Japan to invest N18bn in Nigerias agribusiness

The President of Toshoku Company Limited of Japan, Mr. Zentaro Iwamoto, has expressed the readiness of his company to establish its presence in Nigeria by growing large farm of soya beans and sorghum and processing them into flour for export around the world.
Mr. Iwamoto, who displayed some bread, biscuits and doughnuts that his company produced from sorghum in Japan, explained that the factory was expected to produce high quality soya beans flour - 15,000 tons per year and sorghum of 84,000 tons per year - each.
The investment, worth N17.91 billion ($90 million) from the company, requires about five million hectares of land to grow both soya beans and sorghum before processing same into flour for export.
The acting executive secretary of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Hajiya Ladi Katagum, while receiving the president of the company, in her office recently, said the coming of the company into the Nigerian economy to invest in the agricultural sector is very timely as it was in line with the diversification policy of the federal government.

Military kills seven terrorists, apprehends eleven others

Troops of 22, 28 and 114 Task Forces Brigade and Battalion of Nigerian Army on Sunday killed seven Boko Haram terrorists and arrested of 11 others during clearance operations in the Bitta-Damboa and Dikwa-Marte axis of Borno state.

The troops also along the Bitta-Damboa road safely detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Madube village.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman disclosed this Monday in a statement issued to newsmen in Maiduguri.
Usman in the statement said: “During the operations, the troops encountered Boko Haram terrorists at Bulajani village and successfully
cleared and pursued the fleeing terrorists in the area.

“Unfortunately, the troops run into an ambush which was eventually cleared, while returning from the patrol fight. Unfortunately, five
soldiers were wounded in the process and their Buffalo vehicle was badly damaged.

“The troops killed four Boko Haram terrorists, while an unconfirmed number of escaped with gunshot wounds.”

He said the soldiers also recovered six bicycles and identified food storage facility stocked with food items.

On apprehend of 11 terrorists, Usman said: “The troops encountered Boko Haram terrorists at Sinabaya village which is left of Marte-Kaje
the road in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno state. During the encounter, they killed three and apprehended 11 suspects,” adding that the arrested suspects have been moved to the Brigade Headquarters for preliminary investigation and subsequent handing over to the Joint Interrogation Committee.

He further disclosed that arms and ammunition were also recovered in the clearance operations along the Marte-Kaje road.

The recovered ammunition, according to him, includes an AK-47 rifle with registration number N37113 and five AK-47 rifle magazines. Others include a 36 hand grenade, three rounds of 7,62mm (Special)ammunition, four motorcycles, three bicycles, a magazine pouch and a
mobile telephone handset.

On safety of liberated communities, Usman said: “Another patrol team from the same unit in conjunction with some elements of Nigerian
Security and Civil Defence Corps picketed Dikwa-Mafa-Maiduguri road in order to keep it open and safe against Boko Haram terrorists’
activities.

“The same team also escorted International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) humanitarian materials from Maiduguri to Dikwa and
Gambouru/Ngala Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in collaboration with troops of 7 Division Garrison.

“At this point, it is important to state that as at today, there are 68, 653 IDPs at Dikwa camp, comprising 31, 296 males and 37, 356
females.”

Avengers, MEND bicker over truce talks with government

Avoid opportunists, ex-militant cautions

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is in a war of attrition with the rival Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) over who gets what in the ongoing peace negotiation with state and federal governments.

The NDA, at the weekend, condemned the purported efforts of some former militants operating under MEND for allegedly acting the script of some elements in government bent at causing confusion with a view to scuttling the ongoing truce talks.

The Avengers, in a statement on their website, alleged that Ebikabowei Ben (Boyloaf), Ayiri Emami, Timipre Sylva and Adams Oshiomhole conspired and promoted the creation of a “political MEND” which purportedly named a team to negotiate with the Federal Government.

“We are making the last appeal and warning to this so-called MEND to excuse the NDA from their criminal ways and gang-ups. Nobody can ambush the struggle, the world knows that Boyloaf and his group have been settled since 2009 of which he is still collecting stipends for ghost names in the presidential amnesty programme (PAP),” the group claimed.

MEND had recently alleged that “the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is the vehicle currently being used by Niger Delta political elite and associates of former President Goodluck Jonathan to destabilise President Buhari’s government. It was these political juggernauts who are loathe to see President Buhari gain a foothold in the region.”

An accusation which the NDA roundly denied.

Meanwhile, an erstwhile militant and leader of the Ifalibabou Revolutionary Movement, General Keithy Sese, has cautioned government to be wary of
the people or group it is negotiating with in the current effort to douse tension in the Niger Delta.

Sese, also known as Nomukeme within the fold of ex-agitators, gave the warning in a statement at the weekend.

The former militant, who was controlling Foropa-Middleton and territories in Southern Ijaw, Local Council of Bayelsa State, urged government not to dialogue with those he described as “political jobbers and opportunists.”

He continued: “My advice to the Federal Government is whatever ought to be done in Niger Delta should be done with the utmost sagacity and exigency. The
consciousness of the people has risen to a point where even if a devil takes up the struggle for our liberation, we will certainly queue behind him with requisite support and effort.”

Naira depreciates in free float

The naira plunged against the US dollar on Monday after Nigeria’s government scrapped its fixed exchange rate and allowed market forces to determine the currency’s value.

“Trading started at 9:00 am this morning. All the 24 commercial banks are participating. The offer is 249 to 265 naira to the dollar,” one forex trader told AFP.

At 11:00 am, the naira was quoted at 262.50 against the dollar but the trader, who asked to remain anonymous, said supply and demand were still in the process of being matched.

“All the bids will be put on the table and the rate will based on the offers,” the trader said.

Analysts say the naira may settle in at around 250, compared with 350 to the greenback on the black market.

Nigeria had pegged the naira to the dollar at 197-199 since March 2015, even as other oil exporters have let their currencies devalue in the wake of plunging global crude prices.

President Muhammadu Buhari has previously said he would not “kill the naira” by letting it devalue.

But central bank governor Godwin Emefiele said last week the currency market would now be “purely market driven” as the country grapples with spiralling inflation, slowing growth, the weakening naira and foreign exchange shortages.

Senate confirms 47 new diplomats

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday sent a list of forty-seven ambassadorial nominees to the Nigerian Senate for confirmation.

Senate President Bukola Saraki made the announcement during a Senate plenary session on Thursday.

The names were contained in a letter which was sent to the senate and read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber by Senator Bukola Saraki.

The Senate, however, has confirmed the 47 Ambassadors nominated by Buhari to head Nigeria’s missions abroad.

Some of the new diplomats are Obinna Chukwuemeka, Okeke Vivian, Ngozi Okeje, Bello Kazaure, Garba Baba, Umar Salisu, Kadiri Ayinla Audu, Ibrahim Isa, Bankole Adeoye, Ibrahim Hamza, KC Nwachukwu, Olufemi Abekoye, Adekunbi Abibat, Salisu Umoru, Liman Munir, Mohammed Hassan Hassan, Olatunde Adesesan, Usman Bakure, Balogun Akeem and Kabiru Bala.

Ambode swears-in LG sole administrators, warns against corruption

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode this morning swore in the new Sole Administrators for the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas, LCDAs, of the state and warned that he will not hesitate to sack administrators who engage in corrupt practices.

The ceremony was performed at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode with the newly sworn-in LG/LCDA Sole Administrators

Thousands of well wishers were not allowed into the State House by security personnel in order to avoid congestion and many party faithful were seen loitering outside the premises of the State House.

Speaking at the event, Ambode charged the appointees to see their appointment as Sole Administrators as a call to service.

“You are relay runners on a journey of reform that will ultimately culminate in the election of accountable people that will carry on the baton of good governance for our people. For the duration of your race, I urge you to run the race efficiently with diligence so that you do not betray the trust that has been placed in you.”

The governor added: “Your job is to go to the local governments you have been posted and make a difference in the lives of the people. You must touch lives and be prepared to have your lives touched by our people. You must interact with the people, share their joys and pains and reside among them. It is only through this symbiotic relationship that we can truly say we have begun to understand and serve our people”

He, however, warned that he would not tolerate any form of corruption as such administrators would be sacked immediately.

“Let me seize this opportunity to warn that we will not hesitate to remove and replace any Administrator who fails to serve the people diligently or abuses his/her office. A strict monitoring, control and feedback process will be put in place to ensure that there are no excesses or excuses. Strict accountability must be your watchword. Lagosians will be watching you and we will be watching you too,” he stated.

However, Ambode said the swearing-in was another step by his administration to give governance back to the people of the state by making the Local Governments and LCDAs a vibrant, responsive and viable part of the Lagos State Government.

He recollected that the Lagos State House of Assembly recently passed a resolution that the previous local government committees be dissolved and Sole Administrators appointed in their place, saying that it was in line with this, that administrators were being sworn in to manage the affairs of the LGs and LCDAs.

According to Ambode, “the hallmark of any good government is to provide basic services to the communities at the grassroots. This is the only way the real dividends of good governance can spread downwards and touch the hearts and minds of its people.

“Our State is growing so fast that the concept of the rural area will not be applicable to any part of Lagos very soon. Our government is working hard to meet the yearnings of our people who live in what I term semi-urban areas by providing them with services like water, good roads, street lights, efficient refuse collection, cleaning of drainage and roads, primary healthcare, recreational parks and sports facilities to make those areas liveable and economically viable. We are dedicated to this and will deliver on our promise of a Government of inclusion where no one is left behind.

“This government is committed to Local Government reforms and in August last year during our meeting with Community Development Associations, we promised to embark on reforms with the aim of making the 57 Local Government and Development Areas more responsive to the needs of the people. In furtherance of this, early this year we assented to three Bills on Local Government reform and elections passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly.

“The message behind these new laws is that our administration is set to restore standards, create opportunities,instill pride honour, service, accountability and responsiveness to the Local Government system in Lagos State. It will no longer be business as usual. Rather, it will be a tough journey requiring character, leadership, commitment and resilience of those at the helm of affairs to actualize our dreams,” he said.

Earlier, Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello said the appointment of the sole administrators was to ensure that no vacuum was left behind by the exit of the Executive Secretaries, charging them to key into Ambode’s vision of delivering the dividends of democracy to the people.

Guardian sacks: Izeze, the company’s Executive Consultant, Lade Bonuola and two other consultants.

The Management of The Guardian has sacked the newspaper’s Managing Director, Emeka Izeze, the company’s Executive Consultant, Lade Bonuola and two other consultants.

Our correspondent also learnt that 100 other workers of the company are to be sacked.

The retrenchment of the workers, it was learnt, was as a result of the economic hardship in the country and the need to reposition the newspaper.

Izeze had been The Guardian’s Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief until the position was split about two years ago, which made him the Managing Director while Debo Adeshina was named Editor-in-Chief. He held the position for over a decade. Prior to that, he was the Editor of The Guardian.

Also, Bonuola was a founding member of The Guardian newspaper and contributed immensely to the growth of the newspaper.

A source told PMNews that Izeze, Bonuola and two other top consultants were sacked on Friday by the management of the company.

Our source said 100 other workers have been penciled down for sack and that in the next few days, they would be issued sack letters.

The Guardian was established in 1983 by Alex Ibru, an entrepreneur, and Stanley Macebuh, a top journalist with the Daily Times newspapers. The Guardian was a pioneer in introducing high-quality journalism to Nigeria with thoughtful editorial contents.

The paper was first published on 22 February 1983 as a weekly, appearing on Sundays. It started daily publication on 4 July, 1983.

Dr. Haroun Isah speaks on major cause of Oil pipeline vandalism.

 

Dr. Haroun Omeiza Isah MBBS, MPH, FWACP (Comm. Med), Cert. Stat. Epidemiol, Cert. APM

Director, Technical Coordination 

Friends for Global Health Initiative in Nigeria, FGHiN

Thank you sir for your time on such short notice, Just a few questions for you to enlighten the mass on the situation of things in the economy. and a form of encouragement to the youth on measures that can be applied in survival presently in Nigeria. 

Sir, please give us a brief of your bio-data and Career 

I am Dr Haroun Omeiza Isah, Ebira by tribe and born 54 years ago in Okengwen, Okene LGA of Kogi State to Pa Isah Aribah and late Mommy Abisetu Onyiyoiza Isah. I come from a modest family. I had my primary education starting from St Paul CMS Primary School, Okengwen, through Central School, Agbogugu, in current Enugu State (then part of old East Central State) and finishing up in 1975 in Keffi, Nasarawa  State (then Benue Plateau State). I had my secondary school education in GSS Otukpo, Benue State, between 1975 and 1980, and obtained the MBBS degree from the University of Ilorin in 1987 and Master of Public Health, MPH, degree from the University of Lagos in 1997. I am a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians and member of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. I have had privilege of professional development through several trainings (within and outside Nigeria) and a certified Project Management Specialist as well as Statistical Epidemiologist. By my training and vocation, I am a Public Health Physician/Health System Development Specialist with working experience and skills (within public and private sectors) spanning management, administration, health system development and organizational representations.  

Currently, I live and work in Abuja. I am married and blessed with four beautiful children. The eldest, a female is a graduate and currently with Institute of Human Virology-Nigeria, Abuja. Two are currently in the university (one, a male, going to his final year in Computer Science and Information Technology in Bell University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, and the other, a female going to her third year in Mass Communication, in Bingham University here near Abuja ), and the youngest, a male, in primary school, with the mother in Jos, Plateau State. 

What are your present positions or recent appointments? 

I am waiting to assume office with Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative as Principal Investigator/Chief of Party of a US-funded health project come 1st July 2016. However, I am currently the Director, Technical Coordination, with Friends for Global Health Initiative in Nigeria, a US-funded organization in health intervention activity in Nigeria, where I am providing leadership for the technical implementation of its programs nation-wide.  

I hold an academic chair as a Senior Lecturer in Public Health with the College of Medicine, Bingham University. Over the years gone by and to date, I have worked with several organizations basically responsible for health activities in Nigeria under the auspices of the United State Government, European Union and Canadian Government, providing technical assistance to Government of Nigeria across the three levels of the country’s government. I am a member of various professional bodies within and outside Nigeria. 

In the past few months what can you say is your take on President Buhari's method of procedure to change for the Nation? 

Ever government has its modus operandi, and the Buhari Government is no exception. The administration came in on the platform of “Change Mantra” believing the country requires a radical departure from its hitherto way of doing things under the previous administrations that held sway for sixteen (16) years. Its approach to governance is based on the outcome of its assessment and review of what characterized the country’s situation. Basically, there have been allegations of corruption permeating every fabric of the country. The administration’s decision to tackle corruption, block all forms of leakages and streamline management of the country’s governance is based on its belief that this is the basis of the nation’s current state.  

There are many way to kill a rat, goes the adage. Whatever way the current government is taken must seem appropriate based on findings. The most important thing is that the nation arrives at the destination where sanity becomes the order of the day, and the nation is properly positioned for the greatness it deserves. 

What can you say is the major cause of Oil pipeline vandalism? 

Answer is best obtained from the perpetrators of pipeline vandalism. According to the group, mainly youths from Niger Delta, it is because their communities, which are “the geese that laid the golden egg of petroleum”, the wealth of the nation, have remained shortchanged. Their communities have not benefitted from the dividends of oil.  

I have never been there, but I have been privileged to see the state of these communities through various media. And to be frank, what I have seen call for concern. But the approach taken by these youths is, to say the least, unhelpful. The taking to pipeline destruction will neither cause their community development nor ensure the human development of their people. If anything, outcomes of such acts include dire environmental, economic, health and demographic implications. At the end, their communities and the people will be worse off.  

In your own take what do the so called Avengers truly want? 

They want their communities and their people taken care of. They want to benefit from what their communities are providing this nation i.e. the wealth from oil. They want development for their settings and for their people. 

Where do you see the Nation Nigeria in the next Five years? 

It depends on what you have in mind. Based on the current drive and focus by the current national government, I see a country that will have a diversified economic base, prudent management system and a return of sanity. That is if the current spates of insurgency are controlled while the developmental agenda of the country are being pursued.  

If the spates of insurgency continue, what we will have is a fractured nation, with distrust ravaging its fabric. Then, the nation will be eluded by the much sought development and prosperity. 

Form of encouragement to the youth and on measures that can be applied in survival in present in Nigeria 

The youths must come to the understanding that the government cannot engage everyone in meaningful employment. They must come to term that the time has come to bring their innovativeness and creativity to bear in their quest for sustainable livelihood. Exploring avenues for self-sufficiency is the goal they must pursue. And how this can be achieved is through re-appraising the unfolding scenario in the country and keying into it. The current educational system can no longer position many of them for such, thus there is the urgent need for re-training to fit into the current realities in Nigeria. Many jobs previously unaccepted must be explored to ensure they are self-engaged. Such include agro-based and technical schemes. Coming together and forming a kind of co-operative societies will enable them to secure needed support that will ensure their empowerment through a revolving arrangement for its members. There are quite a number of outfits and organizations with willingness to support genuine arrangement outside the government system. 

Make additions where you feel needs to be cleared-up in the Nation 

Effort in eradicating corruption needs to be strengthened and institutional structures put on ground to prevent further occurrences. There is the need for sustained attention for sustainable development of Nigeria. The principles of accountability, probity and transparency in governance are dearly needed, coupled with orderliness and discipline in all ramification of the nation’s life. People must come to appreciate the nation as an entity to develop and protect against those bent on destroying it. Peace is needed if the nation must develop, and this should be focal point of all. Appropriate channels for addressing grievances must be taken. 

The teaming youths of this nation need to be assured of a secured future. They must be helped towards sustainable and assured future by helping them to develop towards sustainable livelihood. Hard work and having them appropriately directed are very important. The manner of quest for materialism must be de-emphasized. Flaunting of wealth by the privileged few in the midst of poverty and must be stopped. 

Thanks you once again for your time Sir.

By Silvia Williams