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Tag: DG

  • Refrigerating cooked food for more than three days is injurious to health – NAFDAC warns

    Refrigerating cooked food for more than three days is injurious to health – NAFDAC warns

    Prof Mojisola the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Administration and Control, NAFDAC,  has warned Nigerians against keeping cooked food in the refrigerator for more than three days.

    Her advice was made known in a statement signed by the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, on Tuesday.

    According to the agency, cooked food stored in the refrigerator for days will be exposed to contamination by disease-causing pathogens, leading to foodborne diseases that can lead to death.

     

    Speaking at the 2024 World Food Safety Day with the theme, ‘Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected’, the DG appealed to stakeholders in the food supply chain to take conscious efforts to create a food safety culture in their operations to minimize food hazards and risks that could compromise food safety.

    She noted that food safety is not only important for public health but also for economic development, adding that everyone from producers to consumers must play their part to ensure food safety.

    “Let us all stay true to the statements ‘food safety is everyone’s business’ and ‘food safety is a shared responsibility’ as we mark this year’s World Food Safety Day.

    “Working together, we will continue to strengthen our food safety system, ensuring its resilience, robustness and preparedness for the unexpected,” she said.

    According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 600 million – almost one in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food, and 420,000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years.

  • IMF has been wrong on Nigeria’s Economic Projections – Akabueze, DG Budget Office

    IMF has been wrong on Nigeria’s Economic Projections – Akabueze, DG Budget Office

    Ben Akabueze, the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, says the international Monetary Fund (IMF) has been wrong in its projections of the Nigerian economy in the last four years.

    The Budget Office Federation DG, spoke on the economic projections of the President Bola Tinubu government for 2024.

    Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, Akabueze said IMF has got its projections on Nigeria wrong in the past four years.

    “Our actual growth have always beat their projections.”

    On November 29, 2023, the President presented his maiden budget estimates of N27.5trn for the year 2024 to the National Assembly (NASS).

    According to the President, the economy is expected to grow by 3.76%, while “inflation is expected to moderate to 21.4 percent in 2024”.

    “Budget deficit is projected at 18 trillion naira in 2024 or 3.88 percent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” the President had added.

    The President’s projection was at variance and “ambitious” to the prediction of IMF earlier in October. The Washington-based lender had projected that the country’s economy would grow at 3.1% in 2024.

    However, the Budget Office boss said IMF’s projections “do not represent the holy grail on economic growth”, adding that the organisation “can’t get it right better than the people who have direct responsibility for managing their individual economies”.

    Akabueze said the growth rate projected by the Tinubu government in its maiden budget “doesn’t even yet reflect the ambition of the government”, adding that the incumbent administration “wants to double the GDP before the end of the first term”.

    He said the 2024 budget estimates awaiting approval at the National Assembly was “way too small” to Nigeria’s need but the government had to cut its coat according to its cloth.

    The Budget Office director general insisted that despite the criticisms against the 2024 budget estimates, the appropriation bill caters for the poor in terms of healthcare, security, education and the economy.

  • NIA speaks on reinstatement of Dauda as DG

    NIA speaks on reinstatement of Dauda as DG

    The National Intelligence Agency, NIA has strongly rebuffed news reports of the reinstatement of its erstwhile acting director-general, Mohammed Dauda by the Court of Appeal.

    The agency in a statement issued on Friday asserted that the substantive case arose from the dismissal of Dauda as a director of the agency and not as the Director General.

    In the statement signed by the NIA’s head of legal, A.H. Wakili, the agency deposed thus:

    “Our attention has been drawn to false and misleading reports circulating online regarding Dauda’s reinstatement as DG of NIA by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division,” the statement read in part.

    “It is important to clarify that Dauda was never a substantive DG of the agency.

    “He only acted in that capacity temporarily, after the tenure of Ayo Oke, and a brief acting stint by Arab Yadam, until Ahmed Abubakar was appointed substantive DG by former President Muhammadu Buhari.”

    Continuing, he said:

    “The matter decided by the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal related to the dismissal of Mohammed DAUDA as a Director of NIA for several infractions and breaches.

    “The substance of the present appeal for which judgment has been passed relates only to procedural matters in respect of the dismissal. The case in respect of the infractions and breaches is still pending for adjudication.”

  • Gov Mbah prays court to commit NYSC DG to prison

    Gov Mbah prays court to commit NYSC DG to prison

    Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State has prayed a Federal High Court, Abuja to commit the Director-General (DG) of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, to prison over alleged disobedience to court order.

    Mbah prayed the court in a Form 49 filed through his lawyer, Emeka Ozoani, SAN, before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the application, dated and filed June 22, was filed in accordance with Order IX, Rule 13, Judgment Enforcement Rules of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, CAP. S6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The governor alleged that Ahmed flouted the order of the court made on May 15, restraining him from issuing, publishing or continued to issue, publish disclaimer to the effect that the NYSC certificate of national service dated Jan. 6, 2003, with certificate number: A.808297 issued to him was not issued by the corps.

    “The plaintiff apply to this court for an order for your committal to prison for having disobeyed the order of this court,” it read in part.

    In Form 48 attached to the application, it read: ‘Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be quilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”

    Although the matter was scheduled for today (Friday) for motion, the court did not sit.

    Consequently, the case was adjourned until July 4.

    NAN reports that Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer, denying the issuance of a discharge certificate issued to him on Jan.6, 2003.

    Justice Ekwo had, on May 15, restrained the NYSC, Muhammad, and any of their agents from, henceforth, engaging in such publication pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.

    The order followed an ex parte motion moved by Mbah’s counsel, Mr. Ozoani.

    The judge, however, did not grant prayer two of the motion on the ground that it was said to be far reaching.

    He said that the second prayer was an issue to be adjudicated upon in the substantive suit.

    Instead, Ekwo ordered that the defendants be put on notice.

    Ozoani had brought the motion under Section 13(1) & (2) of the FHC Act Cap F12, Vol. 6, Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Order 26 Rule 6(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019.

    The motion ex parte was predicated on 10 grounds.

    Mbah averred that after graduating in Law from the University of East London in 2000, retuned to Nigeria and as a pre-requisite to practice as barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, applied and was admitted into the Bar part 1 programme of the Nigerian Law School.

    Mbah said upon completing the bar part I exam, he had to wait for the bar part 2 programme, and was advised that instead of spending time idling around, he should proceed to the mandatory one year NYSC programme.

    He said he was called up for  NYSC and was deployed initially to Nigerian Ports Authority Apapa for his primary assignment but was rejected by NPA, before securing the law firm of Ude & Associates.

    “The plaintiff in the course of his service year and after six months of NYSC, applied and was granted approval to defer the NYSC in order to enable him complete the bar final exam.

    “Thereafter, the plaintiff was remobilised to finish the NYSC programme, which he did complete.”

    Mbah further averred that upon completion of the NYSC, he was issued the certificate of National Service No. A.808297 dated Jan.6 2003.

    But in a preliminary objection dated and filed on May 22 by the 1st and 2nd defendants, they prayed for an order dismissing or striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction and competence.

    Giving three grounds of argument, the defendants said that Mbah did not appeal to the president as required by the provisions of Section 20 of the NYSC Act, Cap. N84, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 before instituting the suit against them.

    They argued that appeal to the president was a condition-precedent to instituting an action against them in any court of law in Nigeria.

    “Consequent upon the refusal of the plaintiff/respondent to comply with the provisions of Section 20 of the National Youth Service Corps Act, this suit is premature for the jurisdiction of the court to crystalise,” they said.

    The NYSC had, on Feb. 1, written a letter signed by Mr. Ibrahim Muhammed saying that the NYSC certificate belonging to Mbah was not issued by the corps.

    Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner of the Enugu state governorship election held in March 18 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

  • Probe Buhari’s last minute appointment of DG, NACETEM urges Tinubu

    Probe Buhari’s last minute appointment of DG, NACETEM urges Tinubu

    The National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM), has advised President Bola Tinubu to investigate the appointment of its new Director-General, Olusola Odusanya, by the former President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Odusanya is one of those appointed by Buhari in the last minutes of his administration.

    The agency in a statement signed by its Chairman, Haastrup Olatunji, kicked against Odusanya’s appointment, saying it did not follow due process and that the council was not consulted as required by law.

    The Council noted that Odusanya’s appointment was “a concoction” of former Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh.

    “Our attention has been drawn to the purported appointment of one Dr. Olusola Odusanya as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) on the pages of many national dailies. This is misleading as the legally constituted Governing Board of the agency never interviewed the ‘appointed’ DG or had any interaction with him at any time.

    “As a result of our stance not to compromise due process, Ikoh set up a parallel committee to select DG for NACETEM. We wrote letters to all known constituted authorities to admonish on the implications of the minister’s actions. Despite all our efforts to make reason prevail, he went ahead with his plan. The illegal parallel process instituted by Chief Henry Ikoh to appoint Odusanya attracted litigation by a public interest lawyer and all entreaties to make him stay action because of the court case still fell on deaf ears, as he eventually released letter of appointment to Odusanya.

    “To put the records straight and educate the public properly, we will like to say that NACETEM Governing Board is not a party to the appointment of Dr. Olusola Odusanya. His appointment did not follow due process.

    The Council, however, called on President Tinubu to investigate circumstances leading to Odusanya’s last minute appointment.

  • IITA appoints Simeon Ehui as new DG

    IITA appoints Simeon Ehui as new DG

    The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Board of Trustees and CGIAR have appointed Dr. Simeon Ehui as the Director-General for IITA and Regional Director for Continental Africa for CGIAR.

    This is contained in a statement made available on Saturday in Ibadan by Katherine Lopez, the organisation’s Media Director.

    According to Lopez, in this role, Ehui will build on IITA and CGIAR’s proven track record of impact, working with teams and partners to improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment and preserve natural resources across Africa.

    “Ehui, a National of Côte d’Ivoire, brings over 30 years’ experience in agriculture and sustainable development to the role.

    “He joins IITA from the World Bank where he was Regional Director for Sustainable Development, providing vision, coherence and focus for sustainable development in West and Central Africa.

    “Ehui takes over the role from Dr Nteranya Sanginga, who is retiring after 11 years of outstanding leadership,” the Media Director said.

    Ehui, in his remarks, said he was delighted to take up the role of IITA Director-General and Regional Director, Continental Africa at CGIAR.

    “Critical scientific research is essential at a time when poverty, hunger and climate and biodiversity crises are escalating.

    “Africa needs to enhance its potential to feed itself and make its food systems more resilient to climate change.

    “I see myself as a broker across research-for-development among scientists, policy-makers and economists and linking science with programme implementation at the global, regional and national levels,” he said.

    Also, Christian Borgemeister, Chair of IITA’s Board of Trustees, said he was very pleased to welcome Ehui as the eighth Director-General of IITA and as CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa.

    Borgemeister said, “Ehui brings to these roles a passion for IITA’s mission, proven leadership and deep experience facilitating high-level policy discussions, cultivating major partnerships, and steering transformational projects.

    “With his expertise and track record, Ehui is well positioned to be a transformative leader and guide IITA and CGIAR in Africa into the future.

    “I also wish to convey my sincere appreciation to Dr Nteranya Sanginga for his tremendous commitment to IITA over the past 11 years,” he said.

    Also, Claudia Sadoff, the Executive Managing Director, CGIAR, said: “Africa is central to efforts to achieve global food and nutrition security and therefore, critical to CGIAR’s mission to transform food, land and water systems in a climate crisis.

    “Early in his career, Ehui worked at CGIAR and we are delighted that this distinguished alumnus is returning to help advance those goals and build impactful partnerships across the Continent.”

    Ehui’s appointment is effective Aug. 1, 2023. In the interim period, IITA’s Deputy Director- General and Director for Research for Development (R4D), Dr Bernard Vanlauwe, will serve as Director-General.

  • Mining Cadastre Office: Buhari appoints Obadiah Nkom for 2nd term

    Mining Cadastre Office: Buhari appoints Obadiah Nkom for 2nd term

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Obadiah Nkom as Director General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office for a second and final term of four years.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesman, who confirmed this development in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the appointment takes effect from Jan. 12, 2023.

    Nkom was first appointed on Jan. 12, 2019 for an initial period of four years.

    Adesina said that under the leadership of Nkom in the past four years, the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office recorded 86 per cent increase in revenue generation.

    Also, the office raked in over N8.9 billion between 2019 and 2021, compared to N4.8 billion generated in the corresponding period of 2016 – 2018.

    This also accounted for about 50 per cent of the contribution of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to the economy.

    Adesina said: ”His recently unveiled reforms in the automation of the Mining Cadastre system had revolutionised online and real time mineral title administration and management.

    ”It is also to the credit of Nkom during his first term that the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office was named the best Agency of the Federal Government in the category of Digital Innovation Awards for the year 2022.

    ”This was done under the auspices of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), for adding value to the activities of the Cadastre Office.”

  • Why NAFDAC is expanding directorates – DG

    Why NAFDAC is expanding directorates – DG

    Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says the agency will expand its directorates to promote greater and more impactful management.

    Adeyeye made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja while reeling out the agency’s strategic goals for the years 2023-2028.

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Dec. 30, 2022, reappointed Adeyeye as the director general of the agency for a second term

    Adeyeye said continuation of meaningful deployment of human capital, sustained strong governance and obtaining approval for Hazard and Regulatory Allowances were among her goals.

    The director general also said she would secure approval for Scheme and Condition of Service as well as ensure well trained staff for SAP account software.

    Adeyeye added that she would increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the agency.

    The director general further said that she would use additional media outlets to disseminate information on NAFDAC activities.

    “There will be use of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, drama and comedy artistes to convey importance of quality, safe, efficacious and wholesome regulated products as well as make media parley more structured,” she said.

    Adeyeye promised to sustain the transformation agenda she started in 2017 during her second term.

    She said one of the achievements in her first term was maintaining a well disciplined and motivated workforce, adding that she also eliminated substandard and falsified medicines.

    The director general said fighting the menace of unsafe and illicit drugs were part of her priorities, adding that she aligned NAFDAC with international standards on food, drug and water.

    Adeyeye said she met the agency with glaring symptoms of sundry administrative and procedural lapses such as a huge debt of N3.2 billion and dismally low Internally Generated Revenue of N700 million.

    She also said the skewed nominal roll revealed a disregard for the requirements for federal character with a non post-marketing good distribution practice and  surveillance.

    Adeyeye commended the president over her reappointment and National Assembly members as well as international agencies for their support.

  • BREAKING: Labour Party announces Obasanjo’s ex-aide as Obi’s campaign DG

    BREAKING: Labour Party announces Obasanjo’s ex-aide as Obi’s campaign DG

    Labour Party has appointed Mr. Akin Osuntokun as the Director-General of its Presidential Campaign Council.

    This is contained in a statement issued by Head of Media, Obi-Baba Ahmed Campaign Organisation, Diran Onifade, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Osuntokun succeeds Dr. Doyin Okupe who recently stepped down as director-general following his conviction by a Federal High Court in Abuja over money laundering charges.

    According to the statement, until his appointment, Osuntokun was the Zonal Coordinator (South) of the campaign council.

    “He (Osuntokun) is a political scientist, strategist, researcher, administrator, journalist, and writer, with experience in media advocacy, policy research and implementation and political analysis.

    “Osuntokun, a former Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), served as Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Director of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council in 2011,” the statement said.

  • Why our DG didn’t appear before House of Representatives – PenCom

    Why our DG didn’t appear before House of Representatives – PenCom

    The National Pension Commission (PenCom) on Saturday explained why its Director-General, Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar, did not appear before the House of Representatives committee on Finance on Thursday.

    A statement signed by the commission’s head of Corporate Communications Department, Mr Abdulqadir Dahiru, in Lagos stated that the director-general was absent because she was out of town attending an official engagement.

    Newsmen reports that PenCom was scheduled to defend its 2021/2022 Budget and present the 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) to the House on Thursday.

    At the hearing, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Hon Saidu Abdullahi, frowned at the absence of the commission’s director- general.

    “It is pertinent to note that the DG’s absence was because she was out of town attending an official engagement.

    “However, the Commissioner for Finance, the Director and Head of Accounts and the Deputy Director and Head of Financial Planning represented her, which is the usual practice whenever the director-general was unavailable.

    “The director-general takes invitations from the National Assembly seriously and ensures that she attends personally except when the exigencies of her office make it impossible.

    “In which case the relevant commissioner and management staff of the commission represents her,” the statement said.

    The statement further stated that the management of PenCom was pleased with the observation by the House committee on the quality and comprehensiveness of the reports the commission submitted to it.