Concern Staff Of ITF Drags DG , Oluwatoyin Ogun Before EFCC


… How Hundreds of Millions of Naira is being Siphoned
…Operates as Sole Administrator

Concern Staff of the Industrial Training Funds, ( ITF ), might have concluded arrangement to drag Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), for an alleged Financial infraction since his appointment.

Sources at the Headquarters of ITF, in Jos who pleaded anonymity told our Correspondent that against extant law Mr. Oluwatoyin since he assumed office had acquired official accommodation instead of one, in Lagos, Jos and Abuja for his three wives.
” The DG is entitled to one Guest House, but when he took over he paid for three Houses in Lagos, Jos and Abuja” said our sources.

Continue the sources disclosed that
” You could imagine a retired Director of Finance in ITF still making payments”

” The DG when he assumed office inherited a good number of vehicles , but as we speak, he abandoned them purchased new ones and he is in the process of purchasing another ones with plans plan to acquire a new jeep used by the FCT minister for the Edir Fitr as a status symbol ‘”

While the allegations of financial infractions hangs on his head like the swords of Damascus, the allegations of abuse of procurement procedures against Oluwatoyin stinks to high heaven.
A senior staff in the Maitama office told our Correspondent that” apart from the retired deputy Director ( name withheld), who the DG is using as conduit, several contracts awarded since he assumed office , he did not adhere to the procurement Act, in fact he just a sole administrator “
” He said he is Tinubu’ boy and nobody can touch him, in fact he threatened Staff with transfer”

Apart from the petition to the anti graft commission, the staff are on the verge of staging a massive protest for the removal of the DG.
His appointment as DG did not come without reservations and apprehension as our checks revealed that he lacked requisite qualifications to manage such agency.

Our checks at the headquarters of the industrial Training Funds (ITF) in Jos and corporate office in Maitama, in Abuja paint a picture of once bubbling institution going down the drain with staff morale on the edge.

The development has turned the once bubbling organisation into one of despair, just as staff morale and attitude to work have hit the lowest mark so far since the establishment of the Fund by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) in the 1970s.

Seven months after his appointment and takeover of the Fund’s leadership, multiple sources in Jos and Abuja told our reporter they are aware that there are grumblings within the organisation.
These are not unconnected with the new leadership style and certain ‘reforms’ and policy tincturing that have amounted to high-level administrative missteps that have dampened the cognate mood of the personnel, and set the Fund on the course of collapsing from within.

According to the staff, “the transfers have led to queries by the Fund’s workforce’’ concerning the plans of the DG for the future of the organization.
According to the insider source, “in the latest round of transfers released on May 13, 2024, by the Administration and Human Resources Department of the agency, several top officials of the Finance and Procurement Departments were redeployed to other departments in an exercise that has been condemned by workers within the organisation as a serious infraction of the organization’s career policy”.
The redeployments indicate that “top Directors in the Finance and Accounts Department were moved to Departments other than their fields of specialization. For instance, Mr. Steve Ivarave, an ICAN chartered accountant was moved from finance and accounts to Administration and Human Resource Department to head General Services”.
The source also stated that “Yusuf Abdulmajid was moved to the Corporate Planning Department while Ibrahim Ahmed Bakori was moved to the Estate Management unit to head Project Management, while Ocheme Linus Agbo was redeployed to the Technical and Vocational Skills Training Department just as John Etim was moved from revenue to Internal Audit with no assigned portfolio”.
Our checks indicated that the haphazard transfers have striped the Finance Department of competent professionals in the leadership of the division.
This was as it was gathered that the redeployment exercise was based on a pattern that is completely alien to laid down rules and career progression in addition to being inconsistent with established rules of assignments and redeployments.
Further checks indicated that on April 3, 2024, 16 officers were redeployed to various offices of the Fund.
What especially stood out in that exercise was the redeployment of the Area Manager of one of the Lagos Offices, a Senior Deputy Director, who was posted to Sokoto Area Office, where he was expected to serve under an Assistant Director who is his junior officer.
Similarly, barely two months into office in December 2023, the new Director General who is hardly on the seat, reshuffled his Management team in an exercise that effectively put square pegs in round holes in an apparent effort to entrench his tribesmen in departments perceived to be lucrative.
A source said; “in that exercise, the Director General transferred Fulera Dikki, a career Administrative officer to the Business Training Department while Suleyol Fred Chagu, a career Public Relations officer was redeployed to the Corporate Planning Department just as Chioma Ogbonna, an ICAN Chartered Accountant was moved from Revenue Inspectorate and Compliance Department to the Research and Curriculum Development Department.
When our reporter visited the ITF headquarters, there was melancholy amidst apprehension as a result of fears of more deployments in the coming weeks.
The Director General could not be reached as he was said to be away from the office even as calls to his phone did not go through.

Concern Staff Of ITF Drags DG , Oluwatoyin Ogun Before EFCC


… How Hundreds of Millions of Naira is being Siphoned
…Operates as Sole Administrator

Concern Staff of the Industrial Training Funds, ( ITF ), might have concluded arrangement to drag Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), for an alleged Financial infraction since his appointment.

Sources at the Headquarters of ITF, in Jos who pleaded anonymity told our Correspondent that against extant law Mr. Oluwatoyin since he assumed office had acquired official accommodation instead of one, in Lagos, Jos and Abuja for his three wives.
” The DG is entitled to one Guest House, but when he took over he paid for three Houses in Lagos, Jos and Abuja” said our sources.

Continue the sources disclosed that
” You could imagine a retired Director of Finance in ITF still making payments”

” The DG when he assumed office inherited a good number of vehicles , but as we speak, he abandoned them purchased new ones and he is in the process of purchasing another ones with plans plan to acquire a new jeep used by the FCT minister for the Edir Fitr as a status symbol ‘”

While the allegations of financial infractions hangs on his head like the swords of Damascus, the allegations of abuse of procurement procedures against Oluwatoyin stinks to high heaven.
A senior staff in the Maitama office told our Correspondent that” apart from the retired deputy Director ( name withheld), who the DG is using as conduit, several contracts awarded since he assumed office , he did not adhere to the procurement Act, in fact he just a sole administrator “
” He said he is Tinubu’ boy and nobody can touch him, in fact he threatened Staff with transfer”

Apart from the petition to the anti graft commission, the staff are on the verge of staging a massive protest for the removal of the DG.
His appointment as DG did not come without reservations and apprehension as our checks revealed that he lacked requisite qualifications to manage such agency.

Our checks at the headquarters of the industrial Training Funds (ITF) in Jos and corporate office in Maitama, in Abuja paint a picture of once bubbling institution going down the drain with staff morale on the edge.

The development has turned the once bubbling organisation into one of despair, just as staff morale and attitude to work have hit the lowest mark so far since the establishment of the Fund by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) in the 1970s.

Seven months after his appointment and takeover of the Fund’s leadership, multiple sources in Jos and Abuja told our reporter they are aware that there are grumblings within the organisation.
These are not unconnected with the new leadership style and certain ‘reforms’ and policy tincturing that have amounted to high-level administrative missteps that have dampened the cognate mood of the personnel, and set the Fund on the course of collapsing from within.

According to the staff, “the transfers have led to queries by the Fund’s workforce’’ concerning the plans of the DG for the future of the organization.
According to the insider source, “in the latest round of transfers released on May 13, 2024, by the Administration and Human Resources Department of the agency, several top officials of the Finance and Procurement Departments were redeployed to other departments in an exercise that has been condemned by workers within the organisation as a serious infraction of the organization’s career policy”.
The redeployments indicate that “top Directors in the Finance and Accounts Department were moved to Departments other than their fields of specialization. For instance, Mr. Steve Ivarave, an ICAN chartered accountant was moved from finance and accounts to Administration and Human Resource Department to head General Services”.
The source also stated that “Yusuf Abdulmajid was moved to the Corporate Planning Department while Ibrahim Ahmed Bakori was moved to the Estate Management unit to head Project Management, while Ocheme Linus Agbo was redeployed to the Technical and Vocational Skills Training Department just as John Etim was moved from revenue to Internal Audit with no assigned portfolio”.
Our checks indicated that the haphazard transfers have striped the Finance Department of competent professionals in the leadership of the division.
This was as it was gathered that the redeployment exercise was based on a pattern that is completely alien to laid down rules and career progression in addition to being inconsistent with established rules of assignments and redeployments.
Further checks indicated that on April 3, 2024, 16 officers were redeployed to various offices of the Fund.
What especially stood out in that exercise was the redeployment of the Area Manager of one of the Lagos Offices, a Senior Deputy Director, who was posted to Sokoto Area Office, where he was expected to serve under an Assistant Director who is his junior officer.
Similarly, barely two months into office in December 2023, the new Director General who is hardly on the seat, reshuffled his Management team in an exercise that effectively put square pegs in round holes in an apparent effort to entrench his tribesmen in departments perceived to be lucrative.
A source said; “in that exercise, the Director General transferred Fulera Dikki, a career Administrative officer to the Business Training Department while Suleyol Fred Chagu, a career Public Relations officer was redeployed to the Corporate Planning Department just as Chioma Ogbonna, an ICAN Chartered Accountant was moved from Revenue Inspectorate and Compliance Department to the Research and Curriculum Development Department.
When our reporter visited the ITF headquarters, there was melancholy amidst apprehension as a result of fears of more deployments in the coming weeks.
The Director General could not be reached as he was said to be away from the office even as calls to his phone did not go through.

Over 70 CSOs Join Sanwo-Olu To Oppose Lagos Inclusion In LG Autonomy Suit

No fewer than 70 Civil Society Organizations have joined the Lagos State government to oppose the Federal Government’s inclusion of the state in a suit instituted against the state government over local government autonomy.

The Federal Government had instituted a legal action against the governors of the 36 states of the federation at the Supreme Court over alleged misconduct in the administration of Local Government Areas.

In a statement made available to newsmen, the Convener of Campaign for Dignity in Governance & Coalition of 70 Civil Society Organizations, Razaq Olokoba expressed dissatisfaction over the inclusion of Lagos State in the suit despite operating autonomous local government administration over the years.

The Coalition noted that it was disappointing the government at the center failed to take cognizance of the system of local government administration in Lagos State but chose to lump them up in one place.

“It is appalling that the Federal will lump Lagos together with other states stifling their local government areas over the years, it clearly shows the Attorney General or his handlers did not do their homework very well, so we are disappointed.

“That’s why we are opposing the inclusion of Lagos in that suit, and if you watch closely you would have noticed that the local government system in Lagos ran freely before now and since the emergence of Babajide Sanwo=Olu as the Governor of Lagos state that tier of the government has become far better in administrative independence.

“The Federal Government should as a matter of urgency expunge Lagos state from that suit. We also support our performing governor, Mr. Sanwo-Olu for frowning at the inclusion of the state in the suit. The government at the center must be seen to do the right thing at all times,” Olokoba stressed.

Meanwhile, speaking on the suit, Governor Sanwo-Olu said it was a legal anomaly for the federal government to join Lagos in the Supreme Court matter, decades after the local governments in the state had been enjoying full autonomy.

The governor who spoke in support of the suit, however, said the attorney-general of the federation should have identified those that were not in compliance with the law before filing a blanket lawsuit against all states.

The governor spoke at the ongoing Justice Reform Summit organized by Lagos State Judiciary with the theme: “Enhancing the Administration of Justice for Economic Growth, Investment Protection and Security in Lagos”.

The summit, attended by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, is being held at Marriott Hotels, Ikeja.

Sanwo-Olu said infringement on the local council autonomy was an affront to the spirit of the constitution to which the judiciary must make a clear interpretation for equity and fairness. He said a better justice system would protect the interests of parties and discourage actions limiting the efficiency of any government entity.

Alleged Fake Lawyer Arrested For Impersonation, Fraud

An alleged fake legal practitioner, Mr. Olakunle Oladimeji Olawale, has reportedly been arrested for allegations of fraud and impersonation in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Olawale who allegedly claimed to be a lawyer deceiving and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public allegedly used ‘Barrister’ as a prefix to his name during an event in Abuja, which called for suspension, investigation, and eventual arrest.

Meanwhile, according to investigation by the legal counsel to ALJAZIRAH NEWSPAPER, Mr. JJ Usman (SAN), who also wrote to the Supreme Court to verify the enrollment of lawyers, and the Court’s response indicated that there was no one by the name of Olakunle Oladimeji Olawale registered as a practicing lawyer, which the Court challenged Olawale to present his call to Bar Certificate and Qualifying Certificate for enrollment.

The investigation revealed that Mr. Olawale had been allegedly masquerading as a legal advisor and agent to landlords in Abuja.

He also addressed himself as a civil society leader where he had been presenting himself as the leader under the cover of being a barrister to defaming members of the public over unfounded claims that cannot be substantiated.

He is currently facing the full wrath of the law at a Magistrate Court in Abuja with case number CR/39/2024.

Therefore, several cases of impersonation by individuals masquerading as lawyers make it imperative to sensitize Nigerians on how they can detect a fake lawyer based on the information the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, will give to Nigerians.

Disquiet in ITF over abuse of office by the DG


….Staff spoiling for show down

Barely one year after the sack of heads of parastatal and agencies by the Tinubu administration and the appointment of Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, as the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), over five years of reform by his predecessors in office is being threatened by alleged ineptitude and abuse of office.

Our checks at the headquarters of the industrial Training Funds (ITF) in Jos and corporate office in Maitama, in Abuja paint a picture of once bubbling institution going down the drain with staff morale on the edge.

The needed serene atmosphere that was being enjoyed at the ITF is gradually giving way to unwarranted and avoidable crisis as a result of the alleged highhandedness, lack of consultation and non-adherence to procedures that have become the hallmark of the new Director General of the Fund, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun.
The development has turned the once bubbling organisation into one of despair, just as staff morale and attitude to work have hit the lowest mark so far since the establishment of the Fund by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) in the 1970s.

Six months after his appointment and takeover of the Fund’s leadership, multiple sources in Jos and Abuja told our reporter they are aware that there are grumblings within the organisation.
These are not unconnected with the new leadership style and certain ‘reforms’ and policy tincturing that have amounted to high-level administrative missteps that have dampened the cognate mood of the personnel, and set the Fund on the course of collapsing from within.
A visit to the ITF headquarters last week showed that matters are worsening as some staff are spoiling for action. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a staff of the organisation, said the latest that has caused a scare about the future of the organisation is the internal redeployments and postings recently carried out by the new DG, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun.
According to the staff, “the transfers have led to queries by the Fund’s workforce’’ concerning the plans of the DG for the future of the organization.
According to the insider source, “in the latest round of transfers released on May 13, 2024, by the Administration and Human Resources Department of the agency, several top officials of the Finance and Procurement Departments were redeployed to other departments in an exercise that has been condemned by workers within the organisation as a serious infraction of the organization’s career policy”.
The redeployments indicate that “top Directors in the Finance and Accounts Department were moved to Departments other than their fields of specialization. For instance, Mr. Steve Ivarave, an ICAN chartered accountant was moved from finance and accounts to Administration and Human Resource Department to head General Services”.
The source also stated that “Yusuf Abdulmajid was moved to the Corporate Planning Department while Ibrahim Ahmed Bakori was moved to the Estate Management unit to head Project Management, while Ocheme Linus Agbo was redeployed to the Technical and Vocational Skills Training Department just as John Etim was moved from revenue to Internal Audit with no assigned portfolio”.
Forefront News checks indicated that the haphazard transfers have striped the Finance Department of competent professionals in the leadership of the division.
This was as it was gathered that the redeployment exercise was based on a pattern that is completely alien to laid down rules and career progression in addition to being inconsistent with established rules of assignments and redeployments.
Further checks indicated that on April 3, 2024, 16 officers were redeployed to various offices of the Fund.
What especially stood out in that exercise was the redeployment of the Area Manager of one of the Lagos Offices, a Senior Deputy Director, who was posted to Sokoto Area Office, where he was expected to serve under an Assistant Director who is his junior officer.
Similarly, barely two months into office in December 2023, the new Director General who is hardly on the seat, reshuffled his Management team in an exercise that effectively put square pegs in round holes in an apparent effort to entrench his tribesmen in departments perceived to be lucrative.
A source said; “in that exercise, the Director General transferred Fulera Dikki, a career Administrative officer to the Business Training Department while Suleyol Fred Chagu, a career Public Relations officer was redeployed to the Corporate Planning Department just as Chioma Ogbonna, an ICAN Chartered Accountant was moved from Revenue Inspectorate and Compliance Department to the Research and Curriculum Development Department.
When our reporter visited the ITF headquarters, there was melancholy amidst apprehension as a result of fears of more deployments in the coming weeks.
The Director General could not be reached as he was said to be away from the office even as calls to his phone did not go through.

CSO Applauds Wike’s Scorecard as FCT Minister.

A civil society organization (CSO), Arewa Coalition for Good Governance (ACGG), has commended the “genuine and tireless efforts put in by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike,” in the last one year.

In a statement issued in Abuja Tuesday, signed by Mallam Bello Datijjo (Coordinator) and Comrade Kabir Mustapha, the ACGG observed that, when Wike was appointed Minister of the FCT last year, many northerners expressed fears that Wike, being a southerner, would not put in his best to develop the federal territory. “But all these fears have been put to rest, in less than year, as Barr. Wike has proven beyond doubt, that he is ready to surpass his performances as Governor of River State,” the statement noted.

Of particular interest to the group is the maintenance and sustenance of security of lives and property by the Wike administration, despite the activities of dire-hard bandits and terrorists. ACGG also lauded Barr. Wike on his efforts at initiating programmes that would enhance religious dialogue and tolerance by inhabitants of Abuja, which they further said, have brought about peaceful co-existence between original indigenes of Abuja and as well as settlers.

The Arewa Coalition also made specific mention of the Abuja Light Rail which, they said, is scheduled to be commissioned on Monday, May 27, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The group also noted that commencement of commercial operations by the rail line within Abuja, will ease the tension and difficulties experienced daily on the roads of Abuja by workers, especially civil servants. “The perennial holdups and (in some cases, gridlocks) would be drastically reduced with the commencement of operations by this rail project,” the group noted.

ACGG said, with Wike’s performance on this project, “the Federal Government can now be trusted when it makes promises.” This, according to them, is because, the Commander-in-Chief, Bola Tinubu, had made a promise that his administration, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, would deliver the metro-line to Nigerians within one year in office.

Other achievements enumerated by the Coalition include: “the incredible road networks being carried out all over the federal capital territory; the development of the real estate sector in the territory which comes with improved standard of living of residents; accelerated construction of good road within Abuja; the contract for the renovation of the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja; provision of potable water, solar electrification, street lightening,” among others.

ACGG also hailed Wike for the completion of “the official residence of the Vice President (VP’s Lodge); the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) which commences from the Villa Roundabout To the Ring Road 1, which has four number of interchanges; and B6 and B12 Circle Roads, as well as the N20 from Northern Parkway (Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Expressway), all billed to be commissioned same day.”

On traditional institution, the Coalition said Barr. Wike had upgraded the status of new chiefs for some chiefdoms, which it named as: Karu, Kwali and Yaba within the FCT. It added, “This is part of Wike’s efforts to make sure that, the traditional institution is working in tandem with the grassroots and the FCTA.”

“Wike has planned to deploy drones by partnering with the Parliamentary Republic of Hungary around the 800 square kilometers of the Federal Capital Territory. This effort is aimed at securing inhabitants of the territory,” the Coalition observed.

ACGG also commended Wike’s efforts in convincing President Bola Tinubu administration to remove the FCT from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which it noted, “has made FCT self-dependent.”

“Wike has also made it possible for the FCTA to have its own Civil Service Commission, a feat will make it possible for FCT Directors to become Permanent Secretaries, like their counterparts in other Federal Ministries,” the Coalition noted.

Wike’s “no nonsense” stance with his dealings with contractors, has also been acknowledged by the Coalition, which has paved way for using original materials for execution of jobs awarded and the best quality of finished projects for commissioning.

Even with all these achievements, ACGG wishes to urge Wike not to be distracted by those who do not want to see anything good in his efforts, but to rather concentrate on developing Abuja to the status of a model capital city which all Nigerians will be proud of.

ACGG also quoted a personality they referred to as “an Abuja-based philanthropist and humanitarian per excellence, Dr Emmanuel Musa of EMNAMU Foundation” who is also a resident of the city to have aptly captured the milestones of the FCT Minister, which he termed, “Wike is taking Abuja to the comity of developed capital cities in the world, for sustainable development, efforts which must be commended by all well-meaning Nigerians,” as according to him, “no FCT Minister in the annals of history has achieved such a feat in the short period of time.”

The organization quoted Dr Musa to have emphasized that Minister Wike has, “within one year, written his name in the hearts of the residents on the sands of time, that posterity will always be kind to him for putting the people first.”

“Let me also commend President Bola Tinubu for having the foresight and vision to appoint Barr. Wike as the FCT Minister. And, with Wike’s excellent performance in the FCT, it is high time politicians emulate the good works and excellent political pedigree of Barr. Wike as wherever he finds himself; or whatever he touches, becomes gold and the people are better for it,” ACGG quoted Dr. Musa as saying.

In view of the above, ACGG joins millions of well-meaning Nigerians to commend and applaud Wike’s development strides in FCT within this short spate of time. We therefore give Barr. Wike a sounding pass-mark and call for all hands, including the international community, to be on deck, to assist the FCT Administration under Barr. Wike to make Abuja a city to be proud of as well as a world tourism site of destination.

China accelerates construction of intelligent ports

By Han Xin, Du Yifei, People’s Daily

As one steps into the fully automated container terminal at Rizhao Port in east China’s Shandong province, a remarkable sight unfolds – remote-controlled quay cranes precisely grabbing and releasing containers, automated rail-mounted cranes and unmanned container trucks working in coordination… Human operators are scarcely visible at the terminal, yet operations run smoothly and efficiently.

As the first side-loading and parallel-layout fully automated container terminal in the world, the terminal employs China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and 5G technology, and has launched six domestically developed and industry-first innovative technologies, including a scheduling system for autonomous container trucks.

The pioneering facility has made remarkable progress since it was put into use on Oct. 9, 2021 – its single-crane operational efficiency improved by 50 percent and overall costs lowered by 70 percent. Besides, the single-crane handling capacity has reached 58 container units per hour.

In the past, operators had to climb up and down equipment that is 20 meters high and work for long hours beside them, said a staff member of the terminal. “Now, we can operate rail-mounted cranes with remote control systems. With improved working environment and decreased workload, there has been a significant rise in productivity,” the staff member added.

Rizhao Port, a prominent coastal container hub for domestic trade, plays a vital role as a global transshipment base for energy and bulk raw materials. Thanks to its efforts to promote intelligent and eco-friendly development, Rizhao Port has continuously propelled its growth to new heights.

In 2023, the container throughput of Rizhao Port witnessed an increase of 7.9 percent from a year ago, and that of its fully automated container terminal experienced a remarkable 15 percent year-on-year growth in the first four months of this year.

The progress made by Rizhao Port is a miniature of China’s endeavors to expedite the development of intelligent ports.

As an important part of optimizing transportation infrastructure, the construction of intelligent ports plays a crucial role in the digital transformation of traditional infrastructure.

Recently, China’s Ministry of Transport issued a guideline on accelerating the construction of intelligent ports and waterways. According to the document, by 2027, China will have comprehensively lifted digitalization levels of port and waterway infrastructure, while significantly strengthened intelligent production, operations, management, as well as external services related to ports and waterways nationwide. Besides, the country will have built a batch of world-class intelligent ports and waterways by that time.

China has built 18 automated container terminals so far and is currently constructing or renovating 27 more. Both numbers rank among the top in the world.

Moreover, China has comprehensively mastered the key technologies in the design, construction, equipment manufacturing, system integration, and operational management of automated terminals.

The next-generation intelligent transportation equipment, such as 5G-enabled automated guided vehicles and autonomous container trucks, have been deployed and put into operation.

At Shanghai Port, remote control has been fully implemented for cargo handling, and intelligent transportation equipment such as automated guided vehicles have been widely applied.

At Huanghua Port in north China’s Hebei province, reclaimers and rotary car dumpers are remotely controlled, and gantry bucket unloaders are gradually going through automation.

At Dalian Port, multiple indoor and outdoor environmental monitoring points have been set up to collect data on water quality, energy consumption, air quality, meteorology, and other environmental factors related to terminals, effectively promoting the green development of the port.

“The construction of intelligent ports is not only a field for pioneering smart transportation, but also an important part of the development of new transportation infrastructure,” said an official with the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport.

The official said the construction of intelligent ports calls for systematic efforts, and China will build a batch of demonstration intelligent ports, strengthen pilot application of intelligent transportation, and accelerate digital transformation of the shipping sector.

County in China embraces high-quality development of bamboo industry

By Wang Dan, People’s Daily

Chongyi county in Ganzhou, east China’s Jiangxi province, boasts vast bamboo forests that span over 700,000 mu (about 46,667 hectares). It is renowned as one of the top 10 bamboo towns in China.

However, the development of the local bamboo industry had once been stagnant despite the rich bamboo resources, due to inadequate transportation facilities, limited market access and local bamboo factories’ non-compliance with environmental standards. Many bamboo forests were left unattended.

Thanks to measures implemented by the county to build standardized factories, extend the bamboo industrial chain, and establish digital trade platforms, the local bamboo industry has gone through a magnificent transformation, embracing high-quality development.

Bamboo farmer Le Yi runs a bamboo processing factory in Qianchang village, Qianchang township of Chongyi county. The 3,000-square meter facility is equipped with standard environmental protection devices.

“In the past few years, there were many bamboo processing factories in Qianchang township, as bamboos were readily available from the nearby mountains for sale. However, bamboo product manufacturing would pollute the surrounding environment, and many businesses failed to make proper eco-friendly improvements, resulting in their closure,” Le said.

As a result, the number of processing factories in the township sharply decreased, and selling raw bamboos became an unprofitable business, Le added.

In order to promote the development of the bamboo industry, Chongyi county built standard factories in its townships. Le contracted to run his factory at the end of 2022, which has become a hot destination for local raw bamboos and provides many job opportunities to local residents. The factory can process 1,800 tons of bamboos per month and employs over 40 nearby villagers.

To further extend the value chain of the bamboo industry, Chongyi county explored a model that gathers strengths of leading enterprises, small-scale factories and bamboo farmers. It set up small-scale factories in 16 townships, and Le’s factory is one of them.

“We have developed a wide range of products to make full use of bamboo plants.” Le told People’s Daily. According to him, the primary bamboo materials are supplied to leading enterprises to produce bamboo plywood and furniture, while the secondary materials are used to produce chopsticks and skewers. Even the leftovers can be transformed into activated carbon.

The sale of different segments of bamboo materials has enabled Le to expand sales channels, diversify bamboo usages, and increase profits.

The development model of Chongyi’s bamboo industry has proved to be a win-win result for all parties involved, by providing sufficient raw materials for leading enterprises, expanding the range of products for small-scale factories and widening sales channels for bamboo farmers.

With the help of new-generation information technology, Chongyi county is also assisting relevant enterprises to achieve intelligent and digital transformation and upgrading.

In the Guantian Industrial Park, less than 20 kilometers away from Le’s factory, a workshop of a company was bustling, despite having very few workers.

The entire production line in the workshop is automated, lifting the daily processing capacity to 12,000 pieces per day from 4,000 pieces. Besides, a big database has been employed to automatically identify bamboo strips with defects, making the sorting process more efficient.

“Intelligent transformation has enhanced our production efficiency, ensured product quality, and lowered production costs, making us more competitive in the market,” said Kong Qingguo, head of the company.

The bamboo industry in Chongyi county used to suffer from supply-demand imbalances, low industrial agglomeration, and weak brand influence. To address these challenges, the county launched a digital trading platform, available on both the website and WeChat mini-program.

“In the past, it was rare for me to have a few days off at home in a month because I was always on the road meeting clients. Now, online trading has made things much easier and allowed me to spend more time at home,” said Le.

While talking with People’s Daily reporters, he received an order notification on the phone. Then he opened the digital trade mini-program and called the buyer to negotiate transaction details.

“The platform provides more sales channels, enabling us to showcase our products online and stay updated on industry trends. More importantly, we can complete transactions online,” Le told People’s Daily.

In March this year, a company engaging in container floor production saw insufficient inventory of raw bamboos due to a surge in the orders it received.

“After we posted our demand on the mini-program, we received quotations from 10 suppliers and managed to strike deals with six of them, which resolved our urgent need,” said Wang Peng, an employee of the company.

Eighty percent of bamboo enterprises in Chongyi county have joined the digital trading platform. “By integrating bamboo resources in the county, the platform contributes to rational and efficient allocation of resources, and benefits all stakeholders along the industrial chain, including leading enterprises, factories, cooperatives, and bamboo farmers,” said Huang Xuepeng, head of Chongyi county’s forestry bureau.

China, U.S. strengthen tourism cooperation to turn “San Francisco vision” into reality

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit on May 22.

It is hoped that all walks of life in the two countries will take this summit as an opportunity to have in-depth exchanges, build consensus, and take active actions to promote personnel exchanges through tourism cooperation, continue China-U.S. friendship with cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and help the San Francisco vision turn into reality, Xi said.

Xi’s message fully demonstrated the importance he attaches to China-U.S. relations, conveyed his expectation to deepen China-U.S. tourism cooperation, and expounded on the significance of tourism cooperation in promoting stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, charting the course for the two countries to strengthen tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

For any great cause to succeed, it must take root in the people, gain strength from the people, and be accomplished by the people. Growing China-U.S. friendship is such a great cause.

Xi has repeatedly emphasized the significance of strengthening non-governmental friendship and people-to-people exchanges in developing bilateral relations between China and the United States. He has interacted with people from all walks of life in the U.S. for multiple times, aiming to foster a new chapter in non-governmental friendship between the two peoples.

Last November, Xi and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden met with each other in San Francisco and laid out a future-oriented “San Francisco vision.” Xi proposed five pillars for China-U.S. relations, namely, jointly developing a right perception, jointly managing disagreements effectively, jointly advancing mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly shouldering responsibilities as major countries, and jointly promoting people-to-people exchanges, which should serve as the underpinning for the mansion of China-U.S relations.

Tourism is an important bridge for exchanges and mutual understanding between the people of China and the U.S.

China and the U.S. are both proud of their splendid culture and beautiful landscape and people from both countries are keenly interested in learning more about each other and cementing their friendship.

For some time, teams from both China and the U.S. have been working to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state in San Francisco. China-U.S. relations have been generally stabilized, and bilateral dialogue, cooperation and positive aspects in various fields have increased.

A number of relevant projects have been launched, including an initiative of inviting 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. The increased exchanges between the Chinese and American societies have deepened mutual understanding between the two peoples and brought them closer to each other.

China and the U.S. are two major countries with different histories, cultures, social systems and development paths. Strengthening dialogue and communication between the two sides, promoting friendly exchanges between the two peoples from all walks of life, and building more bridges of mutual understanding will help eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings and biases.

Expanding tourism cooperation between China and the U.S. will contribute to the exchanges and cooperation between the two peoples, and build consensus for the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

As Xi said in the message, the foundation of China-U.S. relations is laid by the people, the door of China-U.S. relations is opened by the people, the stories of China-U.S. relations are written by the people, and the future of China-U.S. relations will be jointly created by the people of the two countries.

No matter how the global landscape evolves, the historical trend of peaceful coexistence between China and the U.S. will not change. The ultimate wish of the two peoples for exchanges and cooperation will not change. The expectations of the whole world for a steadily growing China-U.S. relationship will not change.

China and the U.S. should work to meet the expectations of the two peoples and the world, and take concrete measures to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, including tourism cooperation. Both countries should build more bridges and pave more roads for people-to-people exchanges.

China warmly welcomes tourists from all over the world, including American tourists, and will strive to make it easier for foreigners to travel, work and live in China.

China is willing to work together with the U.S. to introduce more measures that facilitate personnel and cultural exchanges.

China also hopes that the U.S. will work in the same direction, increase direct flights between the two countries, promptly adjust advisory concerning travel to China, and facilitate visa applications for Chinese citizens visiting the U.S., in order to create better conditions for mutual visits between the two countries’ tourists.

It is hoped that that the two peoples will make more visits, contacts and exchanges and write new stories of friendship in the new era.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States. The two countries should learn lessons from history, cherish peace, value stability, and uphold credibility, consolidate the foundation and tap into the potential of people-to-people friendship, and turn the “San Francisco vision” into reality, so as to truly stabilize, improve and move forward China-U.S. relationship and inject more stability into the world.

Reckless move to push for “Taiwan independence” will inevitably lead to severe punishment

By People’s Daily

In a speech on May 20, the leader of the Taiwan region trumpeted separatist fallacies such as “sovereign independence,” “non-subordination between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits,” and “self-determination of Taiwan residents.”

He also begged for support from external forces, trying to promote the “internationalization of the Taiwan question” and continuing to seek “Taiwan independence” by relying on foreign countries and by force.

This complete confession of “Taiwan independence” was full of hostility, provocation, lies and deception, reflecting an even more radical and risky stance on “Taiwan independence.” Such a reckless move will inevitably lead to severe punishment and accelerate the collapse of separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence.”

People on both sides of the Taiwan Straits share the same bloodline, culture and history. They belong to the same Chinese nation and are of the same family enjoying kinship and offering mutual assistance.

The over-5,000-year history of the Chinese nation saw successive generations of ancestors move and settle down in Taiwan and people from across the Strait fight side by side to recover the island from foreign invaders. Be it in legal or factual terms, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.

Pursuing “independence” and private political gains, the leader of the Taiwan region touted the so-called “two states” theory and tried to legitimize “Taiwan independence.” He even denied his Chinese heritage. The actions are disgraceful betrayals of the nation and the ancestors.

History has proved that those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country will come to no good end; they will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history, disdained by the people and condemned by history.

China’s complete reunification is an evitable trend. It is where the greater national interest lies, and it is what the people desire. The Chinese nation has a common belief that the territory is indivisible, the country cannot be destabilized, the nation cannot be separated, and the civilization cannot be broken. A strong and unified nation has always been the pillar upon which the future of all the Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan, depends.

Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. Safeguarding China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is the common obligation of all Chinese people, the Taiwan compatriots included. No “Taiwan independence” secessionist forces should make Taiwan secede from China under any name or by any means.

From the very beginning of his tenure, the leader of the Taiwan region cannot help but to expose his true colors as an advocate for “Taiwan independence,” brazenly inciting “anti-China” sentiments. What he said and did completely go against the mainstream public opinion in the Taiwan region in favor of peace not war, development not decline, communication rather than separation, and cooperation instead of confrontation.

This has exacerbated tensions across the Taiwan Strait, pushing Taiwan towards an even more dangerous position. It severely challenges the common faith of the Chinese nation and the common will of the Chinese people.

The complete reunification of China is an unstoppable trend. Those who seek “Taiwan independence” will only find themselves on a road leading to a dead end.

No one desires more than the Chinese people do to achieve national reunification through peaceful means. China is ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification; but it will leave no room for separatist activities in any form.

No one should underestimate the great resolve, the strong will, and the extraordinary ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China will never tolerate, connive with, or show any mercy to separatist acts in any form. The more the separatist provocations escalate, the more resolute and forceful the country’s countermeasures will become.

As a Chinese saying goes, a just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust one finds little support. Recently, political dignitaries and people from various sectors have reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China principle and expressed firm support for China’s just cause of opposing “Taiwan independence” separatism and striving for national reunification. This fully demonstrates that with each provocation by the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, the international community’s consensus on upholding the one-China principle becomes even stronger.

The one-China principle cannot be violated. Separatist attempts for “Taiwan independence” are doomed to fail. The general trend of China’s reunification is irreversible. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities and leaders’ attempt to separate Taiwan from the motherland is nothing but a pipe dream, like ants trying to shake a giant tree. In the end, they will only face utter failure and wreck their own reputation.