Ebonyi Set For Large Scale Cassava Production, Signs MoU

May 25, 2016

Ebonyi State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Union Dicon Salt Plc for large scale production and processing of cassava in the state.

The state government said that move to engage in cassava cultivation and processing in commercial quantity is another bold initiative by the Governor David Umahi-led government to mechanize the agricultural sector and propel the much needed economic diversification in the state.

In the terms of agreement, Ebonyi State Government will contribute 15,000 hectares of land spread across the state for the Union Dicon Salt to grow cassava and establish a factory where cassava products would be processed into raw materials for export and domestic use.

Governor Umahi, who was represented at the ceremony by Prof. Odoh, expressed optimism that the partnership would open up a new vista of opportunities for investments in the state, create jobs and bring about economic prosperity for the people.

The governor explained that the volume of raw materials from cassava from the factory would create a large market for the products and support brewery companies in brewing.

Umahi encouraged the company to hasten action and complete documentation with the state to enable it start off the agricultural project.

The Commissioner for Justice, Nwankwegu who gave an insight into the terms of the agreement, said that apart from the 15,000 hectares of land to be provided, no financial commitment was required from the state government for the agro business.

He said that owners of the land would be entitled to five per cent benefit from the project yield and the state government, 10 per cent even as he expressed happiness that the agro investment was coming at a time when the state was in the process of revolutionalizing the agricultural sector as an alternative to solving its economic problem.

The Managing Director of Dicon Salt PLC, Chuka Mordi, said his company was willing to invest in the state to take subsistence agriculture to industrial level.

According to him, Union Dicon would engage in growing of cassava in commercial quantity and process them into various products like sweeteners and industrial starch for export.

He stated that his company’s target was to contribute to the industrialisation of the state and reduce the importation of industrial starch and other products .

Mordi noted that in spite of the fact that Nigeria is one of the world’s largest producers of cassava, it still imports over 200,000 tons of industrial starch and sweeteners yearly .

The agricultural project is expected to commence within the next quarter of this year.

Those who attended the ceremony which took place in Abakaliki on Wednesday, were the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Benard Odoh, who signed on behalf of the state, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Chief Augustine Nwankwegu and the Managing Director of Union Dicon Salt, Chuka Mordi, who signed for his company. [myad]

How Family Friend Sexually Violated Me, Rita Edochie Narrates

Greenbarge Reporters

May 25, 2016

Popular Nollywood actress, Rita Edochie, has said that she was once sexually violated by family friend when she was just six years old.

Edochie who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja said: “I was a victim of sexual abuse. That was when I was in primary six.

“I was going to the hospital and somebody called me. The boy used some diabolic means and sexually violated me.

Edochie, who was a guest at a seminar to end violence against children, said that when she could not see her menses, she refused to tell her mother because she was very strict.

“I love sharing my experience because at the end of the day, I succeeded. If I had not succeeded, I would not have been able to be saying it.”

She explained that the pregnancy was about seven months before her mother noticed it, adding that her mother was shocked at the pregnancy because she thought her being strict would not allow such a thing to happen.

“My mother asked how it happened and I told her everything. My brother picked a knife and wanted to kill me, but my mother stopped him.

“It happened that the mother of the boy that violated me was my mother’s friend. The boy’s mother was surprised, but the boy denied.

“My mother took me to hospital to abort the pregnancy with a plan of taking me to my grandmother’s place at Ogede to stay for one week before returning home.

“I told her I may lose my life in the process and because she loved me, she then aborted the planned abortion. I feel it was God that spoke through me. My mother took care of the baby while I went to school.

“If not for my mother, I would not be where I am today.”

The veteran actress called on parents to communicate regularly with their children and make them their best friends.

“Parents should always listen to their children’s complaints on happenings both in and outside the home.” [myad]

April Federation Allocation: Federal, States, Local Governments Share N207.878 Billion

Greenbarge Reporters

May 25, 2016

The Federal and State governments as well as Local Government Councils have shared the sum of N207.878 Billion as statutory allocation from Federal Allocation for the month of April.
The allocation was shared among the three tiers of government as follows: Federal Government 52.68%, States 26.72%, Local government 20.60% and 13% derivation of Mineral Revenue for oil producing states.
A communiqué released by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee and signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, indicated that the Gross Revenue of N213.817 billion received for the month was lower than the N232.619 billion received in the previous month by N18.802 billion.
Oil production increased slightly between December 2015 and January 2016 despite explosions at Escravos Terminal, Force Majeure declared at Brass Terminal as well as Shut-in and Shut down of Pipelines at other Terminals for repairs and maintenance.
However, there was revenue loss of $45.90 million as a result of drop in average price of Crude Oil from $39.04 in December 2015 to $29.02 in January 2016.
Also, a marginal drop in income was recorded from Oil and Gas Royalty and Import Duty.
The distributable Statutory Revenue for the month is N213.817 billion.
The sum of N6.330 billion was refunded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to the Federal Government.
Also, there is exchange gain of N2.424 billion, which was also proposed for distribution.
The total revenue distributable for the current month, including Value Added Tax, is N281.500 billion.
The details of the Statutory Revenue distributable for the month of March 2016 is as follow: Federal Government received N101.215 billion (52.68%), States received N51.338 billion (26.72%) and the Local Government Councils received N39.579 billion (20.60%), while the Oil Producing States received N15.745 billion as (13% of Mineral Revenue – Oil & Gas).
Furthermore, for the month of April 2016, the gross revenue available for the Value Added Tax was N65.259 billion as against N64.234 billion distributed in the proceeding month, resulting in a decrease of N1.025 billion.
The breakdown of the Value Added Tax distribution for the month is as follows: N65.259 billion out of which the Federal Government got N9.397 billion (15%), States got N31.325 billion (50%) and the Local Government Councils received N21.927 billion (35%). [myad]

FCT Minister Sacks Director Of Environmental Board, Others

Greenbarge Reporters

May 25, 2016

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has approved the immediate sack of the Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Baba Shehu Lawan.

The Minister has also approved the immediate removal of all heads of Department as well as Heads of Unit under the Board and directed their deputies to immediately take charge.

The Minister ordered the sack on Wednesday when he met with the former management team of the AEPB.

Muhammad Bello directed the Director of the FCT Establishment and Training who was also part of the meeting to issue the new appointees with their appointment letters.

He warned that all lackadaisical attitudes to work must be stopped forthwith as Abuja must be rid of filth, street beggars, street hawkers and all other environmental nuisances immediately.

The Minister remarked that a lot of things are not going on well at the Board and further warned the new team to work to change the tide immediately.

He said that the former Director and his management team should ensure that all handing over processes are completed by Friday 27^th May.

Meanwhile, the Minister has directed that the former management team of the Board be constituted into a Special Task Force on the Recovery of N9.8 billion debt owed AEPB.

Muhammad Bello instructed that the new Task Force be headed by the former Director of the Board and was given 8 weeks to do the recovery into FCT Administration’s coffers.

At the meeting, the Minister also approved the appointment of Squadron Leader Abdullahi Adamu Monjel (Retired) to head a special team of 200 security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to assist in the enforcement of environmental laws in Abuja.

The Minister warned that the FCT Administration will not tolerate any act of abuse of fundamental human rights of the residents in the discharge of their duties.

He urged them to diligently do their job by following and applying the law and due process.

The new Acting Director, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Omolola Olanipekun was formerly the Deputy Director, Environmental Degradation & Development Monitoring in the Abuja Environmental Protection Board. [myad]

16 Political Parties Go To Court To Challenge Kogi’s Reconstitution Of Local Councils

Greenbarge Reporters

May 25, 2016

No fewer than 16 registered political parties in Kogi State have dragged the state government to court for alleged reconstituting local governments without recourse to the democratic process of election.

The political parties are UPP, Action Alliance, Advance Congress for Democrats, Alliance for Democracy, Citizen Popular Party, Hope Democratic Party, Kowa Party and Labour Party.

The others are Fresh Democratic party, Peoples Democratic Party, Independent Democrat, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Unity Party of Nigeria, Peoples Democratic Movement, Young Democratic Party and Peoples Party of Nigeria.

Their originating summons, signed by counsel to the political parties, Williams Aliwo, dated May 18, was made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Wednesday.

They joined the Kogi State Government, the Attorney-General of Kogi State, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Attorney-General of the Federation as co-defendants.

The applicants contended that the state government contravened Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution as amended by reconstituting the 21 local governments on May 6 without recourse to elections.

They want the court to declare the reconstitution unconstitutional, unlawful, wrongful, null and void.

They also urged the court to declare that the purported reconstitution “is not recognisable for purposes of enjoying financial patronage of the Federal Government through the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.”

They urged the court to direct the Accountant-General of the Federation to stop any allocation or any kind of financial resources to the councils until they were properly and democratically reconstituted.

They also sought an order directing the Kogi State Government to reconstitute local councils in the state by democratic process.

The originating summon was supported by a 33-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Iliyas Badanga, the state Chairman of the United Progressive Party.

They want the court to determine whether the state government was right in reconstituting the councils and whether the action was democratic.

The other issue was whether the councils could be granted financial allocations in view of the anomalies associated with the constitution.

In their motion on notice, the political parties urged the court to restrain the respondent from recognizing the reconstituted councils.

NAN. [myad]

Food Security In Nigeria Is Being Threatened, Idahosa University Vice Chancellor Warns

Greenbarge Reporters

May 25, 2016

University Vice Chancellor of the Benson Idahosa University in Edo State, Professor Ernest Izevbigie has warned that food security in Nigeria is being threatened even as he announced that the university’s Faculty of Agriculture is getting set to grow tomatoes and carefully monitor them for quality.

The Vice Chancellor, who spoke against the backdrop of the tomato disease that has been ravaging some states in the North, remarked: “we are at risk of food insecurity; that is what is happening now. If you have food security, you will have plenty of food available. But food security in this country is being threatened.”

Professor Izevbigie said however that in order to address the challenges posed by the tomato disease, his university is planning to produce 800,000 tons of tomatoes, saying: “we are making an audacious statement that Benson Idahosa University is poised to produce 800,000 tons of tomatoes to ameliorate the present shortage in the supply of tomatoes in Nigeria in the next one year,” he said.

He noted that the university’s agriculture department also had the technology to cultivate grass, which would ameliorate the effects of cattle grazing, adding that Nigeria should become more self-sufficient in terms of forage crops production, as the country has the proper soil and climate for such crops to thrive. [myad]

Court Is Not Father Christmas, Justice Abang Tells Metuh

Greenbarge Reporters

May 25, 2016

Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja ‎has told the former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh that court is not a Father Christmas that would give what it did not have.

“This is not a case of sympathy, but a case of law.‎ This court has no jurisdiction to entertain this application.”

Justice Abang spoke today when he ruled, rejecting Metuh’s application seeking for leave to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The judge ruled that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain Metuh’s application because there was a subsisting order.

The order directed Metuh to deposit his international passport with the chief registrar of the high court as part of his bail conditions.

He added that Metuh, through his counsel, did not apply to vary the bail conditions.

“The court is not Father Christmas to give to the defendant what it did not ask for. The application lacks merit. It is accordingly dismissed. The court cannot set aside its decision.”

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal has dismissed Metuh’s appeal of no case submission, and upheld the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court , Abuja which had previously rejected the said application. [myad]

Violent Protest Greets Donald Trump’s Rally In New Mexico

Greenbarge Reporters

May 25, 2016

Violent protests greeted Donald Trump rally a in New Mexico on Tuesday night. The demonstrators threw burning T-shirts, plastic bottles and other items at police officers, overturned trash cans and knocked down barricades.

Authorities responded by firing pepper spray and smoke grenades into the crowd outside the Albuquerque Convention Center in what police later called a “riot.”

During the rally, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee was interrupted repeatedly by protesters, who shouted, held up banners and resisted removal by security officers.

The banners included the messages “Trump is Fascist” and “We’ve heard enough.”

At one point, a female protester was physically dragged from the stands by security. Other protesters scuffled with security as they resisted removal from the convention center, which was packed with thousands of loud and cheering Trump supporters.

Trump responded with his usual bluster, instructing security to remove the protesters and mocking their actions by telling them to “Go home to mommy.”

He responded to one demonstrator by asking, “How old is this kid?” Then he provided his own answer: “Still wearing diapers.”

Trump’s supporters responded with chants of “Build that wall!”

The altercations left glass at the entrance of the convention center smashed.

During the rally, protesters outside overran barricades and clashed with police in riot gear. They also burned T-shirts and other items labeled with Trump’s catchphrase, “Make America Great Again.”

Tuesday marked Trump’s first stop in New Mexico, the nation’s most Hispanic state. Gov. Susana Martinez, head of the Republican Governors Association and the nation’s only Latina governor, has harshly criticized his remarks on immigrants and has attacked his proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The governor did not attend the rally and has yet to make an endorsement.

Trump read off a series of negative statistics about the state, including an increase in the number of people on food stamps.

“We have to get your governor to get going. She’s got to do a better job, OK?” he said, adding: “Hey, maybe I’ll run for governor of New Mexico. I’ll get this place going.”

The governor’s office fired back, saying Martinez has fought for welfare reform.

“The potshots weren’t about policy, they were about politics,” said spokesman Michael Lonergan. “And the Governor will not be bullied into supporting a candidate until she is convinced that candidate will fight for New Mexicans, and she did not hear that today.”

Trump supporters at the rally said they appreciated his stance on boosting border security and stemming the flow of people crossing the border illegally, but some said they were frightened by the violent protests outside.

Albuquerque attorney Doug Antoon said rocks were flying through the convention center windows as he was leaving Tuesday night. Glass was breaking and landing near his feet.

“This was not a protest, this was a riot. These are hate groups,” he said of the demonstrators.

Albuquerque police said several officers were treated for injuries after getting hit by rocks thrown by protesters. At least one person was arrested from the riot, police said.

Karla Molinar, a University of New Mexico student, said she participated in disrupting Trump’s speech because she felt he was attacking members of her family who are living in the country illegally. She said she believes Trump is using them as scapegoats for the nation’s problems. [myad]

Edo Retracts Letter Appointing Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa As Oba Of Benin

Greenbarge Reporters

May 25, 2016

The Edo State Government has retracted a letter earlier to on Edaiken N’Uselu, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa as the new Oba of Benin after the demise of Momo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, the Oba of Bening.

In another letter retracting the earlier one, the Seceretary to the State Government, Professor Julius Ihonvbere said that the first letter was issued in error.

The Edo government sadi: “in deference to the revered age-long tradition and respect for the sensibilities of the people of the great Benin Kingdom, the Government of Edo State hereby withdraws a letter issued on 24^th May 2016 entitled: ‘Appointment of His Royal Highness Edaiken N’Uselu, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa as the Oba of Benin.’

“The said letter was issued in error as the rites of passage of His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba of Benin are still on.

“The Government will, in due course, issue a fresh letter on the installation of the Edaiken N’Uselu, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa as the Oba of Benin, in line with the age-long succession tradition of the Benin Kingdom and in line with Section 19 (1) of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law, 1979 (as amended) and by virtue of all other laws enabling it in that behalf, after all necessary traditional rites are concluded.” [myad]

Man, 75, Hangs Self In Gombe

Greenbarge Reporters

May 24, 2016

A 75 year old man, whose name was given as Baba Jigawa, has committed suicide by hanging himself in Gombe, the capital of Gombe state.

The Gombe State Police Command confirmed incidence, saying that Baba Jigawa was found hanging in a provision store at Gombe Timber market.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmed Usman, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Gombe on Tuesday that the incident occurred on Monday.

Usman said: “he was found hanging; photograph of his remains snapped and investigations are still ongoing.”

DSP Usman said that the body was taken to the Specialists’ Hospital Gombe, where Doctors confirmed that he was dead.

According to him, efforts are being intensified to get to the root of the matter. [myad]

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