Month: October 2023

The Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Alhaji Tijani Ahmed on Tuesday inspected 40 flats of housing units built for Internationally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Ahmed during the inspection at resettlement city in Keffi, Nasarawa appealed to government for ecological funds to enable the Commission construct a good road network in the area for easy access.

According to him, the resettlement centre will accommodate 40 households and it is expected to be ready in the next three months.

While expressing satisfaction at the level of work at the centre, Ahmed said that the facilities at the city were clinic, school, recreational centre, market and police station for their security.

“We are also working towards durable solution to ensure that all IDPs return home if they wish or they will remain in the resettlement centre we have provided for them.

“We want to have a good road network so that there will be easy access from the main town to the resettlement centre. We want to make the environment comfortable for IDPs,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that presently the resettlement cities are in Edo, Borno, Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Nasarawa.

Ahmed also said that with time the resettlement city would be extended to other states, particularly violence prone states.

He acknowledged the vision of his predecessors Senator Basheer Mohammed, who conceived the idea and Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim who saw it through.

Ahmed promised that the Commission under his leadership would build on these achievements and restore livelihoods for IDPs and provide educational opportunities for their children.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Ikeja Dynamic Lions Club, an arm of Lions International District 404B2, Nigeria, on Tuesday planted 25 trees within the premises of Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja, to safeguard the environment.

Mr Sanyaolu Opeyemi, President of the club, said during the tree planting exercise that the move was to ensure the environment was further protected against environmental depletion.

Opeyemi said that it was observed that there are limited trees within the college premises.

“ This is one way to keep the ecosystem balanced in terms of sustaining the environment, and we observed that this college needs this, furthermore, the management of the school requested we do this.

“ We have come to answer that call, ozone depletion is really affecting them and planting of trees will help in sustaining the atmosphere and the ambience. We have planted over 25 trees in this premises today.

“ We call on government and organisations to plant more trees so that we can continue to safeguard our environment,” he said.

Earlier, Mrs Oluwakemi Abimbola, Second Vice District Governor of the club and the Vice Principal, Special Duties of the college, appreciated the club’s kind gesture.

Abimbola said this was one of the ways to serve humanity by ensuring the environment was comfortable and safe for all.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that members and executives of the club participated in the exercise.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government says the upcoming Africa Cassava Conference in Abuja, will boost cassava production along its value chain.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari,who stated this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, said it will also facilitate increase in local and export demand.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Africa Cassava Conference is scheduled to hold on Oct. 18 to 20 in Abuja.

NAN reports that the objective of conference is to bring together stakeholders in the cassava value chain to brainstorm and strategies on the full exploitation of cassava-based products.

The minister was represented by Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, Director, Federal Department of Agriculture.

The theme of the conference is ” Stimulating Africa’s industrialisation through development of cassava-based products and assuring quality along cassava value chain.”

” The Africa Cassava Conference is welcomed as the importance of ensuring standardisation in derivatives of cassava products cannot be over emphasized.

” It will also provide good quality cassava derivatives to facilitate increase in local and export demand of the product,” he said.

“Cassava is recognised as a staple crop and one of the major sources of carbohydrate for human consumption as well as other industrial uses.

” This is why the Ministry will continue to support the development of the commodity in Nigeria,” he said.

He said the ministry through the Cassava Value Chain is continuously working earnestly towards continuous promotion and development of cassava and its derivatives.

Kyari said the outcome of the conference would bring about increase in the average yields in cassava.

He said it will also promote the stakeholders’ revenues; incorporate quality control inspection and certification system.

Earlier, the Project Manager, Africa Cassava Conference, Ms. Heather – Ronke Akanni, said the objectives of the conference were not far-fetched.

“We need to provide an overview, create awareness, share evidence based contributions from our participating states and countries, outside and within Africa, it is also to inspire innovation.

“The expected outcome of the conference are centered around the need to enhance knowledge, collaboration, increased awareness of cassava products and their innovation applications,” she said.

In a goodwill message, the representative of Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF), Prof. Abba Gambo, said that the 36 States of the Federation would be represented at the conference.

He said the 36 State Governors through the Forum are in support of the organisers as cassava value chain is one of the value chains prioritized by the governors.

The conference is being organised by African Union Commission (AUC) and Pan-African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI).

NAN also reports that participants expected at the conference included countries from Europe, Asia, Africa, and others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government is set to partially commercialise the dams under the nation’s 12 river basins to enable them to deliver their mandates effectively.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen shortly after inspecting Tiga dam in Bebeji Local Government Area of Kano State on Wednesday.

The minister said the commercialisation of the basins would enable them to generate increased revenues for the Federal Government.

He assured that the huge infrastructure available at the basins would guarantee a return on investments.

He explained that the exercise would ensure sustainable operations and management of their infrastructure.

” The basins have huge infrastructure like water supply schemes, dams and irrigation that require good funding to be able to keep them running and to provide dividends for Nigerians.

He said the aim of the visit was to assess the state of the dam and the challenges with a view of addressing them for optimal growth.

The minister explained that the main purpose of constructing the dam was for irrigation, flood control and energy generation.

The Federal Government is ever ready to partner commercial farmers to pave the way for massive production of assorted food crops in all-year farming system.

” We are ready to partner with commercial farmers, they come and register with us, and we will allow them to tap water from the dam for commercial farming which will help immensely in enhancing food production.”

He said one of the major challenges the dam was currently facing was illegal tapping of the water from the dam by farmers.

” Farmers are tapping water illegally from the canals and this will have negative impact, hence we are working towards calling the attention of the farmers so that they will register with the government and the water would be supplied to them.

“We will also update our data base for effective service delivery,” he said.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the Hadejia Jamma’are River Basin, Ma’Amun Dau Aliyu, explained that more than 3 million farmers were benefiting from the Tiga Dam while hundreds of others were syphoning the water illegally.

He said the basin had since commenced moves to mobilise all those operating illegally so that they would register.

Aliyu hinted that the dam, built 50 years ago, was constructed on 1.4 billion cubic water capacity, and was done on some five million combined Kano/Jigawa population then, but still not being fully utilised.

He said Tiga Dam had canals and small dams that linked up to Lake Chad through Kamadugu River Basin in Yobe State, adding that with the commercialisation of the dam, more economic inputs would be recorded.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has allocated 412 slots to Edo for the 2024 Hajj.

Sheik Ibrahim Oyarekhua, Chairman, Edo Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, disclosed this during an interactive session with newsmen on Wednesday in Benin.

“In 2023, 432 slots were allocated to the state in the recently concluded exercise, and with the allocation for 2024, the slot has reduced by 20,” he said.

Oyarekhua said that the slots might be increased when the state exhausts the slots given to it on or before the deadline.

“NAHCON has announced N4.5 million as deposit for the 2024 Hajj before the actual full payment is announced on or before the Ramadan fast in 2024,” he said.

He said that intending pilgrims in the state had commenced depositing money, adding that while some have made part payment, others have paid the full amount announced by NAHCON.

The chairman described the response from intending pilgrims in the state so far as very encouraging.

“Intending pilgrims can make payment through bank transfer or pay cash to the board or any of the designated banks.

“Thereafter, the board will issue prospective pilgrim receipt on the exact amount paid, whether full or part payment,” he explained.

He urged Muslims faithful who have the intention to perform the 2024 Hajj to start making deposits to enable them beat the deadline of Feb. 28, given by NAHCON.

Oyarekhua encouraged intending pilgrims to make early payment as everything about the Hajj operation, would end 50 days before the commencement of Hajj to allow for a hitch free exercise.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Esu-Karu, Luka Panya and security agents, on Wednesday warned residents of Karu, in Nasarawa State against taking laws into their hands (jungle justice).

Panya said this at a meeting with security agents, traditional rulers, community, religious, motorcycle and tricycle leaders, following the recent bizarre story of stolen genitals.

He said that in the last three weeks, there had been incidents of stolen genitals around Karu, Masaka, Ado, New Nyanya and the latest in sharp Corner, where the suspect and his car were burnt.

According to him, it is my duty to ensure that my subjects are safe because the essence of leadership is to ensure that the community is peaceful and attain required development.

“We have a duty to talk to our people so we know how to manage these issues of stolen genitals, so we don’t take laws into our hands.

“I urge every representative, especially the chairman of motorcycle/tricycle riders association to pass the message to their people.

“There is no society that is free of crime, but there are ways to handle these through security agencies, not jungle justice, because anybody can be affected,’’ the Esu said.

In his contribution, Prince Jatau, a security agent called for sensitisation of the rural populace.

Jatau warned that no act of jungle justice would be tolerated any longer in the community.

He said that Karu was a sensitive town and close to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and therefore, expressed his fears that if the present situation was not well managed, could escalate to religious or ethnic crises.

Jatau advised the people to be careful in raising false alarm as anyone seen at the scene where jungle justice was being carried out, would be charged to court too.

Similarly, Francis Obigwa, the Police Area Commander in charge of Karu, said that the issue of alleged stolen genitals, which had been proven to be untrue medically, was becoming overwhelming

According to Obigwa, there has been ongoing arrests as regards the case and both the suspect and victims will be charged to court.

He said that some persons were now capitalising on the trending issue to commit other manner of crimes, adding that the police was always on alert to deal with such individuals.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Motorcycle/Tricycle Riders Association, Bahago Na’Allah, had assured the Esu and the security agents that the association was working toward ensuring that its members conducted themselves in an orderly manner by not taking the law into their hands.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria