Author: Isah Mukhtar

NAN-AE-3
Commodities
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Oct. 23, 2017 (NAN) The multiple stakeholders’ meeting on Agricultural Commodity Exchange in Nigeria on Monday, canvassed for training of farmers on effective production of agricultural commodities in the country.

The stakeholders said this in their communiqué at the end of their one day meeting in Abuja, which deliberated on ‘’Agricultural Commodity Exchange in Nigeria.’’

The communiqué was signed by Mr Victor Adejoh, the field leader for Synergos Nigeria, an NGO and the organiser of the forum.

“Nigeria needs to ensure standards in the production and packaging of its agricultural produce and this is achievable only if farmers could be trained on how to go about model farming.

“There is need for all agencies to work together to ensure standards of our agricultural produce in order not to experience reject of our produce at the international markets again.

“The ministry of Agriculture must work on standards measures and weight nationwide and do away with Nigeria’s way of reasoning,’’ it urged.

The stakeholders also stressed the need for government to improve on the construction of access roads to ensure easy transportation of agricultural produce and rapid industrialisation.

They said that agricultural business should be private-driven instead of being designed, financed and managed by the government.

The stakeholders recommended that challenges relating agricultural inputs should be addressed throughout grower and anchor borrower schemes while government should focus on addressing food security.

They commended the Federal and State Governments for coming up with export committee and recommended that one stop export facilitation centre be put in place in every state among others.

Officials from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kogi, Benue and Kaduna States, attended the meeting.

Others are the Agricultural Regulatory Agencies, State Agriculture Vision Group and State Agriculture Innovation Group (AIG) for market development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Synergos Nigeria is running an intervention programme in Kogi, Benue and Kaduna states.

The intervention programme, which focuses on rice and cassava production, is aimed at reducing global poverty and increasing food security.

The programme is to create an interface between Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Nigeria Custom Service and Nigerian Commodity Exchange, Nigerian Export Promotion Council. (NAN)
ROK/FLP/AOM/DUA

(Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Dada Ahmed

NAN – H –42

Suicide (3)

Lokoja, Oct. 22, 2017 (NAN ) Kogi State Government on Sunday, admitted that it owed the late Mr Edward Soje eight months of unpaid salary before he committed suicide on Oct.16.

The state Head of Service, Mrs Deborah Ogunmola, admitted in a statement in Lokoja.

She said that Soje received his monthly salary up till December 2016 when it was suddenly stopped by the government.

“His pay was stopped after proof emerged that he falsified his age records. His confession to the offence is on video to justify government stoppage of his salary, ’’Ogunmola said.

Soje, a Director in the state Teaching Service Commission was found hanging on a tree at the back of army barracks in Lokoja.

He was among workers being owed arrears of salaries ranging from two to 21 months by the state government.

Ogunmola, however, explained that following engagements with the labour which spanned several months, the Kogi governor magnanimously commuted the disciplinary action due against Soje and other certain categories of offenders by granting them pardon.

“Pardoned members staff were processed for reinstatement and payment in batches. Mr Soje was in the September 2017 batch and he was aware of this fact.

“The Kogi State Teaching Service Commission, where he worked has forwarded a template for payment to government and Mr Soje was aware that he was listed to receive six months back pay.

According to her, this leaves only 2 months (August and September) outstanding.

Ogunmola, who also hailed from Ogori, the same town with the deceased, said government was saddened in no small measure by the alleged action of Soje.

She described Soje as a level 16 officer and a director in the Kogi State Civil Service.

She, however, deplored media reports attributing Soje’s alleged decision to commit suicide to non-payment of salary.

“Edward Soje was not just my staff, he was also married to my sister-in-law. His death is shocking, both as one related to him in some way and one responsible for him in an official capacity.

“I met with him earlier last week and we discussed his situation, including the progress made in resolving his employment issues.

“There was no hint of this horrible decision in his demeanour.He did not appear to me as one who was depressed, let alone contemplating suicide. I am, therefore, understandably shocked by all of this.

“Government condoles with his family, especially his wife and three children. While we will not intrude into their grief over their sad loss, we will stand with them.” ( NAN)
KKA/DUA
Edited by Dada Ahmed

NAN-H-38
Suicide (2)
Lokoja, Oct. 22, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday appealed to workers in Kogi State not to see suicide as a way out of the current hardship imposed on them as a result of non-payment of their salaries.

The state Chairman of the NLC, Mr Onu Edoka, who made the appeal in Lokoja warned the workers against taking extreme actions because the tough time would soon be over.

Edoka, who was reacting to the suicide of a director in the state, Mr Edward Soje on Oct. 16 as a result of financial hardship, insisted that taking one’s life should not be an option.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deceased’s wife has yet to be informed of the tragic death of her husband.

A source close to the family said a team of pastors and relations who visited her at an Abuja hospital to break the news were advised by the management against it due to her state of health.

Edoka, however, told NAN that many workers and pensioners had died due to non-payment of their salary and pensions by the state government.

According to him, many workers in the state have had their ailments aggravated as a result of lack of salary.

He said that high blood pressure and diabetes had become common among them.

Edoka said that the organised labour had started compiling statistics of workers and pensioners that have lost their life in the last one year, adding that figures of victims would soon be made public.

Edoka appealed to relatives, friends, religious organisations and good spirited individuals in and outside the state to come to the aid of the workers to stem the tide of untimely deaths.

The NLC Chairman again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to come to the aid of workers in Kogi State by sending foods, drugs and other relief materials to them through the National Emergency Management Agency.

He also pleaded with the presidency to set up a fact finding committee to come and ascertain the true situation of things with workers in the state.

The Chairman expressed displeasure with the state government for taking to the pages of newspapers to publish the names of workers and their salaries.

He explained that the figures quoted by the government was not correct and urged the governor to invite the workers to the negotiation table.

Also a statement jointly issued by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) described the publication of workers names and salary figures as a wrong step.

“The security implication of this very wrong step is that criminals could get hold of this document and begin to trace the workers whose names government has published.

“Workers are walking the streets of Lokoja like beggars because their salaries and allowances have not been paid for a period of three to twenty-two months by the government,“ the statement said.

The statement signed by Mr Olakunle Faniyi and Mr Kolawole James, state secretaries of NLC and TUC respectively called on the state government to publish the names and the amount being owed cleared workers and pensioners in the past 21 months.

The unions expressed shock on the death of Soje and prayed God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss. (NAN)
KKA/IS
======
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

NAN-H-32

Prayers

Aledare Akinwale

Lokoja, Oct. 22, 2017 (NAN) Rev Bayo Adelaja of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lokoja has urged Kogi people to fervently pray for the state to enable it surmount its present challenges.

Adelaja, who made the call while delivering a sermon;                      “God’s hand on the city’’ in Lokoja on Sunday, noted that there was the need for prayers following so many unpleasant happenings in the state.

According to him, everyone must pray against every satanic formation for God to intervene in the affairs of the state.

He said there were so many issues surrounding the state, and urged Christians to be very prayerful during the ember period.

Adelaja also commiserated with the families of Mr Edward Soje who hanged himself over the weekend, and prayed God to comfort his family.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Soje allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Lokoja, the state capital.

His body was found dangling on a tree behind the mammy market at the Maigumeri barracks, the Nigeria Army Command Record.

The 54-year-old civil servant decided to take his life barely 10 days after his wife of 17 years gave birth to a set of male triplets in a private hospital in Abuja. The couple had been childless before then.

Soje, a Grade Level 16 Officer in the Kogi State Teaching Service Commission, was being owed 11 months’ salary arrears as at the time he took his life.

He hailed from Ogori town in Ogori -Magongo Local Government area of the state. (NAN)

WAL/EEE
========

Edited by Ese E. Ekama

NAN–H–11
Suicide
Lokoja, Oct. 21, 2017 ( NAN) A director in the Kogi State civil service, Mr Edward Soje has allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Lokoja, the state capital .

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered on Saturday in Lokoja that the dangling body of Soje was found on a tree behind the mammy market at the Maigumeri barracks, the Nigeria Army Command Record.

The 54-year-old civil servant decided to take his life barely 10 days after his wife of 17 years gave birth to a set of male triplets in a private hospital in Abuja. The couple had been childless before then.

Soje, a Grade Level 16 Officer in the Kogi State Teaching Service Commission, was being owed 11 months’ salary arrears as at the time he took his life.

He hailed from Ogori town in Ogori -Magongo Local Government area of the state.

He had before killing himself travelled to Abuja and left a suicide note for the wife who also works in one of the federal ministries.

“Psalm 121:3 God will not suffer your foot to be moved: He that keepeth you will not slumber. Amen. You and the three boys, the God Almighty will keep you and prosper you, amen. I love you,”  according to the suicide note.

Confirming the incident, the state police command Public Relations Officer, ASP William Aya said that the dangling body of Soje was found on a tree behind the barracks at about 5:55 p.m on Oct. 16.

Aya said that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Area D Division received information about the incident from the military intelligence office in the barracks.

“Police moved to the scene, removed the corpse to the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja. Investigation is still ongoing,” Aya said.

The police spokesman said that nothing was found on the man to help trace his address and family.

However, a search party organised by his relations and friends, found his corpse at the morgue of the hospital on Friday, Oct. 20.

Family sources said that Soje had before the incident been going through a lot of financial pressure due to non-payment of his salary for 11 months by the Kogi State Government.

He was among thousands of civil servants being owed between two and 21 months’ salary arrears by the state government.

As a way out, he was said to have sold his only car and a three-bedroom bungalow he was building at Otokiti area of Lokoja.

The building which was at lintel level was sold by Soje at a giveaway price of N1.5 million in April to meet urgent family needs, it was gathered.

According to the sources, Soje’s financial woes became compounded when the wife gave birth to a set of triplets through Caesarian operation in a private hospital in Abuja on Oct. 7.

The deceased remained in the hospital to look after wife and children until Oct. 13, a day before the naming ceremony when he decided to come back to Lokoja.

On getting to Lokoja, Soje went straight to his bank to collect the remaining N30,000 in his salary account with one of the commercial banks and thereafter informed the bank in writing about his decision to close the account.

He immediately left Lokoja for the hospital in Abuja where he rejoined his wife and handed over the N30,000 cash to her.

On Oct. 14, Soje and wife were joined by two pastors and few relatives to perform a brief naming ceremony for the triplets in the hospital.

He later left the hospital on the pretext that he wanted to pick few things from the wife’s apartment in Abuja with a promise to come back quickly.

But Soje did not return for hours and did not pick any of the many calls made to his telephone line, a development which forced the wife to send somebody to the house to go and ascertain what was happening to him.

The person, on getting to the apartment knocked the door severally but no response and decided to call his telephone number.

On hearing the telephone ringing out from the apartment, the person was said to have knocked severally again but no response, this made him to seek the assistance of neighbours to force the door open.

When the door was opened, the people were shocked when they saw Soje’s telephone handset placed on a suicide note on the centre table in the sitting room while he was nowhere to be found.

When the wife was informed, she quickly contacted some people to begin a search for him in Abuja while relations and friends in Lokoja were also informed of the development.

Efforts made to locate him did not yield fruit until relations decided to visit hospitals in Lokoja, the decision  paid off eventually on Friday, October 20 when the corpse of Soje was found in the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.

A member of the family said that the management of the hospital explained to them that Soje’s corpse was brought in by the police, who found it dangling on a tree.

A member of the family, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the late Soje as a “very quiet and lovable human being. “

He said that some members of the family have been sent to Abuja to break the news to the wife and refused to answer further questions. (NAN)
KKA/AFA
========

Edited by Felix Ajide

NAN-H-65

Plunge

By Mateen Badru

Lagos Oct. 20, 2017 (NAN) The police have confirmed the identity of a 40-year-old man who jumped into the lagoon from the Lekki – Ikoyi link bridge in Lagos on Friday in an apparent suicide plunge.
Lagos State Police Command spokesman, ASP Olarinde Famous – Cole, identified the man as Adekunle Oluseyi John from Ondo State.
“Report on the suicide was reported at Maroko Division at about 10:15am and police operatives quickly rushed to the scene and alerted rescue unit.
“During a search of the area, his mobile phone was retrieved from the scene. The man is about 40 years of age named Adekunle Oluseyi John from Ondo state.
“Rescue operations by the police and other bodies is ongoing, “ the police spokesman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
NAN reports that Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Marine Police were at the scene in search of the body.

It was unclear what led to the suicide plunge but NAN gathered that the man pulled off his clothes and left some belongings, including his phone and ATM card, before jumping into the lagoon. (NAN)

BOM/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

PRCN seals-off 287 pharmacies, patent medicine stores in Kogi

NAN-H-39
Seal-off
Lokoja, Oct. 20, 2017 ( NAN) The Pharmacists Registration Council of Nigeria ( PRCN) has sealed off 260 patent medicine stores and 27 pharmacies operating illegally in different parts of Kogi State.

The Head of Enforcement Department of the council, Mr Stephen Esumobi, who announced this at a press conference in Lokoja on Friday, said the medicine stores and pharmacies were sealed between Oct.16 and Oct. 19.

He said that they were among the 373 pharmacies and patent medicine stores visited by men of the enforcement department headed by him during the week.

Esumobi said that the sealed medicine stores and pharmacies had been operating without registration and also failed to register their premises as required by law.

According to him, many of them were also discovered to be dispensing ethical products without the supervision of qualified pharmacists, with poor storage and sanitary conditions.

“ The council cannot guarantee that drugs sold in unregistered outlets are of the same integrity as specified by the manufacturers since they have not submitted to regulation that ensures maintenance of appropriate standards for handling such products,” he said.

Esumobi said that inspectors would be deployed from the the council to the state for supervised evacuation of drugs from the sealed premises.

He said that the action of the council was not punitive, but an effort to safeguard public health.

According to him, any of the sealed premises that eventually complies with the provisions of the law will be let off the hook.

“Members of the public are advised to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and simple household remedies from licensed patent medicine and propriety medicine shops,” he said.

Esumobi advised those intending to start pharmaceutical businesses should register with the council. (NAN)
KKA/SOA
========

NAN-HG-8
Examination
By Dada Ahmed
Abuja, Oct. 20, 2017 (NAN), Dr Patrick Ezie, an Abuja-based medical practitioner has advised men who are 40 years and above to go for prostate examination to avoid developing prostate enlargement which could lead to prostate cancer.

Ezie, who is also the Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Medical Association, FCT chapter, gave the advice in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

He said that the men of over 40 were prone to diseases of the prostate which could be prostate enlargement also known as a Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or prostate cancer.

“The incidence of prostate enlargement is about 25 per cent in men from ages 40 and 60, and 40 per cent of men above 60 have peak incidence of prostate cancer seen in the 8^th decade of life.

‘’The older a man becomes, the increase in the risk of prostate cancer.”

According to him, urinary complaints which lead to the development of the disease include frequency urination, especially at night, sudden urge and immediate need to urinate.

“Others are inability to control passage of urine, straining to urinate, and hesitation in urinating, urine flow that starts and stops without completion of urination, urination that ends in dribbling.

“In severe or advanced disease, the following symptoms may be noticed; extreme weight loss associated with the spread of the cancer, tenderness in the bones, back pain among others,’’ he said.

Ezie said that though the primary risk factor for the development of prostate cancer was aging, genetic and familial inheritance, diets and lifestyle also played role in the development of the disease.

The doctor, who also traced environmental and occupational factors to the development of the disease, said scientists showed a link between certain chromosomes transmitted from parents to their children carrying the genes for prostate cancer.

‘’If you observe that your parents had urinary problems before their demise but didn’t have the benefit of doctor’s review, have a regular prostate examination with your physician once you’re above 40,’’ he said.

He called on the Federal Government expand the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) scheme to provide care for debilitating illnesses such as cancers and reduce premiums to enable average Nigerian access packages.

Ezie also called for policy to subside cost of care in cancer management such as cost of cytotoxic drugs, radiotherapy, funding cancer research and development and sustainability of National Cancer Centres.

He further advocated development of international partnerships with reputable international institutions involved in cancer treatment and researches to ensure training and infrastructural development of  cancer programmes.

“Through the Ministry of the Health, government can organise sensitisation programmes to sensitise men above 40 years on the need for regular prostate check-up,’’ he said. (NAN)
DUA/GY
=======

Edited by Grace Yussuf

NAN-AE-2
Workers
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Oct. 20, 2017 (NAN) The staff of Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) have accused its Acting Executive Secretary, Prof Ambrose Voh, of incompetence, abuse of office and leadership failure.

Mr Adewale Oloyede, the Chairman of the Joint Action Committee of ARCN, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

Oloyede said that the workers had been protesting since last week, asking the Federal Government to remove Voh and the Director of Knowledge Management, Dr Celestine Ikuenobe, from office.

“The two officers were smuggled into the agency and they are guilty of gross incompetence, abuse of office and leadership failure.

“We are doing this because there are a lot of contentious issues in the council but the main issue that led to the protest of Sept. 27 is that of staff screening

“That day, members of staff, who were due for promotion, underwent screening and the acting executive secretary, who is supposed to be the chairman the committee for senior staff screening, was nowhere to be found; he was represented by Ikuenobe.’’

Oloyede said that the members of staff became angry about the development and this eventually led to their protest.

“Ikuenobe was asking the workers, who were undergoing screening, questions that were not relevant to the promotion;  instead, he was intimidating them and telling them that they could not be promoted.

“He said that the workers needed additional qualifications to enable them to qualify for promotion, and this is not tenable in the council.

“We are not a research organisation; we do not have research focus and there is a circular to that effect from the Head of Service in 2015; we are to supervise, regulate and coordinate the institutes under us,’’ he said.

Oloyede stressed that Ikuenobe’s intimidation led to the workers’ agitation, which he had to coordinate as a leader of the workers’ union.

He said that Ikuenobe, who represented the acting executive secretary at the screening, failed to listen to demand of the workers and, instead, accused them of trying to obstruct the screening process.

“However, Ikuenobe later apologised for the misunderstanding and the case was settled but when the acting executive secretary returned from his trip, he called for a staff meeting.

“He addressed us like a father; we all maintained peace and every member of staff was pleased.

“To our surprise, on Monday morning, 15 of us were served letters from Divisional Police Office in Mabushi, asking us to report and explain what had happened.

“When we got the letters, we went to the office of the acting executive secretary and showed them to him; he said that he was aware of the letters and told us go to the police office to explain ourselves.

“We went to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and reported the case to the Permanent Secretary; we told him what was going on and he called Prof. Voh,’’ he said.

Oloyede said that the members of staff decried what the acting executive secretary had done and feared that the worst might still happen because they longer had any confidence in his leadership style.

“The acting executive secretary was smuggled back into office after his retirement from here at 60 years; he will be 65years old next month.

“He should go back to wherever he is coming from; we have professors who have retired here at 60 years, we were tolerating him because of his age and he is still treating us anyhow.

“We want this place to be sanitised, our regulatory bodies, FMARD and Presidency, should remove the acting executive secretary and Ikuenobe to enable the agency to achieve its aims, objectives and fulfil its mandate.

Responding, the acting executive secretary said that the ongoing workers protest was as a result of the senior staff promotion exercise, which was done last month in his absence.

Voh said that he was out of the country to represent the Minister of Agriculturel and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, at an international conference in Uganda.

“At the screening, Dr Ikuenobe stood in for me but some of the members of staff organised themselves and created a scene on my return.

“Ikuenobe explained everything to me and that they insisted that he had to apologise for what he did not do.

“On receiving the report and as the chief executive officer of the council, I have to maintain law and orders; so, we invited the police to intervene,’’ he said.

Voh said that the Governing Board of ARCN approved the guidelines and requirements for staff promotion, as stated in the Act establishing the council.

“These functions reside in the governing board and that is what we have used.

“The requirement of academic degree for promotion is only applicable to academic research institutes because those are the research officers or veterinary research officers.

“We are on the salary scale of research institutes; that is what we enjoy; of course, we earn more than the core ministry workers.

“The added requirement is that as research officers, it is virtually impossible for you to enjoy one thing and decide to disregard what is required to enable you to enjoy the thing,’’ he added. (NAN)
ROK/COO/OOK
============
Edited by Cecilia Odey and Dayo Komolafe

FG receives kudos on initiatives to tackle climate change issues

NAN-AE-1
Commendation
By Deji Abdulwahab
Abuja, Oct. 20, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Government has been commended for its commitment to tackling climate change issues since President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Paris Agreement on Sept. 22, 2016.

Mr Richard Inyamkume, Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Initiative (CCMAI), gave the commendation in Abuja on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Inyamkume expressed his happiness with several green initiatives that were launched by the Federal Government to mitigate the effects of climate change on the citizenry.

‘‘An initiative such as the Great Green Wall Project has made positive contributions toward improving Nigeria’s climate, especially in the area of tree planting.

‘‘I am aware that several eco-friendly projects have been launched at different levels within the country toward improving Nigeria’s climate and green environment,’’ he said.

He recalled that on Nov. 4, 2016, the Paris agreement entered into force with 197 parties signing, Nigeria inclusive, adding that President Buhari appended his signature to the agreement on Sept. 22, 2016.

‘‘President Buhari ratified the agreement on March 28, 2017, making Nigeria the 146th member of the UN to have ratified the treaty.

‘‘This is a global demonstration by Nigeria that she is faithful to international agreements.

‘‘Nigeria is working tirelessly to actualise her commitment to the Paris Agreement.

‘‘The Department of Climate Change under the Federal Ministry of Environment and several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government have been working on policies and strategies that will assist the nation to meet her Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).’’

According to him, many non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been collaborating with relevant stakeholders to achieve this goal.

‘‘The future of our nation is in our hands. We cannot fold our arms and wait for government to do everything for us.

‘‘We need to act so as to reverse the negative trend of global warming in Nigeria.

‘‘At least, government has demonstrated that she is ready to take the lead.

‘‘It is now our duty to see that climate change policies are implemented at the different tiers of government as they ought to be.

‘‘At the moment, there have been approved national strategic policies and plans of action on climate change,’’ he said.

Inyamkume said if these policies and plans of action on climate change were carefully implemented, it could foster the development of low carbon growth initiatives.

He added that it would also promote clean development mechanisms and earn carbon credits for the country. (NAN)
ADA/MOL/AFA
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide
==========================