Stakeholders Insist GMOs Deprive the Right to Safe Food

By: Michael Mike

Public Health experts and food sovereignty activists have called on the Nigerian Government to halt the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into the Nigerian food system, insisting that their use deprive Nigerians the right to “safe food for better life and better future.”

This call was made during an online event organised by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) on Wednesday to mark the celebration of the World Food Day 2024. The event highlighted the implications of modern agricultural biotechnology on the rights of consumers, farmers and of our environment as well as other implications on our food system.

While moderating the event, Joyce Brown, Public Health Expert and HOMEF’s Director of Programme noted that the theme of the World Food Day: “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future” is so apt and urged the Federal Government to critically review its decisions regarding the use of GMOs in our food system through the human rights lens.

Brown noted that majority of the Nigerian population rejects GMOs due to their economic, environment and health implications; and the government’s continued approval of permits for these products outrightly tramps on the rights of the people.

Speaking further on the issue of rights, the Deputy Director at Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Barr. Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, noted that “our socio-economic system doesn’t support the right of consumers to choose as labeling is not effective and consumers can’t tell which products are genetically modified or not by their physical characteristics. Our markets are not designed in ways to differentiate between organic foods and GMOs.”

“Another key rights issue is the fact that farmers have to depend on the biotechnology seed companies season after season for seeds as productivity of GM seeds reduce after the first generation. This undermines the culture of seed saving and sharing among local farmers.” Orovwuje added.

On the right to information, Dr Segun Adebayo, Deputy Director of the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research, highlighted that the processes of GMOs approval in Nigeria is flawed. He added: “It is not sufficient to announce notification of applications on the website of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) – which many people do not know exists, in their office or in two national dailies. There is no risk assessment report/documents on the NBMA website indicating that proper due diligence is done before these products are released into the environment” The composition of the board of the board of the NBMA – with the presence of key promoters of GMOs including the National Biotechnology Development and Research Agency – and other flaws in the biosafety regulatory system in Nigeria necessitate an urgent review of the NBMA Act.

Dr. Ifeanyi Casmir, a Molecular Biologist also speaking at the event noted that GMOs directly disrupt the rights of peoples to a safe environment which we depend on for food. “Studies have revealed that GMOs designed to pest resistance, increase the dependence on synthetic pesticides which destroy non-target organisms including pollinators and soil living organisms, leading to loss of biodiversity and soil degradation. This has severe implications on food productivity, he added”

Casmir also noted: “the Cry Proteins/toxins produced by the GM crops designed to be pesticides including the TELA Maize, Bt Cowpea and Cotton, disturb rhizospheric and soil eubacterial communities. Furthermore, Bt crops are produced using antibiotic markers which are implicated in increasing cases of antibiotics resistance.”

Speaking on the sustainable, just and healthy alternatives for our food system, Lovelyn Ejim, a farmer and women farmer group leader urged the Nigerian Government to focus on Agroecology which uses ecosystem principles in the management of agriculture systems thereby assuring optimum and sustain-able food productivity while addressing social and economic barriers in food production. She stressed on the need to support the set up of markets for organic products and to focus on achieving food sovereignty through increasing support for smallholder farmers.

Stakeholders Insist GMOs Deprive the Right to Safe Food

Nigeria did not Apologize to Libya over Super Eagles detention fiasco – Foreign Affairs Minister

By: Michael Mike

The Nigerian government has said it at no time offer an apology to the Libya government over actions or inactions of the country’s national team during the fiasco of the detention of the Super Eagles at an airport in the North African country’s airport.

The Nigerian government made the clarification on Wednesday after it was reported in a Libyan media that it gave an apology.

A statement signed by Alkasim Abdulkadir,
the Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar read: “On October 15, 2024, the Libya Observer published an erroneous report to gain political leverage and cause disaffection amongst continental football administrators and fans.

“The publication by the Libya Observer, which misrepresents the phone correspondence between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the East-based Government’s Foreign Minister, is a clear case of misinformation. The fact of the matter was that the CDA of the Government of National Unity was summoned to the Ministry to seek an immediate end to the unfortunate incident. However, not much diplomatic headway was made during the meeting with the Acting Charge of Affairs, Imad Mohammed Matooq Aboud, as they insisted that it was not under the jurisdiction of Tripoli, which they represented, but that of the Eastern Government in Benghazi.
This prompted the Minister to take immediate action by contacting the Foreign Minister of the Eastern Government, Abdelhadi Lahweej, to intervene and ensure that the detention ended. After that, the aircraft was given the necessary permits to fly, and aviation fuel was accessed.
Both Ministers agreed that the matter should be de-escalated immediately. Even when Lahweej insisted on rehashing the untruth about the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, Amb. Tuggar once again corrected the misinformation about the mistreatment of Libyan players during the Nigerian encounter. He did not apologise or regret the treatment of Libyan officials and players because the account was inaccurate.

“Lahweej proposed a joint statement, which the Ministry rejected because it erroneously misrepresented the facts of the incident. Above all, the federal government of Nigeria only shares a diplomatic relationship with the government of the National Accord and not with the Eastern government.”

The statement emphasized that: “Nigeria remains unequivocal in expressing its displeasure and disappointment with how the Nigerian Football Federation officials were treated in Libya. It calls on the Confederation of African Football to urgently ensure that its Disciplinary Board investigates the matter and imposes appropriate sanctions based on its statutes.”

Nigeria did not Apologize to Libya over Super Eagles detention fiasco – Foreign Affairs Minister

COAS INAUGURATES INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES COURSE 17/2024, UNDERSCORES COMMITMENT TO LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY IN MILITARY OPERATIONS

By: Our Reporter

In a significant stride toward enhancing language proficiency within the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General TA Lagbaja NAM, officially inaugurated Indigenous Languages Course 17/2024 today, October 15, 2024, at Hall C, TY Buratai Block, Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja. Representing the COAS at the event was the Chief of Administration (Army), Major General OJ Akpor, who highlighted the critical role of indigenous language training in improving communication and operational efficiency, particularly in diverse and challenging environments.

The inauguration ceremony attracted a distinguished audience, including the Director General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Major General GA Wahab (Rtd), who was represented by the Executive Director Consult, Major General AS Ndalolo. Also in attendance were Principal Staff Officers from Army Headquarters, Directors at NARC, Consultants, the Managing Director of LACLIC Services Limited, and several resource persons, underscoring the importance of the initiative.

The Indigenous Languages Course, now in its 17th iteration, is part of the Army’s ongoing efforts to empower personnel with the linguistic skills necessary to enhance military operations, foster better community relations, and address security challenges across Nigeria’s multilingual regions.

COAS INAUGURATES INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES COURSE 17/2024, UNDERSCORES COMMITMENT TO LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY IN MILITARY OPERATIONS