Nigerian Newspapers
Delta plans for future without oil
…High quality rice produced in the state would flood the market soon
DETERMINED to realise its ambition of Delta Beyond Oil, the state government is to embark on technological innovations in agriculture and agro-business.
The drive was again underlined by Commerce and Industry Commissioner, Kingsley Emuwhile, speaking to reporters on the forthcoming Delta Trade Fair 2013 in Asaba recently. It is being organised by the Delta State Association of Chambers for Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (DACCIMA).
He explained that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry would soon establish 10 industries which include six cassava mills and four fish field mills across the state as the government was seriously looking at other alternative sources of development apart from oil.
He assured the general public that expectations were high for the fair which holds in October at Osubi, near Warri and expected to showcase more innovations and creativity of the rich human resource of Deltans to the world.
The commissioner said: “The government will also give priority attention to aquaculture to grow fish for the state. We are advantaged in this business because Delta State accounts for 60 per cent land and 40 per cent river. Besides, there are other new areas of products to be showcase in the trade fair.”
Information Commissioner, Chike Ogeah, said the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration would not fail in actualising the dream of establishing the state industrially and meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the people through the governor’s three-point agenda anchored on peace and security, human capital and infrastructural development.
The Economic Adviser to the Governor, Chief Afam Abiago, said the fair would identify value for products and the dream of making Delta State the investors’ preferred destination.
President of DACCIMA, Chief Uju Udeme, pledged that the association and the supporting ministry were striving to give Deltans a befitting fair.
Delta State Trade Consultant, Chief Austine Ezagbo, called on the private sector to partner with the government on fair in order to add value to the human capital development programme of the state government.
Govt to flood market with locally produced rice
The old Midwestern and later Bendel State was famous for locally produced rice. It was then popularly called Ekpoma rice. Like the fate suffered by other agricultural products, oil wealth made Nigeria to shift from focus on local production to importation.
However, in furtherance of its ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ vision, the Governor Uduaghan administration has promised that high quality rice produced in the state would flood the market in the next six months. Delta State was a part of the old Bendel.
Agriculture and Natural Resources Commissioner, Misan Ukubeyinje, who disclosed this at Ebu in Oshimili North Local Government Area, recently said that the government has been deploying more resources and efforts towards harnessing the state’s agricultural potential.
‘Delta Beyond Oil’ vision is Dr. Uduaghan’s strategy to utilise revenue from petroleum to diversify the economy to ensure that in its absence, the state will remain self-sufficient and be able to cater for the needs of its people.
Ukubeyinje, who was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Solomon Ashe Sajere, told Ebu people that their community was selected alongside two other sites in Central and South Senatorial districts of the state for the mass production of rice. According to him, ecological factors like climate, landscape, fertility of land and optimum supply of water have made government to choose such places for the rice production project.
He assured the community and Rice Growers Association (RGA) that government would continue to provide the enabling environment and equipment as well as early maturing and highest yielding seedlings to guarantee maximum production.
Ukubeyinje said that the government would equally supervise the project to ensure that standards are maintained in terms of production processes and produce handling in each of the farms.
Responding on behalf of the Ebu, His Royal Highness, the Regent, Chief Sunday Ofune, and his Ekpechor community counterpart, Chief Solomon Achije, the Akpala of Ekpechor assured the government of their willingness and cooperation to actualise the project in their community.
The commissioner had remarked earlier that Ewu and Jakpa in Ughelli North and Warri North local government area respectively had also been chosen for the same purpose.
Apart from oil, Delta State is blessed with agricultural and other mineral resources. About 60 per cent of Deltans are engaged in agriculture and the government is already expanding the agriculture value chain to ensure that it moves to processing and manufacturing levels, the commissioner said.
Also, in harnessing the agricultural and other mineral and human resources for the people’s benefit, the government is utilising Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial clusters model. There is equally the utilisation of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, engaging in institutional reforms, capacity building, vocational skill training as well as support schemes to students among others, he added.
To boost morale of security personnel
And in pursuit of its agenda of safeguarding lives and property, the government is to strengthen the confidence of security personnel by making available to them ballistic vests and ceramic helmets.
In fact, it has ordered about 2500 pieces of the vests and 2000 pieces of ballistic ceramic helmets.
The vests and helmets will help in boosting the morale of security personnel in reducing the rate of crime.
Speaking on the security situation in the state, Ogeah said: “As we speak, security in Delta State is at optimum level with the environment very clement for businesses and individuals to operate. Time was when kidnapping and other violent crimes got quite disturbing. But His Excellency, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, CON embarked on a concerted programme to improve security.
“We cannot readily put a figure on the cost of providing security in the state as it is an exercise that keeps rolling. Besides, I think it is more wholesome to imagine the absence of a secure environment for businesses to thrive. The government is prepared to commit requisite resources to the provision of security in the state. The real cost of security, for me, is the cost of absence of security for people to live safely.”
The state government has been boosting the capability and confidence of security personnel. Earlier in the year, Uduaghan, under the Delta State Government Special Security Patrol initiative, handed over 30 Toyota Hilux vans to the Police
The initiative is part of measures to tackle crimes like kidnapping and armed robbery.
Handing over the vehicles to the police, Dr. Uduaghan noted that the rate of kidnapping was dropping in the state and promised to continue to intensify efforts towards providing adequate security.
He said he would provide a safe haven for investors and guarantee peace and security so that prospective investors would operate in a conducive atmosphere.
He explained that the vehicles have been assigned to different routes across the state to ensure that all areas in the state were adequately monitored and secured.
He commended local government chairmen for supporting his administration’s efforts especially for assisting security operatives to maintain peace and security.
The governor also commended security operatives for their efforts in reducing crime, especially kidnapping which he said had reduced significantly.
Receiving the vehicles, the state Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba, warned criminals to turn a new leaf because his men would get them if they failed to heed his warning.
He lauded Uduaghan for providing the vehicles and assured that they would be properly utilised to combat crime.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: Guardian Newspaper
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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