By Tosin Kolade

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu has pledged his commitment towards full passage of the National Water Resources bill into law.

Adamu, who made this call when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) interview forum in Abuja reiterated that the bill was for the overall benefit of all Nigerians.

He said it was saddening that antagonists of the bill went hysterical, giving it different colourations, saying that outright call for the bill to be thrown out was against water resources development.

Adamu said his ministry had debunked all arguments against the bill through routine continuous media rounds, saying the next step was to await another public hearing, if need be.

Some of the people that are vehemently opposing this bill are the ones that stand to benefit and the ones that are mostly protected.

For instance, in the riverine areas, if you dont have a law that protects the interstate waters, because 80 per cent of the fresh water of this country, they flow from north to south into the Atlantic.

If you dont have this kind of protection for the downstream end, what will happen?, he wondered.

Adamu said if states like Kebbi where River Niger comes in or Adamawa where River Benue flows in decided they wanted to control the water at their end, it would affect the downstream communities.

That is why since independence, our constitution has made it that the water that flows across inter-state or inter-regional boundaries as it were at that time, the responsibility for that should be vested by the Federal Government.

So there is nothing unusual about it, and this is what is obtained everywhere in the world, he said.

Adamu said Nigeria entered into a treaty with eight other countries in the early sixties to form the Niger Basin Authority, saying such partnership had seen the survival of Kainji and Jebba dams.

He urged all those with conflicting opinions to present them at the proposed public hearing, alleging that they were only determined to rubbish the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari.

You know, this bill went through so many things, including a review by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who is one of the leading legal experts, experts on environmental law and their opinion is that there is nothing wrong with this bill.

So, why tie it to politics when it should be tied to development. I think we should we should opt out of that cocoon for those that are opposed to the bill and please have an open mind about it and look at it, Adamu said.

We will continue to pursue this bill because its our responsibility as government and as the ministry and many experts were involved in this in the formulation of this bill for the past, close to 20 years, he said.

The minister said he would not allow the actions of critics to mock efforts to reposition the water resources sector, saying the bill was the major instrument to make it happen.

So, to the last day that I am Minister in this ministry, I will continue to pursue this bill to its logical conclusion, he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani/Razak Owolabi

Source: NAN News

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Ansar-ud-deen Society of Nigeria, a faith-based organisation, has urged Muslims women to participate in manufacturing and technological advancement to contribute their quota to national development.

Mrs Moriam Ejibunu, Abuja Branch Women Committee Chairperson, made the call on Saturday at its 25th Anniversary and Award Ceremony with the theme, Importance of Education and Self Development for Muslim Women.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 23 persons received various awards in recognition of their contributions to the development of the society and propagation of Islam.

The anniversary also featured the empowerment of 15 needy members of the women council.

Ejibunu urged women to champion the cause of societal advancement in all facets of human endeavour in line with the philosophy of the society.

She said that the Abuja branch had been in the vanguard of the promotion of Islam, moral and social advancement of its members and all Muslims since it was inaugurated in 1996.

The well-being of women is the well-being of the children, family, the country and the world at large.

In a bid to achieve effective and efficient operations and wider reach to our female members, the women council has tripartite groups under its umbrella.

These groups work assiduously with exemplary energy in rendering various services including cleaning the mosque, teaching of Quran and Hadiths, moral and financial support to members, Ejibunu said.

The guest lecturer, Dr Abdulfattah Adeyemi, Chief Executive Officer, Baynakum Centre, urged women to go beyond buying and selling to manufacturing and exportation, to boost the lots on women in the country.

Adeyemi urged Ansar-ud-deen and financial institutions to find ways of financing women to be producers of goods and services to guarantee food and financial security.

On his part, the Deputy National Chairman of the society, Dr Yusuf Ibrahim, said, the society had evolved since its formation in Jan. 1923.

The founding fathers of Ansar-ud-deen knew the importance of women and they put measures in place to make them productive for themselves, the family and the nation.

If the women are not good, they would not be able to produce good fruits, Ibrahim said.

Also, the Chairman of the occasion, Otunba Ewenla, urged the members of the society and Muslims across the country to sustain measures to better the lot of women.

Similarly, the Chairman, Abuja branch of the society, Alhaji Mohammed Olayiwola, said the society would not relent in doing the needful as stipulated by the Almighty Allah and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). (NAN) (www.nanews.ng)

Edited by Angela Okisor/Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News

By Nana Musa

Alhaji Yakubu Suleiman, the National Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has advised the Federal Government to hasten up full deregulation of the petroleum sector to further open up the market.

Suleiman gave the advice in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday, as the country marked the independence.

Suleiman said having full deregulation would help in making the sector more stable.

He commended the Federal Government, especially the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) limited and the Petroleum Products Marketing Company Limited (PPMC) management and other stakeholders, for their constant support.

Suleiman assured Nigerians of IPMANs commitment to continuous adequate supply of petroleum products across the country.

Similarly, a Financial Consultant, Mr Henry Ewa, advised the Federal Government to ensure full implementation of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which was signed into law in 2021.

Ewa said that the key objective of the PIB was to overhaul and transform the Nigerian oil and gas industry because of its significant impact on Nigerias economy.

The PIB is to provide legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian Petroleum Industry and development of host communities, he said.

Ewa also reiterated the need for Nigeria to urgently diversify its economy from making fuel the major source of income.

The economy needs other sources of income. We need to look inwards.

The government should promote our agricultural sector, review our current policies, reduce the high tax rate, help in packing and exportation.

Make the environment favorable for foreign investors, tackle the insecurity in the country, I believe this will help, he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Chimezie Anaso

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the death of one Ginikanwa Izuoba in the Enugu-Otu, Aguleri flood.

The Acting State Coordinator of the agency in Anambra, Mr Thickman Tanimu, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Saturday.

Tanimu said that Izuoba died, when his house collapsed due to the impact of the flood.

He also said that at least 651,053 persons in six local government areas of the state had so far been displaced by flooding.

Tanimu said that the agency had undertaken an assessment of flooding in different parts of the state.

He said that Ogbaru had the highest number of victims with 286,000 persons.

He said that Anambra West and East Local Government Areas (LGAs) followed with 237,000 and 103,000 victims, respectively.

He said that Awka North LGA had 10,345 victims, while Ayamelum had 9,240 flood cases with 5,468 displaced persons.

Tanimu said that NEMA, accompanied by officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) had visited Umueze-Anam, Mkpunando, Umunteze, Igbedo, Inoma Ifite-Ogwari in Anambra East and Anyamelum LGAs.

The assessment team observed that the flood has submerged houses, farmlands, schools, health centres, Police Stations and Churches and other critical infrastructure.

We did the assessment tour with a boat because the access roads to the communities have been submerged by flood water, he said.

Tanimu commended Anambra SEMA for taking some proactive measures to mitigate the impact of the disaster.

Some of the measures, he said, included the identification of 13 IDPs camps, recruitment of camp managers and support staff and activation ofhealth workers to work with people in the camps.

He listed the camps so far activated to include the Ifite-Ogwari and Igbakwu Health Centres.

Tanimu said: The assessment tour is the first step the Federal Government has to take.

We have reported our findings to the management of the agency and based on that, they can now deploy relief materials as appropriate.

He listed clothing, diapers, bedding, sanitary materials and food items, amongst others as part of the relief materials.

We once again advise villagers to move to the holding camps to avert further loss of lives, Tanimu said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sam Oditah

Source: NAN News

By Afusat Agunbiade

The Kwara Fire Service says it has recovered two corpses after a vehicle plunged into a river at Akerebiata area in Ilorin.

The Head of Media and Publicity of the service, Mr Hassan Adekunle, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Ilorin.

He said that the two human bodies and a Toyota Yaris car with registration number: APP544E, was recovered from a river opposite Olusola Saraki Abattoir in Ilorin.

Rumour had it that the incident occurred during the Friday night downpour when the casualties were struggling to drive through the bridge and suddenly got stuck by the flood which pushed them into the river.

In truth, the rescued work was like a joint operation. Because all the people in the neighbourhood gave their full support to the firemen throughout the operation, Adekunle said.

He, therefore, advised the general public to always avoid driving whenever there is a heavy downpour.

He added that the identities of the victims were yet to be known at the time of filling this report.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the heavy rain, which lasted for several hours, wrecked havoc in several parts of llorin metropolis. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by AbdulFatai Beki/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Source: NAN News

By Lucy Osuizigbo-Okechukwu

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Anambra Command, said it rescued a 16-year old girl, suspected to be a victim of human trafficking at Mgbakwu in Awka North Local Government Area.

Mr Anthony Okafor, Public Relations Officer of NAPTIP in Anambra, said this to newsmen on Friday in Awka.

Okafor said that the agency achieved the feat in a joint operation carried out on Thursday with the state Ministry Of Women And Social Welfare and the Anambra Vigilante Group.

The victim identified as Chioma Obi, gave birth three days ago before her rescue in an uncompleted building at Mgbakwu, where she was harboured by a trafficking syndicate.

Preliminary investigation reveals that the syndicate was already hatching plans to sell the new born baby as they did with the two other children of the victim.

The girl, who said she hailed from Enugwu-Ukwu, appears to be mentally unstable and had over the years, been used by the gang operating from an uncompleted building at Mgbakwu.

She gives birth to babies which the gang sell on delivery, he said.

According to Okafor, the command is on the trail to apprehend the syndicate and rescue the already sold children of the victim.

He said the victim and her child were currently in protective custody, undergoing counselling and rehabilitation at a shelter provided by the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

By Bridget Ikyado

The Primate Anglican Communion, His Grace Henry Ndukuba, has commended Nigerians for remaining resilient amidst challenges the nation faces.

The Archbishop Metropolitan spoke at a special service to mark the nations 62nd independence in Abuja on Saturday.

According to him, God is standing with Nigeria had and there will be a total turn around soon.

When you have a reason to live, you can strive, there is hope for Nigerians; prayers and patience is all we need.

As the scriptures shows, God did a lot to deliver His own, of of bondage and Nigerian is His, and he would deliver us too, he said.

He said Nigerian was a great nation with great destiny and all shall be manifested soon.

God will let loose all his purpose for us, Nigerians and restoration will be made, the Primate prayed.

He also prayed that restoration would be made in our lives, families ,communities and the society.

We are here for Gods intervention in things that we wish for and it will overwhelm us, when he acts, he said.

His Grace prayed for success in the forth coming elections, citizens actions and all plans for the nations growth and development.

The Bishop of Abuja prayed and congratulated President Mohammed Buhari and team in government.

He took his sermon from Psalm 126 part which reads When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.

The Primate assured Nigerians that God had given the country its freedom and abundant blessings since Oct. 1, 1960 and only retiring to Him and restoration will be gotten.

He enjoined Nigerians to be enduring and say no to half measures, as the Lord gives complete.

The News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) reports that students from various Anglican grammar schools,made beautiful recitation of poems they had written as the nation celebrates.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Florence Onuegbu

As the 2023 general elections approach, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday urged Nigerians to shun politics of division and bitterness.

Sanwo-Olu gave the advice at the Independence Day Parade to commemorate the 62nd National Independence Day Celebration of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The parade held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, and was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs.

Sanwo-Olu urged Nigerians to respect divergent opinions and respect the fact that in the beauty of democracy, all would not share the same ideological and political views.

According to him, what Nigerians want, and what is not negotiable, is a better country.

He said the country had been blessed with an energetic population, resourceful and laden with entrepreneurial energy, a free and vibrant press, a youth population that was increasingly politically aware.

Nigeria remains blessed with a democracy that is not complacent, and a thriving appetite among all the people for good governance, he said.

He said that all of these meant that all could look forward with hope to the future of Nigeria.

I am personally fully persuaded and confident that Nigeria is on an irreversible march to greatness, economically, politically, socially and culturally.

There is no gainsaying that the world awaits the greatness of our nation; and by our collective efforts, we will rise above all odds and take our rightful place in history.

Let me use this opportunity to commend the efforts of all of you our people who have remained resolute in commitment to Project Nigeria, despite the challenges our country is contending with.

Today marks the 62nd independence anniversary of our dear country. On this day in 1960, the shackles of colonialism were broken and cast aside, and Nigeria joined the league of independent countries, the largest sovereign black power on the earth.

Although we may not have fully attained the heights dreamt of by our founding fathers, we still have every reason to celebrate this historic day, the governor said.

He said that every Oct. 1 was a time to reflect on the journey of the nationhood, to rededicate all to the task of nation-building, and continue to work hard at building a formidable nation in Africa and the world at large.

Sanwo-Olu said that the year 2022 also marked the 23rd year since the birth of the 4th Republic, the most successful democratic journey in the history of the nation.

According to him, Nigerians truly have a lot to be grateful for, as amidst many odds and challenges, all have continued to exist as one strong country, recording progress on many fronts.

Even if we are not always where we will like to be as a nation, there are clear signs of slow and steady progress, he said.

The programme featured inspection of parade of various groups which included Nigerian Police, Civil Defence, paramilitary, voluntary organisations, school pupils and students by the governor, as well as cutting of the 62nd Independence Anniversary cake among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chioma Ugboma

Source: NAN News

By Deji Abdulwahab

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called on Nigerians to use the celebration period of the nations 62nd independence anniversary to work towards achieving a united, peaceful and prosperous country.

The Director-General of the NOA, Dr Garba Abari, made this call in a felicitation message issued in Abuja on Friday by the agencys Assistant Director, Press, Mr Paul Odenyi.

Abari added that with patriotic zeal of Nigerians, a united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria is possible for its growth and development.

He assured the citizens of governments continued commitment to tackling all the challenges bedeviling the country in order to bring the needed succour and relief we desire in the country.

He described the current challenges facing the country as the fallout of development process which will give way to progress and prosperity.

The director-general stated that as campaigns officially begin, political players should de-emphasis divisive tendencies.

According to him, what binds Nigerians together is stronger than what separates them from one another.

Irrespective of your gender, tribe, religion and other affiliations, we shouldcontinueto harp on the virtues of love, unity and peace.

And embrace the practice of celebrating the good in other persons and engender mutual acceptance among Nigerians, he said.

While felicitating Nigerians as they celebrate the national day, Abari urged them to continue praying for the nation to overcome its present challenges. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by AbdulFatai Beki/Julius Toba-Jegede

Source: NAN News

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI), has delivered over 30 million 50kg bags of NPK fertiliser to Nigerian farmers from 2017 to 2021.

Osinbajos spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the vice-president inaugurated Pandagric Novum Farms, an integrated feed and food manufacturing company in Panda community, Karu LGA, Nasarawa State.

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Signature Agri- Investments are major investors in the project.

He said that President Muhmmadu Buhari enlisted NSIA as the project implementing entity of PFI, which was restructured in 2022.

The vice-president said that the Federal Government would continue to create the enabling environment to encourage more private sector investments in the agricultural sector.

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

Osinbajo said that that the projects inauguration was a foretaste of many possibilities and opportunities for investments, in agriculture and other sectors in the country.

He said: What you see today confirms that there is opportunity in Nigeria for investments in agriculture.

While government commits to creating an enabling environment, we will look to the private sector for the investments to galvanise growth in the sector.

We must indeed, work together to re-define agriculture for the future in Nigeria.

Osinbajo said that Buhari passionately believed in the role of the countrys agricultural sector as a key driver of job creation and economic growth.

He cited instances in different sub-sectors of the agriculture value chain where the NSIA, as part of its key mandates, had invested in over the last 10 years.

Osinbajo said: One of these investments is PFI, which was established by Buhari in 2016 to address the problem of cost and availability of fertiliser.

Over its five-year run (2017 -2021), the programme had delivered over 30 million 50kg bags of NPK 20:10:10 fertiliser to Nigerian farmers and resuscitated the fertiliser blending industry.

It had revived over 60 otherwise moribund plants scattered across the country, created hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

It had also enabled government to conserve foreign exchange by import substitution amounting to over 100million dollars.

With the sector now reactivated, the NSIAs role in the fertiliser value chain has moved upstream.

Osinbajo also highlighted the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) which was established by the NSIA in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the KfW (a development bank).

The vice-president said that in 2018, the NSIA invested 5 million dollars in Babban Gona a high impact, scalable agricultural franchise.

He said that Babban Gona sought to sustainably improve the lives of smallholder farmers through the provision of credit, inputs, training in good agricultural practices, harvesting and storage services, and marketing services.

The vice-president said that in order to address unemployment, local production growth and food security in particular areas of the country, the NSIA, in 2017, made a bold step in 2017.

In 2017, the NSIAS established an Agriculture Development Fund under a 50:50 joint venture with the Old Mutual Group of South Africa.

It was done with a commitment of N50 million (US million each) towards the development and investment in large-scale agriculture projects, combined with out-grower schemes.

In 2018, the fund committed 29 million dollars towards the acquisition and two-phased development of the Pandagric Novum Farms.

It is an animal feed processing business with backward integration through the farming of maize and soybean, Osinbajo said.

He said that in spite of the global challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, between 2018 and 2022, the fund had successfully completed the development of Pandagric Novum Farms.

The vice-president listed some of the key milestones achieved under the project as the installation of 147,000 metric tonnes per annum capacity poultry feed mill.

Others were the installation of 75,000 tonnes of storage infrastructure in the form of two silos, six bunkers, as well as 35,000 tonnes of raw materials and finished goods storage and the installation of 750ha of center pivot irrigation systems.

He also mentioned the leasing of 3,500 ha of land for the cultivation of maize and soybeans, as well as the construction of a 1.4 million cubic meter reservoir for water management.

More so, the successful planting of 856ha of maize and 1,200ha of maize during the 2021 and 2022 wet farming seasons, respectively.

Osinbajo also lauded Pandagric for providing boreholes for all six of its neighbouring communities and developing an out-grower scheme, while providing inputs and training to over 500 small holder farmers.

It employs almost 800 direct staff and 2,000 indirect staff, making it the largest contributor of PAYE to Nasarawa State; and presently has the largest maize farm across the country, he said.

Osinbajo commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa for the visionary zeal he had deployed in three and a half years to make the state a hub for agricultural investments in Nigeria.

The vice-president added that the governors support was fundamental to the completion of the project.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News