Dangote Refinery commends Tinubu, security chiefs, ministers for averting PENGASSAN disruption - ITREALMS

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his timely intervention in averting what it described as “the disruptive actions of PENGASSAN” against the company.

In a statement, the company praised the President’s decisive leadership, executed through key ministers and senior government officials, for restoring calm and stability to the nation’s energy sector at a critical moment.

Nigeria: Tinubu assigns ministerial portfolios - ITREALMS

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President Bola Tinubu has assigned ministerial portfolios to his team recently screened by the National Assembly, reports ITREALMS.

Information available to ITREALMS indicated that Mr. Bosun Tuani, formerly of ccHub was assigned to the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, while the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology is Uche Nnaji.

Whistleblowing: Tasking new ministers on democratic accountability - ITREALMS

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By the time this piece gets to the public, other things being equal, all 48 nominees that had undergone screening for confirmation as cabinet ministers at the senate plenary would have been sworn in by President Bola Tinubu and begun settling in their offices as cabinet ministers, thereby effectively making them members of the federal executive council.

Together with members of the national assembly with whom they share the same partisan convictions, the ministers will occupy the front row in the implementation squad of the Renewed Hope agenda of the Tinubu administration.

Why Ministers donated 50% of March salary to Covid-19 efforts - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Indications have emerged on why Nigeria's 43 cabinet Ministers decided to donate 50 per cent of their March 2020 salaries to support the Federal Government's efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, ITREALMS gathered, quoted the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, who coordinated the donation, as saying it was a gesture of solidarity and support for the Federal Government's efforts to tackle the disease.

''This global virus outbreak will require nations, continents and smaller communities to pull together to contribute their resources and support one another. This will facilitate an early resolution of the problem,'' Alhaji Mohammed further quoted Senator Saraki as saying.

The Ministers also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his leadership role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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African Ministers for Kigali roundtable - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

African Ministers of Education and Information Technology will be heading for Kigali next week, reports ITREALMS.

The Rwandan capital will host the annual Ministerial Round Table (MRT) meeting at eLearning Africa, the continent’s largest conference on technology assisted learning and training.

The theme of the MRT will be ‘Towards a Knowledge-based Economy’ and the ministers are expected to discuss the possible effects of a global ‘fourth industrial revolution’ on Africa. With machines increasingly likely to replace human workers in a number of key industries, the implications for African governments, businesses and citizens are potentially enormous.

However, a ‘fourth industrial revolution’ may offer African economies an opportunity to ‘leapfrog’ their competitors and the ministers will consider what African Governments and businesses need to do to make the most of a new era of rapid technological change.

Rebecca Stromeyer, the founder and organiser of eLearning Africa said “Many African economies are actually in quite a strong position. Unlike the so-called ‘advanced economies,’ they don’t have to waste huge resources trying to restructure tired, old industries. Many of them can start from scratch and they have a great deal to offer potential investors. They are resource rich and they have the world’s most youthful population, which is bound to attract investors and entrepreneurs.

“The key thing now is to focus on giving young people the modern skills they need and creating a climate which encourages innovation and creativity. If African Governments do that, Africa can lead the world.”

At the eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table, Ministers will focus on discussing practical measures, which can be implemented quickly to give Africans a chance to take advantage of what is likely to be a new era of opportunity.

Ministers, deputy ministers and senior officials from the following countries have confirmed their attendance at the MRT:
Angola - Secretary of State for Higher Education and Secretary of State for Professional Technical Education
Benin – Minister of Secondary Education and Professional Technical Education
Congo – Minister of Professional Technical Education and Minister for Higher Education
Djibouti – Minister of National Education and Professional Education
Egypt - Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports
Equatorial Guinea - Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports and Minister of Transport, Post & Telecommunications
Gambia - Minister for Basic & Secondary Education and Deputy Permanent Secretary of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology
Ghana - Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports
Lesotho – Minister of Communications, Science and Technology
Liberia - Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Youth and Sports
Mali – Minister of Youth
Senegal – Cabinet Director, Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
Uganda - Minister of ICT

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

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Nigeria, UNWTO sign MoU on African Tourism Ministers' meeting

ITREALMS:

Nigeria and the UN World TourismOrganization (UNWTO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the hosting of the 61st UNWTO Commission for Africa (UNWTO CAF) Meeting 4-6 June 2018 in Abuja, reports ITRealms.

The Minister of Information andCulture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, signed for the Nigerian Government while UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili signed for the global tourism body at a ceremony at the UNWTO Headquarters in the Spanish capital.

The agreement, the signing of which was witnessed by the Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Her Excellency Susan Aderonke Folarin, among others, contained the conditions for organizing the meeting as well as other details.

Speaking at the signing, the Minister said the Nigerian Government plans to use the opportunity of hosting the meeting to showcase the best of Nigeria to the world, saying Nigeria has comparative advantage and has taken the world by storm in the area of music, movies, theatre and other aspects of the Creative Industry.

He thanked the UNWTO and its member states for their confidence in giving Nigeria the hosting right for the meeting, and assured that the country would host a top class event.

''Nigeria does not take the confidence for granted and will not disappoint. In this regard, the meeting's main organizing committee, as well as the sub-committees, are leaving no stone unturned to stage a highly-successful meeting.

''All delegates coming to Nigeria for the meeting are assured of Nigeria's legendary warm hospitality and an exposition of the country's sight and sound. We will showcase the best of our entertainment industry that has taken the world by storm,'' Alhaji Mohammed assured.

The Minister said the hosting of the meeting is coming at a time that Nigeria has become a top destination for investors, especially with the Nigerian stocks having risen 12% this year, the highest globally, and the fact that Nigeria has moved up 24 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, earning a place on the List of Top 10 in the world.

He also said Nigeria has started implementing visa on arrival for a certain category of foreign visitors, a development that he assured will impact positively on the country's tourism sector.

Welcoming the Minister earlier, the UNWTO Secretary-General said the organization would assist Nigeria to develop and showcase its tourist attractions.

''We are glad we are coming to Nigeria in the summer. It is a good opportunity to showcase Nigeria,'' he said, while urging the Minister to help identify Nigerian celebrities who can be appointed as the UNWTO's ambassadors of tourism.

The delegations of the Minister and the Secretary-General later met to review the agenda of the 61st CAF Meeting, the UNWTO's forthcoming Technical Support Mission to Nigeria and other issues related to tourism development in Nigeria.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Pix: L-R - The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the UNWTO's Secretary-General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, signing the Agreement on Nigeria's hosting of the 61st CAF Meeting, in Madrid, Spain, on Friday

Nigeria sets up LOC on African Tourism Ministers meeting

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has inaugurated the planning committee for the 61st Meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation/CAF taking place in Abuja, Nigeria, 4th-6th June 2018, reports ITRealms.

The Minister, who performed the ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, charged members of the committee to ensure the success of the event.

"Today's inauguration kick-starts our preparation for the hosting of the (UNWTO/CAF Meeting). The task ahead of us is enormous, but with the quality membership of the Planning Committee, we are up to the task and we will host a successful event,'' he said.

"You have been selected based on your knowledge and expertise in content, logistics and planning. Your role is to execute a successful event with professional inputs and assistance from the Ministry and the UNWTO. I have no doubt that you will take your assignments very seriously," Alhaji Mohammed said.

The Minister also said in a press statement made available to ITRealms by Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Segun Adeyemi the hosting right of the event, which was given to Nigeria, has clearly demonstrated the confidence of the CAF member states and the UNWTO in the country.

He said the highlight of Nigeria's relevance and acceptance by the Organization, within two years of its return after a period of absence, was further shown in his election as a Vice Chairman of the UNWTO General Assembly at an election held during the 22nd session of the UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu, China, in September 2017.

Alhaji Mohammed said the UNWTO meeting will afford the country the unique opportunity to project its image as a safe and desirable destination for leisure and business as well as promote the country’s tourism products and services.

He said the meeting will also provide a platform for tourism stakeholders to interact with their counterparts from other countries, generate foreign exchange through accommodation in hotels, airfares and souvenirs purchased by foreign delegates, create direct and indirect employment, thereby alleviating poverty, and provide the platform for the training for public and private sector tourism officials.

Membership of the planning committee cuts across the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Capital Territory, extra-ministerial departments and agencies as well as the private sector.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Malta to chair 2016 Commonwealth ICT Ministers Forum

ITRealms:

Following a meeting between the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) Mr. Shola Taylor, and the Maltese Minister for Competitiveness and Digital, Maritime and Services Economy, Dr Emmanuel Mallia, in Valetta, Malta to confirm that Malta would chair the upcoming 2016 Commonwealth ICT Ministers’ Forum, reports ITRealms.

The meeting slated to hold later this month, Taylor said, is expected to look at the CTO’s 2016-2020 strategic plan.

According to Mr. Taylor in a press statement made available to ITRealms, they were joined by Dr. Edward Woods, Chairman of the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) and Steve Agius, Chief of Information and Development at MCA.

Discussions about the forthcoming Commonwealth ICT Ministers Forum focused on the final preparations for the biennial event.

“The Maltese government deems Information and Communication and Technology (ICT) as a key enabler for the advancement of member countries. It is a tremendous privilege for Malta and me personally to chair the closed door meeting at the Commonwealth ICT Ministers Forum in London,” said the Honourable Minister.

During the visit, Mr Taylor also presented on the CTO’s new strategic plan for 2016-2020 to the Maltese officials.

Dr Woods commended Mr Taylor on the plan and expressed the regulator’s interest in assisting the CTO with its implementation.

“The MCA has a strategic role in achieving widespread e-literacy, digital inclusion and the use of ICT as a tool to improve quality of life for everyone, especially disadvantaged groups. We are, therefore, in a position to share our own experiences in many of areas of the CTO’s strategic plan.”

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FG denies austere package for Ministers

ITRealms:

The Federal Government (FG) has denied tampering with the salaries and allowances of the newly sworn-in Ministers, reports ITRealms.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu in a press statement made available to ITRealms said that such story making around in the media, said no one especially President Muhammadu Buhari has not tampered with the salaries and allowances of the Federal Ministers.

ITRealms recalls that a section of the media has reported that barely three weeks in office, President Muhammadu Buhari shocked the new ministers with poor salaries and austere allowances.

According to the reports, while the substantive minister will earn N2,026,400 annual basic salary($8,514.285), Minister of State is to get N1.8million($7,563.025) per annum. Other  highlights of the conditions as reported include “Estacode Allowance($900 per diem); Duty Tour Allowance(N35,000); Utilities Allowance(Telephone/ Electricity/ Water)–30% of Annual Basic Salary (N607,920); Domestic Staff Allowance(75% -((N1,519,800) of Annual Basic Salary; Medical Facilities (in accordance with NHIS Policy);  Special Assistant (To be provided in kind); Security (To be provided in kind); Air Travel (By Business Class); Newspaper Allowance (15% of  Annual Basic Salary-N303,960).”

But as said by the spokesperson to President Buhari, “They (salaries and allowances) remain as have been prescribed by the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission under a law passed in 2008.”

Garba also noted that the President and the Vice President have voluntarily offered a 50 per cent salary cut, which does not apply to Ministers or other political appointees.

“This is voluntary and does not apply to Ministers and other political appointees,” he declared, insisting that reports to the effect that the President has imposed an austere package on the ministers are unknown to the Federal Government. 

“The administration has not tampered with the salaries of ministers and that remain as prescribed under the law,” Garba maintained. 

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 
 

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