NEWS
FG Committed to Sendai Disaster Risk Reduction Framework – Sadiya
Blessing Bature-Akpakpan, Abuja
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction of 2015-2021.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq made this known at the COP26 side event and panel discussion on Nigeria’s Climate Change Adaptation Efforts in Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction Contexts held in Glasgow, Scotland on Monday.
The SA Media to the minister, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, in a statement, said her presentation, which focused on Nigeria’s efforts in addressing the humanitarian consequences of climate change, Umar Farouq highlighted the current situation in Nigeria to bring to the fore, the vulnerability of Nigerians as well as efforts being made to promote climate change adaptation and build resilience in the communities.
“To respond to flooding, we are now using an integrated flood management approach, where we understand vulnerabilities and leverage and manage flood waters to channel it for dry season agriculture and electricity generation.
“In collaboration with all necessary stakeholders, the Ministry has developed a National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide relevant information and outline response arrangements in place for a coordinated inter-ministerial multi-agency response to major flooding incidents. There is a lot of emphasis on risk reduction as well as prevention and mitigation strategies, and once it is operationalised, local communities will be more involved in flood management: from adhering to early warnings and forecasts for flood, to building better infrastructure.
“This climate crisis must be addressed as it is snowballing into humanitarian crises; not only for Nigeria but the entire world. Therefore, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, its Agencies and partners are mainstreaming climate change adaptation and conducting vulnerability assessment to reduce risks.
“We, as the major stakeholders in this race, are compelled to offer risk reduction mechanisms, social protection systems and humanitarian interventions to protect vulnerable persons from the consequence of climate change”.
The Minister also noted that Nigeria is experiencing more hydro-meteorological events such as flooding, windstorm, drought, coastal and gully erosions amongst others which have led to huge economic losses and unavoidable deaths.
“Rainfall patterns have changed and we are seeing more communities in local governments becoming highly probable flood risk areas. Through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) we also carry out climate change adaptation projects that focus on state and communal levels. We are also promoting research and education through universities in Nigeria. Some impactful activities are the public sensitization activities as well as the reports gathered by NEMA using DesInventar information management system for monitoring and reporting climate related hazards.
“We recently completed a risk analysis and vulnerability assessment in Nigeria, in three prevalent categories of hazards: floods, endemics, and conflicts. These findings will help us plan and further develop climate change adaption programs in the vulnerable areas identified.
“To implement this, we are building partnerships and strengthening the capacities of disaster risk management agencies at local and State levels for implementation adaptation and reiterate Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) and thank the UNFCCC and the Ministry of Environment for facilitating this platform at COP26,” Umar Farouq concluded.
NEWS
Gunmen Attack Police Station, Kill 2 in Anambra
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)NEWS
IPPIS Data Base not Compromised, OAGF Assures Employees
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.NEWS
Again, Inflation Drops to 32.15% in August
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).