Author: Isah Mukhtar

Platform

By Kudirat Musa

Abuja, May 8, 2018 (NAN) Synergos Nigeria, an agriculture transformation supporting group, says it will soon establish an agriculture information centre for farmers in Benue, Kogi and Kaduna in collaboration with the Civil Innovation Lab, a co-NGO.

The Country Director of Synergos, Mr Adewale Ajadi, made the disclosure at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ajadi said that the aim of the project was to provide stakeholders with one-stop database on agricultural produce, to facilitate and encourage investments in the sub-sector.

Ajadi, represented by Mr Victor Adejoh, Synergos Field Manager, stressed the need for investors, marketers and exporters of agricultural produce to have a more reliable, single-point contact through the centre to boost business.

“The aim is to ensure that we are able to showcase what kind of market exists in the three states to the world.

“If you look at other sectors like oil today, you can be in New York and get information on geological data in another continent. We want agriculture in Nigeria to be like that.

“We want people to sit down in the comfort of their homes and access what Nigeria has, in terms of crops that can be exported.

“At least, we want to cover all the value chains so that whatever crop we have, we hope that with time, we will be able to export them to earn foreign exchange,’’ he said.
Contributing, Mr Akpan Abraham of the Civic Innovation Lab, said that the NGO aimed to solve the farmers’ social problems through technology.

Abraham said that the technological outfit was partnering with Synergos Nigeria, by deploying solutions across board for farmers in the three states being used as pilot states.

“The platform will be user-friendly. If you are from the North and want to interact with the software, it gives you information in your local language.

“Like in Benue, we are focusing on the Tiv, Idoma and other languages, commonly used there.

“There are so much technological advancement that the youth there explore because modern farming has advanced beyond hoes and cutlasses. (NAN)
ROK/JI/DUA

Editing by Joseph Idika/Dada Ahmed

Funds
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, May 8, 2018 (NAN) The FADAMA III Second Additional Financing (AFII) Programme has called on beneficiary states in the North East Food Security and Livelihood Emergency Support Project to pay their counterpart funds.

Mr Ibrahim Alkali, North East Desk Officer of FADAMA, who made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, said that the payment of the funds would facilitate the fulfilment of the programme.

He said that the World Bank, through the FADAMA programme, would not like to work with those states that were not meeting their financial obligations towards the programme.

“The requests are enormous and the needs at the community level are huge but the resources we have at the project level are limited.

“It is, therefore, a reasonable decision to work with those states that have paid their counterpart funds.

“We want to use this opportunity to thank those states that paid their counterpart funds so as to ensure that their farmers are able to fully benefit from the project,’’ he said.

Alkali said that the major challenge facing the project was the apathy of some states toward the payment of the counterpart funds.

He said that the payment of the counterpart funds was one of the prerequisites for the disbursement of project funds to beneficiary states, adding, however, that some states were still defaulting.

“The states are Bauchi, Adamawa and Gombe states; Bauchi State has paid its 2016 counterpart funds but it is defaulting with regard to the 2017 and 2018 payments.

“ Adamawa and Gombe states have not paid a penny since the inception of the project and this is really hindering the implementation of the project in the two states.

“Basically, the counterpart funds are used to fuel the cars, pay for allowances and other small expenses of the state project coordinator while managing the implementation of the project,’’ he said.

Alkali said that officials of the World Bank and the National FADAMA Office were now trying to pay advocacy visits to the affected states and influence their governments to defray the backlog of counterpart funds.

“We want to do that to make the state governments to realise that the payment of counterpart funds is the part of the project agreement which they signed; the states ought to contribute to support the World Bank and Federal Government.

“Once we do that and our efforts fail to yield the desired result, project funds disbursement in those states will stop,’’ he said.

Alkali, however, rated the performance of the FADAMA III (AFII) programme across the six participating states as high, saying that the programme had accomplished its set targets, particularly in those states which had fulfilled their contractual obligations.

“We are sending a clear message, which means that we may not be able to continue doing anything with those states that are not meeting their own counterpart fund obligation.

“We need to prioritise our activities that could not be funded so that the state counterpart funds will be used to fund them. Through that way, the project will be sustained thereafter,’’ he said. (NAN)
ROK/JTJ/OOK
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Edited Julius Toba Toba and Dayo Komolafe

Economy
By Jean Ambele
Abuja, May 8, 2018 (NAN) Lucy George, a former principal policy adviser -Uk to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, has urged the Federal Government to remian focussed in building the nation’s economy.

George, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, also called on Nigerians to support government in realising the task.

According to her, such effort will stem the tide of young Nigerians seeking greener pasture in foreign countries and the attendant overwhelming number of Nigerians being deported back to Nigeria.

The former principal adviser, who expressed sadness over a development whereby countries consistently saw the need to deport Nigerians, stressed the need to learn from the experiences of the deportees.

He said that such learning experience would form the basis upon which realistic solution would be based in solving the problem.

“It is shameful that we turn on the news and hear about a country working on restricting Nigerians or deporting them from their countries.

“In 2017, an overwhelming number of 16,387 Nigerians were reported to have been deported from various countries.

“This year, we have had countries like South Africa, Germany, Australia and Gabon work on deporting Nigerians for breaking immigration laws.

“Now, a country like Canada, known to be lenient on immigration, is requesting the American government to help them restrict the number of Nigerians that make way to Canada illegally through US soil.

“This is highly embarrassing for us because we are no longer being seen as the great African country, but as the country that just leaches to the success of other nations.

“The citizens of the countries that we are running to had taken their time to build their countries through hard work and dedication.

She said those running to other countries to make ends meet would benefit more if they stayed in the country to develop its economy.

The former principal adviser described as unfair, a situation where some Nigerians went to other countries with a view to benefiting from their tax payers’ money.

(NAN)
BOMA/AOM/DUA

Congresses
Lokoja, May 3, 2018 (NAN) Members of the Audu/Faleke Political Organisation in Kogi State have opted out of the forthcoming congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to statement issued in Lokoja on Thursday.

Mr Duro Meseko, the organisation’s Director, Media and Publicity, signed the statement.

Meseko said the group was abandoning the congresses because Gov. Yahaya Bello had allegedly hijacked the process.

“Now that the party’s congresses are here, the governor, true to type, has hijacked the whole processes, handing over the ward congresses to his local government administrators to compile names from wards to local government areas.”

He accused the governor of using the administrators to function virtually as alternative party executives and refusing to fund the authentic party executives.

He also cited the inability of the national leadership of the party to live up to expectations as another reason for boycotting the congresses.

“The National leadership of the party has also not lived up to expectations in most cases regarding Kogi issue.

“For instance, the letter from the National Secretariat of the party on the organisation and conduct of the congresses was handed over directly to the governor instead of the leadership of the state executive.”

Meseko also mentioned the inability to reconcile various factions in the state branch of the party as part of the reasons for the group’s decision.

He further alleged that thugs were being armed to attack members of the group at the venue of the congresses, adding that the decision to boycott the congresses would safeguard lives and property.

The group, therefore, directed its members in the three senatorial districts of the state to boycott the congresses. (NAN)
KKA/NKO/NKO
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Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo

Dino

Lokoja, May 3, 2018 (NAN) Embattled  Sen. Dino Melaye on Thursday finally appeared at a Lokoja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kogi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmaker was brought to court in a police ambulance at about 9:17 a.m. and was immediately stretchered into the court by policemen.

Before his arrival, heavily armed policemen had taken positions within and outside the court premises to forestall unforeseen circumstances.

The arrival of the senator in court attracted the attention of workers and others who came for transactions.

Other courts within the premises were also not sitting as at the time of this report.

Also, newsmen and others that had seated in court for hours were all asked to go out for security checks.

At the end, only few were allowed inside.

Details of charges against Melaye were unknown yet as at the time of filing this report.

The senator had, before being brought to court, first been taken to the SARS headquarters near the NTA office in Lokoja.

Melaye had earlier been arraigned at a magistrates’ court in Abuja and was granted bail for N90 million. (NAN)

KKA /JIE/IA

Edited by Julius Enehi/Idris Abdulrahman

Internet
By Biola Lawal
Abuja, May 2, 2018(NAN) Ventures Platform Foundation (VPF), an ICT company has stressed the need for a nationwide internet literacy campaign to help Nigerians tap the huge economic potential of internet.
Mr Mimshach Obioha, the Director, VPF Programme made the call while answering questions from newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.
Obioha said that general internet education and literacy would enable millions of Nigerians go beyond making calls and messaging to investing in internet to use it for profitable economic ventures.
“We discovered that most online users in the country use the basic messenger and phone call services, while there are other benefits of internet like banking, learning, shopping, trading, healthy living, etc
He added that “the next gold after oil is human minds, which means that countries with large population like Nigeria has large resources.
“It also means that every person has potential of becoming a complete refinery all by oneself.
“With computer programming and literacy education, one person can actually build an empire.’’
Obioha said that with adequate focus on harnessing human resources in the area of technology, Nigeria “has the potential of producing many Bill Gates and Mark Zukerberg’’.
“It is really important that our country, as a matter of policy, figures out ways to improve and encourage this development,” he said.
NAN reports that VPF in collaboration with Google West Africa and OC& C Consult recently launched a report titled: Tech Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Research –Nigeria.
The report is to help unfold and develop the potential of the technological sector of the economy.
Obioha disclosed that “in the process of gathering data on challenges and prospects of Nigerian technology sector, it was discovered that about 15 million Nigerians go on internet daily.’’
He, however, lamented that “many do not go beyond sending messages and making calls.’’
On the significance of the report, Obioha mentioned key critical components of providing adequate data on prospects and challenges with recommendations on development to global height.
“This can be done through identifying investment in start-ups; creating regulatory frameworks that make it easier to build companies in the country.
“ There is need to improve digital skills components in order to catalyse the market, it helps to create more people that can be creators of technology.
“There is a market activation component. This is important for a nation of over 180million people but not all of them are ready markets for digital products.
“There is also need to ensure that more people have access to internet through affordable means and provision of infrastructures, especially power,” he said.
Similarly, Mrs Titi Akinsanmi, the Head, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google West Africa, said the nation was a potential technology giant if it could fill identified gaps.
“Nigeria has capacity to become giant in technology development because of its huge human capacity and all that is required is to fill existing gaps in its technology development components.”
NAN reports that the report was launched in Abuja recently with the representatives of Federal Ministries of Science and Technology; Trade and Investment in attendance.(NAN)
BL/GY
======
Edited by Grace Yussuf

Off-takers
By Ella Anokam
Abuja, April 29, 2018 (NAN) Dr Joshua Egbagbe, a value chain expert, has urged the Federal Government and estate developers to conduct an off-takers’ affordability analysis before embarking on any housing construction.

Egbagbe, who is also the Chairman, Value Chain Project Consultants Ltd., gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

He said the advice became necessary to achieve affordable housing in Nigeria.

Egbagbe noted that housing deficit lingered in the country due to lack of off-takers affordability paradigm shift.

He added that the analysis would enable the housing developers to know the indices of both formal and informal workers in Nigeria in order to assess their wants and income.

“Through the off-takers affordability paradigm shift, which is the off-takers analysis, the government and developers will know the number and kind of houses to build and who needs intervention.

“With the analysis, no developer will build any house that will be wasted or unoccupied because he is building for a targeted affordability group.

“In the housing sector, the policies don’t seem to take the people who need the houses (off-takers) into considerations.

“Off-takers should be put at the very centre of housing polices, planning and decision-making processes.

“Right now in Nigeria, there is a big mismatch between the houses that are built and the individual affordability, otherwise called pocket capacity,’’ he said.

He, however, proposed a paradigm shift which he said would put the off-takers in the centre of planning and policy of housing.

The expert noted that some workers might not be able to afford 6 per cent mortgage interest of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) under the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme.

According to him, while FMBN fund is at 6 per cent, the cheapest in Nigeria, the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) is refinancing with about 16 per cent to 18 per cent interest rate.

He said that affordability was not only about interest rate but also with off-takers analysis which would ascertain who qualified for what and other factors.

Egbagbe stressed that analysis was very important to estate developers to avoid unoccupied houses syndrome.

“So, in trying to resolve the housing challenges, I discovered that there was a big mismatch between pricing and the off-takers capacity to pay.

“So, I got to see the roles that government plays in the housing value chain.

“I discovered that If we don’t look at housing from the perspective of value chain that means, every link that plays a role in providing a house to off-takers won’t work in this country.”

He said the government’s understanding of affordable housing was not yet people-driven, adding that the real problem was not only at the Federal or State governments level but rather at the grassroots.

“There is a problem at the local government areas and wards. The grassroots people are not involved in development principles.

“Government in the state should also understand what kind of houses the civil servants can afford and the civil servants who actually need help or intervention. (NAN)
ELLA/DUA/IS
============
Edited by Dada Ahmed/Ismail Abdulaziz

Recall
Lokoja, April 29, 2018 (NAN) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  on Sunday  commended  constituents in  Kogi West Senatorial  District for resisting the move to  recall Sen. Dino Melaye from the senate.

Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary  of the PDP,  in a statement  in Lokoja on Sunday,  said that the people of Kogi West where he also comes from have shown that no individual power can be greater than  the collective will of the people.

He commended them for standing by Melaye and for showing to the  world that the Okun speaking Yoruba of Kogi  are one and united in purpose.

“ I thank Kogi Westerners who spit on the face of arrogance of power and told those in power that there is more to life than bandying cash.

“ I commend our leaders, who, setting aside personal rancour, worked in our collective desire to reject neo-colonialism,” he said.

The  PDP spokesman also thanked indigenes of Kogi West abroad for their “encouragement to resist an attempt to disgrace our race.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the summary of the petitioners’  signatures verification conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday in 552 polling units in Kogi West Senatorial District shows that the recall attempt failed woefully.

NAN further recalls that 189, 870 out of the total 351,146 registered voters in the district had on June 24, 2017 submitted a petition to the INEC headquarters for the recall of Melaye.

The petitioners were led by one Cornelius Olowo from Ijumu Local Government area of the state where Melaye ironically also hailed from.

The development forced  INEC to fix  Saturday  to verify the signatures of the petitioners.

At the end of the exercise , only 20,868 of the petitioners presented themselves for verification while 18,742 were actually verified by  INEC.

The total number of  petitioners verified represented  just 5.34 per cent of  the 51 per cent required for the petition to sail through. (NAN)
KKA /OJO
========
(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)
 

Recall
Lokoja , April 29, 2018 (NAN) The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, says  “some ghosts “ initiated the  recall process against Sen. Dino Melaye.

Ametuo,  who stated this in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday on the botched recall process,  expressed delight that the efforts had come to a premature end through the collective will of the people of Kogi West Senatorial District.

“ Melaye , the only senator our party has in Kogi State,  won with 94.66 per cent  leaving the remaining 5.34 per cent to the petitioners.

“ The messages are very clear ; that Sen. Melaye is the most popular senator ever produced by Kogi West,” the statement said.

According to the chairman, this is a sign of what to expect in the 2019 general elections.

“ No amount of financial inducement and coercion will change the will of the people of  Kogi State in future elections,’’  he said.

The APC Chairman commended the high level of neutrality and transparency displayed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) and other stakeholders throughout the exercise.

“It gives us  high optimism that future elections will be very free and fair. INEC therefore deserves commendations for the job well done,” he said.

Ametuo called on the petitioners and Melaye as well as his followers  to embrace peace and heed the voice of God “ because the voice of the people is the voice of God.’’

He insisted that the APC still remains  the most viable alternative for good governance in the state.

“ I call on all members of our party to conduct themselves in  a manner  that will boost the image of our great party and not things that will further cause disrepute in our party,” he said. (NAN)
KKA /OJO
========
(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

Melaye

Lokoja, April 29, 2018 ( NAN) Sen. Dino Melaye has thanked the people of his constituency for “rising to his defence” by shunning the verification exercise held on April 28 to recall him from the Senate.

Melaye, in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday, also thanked the political leaders, elders and traditional rulers in Kogi West for “rescuing him from his political enemies.”

He also expressed gratitude to the media , observers, civil society groups, security agents and other stakeholders “for resisting to be used against the wishes of the people of his constituency”.

The statement was signed by Mr Gideon Ayodele, Special Assistant on Media to Melaye.

“We thank all democratic partners who have resisted the attempted external political robbery and brazen impunity from raising its most ugly head.

“ We commend the resolve of our people who have by their popular wish and wisdom and political independence rejected the selfish and satanic recall.

“ The verification exercise has come and gone and the people of Kogi west have willingly exercised their franchise by re-validating the election of Sen Dino Melaye,” the lawmaker said.

According to him, the exercise no doubt, has shown that power truly belongs to the people.

“ We wish to equally, commend INEC for resisting forgery in some parts while the exercise was going on, and for finally allowing the wish of the people to prevail as expressed,” it said.

He urged the proponents of his recall to accept the results in good faith and face the task of providing the elusive democratic dividends to the people.

The senator, however, advised his supporters to remain calm and humble in the face of victory and avoid hot arguments or action that may lead to the breakdown of law and order.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the result of the verification released early Sunday in Lokoja by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that 39,285 of the signatories were verified, out of which only 18,762 signatures were genuine.

The genuine signatories represent a dismal 5.34 per cent of the total signatories to the petition, which fell short of 51 per cent or 98, 364 signatures required for the petition to sail through.( NAN)

KKA/AMY

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf