News
Food Crisis: FG Sets Up Committee To Tackle Hunger
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) as part of its efforts to tackle the prevailing hardship in the land.
While inaugurating the unit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Friday, Vice President Kashim Shettima said it was part of the present administration’s ongoing plan to tackle hunger.
The presidency has also engaged the states, development partners and other critical stakeholders in the efforts to address the soaring prices of commodities and general food insecurity in the country.
Addressing members comprising governors, cabinet ministers and representatives of development partners, Shettima said, “The nation is facing a rare food security crisis and the sooner we come to terms with the reality, the better.
“Food insecurity endangers the very basis of our democratic experiment and this is why all hands have to be on deck. We are in a food security crisis but it also provides us the opportunity to re-engineer and reposition the nation on a firmer footing”.
Outlining the mandate of the PFSCU, the Vice President said the unit was not created to usurp the functions of the Ministry of Agriculture, noting that the urgency and seriousness of the matter at hand requires the ideas and resources of all stakeholders.
Shettima also made reference to the Green Imperative Programme, a government-catalyzed, private sector-driven, agricultural industrialization programme, as one initiative which the PFSCU must work assiduously to activate and operationalize.
He stated that with improved farming practices, improved seeds, use of fertilizers, Nigeria’s agricultural productivity could be turned around for the better.
Speaking earlier, governors on the committee outlined plans to modernise farming practices, increase crop yields, and transform Nigeria into a self-sufficient food producer.
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River said his state is looking to feed the country, adding that his government must modernize agriculture to feed the population.
“We are an agrarian state, and we have stepped up our game,” Governor Otu noted.
On his part, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, emphasised the need for a coordinated approach, citing low productivity and population growth as a major challenge to the nation’s food security drive.
He called for investment in commercial agriculture, improved funding, and enhanced security for farmers.
Also, Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, highlighted the state’s potential to achieve food security.
“All that is needed is the political will to drive the process. Our lands are very fertile. In Jigawa, there are places where we are yielding ten tonnes per hectare of rice. There are so many places like that. As of today, our average in Jigawa State is about 12.56 per hectare. We are on the right course. What we need is sustained political will,” the governor explained.
On his part, Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, proposed his state as a pilot for the President’s food security initiative.
He claimed that Niger has invested over N100 billion in agricultural mechanization, with 5,000 tractors and twenty pilot irrigation systems available.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a fresh hearing in the legal battle over the disputed Kano Emirate involving Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero.
The Appellate Court, in a judgment delivered on Friday, held that Bayero was denied fair hearing due to the shoddy manner in which a Kano High Court conducted proceedings against him.
Justice Mohammed Mustapha, who delivered the lead judgement, stated that the Kano High Court was unfair to Bayero by conducting proceedings without serving him a hearing notice to enable him to present his case.
Justice Mustapha held that all courts of law are bound to ensure justice for all parties by giving them equal opportunities, adding that the conduct of the proceedings against Bayero amounted to a travesty of justice.
Specifically, the Appellate Court held that Bayero ought to have been served with a hearing notice to allow him to present his grievances before judgment was delivered against him in what it described as a shoddy arrangement.
The Court of Appeal, therefore, ordered that the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Kano State High Court to be reassigned to another judge for expeditious determination.
Justice Mustapha did not award costs against the respondents in the appeal filed by Ahaji Ado Bayero.
Details later.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze N’digbo Worldwide has elected Dim Uche Nnamdi Okwukwu as its new factional President General.
The election, which took place at a convention in Port Harcourt on Thursday night, saw Okwukwu, a legal practitioner and former Secretary General of the group, chosen unopposed.
Okwukwu, from Elele in Rivers State, expressed his gratitude to the delegates and outlined his commitment to addressing the issues facing the Igbo people.
He stated that uniting the fractured Igbo community would be his priority.
His plans include engaging with the government and key stakeholders to seek the release of Nnamdi Kanu and other political prisoners, as well as pushing for economic and infrastructural development in Igbo areas.
Additionally, he intends to address security concerns, including kidnapping and other forms of violence, and work toward restructuring efforts that involve all ethnic groups.
More to come…
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The recent defection of lawmakers from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC)he member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/ Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Obi Aguocha has declared that as it stands Julius Abure is the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP
Obi, an ally to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, stated this while speaking on the recent defection of lawmakers from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the lawmaker, there is no leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party that warrants the defection of the party’s lawmakers.
In an interview with the New Telegraph, Aguocha noted that there is no political party that doesn’t have crisis but the leadership has remained steadfast in finding solutions.
Speaking on the defection, he said: “We have a governor but some people are only fixated on the five decampees.
“They’re my colleagues, and I would not say ill of my colleagues because it was a personal decision they took.
“Some of them have explained their actions in the public domain, and part of what they said was that there is a perceived division in the Labour Party.
There’s no political party, especially the top three in Nigeria, that doesn’t have any issues. APC has their problems. PDP has their problems. The Labour Party, of course, has its problems.
“But the most important thing is that the leadership of Labour Party has remained steadfast in finding solutions to the problems that we have in the Labour Party.
“Yes, our matter has gone through the High Court and is on appeal. I would believe that by the time the court decides as to the direction of the party, then all of us will now know the direction to move.
“But by way of the determination of the court, Julius Abure by determination of the court, whether right or wrong, is the chairman of the party. So, there’s no division in the Labour Party.”
2027 election
Obi Aguocha pointed out that most of these lawmakers who defected come from states that do not have a Labour Party government, so, it’s also an issue of their self-survival.
“They probably maybe under pressure that the election for 2027 is going to be very difficult for them without a helping hand from the state government,” he said.
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