NDDC: Ogunmola possesses requisite qualifications to be appointed into NDDC board, Ondo Professionals tell Senate

By Ebi Keiena

Following massive outcry that trailed his rejection by the Senate last Thursday,  the Ondo State Professional Forum, FCT chapter, has stated that Mr Charles Ogunmola possesses necessary qualifications to be appointed into the board of the Niger-Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

The group has therefore called on the Senate to reverse its decision and confirm Mr Ogunmola as the Executive Director representing Ondo State in the NDDC board.

National Secretary of the group, Hon. Dele Fulani, in a statement issued on behalf of the association, called on the Senate particularly the senators representing Ondo state to reverse their decision and confirm Ogunmola immidiately stressing that the reason given by the senators for his rejection was based on primordial  sentiment which has no touch with current reality. 

Hon. Fulani maintained that the Constitution envisage oil producing area and not oil producing village, community or local government, adding that as a citizen of Ondo state, Ogunmola is qualified to be appointed as a representative of the oil producing state into the Niger Delta commission Board.

In the same vein, some former Niger Delta militants from seven states under the aegis of Niger/Delta Development Front, NDDF, have declared their support for the nomination of Mr. Ogunmola from Ondo State as the executive director of Projects at the NDDC by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The ex-agitators in a statement signed by their National Coordinator, National Secretary and National Publicity Secretary, Ovie Bobarakuie, Chief Kingsley Ebiowou and Dr. Solomon Orighomisan respectively, carpeted the three senators from Ondo State who rejected the nomination of Ogunmola during his screening at the Senate last week because there’s no oil in his community, stating that: “These senators are merely seeking cheap popularity after their earlier rejection by their constituents.”

Recall that on Thursday, the three Senators from the State had kicked against the nominee over what they described as a breach of the NDDC act.

They argued that Ogunmola is from Owo in the northern senatorial district of the State as against the oil-producing Ilaje and Ese-Odo Council Areas in the southern part of the State.

Explaining the reason for Ogunmola's rejection, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, representing Ondo Central, disclosed that the nominee was rejected for not meeting up with the act of the NDDC.

The Senator, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, Charles Akinwon, stated that the act setting up the commission stipulated that a nominee must come from an oil-producing area.

Akinyelure maintained that Ogunmola is not from the mandate area of Ondo State where oil is being produced.

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Ghana's President Akufo Addo Urges Africa To Stop Begging

 

Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has urged African countries to stop "begging" from the West in order to earn global respect and change poor perceptions about the continent.

Mr Akufo-Addo made the remarks during the opening of the US-Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington DC.

"If we stop being beggars and spend African money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow,"

Furthermore, Mr Akufo-Addo urged greater solidarity among Africans to address shared aspirations.

Nana Akufo-Addo's remarks came on the day that the International Monetary Fund agreed to give Ghana a $3bn (£2.4bn) loan to alleviate an unprecedented economic downturn in the West African country.

Already burdened by high debt, Ghana is facing historic inflation of more than 40% and a collapse in the value of its currency - the cedi - economic difficulties exacerbated since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Nearly 50 African leaders and delegates are in Washington DC for a key summit hosted by President Biden.

It is the centrepiece of a major effort to reset and improve U.S. ties with African countries, whose relations with China and increasingly Russia have drawn scrutiny.

Pope Says Spend Less On Christmas, Give To Ukraine

 

By Joy Imisi

Pope Francis on Wednesday called on people to spend less on Christmas presents and celebrations, and donate the money saved to those in war-ravaged Ukraine.

“It is nice to celebrate Christmas. But let’s lower the level of Christmas spending a bit,” Francis said in his weekly general audience at the Vatican.

“Let’s have a more humble Christmas, with more humble gifts. Let’s send what we save to the Ukrainian people, who need it,” he said.

Nearly 10 months into the war, hardship from the fighting has compounded as winter sets in and Russia pounds Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Missile strikes have been crippling resulting in the periodic loss of electricity, heating, water and phone service across swathes of Ukraine.

The Ukrainians “are suffering so much. They are hungry, cold. So many people are dying because there are no doctors or nurses,” the pope said.

On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Western allies pledged an additional one billion euros ($1.1 billion) in emergency winter aid to help the country withstand Russia’s onslaught.

UK Welcomes Teachers From Nigeria, Eight Other Countries

The United Kingdom has disclosed that Nigeria has been listed among eight other foreign countries that are eligible to apply for the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) through its Teaching Regulation Agency effective February 1, 2023.

Other countries listed include Ghana, India, South Africa, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Singapore, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe as countries now eligible for the programme.

In a statement by the UK Department for Education explained that this change was part of the launch of a new service.

On why the new countries were added on this new service, the Department said research showed teachers from these countries already have a substantial presence in the UK as valued members of the teaching workforce.

It also stated that there is an established interest in teaching in England in these countries in addition to having strong educational ties with the countries in question.

“From February 1, 2023, teachers who qualified in the following nine countries (listed above) will also be able to apply to the QTR through the TRA,” the Department said.

Also, it said that “you can work as a teacher in England and earn a salary while you’re assessed for QTS”.

The Department also said that to apply for assessment only QTS, you do not need a formal teacher training qualification.

However, it stated that a minimum of two years’ teaching experience is required to be eligible.

Other qualifications include an undergraduate degree of the same academic standard as a UK bachelor’s degree, as verified by UK ENIC, completed a course with content that is practically and pedagogically focussed, be qualified to teach children aged between 5 and 16 years.

Applicants must also have at least one school year (a minimum of 9 months including school holidays but excluding time out taken for any other reason) of professional experience working as a teacher after qualifying, have the professional status needed to be a teacher in the country where you qualified, and not be subject to any conditions or restrictions on your practice.

They must as well meet a certain standard of English language proficiency.

Nigeria: PWDs Will Vote Leaders Without Religious Bias- James Lalu

By Ere-ebi Agedah

At the Fourth Quarter meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) held recently in Abuja,  the Executive Secretary National Commission for Persons With Disabilities, Mr. James David Lalu had announced that PWDs will elect quality leaders who will unite Nigeria across religious lines. 

According to Lalu, in a statement by Head Press and Public Relations Unit, NCPWD Mbanefo JohnMichaels, noted that the synergy with the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council is very key especially at this crucial period that the nation is gearing towards the 2023 general elections. 

"We in the community of PWDs are ready to demonstrate our willingness to change the narrative to meeting the aspirations of Persons With Disabilities in various endeavours. 

"May I also reiterate that the 35. 5 million PWDs spread across the country are seeking that platform for sincere social inclusion through political offices come 2023."

The ES seized the occasion to implore religious leaders to make the worship centers accessible for Persons With Disabilities. 

Earlier in his address, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Gida Mustapha underpinned the critical role that religion plays in our polity. He stated that many politicians in the past have played on the psyche of Nigerians to support their candidates based on religious affiliations.

"The time has come for Nigerians to apply the all- people Inclusive approach regardless of the religious background" He opined. 

He further urged the religious leaders to be apolitical "even as we approach another major milestone of our political trajectory" 

In the same line of thought, the Executive Secretary, NIREC, Rev. Father Cornelius Omonokhua assured the meeting of the organization's position on the 2023 elections.

"We will continue to work for the unity of Nigerians from both the Christian fold and the Islamic society for a better understanding and peaceful coexistence" he said.

His Eminence, Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto gave a charge to all Nigerians to begin to look inwards and develop strategies to solving home grown issues. He said Nigerians should stop imitating the western world as they have their peculiar challenges as well.

Nigeria: HOR approves Committee Report for upgrade of Katsina-Ala College of Education to Varsity

Nigeria's House of Representatives has approved the Report of the Committee on Tertiary Education and Services on a Bill for an Act to upgrade the College of Education Katsina-Ala to Federal University of Education. 

The latest ruling on the Bill sponsored by Hon. Richard Gbande, Member representing Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo Federal Constituency of Benue State, was read out during Thursday's plenary.

“That the House do consider the Report of the Committee on Tertiary Education and Services on a Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of Federal University of Education, Katsina-Ala; and for Related Matters (HB.539) and approve the recommendations therein," Hon. Aminu Suleiman, House Committee Chairman on Tertiary Education and Services (APC Kebbi) read.

The legislation was last year referred to the House Committee on Tertiary Education and Services by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.

The House of Representatives had in September 2021 approved a Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of the Federal University of Education, Katsina-Ala for a public hearing and subsequent passage into law after it passed second reading.

According to Gbande, the decision to establish the College of Education Katsina-Ala was taken in 1976, while the college was later formally established by law, following the enactment of edict No.20 of 1984. 

The Lawmaker said the college has a staff strength of 804 and 10,339 students. Thus, the "college has capacity to be converted to a Federal University of Education so as to allow Nigerian students to benefit from the institution’s postgraduate programmes,” Gbande had noted.

UN Biodiversity Conference COP 15 kick off in Montreal, Canada

 By Erhirhie Julius Otadafe

The 2022 UN conference on biodiversity COP 15 kicked off in Montreal, Canada on Wednesday, with world leaders converging to delebrate on a number of issues to achieve a global action plan to save and protect the species and ecosystem on the planet.

Negotiators from across the world, are gathering in Canada for the second phase of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) from Dec. 7-19, where they will  try to adopt a new global biodiversity framework with ambitious goals and specific action targets to achieve a transformational change by the middle of the century.

With the opening ceremony held on Wednesday December 7, 2022, the international community "expects the adoption of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and hopes to make COP15 an important moment to reverse the loss of global biodiversity," said Huang Runqiu, minister of ecology and environment of China, who is chairing the meeting.

Huang said in his opening remarks that the parties, international organizations and stakeholders are expected to demonstrate the spirit of cooperation, political determination, sincerity and flexibility in the meeting, build strong consensus, and actively seek compromise solutions on key issues.

He also encouraged the parties to make political commitments, continue to increase international financial input, and create favorable conditions for advancing the consultation process.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Huang noted a few challenges in the negotiation. One of the challenges, Huang said, is to strike a balance between the three goals of the convention, which are, the preservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits.