Economist Urges Federal Government to Invest On ICT To Boost Economy

                                      Children ICT training class (Photo: Internet)

A U.S-based economist, Ms Munat Roberts, urged the Federal Government to invest on Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), especially in the education sector to boost the economy.

Roberts made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

She said that children between the ages of 8 and 17 had not been given priority in government’s programmes to explore the benefits of ICTs.

The economist, who is also the Chairperson, West Coast Economic Summit (WCES), said the organisation would soon organise a junior technology innovation camp for children abroad.

She said they children will be trained for two weeks in ICTs related programmes such as a Robotic Engineering, Apples Programme and development of Apples for their phones.

She added that It is going to be a campus-based experience and with that they will start a foundation for young children training in the area of technology.

Roberts lamented on lack of such programmes in Nigeria for that age bracket. The focus has been on older people and no space for the younger ones.

She urged the government to support the Small Medium Enterprise as drivers of the economy, and also educate prospective investors on the requirements of investing in the country.

She, however, called on the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council to educate investors on “One-Stop-Shop’’ to provide them with information on modalities of doing business in the country.

Meanwhile, Roberts has commended the Federal Government for the implementation of the new electricity tariff.

With NTA

Minister of Information And Culture Hails Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption

                Lai Muhammed And Presidential Advisory Committee

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has hailed the role being played by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, led by renowned Professor of Law and civil rights Activist Itse Sagay, in the country’s anti-corruption battle.

”Bodies like yours, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, are critical to the success of the fight,” the Minister said while receiving members of the Committee at his office in Abuja on Tuesday. ”We have no doubt that you will continue to advise the administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”

Alhaji Mohammed said the visit by members of the Committee could not have come at a better time, ”considering that we are presently running a National Sensitization Campaign Against Corruption”.

He acknowledged the huge support that the ministry had received – and has continued to receive – from the committee since the launch of the campaign, saying it had gone a long way in contributing to the modest achievement we have made since the launch.

”I can say, without equivocating, that since the launch of the sensitization campaign against corruption, we have succeeded in getting more and more Nigerians talking about corruption. Not everyone has joined the campaign, but we see the increased national debate on corruption as a positive development, because the more people are aware of the evils of corruption, the more the likelihood for them to support the government’s battle against corruption,” the Minister said

He said a recent poll by the Governance Accountability Initiative for Nigeria (GAIN) has shown that the support among Nigerians for the anti-corruption war is very high, with 76% of respondents expressing support for the initiative, while also showing that in terms of areas of concern among Nigerians, the anti-corruption fight is next only to insecurity.

”These results tally with what we have found out in our various engagements since we launched the National Sensitization Campaign,” Alhaji Mohammed said, while commending the media for the major role they have played in disseminating necessary information about the campaign to the people, and also for providing feedback to the government.

He said while some of those who have picked issues with the strategy adopted by the government to sensitize Nigerians may have done so genuinely, perhaps because they have not taken the time to understand the strategy, others are only criticising the anti-graft campaign just to shoot it down.

”A key strategy we have adopted in our campaign is to strip corruption of its previous abstract status by putting a face to it. In other words, we are emphasizing and highlighting the cost of corruption to the lives of Nigerians.

”When we revealed that 55 people allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira between 2006 and 2013 – a figure that has been independently confirmed by a Civil Society Organization, Media Rights Agenda (even though with an extended timeline), our intention was not to villify anyone but to show to Nigerians how funds that could have been used to provide infrastructure and upgrade educational and health facilities, for example, have been looted,” the Minister explained.

He assured that the government would continue to vigorously pursue the anti-corruption fight in accordance with the rule of law, adding: ”We will not relent, not now that the fight has gained momentum among Nigerians and attracted global support.”

Earlier, Prof. Sagay said the visit was to give the Committee the opportunity to dialogue with the Minister, whom he described as proactive, courageous, intelligent and knowledgeable, and his team, especially because the parastatals under the Ministry of Information and Culture have a vital role to play in the fight against corruption.

”Parastatals like the NTA, FRCN, NOA and VON are critical in educating the public and increasing the level of consciousness (about the evils of corruption),” he said.

The Committee head urged Nigerians to buy into the anti-corruption struggle, saying by doing so, they are laying the groundwork for their children to live in an atmosphere of stability and to have the opportunity to achieve their God-given potentials.

Federal Government’s Effort In Top Gear To Secure List Of Properties Owned By Nigerians In UAE – Min. Foreign Affairs

                        Minister for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, on Tuesday, said efforts were in top gear to secure list of Nigerians who owned choice properties in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) from proceeds of fraud.

Onyeama said this while briefing the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs during the budget defence of the ministry in Abuja.

He added that the Federal Government was already in talks with the UAE government to get the list of properties owned by Nigerians in that country.

Speaking on money laundering and the role of Nigeria’s foreign missions, he disclosed that the ministry was engaged in recovery of some money laundered in the U.S.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Sen. Monsurat Sumonu, had expressed concern over the working gap between the National Assembly (NASS) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She called for better working relationship between NASS and the ministry to enable them to work to deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

With NTA

KANYE WEST GETS BACKLASH FOR DEFENDING BILL COSBY

American rapper Kanye West has received angry backlash on Twitter for defending Bill Cosby. 

West declared his support for the comedian who is accused of sexually assaulting more than 50 women, in a tweet on Tuesday. 

The post has caused angry backlash from both critics and fans who say they have lost all respect for the hip - hop mogul.

Cosby who has for years denied allegations of assault by dozens of women, was charged in December last year with sexually assaulting a woman in 2004 after plying her with drugs and alcohol.

The charges, filed days before the statute of limitations on the alleged crime was to expire, are the only criminal charges the entertainer faces. 

He has been implicated in allegations of attacks dating back to the 1960s. 

Military Plans To Close Markets Aiding Boko Haram Operations In Borno, Yobe

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman

The Nigerian Army has announced plans to close designated markets in Yobe and Borno where traders have been found to be aiding Boko Haram terrorists with logistic supplies.

The acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, who disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, did not name the markets.

Usman said the planned closure was part of measures to contain attempts by some unscrupulous elements to sabotage recent gains recorded by the military in the North-East.

According to the spokesman, any breach of the order will be dealt with accordingly.

He appealed to residents of the affected areas to support the new measures, stressing that they were aimed at permanently ending the insurgency.

Col. Usman said that some unscrupulous elements have been engaged in all manners of illegal commercial activities in markets such as trading and smuggling, especially during late hours; all aimed at sustaining terrorism and insurgency.

He said the Nigerian military and indeed the Nigerian Army is highly concerned with these unpatriotic acts .

Usman said the military was making efforts to consolidate on the gains recently recorded in the war against terrorists in the North-East.

Usman also announced the arrest of two Nigerian Army Explosive Device personnel at Yola park with different kinds of ammunition and military hardware.

He said the soldiers were arrested on Sunday with the unathorised military items to unknown destinations.

“The items include smoke grenade, over 2,000 live rounds of special ammunition, 50 live rounds NATO ammunition, five magazines of AK47 rifles, two browning machine gun live rounds of ammunition,” he added.

Usman said in spite of the setbacks, the military had recently recorded successes in its determination to flush out the elements.

Usman said troops in different operations in the North-East killed many of the terrorists, rescued hundreds of persons held hostage and recovered several arms.

He said several hideouts of the insurgents in remote villages in Borno and Yobe had been destroyed in the operations carried out by troops under the `Operation Lafiya Dole.

With NTA