NEWS
Minister Assures Sustainable Growth with Accomplishment of Executive Order 5
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said Nigerians should support full implementation of Executive Order 5 for sustainable growth and development of the nation.
The Minister said this at the sensitisation workshop and the launch of the Complaints and Appeal Procedure of the Presidential Executive Order 5 in Abuja on Thursday.
He recalled that in February 2018 President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Executive Order No 5 for the planning and execution of projects, promotion of Nigerian contents in contracts, science, engineering and technology for Nigerians.
He said Executive Order 5 was a revolutionary one aimed at mandating procuring entities to give preference to Nigerian companies and firms in the award of contracts in line with the Public Procurement Act.
He noted that it was also for the engagement of Nigerian professionals in areas where their requisite expertise was available, among others.
Onu expressed satisfaction that the effect of the Order was already being felt in the country.
“The University of Transportation, Daura, is one of the products of the Executive Order.
“Also, as a result of the Executive Order, it became necessary to organise both the first and second Strategy Competitiveness Workshop for various regulatory bodies in the country.
“This has helped to strengthen the operators of the Small and Medium Enterprises for the good of the country,’’ he said.
Onu spoke on the need for the country to become self-reliant in the face of an ever changing world of technology and commerce.
He was confident that with the abundance of human manpower, Nigeria could develop technologies, find a way to encourage Nigerians to understudy, participate from the beginning and stay along until the project was completed.
He said Nigeria must acquire the needed technologies that were lacking in the country and use the key of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to unlock big hub of opportunities.
He said the Order was unique and in its design the Nigerian environment was taken into consideration adding that it should be sustained beyond Buhari’s administration.
Earlier, Mrs Monisola Udoh, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the Order was a child of necessity and its full implementation must be vigorously pursued.
Udoh noted that she was inundated with the various achievements performed by the task office, most importantly, the sensitisation of all Nigerians on the provisions of the Order.
“This should not only be sustained but improved upon,’’ Udoh said.
High point of the event was the induction of the minister into the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions’ (ASURI) Hall of Fame as the most impactful STI Minister since Nigeria’s independence.
Onu became the first inductee into the newly-created ASURI Hall of Fame. (NAN)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has accused Israel of barring medical specialists from entering Gaza to support clinics in the besieged enclave.
The WHO said since August, eight organisations and over 50 specialised personnel had been affected by Israel’s blockade.
The specialists were intended to provide crucial support for various medical services, as well as psychological support for healthcare workers at facilities including the European Gaza Hospital and the Nasser Hospital, the WHO said.
It was reported that among the organisations denied entry was the U.S.non-profit Palestinian American Medical Association, which supports Palestinians in need of medical care.
According to the WHO, this marks the first instance in which Israel has denied entire organisations the ability to participate in relief efforts for the Gaza Strip.
The WHO reported that in the past week, support teams conducted 25 per cent fewer operations than usual.
With only 17 out of 36 clinics and 43 medical practices remaining partially operational, the WHO emphasised the irreplaceable role of these external teams in providing essential medical services.
The WHO called for full access for emergency aid teams. (dpa/NAN)
It is Germany’s responsibility to make sure that a war between Russia and Ukraine does not become a war between Russia and NATO, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
He said this as he repeated his “nein” to sending long-range weapons to Kiev.
“I don’t consider this to be a proper delivery and that’s how it will stay,” Scholz said after a European Union summit in Brussels.
Scholz rejected key points in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan” out of concerns of future escalation.
Zelensky presented his “victory plan” at the meeting and called on Scholz, again to send him Taurus cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian leader believes a deterrent missile arsenal could force Russia into peace negotiations.
Scholz also maintained his stance against a quick invitation for Ukraine to join NATO, as outlined in Zelensky’s plan.
The United States also opposes a fast-track NATO entry for Ukraine.
The chancellor referred to the resolutions of the most recent NATO summit in Washington, which offers Ukraine a general assurance that it could no longer be stopped on its way into the defence alliance.
He further said all allies must agree that NATO conditions are met for an invitation.
These include reforms in the areas of democracy, the economy and the security sector.
Scholz also used the occasion to take a swipe at his main opposition in the Bundestag or German parliament, Christian Democratic (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz.
He complained that Merz flip-flopped on Taurus deliveries, taking a no-delivery position before key elections in east Germany and changing his position after that. (dpa/NAN)
The Kebbi Government has announced the closure of the College of Health Sciences and Technology, Jega, indefinitely following a violent protest by students.
The Commissioner for Higher Education in the state, Alhaji Isah Abubakar-Tunga, made this known in Birnin Kebbi on Friday while briefing newsmen.
” Sequel to the violent protest that resulted in the setting ablaze the residence of the Provost of the college, Alhaji Haruna Saidu-Sauwa, we have directed that the college be shut down indefinitely,” he said.
Abubakar-Tunga said the action became imperative in view of the fact that if the demonstration was allowed to continue, it might escalate.
”Students are hereby advised to vacate the college premises with immediate effect.
” Their main target was the Provost, they burnt down his house and completely vandalised his car.
” When we visited the college, we only met the Registrar of the school. The Divisional Police Office (DPO) of the area yold us the provost was in a safe pace.
”But for the DPO’s intervention, the students would have lynched the provost,” he said.
Abubakar-Tunga said that the government asked the rioting students to nominate 10 representatives for dialogue.
” While deliberating with the students’ representatives, the students outlined some of their grievances to include; lack of accreditation of some courses of the college.
” Others they said are; lack of toilets, lack of potable water, poor sanitary environment, and bad leadership, among others.”
”The college will remain closed for three weeks to one month. Before the students return, they must come with their parents and must write an undertaking, promising to be of good behaviour.
“In this undertaking, every student must promise to pay for damaged property,” he said. (NAN)
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