FG To Start Farming With Tertiary Institution Vacant Lands.

FG To Start Farming With Tertiary Institution Vacant Lands.

The Federal Government has revealed its plan to utilise idle acres of land in tertiary institutions for farming as part of measures to boost food supply across the country.

Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, made this known at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Eastern Nigeria Union Conference Centenary Public Lecture and Food Summit with the theme ‘”Ending Food Shortage in Nigeria, How to Apply The Surplus Concept’, in Port Harcourt on Friday.

Kyari, who was represented by the ministry’s Deputy Director, Nutrition and Food Safety, Nuhu Kilishi, stated that institutions have been via letters to seek their consent.

It revealed that some of the tertiary institutions have started responding in favour of the project, giving assurance that move would revive farming in schools.

Kyari said, “We want to revive farming in the schools and institutions. We have written to the universities and schools for them to let us utilise hectares of their land that are unused.

“They have started responding, by the time we have a reasonable level of compliance, there is going to be a programme that would ensure that those empty lands are being used for cultivation and this will add to food availability.”

While talking, he noted that the Federal Government would provide solar irrigation pump in a bid to reduce the cost of cultivation of farming, he advised farmers not to stop at production of agricultural produce, but to explore the options of processing those products in order to maximise profit.

“Farmers need to use irrigation pumps, so the ministry is intending to buy solar pumps for farmers to cut costs for them. Instead of using petrol they would be using solar pumps.

“The Minister has rolled out immediate, short term, medium and long term plans that would address food shortage in Nigeria.

“I will advise farmers that after producing don’t stop at production, go into processing, value addition because it pays more to do that,” he sais.

Proff. Cyril Nwamguruka, Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at the Babcock University who spoke earlier at the event, identified selfishness as the bane of food shortage in the country.

Nwamguruka urged on President Bola Tinubu to appoint only selfless and committed individuals to handle public offices.

He stated, “I am appealing to the President, he should also act beyond looking at people’s competence. He should look at their track record in terms of how fair, how sincere, how committed and how truthful they are in things they have handled in the past.

“Because selfishness is what is killing us, irrespective of the abundance of resources we have, some people want to have it to themselves. But if you have a moral compass that is guiding you, you will think beyond yourself.”

In a further statement, he urged the government to venture into roads construction and security to boost food production and distribution across the country.

He added, ‘”The government should invest in ensuring that roads linking production centres to other centres because we encounter so many losses in conveying these goods. The government should invest in putting the roads in order.

“The government should invest in security, because we discover now that most of the farmers have abandoned the farm because there is no security.

“Most of the crops are run over by militia groups, so the government should invest in a formidable security network.”

SOURCE: GISTSMATE MEDIA

Third Mainland Bridge: Comprehensive rehabilitation begins Nov. 1 — Umahi.

Third Mainland Bridge: Comprehensive rehabilitation begins Nov. 1 — Umahi.

The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, on Saturday said comprehensive rehabilitation of the 11.8-kilometer Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos would begin on Nov. 1 for a period of three months.

Umahi said this during an inspection of the under deck, lagoon sections of the Third Mainland Bridge and other bridges.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Umahi, a team of engineers, directors of the Federal Ministry of Works and journalists inspected the lagoon sections of the Third Mainland, Carter, Independence and Falomo Bridges.

Umahi also inspected the deteriorating Marina shoreline, the failing portions of the Five Cowries Bridge located inside Zone Two Police Headquarters in Onikan, Ijora Bridge and Marina Bridge in Apapa.

He said the entire stretch of the Third Mainland Bridge would undergo total resurfacing with minimal discomfort to road users, and the repairs would be carried out by midnight during the weekend.

He said he carried out inspection of the top surface of the bridge on Friday before embarking on inspection of the Lagoon portions.

The minister explained that patching of various sections of the top surface of bridge had led to undulating surfacing, which was not healthy for its safety, hence the need to remove and relay the entire asphaltic covering.

“We are going to mill out the excess asphalt and retain only two millimetres,” he said.

The minister said the proposed maintenance of Third Mainland Bridge, which would last three months was the first phase meant to secure the integrity as well aesthetics of the upper deck components of the bridge.

He explained that the maintenance of the aesthetics would include replacement of the railings, installation of solar-powered lights and CCTV cameras for optimal security of the bridge.

The minister assured that the three-month maintenance work would be without discomfort to motorists, as it would take place only between midnight and 4.00 a.m. and during weekends.

He added that more than one contractor would be engaged due to the emergency nature of the work, which would end in Phase Four; that will entail the repairs of deflected slabs, bearings, piers and pile caps.

The minister lamented that most of the bridges were about 60 years old and had outlived thier design lifespan, hence the need for constant rehabilitation.

Umahi, who is a civil engineer, said the Marina Shoreline had deteriorated and was threatening the foundation of some parts of the Blue Rail Line, hence the need for urgent protection which had begun.

“Marina shoreline is gone,” he said.

The minister warned that henceforth a 10-year maintenance responsibility would be attached to projects for contractors to bear repair costs within the period if the road failed.

He added that contractors who constructed roads that failed within two years risked jail term in line with global practices to curb shoddy constructions.

NAN reports that the Third Mainland Bridge was earlier closed for 24 hours repairs from midnight on Oct. 21 to midnight Oct. 22 for emergency resurfacing of some bad portions. (NAN)

Customs officers kick against plan to halt implementation of new promotion scheme.

Customs officers kick against plan to halt implementation of new promotion scheme.

Some employees of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have kicked against plans to halt the implementation of the recently-approved Competency Based Accelerated Career Progression Plan (CBACPP) in the promotion of staff of the organisation.

The concerned officers are disturbed that despite the CBACPP being approved by the federal government, some persons were bent on making sure it’s not implemented, under the guise that it will impact a section of the country negatively.

The government through the NCS board had recently approved the implementation of the CBACPP for officers of the service, explaining that the plan was a ‘proactive strategy’ designed to ensure the customs is well staffed in the future.

Specifically, the NCS stated that it was meant to close the generational gap that could lead to a leadership vacuum in the higher hierarchies of the service if not addressed.

However, it was gathered that those who are opposed to the programme were doing so because they are afraid that when the new system becomes operational, a number of them who do not have the requisite educational qualifications will be side-lined.

It was gathered that the problem the NCS sought to solve arose because prior to the 2009 recruitment, there was a long period when no one was recruited into the customs service.

This implies that by 2028 all the officers who joined the service prior to the 2009 recruitment would retire on account of their length of service.

The consequence of this, which the government tried to avoid, is that there would be some leadership gaps, as none of the officers recruited in 2009 would have risen to the rank of a comptroller.

Realising the imminent problem, the immediate past leadership of the service designed a career accelerated programme to allow officers with certain educational and professional qualifications to step up and earn expedited career progression, one source said.

Although the last leadership of the service was slow to execute it after the approval, it was understood that the career accelerated programme had been approved by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

However, there were suggestions that some senior officers from a certain part of the country would be short-changed by the approved career accelerated programme.

“This is considering that many of the officers from that region don’t have the requisite additional educational and professional qualifications,” a source stated.

According to the proponents of the new policy, sweeping the programme under the carpet or not implementing it would pose danger to the continuous existence of the service.

A departmental memo indicated that in the next six years, all the General Duty (GD) officers recruited into the superintendent cadre before 2009 would have exited the service, either by age or 35 years statutory requirement, thereby creating serious human resources problems.

“Conscious of the challenge this could pose for the service in the nearest future, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) through the board recently approved the implementation of proper placement for officers recruited into the service at the superintendent cadre between 2009 to 2015.

“This exercise, which has received wide applause has boosted the moral of officers, and has consequently narrowed the 17 years generational gap in the system.

“Despite the significant gains achieved through the proper placement, it is instructive to note that by 2028, when the current mid-level and top management officers have all retired from the service, the most senior GD officers in the service would be wearing the rank of Deputy Comptrollers (DC).

“This is projection is based on the minimum number of years that an officer must spend on a rank before being considered eligible for promotion in line with Public Service Rule (PSR) Promotion maturity criterion 020701,” the memo noted.

In addition, it explained that this will therefore mean that no customs officer of the General Duty cadre would have the requisite rank or experience at the top level to head the service by 2028 if a proactive solution is not explored.

Lawmaker empowers over 1,000 in Somolu.

Lawmaker empowers over 1,000 in Somolu.

The lawmaker representing Somolu Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Ademorin Kuye, has held the fifth edition of his Hon. Kuye Grant & Stakeholders Townhall Meeting.

The event, which held at Old Somolu LG Secretariat, Somolu, had over 1000 residents going home with N20,000 each, done mainly by transfers; while some went home with freezers to enhance their businesses. Notably, Adaranijo Market, Pedro also got a grinding machine.

The sponsor, Hon. Kuye said the gesture was to further empower and improve the lot of the petty traders, who form the larger chunk of the nation’s economic strata.

“We believe that if we continue to support them, we will be promoting the economy because the small-scale business people constitute a larger percentage of the entire population of Nigeria; and by empowering and taking them out of poverty, we can help them take care of their family; send their children to school and get good accommodation for themselves.”

He enjoined the beneficiaries to use the grants judiciously while promising more in December

Herdsmen kill three, injure others on Benue-Nasarawa road.

Herdsmen kill three, injure others on Benue-Nasarawa road.

No fewer than three persons and several others were injured, when herdsmen attacked travelers on Benue-Nasarawa road.

The travelers were reportedly attacked on Friday by some gun-wielding herdsmen who launched an ambush on the busy Makurdi-Lafia road near Ortese in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

A week ago, armed herders also ambushed and killed three Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who went fishing in the Gwer West LGA area of Benue State.

According to a report, the attackers set up an ambush on the busy Makurdi-Lafia road on Thursday evening and Friday morning, targeting innocent travellers near the Hirnyam, Pevkyaa, and Ortaver villages. Several people were said to have been wounded in the sporadic attack.

Reacting to the incident, the Security Secretary of Guma Local Government Area, Mr Christopher Waku, who confirmed the incident said the attackers had laid ambush for two consecutive days near Ortese, along the Daudu/Ortese road on the Makurdi-Lafia Highway. During these attacks, they shot and killed three individuals, all of whom were local residents.

“It was not a roadblock; the armed herdsmen stood on the Daudu – Ortese road. They killed two persons on Thursday, at about 5 pm, and injured one person who is currently receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH).

“Today, Friday morning, they killed another person, bringing the total fatalities to three. Regrettably, all the victims were local residents,” Waku said.

Electricity Act 2023 ‘ll reduce Nigeria’s energy deficit – British envoy.

Electricity Act 2023 ‘ll reduce Nigeria’s energy deficit – British envoy.

The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Atkinson has said that the new provision for state governments to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity is critical in reducing the energy deficit in Nigeria.

She disclosed this in Abuja at the just concluded two-day roundtable meeting on Nigeria’s Electricity Act 2023 jointly convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the British High Commission.

Atkinson maintained that it was time for the federating states “to explore new opportunities to scale up electricity and deliver it to more Nigerians.”

The meeting with the theme: ‘The Electricity Act 2023: Implications and Opportunities for State Electricity Markets,’ was facilitated by the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF, to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats linked to the new Electricity Act 2023 and strategies for navigating emerging challenges.

A communique at the end of the roundtable stated that the meeting agreed on the need for the state governments to identify and prioritise opportunities for joined-up initiatives at the regional level to ensure cohesive implementation of the Electricity Act.

It further stated that the meeting identified the next steps for the states to take for the effective implementation of the legislation. They include, “The development of transition roadmaps based on contextual stock take exercises, the deployment of broad-based professional expertise to build sector capacity and support the process and the identification of clear state-level market structures.

“Another key outcome from the Roundtable was consensus on the urgent need for the donor community and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to scale up their support to state governments, bearing in mind state-level contextual realities.”

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasak said state governments would be seeking the collaboration of other critical stakeholders in the industry for the full implementation of the legislation for the advantage of the states.

He noted that the state government would seek to achieve the following objectives – “capacity building, policy guidance, knowledge sharing and above all infrastructural/project development by supporting State governments in identifying and developing bankable projects in the electricity sector, ensuring that these projects meet the highest standards of technical, social, and environmental sustainability.”

Kano to pay 5,500 retirees six billion naira gratuities.

Kano to pay 5,500 retirees six billion naira gratuities.

Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf has said he will pay 5,500 retirees the sum of six billion naira as gratuities

The governor disclosed this on Saturday.

Upon assuming office, Yusuf had expressed displeasure over the backlog of unpaid gratuities.

He averred that the immediate past administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje left a backlog of N40 billion in unpaid gratuities.

The governor, who had promised to clear the backlog within his two years in office, on Saturday said the decision to settle the retirees was reached at the weekly Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

Beneficiaries of the gratuities would be retirees of lower grade levels from N1 million downwards, Yusuf said, expressing deep concern about the plight of retired civil servants who served the state well but have not been paid their entitlements.

“We have a list of the beneficiaries and the money at hand. Next week we shall commence the payment without delay.

“I always sleep and wake up with the issue of gratuities of retired civil servants in my mind. I always think about how to settle and clear this backlog.

“I frequently summon meetings with the Accountant General, Chairman Pension Trust fund, and others to assist me on the way forward.

“It is in the course of this meeting that we decided to start paying those of low-grade level, whose amounts do not exceed N1 million or is little above N1 million down to like N150,000 or N250,000.

“I asked them to compile the list and we have got the names of over 5,500 of them.

“By next week, they will receive their gratuities in sha Allah. The total amount as we calculated is about N6 billion and it has since been approved by the State Executive Council,” Governor Yusuf said.