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NGE Advocates Insurance Cover For Journalists

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The President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr Mustapha Isah, has called for insurance cover for journalists in the country to encourage them carry out their duties effectively.
Isah made the call in in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), yesterday in Abuja.
He said such insurance policy would encourage journalists to go the extra mile in getting authentic stories and disseminating credible information.
He said that insurance cover for journalists in the country was a necessity and would boost their morale, enhance effectiveness and efficiency in the media industry.
According to him, journalists in Nigeria are practising under a difficult and sometimes dangerous environment, thereby putting their lives on the line.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, media houses didn’t shut down. Journalists were still going out to do their work, even without any form of insurance cover.
“Some of us were infected in the process. Also, some journalists lost their lives in Kano and Abuja during the Shi’a protest.
“As we speak now, a reporter from Vanguard newspaper is missing and has not been found. Journalists should have insurance cover.
“CNN would not take you without having an insurance cover for you. That is why their journalists would be bold to report even from the war front,” the NGE president said.
Isah narrated how a director of press in a military formation in Maiduguri once told him to come to Borno to cover the war against insurgency instead of calling via the phone every time there was an attack.
“I told him I didn’t have insurance cover to cover the war against Boko Haram insurgency in Borno.
“I asked him if I died in the process, what would happen to my family.
“So, there is the urgent need for media house owners and outfits to get insurance cover for their journalists,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has said that it was ready to partner with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on empowerment to enhance their livelihood even after retirement.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIRSAL, Dr Aliyu Abdulhameed, revealed this at the weekend.
The MD/CEO said this in his keynote address at the 17th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference 2021, organised by the NGE, last Friday, in Abuja.
Abdulhameed said there were many opportunities and services at NIRSAL that the NGE could benefit from, adding that they were ready to partner with the Guild.
He said: “What NIRSAL would do with the NGE is to speak with them through a technical team set up by the Guild and create a model for up and down stream of how the Guild can benefit from the various opportunities in NIRSAL.
“Then, we optimise these models so that when we put in N1, we can get N3 in return because it is not economically wise to put in N1 and get N1.
“The agriculture sector is subject to science and modelling.
“So, when we optimise your project with you, we then optimise financial solutions.
“Then, we approach the bank.
“My call of action to the Guild is: how can we work with you to create a technical pilot model to benefit the Guild?”
Abdulhameed urged members of the Guild to understand that agriculture was a business venture, adding that the sector contributed to about 24per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He stressed that in Brazil and Egypt, especially in the Nile Valley, agriculture had been passed from generation to generation, saying it had the potential of enhancing the livelihood of the citizens.
According to him, it is regrettable that a lot of farmers think agriculture only begins and ends with production.
He said production was an aspect of the agriculture, there was need for other chains like packaging to enhance value.
The conference provides a platform for relevant stakeholders in the media from across the country to cross fertilise ideas for improved efficiency.
Earlier, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd had advocated for the consideration of what he calls “energy justice” in the implementation of global energy transition.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, said this at the 17th All Nigerian Editors’ Conference in Abuja ahead of the commencement of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, this week.
Discussions on countries transiting to less carbon-intensive energy sources have been gaining momentum in the last few years, with global leaders calling for a shift away from fossil fuels as a critical action towards tackling the climate crisis.
The GMD argued that wholesale execution of energy transition without regard to the peculiar socio-economic conditions of various countries would cause dislocations that could exacerbate security challenges in developing nations.
Kyari, whose paper was titled “Insecurity as it Affects the Oil and Gas Sector”, maintained that his concept of energy justice was to allow each country, especially developing nations, to progress at their own pace while leveraging on their hydrocarbon resources for smooth transition to net zero by 2050.
“Talking about energy transition, it is my very well-considered view that there must be energy justice, which means that countries should develop at their own pace while taking into consideration the realities that they face,” Kyari stated.
According to the NNPC CEO, individual nations should be allowed to transit on the basis of their contributions to the carbon emission to the point that ultimately, there will be justice for all by 2050.
“Energy justice would ensure that as we transit, we are allowed to develop at a pace and in a manner that is just,” Kyari added.
The NNPC helmsman also urged the media industry and other stakeholders to champion the cause of energy justice in the global quest for cleaner energy, stressing that gas development remained the only option for Nigeria to achieve energy transition.
Speaking on NNPC’s refineries and the role they play in ensuring energy security for the country, he said NNPC management under his leadership was keen on changing the narrative and getting the refineries back on stream by taking advantage of the free-hand given to the management by President Muhammadu Buhari to do the right thing.
“This is the first time in history that NNPC and its subsidiaries are allowed to do things the way things should be done. Now, I can confirm to you that we have taken responsibility and we will fix the refineries. We have started the process, contractors have been mobilized to the Port Harcourt refinery; while the same process for Warri and Kaduna refineries will conclude by the end of this year,” he declared.
On the menace of crude oil and products theft, the NNPC CEO said much progress has been made through collaboration with security agencies.
He called for support of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and other stakeholders towards reducing insecurity within the oil and gas industry.

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Rivers Chief Judge Frees 21 Awaiting Trial Inmates

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In a bid to decongest the correctional facilities in Rivers State, the Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, has pardoned 21 inmates awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre.

 

The exercise, which held yesterday in Port Harcourt, was part of the Chief Judge’s efforts to reduce the prison population, which has exceeded its capacity.

 

Justice Amadi noted that the correctional centre, built to accommodate 1,500 inmates, currently houses over 2,500 inmates.

 

He emphasized the need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders in the criminal justice system to address the issue of prison decongestion.

 

The Chief Judge stated that keeping inmates in custody without trial does not benefit society and instead punishes them without justification.

 

He explained that the decision to release the inmates was based on a review of their cases.

 

The Tide reports that those with ongoing court cases were not considered for release, but inmates whose case files could not be traced and had spent years in custody without any progress in their trials were freed.

 

The judge maintained that the goal delivery exercise was not the normal routine duty but fundamental aspects of his judicial responsibilities rooted in legal traditional as provided in the criminal justice released from custody special provision Act Cap C,4c laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and section 34 sub 1 of Rivers state Administration of Criminal Justice Law No 2015.

 

Among those released were two mentally challenged inmates who had spent between eight and 10 years in custody without any clear charges or trial progress.

 

Justice Amadi advised the freed inmates to become change agents in society and avoid repeating the crimes that led to their incarceration.

 

He also urged the Police to conduct diligent investigations before charging suspects to court, emphasizing the importance of proper legal procedures.

 

The State Controller of Correctional Service, Madumere Felix, expressed gratitude to the Chief Judge for the exercise and highlighted the challenges faced by the correctional service.

 

He disclosed that the maximum correctional centre has 503 inmates on death row and over 2,500 inmates in total, far exceeding its capacity.

 

Felix called on the Chief Judge to help channel the service’s challenges to the state government for support and assistance.

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Shettima, Atiku, Obi Attend Buhari’s Fidau Prayer In Daura

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The three-day Fidau for the late former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was held last Wednesday at his residence in Daura, Katsina State.

 

The prayer drew prominent national leaders, Islamic scholars, and dignitaries from across the country, and was led by the Sarkin Malamai of Daura, Mallam Naziru Daura, who offered prayers seeking Allah’s forgiveness for the deceased.

 

At the event were Vice President Kashim Shettima, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum; Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, among others.

 

The event also attracted former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Babagana Kingibe; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa; former Katsina State Governor, Bello Masari; Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Minister of Health, Prof Ali Pate; Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari; former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; former Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello.

 

Also present were Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, Senator Sani Zangon Daura, former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, and chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd).

 

The late President Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura, was also present at the event.

 

Traditional leaders in attendance included the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Faruk Umar Faruk; the Emir of Potiskum, the Emir of Gumel, along with kingmakers and district heads from both Katsina and Daura Emirates.

 

Shettima who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event, said, “Death is an inevitable destiny that is hanging on everyone’s neck.”

 

He shared a behind-the-scenes account of an assignment given to him by the President to visit the late President in a London hospital.

 

According to him, “When Buhari was in London for medical attention, it was Tinubu who sent me on a very sensitive mission to see him. It was not a public engagement but quiet and critical.”

 

The Vice President did not, however, detail the specifics of the mission.

 

While praying to God to grant the late Buhari’s soul eternal rest, he asked the people to consider themselves as travellers with bags and baggage waiting for the train.

 

“Former President Buhari’s death wasn’t a loss to the family alone, or the people of Daura or Katsina State, it was a national loss,” he said.

 

Radda, who led the Katsina State Government’s delegation, offered prayers for the late leader.

 

“For we, the people of the state, it is indeed a great loss. We have lost a father, a guide, who supported us throughout our journey.

 

“All we have to do today and beyond today, forever, is to continue to pray for his departed soul.

 

“May Almighty Allah accept all his good deeds, and forgive his wrongdoings.

 

“May Allah return each one of you to your final destination safely and continue to guide us all to uphold the legacies he left behind,” Radda said.

 

Radda called on leaders to reflect on Buhari’s death, “so that it may serve as a lesson to fear God in our leadership positions.”

 

Former Minister of Communications, Prof Isa Pantami, led an additional session of prayers, asking for Allah’s mercy on the soul of President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

Meanwhile, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, also on Wednesday, led a National Assembly delegation to Daura for a condolence visit.

 

Akpabio, speaking during the visit, described the late President as “a patriot, a man of integrity, and a shining light who served Nigeria both as a military leader and democratically elected president.”

 

He revealed that the delegation faced travel challenges the previous day when their flight could not land due to airport closure, forcing them to circle for over two hours before diverting to Abuja.

 

“We insisted we must return today to honour a man who gave everything for Nigeria,” Akpabio said.

 

The Senate President, who served as a minister under Buhari, described his legacy as one defined by discipline, humility and love for the country.

 

He equally highlighted his connection to Katsina State, recalling the establishment of the Faculty of Law at Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, which he insisted be named after Buhari rather than himself.

 

Governor Radda thanked the delegation for the visit.

 

The delegation included the Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Munguno, Senator Ali Ndume, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Senator Benson Agadaga, Senator Munir, Senator Sani Zangon Daura Jr., and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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NIMASA Shuts Two Lagos Terminals Over Security Breach

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The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has shut down ShellPlux and TMDK Terminals, both located in the Ijegun-Egba Area of Lagos, for violating the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code.

 

According to a statement by the Head of Public Relations at NIMASA, Osagie Edward, yesterday, the move was part of the agency’s role as the designated authority for implementing the ISPS Code in Nigeria.

 

The ISPS Code, an amendment to the SOLAS Convention, was developed by the International Maritime Organisation to enhance maritime and port security, particularly for facilities engaged in international trade.

 

Edward explained that the enforcement action follows, “Persistent non-compliance by the facilities with the provisions of the ISPS Code, despite several formal warnings.”

 

“The move aligns with global best practices and is by Section 79(f) of the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations (2014), which mandates the closure of any facility that remains in violation for over three calendar months,” Edward said.

 

Speaking on the development, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasised the agency’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain.

 

“In wielding the big stick, we acted only as a last resort. Our primary goal is to enforce safety and security practices across Nigerian ports and jetties. At a time when we are collaborating with the United States Coast Guard to lift the conditions of entry on vessels from Nigeria, we cannot afford lapses that jeopardise our progress,” Mobereola said.

 

He added that the facilities would be reopened once all compliance requirements are satisfactorily met.

 

Mobereola acknowledged their important role in service delivery and trade facilitation.

 

The NIMASA boss stressed that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, is committed to enhancing sustainable trade facilitation for the maritime sector in a safe and conducive environment.

 

 

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