Author: Isah Mukhtar

NAN-ELS-6
Tool
By Taiye Baiyerohi and Bayo Olawunmi
Lagos Nov. 4, 2016 (NAN) The Minister for Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that music was veritable tool the government could use to sensitise Nigerians about its activities.

Mohammed made the assertion at the Africa Music Business Round-table as he spoke on “Championing Social Justice and Advocacy through Music” in Lagos on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Africa Music Round-table is to foster creative and cultural exchange, fast track industry development, knowledge transfer and build bridges for the economic growth of music.

The programme is one of the activities lined up to mark the 2016 “All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA)’’, with the grand finale slated for Nov. 6 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The award ceremony will create a night of glamour, glitz and grandeur for Africa in its crowning glory through a world-class live production event broadcast to over 80 countries.

He added that the national orientation campaign, tagged “Change Begins with Me,’’ which was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on Sept. 8, 2016, would be jingled through music.

He noted that the campaign was about returning to those moral values that would place the country in good stead.

“A lot of that can be done through music, in order words, music is a powerful tool for advocacy.

“Good music has no tribe, no gender, no section and no religion.

“l find the topic you have asked me to speak on very interesting and absolutely relevant.

“I am sure many will remember that when Nigeria changed from right-hand driving to the left in 1972, the likes of Ebenezer Obey and Ayinla Omowura used their music to sensitise Nigerians.

“That was more effective than thousands of advertisement pages in the newspapers.

The minister also cited how music was used to sensitise Nigerians, when the government in 1973, changed the country’s currency from Pounds and Shillings to Naira and Kobo.

“Also, when Nigerian transited from Pound Sterling to Naira and Kobo, musicians played a prominent role in sensitising the public.

“This is one of the most important and credible platforms to promote African Music,’’ Mohammed said.

The Minister appreciated AFRIMA for projecting Nigeria in good light.

“This, to me, is one of the most important and credible platforms to promote African music globally, using Nigeria as a pivot.

“My sincere hope is that you will do everything possible to sustain AFRIMA which, in your own words, is propelling African Music to the glorious pinnacle far beyond the borders of Africa,’’ he said.

The minister urged Nigerian musicians to emerge with sound musical content that would reshape the morals of the society. (NAN)
PTB/AAO/ERO/PDE
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Peter Ejiofor)

NAN-S-1
Players
By Aderonke Ojediran-Lawal
Lagos, Nov. 4, 2016 (NAN) An ex-international, Wahidi Akanni, on Friday advised the Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf to select outstanding players for the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Algeria to ensure they topped their group.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria is in Group B alongside Cameroon, Zambia and Algeria.

Akanni, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, added that the players should be psychologically prepared.

Cue in audio

“The coach should pick the best legs, not minding who played the last game or not, you should pick the best leg to represent Nigeria.

“I think we will come out with a good result as well; I think we did well against Zambia, that game has come and gone.

“I will expect that the team will do the same thing; they will prepare early to get the players psychologically ready.

“Because that’s also part of the game and then once they can do that I think Algeria will be tough when they come here.

“But having the edge will give us a good advantage over them, so we have to be ready for that game.

“And nobody will wake up and say Algeria is going to be easy, I believe that the game will be very tough but psychologically once our players are ready.

Cue out audio

NAN reports that victory by the Super Eagles in the group will make them to appear for the sixth time at the World Cup.  The 2018 World Cup holds in Russia. (NAN)
OAF/ENN
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu)

Young graduate sets up fufu processing outfit worth N75,000, engages 3 workers

NAN-HE-11

Fufu

Owerri, Nov.4, 2016 (NAN) A young university graduate, Mr Wilson Ekeledirichukwu, who set up a fufu processing plant valued at N75,000, at Ihiagwa, near Owerri, said he established the outfit in order to be self-employed and also create jobs.

Ekeledirichukwu, a graduate of animal science from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Owerri.

NAN reports that fufu is a local delicacy, made from fermented cassava and is popularly eaten by many Nigerians, especially people from the Southern and North-Central Nigeria

“As an undergraduate, I resolved that I will be among Nigerians to create jobs and not those looking for jobs that are not easily available in this country now.

‘’After my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Oyo State between 2014 and 2015, I first ventured into paint production but discovered that the project required much capital,’’ he said.

Ekeledirichukwu said  that he finally settled for the processing of fufu, adding that  the equipment for the fufu processing cost him about N75, 000.

He said that the ‘’ uniqueness of our fufu is that it has no odour,’’ adding that rather than the local method of pounding fufu, his outfit “uses turning method and gas cooker to process the product.’’

According to him, he has been supplying fufu to restaurants in his alma mater, Federal University of Technology, Owerri,(FUTO), Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri and growing number of customers.

Ekeledirichukwu put the staff strength of the outfit at three, with N15,000 each monthly salary.

He said that his intention was to established a food processing firm with capacity to engage over 100 workers.

“If I sustain the income margin I am making now, I hope to establish my dream business before long.’’

“I feel that there are vast opportunities to tap by the young and energetic Nigerians, all that is needed is for people to have entrepreneurial spirit to drive their vision.’’(NAN)

FEO/DUA/OU
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Edited by Dada Ahmed/Obike Ukoh
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Death toll in Kogi cassava flour meal rises to 9

NAN-HG-8

Deaths

By Kola Adeyemi

Lokoja, Nov. 3, 2016 (NAN) Three more that partook in the cassava flour meal in Ogaminana area of Okene in Kogi have lost their lives.

Two of them, a 42-year-old woman and 10-year-old boy, died on Thursday at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, the acting Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Olatunde Alabi told newsmen.

Alabi said that three victims of the cassava flour meal were rushed to the hospital in critical condition on Wednesday morning from Ogaminana, Adavi Local Government Area, but two of them died Thursday morning.

He said that the boy died at about 4 a.m while the woman gave up the ghost at about 10 a.m.

Alabi said that the third victim, a girl of about 13 years, is in critical condition.

The chief medical director confirmed that seven people actually died between Monday and Tuesday, and not six as speculated.

According to him, the cause of the deaths are yet to be ascertained but the hospital is suspecting cynaide poison from the cassava meal.

“Clinically, we are saying we are suspecting cyanide poison,’’ Alabi said.

He said that the hospital staff did their best to save their lives but the worst still happened.

He said that the state government appeared determined to ascertain the real cause of the death of the people as it has decided to send the blood samples of the victims for detoxincology test in South Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a woman, three of her children and three of neighbours’ children lost their lives between Monday (Oct. 31) and Tuesday (Nov. 1), after a meal of cassava flour.

The woman was said to have brought the cassava flour from her farm at Uhuepe village on Oct. 30, from which she prepared a dinner (white amala) for her family.

She also extended the meal to the children of her neighbours.

The woman and three of her children died in their house on Oct. 31, while the three children of their neighbours who partook in the meal died at the Okene General Hospital on Nov. 1. (NAN)
KKA/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-H-2
Minerals
By Zubairu Idris
Katsina, Nov.  3, 2016 (NAN) Mr Ken Kayama, a Federal Commissioner in the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), has identified the solid minerals sector, as the most viable alternative in diversifying the nation’s economy.

He made this remark on Wednesday in Katsina, when he paid a courtesy call on Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State.

Kayama said that investigations by the RMAFC revealed that each of the 36 states of the federation had at least one type of solid minerals and in most cases, in commercial quantities.

“However, a lot is needed to be done by both the Federal and State Governments to reposition the sector to enable it to achieve the desired objectives.

“That is because the sector contributes less to the Federation Account, in spite of the high number of mining leases granted to companies and individuals across the country,’’ he said.

The RMAFC commissioner noted that for places as Katsina State, which had many registered miners, the revenue generated by the sector between 2007 and 2014 was N58.1 million.

According to him, this is rather insignificant and as a result, what is paid to Katsina State as 13 per cent derivation is just N8.5 million.

Kayama said that the situation could be attributed to either the licensee companies are not fully operating in the sector or they are not paying appropriate fees to the State Government’’.

He said that the commission’s visit to the states was to encourage State Governments to register and monitor the activities of companies operating in their domains, so as to improve their Internally Generated Revenue.

The commissioner said that the commission would also obtain relevant information on the number of mining leases issued to each operator, their expiry dates, mineral type and the amount of fees paid, as well as royalties due to the state.

In his remarks, Masari said that the state was blessed with some abandoned mineral resources, which could assist the state to diversify its economy.

Masari, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, said that the State Government was open to advice on how best it could harness such resources and develop its economy.

“We give more emphasis to agriculture and the solid mineral sectors because Katsina State is blessed with both agricultural produce and solid minerals,’’ he added. (NAN)
ZI/PIO/PIO
Edited by Idonije Obakhedo

NAN-AE-3
Trader
By Vivian Emoni
Abuja, Nov. 3, 2016 (NAN) The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), on Thursday warned road side traders in the FCT to quit or risk arrest and prosecution.

Mrs Omolola Olanipekun, Acting Director of the board, gave the warning when board members visited Utako Market, Abuja on an environmental sanitation in Abuja.

Olanipekun said that the road side remained an illegal place for trading, adding that the act constitutes a lot of nuisance to the public in the FCT.

“Traders are not supposed to trade on the walk way, it causes traffic and makes it difficult for people to move freely.

“You can see what we`ve been doing here, clearing to make sure that the area is clean and healthy.

“My advice to the traders is that, they should not be here.

“We don’t want to use force and we have never used force even if they want to do anything, we are asking them to imbibe the culture of cleanliness.

“They drop waste any how and they are not supposed to be where they are, in view of the fact that they constitute a lot of nuisance.

“So we are begging them to leave the walk way, if they insist, we will take them to the court,’’ she said.

The acting director said that the board was at the market at exactly 5.30 a.m. with some policemen to ensure that the exercise was effective.

‘’We are here this morning to ensure that the market is clean and healthy for people to do their businesses.

“This is to ensure that one of the mandatory goals of AEPB is fulfilled,’’ he said.

She said that the board wrote a letter to the leadership of the market ahead of the exercise, the reason is to inform it of the exercise.

Olanipekun said that the board also embarked on sensitisation of the traders, informing them about the exercise.

Mr Godwin Okoh, a trader, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, denied that the board informed the trader about the exercise before embarking on the cleaning.

Okoh said that some of them could not afford to pay for shops because the rent was on a high side and the shops had been occupied.

He, however, called on FCT administration to come to their aid by providing an environment that would be conducive and affordable for traders. (NAN)
VOE/DUA/AFA
Edited by Dada Ahmed/Felix Ajide
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Synergos to use cassava peels to produce animal feeds in 3 states

NAN-AE-13
Cassava
By Kudirat Ogunyemi
Abuja, Nov. 2, 2016 (NAN) The Synergos, a Non-Governmental Organisation, says its project called State Partnership for Agriculture (SPA) will use cassava peel to produce animal feeds in three states.

Synergos analyst, Mr Oladapo Ajayi, said this at the commencement of Visual facilitation workshop for stakeholders on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ajayi said that the project was designed to assist people to solve the problems relating to poverty by converting cassava peels to animal feeds.

“The SPA is in three states of Kogi, Benue and Kaduna, but Kaduna has not been launched.

“Kogi and Benue focus is to transform cassava peel to animal feeds due to the excess of cassava production in those states. “

NAN reports that Synergos is a global non-profit organisation that fights poverty, and help to solve problems on health, nutrition, agriculture, education and employment.

He stated different groups organised and facilitated the process as core delivery, agriculture vision group and agriculture innovation group.

“The core delivery team is to make sure the target set by state had been met and agric. vision maps out in the agricultural interest of the state.

“All these can be achieved by training the key stakeholders on how to communicate to farmers in simple way through graphic and break the language barriers. “

Mr Micheal Agon, Project Leader in Benue, said that SPA in the state is partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and MDAs to implement the project.

“Our focus is to change agriculture from subsistence to agribusiness and learn a new way to communicate with farmers.

“We also want to help the smallholder farmers to increase their income because basically the cassava peel has been wasting and spoiling the environment.

“We are bringing the transformation of the cassava peel into valuable feed for the livestock which the industries have already set up among business individuals and the company will start production soon, “ he said.

Also speaking, Mr Victor Adejoh, Project leader, Kogi, said the SPA was launched at the national level in March 2016 with the objective of turning agriculture to core business for farmers.

Adejoh said that the key stakeholders in the state meet forth nightly to discuss the challenges and opportunities in agriculture under the platform called Agric Vision Group.

“We have identified some key cluster production centres and we are currently implementing the project so as to turn waste-to-wealth among women and also engage in capacity building.

“We have develop Kogi State Agric Investment Policy which is the policy to be put in the portal to win the investors in the state and show what is happening in the sector.

“The other aspect of the project is to mainstream the nutritional agenda to the extent of engaging a consultant to support the platform on the gender as good nutrition practising and policy at the state.

NAN also reports that Synergos is partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to finance the project in Kogi, Benue and Kaduna. (NAN)
ROK/MOL/AFA
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide
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NAN-HE-3
Power
By Raji Rasak
Lagos, Nov.2, 2016 (NAN) European Union (EU) will spend 150 million Euros (N50 billion) on the development of power sector in Nigeria, Mr Michel Arrion, the Ambassador and Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria, said on Wednesday.

Arrion made this known at the 5th Edition of EU-Nigeria Business Forum (EUNIBF) pre-event news conference in Lagos.

He said that the grant would be used mainly for the training of young engineers and funding of some technical aspects of the sector.

According to him, EU is collaborating with National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) to inject young engineers into the sector.

Arrion described energy sector as an important aspect of the Nigerian economy, saying that nothing would work well if the sector was not adequately funded.

“The EU is already financing a transmission project in Kastina State and we have spent over five million Euro, about N1.6 billion, on it,’’ he said.

Arrion said that the forthcoming business forum would focus on creating opportunities for EU and Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to create their businesses through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

“We want to identify opportunities in the textile value chain and proffer options for accessing long term finance for the critical power sector in Nigeria.

“The 5^th EUNIBF has been designed to discuss business opportunities and address bottlenecks to investments, particularly in the power sector.

“We will focus on diversification of the economy through SMEs,” he said.

Also, Mr Filippo Amato, the Counsellor, Head of Trade and Economics Section of EU, said that EU has granted over 750 million Euros to Nigeria between 2008 and 2013.

Amato said that 512 million Euros had been spent from 2015 to date.

He said that 2016 business forum would take place in Lagos from Nov.10 to 11 with the theme: “Harnessing Nigeria’s Potential for Economic Growth’’.

Amato said that key speakers lined up for the event include Gov. Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State and Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

Others are President of the African Development Bank (AFDB), Mr Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Okechukwu Enelamah, and Minister of Works, Housing and Land, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

He said that the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma and the State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovak Republic, Lukas Parizek, would attend the forum. (NAN)
ROR/ENN/GOK
Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Olagoke Olatoye
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NAN-H-37
Media
By Chimezie Anaso
Awka, Nov. 2, 2016 (NAN) Mr Emeka Ejide, publisher of ‘Market Voices’ newspaper, Awka has called on the Federal Government to give bailout to print media to save it from extinction.

The publisher, who made the call while speaking with journalists in Awka on Wednesday, said this would reduce the rate at which papers fizzle out of existence.

He said that many of the print media houses could no longer pay salary of their workers due to the prevailing economic recession in the country, adding that organisations had played significant roles in the match to the Nation’s Independence.

“Since Nigeria attained independence, the print journalism sub sector has suffered heavy harassment and intimidation from the hands of those that benefited from the struggles it helped to achieve,’’ he said.

The publisher added that many journalists could no longer meet the expectations of shaping the society and setting agenda due to harassment and harsh environment.

“Because of the hazardous operational environment, particularly during the military regimes and emergence of capitalist owners, newspapers lost their mission of giving voice to the voiceless and became propaganda machines.

“It is unfortunate that due to this lack of focus, journalists are now next to beggars because the capitalists refused or cannot pay their salaries,” he said.

Ejide said his newspaper, an open market based publication, was conceived to connect the government and people with the goings on in various markets.

The publisher said that Nigerian market had been under-reported in spite its crucial role in the economy.

He, however, expressed hope that buyers and sellers would become more aware as the paper hoped to inform them on events in Onitsha, Lagos, Kano, Aba, Ibadan and markets across the country.

“We recognised that the people in our markets have been contributing their quota towards the building and development of the Nation.

“The Market Voices hopes to put this issues in front burner and help shape our market structure. We believe that by grace of God, we shall not go the way of others,’’ he said. (NAN)
APC/DUA/IS

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Edited by Dada Ahmed/Ismail Abdulaziz