Author: tdpel

By Maureen Okon

The President of Pakistan,  Dr Arif Alvi, says he is committed to ensuring that his country and African states  do business with ease.

The president gave the commitment at a dinner hosted in honour of delegates attending an engineering and healthcare show in Lahore, on Saturday

A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) covering the event reports the 330 delegates from Africa are participating in the three-day show which kicked off on Feb. 25.

Arif said that his government would offer friendly policies and commitment that would maximise and enhance investors` comfort and confidence.

According to the president, almost all sectors of the Pakistani economy are open to investment with attractive incentives and liberal policies.

“We will bend backwards to achieve this. A number of reforms have been initiated to modernise the business regulatory framework.

“Also, we take pride in the quality of our products as they are among the best in the world, ranging from bikes, tyres, kitchen utensils, textiles, surgical equipment, tractors, among others,’’ he said.

Speaking earlier, the Governor of state of Punjab, Mr Mohammed Sarwar, thanked the guests who graced the occasion.

He said Africa and Central Asian countries were regarded across the world as the next business destinations.

He urged participants to use the opportunity of being in Lahore, the capital of Punhab, to explore the city tourist centres and to enjoy its hospitality.

Mr Muhmmad Dawood, the Advisor on Commerce and Trade to the Prime Minister, said that he was excited with the news that some Pakistani businesses have established contacts in Nigeria.

He pointed out that after the Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference, a single country exhibition which held in Lagos in November 2021, many business contacts were established.

Dawood noted that Africa’s trade profile was rising and expressed optimism that with time the continent and Asia would have a stronger trade bond. (NAN)  (www.nannews.ng)

By Bridget Ikyado

The Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama has urged Christians to pray fervently to overcome trials and enhance better economy and country.

The Archbishop gave the advice on Sunday during the dedication of the new building of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Gwarinpa, Abuja.

While expressing satisfaction with the project, the cleric said: “we are filled with great joy, as we are gathered here to witness the solemn dedication of this magnificent place of worship, God’s own house, a dwelling of the Most High.

He commended those who had contributed in different measures to the erection and completion of the project of faith, which he described as the fruit of several years of prayer, patience, hard work, cooperation, enormous sacrifices and generosity.

“The dedication of this physical building is an invitation to also build beautiful spiritual and social relationships with God and with one another.

“We must make every effort to also obtain the grace to make our hearts a more befitting home for God.

“This dedication is an invitation to hope, especially for the many new pastoral areas in different parts of our archdiocese.

“Some of them gather to pray in temporary places for worship, with no permanent church land, no church edifice or rectories, but struggling to keep their catholic communities alive, in spite of their prevailing challenges.

“St. Paul encourages us all to be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labour is not in vain (I Cor. 15:58),” he said.

In his speech, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, appealed to Christians to pray in unity for progress, stability and peace to reign in Nigeria.

”Christians should wake up to their responsibilities.

“Prayer is the master key. We have to continue praying. Even in the Bible, there were so many troubles against Christians, but when they prayed, they overcame the troubles. We shall overcome our own difficulties, in Jesus name.

”Government should wake up to its responsibilities. People are not living as expected, and where this is happening, we all know what it may lead to,” he said.

He also called on government to address the issue of hunger, scarcity and insecurity in the nation so that Nigeria would be a better place to live in.

Onaiyekan said that the church being dedicated was in line with ensuring a befitting place of worship, saying that it came with lots of blessings from God.

On his part, the Parish Priest of the newly-dedicated church, Rev Fr Rowland Nwakpuda, called on Nigerians to move closer to God.

He also urged them to allow love and peace to reign as panacea to the myriad of problems confronting the country.

Nwakpuda expressed great joy over the completion of the project, which lasted for 14 years .

completion of the project, which lasted for 14 years.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the archbishop declared Feb. 27 of every year as a solemnity for the parish. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

By Femi Ogunshola

Mrs Esther Bali, the widow of Gen. Domkat Bali, says contrary to falsehood surrounding the Ponzhi Tarok stool, her husband declined to be made the traditional ruler of the community.

She disclosed this at a public presentation of the Book “Gen. Domkat Yah Bali As Ponzhi Tarok Designate: A Contextual Analysis of the Imbroglio, 1990-2020 on Sunday night in Abuja.

The widow said that the book was meant to set the record straight regarding the falsehood and rumours on the stool, in the build up to the deceased selection and appointment as Ponzhi Tarok-designate.

“The book is sequel to my discussion with a respected elder statesman who is in the know regarding the false rumours that were circulated regarding my husband which he brought to my attention.

“The privileged information greatly motivated me to set the record straight for historical benefit of the present and succeeding generations,” she said.

She said that the backdrop of the development was characterised by all sorts of rumours, lies, deceit among others, adding that Nigerians must always keep record to help document the truth.

“As a realist, my husband initially declined their offer to be Ponzhi Tarok with humility and all sense of responsibility bearing in mind his declining health condition.”

Bali said the deceased admitted that his health would not enable him to execute effectively the duties of the occupant of the Ponzhi Tarok stool.

She said that her husband however presented the Tarok kingmakers with an alternative candidate, whom he could vouch for, but was rejected in their wisdom insisting on his selection.

“As they insisted, the Plateau government published a new gazette, which did not follow due process in order to install him but the installation was not possible until his death.”

She said that due to two restraining court orders, he followed the due process and informed the Plateau government of his desired to resign which they accepted officially.

The widow said, thereafter, he immediately and honourably relinquished the position, while urging the government to begin the process that would lead to the emergence of Ponzhi Tarok.

Prince Adewale Adebayo, who presented the book to the public, said that the book was a continuation of the life of Gen. Domkat Bali, adding that he lived as a poet, “and there was no ambiguity for Gen Bali”.

Adebayo said that though the book “is small but it’s about principle and justice”, adding, “when you do justice, even a poor country will live in peace.”

He, however, bought 2000 copies, adding that he would take a cue from it to also set some records straight in his community.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, retired Air Comdr Dan Suleiman, said the book was important because it gave the true version of what transpired during the imbroglio.

Suleiman, who was a former military governor of Plateau, said the account of the event needed to be told because of the controversy that trailed it.

“The general took everything in his stride; through the confusion, he held his head high, even if it dragged his name to the mud.

” He has always stood for truth, justice and integrity, and I am very privileged to be the chairman of this occasion,” he said.

Bali, who died in Dec. 5, 2020, at the age of 80, would have been 82 on Jan. 27, and he was remembered at the event.
Dignitaries present included representative of Gen.

Ibrahim Babangida, former military president, Mrs Victoria Gowon, Mother of the Day, retired Lt.-Gen. Jerry Oseni, Dr Jerry Gana, former Information Minister, retired Vice-Admiral, Murtala Nyako, former Governor of Adamawa. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija

By Cecilia Ologunagba

The Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York says it has achieved 80 per cent completion in passports issuance for its nationals in the intervention exercise conducted in Chicago, in August, 2021.

The Consul-General, Amb. Lot Egopija disclosed this at the virtual fourth Town Hall meeting for Nigerian nationals within the New York jurisdiction.

“I am happy to inform you that we have achieved 80 per cent in Chicago passports issuance, the remaining 20 per cent will soon be completed as we are expecting the last tranche from Nigeria soon,’’ he said.

According to him, the Consulate would not embark on any intervention until it achieved 100 per cent in the 2021 Chicago intervention and in the 2018/2019 intervention exercises.

Egopija said that the Consulate had devised means of addressing the outstanding passports from the interventions held between 2018 and 2019 in Chicago, Minnesota and Indianapolis.

He said the Consulate had devised three methods to deal with the issue, noting that the first method was to give priority to those nationals attended to in the exercise, if they could come to the Consulate physically.

“If you are able to find your way to the Consulate, we would give you priority attention and recapture you and make sure that your passport is produced, provided there was no complication in the information presented.

“We have asked those in the states to wait so that when we come, we will attend to them, and the third method would be to continue to work with Nigeria Immigration Service to get the passports ready.’’

The Nigerian envoy said the Consulate had received requests for passports intervention from the Nigerian community in Philadelphia, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

He gave assurance that the Consulate would continue to do its best to serve Nigerians within its jurisdiction, appealing for the cooperation of all nationals in providing the right information that would ensure timely issuance of their passports.

“We have noticed that we cannot mail some of these passports to the destinations, because we found out that the applicants didn’t write the address properly and as such, the passports had been returned to the Consulate.

“Please, if any application exceeds 12 weeks, call our attention to it, so that we would find out how to reach you. We are appealing to you to assist us to serve you better.

“We also found out that people return envelopes with one or two dollars instead of 10 dollars worth of postage. If you do that, you may not receive your passport and because of this challenge, we have been having back and forth movement.

“We want to encourage our nationals to check our website, we will begin to publish affected names of returned mails,’’ the envoy said.

Egopija said that the Consulate had started processing passport applications from December 2021, noting that by March the office would start processing applications from January.

He, however, pledged that this would not breach the average 12 weeks turnaround time for passport production with the cooperation of nationals.

The Consul-General said that the past three months had been challenging for the Consulate, dealing with an avalanche of applications for passport renewal because of Nigerians who intended to travel during the Yuletide.

“We were able to do that, but we had difficulty in realising the desire of our nationals who would have travelled to Nigeria, due to shortage of passport booklets.

“We were able to devise some means to meet their demand and we did all we could do but we could not achieve the 100 per cent mark.

“The issue of passports shortage has improved since the beginning of this year and as such, we are almost up to date with the 12 weeks period giving to those coming for passport renewal,’’ he said.

The New York correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-hour virtual meeting focused mainly on interactions on passport issuance, timely collection of passports, renewal of passports, among others.

No fewer than 150 participants joined the first Town Hall meeting in 2022. The fifth edition of the meeting is slated to hold in May, 2022. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

The DPR army breaks through to the south to the important railway junction – Volnovakha according to Ria Novosti.

From there, a direct road opens to Mariupol, a strategically important port city on the Sea of ​​Azov.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the troops advanced more than ten kilometers and “liberated” several settlements.

A full-scale combined-arms offensive in the steppes of Donbass is an extremely difficult task. In 1941, the well-trained and equipped German Army Group “South” encountered an unexpected obstacle – the viscous and sticky Donetsk black soil.

The infantry could not pass through it, and tanks constantly ran into dense minefields.

The importance of transport arteries crossing the Donbass was understood both then and now.

“The enemy was kicked out this morning. When they realized that they were surrounded, they tried to break through to the south to their own, with the support of armored vehicles. Not everyone left, and their BMP became our trophy You can inspect, the sappers have already checked. But still look under your feet. ” a Russian soldier told Ria reporters.

The Ukrainian military left the company stronghold in a hurry, leaving behind their property: bulletproof vests, helmets, pea coats, unopened zinc with cartridges, grenade launcher “carrots” – shots from RPG-7, field first-aid kits, equipped machine-gun belts, automatic magazines.

A little to the side is an artillery position with a broken 120mm mortar. And by the road itself, there is a capping from the British NLAW anti-tank missile system.

Some Ukrainian soldiers were said to have willing laid down their weapons, according to the report.

“I saw footage of dead civilians in Donbass,” admits medical shooter Marina Kravtsova from the Lugansk region. “But our soldiers were also killed.

We need to help both. I graduated from medical courses, I decided to go on a contract to save life.

When they let me go home, apparently, I will return not to Ukraine, but to the LPR. But it does not matter what state and who is in power. The main thing is that people live well.” according to Ria.

It is difficult to decide if these men and women willingly laid down their weapons as the Russian army claims, or are captured. But from the pictures and how they look, you can make your conclusions.

Russian military aviation controls the skies over Ukraine, Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said.

“Russian aviation has won air supremacy over the entire territory of Ukraine,” he told reporters, according to RIA Novosti.

According to him, over the past 24 hours, the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed eight Buk M-1 combat vehicles, S-300 and Buk M-1 air defense systems, three radio positions with P-14 stations, four combat aircraft on ground and one in the air.

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in response to the appeals of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics with a request to recognize their sovereignty, signed the relevant decrees, and on February 24 announced the start of a special military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defense emphasized that they did not strike at civilian targets. However, many civilians including children have died in the Russian invasion.

The Russian Central Bank at a meeting of the Board of Directors raised the key rate to 20 percent per annum.

The Central Bank at an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors decided to raise the key rate to 20 percent, which became its new historical maximum.

“The external conditions for the Russian economy have changed dramatically. An increase in the key rate will ensure an increase in deposit rates to the levels necessary to compensate for the increased devaluation and inflation risks. This will help maintain financial and price stability and protect citizens’ savings from depreciation,” the regulator said in a statement.

The monetary policy pursued by the department should strengthen the exchange rate of the national currency and may lead to an increase in interest on loans and deposits.

“The Bank of Russia will make further decisions on the key rate based on an assessment of risks from external and internal conditions and the reaction of financial markets to them, and taking into account the actual and expected inflation dynamics relative to the target, the development of the economy over the forecast horizon,” the release says.

Moscow said it had prepared a plan of action in advance in case of a new wave of sanctions and would provide any necessary support to businesses that fell under the restrictions, ensuring the smooth operation of the economy. The government is also developing response measures, but details are not yet known.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he did not think Putin’s forces would carry out any mass bloodletting in Ukraine.

“A chief of state like that of Russia does not want to undertake a massacre, anywhere,” he said, adding that in two southern regions of Ukraine, some 90% of the population wanted to “approximate themselves to Russia.”

On Saturday, Bolsonaro tweeted his government would not cease in efforts to evacuate Brazilians from Ukraine.

“I ask all Brazilians in contested territory to stay firm, follow instructions and report any incidents to us. I know about the difficulties, but we won’t spare any efforts to solve them,” Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter.

On Sunday, Bolsonaro said his government had so far managed to remove some 70 Brazilians from Ukraine.

He added that he was against any sanctions that could bring negative repercussions for Brazil, citing Russian fertilizers which are crucial for the country’s giant agribusiness sector.

Asked by a reporter whether he was willing to condemn Putin’s actions, he said he would wait for a final report, or see how the situation is resolved, before giving his opinion.