All Posts in "Day: July 30, 2023"

Oyo Moves To Review Public Health Law

Mohammed Shosanya

The Oyo state government,has inaugurated a 20-man committee that will review its public health law, to meet current realities and solve health challenges in the state.

The committee, drawn from relevant ministries, agencies, law enforcement agencies,health institutions, civil society organizations amongst others, is expected to converge next week for the task ahead.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusoji Adeyanju, in a chat with journalists, shortly after the inauguration at the Conference Hall of the Ministry, said the move was based on the need to continually preserve and promote community health.

He explained that the law after review will play a significant role in curtailing the outbreak of emerging and re-emerging diseases.

He noted that the job before the committee requires collective efforts, urging them to come up with workable and applicable laws that will stand the test of time.

Adeyanju said: “The task ahead of the committee is to ensure the law shows the current reality on ground in the health sector and public health issues that are of public health importance”.

“The people of Oyo state will benefit from it and their health will be sustained and promoted, I believe the committee will do justice to that”, he said.

Also speaking,the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice and Solicitor-General of Oyo State, Mrs. Evelyn Akintunde maintained that the document, which would be reviewed according to the extant laws of the State, would help improve the health status and well-being of residents of the state.

Stressing the import of the review, Mrs. Akintunde explained that the Oyo State Government identified several lacunae in the law and set up a committee which will come up with a draft containing proposals.

She emphasized that the review of the state’s public health law is long overdue, as the law has not been reviewed since 1978, adding that the committee will ensure the draft conforms with national health practices and addresses public health challenges.

“We commend the ministry of health and other relevant MDAs who would join in this review, and we will ensure the draft conforms with national practices that will address public health challenges”, she said.

The Oyo state Commissioner of Police, CP Adebola Hamzat represented at the event by Mr. Patrick Okafor, lauded the state for its pace setting activities.

He revealed that having existing workable laws in place would make the enforcement easier.

Hamzat pledged the support of the Nigerian police during the process of reviewing the law and after the enactment.

admin by — July 30, 2023 in Health 0
New Management Team Will Turn Around Nigeria Customs Service-Maritime Writers’

Mohammed Shosanya

The Business and Maritime Writers’ Association of Nigeria, BUMWAN,has said that the new management team in the Nigeria Customs Service will turn around the agency for the better and add value to the economy of Nigeria.

The association gave the assessment at the end of its emergency meeting in Port Harcourt,Rivers state on Saturday.

The Nigeria Customs service has announced the appointment of DCG Festus Okun, DCG MUSA Baba Abdullahi, DCG Albashir Hamisu,ACG Kamarudeen OLUMOH, ACG AUWAL Baba Mohammed and ACG Adeogun Olajogun as the new management team that would pilot the affairs of the service following the appointment of acting Comptroller General of Customs and the retirement of some senior officers.

Speaking on the development, BUMWAN National president,Peter Ihejirika applauded the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for rewarding what he termed as hard work and dedication shown through the appointment of those whom he said have grown through the ranks and have contributed immensely to the soaring venue profile of Nigeria Customs Service over the years.

He congratulated the new appointed customs officers,saying they are round peg in a round hole.

He said:”With the recent appointment , the Nigeria Customs Service will witness an astronomical growth both in manpower development, service delivery and in fact the federal government fiscal policy stimulus which would be enhanced.

“Smugglers and those that engage in unwholesome trade should think of another business as the new management team are known for their averred compliant with extant laws guiding import, export and cargo clearance and also the core mandate of Nigeria Customs Service which includes revenue generation,trade facilitation,anti-smuggling among others.”

He implored all officers and men of the service, other stakeholders in the Maritime industry to work together with the new management team to ensure the achievement of their mandate.

In his comments,the National Secretary of BUMWAN, Apostle Tony Nzekwe, said the appointment of the six senior customs officers is an affirmation of merit,professionalism, discipline and productive results driven Nigeria Customs Service.

He added:”It’s a new dawn of enhanced technological driven Service delivery, robust stakeholders synergies and improved geometrical revenue generation into the federal coffers.

“The newly appointed 3 DCGs and 3 ACG s are Senior Customs Officers who have consistently over decades remained astute, pragmatic,transparent,resourceful and compliant to the fiscal policies of the federal government of Nigeria”.

“These are distinguished Senior Officers who have killed self interest over national interest, Security and Prosperity. And all critical stakeholders and operators in the Maritime industry should give them adequate and needed cooperation and support to excel in their new assignment”.

admin by — July 30, 2023 in Business 0
MTN Nigeria Blames 29% Profit Decline On Inflation, Naira Devaluation

Mohammed Shosanya

MTN Nigeria’s profits shed weight in the half year ended June 30, 2023,its financial statement said

The statement which was published on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), MTN Nigeria reported a drop in its H1 result in 2023— January 1 to June 30, 2023.

The company reported a 29.14% decline in its profit for the period under review of ₦128 billion, compared to ₦181 billion during the same period in 2022. Conversely, the telco’s revenue grew by 21.96% to ₦1.15 trillion in H1 2023, compared to ₦950 billion in the same period in 2022.

Speaking on the financial performance, MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, cites the challenging environment, inflation and naira devaluation as the reason for a slump in its results.

He stated that operating conditions in the first half of 2023 remained challenging with energy, food, and general inflation at elevated levels.

This was due to the ongoing adverse global macroeconomic and geopolitical environment, the cash shortages experienced in Q1, forex volatility and supply chain uncertainties witnessed during the period,he added

“Following the inauguration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2023, swift reforms were implemented to remove the fuel subsidy and liberalise foreign exchange management, to bolster investor confidence and drive growth and investment in Nigeria.

“These policy reforms are expected to be positive for the economy in the medium to long term. However, in the short term, they have created additional financial burdens on consumers and businesses, and these will be fully reflected in the pressures on our margins in H2,” Toriola said.

Toriola explained that MTN had robust commercial and financial performances in H1 and would continue to invest in the business to further improve the quality of their delivery. The MTN boss said H1 helped the telco gain 1.5 million new subscribers, taking its total tally to over 77 million subscribers.

According to its CEO, 4G traffic constituted 82.5% of its total data traffic while 5G constituted 21% on all 5G-colocated clusters. In all of the wins, higher energy prices and rising costs impacted growth.

“Our margins were impacted by higher energy prices and rising costs, but the impact was moderated by provisions in our tower contracts and the timing of the forex harmonisation.

“Notwithstanding, we will continue to execute our commercial strategy with a focus on unlocking efficiencies and driving operating leverage to support growth in earnings, cash flow, and returns over the medium term,” the report read.

It emphasized that unrealised forex losses included in its net finance charges affected the telco, adding that there was no impact on EBITDA due to the quarterly nature of its tower contracts. However, it expects full impact by the end of second half.

admin by — July 30, 2023 in Business 0
Asisat Oshoala’s Followers Hit 1m On Instagram

Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala has become the first African female footballer to reach N1m followers on Instagram.

Oshoala, 28, made headlines recently when she netted the Super Falcons’ third goal in a 3-2 win against hosts Australia on Thursday at Brisbane Stadium.

The five-time Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Player of the Year joined the game in the second half, scoring the third goal in the 72nd minute of the game leading the Falcons to victory against the Matildas.

Her prowess and form of celebrating the win sparked a massive social media debate that, in turn, impacted her social media following on Instagram, where she now has a million followers, making her the first African female footballer with such a following today,a report said.

admin by — July 30, 2023 in Sports 0
Customs Partners NEPZA, OGFZA On Improved Free Trade Zones Operations In Nigeria

Mohammed Shosanya

Nigeria Customs Service,is partnering with the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA) on steps to improve Nigeria’s free trade zones operations in the country.

The partnership came to the fore when the Acting Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi at the weekend,met the Directors of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA).

Adeniyi,while responding to the calls of the two organizations,appreciated them for visiting the Headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service to congratulate him on his appointment and sought to review their mutual concerns about the future of trade in the country.

He assured that the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), as one of the spines of the Free Zone Scheme, will continue to work in line with the standard trade facilitation policies to attract a seamless opportunity for business people to invest in the free zones scheme in Nigeria.

He said: “We need to constitute a joint committee between us and some relevant stakeholders to address our common concerns.”

The Director of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Prof. Adesoji Adesoba,said that he was personally elated with the way the Customs’ boss addressed them and expressed readiness to work assiduously towards achieving their target of improving Free Trade Zones.

The Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), Senator Tijjani Yahya Kaura, described the collaboration between the Free Trade Zones and Nigeria Customs as necessary,adding that:“our meeting with the CG is fruitful, as it revolves around proffering solutions to our common issues, and I am happy that the Ag. CGC is committed to addressing them”.

admin by — July 30, 2023 in Business 0
Coup: ECOWAS Slams Sanctions On Niger Republic

Mohammed Shosanya

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government,Sunday gavr General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the alleged mastermind of the supposed coup in Niger Republic, seven days within which to re-instate Mohammed Bazoom back to power, failing which it might resort to the use of force.

The decision was part of resolutions reached at the emergency meeting of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government which held in Abuja, Sunday, at the Banquet hall of the Presidential Villa Abuja.

The group has also directed the chiefs of defense staff of member states to meet immediately with a view to implementing their threat of use of force.

According to H.E.-Dr.-Omar-Alieu-Touray-President-of-the-ECOWAS-Commission, who read out the resolutions, he noted that the ECOWAS leaders have ordered the closure of land and air borders between member countries and Niger.

Other immediate sanctions by ECOWAS, is the imposition of a no fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger.

He also announced the suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger, including freeze all service transactions including energy transactions as well as frooze assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks.

Present at the summit, were the following heads of state and government and mandated representatives His Excellency, President Patrice Talon President of the Republic of Benin, President Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of the Gambia. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana.

Others included; General OmarUmaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, President Faure Gnassingbé of the Togolese Republic. The representative of the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, the representative of the President of the Republic of Liberia, the representative of President Bazoom, President and Head of State of the Republic of Niger, the representative of President Julius Maada Wonie Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

Omar Al Turia, president of the ECOWAS attended the summit, together with Musa Faki, Muhammad chairperson of the African Union Commission. Leonardo Santos Simão, who was special representatives of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel and head of universe including, Mr. Job, President of the Commission of UMR,also attended the meeting.

In a communique at the end of the summit, H.E.-Dr.-Omar-Alieu-Touray-President-of-the-ECOWAS-Commission recalled the immediate steps that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chair of authority, took in the form of statements communiques, mission and consultations, with regional continental and world leaders taking cognizance of the condemnation of the attempted coup, and the illegal detention of President Bazoom and members of his family and government by the neighboring countries, the African Union, United Nations European Union United States of America, China, Russia, La Francophonie, the Commonwealth, the OIC and other partners.

Touray said the principle of zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government as enshrined in the ECOWAS and African Union protocols and other instruments remains in force.

He added:”ECOWAS resolve as follows. One, His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoom remains the legitimate, elected president and head of state of the Republic of Niger, recognized by ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community.

“In this regard, only official acts of President Bazoum or his duly mandated officials will be recognized by ECOWAS.

“Condemn in the strongest terms, the attempted overthrow of constitutional order in Niger, and the illegal detention of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum, President and head of state of Niger, as well as members of his family and government.

“Call for the immediate release and reinstatement of president Mohammed Bazoum as president and head of state of the Republic of Niger, and for the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Nigeria.

“Reject any form of resignation that may purportedly come from His Excellency, President Mohammed Bazoum.

“Considered the illegal detention of President Mohammed Bazoum, as a hostage situation and hold the authors of the attempted coup d’etat solely and fully responsible for the safety and security of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum, as well as members of his family and government.

“In the event, the authorities demands are not met within one week. Take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force. For this effect, the chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately”

admin by — July 30, 2023 in News 0