Get ready for robotic controls…The forgotten War…Miyetti Allah for Peace…plus other stories and reports

 

Get ready for robotic controls

Everywhere you go same questions are being asked “can we handle it?” and of course you get the same answer “why not, if we can live under the leadership of our politicians, and the police!” 

A robot was in charge of traffic on a busy road reportedly located in Abuja, the nation's capital.

“A trending video showed the interesting moment a robot directed traffic in Abuja, the nation's capital city The clip was posted on Twitter, and some people who saw it said it looked like a costume worn by a human However, drivers who saw the robot obeyed its directives as it stood at the police post and gestured with its hands! (source:  legit.ng)

 

“I-DICE will create more than 65,000 startups in Nigeria” – Catherine Colonnade 

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France, Catherine Colonnade, has said that the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (I-DICE) program of the Nigerian government is capable of creating 65,000 startups in Nigeria.

Colonade stated this on Friday as the Nigerian government signed an agreement with France on the program. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and Colonnade signed the bilateral agreement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja on behalf of both countries.

The agreement was also witnessed by Bosun Tijani the Minister of Communications who represented the Vice president of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima.

Aside from the startups, she said the program would also create 150,000 direct jobs and about 1.3 million indirect jobs. “The program will create more than 65,000 start-ups, 150,000 direct jobs in the technology and creative industries sectors, and approximately 1.3 million indirect jobs,’’ she said.

The program is being financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) & the Bank of Industry (BOI). Out of the over $600 million value of I-DICE, the AFD is contributing 100 million euros (equivalent to $116 million).

 

“Ukraine, The forgotten War?”

By Our Special Correspondent

 

Today, the world's attention has been diverted to what is happening in the Middle East, so much so that the exhausted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is precipitously being forgotten by the US and NATO as the future of their support can no longer be guaranteed.

A month ago, the armed conflict between Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups and Israeli military forces reached breaking point after Hamas launched a surprise cross-border raid from Gaza, killing hundreds of people and taking about 200 hostages. In retaliation, Israeli military forces launched extensive strikes on the Gaza Strip and subsequently invaded Gaza.

Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Norway, Austria, Germany, India, Canada, Poland, Spain, and even the European Union as a collective entity support Israel, while the global South sees a double standard in the West’s contrasting responses to Gaza and Ukraine, and is accusing the US of hypocrisy. 

Today, the war between Israel and Hamas is bad news for Ukraine. The conflict has already shifted news coverage and public attention in the West away from Russian aggression. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warning of a “long and difficult war ahead”, the implication of which is that it could force Western exporters to divert portions of their arms supplies from Ukraine to Israel, just as we are seeing the United States already doing. With the West’s apparent declining interest in Ukraine, this is just the incentive Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to drag out the war in Ukraine with less interference from the rest of the world.

The West is under heavy criticism with accusations of hypocrisy. Africa and many in the developing world have long seen a double standard in the West condemning Russia’s illegal occupation in Ukraine while also standing unwaveringly behind Israel, which has occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1967 and has also been holding Gaza under a land, air, and sea blockade since 2007.

So, will the Israel-Hamas war spell doom for Ukraine? The answer is a worrying yes. President Zelensky acknowledged last night that it is "taking away the focus" from the conflict in Ukraine. Western media coverage of the war in Ukraine has almost blanked out as the Israeli-Hamas war is now headline news. Is the world forgetting Ukraine? As long as Netanyahu’s long and difficult war progresses, each day that passes gives the Russians an advantage over Ukraine, which may no longer have the needed military hardware to mount any counteroffensive against Russia in the foreseeable future.

Cattle Traders Beg Abia Governor To Allow Them Continue Residing In Over 80 Hectares Umuchieze Market

The Northern community in Umuchieze Cattle Market in Umunneochi Local government Area of Abia has appealed to Gov. Alex Otti to allow them to reside inside the market.

The traders, who are predominantly dealers in cattle, made the appeal at a news briefing in the market on Wednesday.

They also reacted to the government’s claim that it discovered a large number of decomposed and headless bodies as well as “countless skeletons” in the market located at Lokpanta in Umuchieze. 

The governor announced the weird discovery during his Sunday’s parley with journalists. 

Mr Otti, who had expressed concern over the state of insecurity at the Umuennochi/Isuikweato axis, said that the market had become a den of criminals and kidnappers.

He had insisted that the government was going ahead with its plan to make the market non-residential.

He, therefore, ordered the traders to live with the natives in the neighbouring communities.

Reacting to the order, the spokesman for the community, Buba Abdullahi, expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s position.

Mr Abdullahi debunked the government’s claim that the market was littred with decomposed corpses and skeletons and that the market harboured criminals.

He also blamed the media for their failure to investigate the allegation before publishing. 

He described the government’s allegation as an alibi to execute its premeditated plot to chase them away from the land they had occupied since 2005.

 

Miyetti Allah takes proactive measures against insecurity in South East

Following the expected movement of pastoralists towards southern parts in the dry season, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has made arrangements to ensure that its men are not infiltrated by criminals in the guise of cattle breeders in the southeast.

The National Deputy Director General of MACBAN, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, made the disclosure in Enugu, shortly after a critical meeting of Miyetti Allah leaders in neighboring states of Kogi, Benue, Anambra and other states in the southeast states

Siddiki said that the association was keen on consolidating on confidence building efforts between its members and their host communities.

He said: “As the dry season approaches, pastoralists will migrate to green areas in search of greener pastures for their herds. I enjoin our people, herdsmen, who live in the South East to be conscious of their environment and avoid infiltrations by marauders who parade themselves as herdsmen and attract bad names to us by their nefarious acts.

“I passionately enjoin our people to brace up towards the consolidation of our move to actualize confidence building for harmonious coexistence between our people and their host communities. This is pursuant to ensuring cordiality, harmony and security in the border communities in Enugu, Kogi and Anambra states. 

“While in this pursuit we note the presence of political forces bent on demonizing our people for selfish political gains that do not spell mutual accommodation amongst Nigerians across the nation’s geopolitical space. We however express sincere commitment to the productive dialogue across board going on at Uzo Uwani LGA.”

Siddiki however accused those he termed ‘anti dialogue forces’ of deploying thugs to attack its members, kill their children and cattle just to provoke a retaliation from the pastoralists, escalate the crisis and then turn around to blame herdsmen.

Anambra poly interdepartmental games begin

Activities for the Rector’s Unity Cup at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State, have begun in earnest.  Nwafulugo, who is the first female rector of the institution, performed the opening ceremony on the polytechnic’s global pitch, Oko, in the Srumba North Local Government Area of the state.

The games, for the Rector’s Unity Cup, will feature Football, volleyball, athletics, 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, 4 by 100m, badminton, table tennis all in the male and female categories.

In her remarks, Nwafulugo called on the federal and state governments to use sports to promote friendship, social cohesion, economic empowerment and national unity.

“The Federal Government has done a lot for Nigerians and still on it but you know people want more. I want to say they should keep it up. We want good things in the country. We want a country that is friendly where everybody will have a place and say.

“Sports is an outdoor activity that brings the spirit, soul and mind together. I think sports is the best thing for us now. Sports brings people together in unity. We need to be together to achieve more things,” she said.

The rector, who is rounding off her five-year term, said that she had neither underestimated the power of sports nor neglected it in office despite limited resources.

She thanked the management, staff and students of polytechnic for their consistency in organising sports competitions and their cooperation with her administration.

 

SMEDAN, Anambra signs N1bn pact on SMEs

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Anambra State Government to bolster the growth of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the state.

The agreement signed on Friday, will support SMEs with N1billion in a matching fund arrangements.  The funds are set to be paid in proportion to funds available from other sources.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by media aide to the SMEDAN DG, Peter Adeshina, and obtained by our correspondent on Saturday.

According to Adeshina, the new agreement underscores the agency’s commitment to ensure SMEs have access to vital funding across Nigeria.

Anambra Govt. approves N1.2 billion for statewide renovation of borehole water schemes

The Anambra State government has announced that it has approved the release of N1.2 billion for the renovation of borehole water schemes across the state.

This information was contained in an official press release signed by Sir Paul Nwosu, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, on Friday. 

According to the press statement, the Anambra State Executive Council on Wednesday approved N1,204,200,118 for the Phase 1 renovation of 67 borehole water schemes in Anambra State.

Approval of funds for the renovation of Ministry of Justice zonal offices 

Also, the Anambra State Executive Council, in its council meeting on Wednesday, awarded a contract for the renovation of the zonal offices of the Ministry of Justice in the state.

According to the statement, the council approved the release of N71.3 million for the contract to renovate the zonal offices and outstations of the Ministry of Justice to ensure the speedy dispensation of justice.

The contract was awarded to Noble Gate Enterprises, and the intervention is intended to avail the zonal offices and staff of the Ministry of Justice a befitting and modest working environment through a modest and effective renovation.

Furthermore, the statement said the renovation work on the zonal offices across Anambra State is expected to be completed within a period of four months from the date of payment of the mobilisation fee.

 

 

 

 

 

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