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Host Community Day: Dangote Cement Bonds with Ibese

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Dangote Retains Africa’s Most Admired Brand Award

 

Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese plant, over the weekend, unveiled some Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects as part of efforts to display its corporate citizenship at the host community.

The company used the occasion to present empowerment materials to artisans and scholarships to citizens of the host communities, while celebrating some of the impact projects carried out therein.

Plant Director, Dangote Cement Ibese, Azad Nawabuddin described the event as a demonstration of the company’s commitment to continuous improvement of the relationship between Ibese Plant and its host communities.

He described the over 10 years of existence of Ibese plant as a milestone, with the cardinal objective of celebrating and appreciating our primary stakeholders for granting the firm the social license to operate in a sustainable manner.

“I make bold to say that Dangote Cement Plant Ibese has been able to weather the challenges of year 2022 because of the collaboration and understanding enjoyed from our stakeholders.

“The socio-economic challenges bedeviling businesses across the globe and in Nigeria notwithstanding, I am delighted to state that we have stepped up our Social Performance as a Plant in 2022, in pursuit of our vision to be a world class enterprise that is passionate about the standard of living of the people.”, he stated

The Ibese plant boss recalled “earlier in the year, we were able to renew our social contract with the host communities by signing a five-year Community Development Agreement (CDA), following extensive engagements and concessions with a wide spectrum of our community stakeholders.

“The new CDA provided an opportunity to review and improve our social performance approach in line with the Group and Global Standards, and to introduce new programmes, while also enhancing the existing ones.

While expressing appreciation to the to the community leaders, representatives and members who worked assiduously in achieving the feat, Nawabuddin assured of his management’s commitment to keeping to its terms of the agreement.

According to him, “this year, we embarked on a total of twenty-one (21) social investment projects across the seventeen (17) host communities, in line with the thematic focus of DCP’s Social Investments i.e., Education, Health, Infrastructure and Empowerment, and we have so far recorded remarkable progress in their implementations.

“As at today, we have completed the 435m township road at Aga Olowo, a block of five classrooms at First African Church Mission School at Balogun, a block of five classrooms at United African Methodist Church School at Ibese, a block of five classrooms at United Anglican Primary School at Ibese, Lecture Theatre at School of Nursing at Ilaro, Solar Powered Borehole at Wasimi Imasayi, Health Centre at Iboro, and installation of LT Poles and Conductors at Kajola and Babalawo communities.

“The rest of the infrastructure and electrical projects are at advance stages and will be accomplished in due course. There will be symbolic commissioning and handing over of the completed projects at this event.

“Also, the number of beneficiaries of the annual Scholarship Award to brilliant and indigent students, which commenced in the 2012/2013 session, has massively increased from 28 students to 120 students with 103 in the tertiary institutions and 17 in secondary schools. It is our hope that this support would not only continue to complement the effort of Government in the education sector, but also serve as succor to the parents of the beneficiaries.”

The company also launched its maiden issue of Community Newsletter as part of measures to intimate the people of the host communities wherever they are on developments as far as social performance record in host communities is concerned.

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N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden

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Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.

In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.

READ ALSO: CSR: Dangote Cement Fuels Education With Support Projects At Lagos Schools

He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.

The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.

“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.

He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.

“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.

Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.

“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said

He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.

“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”

Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.

He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.

“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.

“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.

He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.

 

 

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ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.

In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”

READ MORE: Osun Govt Decries Attempted Murder Of Park Mgt  Chairman By Police

The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.

Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.

The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.

With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.

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Edo State Governor Sets Up Committee To Recover Missing Gov’t Vehicles

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Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.

The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.

READ ALSO: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.

He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.

In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.

“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.

“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”

The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.

“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”

He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.

“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.

The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.

 

 

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