Author: Isah Mukhtar

NAN-AE-2
Enterprise
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Dec. 28, 2017 (NAN) Climate Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Programme (CASP), a programme of International Food and Agriculture Development (IFAD), says it will undertake enterprise development initiatives for women and youths in seven states.

Mr Abdullahi Surajo, the Communication Officer of IFAD-CASP, said this on Friday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said that the programme would support women and youths in enterprise development projects, aimed at creating job opportunities in 727 rural communities across the seven participating states.

“We have organised the candidates’ screening to select the best beneficiaries, and two, out of the four candidates who were screened in each participating village, were selected.

“The successful candidates will be empowered with farm inputs and agricultural equipment, depending on the kind of enterprise which the individual would venture into, to boost agricultural production in their communities.

“The support will be focused on enterprises and activities that are linked to value addition in crop production, processing, packaging and marketing, while tackling constraints to production,’’ he said.

Surajo said that the enterprises that would be supported included village-based farm inputs supply enterprises, post-harvest handling enterprises, crop processing enterprises and produce marketing enterprises.

He said that the agricultural machinery that would be provided included land preparation and development machines such as tractors, power tillers, ox teams, crop processing machines for threshing and dehiscing and oil extractors.

“The farm inputs include seeds, fertilisers and agro-chemicals, while produce marketing materials include bags as well as sorting and grading machines.

“In addition to these, the programme will build the capacity of the beneficiaries in business plan development operations and management.

“The programme will also provide starter packs and working instruments to launch their businesses through matching grants,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the development objectives of IFAD-CASP include increased incomes, enhanced food security and reduced vulnerability for smallholder farmers, particularly women and youths, in the participating states.

Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara are currently participating in the six-year programme, which started in 2015. (NAN)
ROK/OOK
=======

NAN-AE-4
Beneficiaries
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Dec. 28, 2017 (NAN) The Climate Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Programme (CASP), a programme of International Food and Agriculture Development (IFAD), has called on its beneficiaries to plant quality seeds to boost their yield.

The Communication Officer of IFAD-CASP, Mr Abdullahi Surajo, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

Surajo said that IFAD-CASP had been mobilising farmers in its beneficiary communities to plant good-quality seeds to improve their productivity.

“We have mandated all the facilitators at our end-of-the-year training, which was organised recently; to always educate farmers on the benefits of using high-quality seeds in their cultivation.

“We always advise the rice farmers under our programme to use high-yield seeds like Faro 58 and Faro 59 rice varieties in upland areas.

“For the rice to be ready for harvest, it takes about 80 to 85days; and on one hectare, a farmer can get up to 50 bags of rice.

“We assist the farmers to produce high-quality crops and link them with off-takers. There are lots of off-takers and we sell ourselves everywhere we go,’’ he said.

Surajo said that the new IFAD programme was aimed improving agricultural production, with tangible emphasis on commercial agriculture involving crops like rice, sorghum and cowpea.

He said that IFAD-CASP, in collaboration with the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) and the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), would continue to make quality seeds available to farmers so as to boost the country’s food security.

Surajo expressed happiness over the feats recorded by the programme and said that the programme would soon be extended to cover more states.

“We have achieved a lot in respect of cowpea and sorghum seeds planted in our various demonstration plots across the states.

“We also support our farmers with chemicals, fertilisers and agronomy services.

“I urge farmers to always work hand-in-hand with extension officers under the programme for proper guidance,’’ he said.

Surajo said that IFAD-CASP beneficiaries were now able to perceive the difference between quality seeds and sub-standard seeds, adding that they were also ready to work with extension workers to improve on their crop growing.

NAN reports that the development objectives of IFAD-CASP include increased incomes, enhanced food security and reduced vulnerability of smallholder farmers, particularly women and youths, in the participating states.

Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara states are participating in the six-year programme, which started in 2015. (NAN)
ROK/AAB/OOK
===========

Edited by Adeboye Ajayi and Dayo Komolafe

Christians should follow footprints of Christ – cleric
NAN-H-53
Christ
Aledare Akinwale
Lokoja,Dec 25, 2017 (NAN) Rev Jerome Waju of Gospel Church of Christ has admonished Christians to always follow the ways of Christ.

Waju, in his sermon on “The birth of Christ ” in Lokoja on Monday, said the birth of Jesus was of great significance and urged Christians to always walk in the ways of Christ.

He said that if everyone did that sin would reduce in the world.

The pastor also appealed to Nigerians to love one another,saying that love was of God and therefore should be imbibed.

He said everything happening in the country would be a thing of the past soonest, stressing that the best of the nation was yet to come.

He congratulated Nigerians on this year’s Christmas celebration and prayed that God would spare everyone to see 2018. (NAN)
WAL/TÁ
Edited by Tajudeen Atitebi

PIC. From Left, Director Mecfot Home and Properties, Mr Orabuchi Ejike; Mecfot Home, Best Staff of the Year, Adenuga Muyiwa and Manager Home, Mrs Ejike Taiwo, at the Mecfot Home and Properties Ltd end of the Year and Award Giving Ceremony in Lagos on Saturday (23/12/17) DAP/NAN

Expert says corruption affecting mass housing delivery
NAN-H-21
Housing
By Grace Alegba
Lagos, Dec. 24, 2017 (NAN) Mr Ejike Orabuchi, a real properties construction expert, has appealed to all tiers of government to deal with corruption affecting mass housing delivery initiatives for Nigerians.
Orabuchi, Chairman of Mecfot Homes and Properties Ltd., made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday at Fagba, Lagos.
He spoke during the company’s end of year party/awards ceremony and land auction programme.
Orabuchi said that although the problem of housing deficit was multidimensional, noting that bureaucratic bottlenecks by politicians for personal gains is a major factor.
He said that most politicians were into the real estate business and usually exploited the opportunities to build mass houses to their advantage for selfish gains.
“The only way government can provide mass housing is to erase corruption, if politicians decide to work honestly for the good of citizens, Nigeria will be transformed.
“There is need for more people to support the housing initiative as government alone cannot provide solutions hence the mission of Mecfot Homes and Properties Ltd. to confront the challenges.
“Our vision is one man, one home. We are here to help people find a home. We cannot leave the housing needs of Nigerians for government alone because there is a huge deficit.
“My advice to people is that they should start first by acquiring genuine land and build gradually,’’ he said.
He added: “A bottle of beer costs about N250 about the same amount needed to purchase a block, imagine how many blocks those who can curtail their drinking habits could buy daily.”
On the company’s land auction, Orabuchi said the exercise was aimed at reaching out to the poor and vulnerable in the society.
He said that the company had a vision of providing a home for every citizen by 2020.
Mrs Taiwo Ejike, the Managing Director of the firm, said they came up with the over 2,000 per cent crash in land prices as part of its annual social responsibility to the society.
“Today we have touched many lives, last year we gave out 36 plots in choice areas in Lagos to widows and the less privileged to give them hope of owning houses.
“This year we came up with this strategy of land auction to touch more lives, that is why you can see land for as low as N50,000 in some of our estates.
“We identified the fact that in Lagos the major problem is that of obtaining genuine land due to the activities of land grabbers.
“We want to make more people happy by giving them homes,” she said.
Some of the beneficiaries of the firm’s projects, appealed to them to sustain the initiative of providing more homes.
Mrs Christiana Showole, a retired civil servant who engages in petty trading, said “this is the third land I am subscribing for today, I have bought two in the past, a quarter plot at Sokoto Estate in Atan and half plot at Mowe Ofada’’.
Mr Ridwan Aminu, a technician in Aluminum Village in Dopemu, Lagos, said: “I see the faithfulness of the company to help those who do not have much money but are eager to build.”
NAN reports that an award of excellence for his contributions to the firm and real estate development in Nigeria was given to the company’s patron, Dr Acho Orabuchi.
He is also an Adjunct Professor at Paul Quinn College Texas, USA.
Also Miss Idowu Abosede, a staff of the firm in the Fagba branch, received an award for being the best branch.
Responding on behalf of other recipients, Orabuchi said: “ I’m humbled that the company considers me worthy of this coveted award.
“I’m delighted and thrilled to accept this award on behalf of Nigerian pensioners who are suffering tremendously due to lack of payment.
“I want to use this opportunity, particularly during festive period to bring to fore their untold sufferings. Many of them may not have anything to celebrate for during this period.’’ (NAN)
GA/ENN/MST
Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-H-4
Fare
By Martha Agas
Jos, Dec. 23, 2017 (NAN) Many passengers in Jos, on Saturday, lauded the Plateau chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), for not increasing transport fare, despite  fuel scarcity.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that passengers at motor parks in Jos, expressed happiness, as commercial drivers  maintained the normal transport fare this yuletide.

Mr Godwin Paul, an electrician, who was travelling to Kaduna from Jos, said the festive season was always stressful as people had to pay higher fare while travelling.

“Am happy the union was able to maintain the normal transport fare but I advise people to go to the park instead of waiting by the roadside to board vehicles for security reasons,” he said.

Speaking to NAN, Mr Jeffrey Ladan, a student of the University of Jos, expressed delight that his pocket money for transportation would not be exhausted too soon.

Also, Miss Tessy Benjamin, an applicant, said that despite the stable transport fare, the union still robbed ‘Peter to pay Paul’.

“The price has not increased but instead of three passengers at the rear seat of a golf wagon vehicle, four persons were made to occupy it but the drivers are not to blame,” she said.

A driver at the park, who pleaded anonymity, said he slept at the park before getting fuel at N143 per litre at the NNPC Mega Filling Station, alleging that fuel sold for N200 per litre in the open market in Jos.

NAN also spoke with Mr Jafar Umar, a ticket attendant, who said the NURTW executives were sensitive to the hardship of the people and therefore, made efforts to maintain normal transport fare.

NAN reports that Jos to Kaduna fare remains N2,000; Jos to Bauchi, N1,000; Jos to Gombe, N2,000 and Jos to Abuja N1,600.

NAN reports that despite the stable transport fare, motorists charged passengers extra pay for their luggages, which were hitherto taken free before yuletide. (NAN)
MAA/DS/YEMI

Edited by Dauda Shehu/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-H-41
Scarcity
By Aledare Akinwale
Lokoja, Dec. 22, 2017 (NAN) Transport fares have gone up on most routes in Kogi following the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, (PMS) generally known as petrol.

The pump price of the product has also increased and now goes for about N200 per liter in most filling stations.

Findings by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Friday showed that the ordeal of motorists in the state was due to shady deals by officials of NNPC mega stations who resorted to selling fuel at night to other independent marketers.

The marketers in turn sell at exorbitant prices in their stations.

Apart from the NNPC mega station on the Lokoja-Abuja expressway in Lokoja, no other mega station in the state has been selling petrol since the scarcity commenced, although people passing through such stations at night said they saw trucks loaded with drums collecting fuel from them.

A passenger traveling to Lagos from Lokoja, Mr Solomon Jatto, said that before now, the cost of transportation was N4,000 but today it went uo to N6,500 on Friday.

“I have never seen a country like this; the state will not pay salary and government will not release fuel,” he said.

Mrs Victoria Odion, also a traveler, said she was hanging by the road to get a cheaper vehicle, said vehicles coming from Abuja might be cheaper.

Mr Babalola Ajayi noted that the cost of transportation from Lokoja to Abuja is now N,500 as against the N1,000 it used to be.

Further investigations by NAN showed that many independent filling stations did not sell any longer, thus creating scarcity.

Following the situation, many vehicles have been off the road, thereby eliminating the usual traffic on most major roads in the state.

Similarly, transport fare from Lokoja to other parts of the country have increased by almost 100 per cent.

Some of the drivers at the parks visited decried the situation, urging the Federal Government to do something urgent before the issue got out of hand.

Mr Audu Yunusa, a driver, said it was the high cost of buying petrol that gave room for increment in transportation fare.

He bought fuel at N220 per litre, noting that there was no way cost of transporting passengers won’t increase.

Another driver, Mr Adekunle Olalekan, said it was most unfortunate for Nigerians to experience this situation at a critical moment.

The duo urged the Federal Government and NNPC to do something about the fuel scarcity, describing the situation as another hardship to citizens.

The NURTW Chairman, North section, Mr Abdullahi Gambo, said that the cost of transportation was being driven by the cost of petrol, adding that the union could not impose on their members because they got their fuel from different stations at different price.

NAN findings further showed that fuel scarcity had crippled economic and social activities as motorists found it difficult to fuel their vehicles.

Furthermore, due to protracted power outage in parts of Lokoja, the state capital, residents have been groaning in darkness as they could not get petrol to operate their generators to run their businesses.

In Lokoja, a litre of petrol is dispensed by marketers at N200 while at the black market, it is sold at between N250 and N300.

NAN checks revealed that intra and inter-state travelers were now passing through very hard times

Vehicular flow on the streets of Lokoja, have largely become scanty, while most residents now walked to and from their offices and markets.

A petroleum marketer, who spoke on anonymity, said that the cabals were at work again in the petroleum sector.

“The truth is that the cabals are at work again in the petroleum sector. The present administration should keep the cabals at bay during this seasons,” the marketer said.

“The situation has gone on for long now. Look at the queue have spent one hour to purchase fuel here because they sell at approved pump price. If you go to other independent marketers, it sells for N200 or more.

“The quality of the PMS is also a source of worry. We try to buy from major marketers because a measure of quality control persists in their operations.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to quickly stem this tide. We had glimpses of President Muhammad Buhari’s fight on corruption. But the present situation is stage managed by corrupt officials at the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.”

Meanwhile, Kogi Government was yet to make any official statements on the issue, while residents were seen wearing long faces following the sudden hike in the pump price.
(NAN)
WAL/IA

NGO donates borehole to Badagry Prison

NAN-H-10

Borehole

By Adepote Arowojobe

Lagos, Dec. 21, 2017 (NAN) New Leaf Foundation, an NGO, on Thursday inaugurated a 6000 litre-capacity borehole to provide portable water for inmates of Badagry Prison in Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the borehole was fitted with one horse power pumping machine and a 6000 litres water tank.

New Leaf Foundation Coordinator, Ayodeji Ewulotan, said that the NGO donated the facility to improve the welfare of inmates of the prison.

” One of the challenges we discovered when we got here is that they do not have portable water so we decided to embark on the water project.

” Next time we want to empower the inmates with skills acqusition and get integrated back to the society after their release,” Ewulotan said.

He appealed to phillanthropists and civic organizations to assist in paying fines of petty offenders in jail as part of their social responsibilities.
Mr Tunde Ladipo, Controller of Prisons in Lagos State, thanked the organisation for the borehole and urged others to emulate the kind gesture.

The controller commended the Comptroller General of Prisons, Jaafaru Ahmed, for providing logistics vehicles and increasing the cost of prisoners’ daily meal from N200 to N450. (NAN)

ADEX/WOJ
=========
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

Nasarawa : 20 corps members get extension of service for misconduct
NAN-H-41
Extension
Olukayode Babalola
Lafia, Dec. 21, 2017 (NAN) The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in Nasarawa State, says 20 corps members are to have an extension of service due to alleged misconduct during the service year.

The state Coordinator, 2017 Batch B Stream 11, Mrs Zainab Isah, disclosed this on Thursday at the passing out parade in Lafia Local Government Area.

She said the affected corps members committed various offences bordering on misconduct during the service year.

Isah said the punishment meted out was based on the gravity of their offences according to the by-law of the scheme.

“We have 20 corps members that have disciplinary cases.

“`Some of them missed one allowance or the other because they were not around.

“Some traveled without permission or they traveled with permission but extended their stay without informing the officers,’’ she said.

She also explained that the allowances they missed would be given to them during their extension of service.

According to her, some got two weeks extension, some three weeks, while others got longer due to the gravity of their offences.

It depends on the misconduct and what the NYSC by-law stipulates as punishment,” she said.

Isah explained that the decision to extend the service year of erring corps members was the recommendation of the State NYSC Disciplinary Committee which will serve as a deterrent to others.

According to her, 1,957 corps members successfully completed their service year and have been issued certificates.

She commended the corps members for their patriotism and perseverance during the year.

She, however, advised them to be self-reliant and employers of labour rather than wait for white collar jobs.

“You should go ahead with what we taught you in camp, just continue with those training and I am sure those training will see you in no distance time,” she said.

She thanked the state government for its support to the scheme and urged for its sustenance especially in the area of engagement of corps members with significant positive impact in the area of their primary assignments.

According to her, five corps members distinguished themselves based on the contributions they made in their places of assignments.

“They did exceptionally well but we are yet to submit the list to the state government because the NYSC governing board is yet to hold a meeting on it,”she said. (NAN)
OB/JIE/IA
==========

Edited by Julius Enehikhuere/Idris Abdulrahman

NAN-H-27

Release

Lagos, Dec. 19, 2017 (NAN) A total of 12 lucky inmates of Kirikiri Maximum Prison in Lagos were set free on Tuesday to spend Christmas with their families and loved ones.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prisoners regained their freedom under an amnesty programme of Lagos State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy aimed at decongesting the prisons.

The chairman of the council, Prof. Oyewo Oyelowo, said that the freed inmates have acquired skills, served sufficient period of time, shown remorse for change and ready for rehabilitation.

He said that a parol system would be established to monitor and follow up on the inmates after the release to ensure that they did not go back to their old ways of crime.

Oyelowo urged government to enhance the policing system to ensure that criminals did not find it easy to commit crimes.

Mr Tunde Ladipo, Controller of Prisons in Lagos State, appealed to the state government to provide towers in prisons for watching and monitoring movement of both inmates and the personnels.

He commended the Lagos State Government for setting up the council on prerogative of mercy to decongest prisons.

NAN reports that the committee had released 20 inmates during its visit to the prison in March this year.

ADEX/WOJ
=========
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-AE-1
Training
Abuja, Dec. 19, 2017 (NAN) The FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) Programme has started training the personnel of Oyo State Agricultural Development Programme (OYSADEP), FADAMA staff and farmers in nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

A statement by Mr Tunde Oladunjoyelo, the World Bank Media Consultant on FADAMA, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Nath Olayinka, the State Project Coordinator, said that that the aim of the training was to expose the participants to the best ways of retaining food nutrients during food preparation.

He said that the training was also aimed at developing good eating habits and boosting the food security of the state.

He said that a human nutrition specialist was engaged to share knowledge, ideas and skills with the participants, while equipping them with the wherewithal that would enable them to disseminate the information effectively to farm families.

Speaking, Mrs Iroko Ibukun-Oluwa, Director of Extension, OYSADEP, urged the participants to practise and disseminate the knowledge they acquired in the training to farmers.

She said that OYSADEP would put in place a feedback mechanism to ensure that the knowledge was successfully delivered to farmers.

Also speaking, Dr Thomas Adepoju, Head of Department of Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, said that nutrition was the bedrock of all development.

“It studies the process in which living organisms take in and make use of food for the production of energy, the functioning of organs and tissues, maintenance of life growth, reproduction and elimination of waste products from the body.’’

Adepoju, who said that the cycle of malnutrition and poverty could be drastically reduced via behavioural communication strategy, urged the participants to share the knowledge with the farmers and facilitate the transformation of agriculture into agribusiness.

Alhaja Dauda Ayoade, the Secretary to the FADAMA Community Association, who spoke on behalf of the farmers, commended the FADAMA III (AF) Programme for the nutrition-sensitive training.

She pledged to convey the knowledge which was acquired in the training to other members of the production clusters and groups. (NAN)
ROK/OOK
=======