Crisis looms in AU over election as ECOWAS rejects candidates

ITRealms:

Crisis looms in the Africa Union (AU) following the request by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to postpone its election of a chairperson slated for this weekend in Kigali, Rwanda due to an alleged insufficient 'good' candidates, reports ITRealms.

As at press time, there were about three candidates who filed in applications to replace the incumbent South African chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) H.E Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who has confirmed she is not running for second term.

Sources close at the 27th African Union Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, informed ITRealms that in what looks like battle for women to occupy the highest seat in African Union ruled by 53 men and one woman presidents, has candidates from Botswana, Equatorial Guinea and Uganda on the queue.

ITRealms gathered that Ugandan candidate is a woman and former vice president Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, while her Botswana contender is Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, who is a serving Minister, whereas the candidate for Equatorial Guinea is yet to be confirmed at press time.

Equally ITRealms gathered that ECOWAS had raised objection based on insufficient candidates and has threatened to boycott the election.

ECOWAS is made up of 15- member states including Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Gambia, Benin, Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone and Togo, and if going by the rules of AUC election, there must be 2/3 majority for any election to be valid.

Incidentally, ECOWAS is chaired by the sole woman president on the continent, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.

Reacting to the ECOWAS position, the Legal Counsel and Director for Legal Affairs of the African Union Commission, Prof. Vincent O. Nmehielle told newsmen that the elections of AUC president will proceed.

Nmehielle explained that there could be legal and statutory reasons for such request by ECOWAS, but the Rwandan foreign affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo also said her country will support election to hold despite ECOWWAS request.

Cameroon-based African Union analyst, Alex Djouka told ITRealms that while many observers think that the ECOWAS group has not drummed requisite support to call off the election or even refused to field a candidate, hence they are now trying to derail the process.

He explained that there was a schedule for the election and why ECOWAS is taking such a stand at this point.

Although he noted that ECOWAS may have the right, but if the situation persists, an interim mechanism could be activated in the AUC Statutes until the election of a new AUC chairperson

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African media can fast-track Agenda 2063

ITRealms:

African media has enthused with the potentials to fast-track the implementation of Agenda 2063 through effective coverage and dissemination of information about the progress of pan-African strategies, reports ITRealms.

The African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, H.E Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma made this call on on Thursday during the official opening of the African Editors Forum, on the sidelines of the 27th African Union Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

The forum with the theme: “Popularising Agenda 2063 through The African Editors Forum,” was attended by editors from across the continent, as well as government officials and business sector players in the area of communication.

The African Editors Forum (TAEF) is an umbrella organization for editors from across the continent.

Dr. Dlamini-Zuma told participants in her remarks that constructive media plays a major role in efforts towards achieving a prosperous, dynamic and peaceful continent.

“We have seen instances where western journalists continue to justify the illegal exploitation of resources in what they call ‘colonies’. This wrong depiction of Africa should be opposed by pan-African journalists who believe that Africa can determine its future and how to utilize its resources,” she said.

She added that: “Some African journalists, sadly, go along with the negative narrative about our motherland, and you find some of them reporting exactly what the western media is reporting. We know better about Africa than anyone and we should take the lead in telling the African story.” The AUC Chairperson emphasized on the need for African journalists to be objective and responsible in the way they report their stories given that it is their roles to shape the African narrative with the view to enhance development in the continent that will impact on the lives of the African citizens.

She called on African editors to foster editorial guidelines that define the telling of stories about “The Africa We want”, as well as hold accountable policymakers who are charged with ensuring the development of the continent.

“The media is charged with promoting Pan-African initiatives and holding leaders accountable to the decisions that they take and implement…. You have the power to hold a mirror in front of society, so that every one of us can see who we really are,” she said.

The CEO of Rwanda Governance Board, who officially opened the forum, called on journalists to fully express their freedoms of expression and media rights, but advised the journalists to disseminate news with responsibility and in a balanced manner.

The president of the Rwanda Journalists Association, Collin Haba, said that there is no doubt that achieving a sovereign, independent and self-reliant continent is a long term effort that calls for a change in mindset of the Africans.

“As editors, we must have the blueprint of Agenda 63 at our finger tips. 47 years to completion date is definitely a long way to go. But it is our responsibility to break it down into smaller targets that we can frequently evaluate,” he said.

A staunch member of African Editors Forum, Mr. Mathatha Tsedu, noted the importance to engage networks of African journalists with the AUC, particularly the editors in the implementation of the development agenda of the continent as they have the responsibility to educate the population and popularise the continental vision, Agenda 2063.

The forum was an opportunity for AUC Commissioners and high officials to brief the participants and exchange views about the Africa Agenda 2063 and its Ten years implementation plan among others.

+Remmy #27thAUSummit #AUKigali2016 #AUProject2016 #WomenRights #TAEF

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Lagos community sacked by militants

ITRealms:

A Lagos State subub of Ikorodu, may have been sacked by militants following frequent attacks which has led to residents deserting the community and environ, reports ITRealms.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), several residents of communities in Ikorodu in Lagos State, have fled their homes for fear of being attacked by militants who have taken over the area.

NAN also reported on Friday in Lagos that life had become agonizing for them following activities of the militia group.

ITRealms also gathered that the militants have laid siege on the community for two weeks consecutively, robbing,  vandalising, kidnapping, raping and maiming their victims and efforts at alerting security agencies fail on deaf ears.

NAN further reported the militants steal domestic animals and raw foodstuffs, adding that the gang was armed with dangerous weapons in carrying out the incessant nefarious activities.

The fleeing residents of Igbo- Olowu community told NAN that they had sent an SOS to the Lagos State Police Command over the de­velopment.

Full of fright, the residents added that many of them had to vacate their abode for fear of further attacks and mo­lestations.

One the fleeing residents, Mr. Mike Faleke, told NAN he had left the area with his family due to increased criminal activities.

“The hoodlums are pipe­line vandals who have re­sorted to going to people’s homes to dispossess them of whatever they could find, including foodstuffs, goats, chicken, pigs and other domestic animals,” he decried.

Ayo Omidele/GEE

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Pix: Gov. Akin Ambode of Lagos State

Nigeria Innovation Summit sets to pull global support

ITRealms:

The Nigeria Innovation Summit (NIS) is set to pull global support in promotion of the nation’s revolution to the global effort at closing digital divide, reports ITRealms.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Emerging Media, Mr. Kenneth Omeruo said that the economic challenge that Nigeria faces today is one that calls for innovation across different sectors of the economy.

To accomplish this, he said more-effective products, processes, services, technologies, and business models are readily made available to markets, governments and society.

The term ‘innovation’ he said, could be defined as something original and more effective and, as a consequence, new, that breaks into the market or society and drive great economic development.

“The Nigeria Innovation Summit is set to promote Innovation across different sectors of Nigeria's economy,” he declared.

According to him, NIS with the 2016 theme ‘Innovation: A Key Driver of Economic Growth and Sustainable Development,’ holds on November 3 and 4 at Sheraton Lagos Hotel Ikeja; is an annual event that focuses on the need for the country, businesses, organisations, entrepreneurs in Nigeria to become more innovative and apply revolution to drive sustainable development as well as work together to bridge the digital divide.

“This summit will help Nigeria embrace innovation and move in the direction of digital transformation through the use of Emerging Technologies and trends, research, development, commercialization, entrepreneurship and investments as the key drivers of an innovation ecosystem,” Omeruo said.

He pointed out that the platform creates awareness on the need for open innovation in Nigeria, thus challenges various sectors of the economy to leverage on innovation and become more competitive in the global economy.

NIS, he further said, is an initiative led by Emerging Media & Advertising Services, New York and Emerging Media Nigeria.

“We partner with the world's leading innovation providers from academia, government and industry to connect Nigerian businesses and innovators to global innovation ecosystems,” Omeruo said.

The key features of the Nigeria Innovation Summit, he said include the keynote presentations and panel discussions from industry leaders, government, investors, leading companies, international organisations, top entrepreneurs, CEOs, business leaders, innovation managers across the world and decision makers across the focus sectors.

In addition, he said, there will be Nigeria Innovation Awards to recognize and promote companies, organisations, institutions, innovators that have embraced innovation across different sectors of Nigeria economy.

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Etisalat implements ‘2442 Do-Not-Disturb’ option to curb unsolicited SMS

ITRealms:

Reputed for keeping to the rules, Etisalat Nigeria, has commenced the implementation of the ‘2442 Do-not-Disturb’ (DND) facility on its network which that enables customers to opt-out completely or partially from receiving unsolicited marketing text messages and calls, reports ITRealms.

This follows a directive by the industry regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), engaged network operators to develop effective solutions to address the issue. As a direct result of this regulator-operator engagement, Etisalat has implemented the DND service which is designed to offer subscribers greater choice in determining the type and frequency of messages they receive.

Director, Regulatory and Corporate Social Responsibility,Etisalat Nigeria, Ikenna Ikeme confirmed to ITRealms that DND service is now available on the Etisalat network, using a uniform shortcode, 2442, across all networks for ease of access.

Subscribers on the Etisalat network, can therefore access the DND service by sending ‘STOP’ to 2442; customers can also request for a partial DND service which will allow them to receive only a specified class of messages that are of interest to them such as Sports, Religion, Health, etc.

Ikeme explained that to activate the partial DND service, customers are required to send ‘HELP’ to 2442 to receive information about the available classifications and their activation codes; then send the activation code to 2442 to activate a specific class of messages.

He also highlighted that the company’s enviable record of compliance with regulatory directives and reaffirmed Etisalat’s commitment to enhancing customer experience on its network.

“Our customers remain our priority at Etisalat Nigeria, because we recognize their preferences, not only in terms of the quality of products and services available to them, but also with regard to their experience on our network. Ensuring that the DND service is available on our network is one of the ways in which we continue to enhance our bouquet of services and enrich customer experience on the Etisalat network,” he said.

Mr. Ikeme added that the implementation of the DND service is also intended to encourage mutually responsible operator-customer relationship and sustainability of the telecommunications industry.

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Nigerian, Busari heads CNN bureau multiple platform

ITRealms:

As CNN launched a new, multi-platform operation in Lagos, Nigeria, Ms Stephanie Busari has been named head of the bureau’s multiple platforms, reports ITRealms.

The multiple platform, ITRealms gathered has been designed to give the network a nimble, broad-based, digital-first presence in Africa’s most populous country.

According to Deborah Rayner, SVP, Newsgathering at CNN International, leading the operation in Lagos would be Stephanie Busari, who takes on the role of Supervising Producer, Africa, and will work across CNN’s newsgathering and digital operations, and will be the network’s first responder for all platforms.

“This is a truly integrated role, and one that underlines CNN’s commitment to both Nigeria and Africa as a whole.  Stephanie will work across our platforms on both news and feature content.  In particular, she will head CNN’s Africa content across digital – responding to breaking news and managing our Africa features projects.  She will also be central to CNN International’s coverage of the continent on television,” Rayner said.

For Busari, to return to Nigeria at such an important time in the country’s history is a proud and exciting moment for her.

“This is such a vibrant country, full of possibilities, and as well as my broader remit looking at Africa as a whole this role will be about putting the many sides of Nigeria itself into sharper relief for the world,” she said.

ITRealms recalls that since joining CNN in 2008, Busari has worked across some of the network’s most important African stories.  In particular she was central to CNN’s coverage of the Missing Chibok girls, working alongside Senior International Correspondent Nima Elbagir.

A multi-award winning journalist, Busari began her career at the now-defunct London-based newspaper New Nation, which was aimed at the UK’s black and ethnic minority communities.  She then moved to the UK’s Daily Mirror, where among other beats she covered Northern Ireland, reporting on some of the worst affected areas of “The Troubles”.  While in Belfast she also launched and edited an award-winning lifestyle column for the paper. A native Yoruba speaker, she also speaks fluent French.

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Pix: Ms Stephanie Busari

Nigeria: Gradually enforcing regulation

Commentary@ITRealms: 

The rule of law is more about enforcing existing rules than creating new laws. Any society that does not abide by some code of conduct whether in public or private matters tends to become chaotic, and virtually ungovernable. 

This is precisely what happened when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) simultaneously went into deep slumber until being surreptitiously awoken with the coming of the new Government of President Muhammadu Buhari. 

According to Yury Fedotov, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Corruption represents a major threat to rule of law and sustainable development the world over. It has a disproportionate, destructive impact on the poor and most vulnerable, but it is also quite simply bad for business”.

There is something disturbingly eerie about not enforcing the rules. I am quite certain that if you have lived in any of the big cities in Nigeria, you may have had cause to ironically question your sanity when you sit dutifully and patiently in your lane on a busy traffic day and you see what should ordinarily be the folly of 'mad people' driving against oncoming cars to beat the traffic. You can't help fuming inwardly when they suffer absolutely no consequence, and as a result, car after car drive past you to partake in the maddening spree. The smart aleks, when challenged, cursorily pass their actions off by reminding you that “this is Nigeria”; whatever that is supposed to mean. That is where normality seems crazy and madness assumes the new normal. The whole society eventually descends into a macabre dance of impunity. Conscience is thrown out, and on sale to the highest bidder. 

To buttress the importance and impact of enforcement, consider that Insurance regulation in Nigeria, vide the Insurance Companies Act of 1961 was not far behind Banking regulation vide the The Central Bank Act of 1958 (which was only fully implemented in July 1959). While our banks have thrived, expanding across the continent and beyond, mostly due to stringent regulation and effective supervision, insurance has fallen very far behind because the regulators have not made the required bold calls. 

Very recently, Honourable Mohammed Rafiu, House Committee Chairman on banks and other financial institutions shockingly revealed that only 30% of cars in Nigeria are insured. And that there is flagrant disregard for the five other compulsory insurance categories in the country. 

Nigeria is a classic example of a nation rich in laws but weak in enforcement. 

This is why the recent spates of regulatory enforcement brings good cheer to locals and foreigners alike, albeit some of the fines for infringements have tended to be quite excessive; most especially the $5.1b record fine on GSM giant MTN, by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for mobile phone SIM card registration infractions. 

There have been other high profile regulatory actions by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Guinness and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) on Stanbic Bank. 

Enforcement of regulation however, must be undertaken within the full ambit of the law and respect for fundamental human rights. The right of appeal must be guaranteed up to the highest level of jurisprudence. 

The blind application of the law without regard to status, colour or creed is what enshrines deterrence and increases the value of the real estate of the postcode. There is no doubt that the recent imposition of a hefty $15b fine by the US Government on German carmaker, Volkswagen, for emission results falsification will cause contemporaries to think twice before yielding to any temptation to similarly cut corners. 

It is the pursuit of deterrence that drives developed countries from sparing any high ranking members of the society who fall foul of the law, not least their Presidents, who are rather held to higher account. The celebrated case of former American President, Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal is a good example. On this score we have a lot to do to change the negative perception of the Nigerian (and indeed African) postcode. Creating an orderly and equitable society is more edifying and sustainable than the sheer desperation displayed by our brothers and sisters who feel stymied by a skewed society, thus seeking to migrate to other climes by any means possible, not excluding dangerously hanging from the tyres of an aircraft, to braving raging storms at sea on makeshift rafts.

As Nigeria turns to ICT and Telecoms for the next wave of economic growth, in the wake of the oil price collapse, it is imperative that we create an enabling regulatory environment that will attract entrepreneurs and enable them to thrive. In ensuring an enabling environment, I shall like to deviate from the well-worn songs of inadequate power supply and other infrastructure deficiencies and rather focus on one critical area where we could very easily be blindsided; the role of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).

NOTAP was established in 1979 in response to Nigeria’s need to facilitate the emergence of a strong Innovative, Science and Technology based economy. NOTAP systematically tracks the inflow of technology into Nigeria and strategizes for its adaptation and domestication. Essentially, NOTAP is the gate-keeper that approves all foreign exchange payments to global technology suppliers.

Specifically with regard to the Software space, and following reports of flagrant flouting of the rules of the NOTAP Act by the major global software vendors, NOTAP along with the CBN convened a workshop in September 2007, with all major software vendors operating in Nigeria to reiterate the rules and emphasize the need for strict adherence.

Part of the communique following the workshop included the following: Every foreign software licensor should set up a Technical Support Centre for software development beyond their current sales and marketing offices. Review the Annual Technical Support (ATS) fees from 10% of cost of the software license to a percentage ranging from 15% to 23%. A minimum of 40% of the ATS fee should be paid to Local Value Added Resellers (VAR) in local currency and the VAR must be indigenous. Collaboration with NOTAP to develop a checklist to ensure that Local VARs are not mere ‘commission agents’ but actually acquire marketable competent skills from the foreign licensors with a view to developing variants of the software which can complement the foreign software to meet the needs of the local market, while shouldering their fair share of the workload.

While the global vendors ensured that they benefitted from the doubling of ATS fees from 10% to 23% they did nothing about the setting up of technical support centers in the country nor ensure that 40% of the increased ATS is paid to local companies who are the channels for delivery of the technical support services. Once again, lack of enforcement is at the heart of the collapse of an otherwise fair trade regulation. Unfortunately, this is not without the mal-acquiescence of the local companies who will rather engage in cut throat competition by sabotaging the system to collect a paltry 5-10% of ATS fees than insist on the NOTAP stipulated 40% that had been instituted to protect them from unfair trade, and help them to grow and thrive and contribute to the economy.

What the indigenous companies do not realize is that this unhealthy competition and sabotage of the regulation can only lead to a race to the bottom. Take a typical case where a local software Value Added Reseller (VAR) receives a paltry 5% of the ATS fees, and is also expected to bear the full tax liability on the transaction (including that of the global software company who pays absolutely no taxes in Nigeria on the transaction). Now the applicable withholding tax on Software and Services is 10% of the transaction value. In essence, the local company has already incurred a deficit of 5% in operating margin (a clear and outright loss, without even factoring in operating expenses). This is one of the main reasons why most of the local companies are dying at a time when many economies are booming on the back of technology entrepreneurship, think Google, UBER and Alibaba.

This scenario however, does not entirely exonerate NOTAP, as they are charged with enforcement of the regulation and have all means, power and instruments of sanction to achieve effective enforcement. What seems lacking is the will to succeed at our jobs upon which the sustainability of the polity depends; and this does not apply to NOTAP alone. Many examples abound.

As a nation, we have two choices; throw our hands helplessly up in the air and justify our tardiness with the cliché ‘this is Nigeria’, or we can buckle down to enforce the rules and make our country an attractive postcode.

Austin Okere is the Founder of CWG Plc, the largest Systems Integration Company in Sub-Saharan Africa & Entrepreneur in Residence at CBS, New York. Austin also serves on the World Economic Forum Business Council on Innovation and Intrapreneurship

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Italy wakes up to Xenophobia with killing of Nigerian refugee

Commentary@ITRealms:

Emmanuel was a 36-year-old Nigerian who came to Italy last year with his wife after both their parents were killed when Boko Haram bombed their church. Emmanuel survived terrorism at home, violence in Libya, and the dangerous sea crossing to Italy. But last week he was beaten to death on the streets of Fermo, a mid-sized town in eastern Italy, in a fight that began when an Italian man called Emmanuel’s wife an “African monkey.”

Emmanuel’s senseless death and his wife’s suffering have prompted a debate about xenophobia and racism in Italy, a country with established immigrant communities that is also among the top five EU countries for asylum applications. The debate is hobbled in part by platitudes – “Italy is not a racist country” – and in part by a lack of reliable data on racist violence.
Yet Italy has a history of failing to respond adequately to hate crimes. Offensive racist language is also commonplace, including by elected officials. Everyone in Italy remembers the terrible occasion in 2013 when then vice president of the Italian senate, Roberto Calderoli, compared Cecile Kyenge, then Italy’s first (and to date, only) black minister, to an orangutan. The lawyer defending the man who fatally attacked Emmanuel complained that parliamentarians throw around the word ‘monkey’. “Surely if these politicians used more restrained language, people without much education wouldn’t feel free to use it”, he remarked.
Language matters because it is a powerful tool for manipulating and influencing perceptions, regardless of the facts. Italians tend to estimate that immigrants constitute about 30 percent of the population, when in fact it’s 8 percent. 

A recent survey found that 47 percent of Italians believe refugees are “more to blame for crime” than other groups, even though the limited data that does exist shows that between 2004 and 2013, criminal charges against Italians went up while charges against immigrants went down, at a time when the immigrant population more than doubled.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi spoke out quickly after Emmanuel’s murder to condemn xenophobia, and senior members of his government joined the vice president of the European Parliament at Emmanuel’s funeral. Laura Boldrini, president of the lower house of parliament, created a committee “on intolerance, xenophobia, racism and hate” in May with representatives from all political parties plus experts and inter-governmental and civil society groups – including Human Rights Watch – to study the phenomenon and produce policy recommendations.

Consistency from Italian’s leaders is now needed to firmly and repeatedly denounce the language of intolerance and hate, to promote policies that support diversity and integration, and to make clear that racially-motivated attacks – verbal and physical – have no place in Italian society. 

Judith Sunderland

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Buhari commends Nigerian Army for 153 years of noble service

ITRealms:

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari has commended the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army for 153 years of noble service to the country, reports ITRealms.

Buhari in an address to the Nigerian Army Day celebration 2016 in Gusau, Zamfara State, applauded the soldiers for sustaining the current tempo.

“I also congratulate the Nigerian Army for its one hundred and fifty three (153) years of noble and purposeful existence and for being a critical instrument of national unity, cohesion and integration. We look forward to better days ahead,” he said.

Buhari noted with glad the choice of Gusau for the conduct of this exercise and for the wisdom of incorporating a live Field Training Exercise into the celebration to clear remnants of cattle rustlers and armed bandits terrifying innocent citizens in this general area.

The remarkable success recorded during the conduct of the exercise, he said, has no doubt served the purpose and aptly drive the realization of the theme of the celebration which is, “Optimizing the Capability of the Nigerian Army to meet Contemporary Security Challenges.”

President Buhari who sympathized with the people of this area for the enormous losses they suffered as a result of the incessant activities of the insurgents and cattle rustlers whose actions have made farming, livestock management and other economic activities more difficult even in the face of the general economic challenges.

He expressed optimistic that the operations of the last few days will surely lead to the restoration of economic activities of surrounding communities bedevilled for some time now by the menace of cattle rustling and banditry.

“I therefore commend the Chief of Army Staff for this foresight and initiative and for mobilizing adequate resources to ensure precision in the conduct of the exercise. I also applaud the collaboration with sister services and other security agencies in order to degrade and decimate the miscreants. I urge you to intensify and perfect current strategies, approaches, techniques and tactics towards curtailing all forms of lawlessness across the country,” he said.

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People’s lives matter - Cameron

For the records@ITRealms:

Being a full text of David Cameron's farewell speech outside No 10 on Wednesday July 13, 2016. Excerpts.

"Good afternoon. When I first stood here in Downing Street on that evening in May 2010, I said we would confront our problems as a country and lead people through difficult decisions so that together we could reach better times.

It’s not been an easy journey and of course we have not got every decision right, but I do believe that today our country is much stronger.

Above all it was about turning around the economy and with the deficit cut by two-thirds, two and a half million more people in work and 1m more businesses, there can be no doubt that our economy is immeasurably stronger.

Politicians like to talk about policies but in the end it is about people’s lives.

I think of the people doing jobs who were previously unemployed. I think of the businesses that were just ideas in someone’s head and that today are making a go of it and providing people with livelihoods.

I think of the hardworking families paying lower taxes and getting higher wages because of the first ever national living wage.

I think of the children who were languishing in the care system, and who have now been adopted by loving families.

I think of the parents now able to send their children to good and outstanding schools, including free schools that simply didn’t exist before.

I think of over 200,000 young people who have taken part in national citizen service, the fastest growing youth programme of its kind in the world, something that again wasn’t there six years ago.

I think of the couples who have been able to get married who weren’t allowed to in the past.

And I think of the people on the other side of the world who wouldn’t have had clean drinking water, the chance to go to school or even be alive were it not for our decision to keep our aid promises to the poorest people and the poorest countries in our world.

And we have used our stronger economy to invest in our health service. When I walked in there, there were 18,000 people waiting over a year for their operation.

Today it’s just 800 – too many, still too long but our NHS is a national treasure and one whose staff perform miracles as I’ve seen every day.

And we’ve strengthened our nation’s defences, with submarines, destroyers and frigates, and, soon, aircraft carriers rolling out of our shipyards to keep our country safe in a dangerous world.

These are the choices and the changes that we have made. And I want to thank everyone who has given so much to support me personally over these years. The incredible team in No 10, the civil servants, whose professionalism and impartiality is one of our country’s greatest strengths. And my political advisers, some of whom have been with me since the day I stood for my party’s leadership 11 years ago.

I want to thank my children, Nancy, Elwen and Florence, for whom Downing Street has been a lovely home over these last six years. They sometimes kick the red boxes full of work. Florence – you once climbed into one, before a foreign trip, and said take me with you. No more boxes.

And above all, I want to thank Samantha, the love of my life. You have kept me vaguely sane and, as well as being an amazing wife, mother and businesswoman, you have done something every week in that building behind me to celebrate the best spirit of voluntary service in our country.

We will shortly be heading to Buckingham Palace to see Her Majesty the Queen, where I will tender my resignation as prime minister and I will advise Her Majesty to invite Theresa May to form a new administration.

I am delighted that for the second time in British history the new prime minister will be a woman – and once again a Conservative. I believe Theresa will provide strong and stable leadership in fulfilling the Conservative manifesto on which we were elected, and I wish her well in negotiating the best possible terms for Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Let me finish by saying this. The spirit of service is one of this country’s most remarkable qualities. I have seen that service day in and day out in the incredible work of our armed forces, our intelligence agencies and our police. It is something I always knew. But as prime minister you see it so directly that it blows you away. And of course writing those heart-breaking letters to the families who have lost loved ones is a poignant reminder of the profound scale of what these men and women give for us in the defence of our freedoms and our way of life. We must never forget that.

In a different way, I have seen that same spirit of service in the amazing contributions of countless volunteers in communities up and down our country who are making our society bigger and stronger. And I am proud that every day for the past two years I have used the office of prime minister in a non-political way to recognise and thank almost 600 of them as Points of Light whose service can be an inspiration to us all.

For me, politics has always been about public service in the national interest. It is simple to say but often hard to do.

But one of the things that sustains you in this job is the sense that, yes, our politics is full of argument and debate, and it can get quite heated, but no matter how difficult the decisions are, there is a great sense of British fair play, a quiet but prevailing sense that most people wish their prime minister well and want them to stick at it and get on with the job.

So I want to take this moment to say thank you to all those who have written letters and emails offering me that support, people who I will never get to meet and never get to thank personally.

It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve our country as prime minister over these last six years, and to serve as leader of my party for almost 11 years.

And as we leave for the last time, my only wish is continued success for this great country that I love so very much."

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AfDB, FMW joint team visits Abia, inspects Federal Roads in Aba

ITRealms:

A joint team of experts were in Aba, Abia State from the headquarters of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan, led by Mr. Mwila Aeron Katambula, the Bank's Transport Specialist, and a team from the Ministry of Works, for the final lap of talks between Abia State Government and AfDB on some developmental projects of interest to the bank in Abia State, reports ITRealms.

The state Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, who received the team and another team from the Federal Ministry of Works Abuja that accompanied the AfDB team on Wednesday at the Government House Umuahia, said that Abia State can't wait to see the commencement of reconstruction of some major roads in Aba, especially Port Harcourt road and Ikot Ekpene road, among others.  

"Road infrastructure is very important to us in Aba. Apart from being the commercial nerve Centre of Abia, Aba is the SME Centre of Nigeria. Aba is very important to the economy of both Abia and Nigeria. So, the issue of road infrastructure, waste management and storm water management are the challenges we face in Aba. 

"Abia State does not have the resources to do good work at Port Harcourt and Ikot Ekpene roads. With your visit today, you've renewed our hope that help will come very soon and the roads will be fixed.

"On our part we have tried to do what is required of us in terms of ensuring that the ground work is done to enable AfDB come in." The Governor said. 

Speaking on why they're in Abia, Katambula said: "We are eager to participate in the development of Abia State. Our mission today is a follow up to meeting we had before, we want to ensure that everything is ready because we want to fast track the projects that the bank will take up in Abia."

The AfDB and FMW teams later met with the State's Commissioners for Works, Hon. Eziuche Ubani, and that of Finance, Hon. Obinna Oriaku, and other top state government officials.

After several hours of meetings, the Commissioner for Works, Hon. Ubani led the two teams to Aba, to have on the spot assessment of the two key Federal Roads: Port Harcourt and Ikot Ekpene Roads located in the commercial city. 

The inspection tour offered them the opportunity of first hand information of the level of decay of the roads and the trauma and suffering of the residents and travelers in and around these two key roads.

AfDB is currently doing the technical analysis and studies of the roads before releasing funds for repairs of the roads.

This accounts for why the AfDB team had to come with the FMW team to meet face to face with Governor Ikpeazu and his team in Abia. 

During the visit to Aba, the Commissioner for Works, Hon Ubani told the AfDB and FMW team that the state government "is desperate to fix roads in Abia, and Aba in particular to stimulate economic activities and drive development across the state" 

"So far we've done a good number of roads which fall within the responsibility of the state, but unfortunately, we can't fix federal roads without first agreeing on terms of fixing them with the Federal Government. 

"Unfortunately we don't have the amount of money required to fix these roads, especially Port Harcourt and Ikot Ekpene roads that is why we are delighted to have the AfDB here together with a team from the Federal ministry of works, to see the level of deterioration of these roads."

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Pix: the visiting team on inspection.