The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Board of Directors has approved a $50 million loan to help fund rooftop solar power generation systems in Sri Lanka to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country’s energy mix.
The project will finance rooftop solar power subprojects equivalent to additional capacity of 50 megawatts
ADB will also administer a $1 million technical assistance from the Asian Clean Energy Fund under the Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility to help build capacity, increase awareness of stakeholders, and support the project’s implementation in Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka’s energy sector has made tremendous progress over the last two and a half decades in bringing electricity to almost everyone in the country,” said Mukhtor Khamudkhanov, an ADB Principal Energy Specialist. “But there is a need to diversify the country’s energy mix toward more renewable and sustainable sources.”
Sri Lanka’s electrification rate stood at 99.3% in 2016 compared to just 29% in 1990, showing steady progress in improving access to electricity. However, the country remains highly dependent on fossil fuels. In 2016, thermal power contributed 67.2% of the total power generation compared to hydropower’s 24.6% and 8.2% of nonconventional renewable sources.This dependence on carbon-emitting energy sources makes Sri Lanka vulnerable to fluctuating fuel prices, while hampering the government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% as part of its commitment to the Paris agreement.
ADB’s Rooftop Solar Power Generation Project will boost access to clean and reliable power in Sri Lanka. Specifically, the project will finance rooftop solar power subprojects equivalent to additional capacity of 50 megawatts while building capacity and awareness of relevant authorities, private sector partners, and customers. It will also develop a market infrastructure and bankable pipeline of subprojects for the solar power systems through greater cooperation with private financial institutions and the establishment of technical guidelines and standards for the system.
Total cost of the project is $59.8 million, to which the private sector will provide a $9.8 million equity contribution. The project’s expected completion date is the end of 2021.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2016, ADB assistance totaled $31.7 billion, including $14 billion in cofinancing.
The 2017 World Tourism Day, observed on Wednesday, September 27, has been described as an opportunity to remind people of the importance of responsible and sustainable tourism for development and environmental protection.
Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)
The UN’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) estimates that tourism is responsible for nearly 5% of global CO2 emissions. Out of these 5%, transport is responsible for the largest part of emissions, with around three quarters of the share. At the same time, the tourism industry is affected by the impacts of climate change, which include ever more severe floods, intense storms and water shortages.
The tourism industry is said to be booming. According to the WTO, tourist spending increased from $2 billion in 1950 to $1.2 trillion in 2015. The number of international tourists has also gone up, from 25 million in 1950 to 1.2 billion in 2015. Whilst sustainable tourism still only represents a small fraction of the global industry, there is enormous potential to ensure that the growing sector is greened.
This year is also International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, and the WTO launched the “Travel. Enjoy. Respect” campaign. The campaign called on travelers to celebrate the day by taking a pledge to contribute to sustainable tourism.
Tourists and travelers can also reduce their carbon emissions by choosing sustainable modes of transportation. And they can balance the carbon emissions of their trips by purchasing UN-certified offsets provided through the UN’s Climate Neutral Now initiative.
The Director General/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Rufus Ebegba, has called for synergy with theFederal Capital Territory (FCT) police command on the enforcement and regulation of genetically-modified products in the country.
DG/CEO, NBMA, Dr. Rufus Ebegba (left), with FCT Police Commissioner, Sadiq Abubakar Bello
The NBMA boss, who made the submission when he paid a courtesy visit to the FCT Police Commissioner, Sadiq Abubakar Bello, in his office in Abuja on Wednesday, September 27, 2017, said the Police is key to the operations of the Agency in terms of enforcement.
“The Nigeria Police Force is always the first when we are looking at enforcement, this is because the law establishing the Agency says enforcement must be done in company of the Nigerian Police. The Agency is regulating a very critical sector hence the need for the police to synergise with the Agency,” he stated.
Dr Ebegba commended the FCT police command for its critical role in maintaining peace within and around the FCT, and assured that the Agency was ready to partner with the command in other to ensure the safety of Nigerians.
The Director General/CEO also used the opportunity of the visit to inform the Commissioner of the preparedness of NBMA to train men and officers of the Police on core activities of the Agency especially as it relates to enforcement.
Responding, the Police boss commended the effort of the Agency in ensuring that food and crops coming into the country and those produced within the country are safe for the people and the environment.
He noted that, with the existing corporation between the Command and the Agency, a lot would be done to ensure compliance to the mandate of NBMA, adding that he will ensure his men and officers work with the Agency to attain its mandate.
His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, in conjunction with New Breeze World, is set to produce a TV advocacy programme, Hopes Alive Initiative.
Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife
The programme is designed for the under-privileged who have a lot to give but are often at a disadvantage due to public misperceptions that limit their opportunities and access to resources.
Temitope Oluseyi-Oshin is the host and producer of the programme, while the Ooni is the executive producer.
With the objective of fulfilling dreams, the Initiative is designed to educate the public and alleviate the stigmatisation of the under-privileged.
The show will be airing on major TV stations to sensitise the viewers on the scourge of poverty while promoting various opportunities to eradicate it.
“Poverty is a serious societal issue and one that all of us need to address, especially in these perilous times. We can do this by supporting agencies that work to make people happy, and by making sure that we do not contribute to the pains of the society in the fight against this scourge,” the promoters of the programme stated.
A witness brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Idowu Olusegun yesterday told a Federal High Court, Lagos that he never had any dealing with the former aviation minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
Olusegun, who is the first prosecution witness, said this while being cross-examined by counsel to the former minister, Norrison Quakers (SAN), before Justice Mohammed Aikawa.
The witness, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Paste Poster Company, further confirmed before the judge that he got cash payment of N6 million from the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation for printing the presidential campaign poster of former president Goodluck Jonathan through one Mr Oke.
He further insisted before the court that the balance of N24 million his company charged the Campaign Organisation for media consultancy is yet to be paid.
Olusegun noted that he could not remember the amount he collected until he was shown a copy of the receipt issued by his company by the EFCC.
Meanwhile, the judge also overruled the objection of counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, who had insisted that the extra-Judicial statement made by Olusegun before the commission couldn’t be tendered before the court.
Prior to the ruling of the court, Quakers had sought to tender the said statement in evidence because according to him, he has been able to establish that the witness made the statement and had also identified it.
But Oyedepo contended that the statement cannot be tendered since the witness had not in any manner contradicted himself.
Justice Aikawa had on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 turned down the request by Fani-Kayode to transfer his trial to Abuja division of the court.
The judge had arrived at the decision when it dismissed an application initiated by the former minister wherein he had sought that the charge against him be transferred to the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.
The trial judge declared that some of the authorities cited by lawyer to the defence were delivered before the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 which, according to Justice Aikawa, had made provision for exceptions to the issues of venue of court.
According to Justice Aikawa, “In the case before me, the prosecution avers in its counter affidavit that the sum of N30 million was paid to PW1 (Olusegun Idowu) of Paste Posters Company Ltd, who has his office in Lagos.
“This, in my view shows that all facts leading to the transaction was done in Lagos, and only evidence will prove otherwise.
“In the light of all these, it is clear that the facts and circumstances of this case falls into the exceptions of the law regarding criminal trials.
“There is no justification to warrant a transfer of this case to Abuja; the interest of justice requires that the trial of this case continues in this court.
“This application hereby fails and is accordingly dismissed.”
Aside this, Justice Aikawa in his ruling on the objection raised by defence counsel on the last adjourned date which questioned the tendering of photocopies of payment receipts by PW1 who had commenced his evidence on June 7, 2017 insisted that it was not the business of the court to concern itself with whether a document is original, so long as the document sought to be tendered, is duly certified.
Justice Aikawa therefore threw out the objections, admitted the receipts in evidence and same were designated as exhibits 3 and 3A respectively.
The judge thereafter ordered the prosecution to continue with the examination of his first witness.
While being led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, counsel to the EFCC, the 1st prosecution witness, who after being asked by Oyedepo that, “you told the court that you printed some posters, now take a look at exhibit 3 and tell the court if that is the payment receipt” responded in the affirmative when he said “yes” with an addition that the amount on the receipt was N6 million, even as he explained that payment was made to him in cash, and in the name of “Directorate of Media and Publicity, PDP Campaign Organisation.”
The witness stated further that, “On that same day, the sum of N30 million was also remitted to me in cash in the name of “Directorate of Media and Publicity, PDP Campaign Organisation.”
The matter was then adjourned until Wednesday, September 27, 2017 for cross examination and continuation of trial after Quakers prayed the trial judge to consider an adjournment so as to be able to study the exhibits and prepare his cross examination.
Fani-Kayode who equally held sway as Chairman, Media and Publicity, of the 2015 PDP Campaign Organisation, was dragged before the court alongside the former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman.
Also charged with the duo on a 17 counts that touch on alleged N4.6 billion money laundering is the former National Chairman of the Association of Local Government in Nigeria (ALGON), Yusuf Danjuma, together with a company, Join Trust Dimensions Limited.
But they had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defendants were initially docked on June 28, 2016 before Justice Muslim Hassan of same court.
But Justice Hassan excused himself from the suit on March 16, 2017 sequel to an application by Fani-Kayode suggesting the likelihood of bias.
This prompted the reassignment of the matter to Justice Aikawa and the defendants were re-arraigned on the charges.
Specifically, Fani-Kayode and others were alleged to have committed the offence between January and March 2015.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants unlawfully retained over N3.8 billion which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing and corruption.
The EFCC also alleged that the defendants unlawfully used over N970 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.
But counts 15 to 17 stated that Fani-Kayode and one Olubode Oke, who is said to be at large, allegedly made cash payments of about N30 million, in excess of the amount allowed by law without going through a financial institution.
The former Aviation Minister was said to have made payments to one Paste Poster Co (PPC) of No 125 Lewis St., Lagos, in excess of amounts allowed by law.
The EFCC said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3) (4), 16 (2) (b), and 16 (5) of the Money laundering (prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.
The matter has been adjourned until November 20, 2017 for continuation of trial.
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to drive the restructuring process as provided in Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution.
President Muhammadu Buhari delivering a message at COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco
President Buhari had in a national broadcast shortly after returning from United Kingdom on a medical vacation declared that the National Assembly and the National Council of State would initiate the restructuring process.
But the senior advocate said on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 that the kind of restructuring envisaged by Nigerians is such that he alone can initiate.
His words: “When he came back from his America leave, he announced that he would allow the National Council of State and the National Assembly to lead the process.
“The President is the leader of Nigeria and the reason we have all these problems is simply because he has not taken direct control.”
Agbakoba, who blamed the Southern leaders for not engaging their Northern counterpart on the issue, said the federal government need to allow states to have control over natural resources in their domain.
“Recognise the difference between devolution of powers and redistribution of powers. The relevant concept for restructuring is redistribution and not devolution of powers.
“The concepts are mixed up. Redistribution is when power is rearranged between the federal and regional governments. Devolution relates to powers given up by the unitary government to the regions,” he said.
According to him, the most important challenge is to develop a blue print on restructuring to be used to engage Nigerians.
He also urged Nigerians to have a clear voice in order for the president to take action.
“If only we can have a clear voice, a pan Nigeria voice, but that doesn’t exist. The president is taking the advantage of the fact that there is no pan Nigeria voice.
“But if there is a pan Nigeria voice, he will be forced to take up the matter. If Nigerians gets involved in the debate, the president will be forced to take some action,” he said.
The Supreme Court will on December 15, 2017 deliver a landmark judgment in relation to the practice of law, especially as it concerns legal practitioners and the filing and signing of court processes.
Supreme Court of Nigeria
In the appeal pending before the court, the issue of proper person to sign processes to be filed in court has come up for review and determination. The appellants in this case are seeking to set aside the judgment of the court of appeal, on the grounds, amongst others, that the notice of appeal was not properly signed by a legal practitioner known to law, in that it was signed “& Co.”
In many of its decisions starting from the case of Okafor v Nweke, the Supreme Court has maintained that only a legal practitioner, whose name appears on the Roll of the Supreme Court, can competently sign any process to be filed in court.
Upon being served with the appellants’ brief in this case, settled by Afolabi Kuti, Esq., the respondent, thorough his counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Esq., requested for the convening of the Full Court of the Supreme Court, to determine the crucial issues arising in the appeal.
The respondent urged the Supreme Court to depart from all its previous decisions on the point, on a number of grounds. First it was contended that a 1968 decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Cole v Martins was not adverted to, in the case of Okafor v Nweke, and indeed in many of the decisions that followed it. In that said case, it was held that a process signed by “Lardner & Co.” cannot be said to be defective when the author was sufficiently identifiable and traceable and no possible doubt or confusion can arise from his description as such.
It is also being contended further, by the respondent, that section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act has been wrongly interpreted to guide the practice and procedure of the courts, especially in relation to the filing of court processes, whereas the purport of the Act is simply to regulate legal practice outside and beyond the courts.
In the alternative, the respondent is urging the court to consider the effect of section 4(9) of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits retroactive legislation, to apply it to judicial proceedings, and thereby limit the application of Okafor v Nweke and the cases following it, to the dates of those cases, instead of the current practice whereby these cases are being deployed to wake up dead and concluded cases from their well deserved judicial graves.
The respondent is also seeking departure on the ground that these decisions are contrary to public policy of not permitting the trade practice of lawyers to affect the innocent litigants, who are not conversant with the style and procedure of signing and filing of court processes.
When the appeal came up for hearing on September 26, 2017, the Supreme Court panel of seven justices, led by the Honourable Justice Mary Odili, JSC, granted leave to Mr Afolabi Kuti to amend his notice of appeal and the appellants’ brief, to incorporate the issue of jurisdiction newly raised, whilst Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa was granted leave to also amend the respondent’s brief.
After taking arguments from counsel to the parties, the court reserved its judgment till 15th December, 2017.
Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to the leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 dragged the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, to court, praying for an order to compel him to produce Kanu in court on his next trial date coming up on October 17.
Nnamdi Kanu
In an originating summons filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Kanu’s lawyer claimed that the whereabout of the IPOB leader has remained unknown since the military invaded his resident.
It will be recalled that troops of the Operation Python Dance II on September 12, 2017 allegedly invaded the family home of Kanu in Abia State.
“The palace of Kanu’s father, Eze Israel Kanu, who is the traditional ruler of the Afaraukwu community, was destroyed in the course of the operation. The whereabouts of Kanu, his father and his mother during and after the invasion has remained unknown,” the lawyer held.
Kanu’s lawyer in the suit is praying for an order, compelling the Chief of Army Staff to produce Kanu in court on the next adjourned date, to enable him defend himself of the terrorism charges preferred against him by the Federal government.
The lawyer, who anchored the application on five grounds, is asking the court to take judicial notice of the fact that Kanu has lawfully exercised his constitutional right of freedom of association, peaceful assembly and self determination.
According to Ejiofor, Kanu was still enjoying the bail granted him by the court when the prosecution in his trial requested the court to revoke his bail that was granted him by Justice Binta Nyako.
He also accused the Nigerian Army of acting under express command handed down by Buratai by violently invading the applicant’s home, where several people where allegedly killed and others injured.
Part of the grounds for the relief read in part: “On 14th day of September, the Nigerian military led by soldiers of the Nigerian Army invaded the applicant’s house on a murderous raid, where life and mortar bullets were fired on unarmed and defenseless populace, leaving 28 persons dead and abducting many.
“The applicant who was in the house during this bloody onslaught by the soldiers, has not been heard from or seen after this bloody attack in his home by the Agents of the Respondent since the 14th day of September.
“The invading soldiers in their desperate bid to ensure that the Applicant is caught in the attack climbed stairs to his bedroom upstairs to shoot him; walls of his bedroom were riddled with bullets.
“The invading soldiers who had direct contact with the applicant on this fateful day (14th day of September) should be in a position to produce the him before the court. It is either the Respondent’s rampaging soldiers abducted the applicant during this raid or must have killed him in the process.”
Ejiofor added that Section 40 of the Federal High Court Act empowers this court to order that a Writ of Habeas Corpus ad Subjiciendum (A Writ directed to someone detaining another person and commanding that the detainee be brought to court) be issued on the respondent, to produce the applicant in court, particularly as his substantive criminal trial is coming up on October 17.
“The court is vested with inherent powers under Section 6(6) (a)- (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as (Amended 2011) to entertain this application and grant reliefs sought herein.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), had approached the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Kafarati, with an ex-parte application, asking him to proscribe all the activities of IPOB and declare the organisation a terrorist outfit.
The judge consequently granted the application and directed the federal government to gazette the order and publish it in two national dailies.
Dominican Republic and Cape Verde have deposited their instruments of ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and bringing the total number of ratifications to 166.
Jorge Carlos Fonseca, President of Cape Verde
Before the duo, Myanmar (161st), Bhutan (162nd), Ecuador (163rd) and Liechenstien (164th) had previously ratified the treaty.
All ratifications will enter into force in a month’s time.
The Paris Agreement builds upon the Convention (UNFCCC) and – for the first time – brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.
The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. To reach these ambitious goals, appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity building framework will be put in place, thus supporting action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries, in line with their own national objectives. The Agreement also provides for enhanced transparency of action and support through a more robust transparency framework.
A gathering comprising Oilwatch Africa network members, community representatives from oil regions, academia, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and the media who met in Accra, Ghana, between September 24 and 27, 2017, has called on governments to divest from fossil fuel and invest in renewable energy.
A view of participants at the Oilwatch Africa meeting in Accra, Ghana
In a communique issued at the close of the event and titled: “Fossil Fuels and Alternative Energy for Africa: The Accra Declaration”, the participants, who considered the impacts of fossil fuels on the continent, proposed alternatives for decentralised energy systems that they consider environmentally friendly and socially just.
While demanding the peoples’ ownership and control of energy systems, they want environmental and social externalities associated with fossil energy extraction be included in the true price of oil.
Oilwatch Africa members and other stakeholders at the meeting also considered the implications of fossil fuels exploitation on primary economies including agriculture, fisheries and livelihoods, even as they called for a stoppage of fossil exploration, funding and expansion activities in Africa.
The gathering likewise demanded the prioritisation of primary economies, such as of fisheries, over the enclave economies of the extractive sector – as a means of protecting the livelihoods and social security of the majority of our citizens.
Oilwatch Africa affirmed that “leaving fossils fuels in the ground” and replacing with “renewable energy” is possible and an inescapable path to protecting nations, tackling global warming and securing a future for new generations.
Leaving fossil fuels in the ground will be a powerful means of mitigating the impact of climate change, the group noted, adding that the call is in consonance with science.
The conference analysed:
The political and economic interests of the governments and multinational oil companies,
Political corruption and abuse of political power,
The rise of human and environmental rights abuses visited on our communities and peoples,
Issues of land grabbing, displacements and the marginalisation of communities,
Data paucity on renewable energy resources,
Abuse of the tools for socio-economic/environmental assessments in interrogating proposed projects,
Governments investment choices in energy systems are driven by industry and international financial institutions and do not reflect peoples’ energy needs.
Oilwatch Africa officials at the meeting comprised representatives from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.
