Day: March 29, 2023

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment announced Tuesday, in Malanje Province, the construction of the Memorial of the Sovereigns of the Kingdom of Ndongo and the requalification of the village of Muculu-a-Ngola, in the Municipality of Marimba.

The project foresees the construction of the tombs where the remains of King Ngola Kiluanji and Queen Njinga a Mbande lie, in addition to 40 residences for members of the court, the King’s palace, a primary school, a health unit and the requalification of other monuments and kingdom sites.

When presenting the project to the local community, the national director of Communities and Institutions of Traditional Power of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Albano Cufuna, said that the budget has already been approved and the start of works depends on the rehabilitation of the road that gives access to the locality, since it is in an advanced state of degradation.

Despite this, he guarantees that feasibility studies are already underway for the execution of the project, which aims to dignify the kingdom and guarantee better living conditions for local communities.

On his turn, the deputy governor of Malanje for the Political, Social and Economic sector, Domingos Eduardo, informed that, with the construction of the memorial and the requalification of the locality of Muculu-a-Ngola, the area will be transformed into an important of tourist attraction.

The official highlighted the historical and cultural role played by the sovereigns of the ancient kingdom of Ndongo, which is why the Angolan government has the duty to restructure the place and facilitate its access to the youth and beyond, in order to be in contact with history.

The Deputy National Director of the Institute for Tourism Development (INFOTUR), Agostinho Xavier, praised the initiative, as the province could register an increase in the frequency of tourists and consequently raise more revenue for the State.

Meanwhile, the sovereign of the Kingdom of Ndongo, King Buba Nvula Dala Mana “Cabombo”, expressed gratitude with the project, considering that it will give greater dignity to the kingdom.

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Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Angola hosts in September, for the first time, the final of the 2022 international business management simulation contest, called Global Management Challenge.

The event will feature more than 30 groups from around the world, including the hosts.

The Global Management Challenge is a strategic management competition for managers and university students. Participants form teams of 5-8 members to allow the development of skills for managers, company staff, among others.

According to the director of operations at Soik Investments, João Pereira, representative of the organizers of the event, it is a great value for Angola to organize one of the biggest simulation competitions in the world.

João Pereira added that, for the 2023 contest, registrations were already taking place across the country, until 31 May of the current

year, stressing that young Angolans could access the website: www.gms.ao. to participate in this edition.

To participate, he continued, it is sufficient that the candidate has completed at least the first university year, in any course, and is 18 years of age.

He said that the objective for that year is to include young people from all over the country, in order to get rid of the idea that only

Luanda participates.

“We have the objective of reaching the whole country, with the broadening of the candidacies. We had the opportunity to take the competition to the provinces of Namibe, Benguela and Huíla. We also intend to reach Huambo”, he stressed.

The winners for the 2023 edition will be announced on the 6th of July of the current year.

Launched in Portugal in 1980, the Global Management Challenge has become the largest international strategy and management competition,

achieving, over the years, an enormous success, becoming an event of

high notoriety and visibility.

In Angola by Soik investments since 2007, it contributes to the

training and development of management skills, for university

students, company staff and Angolan managers.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has raised alarm over the high level of non-compliance to its regulations in the retail outlets of the energy sector.

Dr Mustapha Lamorde, the Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSE&C) of NMDPRA, said this at a one-day South–West region stakeholders’ engagement on incessant incidents in the midstream and downstream of the Nigerian petroleum industry operations, on Wednesday in Lagos.

Lamorde, who was represented by Mr Ayo Cadoso, Regional Coordinator, Southwest, said that the purpose of the engagement was to call for a sound management of HSE in the depots/jetties and retail outlets operations in the downstream sector.

He noted that the discourse was key for adequate profitability in the sector and proper approach to achieve this lies on the fact that HSE should be managed from a business perspective and not for compliance purposes only.

According to him, related matters on HSE should be integrated into the management decision-making process.

Lamorde said that NMDPRA would always want to engage operators to attune them of the need to fully comply with relevant health, safety and environment laws and regulations as stipulated in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

He said that the engagement would also forestall the dangers and risks posed by unwholesome practices and non-compliance to statutory provisions, with respect to HSE in the transportation of petroleum products including gas.

Lamorde noted that there was need for the creation of awareness and a culture of safe operations to protect persons, assets, and the environment, thereby eliminating accidents, and the cost of replacing damaged parts which is a sure way to profitability.

“This will no longer be business as usual, it is now safety first, the NMDPRA will ensure that the aspirations of the Federal Government, by passing the PIA, is achieved.

“The law had provided, in clear terms, that in case of negligence by any operator, such operator would be sanctioned accordingly.

“Although, our aim is not to sanction the operators but to ensure that operations are run in a safe manner to protect people, assets and the environment is the reason for today’s engagement.

“The HSE needs to be a front burner to attract the growth of the business, reduction of insurance premiums and protection of the public (which you are a member of) and for us to achieve the following, we must reawaken the safety consciousness in our operations,” he added.

Mrs Rukhayat Akanbi, HSE &C Team lead of NMDPRA, said that between 2018 and 2023, 412 fatalities and 244 incidents were recorded, while 173 fatalities and 103 incidents were recorded in 2021, meaning an average of one death every four days occurred.

Akanbi also added that in 2022 to date, 48 fatalities and 41 incidents were recorded.

“In terms of accidents statistics, 39 per cent recorded in retail outlets, 13 per cent in vehicle tankers, 13 per cent each in refinery and gas facilities respectively, while 11 per cent was recorded in depots from 2018 to date.

“Retail outlets recorded the highest number of incidents over the years,” she said.

On the way forward, Akanbi said that every truck and station must have adequate earthing cables and hoses of various sizes for discharge and coupling, and inspection must be carried out before loading and offloading.

Responding on behalf of the marketers, Mr Akin Akinlade, Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Satellite Depot, Ejigbo, Lagos, commended NMDPRA for the sensitisation programme on safety at most filing stations.

Akinlade assured that lPMAN, Southwest zone, would imbibe the culture of training all petroleum attendants in its operations.

He said that body had commenced building of training institute that would engage all members and workers in training.

“We appreciate NMDPRA for this laudable initiative towards organising discourse on Health, Safety, Environment and Community.

“We also appeal to NMDPRA support towards collaboration on area of training and partnership,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IPMAN, DAPPMAN, FRSC, Federal Fire Service and representatives of NMDPRA in Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Osun states were in attendance. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A former Director-General of the PDP Governors Forum, Mr Osaro Onaiwu, has charged governors-elect to reciprocate the electorate’s mandate by coming up with people-oriented policies and implementing them.

Onaiwu, in a statement in Abuja, said the era had gone when those elected by the people could behave anyhow and escape the wrath of the electorate at the polls.

“As you all receive your Certificates of Return this week, it is incumbent that the euphoria of the moment don’t becloud the task before you and those responsible for your ascension to high office – the people.

“Going by how difficult it was for most of you, with incumbent governors losing at the polls, this message has become urgent and imperative,” he said.

According to him, when you serve the people, when you take them into confidence, when you demonstrate empathy and do less politics but more of governance, then your mandate is truly of the people.

“As a religious people, whether Muslim or Christian, let the admonishing that “when the righteous are on the throne the people rejoice be your watchword,” he said.

Onaiwu said, “If you fail to do this, then for those of you fresh on the saddle, second term becomes a huge challenge, and that is not what you wish for.

The owner of Governors Mandate TV and Newspaper, said that the governors needed to work closely with the media and be accommodating for the necessary media mileage and exposure.

“By now, I am certain that all our governors-elect know the value of the media and being on it, you cannot be performing as a Chief Executive of your State and hide under a bushel of ‘I can’t do media.

“My hope is that with excellent media relations, this set of governors will be under the spotlight and do well,” Onaiwu said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have expressed their readiness to partner with Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF) France on the protection of Nigerians’ digital rights.

The Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, and Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, gave the assurance, on Wednesday, during the launch of e-Rights Project by ASF France in Abuja.

The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also said they would support ASF France, also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, on achieving the objectives of the project.

Prof. Danbatta, represented by Mr Chidi Dingwu, Head of New Media and Information Security, said the project was the latest intervention in promoting the fulfilment of human rights in Nigeria.

“To transform Nigeria into a leading digital economy providing quality life and digital economies for all, it is imperative that we strengthen the people’s confidence in the use of digital technologies, and involvement in the digital economy as stipulated in the soft infrastructure pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020-2030),” he said.

He said this pillar addressed the importance of cybersecurity, digital rights, data protection and privacy frameworks and guidelines that encouraged citizens to embrace the opportunities which digital technologies offer with a view to repositioning the Nigerian Economy.

He said since the digital and other user rights in communications and electronic media are becoming more significant in the society as technology advances, there is the need to protect these rights.

“The event is an acknowledgement of the drive of ASF France to promote the rights of individuals to information, freedom of expression, privacy and data protection as they engage online,” Danbatta said.

He said as the country continued to boost confidence and trust in its digital economy through fruitful deliberation and conversations, all hands must be on deck to safeguard the people’s rights to information, freedom of expression, privacy and data Protection, in the context of digital technologies, especially the Internet.

Abdullahi, also represented by Mr Emmanuel Edet, NITDA’s Head of Legal Unit, said that as at the last statistics, about 84 million Nigerians had access to internet

He said this showed that the number of internet users in the country had grown astronomically, hence, the need for the protection of their digital rights cannot be over-emphasised.

He said there was the need for every stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that digital space was safe.

Abdullahi, who said that the agency was working with NCC and others to develop child rights protection in the digital space, said he aligned totally with e-Rights Project and to ensure that this was adequately and properly used in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of NHRC, Mr Anthony Ojukwu, said he was always inclined to associating with any programme aimed at protecting the human rights.

“So there is the need to address the challenges and annex the potentials of digital space,” he said.

Ojukwu also said that there was need for legislation that would help safeguard the digital space.

The Chief Executive Officer of NDPB, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said with the huge population of internet users, effort must be made to safeguard the people’s rights.

Olatunji, who was represented at the event, said as nations across the globe march to the ever increasing tempo of technological advancement in the 4th industrial revolution, the need to safeguard the rights of citizens must be addressed with the keenest sense of equity and justice.

Alexandre Borges-Gomes, Deputy Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation in Nigeria and ECOWAS, said new technologies can contribute significantly to the protection and promotion of human rights and democracy and make public participation easier and more effective.

He, however, said that this could also be abused

“In this context, the e RIGHTS project is strategic because it aims at promoting people’s rights in the digital space in Nigeria; digital rights are all about freedom of expression and privacy and an extension of human rights for the internet age,” he said.

Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, the Country Director of ASF France, said the project was the latest human rights initiative of the organisation funded by the EU.

According to her, it is aimed at enhancing digital rights in Nigeria.

She said the organisation “is canvassing that all the rights that are respected offline to equally be respected online.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, organised by Lawyers Without Borders France, was in partnership with Centre for Technology and Development (CITAD) and Spaces for Change (S4C).(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The North-East Rebuild Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has hailed the ongoing De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme for surrendered and repentant terrorists in the North East.

The President of the group, Mr Gambo Katagum, in a statement on Wednesday, attributed the mass surrender of insurgents to application of both kinetic and non-kinetic measures by the military.

Katagum said the war against insurgents had become less noisy with more positive results since the assumption of office by Gen. Lucky Irabor as the Chief of Defence Staff.

He said the surrendering of no fewer than 51,828 terrorists and their family members to troops between July 2021 and May 2022 was a testimony of the good work being done to restore peace and stability in the country.

Katagum expressed optimism that the remaining insurgents would have no option than to surrender with the intense onslaughts on them by troops of the Armed forces of Nigeria.

“Just recently, troops of Operation Hadin Kai killed unconfirmed numbers of Boko Haram fighters as it raided six camps of the terrorist group successfully in Bula Agaida, Bula Yaga, Bula Lambai, Kuluri, Bula Umar and New Churchur in Borno.

“Similarly, troops in collaboration with Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) stormed the hideout of ISWAP in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno, killing 41 terrorists including a Commander, Abu Zahra while others fled for their lives.

“In same period, Troops of 222 Battalion, killed several members of ISWAP terrorist group in Konduga area of Borno.

“And just this Monday, troops successfully repelled ISWAP attack on a military formation in the volatile northeast of Kunnari near Buratai town in Biu Local Government Area of Borno.

“The troops overwhelmed the terrorists in a gun battle and eliminated eight of them while others fled the scene,” he said.

Katagum called on remaining insurgents to lay down arms, adding that the military, from all indications would not allow them disturb the peace of the region any further. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria