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FG Disqualifies All 32 Candidates For 2022 Merit Award
The 2022 edition of Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) has no winner as the organisers, the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA), said all the 32 candidates nominated for the awards did not qualify.
The Chairman, Nigerian National Merit Award Governing Board, Prof. Shakarau Yakubu Aku, who disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja, yesterday, explained that 32 nominations/applications for the award were received by the NNMA.
According to him, four candidates were in the field of Science, nine in Medicine, five in Engineering Technology, and 14 in the Humanities.
“This year,a total of 32 nominations/applications for the NNOM Award were received by the NNMA, four in the field of Science, nine in Medicine, five in Engineering Technology, and 14 in the Humanities.
“The nominations went through standard assessment process. However, after going through the rigorous process of assessment exercise, none was adjudged to have merited the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award for this year 2022. So, in this year’s exercise, no winner emerged,”he said.
Recall that the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA), was established by ACT No. 53 of the 1979 and was amended by Act No. 96 of the 1992 now LFN 122 of 2004.
The award is named Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), and is a separate Order of Dignity in the Highest Honours category in the fields of Science, Medicine,Engineering/Technology,and Humanities, including Arts and Culture.
The NNMA as an agency is charged with selecting all intellectual and creative contributions in all areas of human endeavour, and rewarding unique contributions by the award of the NNOM.
“Each year, the NNMA advertises for nominations of candidates for theNNOM Award in the four fields of Engineering/Technology, Medicine, Humanities, including Arts and Culture, and Sciences.
“The nominations go to specialised committees, which may use external assessors, when the need arises, before their recommendations are considered by a Committee of Chairmen and then the Governing Board, and Mr. President gives his approval,” Aku explained.
Aku, who also explained that another activity of the NNMA is the hosting of the Annual Forum of Laureates of the NNOM, said:”Annually, the Governing Board of the NNMA organise the Annual Forum of Laureates of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, NNOM.”
He said: “The forum is organized to deliberate on salient issues of national interest, thereby affording the body of laureates an opportunity to channel views in policy making thereby contribute to national discourse.
“It is also to promote networking opportunities between the government, industries and the private sector; to enable other Nigerian intellectuals, academia and research organisations both in Nigeria and in the Diaspora to share ideas and to summarise the ideas generated in each forum in its communiqué and proceedings and help foster national development.
“This year’s forum, the 13th Forum is scheduled to hold from Tuesday,December 6 to Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from 9:00am-5:00pm daily at the Merit House, Complex, Maitama, Abuja.
“The forum is expected to be declared open by the President,Commander–in–Chief of the Armed Forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria, MuhammaduBuhari.
The theme for the 13th Forum is, “Building Nigeria Through National Integration.”
“The keynote speaker on this occasion of the 13th Forum will be the Governor of Borno State, Prof BabaganaZulum.
“Followed by presentations of papers which will be delivered by distinguished Nigerian scholars, government functionaries and professionals on various aspects of the theme. The sub themes are as follows: ‘Dimensions for National, Health Insurance, Patriotism and Nation Building and Knowledge System forEconomy Development’.”
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.