By Emmanuel Mogbede

A former Chief of Army Staff , Lt.- Gen. Oyeabo Ihejirika has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is according to a statement issued by Alhaji MammanMohammed, Director of Press and Media to Gov. Mai Mala Buni, Chairman APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Comnittee (CECPC) on Friday in Abuja.

Mohammedsaid that Buni, who is also the governor of Yobe, formally received the former Chief of Army Staff into the APC.

Gen. Ihejirika was formally presented to the chairman by Jigawa governor and Chairman APC Strategy and Contact Committee, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru, and Farouk Aliyu, he said.

He quoted Buni as saying that the coming of Gen. Ihejirika into the APC will increase the fortunes of the party in Abia and the South-East generally.

This is a great moment for the party as Gen. Ihejirika and other sons and daughters of the region are coming into the party to deliver the region and bring the South-East closer to the centre.

He added that the party looked forward to more of APC presence in the South-East.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

The Forum of the 36 states chairmen of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has elected new officials to steer the affairs of the forum in the next couple of years.

The Chairman of the forum, Malam Idris Ojoko, who dropped the hint in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said that the election took place in Kula in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers.

Ojoko, who doubles as the Chairman of Nasarawa State Chapter of NYCN explained that the election was conducted in the presence of the representative of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, security agents and special observers.

He said that other elected officials of the forum include, Mr Godwin Emeji of Ebonyi as Vice Chairman, Malam AbdulAzeez Ismail of Osun as Secretary, Malam Abdullahi Zannah of Yobe as Financial Secretary and Mr Bani Samuel of Rivers as Public Relations Officer.

Ojoko, who was also among the newly elected executive members, said that the officials, who emerged winners in the election were inaugurated immediately to start work.

While pledging to run an all inclusive government, he reiterated his commitment to consolidate the activities, programmes and policies of the 36 states chapters of NYCN to move the council forward.

The new NYCN President called for the support and cooperation of all states chairmen to enable him succeed in transforming the council to ensure that Nigerian youths contribute immensely to National development.

Source: NAN News

By Angela Atabo

The Northern Cross River Youths Coalition in conjunction with Centre for Good Governance Democracy and Accountability has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the Bekwarra,Obudu and Obanliku Federal Constituency projects in the state.

Mr Sunday Michael, Convener of the group made the call at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

Michael said that the House Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board facilitated three constituency projects- two ICT centres in Bendi Technical College,Obanliku and Clement Ebri College in Utugwang,Obudu and a resource centre in Abuochichie ,Bekwarra.
He said that the projects were all awarded by the relevant government agency which was the Nigerian Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB) as required by law.

The projects were to be executed at N491million.

We have visited the three project sites already and observed that the projects have not been done according to the terms and conditions stated in the award letters.

The contract ended up in the hands of contractors who did not do the job.

This act of non-execution and non-completion of constituency projects contracts awarded is a flagrant abuse of our extant laws, he said.

Michael said that the group had investigated and uncovered huge financial fraud, sleaze and outright non-execution of the projects by the contractors.

He said that investigation revealed that instead of building and constructing the projects as contained in the contracts schedule, the contractors only renovated and collected 50 per cent of the contract sum as kick back.

He alleged that this implied that the contracts were not fully executed in compliance with the contract terms and conditions.

Michael said that the group had petitioned relevant anti-graft agencies to investigate the matter and bring the perpetuators to book.
We will keep following up the matter.

He said the group demanded to know why the award letter and signpost showed construction, while the contractors did renovation.

He added that the group would want to know how and why full payment was made for the job and who verified the work before full payment was made among other things.

Source: NAN News

By Lizzy Okoji

President Muhammadu Buhari, has commended the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), saying that the mechanism was impacting effectively on the continent.

Buhari made this known during the 30th Summit of the Forum of Heads of State and Government of member States of the APRM.

Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the mechanism seeks to attain the pan African vision of a prosperous, peaceful and integrated Africa that is respected globally for its good governance.

It has therefore, been providing a platform for AU member states that have acceded to the protocol to share information, knowledge and experience as they review each others performance within the framework established by the forum.

As a self-monitoring mechanism in all aspect of governance, the initiative places the people at the centre of the development discourse for the benefit of Africans in line with AU Agenda 2063.

The establishment of the mechanism has led to healthy competition in development efforts, as well as providing a mechanism to identify deficiencies.

And capacity-building needs among member states, as it promotes best practices for a sustainable development and political stability, Buhari said.

Buhari said I was important to note that the APRM process in its participatory model, engages stakeholders to facilitate exchange of information and national dialogue on good governance and socio-economic development programmes.

This, the President added enables for increased transparency in decision-making process and building trust in pursuit of the national development goals.

In preparation of our peer review process, we have ensured that the review structures are put in place and made up of National Focal Points, National Governing Council, APRM National Secretariat, Technical Research Institutes and other Technical Review Team.

In line with the AU APRM Review guideline and Road Map, commendable achievements have been attained on COVID-19, Buhari said.

Buhari further told the forum that a national structure was duly established for Nigeriaa second review under his leadership for effective implementation of APRM.

He explained that the structures were the establishment of a National Focal Point of APRM, charged with the responsibility of ensuring the successful domestication and implementation of APRM in Nigeria.

Buhari alongside others said a 15-member National Governing Council presently constituted, made up of broad-based representatives of Nigerians from both the public and private sectors.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APRM was established in 2003 by the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) as an instrument for AU Member States to voluntarily self-monitor their governance performance.

APRM is a voluntary arrangement amongst African states to systematically assess and review governance at Head of State peer level in order to promote political stability, accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration, economic growth and sustainable development.

By acceding to the APRM, Member States agree to independently review their compliance with African and international governance commitments.

Performance and progress are measured in democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance andd socio-economic development. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Habibu Harisu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged Point Of Sale (POS) operators to always obtain customers identities and strictly comply with financial regulations in their transactions.

Mr Bawa Usman, the EFCC Zonal Head in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, made the call when the leaders of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents visited the commission on Thursday.

Usman urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks and other stakeholders in the financial industry to assist toward sanitising the POS business, in recognition of its acceptability by the citizens.

He said more improvements were needed on technical upgrades of the usable application systems, monitoring of money flows, as well as identification of customers.

According to him, many fraudulent financial activities were being traced to POS operators and at times they were forced to compensate for losses.

He said that as from March 29 this year, EFCC would sanction any operator that flouted the rules on obtaining customers identities before transactions and other breaches.

Every customer shall present a legitimate National Identity Card or other required lawful identifications for any transactions.

You are facing many challenges that require careful considerations, an operator should always establish where the money goes and the persons who benefited in the transaction, Usman said.

The Zonal Head further cautioned business owners to be wary of fraudsters as some approached them to provide their bank details and after transferring money for a business, they later cancelled the transaction and demanded their money back in cash.

He insisted that any person that transferred money into an account for business, refunds should not be made in cash rather the money should be transferred back or inform the authorities.

At present EFCC is handling 25 POS-related cases, including five where children stole heir parents ATM cards and withdrew money, Usman added.

Speaking earlier, the association chairman, Sokoto state chapter, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, said they were in the EFCC on a familiarization visit and to seek improved working partnership.

Atiku said the POS had become an emerging business everywhere in the country and popularly accepted by the citizens.

He said the association had 3,800 members across the 23 local government areas of Sokoto state with lawful registration from Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other regulatory bodies.

We are seeking EFCCs intervention as some members were occasionally being victimised and recording loses due to fraudsters.

We are law abiding citizens and ready to partner with government agencies in sanitising the business, Atiku said.

He added that many POS operators had placed CCTV cameras in their premises to protect their businesses.

Atiku said many incidences were being reported and shared through the associations social media platform, saying that a member once lost up to N5 million to fraudsters in Yabo local government area.

The chairman said the association planned to organise a public event in April this year where EFCC and other regulatory bodies would be invited to educate members.

He further assured of their readiness to cooperate with the EFCC to sanitise the business. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) says its furniture and wood enterprise cluster, under construction at Industrial Development Centre (IDC), Idu, Abuja, will be completed in 2021.

Dr Dikko Radda, Director-General, SMEDAN disclosed this on Thursday during a facility tour of the project by SMEDAN and the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN).

The SMEDAN-CICAN facility tour was aimed at accessing the completion level and benefits of the ongoing SMEDAN furniture and wood enterprise cluster project.

The cluster park is an agglomeration of enterprises in a geographical location to promote development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for economic growth.

The Abuja pilot scheme, sitting on 1.8 hectares of land, comprises an administrative block with One-Stop-Shop, workshops, warehouses is expected to accommodate 525 MSMEs when operational.

Radda, represented by Mr Anthony Igba, Deputy Director, Department of Engineering Technology and Infrastructure, said the project which began in 2020 had undergone 80 per cent completion.

According to him, the pilot project will be completed tentatively at the end of 2021, based on availability of funds.

He recalled that the African Development Bank (AfDB) provided a grant of .000 (N228.3m) for SMEDAN to conduct a viability study for the conversion of the IDCs across the country into cluster parks.

He noted that in the bid to make the IDCs functional, SMEDAN conducted a viability study in 2018 to ascertain if they are viable in Nigeria with comparative advantage for marketability in huge markets, hence Abuja was chosen for the pilot furniture project.

The study showed that the conversion of the IDCs into a furniture clusters will be a viable project and equally provide the type of infrastructure and machineries to be put in place to equip the entrepreneurs.

This project will enable the MSMEs to come up with products that are competitive within the West African market region, it will take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Through this, there will be creation of jobs, employments and economy of scales by having a shared infrastructure and common facility.

There will also be a One-Stop-Shop comprising SMEDAN and other regulatory agencies namely Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Environmental Board.

The MSMEs that will be operational in the cluster will have easy access of product testing and certification, while it will provide machineries and facility to enable quality products and competitiveness, he said.

Radda, who noted that the MSMEs especially those involved in furniture making had been operating under harsh environment, assured that the cluster on completion would meet global standards and provide conducive environment for the MSMEs to thrive.

We will work with MSMEs associations and equally will provide the machinery needed to ease production, he added.

He said the government was using the cluster as a pilot scheme to demonstrate its workability, adding that it would be done under Private, Public Partnership (PPP) thereafter.

There are 23 clusters across the country, on fast moving consumer goods, textiles, spices, leather and among others established based on the comparative advantage of the states. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Victor Nwachukwu

Twenty-two communities in IhitteUboma Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo on Thursday declared an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the area.

The Chairman of Imo traditional institution in IhitteUboma, Eze Jude Uwalaka, made the declaration for the abandonment of FGM in the LGA.

The royal father said that the declaration was in line with the states anti FGM law (2017).

Uwalaka thanked the support partners, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for their enduring solidarity to the course.

He also said that anyone who violated the law would be duly prosecuted and punished as a deterrent to intending perpetrators.

We, the 22 communities in IhitteUboma have reached a consensus to declare on this day that FGM is prohibited and abolished from our land in accordance with the Imo anti FGM law (2017).

As law abiding citizens, we shall hand over for prosecution anyone who flaunts this declaration as the practice is now prohibited in Ihitte Uboma, he said.

In his remarks, the UNICEF chief of field office, Enugu, Mr Ibrahim Conteh lauded the move saying it was a demonstration of civil obedience and adherence to extant laws.

Conteh, represented by Mr Benjamin Mbakwem, UNICEF consultant for FGM in Imo and Enonyi, described the practice as a component of violence against women and girls.

He commended the communities for taking what he described as a bold step while urging the leaders to sustain the momentum.

We have been supporting the implementing partners through advocacy and community mobilisation to enhance social norms for the abandonment of FGM, and today we are most elated that the results are positive.

UNICEF is in solidarity with the 22 communities of IhitteUboma LGA and we kindly urge that this momentum be maintained and the resolutions sustainably implemented, he said.

Also speaking, the NOA director in Imo, Mr Vitus Ekeocha, described the declaration as the most decisive step by the communities in the campaign to end FGM and commended them for their collective willingness.

What we are witnessing here today is the outcome of various engagements and advocacy meetings with critical stakeholders on the negative health and psycho-social consequences of FGM on the female folk.

This public declaration marks a great milestone in the history of IhitteUboma people and we commend the traditional rulers, religious, youths and women leaders for this step in the right direction, he said.

Also, the states commissioner for women affairs, Mrs Nkechinyere Ugwu, appealed to residents of the communities to remain law abiding and fight FGM until the end.

The Chairman of the LGA, Mr Chike Omemgbe, thanked the support partners for their cooperation and pledged to establish a taskforce to monitor implementation of the declaration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by representatives of the 22 communities in the LGA, traditional and religious leaders. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

We will compete in 22 events, including athletics, badminton, handball, volleyball, swimming, taekwondo, basketball, traditional wrestling (Kokawa) and boxing (Dambe), among others.

We are in the final stage, some of the athletes are outside Kano for training because of the lack of facilities. For instance, Swimmers, Gymnasts, Cyclists are based in Lagos while some are in other parts of the country, he explained.

Galadima, a former president of the Nigerian Football Federation, also said that Kano, being the zonal champions, would represent North West in five of the six team events which include Basketball (male and female), Handball, Volleyball and Rugby.

Before now, the festival was allowing two states to represent each zone in team events but this time because of Covid-19 pandemic, it was decided to cut down the number of people going there so only the champion states will play.

By March 29th all the athletes will arrive in Kano to meet Covid-19 protocol of testing and vaccinations, because they are required to do the test three days before they arrive in Benin.

The vaccination is to be held 12 days before the arrival, we have been taking the jabs for two days back. I had my own on Tuesday, Galadima added.

According to the chairman, the state government will maintain the gesture of giving out the sum of N500,000 to each gold medal winner, silver N300,000 while Bronze medal winners will go home with N200,000 each as motivation.

He described the tournament as a veritable tool for selecting talents that would represent either the state or the country at various sports competitions. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Olayinka Olawale

The Country Coordinator, Open Forum for National Biotechnology in Africa, Nigeria Chapter, Dr Rose Gidado has appealed to the Federal Government to promote urban agriculture to mitigate against food scarcity.

Gidado, a Deputy Director, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

She said that urban agriculture would address issues surrounding insecurity in many parts of the country.

Gidado said that hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics were all new urban agriculture techniques that should be promoted.

She said that greenhouse farming technology that be promoted to boost food production and self-sufficiency.

According to her, hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in nutrient solutions that supply all nutrient elements needed for optimum plant growth.

It is done with or without the use of an insert medium such as gravel, vermiculite, rock wool, peat moss, sawdust, coir dust and coconut fiber.

Aeroponics is an innovative technique of misting the roots, which are suspended in the air, with hydroponic solution. Plants are supported by tailor made holes in Styrofoam panels.

Aquaponics means raising fish and plants in the same water source. The fish actually provide the fertilizer for the plants and the plant roots filter the water for the fish.

Greenhouse farming is a type of farming in which crops are cultivated under protected and enclosed environment.

It advantages is to keep out pests and diseases and has a comparable yield advantage to open filed cultivation of crops.

Urban agriculture will enable people practice farming within their homes and environment thereby increasing food production.

We have the urban agriculture and it should be promoted by the government; with all the issue of herdsmen, Boko Haram, banditry and the likes, urban agriculture will mitigate against it.

All we need to do is promote urban agriculture; people need to be taught how to farm on top of their rooftop, in containers and polythene bags, she said.

Gidado added that government should initiate activities that would promote the new techniques in the country.

The processes are known as soilless and greenhouse farming and they are readily available to practice and are cost effective.

You can plant things in your house, backyards, you can plant things inside plastics and small containers and you will harvest enough with improve seeds.

You can plant on top of your roof if you dont have space in you compound for farming.

We have all this hydroponics, soilless and greenhouse farming that people can embrace in urban cities, she said.

The country coordinator said that soilless farming reduces contamination from crops and good for planting vegetables, adding that people needed to embrace the process.

She said that soil based agriculture has a lot of challenges thereby resulting in boycott in the urban areas.

People can embrace it especially to plant vegetables that provide us micro nutrients and they are very essential for the good functioning of our body, like the vitamin A, C, D.

We get a lot of vitamins from vegetables like pepper, tomatoes, vegetables and other soilless crop.

When you talk about soilless farming, contamination will not be there; many vegetables we buy in the markets are already contaminated.

People must wash the vegetables they buy from market properly to reduce the level of contamination.

The soilless vegetables are safer and easy to cultivate, she added.

Gidado also urged government to invest more in mechanisation and technology to increase food production.

We cannot do without technology and we cannot do without mechanisation.

We just have to combine all, not just one aspect alone. We must also promote the use of satellite imagery to protect our farms from invasion.

Once we have this technology, we will not complain about availability of rice, maize and cassava.

Food will be cheap and the poor man on the street will be able to feed his family, she said.

Gidado urged farmers to explore the use of satellite imagery application to monitor their farms and detect any possible attack by insects and infestation.

She said the application was being used by farmers in the USA to monitor their farmland.

If you have a big farm and you are cultivating your crops, the satellite imagery helps you detect problem in the farm if there is invasion by insect or infestation somewhere.

It will show on your phone ones you have the application anytime there is invasion.

Some big time farmers have it already in Nigeria, but they are very few.

The application is good because in the USA, that is what the business farmers use.

I went there and I saw it, they have the application on their mobile phones; if there is any invasion, they quickly see it and attack it and take care of it immediately, she said.

The coordinator said that farming was the combination of all things; mechanisation actually helps you enlarge your production and reduce suffering.

I am into mechanisation farming; I have planters and harvesters and they make it easy to manage my farm.

So government should also invest in mechanisation, she added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Hajara Leman

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday in Gombe, inaugurated the sales of rice paddy to millers in the Northeast sub-region.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the occasion also signalled the launch of the 2020/2021 dry season rice cultivation and wet season harvest aggregation in the sub-region.

Buhari, represented by the Gov. Atiku of Kebbi State, said the event was the third one hosted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), after Niger and Kebbi States.

This is indeed an important achievement and acknowledgment of the CBN, under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele and his team, he stated.

He said the CBN had, within the last five years, solved the problem of financing in the agriculture sector and shown to the whole world that we can do it; and confidence is gradually returning to the Nigerian Economy.

Bagudu said the achievement so far recorded in rice production as being witnessed, was in line with the Federal Governments policy on agriculture to boost food security, provide employment and diversify the economy.

This is a great testament to the resilience, energy and responsiveness of Nigerias farmers, organised under RIFAN, and supported by millers and input providers.

He commended RIFAN for responding to the initiative and the policy measures undertaken by the government to improve the agriculture sector and make farming profitable.

The representative of the president added that the pyramids of rice displayed would be sold to different millers and that would create jobs for the youths.

He commended Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe for his passion for agriculture, as well as Gov. Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa state, for his presidential fertiliser initiative which showed that even without oil, Nigeria would survive.

In his speech, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, commended RIFAN for the campaign which resulted in the success of the agricultural revolution.

It is heartwarming again to see our effort towards sustaining food efficiency. Food production has now turned into improvement, whereby we now move from state to state to celebrate our success in agricultural development.

Before today, we have been to Niger State where we also launched paddy rice pyramids, also in Kebbi State and today we are here to launch 13 rice pyramids with cumulative of over 200,000 50kg bags of rice, Emefiele said.

He called for more private sector investments in the agricultural value chain.

It is also encouraging that the event presents a different narrative reporting that most farmers were unable to go to their farms due to insecurity.

In the last five years, since the introduction of the Anchor Borrowers Programme, it has become a game changer for financing smallholder farmers in Nigeria; we have achieved a lot, especially economic diversification, with emphasis on agricultural revolution, the CBN governor added.

He said Nigeria had achieved a lot towards self sufficiency in the production of food items within the shortest possible time, while commending Bagudu, as the vice chairman of the Food Security Council, for his efforts that resulted in major successes.

Emefiele explained the CBN had financed over 3 million farmers, who cultivated 21 commodities on 3.9 million hectares of land through 21 participating financial institutions in the 36 states of federation and FCT. (NAN)

Source: NAN News