Author: Isah Mukhtar

Disbursement
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, April 24, 2018 (NAN) The World Bank, through the FADAMA III Additional Financing (AFII) Programme, will soon disburse N8.6 billion to 5,916 youths across the country in the Graduate Unemployment Youths Support Scheme (FADAMA GUYS).

Mr Kwaji Daguru, the Chairman of FADAMA GUYS Implementation Committee, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Daguru, who is also Procurement Specialist for FADAMA III (AFII) Programme, said that the programme targeted 5,916 youths in 23 states to improve the country’s agricultural production.

He said that the involvement of youths in the agricultural programme would contribute significantly to the country’s efforts to achieve food security and boost capacity building as well as employment opportunities.

NAN recalls that the enrolment for the programme ended on May 15, 2017 with the aim of selecting the beneficiary youths would boost job creation in the 23 states.

Daguru, who said that the funds disbursement had yet to start, however, assured that the money earmarked for the project was intact.

He, nonetheless, said that the disbursement would be made through the Grant and Funds category of the project.

“We have applied to the Federal Government, through Federal Ministry of Finance for permission to reallocate funds from other categories like Consultancy, Training, Civil Work into the Grant and Funds category.

“Any moment from now, disbursement will take place, especially to those who would engage in rainy season agricultural activities because they have completed the grant agreement and submitted their land documents.

“The Phase One is expected to gulp about N8, 675, 013, 679.12 to fund the business plans of the 5,916 candidates in 23 states.

“If the resources permit in the last segment of the project, we will be able to upscale to other states in the second phase.’’

Daguru said: “The objective of the programme is to work with government in three areas of job creation, while building capacity of our youths and aiding efforts to keep the foreign exchange rates low.

“We are making sure we import low quantities of rice and tomatoes, while putting less pressure on our Naira (currency) so as to make our economy strong.’’

He said that the target beneficiaries were those with ages between 18 and 35 as well as graduates and undergraduates of higher institutions.

“The programme would support all aspects of agricultural production in a business or commercial manner; right from crop and livestock production, inputs support supply and advisory services.

“It would also assist extension services and post-harvest production services like storage, warehousing, marketing and products distribution.’’

Daguru said that after the screening of the candidates, they would be exposed to a two-week intensive training in business and technical fields in the states.

“During the application process, candidates would be allowed to choose specific enterprises of their choice in the agricultural value chain and they would be trained in the ventures accordingly.

“At the end of the training, they would be asked to submit business plans on their chosen enterprises; we will then invite professionals to review the business plans and come up with standard modules.

“We have 5,916 trainees and they have opened bank accounts with two selected commercial banks that are used by the FADAMA Coordinating Offices in the states.’’

The committee chairman said that the rationale behind the opening of the accounts was to have dedicated accounts for the project so as to facilitate proper project monitoring.

Daguru said that the organisers did not want the trainees to use their existing bank accounts, as they could be tempted to use ATM (Automated Teller Machine) to withdraw money from the accounts arbitrarily.

“We want to control the use of the funds, while ensuring that the funds are used for the intended purposes.

“They would not be able to withdraw money from the dedicated accounts without prior approval of state FADAMA offices.

“We will also ensure that they insure their businesses with the Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) in the business plans.

“We have made provision for 2.5 per cent deduction from the total cost of the business as insurance premium,’’ he explained.

NAN reports that 23 participating states are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Ogun and Ondo States.

Others include Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). (NAN)
ROK/MOL/OOK
=============

Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe

Space
By Kola Adeyemi
Anyigba (Kogi), April 23, 2018 (NAN) The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonaya Onu, says that the Federal Government will commit more resources to space research and development.

The minister stated this on Monday at Anyigba,  Kogi, while inaugurating a new laboratory complex and engineering workshop built by the  Centre for Atmospheric Research (CAR), Anyigba.

He noted that science, technology and innovation were critical to the development of any nation, saying this informed  the decision by the Federal Government to provide more funds for the sector.

The minister  said there was the need to establish the centre  because the country could not continue to be indifferent to global trends in  space research.

“We want to be at the frontier of knowledge. We cannot afford not to participate in space research and development,” he said.

The minister  also lauded the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) for establishing the centre, stressing that it was of critical  importance to the country.

The Director-General of NASRDA, Prof. Mohammed Seidu, said that the centre’s mandate was to provide  sound education, research and knowledge in lower atmosphere, upper atmosphere, atmospheric chemistry and environmental sciences.

He said that the centre was also mandated to conduct environmental research, tropospheric and trans-ionospheric radio propagation research, solar physics, solar terrestrial interactions, space weather, human space technology initiative and space debris among others.

Seidu  said that the centre had researched into safer air travel system and better security for space assets, space weather study  and study on the cause, impact and mediation of 2012 flood over Nigeria.

He said that Monday’s inauguration marked the successful completion of the first phase of the project and the commencement of the second phase.

The second phase, he said,  would include administrative block and ground receiving station to enable the installation of required equipment for research activities.

In his address of  welcome, the Director of CAR, Prof.  Babatunde Rabiu, said that the centre was one of the seven autonomous research and development centres of NASRDA in the country.

He said  the Centre on Feb.12  commenced the daily dissemination of space weather condition in West Africa.

Rabiu said that atmospheric and space facilities at the centre were running perfectly  and  had afforded it to run 19 weather stations in 19 locations in the country.

He thanked the Federal Government for releasing funds for the completion of the centre, promising  that the facilities would be put to good use. (NAN)
KKA /JTJ/OJO
============
(Edited by Julius Toba Jegede/Mufutau Ojo)

Villagers name Kogi deadly attackers, police begin manhunt

Lokoja, April 23, 2018 (NAN) The Kogi State Police Command is having the names of suspects, believed to be behind the deadly gun attacks on three villages in the Bassa Local Government area of the state on April 22.

The spokesman of the command, ASP. William Aya, who made the disclosure in Lokoja on Monday said the fleeing suspects had also been identified by villagers.

He said that the list of the suspects was given to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Janga, when he visited the affected villages to assess the situation.

Aya stated that the police had commenced a manhunt for the suspects, whom he said, would be arrested soon to face justice for their action.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that three communities: Kpanche, Ozugbe and Biroko in Bassa Local Government Area were savagely attacked by gunmen in the early hours of April 22.

No fewer than 16 people, including the Madaki of Biroko, Alhaji Mohammed Umar, were killed during the attacks.

The attackers were, however, repelled by a combined team of policemen and soldiers, who also killed six of the bandits.

According to Aya, Janga has ordered reinforcement of police presence in the villages as part of measures to guarantee the safety of lives and property.

Also, Capt. Weri Finikumor, Public Relations Officer of the Headquarters Command of Army Records, Lokoja, said in a statement that items recovered from the attackers included two AK 47 rifles with five magazines.

According to the statement, other items are 25 rounds of ammunition, one G3 rifle with one magazine, 188 rounds of ammunition and locally-made guns.

He said that the recovered items had been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Bassa Local Government Council.

Many communities in North Central Nigeria have been contending with recurring attacks by gunmen in recent times.

Scores of communities have been destroyed by the attackers with hundreds of people, especially farmers killed.

Nigeria has faced unrelenting attacks by jihadists since 2009 but the armed forces have been dealing ruthlessly with the bandits. (NAN)
KKA/SN

=======
Edited by Silas Nwoha

Gunmen attack on Kogi community spreads, death toll now 16

Clash (2)

Lokoja, April 22, 2018 ( NAN) The violence unleashed on Kpanche community in Bassa Local Government of Kogi State in the early hours of Sunday has spread to two other communities with death toll jumping from10 to 16.

The traditional ruler of Mozum community in the area, Alhaji Khalid Bukar told newsmen in Lokoja that the violence has spread, by Sunday afternoon, to Ozugbe and Biroko, two villages under his domain.

He said that a number of houses in both villages were completely razed by unknown hoodlums while five persons were shot dead.

The ruler said that one person,  he simply identified as Musa, was also missing.

He said that those killed included the Madaki of Biroko, Alhaji Mohammed Umar and four of his subjects.

Bukar said that so many houses including that of the late Madaki were also razed by the invaders.

The traditional ruler said that he immediately informed security agents of the development but said that the damage was already done before their arrival.

Also the police, in an update on the incident, said that six of the bandits that invaded Kpanche earlier in the day were killed and not five as earlier announced.

The state police command’s spokesman, ASP William Aya said in a statement that  15 houses were also burnt down in Kpanche.

He said  upon receiving distress calls from residents, mobile policemen and soldiers were promptly dispatched to restore peace and order.

“ On sighting the security personnel, they opened fire at them, but were vehemently resisted by the fire power of the security personnel where six of the attackers were killed,” he said.

However, the release was silent on the attacks and killings at Ozugbe and Biroko communities.

Aya said  the Commissioner of police, Mr Ali Janga has ordered a thorough investigation into the unfortunate incidents.

“ He vowed to prosecute anyone linked to the attacks no matter highly placed so as to serve as a deterrent to others.”

Janga urged the affected residents of the affected community to remain calm as the security agencies are determined to ensure adequate security of lives and property in the state. ( NAN)
KKA/YAZ
———–

By Oluyinka Fadare

Plastic
Lagos, April 22, 2018 (NAN) A packaging expert, Ravi Kanwal, has called on National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to enforce the use of plastic pallets in packaging food and pharmaceutical products.

Addressing a news conference in Lagos on Sunday, Kanwal said that plastic pallets were hygienic, termite and bacteria-free and washable for industrial use.

“Presently what is used in food and pharmaceutical industries are wooden pallets.

“Plastic pallets are more cost effective than wooden ones because they can be used for three to five years before expiring.

“The most important factor for their use is that they reduce cutting of trees, thus saving the environment from deforestation.

According to the packaging expert, around one billion trees are cut in the world per year to make wooden pallets which has negative impact on the environment.

Kanwal, who is Chief Executive of Songhai Packaging Industry Ltd, noted that broken plastic pallets could be recycled and used to produce other plastic pallets, thereby converting waste to useful products.

Kanwal said that the company was introducing into Nigeria injection molded plastic pallets which was produced through robotic technology.

He said that the pallets were produced in Nigeria from recycled plastics wastes in the last five years.

“We have been producing in Nigeria from material sourced within the country and exporting to Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea and other countries.

“Wooden pallets have a lifespan of three to six months and cost N3,500 per pallet, while plastic pallets last for three to five years and cost N17,000 per pallet.

“Food should be stored in plastic pallets to be preserved and free from infection,’’ he said.

He stressed that plastic pallets were strong, did not get soggy when kept in frozen or watery areas and could be used when there was not enough space available.

“We implore everyone to key into the use of plastic pallets because saving our environment and the economy are both same sides of the same coin,’’ he said. (NAN)
COF/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

PVCs
By Yemi Adeleye

Lagos, April 22, 2018 (NAN) A Lagos lawmaker, Mr Setonji David on Sunday says he will engage town criers to sensitise eligible voters in his constituency on the need for them to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

David, representing Badagry Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He spoke against the backdrop of the 1.4 million PVCs yet to be collected by their owners across the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had said that it was still in possession of 7,920,129 PVCs yet to be collected from its offices across the nation.

A breakdown of the uncollected PVCs as at March 2018 revealed that Lagos state had the highest number of 1,401,390; followed by Oyo, 647,586; and Edo, 449,001 cards, while Kano had 195,941.

The lawmaker said: “It is unfortunate that people have lost interest in electoral system, so much that the chunk of our people has not collected their PVCs to the tune of 1.4million.

“In my constituency, we are trying our best to ensure that people come out to claim their PVCs, to the extent that we engaged town criers. We will engage more town criers.

“We have been using town criers to sensitise the people and we will intensify on it.

‘’We will also make sure we encourage them by providing vehicles to take them to INEC office.

“We are doing our best to let people know why they need to have PVCs and why it is important for them to exercise their civic responsibility.

‘’By that, they can to elect people they want to represent them in government,” he said.

On whether the use of town criers had been effective, David said it had been yielding positive results.

According to him, there is need for continuous sensitisation of the people, especially the stakeholders on the need for them to participate in the electoral processed.

He urged INEC to intensify sensitisation and advocacies on radio, televisions, and other media for voters yet to collect their PVCs to do so.

According to him, INEC must encourage the people to know the importance of participating in electoral processes as well as easing the processes of registration of voters.

“The future of the country is embedded in the PVCs, if it is used rightly, because it is the power of the people to vote for the candidate and party of their choice.

‘’It is the responsibility of INEC to do this, not minding the cost.

“If the people use it to install a credible government, the future will be bright. It has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that democracy is the best form of government.

“Democracy works if the people participate,” David, Chairman, House Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development said. (NAN)
AYO/ENN/DUA
Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Dada Ahmed

10 killed in fresh gunmen attack on Kogi community
Clash
Lokoja, April 22, 2018 (NAN) The police in Lokoja on Sunday confirmed the death of 10 persons when gunmen invaded Kpanche community in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Janga, told newsmen that the dead included five residents of the community while five of the armed bandits were killed during a cross fire with security agents.

He said that the bandits invaded the sleepy agrarian community in the early hours of Sunday but they were quickly repelled by a combined team of policemen and soldiers.

“Yes, five lives were lost in the village but operatives of the police mobile force and soldiers repelled them and succeeded in killing five bandits and recovered some weapons.

“So far, normalcy has been restored in the area,” Janga said in response to a message sent to him on the incident.

According to him, five houses and unspecified number of vehicles, tricycles, motorcycles and other properties were set ablaze by the bandits.

He said that security agents would remain on ground in Kpanche while full investigation into the incident had commenced. (NAN)
KKA/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

Medic urges increased funding for health sector
By Dada Ahmed
Funding
Abuja, April 22, 2018 (NAN) Dr Patric Ezie, Founder, Junior Doctors of Africa, has called for increased funding of the health sector to check the rate of maternal and child mortality in the country.
He made the appeal in Abuja on Saturday while delivering a paper on ‘’Maternal and Child Mortality –The Nigerian Perspective”, at the Rotary Club of Abuja, Kubwa Gate Way District 9125 meeting.
Ezie, a Rotarian, who noted that Nigeria’s health budget hover around seven per cent, said the allocation was far from meeting the World Health Organisation (WHO) 15 per cent of annual budgets to the health sector of member states.
He stressed the need for the three tiers of government in the country to gear up efforts in formulating and implementing policies and programmes that would further boost the health needs of the citizenry.
“A lot need to be done where citizens can benefit from the effort of government in terms of improved healthcare delivery services in this country.
“If other countries are doing it, Nigeria can, all we need is enhanced political will.
“Funding holds key to an effective health sector and the wellbeing of the people, especially the mothers and the children who are the basis for the growth of the nation,’’ the physician said.
He said that haemorrhage accounted for 25 per cent of mothers that died during labour and unsafe abortion account for 13 per cent and 12 per cent from eclampsia.
Other factors, according to Ezie are delay at home, obstructed labour, delay at the hospital and malaria, adding that the need to reduce the statistics had become imperative.
Contributing, another Rotarian, Dr Princewill Ozumba, identified corruption among some local government authorities as one of the factors responsible for slowing the desired progress in the health sector.
Ozumba said many local government chairmen were not utilising the money meant for Primary Health Care (PHC) for the benefit of the populace at the grassroots.
According to him, 17 Chief Medical Directors are facing corruption investigations by the EFCC in respect of how they spent money allocated to their hospitals for healthcare services to the people.
“The people will not feel the impact of government, as it should in the health sector, with this kind of development,” he said.
He also identified lack of adequate skill and competence among health workers, especially medical doctors, as another factor impeding the realisation of the efforts of government in the sector.
The President of the District, Mr Festus Angbazue, said members of the district were out to use their resources and services to better the lot of other members of the society, especially the needy in the society.
He called on members not to relent in contributing to the development of the society in consonance with the philosophy of the founder of Rotary, Paul Harris (1868-1947), in the United States of America.
According to him, Rotary is aimed at encouraging and fostering the ideals of services as a basis of worthy enterprise for the development of the society, among others. (NAN)
DUA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Medical practitioner proffers solution to strike in health sector
By Dada Ahmed
Solution
Abuja, April, 22, 2018 (NAN) An Abuja-based medical practitioner, Dr Patrick Ezie, has called on the Federal Government to adopt proactive strategies to prevent incessant strikes in the health sector.
Ezie made the appeal on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on the side line of the meeting of Rotary Club of Abuja, Kubwa Gateway District 9125, in Abuja.
He speficically urged the Ministries of Labour and Health to be more proactive in nipping in the bud cases forcing medical and healthcare worker to go strike.
Ezie, who is also the Founder, Junior Doctors of Africa, said the idea of government waiting for workers’ agitation for improved welfare to degenerate to strike before solution was unhealthy for the growth of the country.
The medical practitioner, who was reacting to the ongoing strike in the health sector, suggested the creation of a special committee to assess the needs of workers and recommend proactive and lasting solutions to industrial unrests.
He said apart from assessing workers’ demands with mutually benefiting results, the committee would also be able to reconcile aggrieved parties to prevent industrial actions.
According to him, membership of the committee should be made of professionals with impeccable character, both in public and private sectors.
Ezie urged government to give serious consideration to the concept of establishing such committee to fast track negotiations with the labour and iron out contending issues arising from workers’ demands.
“This is with a view to reducing industrial disharmony in the workforce of the nation and forge mutually benefiting partnerships between government, the organised labour and the workers, to ensure peace in the country,’’ he said. (NAN)
DUA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Victims

Flood

Lokoja, April 19, 2018 ( NAN) Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has warned government officials against the diversion of relief materials meant for the 15,874 2017 flood victims in the state.

Bello gave the warning on Thursday at the inauguration of distribution of relief materials to the victims at Koton Karfe, Kogi Local Government Area of the state.

The governor, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on emergency management, Mr Yakubu Ocholi, appealed to officials in charge of the distribution of the items to ensure equity and fairness.

He called on them to distribute the materials directly to the victims who he said were scattered in 13 local government areas of the state.

Bello listed the local government areas to be covered as Idah, Ibaji, Ofu, Dekina, Ankpa, Olamaboro, Kabba, Ajaokuta , Bassa , Lokoja and Kogi among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the relief materials were provided by the Federal Government, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The items include: rice, beans, clothes, roofing sheets, detergents, soaps, blankets, mosquito nets, fishing nets, sewing machines, water pumping machines.

Others are; mattresses, cartons of milk, bags of salt vegetable oil, bags of cement, and bags of maize among others.

Mustapha Maihaja, Director-General of NEMA, represented by Bitrus Samuel, Head, Abuja Operation of NEMA said the agency would monitor the exercise to ensure direct distribution to the victims.

The director-general also called on the officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and council officials in charge of the distribution to ensure justice and fairness.

The director-general said that the state was naturally prone to flood disaster, adding that the agency would be sharing safety information with Kogi on a regular basis.

He advised those living on flood prone areas in the state to prepare to locate to higher grounds, because of the higher rainfall likely to be experienced this year in the country.

The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Mr Ayegba Hassan, promised that the materials would be distributed to victims, to serve the purpose intended.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Kogi Local Government Area, alone, has 2,209 victims slated to benefit from the gesture. (NAN)

KKA /JPE/DUA

Edited by Joseph Edeh/Dada Ahmed