By Emmanuel Antswen

Gov. Samuel Ortom has congratulated former President of the Senate, David Mark on his 73rd birthday.

This is contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Terver Akase in Makurdi on Thursday.

Ortom described Mark as a statesman, seasoned administrator and a bastion of democracy, who stood for the rule of law, equity and justice over the years.

Sen. David Mark is a true patriot and leader who has over the years, made selfless contributions to the peace, unity and development of the country.

As he celebrates his 73rd birthday, I extend very warm felicitations on behalf of my family, the government and people of Benue.

It is my prayer that Almighty God keeps and bless him with good health as he continues to play a fatherly role for the benefit of the state and country at large, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Grace Alegba/Rukayat Adeyemi

The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, on Thursday advised Town Planners to eliminate quacks from the sector to ensure a well built environment.

Salako made the call during the investiture of Mr Ayo Adejumo as the 17th Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) on Thursday in Lagos.

According to Salako, there is the need as professionals to look into policy standards and become more professional.

He charged the new leadership to be resilient in upholding ethical standards and demonstrate leadership to build on the success recorded by his predecessor.

Salako, who is also a town Planner, said the government would collaborate with with NITP to regulate the building environment.

Mr Olutoyin Ayinde, National President Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP) charged the new executive of the NITP Lagos Chapter to set new standards of excellence to ensure a livable environment for citizens.

He called for responsible and responsive leadership that would challenge corrupt practices to ensure sanity in the profession.

Ayinde said the new chairman must brace-up for the task ahead, stressing that NITP Lagos has come a long way and is at the centre in the affairs of the institute.

This significant role places the chapter as a pacesetter in the affiars of the institute as well as in the practice of the profession.

The new leadership is at the least expected to maintain this standard, but it truly has to do more than that because maintaining the status quo is synonymous with making no impact.

According to him, the demands of the present time suggest that a focused and energetic team was needed to make the chapter better than it used to be.

He charged town planners to have a grip of their profession, demonstrate competence and show mastery of their calling to create livable communities.

Ayinde lauded the immediate past chairman of NITP Lagos, Mr Adebisi Adedire and his team, saying that their administration was trailblazing in conducting a virtual election in the history of the institute.

In his inaugural speech, Adejumo said the new executive would start work immediately so that it could deliver on its campaign promises.

Adejumo listed the five-point agenda of the executive to be: the construction of the main NTIP secretariat building, develop NITP recreation park, create special welfare programme for all categories of members.

Others are, to enhance mentorship and growth of young planners and make the chapter and planning profession more visible.

He commended all the contestants at the elections for showing interest to serve and maturity displayed during the campaign.

The chairman invited all stakeholders to join the present leadership in running NTIP, we will also be relying on your wisdom, ideas and suggestions to take the chapter to greater heights.

I promise you on behalf of the executive to deliver on our mandate and ensure that our chapter reaches for much greater heights, he said. (NAN)

RUKY/GA/EOB/SA

Edited by Edith Bolokor/Salif Atojoko

Source: NAN News

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Wednesday inaugurated Project Management Committee members for the three newly established universities in the state.

Okowa, who performed the function in Government House, Asaba, said that the creation of three new universities in the state was to broaden the citizens access to university education.

The Committee has Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, as Chairman, with Ambassador Godson Echegile, Prof. Emmanuel Nwanze, and Prof. John Enaohwo as members.

Others include Prof. Abednego Ekoko, Prof. Sam Ukala, Mr Ejiro Udjo, while Mrs Bridget Odobor will serve as Secretary.

He said that members of the committee were carefully chosen based on their track records in the academia, public administration and the private sector.

The governor added that they were men of deep intellect and managerial acumen.

I have absolute confidence in their ability to get the job done, he said.

Okowa said that those criticising the establishment of four universities in the state had no knowledge of the critical data available to the government.

On Friday, March 26, 2021, the National Universities Commission granted the state government operating licence for the three newly-created universities in Asaba, Agbor and Ozoro.

With that approval, we have scaled the major hurdle for their establishment.

What remains now is for us as an administration to set in motion the appropriate structures and operational modalities for their successful take-off in the 2021/2022 academic session.

In line with the process-driven character of this administration, it behooves us to have a Project Management Committee to midwife the successful transition and take-off of these universities.

The three newly established universities in the state are Dennis Osadebey University, Asaba; University of Delta, Agbor; and Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro.

I am aware there are some who question the rationale for having four universities in the state.

It is because they are not privy to the data available to government, therefore, understandably not conversant with the harsh reality confronting multiplied thousands of qualified secondary school graduates in their quest for university education.

As a government, we are daily confronted with the sense of gloom and doom experienced by these young men and women who cannot gain admission into existing universities due to inadequate space.

I will cite some statistics, in the JAMB report of 2018, no fewer than 80,131 Deltans representing 4.85 per cent of total applicants sat for the boards university entrance examination.

However, only a fraction of those who passed could be admitted. Also, for the 2019/2020 academic session, 25,896 candidates from the State chose Delta State University as first choice.

Out of this number, 22,358 qualified but only 4,854 candidates could be admitted.

As you can see, even the State-owned DELSU has reached its full-carrying capacity, Okowa said.

He lamented that majority of people of Deltacould not afford the fees charged by private universities.

According to him, some of the youth resort to anti-social vices, due to frustration.

As many join the migrant train in search of greener pastures in Europe using unorthodox methods with all dangers associated with such.

It is, therefore, incumbent on us as an administration to broaden access to university education for our bright students, especially in the fields of medicine, engineering, law, ICT, and architecture.

Our administration has worked very hard to curb youth restiveness in the State through various entrepreneurship development programmes.

Our efforts in this regard stand the risk of coming to naught if every year, more secondary school graduates are left stranded.

Not because they are not qualified but simply because there is not enough space in the existing public universities to accommodate them.

The state government is fully aware of the financial implications of establishing new universities.

We have not taken this decision lightly nor have we acted hastily.

The decision to establish new universities was one of the outcomes from the first-ever Delta State Education Summit in February 2016.

It is our considered view that the benefits of having these universities far outweigh the cost.

In fact, it makes more economic sense for the state government to upgrade the institutions as we have done because not only will these universities inherit infrastructure and personnel of the previous institutions.

It will also guarantee good return on investment.

We are confident that these new universities will go a long way to satisfy our peoples aspirations and yearnings for good quality education as the State Government is ensuring to gets full value for its money.

The committee, which has eight weeks to complete the assignment, has the following terms of reference:

To take stock of personnel, moveable assets as well as liabilities of the transitory institutions namely: College of Education, Agbor; Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro and Delta State University, Anwai Campus.

To work out strategies for the smooth transition of the institutions to the new universities, including the winding down of all ongoing certificate and diploma programmes hitherto mounted therein.

To advise the State Government on the prioritisation of programmes and projects of the new institutions and determine the take-off programmes.

To work out strategies for sustainable sourcing of funds for the new institutions.

To make such other recommendations that would facilitate the effective take-off of the institutions in a manner that meets the short and long-term aspirations of Deltans.

The Chairman of the Committee, Muoboghare, thanked the governor for the choice of members of the committee.

He assured that his committee would work hard to submit its report within the stipulated period. (NAN).

Source: NAN News

By Ebere Agozie

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said he did not institute any legal action on the citizenship of the former Vice President of Nigeria Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Malami said this in a statement by Dr Umar Gwandu, his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, in Abuja on Wednesday.

I never filed any case before any court in the country challenging the citizenship of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he said.

He said the matter in contention was part of the 2019 pre-election matters instituted by a Civil Society Organisation the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019.

He said that it was in respect of it that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation were made co-defendants.

He noted that the issue had already been widely reported by the media since April, 2019.

It is unfortunate that stale news stories capable of causing confusion are repackaged and presented to the general public as current news, the minister said. (NAN

Source: NAN News

Team Edo on Wednesday won their third gold medal out of the available six in the cricket event of the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Edo female team won the T20 event of the cricket competition at the festival.

Edo had on Monday won two gold medals in the male and female six-a-side event of the festival.

The Edo male team won by defeating Kwara while the female side won against Lagos.

NAN reports that Edo the T20 female event by defeating Ebonyi by eight wickets to make it their third gold medal so far in the cricket competition.

The T20 male event will take place on Thursday while the One Day International (ODI) has been scheduled for Friday.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Kevin Okunzuwa

Defending champions Delta maintained their lead on the medals table of the ongoing 2020 National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin on Wednesday, with hosts Edo slipping to third.

According to the medals table released by the Games Services Unit of the festivals Main Organising Committee (MOC), Delta are with 15 gold, seven silver and four bronze medals.

The table, which was released at 7:07 p.m. and was the days second and final one, has Bayelsa in second place with 12 gold, six silver and four bronze medals.

Hosts Edo are in third place with three gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze medals, while Kwara are in fourth place with one gold and one bronze medals.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the four states are the only ones with gold medals after four days of competition.

Nine other states - Kano, Rivers, Lagos, Oyo, Cross River, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Borno and Gombe - are with either silver and bronze medals or just bronze medal(s).

Twenty-three other states and the FCT are yet to win any shade of medal at the festival which began on Friday and will end on April 14.

In total, 99 medals have been won by the participating teams, with 31 of them gold, 31 silver and 37 bronze.

Below is a view of the full table:

Serial No. State Gold Silver Bronze Total

1. Delta 15 7 4 26
2. Bayelsa 12 6 4 22
3. Edo 3 11 11 25
4. Kwara 1 0 1 2
5. Kano 0 4 1 5
6. Cross River 0 1 3 4
7. Rivers 0 1 2 3
8. Lagos 0 1 1 2
9. Gombe 0 0 3 3
10. Oyo 0 0 3 3
11. Ogun 0 0 2 2
12. Akwa Ibom 0 0 1 1
13. Borno 0 0 1 1

• Team FCT and 23 others are yet to win any medal.
  (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Igbaugba Ehigimetor

The Edo Government, hosts of the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin, will shut down the 13-day event by 12 noon Thursday, an official said late Wednesday.

Musa Ebomhiana, Project Manager with the Media and Communications Sub-Committee of the festivals Local Organising Committee (LOC), said the decision was necessitated by Federal Governments refusal to fulfill a promise.

He said the Federal Government failed to support the state with funds as promised, and the state government had no choice other than shutting down the festival.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this decision was taken after an emergency meeting of the festivals Local Organising Committee (LOC) headed by the Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

You can quote me, that we just finished from an emergency meeting of the LOC, and as I speak with you we have decided to shut down the festival by 12 noon tomorrow (Thursday).

The decision was arrived at because the Federal Government has reneged on its promise to assist the state with funds.

Because of that, we are closing the festival, Ebomhiana stated.

He however did not disclosed how the LOC was going to shut down the festival.

NAN could not get the reaction of the festival organisers, the Main Organising Committee (MOC), to this development as at the time of this report.

It could not also get the reaction of the festivals owners, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

John Joshua-Akanji, an aide of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, however responded immediately he was contacted.

The Special Assistant on Media to the minister urged NAN to get across to the MOCs Secretary, Peter Nelson, who could however not be reached.

NAN reports that Edo had solicited financial support from the Federal Government for it to play host to the other states of the federation and the FCT.

It had hinged its demand upon the inconveniences brought about by the several postponements of the festival which was earlier billed for March 2020.

The postponements were as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rescheduled festival had commenced on April 2 to last till April 14, and if it was shut down on Thursday it would just be in its seventh day.(NAN

Source: NAN News

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Sabo Nanono says Nigeria generated 150 million dollars from the export of coconut oil and its derivatives in 2020.

Nanono said this on Wednesday during the training of coconut farmers organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FEMARD) in collaboration with Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) in Benin.

The minister, represented by Mr Bernard Ukattah, Deputy Director, FEMARD, said that coconut was a major non-oil export foreign exchange earner for Nigeria.

He explained that coconut provided livelihood for more than 500,000 families, mostly women and youths in the country.

Nanono noted that coconut accounted for 10 per cent of the nations agricultural exports, adding that it was expected to generate more than 250 million dollars by 2021.

As a result of the awareness of its value and degree of uses, Nigeria has in recent times, increased the volume of production of coconut to average of 250,000 metric tonnes per annum.

In 2016, Nigeria produced 283,774 metric tonnes and the demands for the crop have been on the increase, growing upwards to more than 500 per cent in the last decade.

Available data show that coconut is grown in 22 states of the country with Lagos being the largest producer.

Other major producing states include Ogun, Ondo State, Edo, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Imo and Benue among others, he said

According to Nanono, President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to revamping the agricultural sector by supporting farmers and empowering women and youths through capacity building.

Also speaking, the Acting Executive Director of NIFOR, Dr Celestin Ikuenobe, said coconut was an exotic crop not being developed in the state like Oil palm.

Ikuenobe said: I am happy that the ministry is trying to develop coconut because it is a very important tree crop in Nigeria.

Our work here is to research into crops and come out with the best varieties for maximum yield.

Oil palm is our major crop, coconut, date palm, Raphia and shell all came later in 1964.

According to him, NIFOR carries out research on very important crops in Nigeria to create wealth for the country and create opportunities for people to invest in those crops to earn a living.

Mr Kelvin Uwaibi, the head of Edo Investment Promotion Office, said coconut had shown potential benefits in the value chain.

Coconut production is a new area that has shown significant benefits for farmers that want to go into it.

It is a new area which we are quite interested in because it has shown potential in tree crop value chain .

For us, coconut has shown innovation because it can put food on the table and expand the economy.

We are here because we want to work with different stakeholders to look at the opportunities in coconut.

As you are already aware, commercially, we are already promoting oil palm and rubber in the state, so coconut is also something we are interested in, Uwaibi said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Nefishetu Yakubu

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FEMARD) has organised a 2-day training for 50 coconut farmers to improve the value chain.

Speaking while declaring open the training in Benin, the Minister, Mr Sabo Nanono, said that the training was to improve the livelihood of coconut farmers.

Nanono said that the training was done through the integrated coconut based agro-forestry system and plantation establishment organised under coconut value chain of the ministry.

Represented by Mr Bernard Ukattah, Deputy Director, FEMARD, Nanono stated that the training was done in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR).

This workshop is coming at a very crucial moment of the country s recovery from a difficult spell of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

It is out of the need to attain food security, self-sufficiency and improve the livelihood of coconut farmers that government decided to create awareness and build the capacity of the farmers.

He added thst it was to improve the technical know-how of coconut farmers to increase productivity and ensure quality of products for local and international markets.

National President of the National Coconut Producers, Processors And Marketers Association of Nigeria (NACOPPMAN) Nma Okoroji said that the association planned to reposition coconut value chain in Nigeria.

Okoroji said that NACOPPMANs mission was to actualise its road map of midwifing the establishment of 10,000 hectares and plant two million coconut trees in each viable state.

Statistics show that despite arable lands for coconut production, Nigeria still lags behind global coconut producing countries of Indonesia and Philippines.

Nigeria produces a negligible quantity of only 364,000 metric tons annually. Lagos state dominates the local production with its output of 257,000 metric tons annually.

NACOPPMAN is working to achieve 10,000 hectares of coconut plantation in each state in the first phase.

One hectare of coconut plantation will create employment for women and the youth.

Every 10,000 hectares will be generating 10,000 jobs, creating meaningful employment opportunities to 340,000 Nigerians in over 34 coconut viable states.

With processing hub, over 340 million employment opportunities will be created, she said.

According to her, I want to thank the ministry and NIFOR for the workshop.

We promise that through this workshop and subsequent provision of seedlings and inputs to the association, we will transform Nigeria through coconut value chain, she added.

The Acting Executive Director of NIFOR, Dr Celestine Ikuenobe, urged the farmers to take advantage of the training to improve the production of coconut to create wealth for themselves and the nation.

Ikuenobe advised the farmers to buy seedlings from NIFOR which, he said, were the best in the country.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Stellamaris Ashinze
Nigerians have expressed divergent views on the extension of the deadline on National Identification Number (NIN) and Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) linkage by the Federal Government.

Some subscribers and vendors reacted in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

NAN reports that April 6, was supposed to be the deadline for Nigerians to link their NINs to their SIM cards but the exercise was extended again by one month until May 6.

Mr Thomas Adegoke, a self employed, expressed excitement at the extension saying that it had been difficult to get registered due to the crowds at the enrollment centres.

Adegoke said that it was his desire to get the NIN because apart from linking it to his SIM, it could be used for other forms of identification.

The extension is a blessing for those of us who are yet to be registered and link our SIMS.

Mrs Vivian Ilechukwu, another respondent, said that the extension was appreciated because it would enable her to register her child for NIN to be eligible for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination.

Ilechukwu said that efforts had been made severally to get the child registered but due to school activities it has been difficult but with the extension it would be possible.

A SIM vendor, Miss Blessing Okon, expressed disappointment that the extension was putting a hold on the source of her livelihood because nothing would be done except the registration was completed.

Okon said that since the exercise began business had dropped and people were eager to get started again after the registration.

She, however, advised people to take advantage of the extension to get registered so that business would start booming.

Okon also pleaded that more enrolment centres be opened so as to get more people registered in the shortest time possible.

NAN reports that the move by the Federal Government to get citizens to secure the NIN and link them with their SIM cards was first announced in December 2020.

A two-week period was prescribed for the exercise, but after it was clear that the time window was insufficient the government extended it to February and then April 6. (NAN)

Source: NAN News