Headlines

78th UNGA: Tinubu to depart Abuja for New York on Sunday

Published

1 year ago

September 16, 2023

78th UNGA: Tinubu to depart Abuja for New York on Sunday

President Bola Tinubu will on Sunday depart Abuja for New York, the United States to attend the 78th edition of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Briefing newsmen at the State House, Abuja on Friday, presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, said President Tinubu is set to attend UNGA with a focus on strengthening Nigeria’s economic ties.

According to him, the President plans to meet with CEOs of major multinationals including Microsoft’s Brad Smith, Meta’s Nick Clegg, General Electric’s CEO, and Exxon Mobil’s CEO to discuss digital transformation, innovation, energy, and petroleum sector opportunities.

He added that the President will also participate in various summits, including those on Sustainable Development Goals and climate ambition as well as bilateral meetings with world leaders including US President Joe Biden and counterparts from Spain, Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil, Comoros and Algeria.

In his words, “President Bola Tinubu is going to continue advancing very aggressively on his economic development, diplomatic drive, to aggressively attract foreign direct investment into the country. So with that, I would like to inform you that Mr. President will be having the following meetings with major chief executives and leaders of multinational firms cutting across multiple sectors of the economy.

“The President will be meeting with the President of the Microsoft company worldwide, Brad Smith, with respect to how we can deepen digital transformation in the country, and to how we can expand the digital economic footprint in the country to ensure that our micro and small enterprises will have access to the internet and have access to other smart technologies that will facilitate their ability to transact business quickly and efficiently.

“Mr. President will also be meeting with Sir Nick Clegg who is the president of Global Affairs for Meta Technologies, that is expected to be a wide-ranging conversation with respect to how we can leverage new innovations such as artificial intelligence and certain other applications to impact the way we do business in Nigeria.

“Mr President will also be meeting with the global CEO of General Electric. Of course, General Electric is a very well-known international organization that cuts across multiple sectors, they have very deep involvement in the energy sector electric power generation aviation, you know, engine production for multiple multiple modes of transportation, amongst many other inputs. So we expect that to be a very important interaction.

“Furthermore, Mr President will be meeting with the global CEO of Exxon Mobil Oil and Gas Company. We see this as a major opportunity to once again lay out in detail what Nigeria has on offer with respect to the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act and the fiscal and tax incentives that are being put forward by President Bola Tinubu to further advance investment in the oil and gas sector not just in terms of oil, but more in terms of gas.

“But even in the oil sector, we are looking very closely at what we can do in the deep offshore and some of the associated opportunities in that sphere.

“Again, these are just one-on-one meetings with these delegations. These are just a few of them. Mr. President will be participating in the Africa Global Business Initiative, essentially, another platform that’s more like a roundtable where you’re going to have lucrative enterprises, high-level, chief executives from around the world, that want to listen in on what African leaders with particular attention to the Nigerian president, what he has to say, in terms of the opportunities available to invest in Nigeria across sectors, that’s going to be another major opportunity.

“The President will also be presiding over an event, that is the Nigeria Small and Medium Scale Business Summit. And this is really a very strategic one. The President is determined to ensure that we don’t just look at large industries, that we key in on opportunities that are being presented by Nigerian-owned small and medium-scale enterprises, putting our own MSMEs in a position to make an impact in foreign markets.

“In addition to that, the President will be speaking at the UN High-Level reform of the global financial architecture. This is sequel to the engagement Mr President had in Paris. It will essentially allow our president to lay out his vision for a fairer international financial system that does not any longer leave out developing countries from the decision making table.

“He’s very determined to drive this and he’s leading it from the front and that’s a very important engagement on his schedule. Aside from that, there will be two major summits at the UN. Aside from of course, general debate at the General Assembly, which is one the UN 2023 summit on SDGs the sustainable development goals at which Mr. President will be very actively participating.

“And there will also be the UN Secretary General’s climate ambition Summit, at which Mr. President will be laying out his plans in concrete detail for Nigeria’s energy transition and the role that our partners in the business community and foreign governments and nongovernmental organisations will play in the actualization of Nigeria’s ambition to get to net zero by 2060.

“The last point I want to make is on His Excellency Mr. President’s schedule of bilateral meetings. The President, again, focusing in on his economic development diplomacy will be having investment at the front and center of his conversations with his counterparts around the world.

“And these engagements include bilateral meetings on the sidelines, with the President of the United States, with the President of Comoros, with the president of South Africa, with the President of the European Union Commission, with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, with the King of Jordan, with the Algerian President, with the Brazilian president and with the Spanish Prime Minister.

“It’s still dynamic. There are some that will still be added, but it’s fair to say that within a very short few days in New York, President Bola Tinubu, will certainly be one of the most active and one of the most sought-after heads of state with respect to his engagement in both bilateral and multilateral platforms.”

78th UNGA: Tinubu to depart Abuja for New York on Sunday

Headlines

Commission, journalists partner to revamp water sector in Kaduna

Published

3 days ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

The Kaduna State Water Services Regulatory Commission (KADWREC) says it is partnering media practitioners towards revamping water services in the state.

Mr Dogara Bashir, the Executive Chairman of KADWREC, disclosed this on Monday at a one-day workshop organised for media practitioners on regulation of ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ (WASH) activities held in Kaduna.

Bashir said the commission was aware of the importance of the role media practitioners played in the society.

He stated that the workshop was to provide an avenue to liaise with them as important stakeholders on water supply and sanitation services in the state.

Bashir said: “As media practitioners, we believe you are a gateway to the citizens so, the workshop would acquaint you with some of the regulations already in place so that you can in turn transmit it to the public

“The state of water services in Kaduna State is in dire need of attention and the State Water Corporation and KADWREC were established towards addressing the seeming challenges.

“The commission is mandated to ensure better service delivery and regulation of water and sanitation services in the State.

“The idea is that once the regulations are developed, we send them to the State Ministry of Justice to gazette and then we get the state government to endorse and give the go ahead to commence the implementation of the regulations

“We intend to implement them fully come January, 2025 God willing, as we have embarked on advocacy activities having gone to zones 1 and 2 where we talked to traditional rulers, security agencies and the Judiciary.”

He disclosed that a special Court has already been attached to the commission by the Chief Judge of the State for service providers who may likely violate regulations.

The chairman further said that amongst the commission’s objectives include ensuring security, reliability and quality of service in the production and delivery of water to the consumers as well making regulations to control the sinking of boreholes.

Others included; maximising access to water services by promoting and facilitating consumer connections to distribution systems in urban and rural areas.

According to Bashir, they also include ensuring that regulatory decision-making has regards to all the relevant health, safety, environmental and social legislation applying to the water sector.

Bashir further said that the commission collaborate with the relevant state and federal agencies on water policies.

Crime

2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud

Published

3 days ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

The police in Lagos have dragged two women, Mmesuma Ofunna, and Blessing Adimekwe, before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over alleged obtaining money by false pretence.

Ofunna, 22, and Adimekwe, 25, were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr L K J Layeni, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to breach peace.

They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large, to commit the offence on Oct. 26 at the Okokomaiko area of Ojo.

He alleged that they had obtained the sum of N70, 000 from one Faith Ahamefule, with a promise not to post her nude photo on social media.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendants later posted the nude photo of the nominal complainant on social media, knowing that their promise was false.

He alleged that they stole the N70, 0000, thereby conducting themselves in a manner likely to breach public peace.

The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 168(d), 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The court granted the defendants bails in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.

He adjourned the case until Jan. 8, 2025 for mention.

Headlines

Driver jailed 6 months for attempting to steal a car

Published

3 days ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sentenced a 37-year-old driver, Ahmad Umar to six months in imprisonment for attempting to steal a car.

The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N30, 000 fine or spend six months in prison.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Ibrahim Gokwat, told the court that the case was reported on Oct. 10, at the Area Command Police station through a distress call by one Sydney Peacemorie the complainant.

Gokwat said the complainant parked his Toyota RAV4 in front of Access Bank and went inside to carry out some transactions, only to return to find the convict inside his car.

“The convict unlawfully opened the car and was in the driver’s seat when the complainant raised alarm and he was apprehended, but his accomplice escaped.

“The convict was severely beaten by a mob but was rescued by the police,” said Gokwat.

“The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law.