The Director ABN TV, Mr Ifeanyi Okali has congratulated aspirant for Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia State on the platform of the Labour Party, Chief Amobi Ogah on his birthday, describing him as a passionate and committed young man who has demonstrated eagerness to see a more developed Abia.
In a felicitation message on Thursday, Okali also appreciated the businessman and philanthropist for his modest efforts in lifting the burdens and touching the lives of his people through series of empowerment outreaches he has carried out among youths and women of his constituency to give them a ray of hope.
He also prayed God to rain His blessings upon Chief Ogah as he marks birthday and grant his desires of heart, even as he wishes him long life and prosperity.
The Governorship candidate of Action Peoples Party (APP) in Abia State, Hon. Mascot Uzor-Kalu on Thursday commissioned a new hostel block built by his elder brother, the Senate Chief Whip and the Senator representing Abia North, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
The project is sited at Holy Rosary Secondary School, Umuahia.
Also at the project commissioning is the representative of the Bishop of Umuahia, Very Rev. Msgr. Dr Francis Nwaiwu- Parish Priest St Michael’s Parish Ugwunchara Umuahia and the Holy Rosary Chaplain: Rev. Fr Christopher Amaugo.
Mascot Kalu, a former Abia State Chief of Staff while addressing students of the school and guests at the event, stated that the importance of education in the development of any state can not be over-emphasized and as such project like the new hostel block will greatly enhance learning and human capacity building. He also added, “the promise made has been kept.”
Speaking further, he used the opportunity to reiterate his promise of free education at the Primary and Secondary School levels in Abia state if elected as Governor.
According to the governorship hopeful, “it would interest my government that education drives every sector of our lives, for it’s through learning that we can mould the character of our children.”
In appreciation remark, the Principal of the School, Sr. Jane Samuel Okoro, thanked Senator Kalu for keeping to his promises, as the sewing machines he previously provided to the school have enabled the students to acquire a variety of skills.
The chairperson, Climate Parliament Nigeria, Hon. Sam Onuigbo has urged the federal government to commence efforts to ensure the inauguration of National Council on Climate Change as stipulated the the Climate Change Act signed into law last year by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Act bestows a lot of responsibilities on the Council in order for certain things around the Act to be implemented especially with timeliness attached to them.
Section 19(2) of the Act for instance mandates that the Federal Ministry of Environment in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning must present the pilot carbon budget to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) through the National Council on Climate Change, not later than one year from the date of assent to the Bill
The Bill was on November 17, 2021 signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking at a capacity building workshop on the Climate Change Act organised by Climate Parliament in Abuja, Hon. Onuigbo representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency of Abia State urged that as the timeline for presentation of pilot carbon budget to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning through the National Council on Climate Change, gradually comes to an end, there is need for the setting up of the council for implementation to commence.
The federal lawmaker said this will not only tackle the effects of climate change but will also boost the nation’s energy sector.
He said, “Nigeria’s loudest statements on climate change were the country setting 2060 to attain net zero and Mr. President signing the Climate Change Act. To see the Act not being implemented with the inauguration of the Council even when there is a clear timeline for certain things to be done, as stipulated in the Act, should be a source of concern to Nigerians. For instance, Section 19(2) of the Act mandates that the Federal Ministry of Environment in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning must present the pilot carbon budget to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) through the National Council on Climate Change, not later than one year from the date of assent to the Bill. That automatically means that the pilot carbon budget must be presented on or before November 16, 2022. In the same vein, the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Secretariat of the National Council on Climate Change are mandated by Section 20 to develop the five-yearly Action Plan for the realization of the carbon budget. Section 20(2) mandates that the first Action Plan must be ready within one year of assent to the Bill. It is important to note that Section 20(3) mandates that before the Action Plan is presented to the Council and FEC, it must be made public for eight weeks (culminating 14 days before the date of presentation to the Council) for the public to review. It is therefore time to inaugurate the Council for proper coordination of our Climate Change efforts.
“Climate Parliament, over the years, has led constructive conversations on climate change and most importantly, renewable energy provisions for energy-poor countries like ours. This idea metamorphosed into the launch of the Green Grids Initiative by Prime Ministers Mordi of India and Johnson of Britain on November 2, 2021, during COP26 at Glasgow. The idea is not to only tackle the climate change menace, but to also address our energy problems by proffering sustainable and clean alternatives.”
He also applauded the Climate Parliament for the critical role it played in the final draft of the Climate Change Act, while also engaging several Nigerian legislators on the path to toe in engendering clean energy production and distribution that is cheap.
He highlighted that the body has established an office at the National Assembly as a demonstration of its unwavering support and effort to firmly plant its feet in the country to help push these humane, Nigeria-focused, and sustainable dreams through.
Hon. Onuigbo also called on the International Community with private finance to come and invest in Nigeria’s renewable energy sub-sector as a way of helping to solve Nigeria’s energy problem.
He said, the time to take advantage of the massive investment opportunity is now, advising them not to repeat the mistakes made by some of them during the privatisation of the telecommunications sub-sector.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has explained why he settled for the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.
He said part of the criteria he considered was Okowa’s rich experience and political trajectory which positioned him well to become president after his (Atiku’s) tenure.
Atiku stated this in his remarks at the unveiling of Okowa as his running mate at the PDP National Headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Wuse Abuja, on Thursday.
“In arriving at the decision, I held wide consultations with various stakeholders in our party including our Governors, National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, and other leaders to seek their input and their wisdom.
“In these consultations, I made clear that my running mate would have the potential to succeed me at a moment’s notice, that is, a President-in-waiting,” Atiku said.
He added, “In other words, the person must have the qualities to be President. The person must have an appreciation of the deep rot which our country has been put into by the rudderless APC government; understands the great suffering that most of our people are going through and the urgency of relieving them of that suffering; understand the critical importance of economic growth and development to provide our young people with jobs, hope, and a pathway to wealth.
“The person must appreciate the critical importance of education in the development of modern societies so we can prepare our young people to be able to compete in the increasingly competitive and globalized world.
“My running mate must understand that without security, development will be very difficult because local and foreign investors who have been scared away already, would not return to invest in our economy. Thus, my running mate will be a person who will stand by me as I confront the frightening level of insecurity in our land.”
The former Vice President said it was a difficult decision for him to arrive at the choice of Okowa as all those shortlisted for the role “are all dedicated party-men suitable for this task”.
“It is a difficult decision that I am called upon to take. But, as someone hoping to lead a complex country such as ours, tough and difficult decisions would remain a part of my everyday life.
“Let me, therefore, start this momentous journey with a crucial decision about who, among the eminently qualified shortlist, would be my running mate.
“Accordingly, let me state that the person I have chosen as my running mate possesses all those identified qualities. He personifies not only the seriousness the current moment represents for our country but also the future that our young people yearn for and deserve. He is a serving State Governor who has demonstrated, in his State and through his conduct, that governance is about service to the people.
“I know that he will not only add excitement to our already energized ticket and campaign but will also help to bring focus, discipline and stability to our government, come 2023. I am pleased, therefore, to announce here my choice of running mate who will help to lead us to victory next year not only in the presidential election but also in the governorship and legislative elections.
“And he will be by my side as I work hard every day to provide our people with security, revive our economy, improve education and unite our country. He has both Legislative and Executive experience. Please join me in welcoming to the ticket the next Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.
“You know him to be a fighter; you know him to care about winning; you know him to care about good governance; and you know him to care about our people. Now, my dear friends, let’s do the disciplined hard work necessary to win this election. Let’s go.”
Adventist Technical Secondary School Ohafia Local Government Area has qualified for the grand finale of Abia State Schools Quiz Competition.
It garnered 30 points to trounce six other schools from Arochukwu and Bende Local Government Areas to represent Ohafia Educational zone in the finals scheduled for June 30th at Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, Abia State capital.
The quiz competition is organised by Ray Nkemdirim Foundation in Collaboration with the Ministry of Education, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, SEMB, the Scholarship board and Flo 94.9 FM.
Coordinator of Ray Nkemdirim Foundation, Uche Ama-Ohakah commended the winning school and invited other zonal finalists to the grand finale.
The zonal series continues on Thursday with schools from Aba Educational Zones for local government winners from Aba South, Aba North and Osisioma.
Moscow will welcome the recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics by Syria or any other countries, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.
“We will welcome the recognition of the DPR and LPR by other countries, especially the Syrian Arab Republic, which is friendly to us,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
Peskov did not answer a question about whether a meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad is planned. “We will let you know if such a meeting takes place,” he promised.
Earlier, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Dmitry Sablin, who is now in Syria as part of the State Duma delegation, said after his meeting with al-Assad that the Syrian president intends to instruct the country’s Foreign Ministry to begin the procedure for officially recognizing the DPR and LPR. Russia recognized the DPR and LPR’s sovereignty on February 21.
Leader Of The Lugansk People’s Republic - Leonid Pasechnik
Leader Of The Lugansk People’s Republic – Leonid Pasechnik
Western political circles are the ones who benefit from Ukrainians and Russians killing each other, the leader of the Lugansk People’s Republic told TASS on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday.
“I think representatives of Western countries, the so-called curators of the Ukrainian government, are clearly the sole beneficiaries of the situation,” Leonid Pasechnik said.
He urged Kiev to lay down arms, demilitarize, denazify and stop posing threats to the entire Russian society, and said it was useless for Ukrainian troops to offer resistance.
“Any resistance is useless. <…> We will definitely attain the goals set by the Russian president as part of the special military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine. We will do that. So why all these senseless killings?” he concluded.
On February 21, President Vladimir Putin recognized the sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the LPR, and treaties on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance were signed with the two Donbass republics. On February 24, Putin launched a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request from their leaders.
The US and its satellites used the same methods to bring nationalists to power in Ukraine that they used earlier in Syria in their attempt to topple the legitimate authorities via Islamic radicals, Russian National Defense Control Center head Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev said Thursday.
“The Western states used the same criminal methods they used in 2011 to spark the conflict in Syria. Back then, the West supported and armed terrorists, ideologically motivated by radical Islamism in order to topple the undesired government,” Mizintsev said during the joint meeting of inter-agency coordination headquarters of Syria and Russia.
“It is the same in Ukraine,” he noted. “By introducing the neo-nationalist ideology to the radical part of the Ukrainian society, the US and their satellites have brought forces into power, which facilitate the thriving of fascism ideas.”
Right now, Western states seek to prolong the conflict for as long as possible by pumping Ukraine with all kinds of weapons, the general believes.
He pointed out that, during the eight years of the humanitarian catastrophe in Donbass, over 6.5 million people were subjected to human rights violations. Over 14,500 people were killed in daily shellings by Ukrainian forces, which also destroyed over 4,100 and damaged over 55,000 infrastructure objects and residential buildings. Over 1.4 million refugees migrated from Donbass to Russia, and over 3.6 million people were forced to hide in basements.
“The countries of the so-called civilized West, led by the United States of America, intentionally ignored all that, displaying total ignorance towards the fates of millions of residents of Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics,” the general underscored.
European countries have begun to provide financial assistance for Ukraine’s reconstruction, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday during a visit to the city of Irpen in the Kiev region.
“We, the Europeans, have begun providing financial assistance for the reconstruction of cities that have been affected by military action,” Macron said. “We are already implementing such cooperation,” he stressed.
Macron also noted that work continued in the justice sphere. رهان مباشر“Our experts, gendarmes, lawyers are with the Ukrainian authorities so that war crimes are investigated,” he said, emphasizing that “legal assessments must be made by lawyers.” “We will continue to support [Ukraine] in all forms, including political support. That is why the four of us (German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis – TASS) came here,” the French president said.
“France has been consistent in its position from the first day in expressing its support for Ukraine,” Macron said when asked by reporters about his mediation efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. He noted that “Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has also always wanted to talk to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.”
Macron arrived in Ukraine on Thursday morning along with the heads of Germany, Italy and Romania. They are due to meet with the Ukrainian president shortly. العاب تجلب المال
Arsenal are on the verge of sealing a deal for Manchester City and Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus.
The North London club have been linked with Jesus for much of the summer so far.
The arrival of Erling Haaland at the Etihad has placed his future in serious doubt after six years with the Premier League champions.
Jesus’ availability has generated lots of interest, with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Champions League winners Real Madrid among the teams understood to hold an interest.
But the Times reported that it is Arsenal who look to be winning the race, with club chiefs now confident they can strike a deal for the player.
City are holding out for around £50million, the report claims, and while Arsenal have only bid around £30m so far, they are expected to push their offer closer to City’s asking price.
Jesus is eager to move to the Emirates and is keen to work with manager Mikel Arteta again, it continues.
The pair worked together at the Etihad when Arteta was Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager and have a good understanding.
In turn, Arteta has made Jesus one of his ‘priority’ transfer targets and is no longer concerned than the player will snub them because of their lack of Champions League football.
Arsenal are desperate to bring in some reinforcements up front after losing Alexandre Lacazette on a free transfer to Lyon, while they offloaded Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona in January.
There have also been fears Eddie Nketiah could walk out on his boyhood club – with his name being included on a list of players being released this summer.
His Royal Majesty Eze Iheanyichukwu Nwokenna, the traditional ruler of Ekeoba Community, Ohuhu, in Umuahia North Local Government Area, has paid a courtesy visit...
