Blog

NAN-H-82

Initiative

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Abuja, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Mrs Angele Dikongue-Atangana, Country Representative to Nigeria, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), says the agency has aligned its shelter project in Benue with its Songhai Agriculture business initiative.

Dikongue-Atangana disclosed this at the inauguration and handing-over of the Daudu Shelter Project for IDPs in Guma Local Government Area of Benue to the state government on Friday.

The 100- unit bungalow project was initiated by UNHCR in collaboration with the state government and Benue Non-governmental Organisation Network (BENGONET).

The project is meant to provide shelter for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

The UNHCR representative said that the Songhai initiative was a programme that ensured that people could farm, rear fish and animals in order to make a living.

According to her, not only would they have food to eat but they would also have enough to cater for a living.

She called on the Benue Government to take the initiative and ensure that it was disseminated to other parts of Nigeria.

Dikongue-Atangana said that agriculture was the future of Africa, adding that if Africa must fly, the initiative must start in Nigeria.

“So, we thought to make it fulfilled; we have aligned this project with the Songhai Initiative and some two weeks ago, some of you went to Benin Republic to see for ourselves what it all means.

“It is a sort of Creek Culture business which aligns environmental-friendly techniques with the latest scientific and technology advancement to ensure that people can do farming and make a living out of it.

“What I will treasure is that we will inaugurate the steering committee that will ensure that this village is taken through that process of making Songhai a living process in this place.

“That is why my drive has been that we need to join hands in order to make sure that Nigeria is on the right track so that Africa will stand a fair chance of being on the right track.

“Take this as a token contribution of my agency and the government of this state to ensure that we take the Nigerian agenda and therefore the African agenda forward,’’ she said.

The representative said the Guma Shelter Project was not just a shelter facility but an advocacy signpost for all stakeholders, especially the state government.

She added that the project was also a testimony of good collaboration of UNHCR and the entire UN systems with the state government as well as the community.

“We thought it would be better that we also help finding some lasting solutions and that was the whole cause of building a village.

“As you see it here, it is not only about village, it is about having people to be protected, having a roof over their heads, especially when you talk about vulnerable women and children.

“Having a roof over their heads is where their protection starts but then if they are sitting under the roof with nothing to eat, nothing to make a living out of, then your purpose might not be fulfilled,’’ she said.

Dikongue-Atangana called on the government to further help the IDPs by providing 400 small-sized mattresses, 400 wooden plank beds, 400 blankets and 200 cooking pots.

Other items needed, according to her, include 200 charcoal stoves, 400 plastic buckets, 200 jerry cans of 20 litres and solar powered lanterns.

She said that as a maiden effort, they estimated to have a total of 180 households variously occupying the facility in the next few days and that most of the IDPs had already moved in.

Mrs Rachel Ityozunghaul, Chairman, BENCONET Rural Development Initiative, said the project was completed at the cost of N35.8 million.

According to her, this comprises N25.8 million from UNHCR and N10 million counterpart funding from the state government.

Ityozunghaul said the project comprised 100 units of two-room bungalow with toilet facility, first aid facility and borehole.

She called on the state government to provide the IDPs with social security service of N5, 000 per family in the first three months to enable them settle down with something to eat.

The chairman also requested the government to speak to the commissioner of police in the state to open an outpost within the camp and also help the children to go to school.

She commended the government for providing the needed counterpart funding for the network and creating a level-playing field for them in their partnership with UNHCR. (NAN)

OYS/AK/OPI

Edited by Akin Makanjuola and Olisa Ifeajika

NAN-AE-3
Weather
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunny and hazy weather conditions over the central states of the country on Saturday.

NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office on Friday in Abuja predicted day and night temperature of 35 to 37 degrees Celsius and 13 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

The Agency predicted cloudy to partly cloudy over the southern inland cities in the morning with day and night time temperatures of 33 to 35 and 21 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

It also predicted early morning fog/mist over the coast with prospects of isolated thunderstorms over Calabar, Port-Harcourt, Warri, ikom, uyo and Yenegoa in the afternoon and evening hours.

According to NiMet, northern states of Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Gusau, Dutse, Nguru and Maiduguri will experience dust haze conditions throughout the forecast period.

“The region will also have day and night temperature of 34 to 38 degrees Celsius and 15 to 22 degrees Celsius respectively.

“The extreme Northern and Central parts of the country are expected to be under the influence of dust haze while the Southern cities are still experiencing isolated thunderstorms,’’ NiMet predicted. (NAN)
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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

NAN-ELS-6
Auction
Los Angeles, Nov. 18, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) The skin-tight dress Marilyn Monroe wore for her sultry rendition of “Happy Birthday’’ before then U.S. President John Kennedy at a 1962 gala was sold on Thursday for 4.8 million dollars at an auction in Los Angeles.

Mr Darren Julien, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Julien’s Auctions, made this known in a statement.

Julien said “Ripley’s Believe it or Not purchased the Jean Louis designed dress covered in sequins.

“With its colour matching her skin tone, the dress, which was so tight that Monroe had to be sewn into it, gave the impression that she was nude.

“Monroe singing Happy Birthday Mr President` is certainly one of the most famous impromptu performances in American history.”

He explained that Monroe, one of the 20th century most famous sex symbols, wore the dress as she sang “Happy Birthday to You’’ to Kennedy in a breathy performance at a May 19, 1962 fundraiser for the Democratic Party in Madison Square Garden in New York.

The star of the films “Some Like it Hot’’ and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’’ died of drug overdose less than three months later.

Monroe’s song was to mark Kennedy’s 45th birthday, which was to occur a couple of weeks later; the president was assassinated the following year.

“The late fund manager Martin Zweig bought the dress in 1999 for 1.26 million dollars at a Christie’s auction.

“ Zweig, who saw the dress as an investment, kept it in a climate-controlled display case mounted on a mannequin,’’ Julien said.

The dress was one of many items from Monroe’s life which Julien’s Auctions was offering during a three-day auction.

Monroe would have been 90 years old this year. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

NAN-ELS-5
Villages
By Collins Yakubu-hammer
Abuja, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Government has concluded arrangements to build three additional cultural villages in the country
to create employment for the youths.

Mr Seyi Womiloju, the Director of Cultural Industries and Heritage in the Ministry of Information and Culture, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

The director said that the three cultural villages would be located in Benin; Edo, Yola; Adamawa, and Badagry in Lagos State.

He said “we are working toward building the new villages; the contract has been awarded and the period of completion is supposed to be three months from now.

“The contract was awarded in November; therefore, it should be ready within a maximum of five months.”

Womiloju explained that the three additional cultural villages would make a total of 15 of such cultural centres spread across the six geo-political zones of the country as there were 12 already.

He noted that if the host state governments of the cultural villages handled them well, youths would not have to go looking for “white collar” jobs elsewhere.

He said youths in those states would make use of their creativity “to bring bread and butter” to their tables.

“The youths could organise themselves and even export these items. Imagine a slippers made up of beads.

“If people can be serious about opportunities in these cultural centres and the state governments coordinate the activities very well, the products could be taken to other countries for exhibition.

“And by doing so, foreign markets will be created for the products and the makers could make money and employ others to carry out mass production.”

The director explained that the ministry had no hand in the running of cultural villages.

“The ministry only builds such centres and hands over to states through the Art Councils and the council runs them,” he added.

He said the reason behind handing the centres to the state governments was because they were built to empower the community.

Womiloju, who said that state governments were supposed to supervise activities at the centres, added that the governments should also help artists who patronise them to secure micro-finance loans that could assist them buy materials.

“However, from our end here, we supply working tools, equipment to the centres and even carry out capacity building training for artists.

“It is unfortunate that some state governments are not making optimal use of the cultural centres.” (NAN)
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Edited by David Onilede/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

NAN-H-81

Land

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Makurdi, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue on Friday said the state government would not concede any part of its land for establishment of grazing reserve for herdsmen in the state.

Ortom made this known during the handing-over and inauguration of Daudu Shelter Project for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Guma Local Government Area of the state.

The 100 bungalows project was initiated by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in collaboration with the state government and Benue Non-Governmental Organisation Network (BENGONET).

Ortom, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Benson Abounu, said that 80 per cent of the people of the state were farmers which made their situation a peculiar one.

He disclosed that the law of the Northern Nigeria that demarcated 17 places for grazing route in 1950s did not gazette any portion of land in Benue.

According to him, in the 1950s when we had those grazing routes, we had just between 45 and 59 million people in Nigeria.

“The 925,000 square metres of land which made up Nigeria has not increased but the population of Nigeria has increased from that about 50 million to about 200 million today.

“Even the 925,000 square metres of land decreased because Bakassi had been ceded from Nigeria; how then can you have land that you will say Benue people should give away for grazing?

“Like any other business, when you want to do business you go and ask for the land and buy it and when the government gives you the Certificate of Ownership, you then build on it.

“In the same manner, since cattle breeding is a personal business of somebody, nobody has a right to force Benue state to create a grazing land.

“Going by international best practices, any herdsman that want to come and rear cattle in Benue should come and ask for land to build a ranch,’’ he said.

The governor also expressed the government’s readiness to continue to partner UNHCR and entire UN system in Nigeria towards actualizing the “Songhai project initiative” which had already been proposed by UNHCR.

He added that having a source of livelihood and economic empowerment for the IDPs remained one of the surest steps to be taken not only by the government but also by the UN.

According to him, currently, empirical information on the losses in food, human lives and property of IDPs and affected communities appears quite challenging to figure out.

“But beyond that, the state government wishes to see the UN system assist her in building institutional data gathering and management systems for their collective vision for a new Benue.

“Shelter remains at the core of the basic needs of man, and to lose one is really an affront on one’s dignity and self-esteem.

“It will be impactful if the UNHCR and the UN community consider working further with Benue government towards a cost-effective model that will empower IDPs to return safely to their homes.

“Let’s talk and collaborate on this in the days ahead to enable making necessary financial adjustments in view of the dwindling resource base of the state at the moment,’’ Ortom said.

He commended UNHCR for its commitment to alleviating the suffering of the IDPs in the state, and urged the agency to assist the state government to replicate the project in other parts of the state.

He said that the government had activated discussions to factor the IDPs within the social investment scheme, especially the component on cash vouchering for indigent ones.

The governor called on the Federal Government to consider including Benue on the list of presidential and humanitarian interventions in the North-East.

This, according to him, is in view of the relationship of the crises in Benue and that of the North-East, which are all insurgency related. (NAN)

OYS/AMM/OPI

Edited by Abiemwense Moru and Olisa Ifeajika

NAN-ELS-9
Pageant
Calabar, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Beauty queens drawn from 30 African countries arrived at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar,
on Friday, to participate in the maiden edition of “Miss Africa Beauty Pageant.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the pageant, organised by the Cross River Government, has “Climate Change’’ as its theme.

The pageant was to draw global attention to issues of climate change and related environmental issues.

Addressing newsmen shortly on arrival from Morocco, Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River, said that the pageant was a new addition to the state’s vast tourism offerings.

He said he was in Morocco for the just-concluded UN conference of parties (COP 22) in Marrakech.

Ayade added that “the pageant is a warm embrace to Africa and more importantly, to create a platform to discuss the fate of Africans.

“The Miss Africa Beauty Pageant is a platform for the expression of intellectualism, capacity, unity, strength, vitality and the energy Africa represents.’’

He also said that the showpiece was to create an avenue “to celebrate the great splendour and beauty that God has given to Africa in terms of beauty, resilience in character and natural resources.”

According to him, God has over-endowed Africa and for that, Africans have been a bit over indulged.

“This is a wake-up call for us to begin to galvanise and maximally harness these great potential for the benefit and well-being of our people.

“The time has come where Africans will have to sit to discuss the fate of a black man, come together as a continent and deal with their issues themselves.

“We don’t have to depend on other continents to teach us how to conserve sun for solar energy or use the wings for energy generation and that Africa can indeed drive Africa.”

The governor explained that the climate change summit in Morocco was consistent with this year’s Carnival Calabar theme.

“Some of the key issues we focused as a state were on conservation of our forest. I am just back from Morocco where the whole world focused on climate change so, it is consistent with this year’s carnival theme.”

He said that the focus was on adaptation, conservation and mitigation which were some of the very critical areas his administration was focusing on.

“We started by setting up the Green Police to focus on policing and sustenance of our people and more importantly the forest resources.

“There is deliberate effort to ensure that those whose livelihoods have been dislocated from continuous dependence on forest will now have alternative platform to express their yearnings,” he said.

Ayade assured visitors to the state that the 2016 Carnival Calabar would be the most spectacular show ever.

He said that the event would be“ bigger, larger, with a lot of charisma, energy, focusing so much on Africa and climate change.”

Some of the participants, Miss Chamata  Obani, representing Nigeria, and Miss Annie Grace, representing Zimbabwe, also expressed their views on the pageant.

In separate interviews, they lauded the state government for creating a platform for African ladies to showcase their beauty, intellect and character.

They said they were excited to be part of the maiden edition of Miss Africa Beauty pageant and appealed for sustained efforts by the organisers to
make it a platform toward uniting the continent. (NAN)
GNO/DOE/HA
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Edited by Dianabasi Effiong/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

NAN-H-78

Security

By Kabir Muhammad

Abuja, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, has called for calm over recent attacks on some villages in the territory, assuring that security agencies were on top of the situation.

Bello gave the assurance while addressing newsmen after an emergency security meeting which was attended by stakeholders of the affected communities in his office in Abuja on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that communities affected by the attacks suspected to have carried out by herdsmen are mainly in Kuje Area Council.

In the attacks on Darka and Huni-Gade communities on Sunday and Thursday, respectively, a 28-year-old man, Zakariyya Nuhu, was killed, while 10 persons were kidnapped and one injured.

The minister said that the FCT administration and the security agencies had been following the development in the communities and had put measures in place to tackle the problem headlong.

He advised the residents not to give any ethnic coloration to the attacks because killing and kidnapping of the innocent residents were purely criminal and that the culprits would be treated as such.

Bello said that the administration and the security agencies had outlined ways of handling the unpleasant situation and that all those involved would surely be arrested and prosecuted.

He commiserated with the communities as well as the families of those affected in the unfortunate incidents.

He called on the FCT residents to go about their normal businesses as the security agencies had been deployed to all parts of the territory, especially the affected places, to ensure the security of lives and property.

He advised the residents to pass any useful information to relevant agencies nearest to them as well as to traditional and community leaders. (NAN)

KM/OPI/OPI

Edited by Olisa Ifeajika

NAN-H-77
Advice
By Kabir Muhammad
Abuja, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, has advised members of staff to  give in their best to the service of the FCT Administration and by extension their father land.

Bello said this on Friday in Abuja at the valedictory management meeting of the administration to formally send off Alhaji Adamu Ismaila, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

Bello was represented by the the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr Babatope Ajaikaiye.

He said that the current FCTA leadership assumed office when so many things needed attention ranging from environmental management to streetlights maintenance, adding that the former ES was always there to guide the process.

“When we came on board, Ismaila was always on hand to show us the pathways, especially as he believes in the spirit of excellence.

“Those Ismaila has left behind should emulate the hard work and steadfastness because Abuja has remained the window in which the world sees Nigeria.’’

The FCT Director of Establishment and Training, Mr. Salihu Mohammed, commended the minister and permanent secretary for the send-off innovation, saying that it had afforded the administration the opportunity to appreciate its own.

Mohammed said Ismaila had left his marks in the service as he rose from Resident Engineer in 1982 to become the Executive Secretary of the FCDA.

He urged staff of the FCT Administration to continue to cooperate with the minister and the permanent secretary in the great task of building “Abuja of our dream”.

Responding, the outgoing executive secretary advised staff to maintain the high standard of infrastructural development synonymous with Abuja.

He pleaded with all those he might have offended, saying that it was not intentional. (NAN)

KM/AK/NKO

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Edited by Akin Makanjuola/Nkechi Okoronkwo

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Appointment
New York, Nov. 18, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday picked three conservative loyalists with hard-line views on immigration and counter-terrorism to lead his national security and law enforcement teams.

According to a statement issued on Friday by Trump’s transition team, the choices include U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General and Representative Mike Pompeo as CIA Director.

Retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, who had been a stalwart in supporting Trump’s promises to take tougher approach to militant Islamist groups, was also picked as National Security Adviser.

The decisions followed the Republican president-elect’s consultations to fill key positions in his administration, which would take over from Democratic President, Barack Obama, on Jan. 20.

The three men said they have accepted Trump’s offer.

In choosing Sessions as Head of the Justice Department and the country’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, Trump rewarded a loyalist who’s tough and sometimes inflammatory statements on immigration were similar to his own.

Sessions is one of the earliest Republican lawmakers to support Trump’s White House candidacy.

He opposes any path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and an enthusiastic supporter of Trump’s campaign promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

He also argued for curbs on legal immigration on the grounds that it drives down wages for U.S. workers.

A former Alabama Attorney General and U.S. attorney, Sessions, 69, could face a tough confirmation battle in the Senate, despite his 19-year tenure there.

Allegations that he made racist remarks led the Senate to deny his confirmation as a federal judge in 1986.

However, he could be helped as his status as one of Trump’s most enthusiastic backers on Capitol Hill.

Trump has hired several of Sessions’ staffers, including policy chief Stephen Miller and Rick Dearborn, who has a top job managing the transition.

“Jeff is greatly admired by legal scholars and virtually everyone who knows him,” Trump said.

Flynn is a retired U.S. Army three-star general.

He is one of Trump’s closest advisers, fired from the Defence Intelligence Agency in 2014, a move he has attributed to his outspoken views about combating Islamist militancy.

Other officials who worked with Flynn cited his lack of management skills and leadership style as reasons for his firing.

An Army intelligence veteran of three decades, Flynn was assistant director of national intelligence under Obama.

Pompeo, 52, a third-term Republican congressman from Kansas, was a surprise pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

NAN-AE-2

Technology

By Kudirat Ogunyemi

Abuja, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Dizengoff Nigeria, in collaboration with Phinada Integrated Farms, has introduced first-hand greenhouse technology to the northern part of the country, to improve agricultural production.

Mr Antti Ritvonen, Dizengoff`s Country Manager, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Ritvonen said that the partnership had brought out first-hand fresh products from the greenhouse technology, known as the Dizengoff Farmers Kit.

“The Dizengoff Farmers Kit was developed with the aim of helping farmers like the Phinada Integrated Farms with an all-year-round technique to produce and increase yields of greenhouse crops.

“The greenhouse crops are tomatoes, pepper, cucumber and sweet melons, which will earn the greenhouse operators guaranteed income on their investment as well as improve on the quality of food consumed by Nigerians.

“This will ensure sustainability, availability and affordability of quality food for all Nigerians and be a significant net provider of food to the global community.”

According to him, the greenhouse comes in different sizes and is specifically designed to help farmers work smarter, grow better and harvest bigger.

He said that a complete greenhouse is a combination of drip irrigation system, quality seeds, knapsack sprayer, agro chemicals & water-soluble fertiliser, training, installation, agro advisory support and insurance.

The manager urged the government to continue to provide an enabling environment by formulating and implementing policies that would make the agriculture sector self-sufficient and private sector-driven.

“That way, lots of employment opportunities will be created for Nigerians by Nigerians and there will in turn be an appreciable reduction of youth involvement in crimes.

“Therefore, to ensure the agricultural sector grows at the rate we all envision into the self-sufficient and private sector-driven model, government at all levels need to embrace the greenhouse technology.

“It will also develop the sector by encouraging banks to provide loan facilities at single digit interest rate for Nigerians to engage meaningfully in the production of high quality food to boost the economy of the nation.”

He further identified some challenges militating against the provision of the greenhouse technology to individual farmers.

“The issue of import duty on greenhouse equipment which we sincerely hope that the planned duty exemption granted to greenhouse will be fully implemented.

“The process of importing special greenhouse fertilisers required to achieve the desired yields can be made less cumbersome by ensuring that genuine importers certified by the Ministry of Agriculture are recognised.

“The tractors that are imported as semi-knocked down, bear a 35 per cent duty, while fully built and fully knocked down tractors have zero percent duty,” he said.

He appealed to the Federal Government to consider the semi-knocked down tractors for zero per cent duty, saying that this would create job opportunities for Nigerians.

NAN reports that Phinada Integrated Farms is owned by Sen. Philip Aduda, the Minority Whip in the Senate, who also represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). (NAN)

ROK/MOL/NKO
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Nkechi Okoronkwo
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