The Federal Government announced on Thursday, November 14, that it has secured a $134 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Chief Information Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Anthonia Eremah, stated that the loan will be directed toward supporting farmers in enhancing seed and grain production nationwide.

In a statement on Thursday, Eremah mentioned that the Minister made the announcement during the launch of the 2024/2025 National Dry Season Farming program in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State.

The Minister highlighted that the loan will play a crucial role in ensuring food security across Nigeria, particularly through the re-introduction of the national dry season farming initiative.

The project falls under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Additionally, the program will provide assistance to 150,000 rice farmers in its second phase, covering all 37 states, including the FCT, with an anticipated yield of approximately 450,000 metric tonnes,” the Minister stated.

The State of Palestine on Thursday raised the alarm over Israel’s use of “starvation” as a weapon of war in Gaza, particularly in North Gaza, where only 30 trucks are allowed to enter daily, meeting just 6% of the region’s needs.

The Palestinian government said the severe food deprivation was making survival extremely difficult for Gazans.

The authorities said this in a heartfelt letter to Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, which was signed by Ambassador Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh of the Embassy of the State of Palestine.

Revealing alarming casualty numbers, Shawesh said that 43,603 Palestinians have been killed and 102,929 injured in Gaza, mostly children and women, over 405 days of conflict.

Additionally, 188 journalists have lost their lives, in what he described as genocide and ethnic cleansing at the hands of the United States of America and Israeli.

Shawesh emphasised that empty condemnations are insufficient and urged collective action to end the prolonged Israeli aggression in Gaza.

Human Rights Watch has also reported on Israel’s deliberate blockade of food, water, and fuel, labeling it a war crime.

The organization noted that Israeli officials have publicly stated their intent to deprive Gazans of essential resources. The international community must take decisive action to address this humanitarian crisis.

Giving a statistics breakdown of the casualties, Shawesh stated, “In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as of November 9, 811 Palestinians were killed, 5,755 injured, and 13,585 permanent and temporary military checkpoints were set up.

“As of November 10, the total number of Palestinian detainees in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has reached 11,600, including 430 women, 760 children, and 132 journalists, 85 of whom are still in detention, and administrative orders have exceeded 10,000 detainees.

“The arrest campaign was accompanied by human humiliation, severe beatings, in addition to the vandalism destruction of Palestinian homes and property, and theft of their money and gold. These figures do not include detainees from Gaza, where some estimates indicate that their number exceeds 5,000 without any information about them. 41 Palestinian detainees were killed as a result of ill-treatment and severe beatings

“In the Negev and Ofer prisons, prisoners face difficult conditions, especially those from Gaza. What makes matters worse is the spread of scabies among prisoners, who are all subjected to brutal torture, insults and medical neglect.

“Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, particularly in North Gaza where only 30 trucks are allowed to enter per day, which is nearly 6% of the daily needs. This deprivation of food is making it difficult for the people in Gaza to even survive.

“Using the starvation as method and measure of war on Gaza specially on the north will lead to catastrophic health consequence on the short and long run.

“The people who are still in North Gaza are living under an immobilizing siege, are being deliberately and continuously bombed, and are without food, water, and medical supplies. Anyone who tries to flee in search of these necessities is targeted by Israeli drones and killed.”

Citing Joyce Msuya Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs “Now is the time for Member States to use their leverage to prevent and stop violations of international humanitarian law through diplomatic and economic pressure, responsible arms transfers and combating impunity, Now is the time for the Security Council to use its powers under the UN Charter to ensure compliance with international law and full implementation of its resolutions.”

“In the upcoming months, the occupied West Bank will be in the eye of the storm. Israel intends to extend its sovereignty over it, believing that the upcoming US administration will support this move. This will be the final nail in the coffin of the peace process and the two-state solution.”

Four lecturers of the Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, have been dismissed for their alleged for involvement in sexual harassment and examination misconduct.

The lecturers, whose identities have not been revealed, were dismissed following the approval of their dismissal given by the Governing Council of the university.

It was gathered that at the university’s second council meeting, chaired by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, the Governing Council commended the university management for adhering to due process during the investigation of the allegations.

Ndoma-Egba urged the university management to promptly address the remaining cases of misconduct, particularly the one currently attracting media attention in the Faculty of Science.

While cautioning staff and the faculty against violating the university’s rules, Ndoma-Egba assured that the university would not ignore any misconduct.

He also encouraged students to report any incidents of harassment or mistreatment to the appropriate authorities without fear.

Recall that the university had in May announced the suspension of a lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies over alleged sexual harassment of a 300-Level student from the same Department.

The suspended lecturer was also referred to the Department of State Services (DSS) for investigation and possible prosecution if found guilty, while the university stressed that the lecturer was relieved of all his duties and positions.