Aso Villa Reads for 06/08/2020
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
The Nigerian Air Force is set to commence the airlifting of medical materials and other consumables procured by the West African Health Organisation for distribution to 14 member countries of the Economic Community of West African States to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The service said the exercise was in fulfilment of the promise made by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), that Nigeria would provide logistic support for the distribution of the items. According to a statement on Wednesday by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the operation was flagged off at the 307 Executive Airlift Group, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday by the Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, who was represented by the Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora. The statement titled, ‘COVID-19: NAF commences airlift of essential medical materials procured by WAHO to 14 ECOWAS countries,’ identified the destination points as Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cape Verde, Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali and the Republic of Benin. Mamora, in his remarks, observed that the NAF had remained the backbone of the logistic operations of the PTF on the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Punch reported.
The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending on Wednesday said it was providing support in form of loans and inputs to a total of 44,670 farmers cultivating 68,771 hectares of land nationwide. NIRSAL also stated that a total of 2,872 rice, maize and cassava farmers belonging to various women Agro Geo-Cooperative groups were being supported in the South-South states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta. According to Punch, the agency said the support was through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme in which NIRSAL Plc was playing a critical role as a participating financial institution. It disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja while announcing that NIRSAL just empowered 475 female farmers in Uyo for cassava production during the 2020 wet season farming. The statement, which was titled, ‘ABP: NIRSAL empowers 475 female cassava farmers in Uyo,’ was issued by the agency’s Supervisor, Corporate Communications, Hauwa Ali. The agency stated that according to its Agro Geo-Cooperative model, NIRSAL structured the farmers into a group named, the Uyo Women Agro Geo-Cooperative.
No fewer than 48,000 vulnerable households in Nasarawa State have benefitted from the Federal Government Social Intervention out of the 200,000 registered in the first phase of the programme in the state. Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Social Investment Programme and Humanitarian Services, Mallam Imran Jibrin, disclosed this at the commencement of the second phase of the programme in the state. He said the training of the second batch of the vulnerable households was targeted at the remaining seven local government areas of Doma, Keana, Obi, Nasarawa-Eggon, Keffi, Karu and Toto. “We started with six local government areas of Akwanga, Lafia, Wamba, Nasarawa, Kokona and Awe. We are now going to train the remaining seven local government areas of Doma, Keana, Obi, Nasarawa-Eggon, Keffi, Karu and Toto,” he said. He disclosed that so far about 200,000 households had been identified and registered in the six pilot local government areas with 48,000 of the number as beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme in the state. Vanguard reported.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government intends to examine every possible option in the development and distribution of a vaccine against the COVID-19 disease. Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the vice president spoke at a virtual meeting with representatives of Pfizer and Biotech pharmaceutical firms. Pfizer and Biotech are the international pharmaceutical firms promoting the BNT162 vaccine candidate. As reported by Punch, the meeting was attended by Health Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire, and the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib, with representatives of Pfizer and Biotech. According to Osinbajo, the interaction between the Federal Government and the promoters of the vaccine candidate is an important conversation. “It is important for us that we are prioritised as the largest country in Africa in the distribution of the best COVID-19 vaccine when it is eventually ready. “Our priority is the health of the Nigerian citizens; we continue to engage and intend to look at every possible option from all manufacturers of a good vaccine. “We want to do the very best for our people in this regard,” he said.
Details of how qualified and targeted Nigerians can access some of the benefits under the Economic Sustainability Plan will emerge soon with the constitution of a 10-man steering committee to drive the implementation of the various support schemes for small businesses especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, inaugurated the committee on Tuesday at a brief ceremony held via video-conference. Membership of the group is drawn from both the public and private sectors. Some of the programmes include; the MSMEs Guaranteed Offtake Simulation Scheme which is designed to sustain 300,000 jobs in 100,000 MSMEs by guaranteeing off-take of priority products and extending payroll support and establishing facility in the six geo-political zones; and the establishment of the MSMEs Survival Fund, targeted at sustaining 1,000,000 jobs in 100,000 MSMEs and 333,000 self-employed individuals through disbursement of grants across the six geo-political zones, according to the Special Assistant to the President on MSMEs, Tola Johnson. The Minster of State for Industry, Trade & Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum is the Chairman of the steering committee while founder of The Chair Centre Limited & Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mrs Ibukun Awosika is the Vice Chairman. Other members of the committee include the Chairman of Anambra Rice Mills, Mr Akai Egwuonu; the DG, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr Joseph Ari; the MD, Bank of Industry (BOI), Mr Kayode Pitan; the DG, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Dr Dikko Radda; and the Director, Industrial Development Department, Mr Adewale Bakare. Also included on the committee are the representative of the Office of the Chief of Staff; the Technical Adviser to the Minister for Industry, Trade & Investment, Mr Kamar Bakrin, while the Special Assistant to the President on MSMEs, Mr Tola Johnson will serve as Secretary of the Committee and Coordinator of the project. Daily Trust reported.
Business Day reported that the Minister of justice and attorney general of the federation, Abubakar Malami on Tuesday provided explanations on Nigeria’s sovereignty not being at risk in the country’s loan agreement with China. The clarification is coming on the heels of the raging controversy over the varied and diverse loan interpretations agreement between China and Nigeria in many quarters for some of on-going standard gauge rail projects across the country. Malami while answering questions alongside Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, on ‘Good Morning Nigeria’ aired on NTA, Tuesday morning, explained the difference between international diplomatic immunity which relates to a nation’s sovereignty, independent existence, and commercial immunity which has to do with a commitment to ensure repayment of loans The AGF said the misconception is that the National Assembly is looking at the diplomatic immunity as against the commercial immunity of a country when it has to do with loans, adding that there is no concession whatsoever made as it concerns Nigeria’s diplomatic immunity. “If you talk of immunity within the context of diplomatic immunity which has the implication of the independence of a state and its institutions in its own right, there is no concession whatsoever made by Nigeria as it relates to diplomatic immunity that has to do with its independent existence as a nation, neither was any concession made as related to institutional diplomatic immunity of the Nigerian institutions.”, he said.
