Author: Isah Mukhtar

Expatriates
By Dada Ahmed
Lokoja, May 29, 2018 (NAN) More than 200 expatriates are now doing various legitimate businesses in Kogi with ease and paying taxes as insecurity reduces to the barest minimum, an official of the state government says.

Alhaji Yakubu Oseni, the Executive Chairman, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Tuesday.

He attributed the positive development to the dogged determination of the Alhaji Yahaya Bello-led administration to fight crime and criminality in the state headlong.

‘’As at today, no fewer than 200 expatriates are in the state, doing one legitimate business or the other without any fear of being kidnapped, murdered or any other crime of sort.

‘’The credit goes to the Executive governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who is fighting tooth nail to ensure that no more kidnapping, armed robbery, murder among other crimes that rear their ugly heads few months ago in the state,’’ he said.

According to him, the security in the state had strengthened the determination of people within and outside the state and the country, to engage in business and other social activities.

Oseni expressed delight that the return of peace in the state had also led to increased human activities boosting its economy with the multiplier effect on the revenue profile of the state.

The executive chairman said the revenue generation of the organisation, which stood between N250 million and N300 million monthly in 2015, had increased by about 300 per cent as at 2016 that he took over the leadership of KGIRS.

Oseni said increased revenue was also due to the various measures initiated by his management such as blocking of revenue leakages, employment of professionals as well as fresh graduates to strengthen staff capacity and expand expertise in KGIRS.

He said KGIRS had also established tax education unit to enlighten tax payers on the need to pay tax, as and when due, to enable government develop the state in terms of infrastructure and provide quality services for the welfare of the people.

The executive chairman commended many tax payers for responding promptly to the clarion call from the organisation for them to perform their civic responsibility to the state.

Oseni also lauded the present administration in the state for the judicious use of tax payers’ money to improve infrastructure such as road construction, education, health and security.

NAN reports that Kogi, which shares border with 11 states in the federation, experienced series of crime and criminality, including kidnapping of expatriates, armed robbery and murder few months ago.

However, the state government rose to the occasion, leaving no stone unturned to checkmate the trend by arresting and prosecuting suspected kidnappers, murderers, armed robbers and other criminals.

It went further by destroying houses, cars and other property belonging to known kidnappers in the state while efforts are on to arrest and prosecute more suspects. (NAN)
DUA/IS
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Gov. Bello urges Nigerians not to lose hope in democracy

Democracy
Lokoja, May 29, 2018 ( NAN) Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in democracy, in spite of poor quality leadership and dwindling fortunes that have continued to plague the country since 1999.

Bello, who made the admonition in a statement issued in Lokoja on Tuesday to commemorate 2018 Democracy Day, said that Nigerians should instead be proud of sustaining democracy for this long in the face of numerous challenges.

The statement signed by Mr Kingsley Fanwo, Director-General, Media and Publicity to the governor, admitted that the quality of leadership and the nation’s fortunes between 1999 and now should definitely have been better than what it is presently.

Bello commended Nigerians for their resilience which he said had helped in derailing crafty schemes of the oppositions, charging them to continue to remain the true heroes of democracy.

“Nigerians should nevertheless be proud that the country continues to extend her longest period of multi-party democracy since independence,” Bello said.

He expressed delight over successful transitions at all levels of government since 1999, saying this had gone a long way to deepen democracy in the country.

According to him, Democracy Day 2018 must be seen as a reminder that democracy is work in progress and much work are still required to take democracy to the next level.

Due to inherited challenges from previous administrations, Bello said that the last three years under President Muhammadu Buhari had been the most challenging and at the sametime the most rewarding for Nigeria.

In Kogi State, the governor said his intention to fix the civil service and enthrone a better pension administration would have been quicker and less painful if he had inherited structures from previous administrations.

“Those states in the federation, which had seen incremental development during the Fourth Republic were those where visionary administrators worked hard to lay enduring foundations for their successors to build upon,“ he said.

He, however, reiterated his commitment to better the lots of the people by continuing to focus more on security of lives and property, education, health, massive infrastructure, agriculture, women and youth empowerment.( NAN)
KKA/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide

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Database
By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
Abuja, May 28, 2018 (NAN) The Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), on Monday, stressed the need for the Federal Government to develop a single database for the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Prof. Allwell Achumba, the registrar of the council, gave this advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja while reacting to the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari administration since 2015.

According to Achumba, there is the duplication of functions by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, especially among those that are data collection based.

On the government’s efforts to drive science and technology in the past three years, he said the MDAs had tried, stressing that, ”there is always the room to do more”.

“The awareness on developing science and technology in the area of cyber security and cyber crime, is already in place.

“There is no country that can develop without information technology and more emphasis should be given to public awareness at the grassroots.

“My worry is that there is no proper harmonisation of MDAs’ functions; there is a lot of duplication.

“If we can develop a standard, single database, where each MDA can know who is doing what, it will ease the process of doing business without duplication,” Achumba said.

Achumda also said that while developing a single database for the country, there was the need to put measures in place for proper protection of such data.

He, however, expressed the need for better achievements in the next Democracy Day, which would help to boost the citizens’ confidence in government. (NAN)
NIU/AMM/YEMI
Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

Be proud of your country’s values – US Ambassador advises Nigerians

Proud
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, May 25, 2018 (NAN) The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr William Symington, has called on Nigerians to be proud of their values, heritage and culture to propel the country to greater height.

Symington made the call in Abuja on Friday during his courtesy visit to Alhaji Ibrahim Goni, the Conservator-General of the National Parks Service (PKS).

He said Nigerians should love their country and everything it stood for, stressing that if they failed to preserve the nation, no one would call himself or herself a Nigerian.

“Although there is great trouble, and it has affected many, but if you like being a Nigerian, you must protect its symbols and resources.

“These symbols include your values, culture, water; trees, animals, natural heritage etc because in these symbols, you will find point of reference, point of pride as well as of common interest.

“As you think about the country it is nice not just to have an appreciation of the people of the country, it is also nice to have an appreciation of the country itself.’’

He said that the idea of the National Parks was a very welcome development that would add to the economic development of the country.

“Think of ways people can make a living from things that are beautiful in your parks.

“There are people around the world who will pay thousands of dollars a day to go to places like your parks, stay overnight and be guided to look at the natures at the park.

“What I have seen here is extraordinary, it is like a stream that never runs out, it is like a farm you farm in a way that it can continue to regenerate forever.’’

According to Symington,any Nigerianu can talk about what he has but, most importantly, must  talk about what he must have as Nigerian.

“It is your job to protect the values and what you have as a nation. It is not about the past but the future and the preservation of both the present and its future.

“Give people reasons to be proud of their natural endowments by God at your parks without destroying them.

“Preservation of nature is like working in an incredible factory, producing extraordinary goods and saying I am not going to destroy the factory I am going to add value to it and leave it for generations to come.’’

He advised the parks service to share its experience with the people of Nigeria to understand and appreciate what they have to offer.

“I think that the future of Nigeria depends not just on Nigerians being proud of being Nigerian, but of Nigerians being proud of where they are, what they have and what you preserve.

“They cannot be proud of what they do not know, so bringing them to the Parks is the key,’’ he said.

Responding, Goni thanked the Ambassador for the visit and for the approval granted to three officers of the service to attend an investigative wildlife trafficking course in Botswana.

He also solicited for more patronage and partnership with the US to elevate the parks to  international standard and improve revenue generation.

Some of the highlights of the visit were the planting of a tree by the envoy to commemorate his visit, sightseeing of the mini-park and an inspection of guard of honour. (NAN)
EPA/MOL/YAZ
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi
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08067760912

Pollutants
By Mustapha Lamidi
Abuja, May 22, 2018 (NAN) Dr Enang Moma, the Bureau Regional Officer of UNESCO in Abuja, has called for the establishment of strong laboratories to monitor emergent pollutants in the country’s rivers and streams.

Moma made the call in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening of a two-day meeting on the “Revitalisation and Strengthening of the National Core Group on Water Quality’’.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) in collaboration with the Water Aid organisation.

The bureau regional officer noted that non-monitoring of pollutants was causing more harm to the quality of water being consumed by Nigerians.

She attributed the low awareness of Nigerians to the problem which could cause health hazard to the citizenry.

Moma said UNESCO had started to build the capacity of experts to address lack of monitoring of pollutants in the country’s rivers and streams.

“We are trying to build the capacity of experts to address this problem. We are going to build one laboratory in Nigeria to tackle the problem of pollutants in the nation’s rivers,’’ she said.

Moma urged all tiers of government and other stakeholders to inaugurate research centres across the country to embark on how to solve the problem of pollutants in the nation’s water system.

“There is the need for the government to work with other stakeholders to get results, and to generate data that can be used to tackle this problem,’’ she said.

NAN reports that FMWR had in 2009 constituted a National Core Group on Water Quality made up of Federal Ministries of Health, Environment and Water, and others.

The rest are the National Water Research Institute (NWRI), Kaduna, UNICEF and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

The Chairman and secretariat of the group are domiciled in the Department of Water Quality Control and Sanitation.

The National Core Group which was formed to be a driving force for water quality management in Nigeria has been seen not to be carrying out its coordination role effectively.

However, the advent of the Sustainable Development Goal 6 precipitated the need to have an effective platform which will be coordinating water quality in Nigeria.

This thus brought about the need to strengthen the National Core Group for optimal performance.(NAN)
MOL/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Killings

Lokoja,May 22,2018 (NAN) Bishop Martins Olorunmolu of the Catholic Diocese of  Lokoja on Tuesday led his faithful in a procession to protest against the recent killings of two priests and 17 worshipers in Benue State.

The bishop told the  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja that there  was too much bloodshed in the country.

He urged the Federal Government to do something about the killings, saying that  Nigerians were no longer safe in their own country.

He noted that there was no reason why Christians could no longer worship their God freely for fear of attacks and killings.

He described such a development as a serious threat to the peaceful coexistence of the nation.

Olorunmolu called on politicians to avoid playing politics with human lives saying that  there was no point killing one another.

The bishop also condemned the high rate of poverty and sufferings among the citizens of the state due to non payment of their salaries.

He appealed to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi to allow his administration wear a human face.

NAN reports that the faithful defied the early morning downpour to gather at the Bishop’s Court, behind Government House, Lokoja as early as 8.00a.m.

They held a peaceful protest reciting their rosaries and praying to God to end insecurity in the country through the major streets in the state capital .(NAN)

WAL/PAD
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Edited by Peter Dada

JOHESU plans mass rallies, picketing to press home demands
By Kola Adeyemi
Rally
Lokoja, May 22, 2018 (NAN) The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) on Tuesday urged its members to get ready for series of nationwide picketing and mass rallies to press home their demands.
The General Secretary of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria ,Mr Silas Adamu, dropped the hint in Lokoja during a sensitisation meeting with members of JOHESU in the North Central zone.
Adamu told them that the options of picketing and mass rallies following government’s refusal to accede to their demands were on the table.
While commending them for steadfastness, he said that the strike which was embarked upon over a month ago was just and a veritable tool to get government to implement their agreements aimed at improving the health sector.
In the event that government decided to arrest all leaders of JOHESU, the secretary general urged them to remain courageous to keep the strike on.
On the recent order of the National Industrial Court asking them to return to work within 24 hours, Adamu said that the national headquarters of the union was yet to receive the notice.
He urged them to be wary of government propaganda which, he said, were aimed at disrupting the strike and causing confusion among members.
“Members are urged to remain calm and resolute in demanding for their rights,” he said.
In their contributions, states Chairmen of JOHESU from the zone unanimously voted for the sustenance of the strike until all their demands were met by government.
They also resolved not to betray the leadership of the union and remain resolute on their demands. (NAN)
KKA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Kogi APC gets two executives from parallel congresses

NAN – H –

Congress

Lokoja, May 19, 2018 ( NAN) Two different  executive councils on Saturday emerged in the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the holding of two parallel congresses by the two main factions of the party.

A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) who monitored the two congresses in Lokoja reports that the two executives emerged by affirmation.

While the faction loyal to the state governor , Alhaji Yahaya Bello held its own Congress at the Confluence Stadium, the Audu / Faleke faction held its own at St Peters Primary School, Felele, Lokoja.

At the Congress held at the Confluence Stadium , Mr Abdulahi Bello emerged as the state Chairman of the party, Mr Ibrahim Abdulrahman, Deputy Chairman and Mr Josiah Onoja , Secretary.

Bello was until now a Senior Special Assistant on political affairs to the state governor.  Aside  from Bello,  Abdulrahman  and Onoja, 34 other persons were elected by affirmation into various positions to make the state executive council of the party.

The congress was attended by Gov. Bello , his deputy. Mr Simon Achuba, the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Mr Mathew Kolawole, the Secretary to the state government, Mrs Folashade Ayoade, Commissioners, some members of the House of Representatives and members of the state house of assembly.

Alhaji Maman Ali Magaji , the Chairman of the state Congress Committee from the headquarters of the party conducted the Congress while the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. James Apam led other officials of the Independent National Electoral Commissioner to supervise it.

Bello, the new state Chairman in his acceptance speech promised to run an open door policy and lead the party to victory in the coming elections.

He also thanked the state governor , other members of his cabinet and delegates from the across the 21 local government areas of the state for their peaceful conduct before and during the congress.

However, the Audu / Faleke faction at the congress held at St Peter Primary School Felele, re-elected the outgoing state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo as the new Chairman.

He and 34 other outgoing executive members were elected by affirmation by all delegates that attended the congress.

The Returning Officer for the congress, Mr. Theman Saurara announced the results of the congress.

“ Having successfully conducted the state congress, I announced the return of all but two of the former state officers,” Saurara stated.

In his acceptance speech , Ametuo expressed gratitude to the delegates for the confidence reposed in him, promising not to let them down.

He also assured them that their sufferings for the party over the years will not go unrewarded, urging them to remain steadfast.

” We suffer for this party together and we will all reap the fruits of our labour together.

“ This same set of  APC executives from ward to the state congress we just conducted worked hard to give President Muhammadu Buhari Victory in 2015 and it is us again that will deliver Kogi State come 2019,” he said. ( NAN)
KKA /
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08033702984

Calendar
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, May 18, 2018 (NAN) Synergos Nigeria, an agriculture transformation support group, in collaboration with Technoserve Nigeria, has developed crop calendar to save costs, reduce farm activities and increase production and profit margin for farmers.

Synergos’ Country Director, Mr Adewale Ajadi, made this known, at the crop calendar validation workshop for participants from Benue, Kogi and Kaduna in Abuja, on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that crop calendar is a tool to support farmers and agriculture extension workers across the world.

It provides solid base for emergency planning for the rehabilitation of farming system after any disaster.

According to Ajadi, crop calendar is helpful to farmers in knowing how to plan their farming season right from land preparation through crop establishment and maintenance to harvest and storage.

“ It provides timely information about seeds to promote local crop production, which contains information on planting, sowing and harvesting periods of locally adapted crops in specific agro-ecological zones.

“It will help in preparing all the raw materials needed, determine the budget for the crop, plan the labour required and organise workers for land preparation, planting and harvesting.

“We are at the time where we have to use our ingenuity, knowledge and understanding to manage the technology available to provide solution and increase our productivity.

“I hope this crop calendar validation will open conversation that will be far deeper than just transaction.

“With the technology we have, all of us has mobile phone, we have to really get to the root not just symptom,’’ he said.

Ajadi commended the participants for buying into the initiative, saying the attendance was an improvement over last year’s to bridge the gap of years of neglect and to start to do what is right to promote Agriculture in Nigeria.

He added that as part of that States Partnership for Agriculture (SPA) planned efforts to promote agriculture, the group called Hackthon to use digital technology to begin to capture information such as this.

He said that the group was not going to stop as long as it has the resource to support all those people finding solution to change the nature of Nigeria Agriculture from subsistence into business orientation.

Prof. Tarfa Bitrus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said that crop calendar development for some comparative crops in the selected states like Benue, Kogi and Kaduna states, would help boost productivity in those states.

Bitrus said that the main focus of the workshop was to come up with proper site and specific crop calendar for these crops in the specific states, according to their comparative advantage.

“The essence of crop calendar is to be able to bring stakeholders together around the activities of value chain of selected crops.

“So that each stakeholder will know the right time and the period whereby their own intervention or interest along the value chain will be much needed,” he said.

He noted that the other objective was to align federal and state ministries efforts with the cropping activities of the particular crop of their interest.

According to him, the government also needs to develop some policy that will fit into the calendar for the various chains of the crop, so that the stakeholders surrounding the crop or commodity will participate effectively.

The don urged all the stakeholders to come together and look at the crop calendar and make it sustainable.

Bitrus said some of the essential messages in the crop calendar for farmers would be to know the best period to plant, apply fertiliser, managing the weed, harvesting, processing and some other salient agronomy practices.(NAN)
ROK/KOO/AFA
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Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Felix Ajide

Envoy urges Nigerian Business community to visit Pakistan for joint ventures

Joint-Venture

By Biola Lawal

Abuja, May 17, 2018 (NAN) Pakistan on Thursday in Abuja advised Nigerian business community to visit that country’s industrialists for establishment of joint-venture businesses in Nigeria.

Asim Khan, Head of Chancery, Pakistan High Commission who made the call, said that there were opportunities for joint business ventures in the areas of fruit juice production, confectionery, rice production and processing.

Khan said that there was also big investment opportunity for joint ventures in packaging, disclosing that Pakistan“ is reputed for production of high quality packing for juices and all products needing packaging and storage.

“The Nigerian packaging sector is big and full of potentials from which Nigeria and Pakistan can benefit’’.

He added that expansion of the sector would create more employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.

According to him, five Pakistani companies participated in food exhibition held recently in Lagos and were ready to partner with Nigerian businessmen in areas such as fruit juice processing, packaging and rice production.

While urging Nigerian businessmen to visit Pakistan more frequently, he stressed that such visits would make it easy to discuss and establish joint ventures in Nigeria for the benefit of the two countries.

Khan said that Pakistan remained committed to strengthening bilateral relationship with Nigeria by encouraging economic cooperation among Nigerians and Pakistanis.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Pakistan is one of the countries that has achieved self-sufficiency in food production. (NAN)

BL/GOM/
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Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam