without option of fine.

Besides,Mr. Chima Kingsley and Mr. Abdullahi Yakubu were apprehended on the 30th of December 2022 at No. 389 Agege Motor Road under Mushin Business District vandalizing the 750KVA substation situated at that location.

The company said,on the 10th of January 2023, the suspects were arraigned on a 2-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit a felony and stealing. They both pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N100,000 (One hundred thousand naira only) with two (2) sureties each.

Besides, on the 2nd of February 2023, Mr. Nurudeen Moshood and Mr. Aweda Mustapha were arraigned at the Magistrate Court 2, Surulere, Lagos on a 5-count charge of conspiracy, assault, and damage to property belonging to staff of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail in the sum of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira Only) and one surety each.

Babatunde Lasaki, General Manager, Corporate Communications at Eko Electricity Distribution Company, expressed disgust over the acts.

“We strongly condemn the acts of vandalism and assault against our staff members. These incidents not only disrupt our operations but also jeopardize the safety and well-being of our employees who provide reliable electricity services to our esteemed customers,” he stated.

Lasaki emphasized that his company remains committed to the safety and security of our employees and the provision of uninterrupted electricity services to our customers.

He implored the public to partner with his company in condemning these acts and reporting any suspicious activities related to its infrastructure to the appropriate authorities.

He added:”EKEDC will continue to prioritize the safety of its staff and the reliable supply of electricity to its customers. The company urges the public to assist in protecting electricity infrastructure and fostering a culture of accountability and respect”

admin by — June 28, 2023 in Power 0

Mohammed Shosanya

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC),has arraigned five individuals in court for acts of vandalism and assault carried out against its staff members

According to the company,Ayomide Oyebanjo, on the 30th of November 2022, was arraigned for assault of Mr. Sanmi Matthew, a driver of the Ikate zonal office.

The defendant,who used bottles to inflict multiple injuries on the driver,was charged to Court on a 6-count charge bordering on conspiracy, assault causing harm, demanding money with menace, belonging to unlawful society, obstruction of duty and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

He pleaded guilty to the count charge for assault causing harm and pleaded not guilty to the other charges. He was convicted for assault causing body harm and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment without option of fine.

Besides,Mr. Chima Kingsley and Mr. Abdullahi Yakubu were apprehended on the 30th of December 2022 at No. 389 Agege Motor Road under Mushin Business District vandalizing the 750KVA substation situated at that location.

The company said,on the 10th of January 2023, the suspects were arraigned on a 2-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit a felony and stealing. They both pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N100,000 (One hundred thousand naira only) with two (2) sureties each.

Besides, on the 2nd of February 2023, Mr. Nurudeen Moshood and Mr. Aweda Mustapha were arraigned at the Magistrate Court 2, Surulere, Lagos on a 5-count charge of conspiracy, assault, and damage to property belonging to staff of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail in the sum of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira Only) and one surety each.

Babatunde Lasaki, General Manager, Corporate Communications at Eko Electricity Distribution Company, expressed disgust over the acts.

“We strongly condemn the acts of vandalism and assault against our staff members. These incidents not only disrupt our operations but also jeopardize the safety and well-being of our employees who provide reliable electricity services to our esteemed customers,” he stated.

Lasaki emphasized that his company remains committed to the safety and security of our employees and the provision of uninterrupted electricity services to our customers.

He implored the public to partner with his company in condemning these acts and reporting any suspicious activities related to its infrastructure to the appropriate authorities.

He added:”EKEDC will continue to prioritize the safety of its staff and the reliable supply of electricity to its customers. The company urges the public to assist in protecting electricity infrastructure and fostering a culture of accountability and respect”

admin by — June 28, 2023 in Power 0
Egbin Power Ties 1000MW Generation Peak To Industry Support,Employees

Mohammed Shosanya

Egbin Power Plc, Nigeria’s electricity generation company, has disclosed a record-breaking 1000MW power generation, a feat representing a new peak in a 2-year record.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Mokhtar Bounour, who disclosed that the feat was achieved through the support and cooperation of industry operators and stakeholders.

He lauded the employees for their commitment towards delivering outstanding performance which has consistently enabled the company to make significant contribution to the power sector.

“This remarkable achievement recorded on Sunday June 25, 2023, could not have been possible without the support of industry operators. It is a testament to the fact that collaboration is key to the progress in the power sector.

“At Egbin Power, we have a culture of excellence deeply entrenched in our operations, and we give priority to human capital development, while we pay high attention to quality maintenance of our facility, in addition to our best-in-class health, safety and environment practice.

“At Egbin Power, we will continue to deliver impactful results in the power sector knowing fully well that electricity is crucial in driving industrial development and socio-economic growth. We remain steadfast to our goal of empowering lives and livelihoods because we are committed to our stakeholders,”he explained.

He expressed his company’s commitmentto the goal of increasing the capacity of the plant and to consistently drive sustainability.

Last year, Egbin Power announced a plan for its Phase Two investment expansion plan that is projected to add up to 1,750 megawatts (MW) into the national grid.

admin by — June 28, 2023 in Power 0