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Tag: blueprint

  • Institute develops blueprint to meet housing needs

    The Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA) has developed a blueprint in partnership with state to meet housing needs, the president, Adibe Njoku, has said.

    He said one of the solutions to the housing problem was involvement of the private sector as a leading driver.

    Njoku, who spoke in Abuja, on the institute’s efforts to reduce the housing deficit, said the government could intervene by strengthening the capacity of the institute toward building an efficient market.

    He said NIA has begun a campaign “on this new initiative, meeting the government as part of an enlightenment programmes toward ensuring the success of the innovation geared towards making houses accessible.

    The NIA president said the initiative was informed by the need to initiate new measures of housing delivery and create jobs for youths.

    Presenting the blueprint to reporters, Njoku said the geometric growth of cities, fast growth of towns, availability of housing raw materials and rising population of employable professionals in construction, were conditions favouring mass housing development.

    According to him, NIA has delivered models, such as architectural social housing, architectural commercial housing and public private partnership on which a successful partnership can be built with the Federal Government.

    Njoku said NIA was promoting a new concept in mass housing with a template  based on mass production to build houses.

    “This will create an architectural chain in the production process and open access to an array of small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs’) funding at single digit interest rate for component fabrication that will culminate in housing development.”

    The NIA president urged the Federal Government to collaborate with architects and other professionals to fashion out strategies toward solving the housing shortfall.

  • Delta communities draw up economic blueprint

    Aniocha and Oshimili people of Delta State are set to draw up their own economic blueprint for the development of the area.

    To achieve this, a non-partisan and non-profit making socio–cultural organisation known as Njiko Aniochaoshimili has been convened to organize an economic summit to draw up the area’s economic recovery roadmap.

    According to the convener of the organisation, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, “an Economic Summit by sons and daughters of our area will be held in Asaba to interrogate issues like targeting more efficient and effective internally generated funds from Aniocha Oshimili; identifying agricultural potentials of Aniocha Oshimili Axis, with particular attention to institutional and donor agencies intervention and the impact of IT hub on employment and wealth creation in Aniocha Oshimili.”

    Other areas of interest to the organization include the tourism potential of Aniocha-Oshimili Axis of Delta State; the vision of a model Delta State Capital Territory and prospects for a mega/ commercial city; security challenges in Aniocha Oshimili district and wealth creation and job opportunities through private secto initiatives.

    The socio-cultural organization will also consider the area’s oil sector opportunities with a view to creating the enabling environment for foreign and domestic investment.

    To address these issues at the summit, sons and daughters from Aniocha and Oshomili in Nigeria and some in diaspora have been lined up to lead conversations on these sub themes.

    The group will also address the litany of issues that confronts communities within Aniocha-Oshimili.

    Some of these include; quality of public education, unemployment, housing, transportation, electricity and security.

    The Njiko Aniochaoshimili platform aims to work from the community level, by helping to bring citizens and stakeholders together in order to address these issues, while supporting efforts to create enabling environment for the growth and development of the communities.

    To implement its mission effectively, Njiko Aniochaoshimili will serve as a thought leadership and advocacy group that will work with elected officials in the state and local governments to help address issues that affect the constituents.

    The group will periodically invite elected officials to brief the organization on their contributions and claims of developments in the area, thus holding them accountabl as well as work with elected representatives in advocating for legislations that are inclusive and that help address specific issues that affect constituents.

    Njiko Aniochaoshimili will “provide an online platform for stakeholders in the district to work together and share their ideas and research on the development of innovative solutions that will address pressing challenges within our communities” Azinge said.

    The group will also organise workshops and conferences that address topics of common interest in the district such as Agriculture, Security, Energy, Infrastructure, I.C.T and Education. “Resolutions from these seminars will form part of the recommendations presented to stakeholders in the Local State and Federal Governments”.

    Njiko Aniochaoshimili hopes to foster partnership with similar organisations and agencies at the State and National levels in order to create a powerful network of Institutions devoted to similar goals.

    They will equally “engage in public opinion surveys that obtain data on the needs of the district, such as level of unemployment and access to basic amenities by citizens and residents. This will allow for detailed demographic analysis and the development of solutions that would address these challenges.”

    Njiko Aniochaoshimili will rekindle the “I can do spirit” that the district is noted for and provide solutions that will help reposition Aniocha Oshimili as a prime hub for economic activity, I.C.T development, and agricultural growth in Delta State and indeed Nigeria.

  • Violence: Kaduna adopts Plateau blueprint

    Violence: Kaduna adopts Plateau blueprint

    Faced with unending violence, Kaduna State has borrowed the peace strategy which helped to douse tensions in neighbouring Plateau State. ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE reports

    They have a lot in common: a shared border, variety of ethnic groups and a mix of Christian and Muslim populations. That is not all. Kaduna and Plateau states are also troubled by communal tensions which are often violent. Thankfully, Plateau seems to have figured out the path to peace, thanks to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD), a conflict-resolution non-governmental organisation. Communities which intermittently hacked at one another are finding good reason to dwell together in peace.

    Kaduna, on the other hand, has not been that lucky, but that is not to say it has been a long stretch of darkness there. After the 2011 post-presidential election violence in which many lives were lost and worship centres and other property were destroyed, crisis broke out in parts of the state, especially in its southern parts. But since Governor Nasir el-Rufai came into office, there was quite a considerable spell of peace. It came as a result of interventions by a peace and reconciliation committee headed by Gen Martin Luther Agwai. The committee was said to have traced some aggrieved Fulani herdsmen connected to the violence to faraway Niger Republic, Chad and other neighbouring countries where the herders said they lost cattle and other things in the Kaduna crises. The committee pleaded with them to let bygone be bygone; in some cases compensations were paid for the sake of peace.

    It worked, but only for a year. Thereafter crisis erupted intermittently especially in Southern Kaduna. There were isolated killings though not just in the south but also in the north and central zones of the state, especially Birnin Gwari axis. Herdsmen and crop farmers blamed one another for the violence. Herders accused the growers of intolerance, while the farmers blamed the allocation of grazing reserves to herdsmen as cause of the violence.

    Now there is some good news. Representatives of 29 communities  in southern Kaduna have unveiled a Peace Apology Billboard in Samaru-Kataf, saying sorry to everyone affected by the violence. They hope the latest effort will end all hostilities.

    The community representatives were trained by the CHD, which helped to restore peace in Plateau. The Chairman of Plateau State Council of Chiefs, Gbong-Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang Buba was at the unveiling of the peace billboard.

    He spoke passionately on the violence racking the two states and recommended the Plateau antidote. The traditional ruler relived the wonders of the CHD and its leading figure.

    He said, “Alice Nderitu and her team from Center for Humanitarian Dialogue came to me and gave me a brief of exactly what is happening here in Kaduna. And they appealed to me to come here so that we can talk to our brothers and sisters here about how to stay in peace.

    “They did this because like you all know we have had our serious challenges in Plateau State; challenges that are very distasteful. Lives were lost, communities torn apart. Up till today, there are some villages that are still vacant; the natives have not gone back to their villages but we want to thank God Almighty for the relative peace we are enjoying on the plateau. And we will want to thank Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue that came in to Plateau over three years ago.  They came to the palace and requested that we give them people from the communities to work with. Today I thank God for the relative peace we are enjoying.

    “The governor of Plateau, upon coming on to the seat of governance, immediately called the Berom community. I hope you all know that I am Berom anyway?  I know His Excellency, Governor Nasir el-Rufai knows, and he had serious discussions with us after which he called the Fulani communities and had serious discussions with them. Thereafter he called both the Berom and Fulani communities and had a discussion with them.

    “At the end of which he suggested that we get representatives of the Fulani and the Berom, and that government was going to put in place a committee to work with these groups so that they can dialogue and talk to themselves. He encouraged that nobody should shy away from the issues that are creating problems. And this team sat together and they came up with a very beautiful report that virtually tallied with the report that the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue had packaged with very serious recommendations.

    “It will interest you to know that in the Gazette for the selection of kings in Berom land, the head of Fulani is a king maker despite not being a historical indigene, but because we stayed together for so long that it was the wisdom of the elders to ensure that since we have stayed particularly with them, let them have a sense of belonging and that is why the ’Ardos’ (head of Fulani) participate as king makers in the selection of District Heads in the entirety of Berom land. I met it there and we are working with that. We will continue to work with that.

    “Having told you I am Berom, I am sure you will be wondering why is my name Buba? Buba is a Fulani name. But this is because my grandfather had a very intimate Fulani friend called Buba. So when they gave birth to my father, the Fulani man said this boy is my namesake and my father was named Buba. After that they never gave him any Berom name again and that is why I bear Buba. If at that time these old people could do this, why are we tearing ourselves apart? Why can’t we find common ground on which to rejoice in?

    “It is embarrassing to all of us seated here that a young lady from Kenya, Alice Nderitu, has gathered us here to talk peace. Look at us and look at her age. The passion with which she talks is so touching, that’s why I conceded to come. Governor Nasir el-Rufai is someone I have had privilege to work with. He was a minister in the Obasanjo regime while I was traversing the country chasing smugglers.”

    The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue boss, Alice Nderitu who is a Kenyan, said Nigeria as the leader of the black nation in the world ought to set the example for other African countries on peaceful co-existence.

    She suggested that, as part of efforts to restore peace in Southern Kaduna, churches, mosques and vehicles destroyed during previous crisis should be rebuilt, saying leaving them in their state of destruction leaves negative and devastating impressions on the minds of children growing up.

    In reaction to her request, el-Rufai donated N100 to support the rebuilding of damaged churches and mosques, saying, his government has drafted a bill to set up the Kaduna State Peace Commission in fulfillment of the promises he made in 2015.

    In a speech entitled ‘Apology, Forgiveness, Key to Peace’ the governor said the Commission will enable inclusion of all citizens on plans for peaceful co-existence of the peoples of the state.

    According to him, “In recognition of the vital importance of showing concrete manifestations of peace, the government has decided to support civic efforts to rebuild damaged churches and mosques with a seed fund of N100m. The challenge of achieving peace and justice is a complex process that requires imagination, wide consultations, technical support, research and time. I have promised you change. I will not be derailed from the legacy of peace that Southern Kaduna deserves from my generation.

    “This state belongs to everyone that has chosen to make it home. Let us respect each other, abide by the law, do our duty to uphold harmony and firmly reject division and violence! Today we are here to launch a Public Apology Billboard, as we grieve  over the lives sadly taken in the recent violence in the Godogodo chiefdom. Why, our children ask, are we able to discuss peace for decades but not find it on the ground?”

  • A youth blueprint in Gombe

    A youth blueprint in Gombe

    Back in 2014, the Gombe State government rehabilitated once dreaded youths; now that development plan has deepened with more acquiring various skills, reports VINCENT OHONBAMU

    Residents of Gombe State once had a healthy fear of a group of youths called Yan Kalare made up of political thugs. They roughened up targets, inflicted mortal injuries and even killed sometimes. What happened after the crime? Nothing, because they had powerful sponsors.

    The state government’s response, in 2014, was unique: train them in worthwhile ventures. It was a demonstration of its commitment to ensuring that young people are taken off crime and given a sense of belonging. The plan also helped to tackle restiveness.

    The Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo administration has launched yet another youth empowerment programme tagged G-Hope.

    The administration had in its first term launched, among many other empowerment programmes, the Talba Youths Rehabilitation and Re-Orientation Programme which captured over 3,000 youths, most of whom used to be Kalare, rehabilitated and trained them into useful elements of the society.

    It also launched the Talba Empowerment Scheme (TBS) in which about 1,000 taxicabs and tricycles were distributed to youths on revolving loans.

    Unveiling the programme in Gombe, the Commissioner for Youths Empowerment in Gombe state, Malam Farouk Yarma said G –Hope would capture and train 5,000 youths across the state in skills with the aim of alleviating their suffering.

    He said these 5,000 beneficiaries of the programme were drawn from across the 114 wards that make up the 11 local government areas of the state.

    He said the scheme which comprises three components: Ward Vanguard, Educational Corps and Youths for Skills Acquisition, is aimed at making the youth self-reliant, build their trust and enable them play a positive role in the state’s growth.

    “One of the agenda of this administration is entrepreneurship and skills development and it has thus far shown commitment in this direction.

    “In line with this, the government is helping the youths of Gombe State to identify their areas of strength so as to be trained and help the economic transformation of the state through locally made products.

    “Therefore, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment has since the assumption of office by this administration in 2011 gone through rejuvenation. Through its various youth orientation programmes, the Ministry has been able to change the fortunes of the youths of Gombe state by making positive impacts in their lives.

    “With this and all the previous youth empowerment activities, His Excellency, Alhaji, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo has fulfilled his campaign promises he made to the youths of Gombe state, which is to change their lives in a positive manner. The inclusion of youths in his cabinet is also another,” Yarma said.

    The Commissioner opined that graduates roaming the streets without jobs are mostly those without skills. This, he said: “informed the Ministry’s decision to change the trend to ensure youths are empowered through entrepreneurship and skill development while hoping that the programme would change the mindset of young people towards being their own bosses and masters of their own fate.”

    Also at the event of unveiling the G-Hope project at Pantami Stadium in Gombe, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo said each beneficiary would receive a monthly stipend of N5,000 monthly. This amount does not include the cost of monitoring and evaluation of the programme.

    “The essence is to keep the youth fully engaged to enable them contribute their quota to the development of the state as well as humanity in general.

    “It is a job that will make them job creators rather than job seekers and contribute positively towards poverty and crime reduction,” Governor Dankwambo said while placing on records that the peaceful coexistence the state enjoys today, despite being surrounded by insurgency infested states emanates partly from the commitment to youth empowerment.

    While commending international donor agencies which he said mobilised the youths towards peace building as well as entrepreneurship, Dankwambo equally extolled clubs, associations and NGOs for rendering selfless service geared towards the growth and development of the state and county at large.

    He said government in the bid to weed out dormant and ineffective associations, and for the state to improve its internal revenue, ratified the upward review of registration fees charged on associations operating in the state, with the exception of all associations belonging to physically challenged persons.

    The governor warned that henceforth any association that failed to register would not benefit from any incentive in terms of grants, interest-free loan, fertilisers, etc; urging commercial banks operating in the state to always demand certificate of registration from clubs and associations before opening new accounts.

  • Party mocks Jegede’s economic blueprint

    Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised the economic blueprint of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN)

    Jegede’s blueprint promised to initiate policies that will make the state less dependent on Federal Allocation.

    He said the state would disconnect financially from the centre, stressing that the industrial base would be created in the Ondo southern belt, with Ilaje Free Trade Zone as his priority.

    But the APC described the statement as nothing but an attempt to hoodwink the citizenry, who it said are groaning due to maladministration of the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led administration for the past eight years.

    A statement by the APC Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, said: “We consider this comment as a tasteless political rhetoric coming from the PDP governorship candidate.

    “The people of Ondo State are used to comment like this from Eyitayo’s godfather, Governor Mimiko, who promised to transform the land and lives of the southern senatorial district’s people and indeed Ondo State while seeking their votes, but dumped them after securing their mandate.”

  • Shittu: Federal Govt to release ICT blueprint next month

    Shittu: Federal Govt to release ICT blueprint next month

    A new blueprint for the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry will be out in January, the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, said yesterday.

    In a statement in Lagos, he said the blueprint would transform and make the ICT industry a new cash-cow for the economy.

    “By the grace of God, in mid-January, I will be addressing the country on the blueprint for ICT development.

    “We have been receiving a lot of input from stakeholders across the country and from Nigerians in the Diaspora; some of which will form part of the details of the blueprint.

    “We have set up two days to do a retreat in Kaduna State in January after which the blueprint will be out.

    “Certainly, what you should be assured of is that you have a new minister, who is passionate about development.

    “A new minister, who does things the way they should be done, with a view to developing optimally the sector to generate a lot of employment in the economy,’’ he said.

    The minister said the planned ICT blueprint would bring about training and retraining of major experts and consequently, generate more revenue for Nigeria.

    According to him, government wants to put an end to the dependence on oil, even with the dwindling resources coming through oil.

    He assured stakeholders that the Federal Government would continue to encourage local investment in the ICT sector to enhance growth.

  • Sylva unveils blueprint for Bayelsa

    Sylva unveils blueprint for Bayelsa

    The standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has written off his main opponent in the December 5 governorship election in the state, Governor Seriake Dickson of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the incumbent has nothing to showcase, to convince the electorates to re-elect him.

    Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, to unveil his blueprint for the development of the state, Sylva said the opportunity of becoming governor again will afford him the chance of resuscitating the numerous projects he initiated during his first coming, but was not able to complete and commission before he left office. He accused Dickson of abandoning all the projects he initiated when he was the governor of the oil-rich state in 2012.

    Before an enthusiastic audience of party members, supporters and private sector moguls, the former governor rolled out a four-pronged programme which he said will “liberate the people of my state from the poverty and fear.” The four pillars are: to enhance revenue and diversify the economy; to enhance job and wealth creation; to focus on wellbeing and security; and to create an effective public service.

    In the presentation, which lasted about 35 minutes, Sylva said the people of Bayelsa State have keyed into the change mantra of the APC and are looking forward to meaningful leader and that his programmes are integrated and designed to affect the lives of Bayelsans at all levels.

    Upon assumption of office, if re-elected, he said his strategy would be to immediately harvest what he called the low-hanging fruits, embark on the completion of the numerous uncompleted projects that have been abandoned by the current administration and then start new ones.

    On the first pillar, he said it would entail agricultural development, infrastructure renewal and tourism. He noted that a diversified economy that focuses on agriculture and commodity value chains like rice, fisheries and palm oil would put Bayelsa State on the right track.

    Under the second pillar of job and wealth creation, Sylva said he would concentrate on youth empowerment and capacity building, through the improvement in the quality of education, improvement of access to small and micro business financing and through youth training and skill development programmes.

    He regretted that many of the projects he started while in office have either been abandoned or distorted by the Dickson administration. For instance, he said the skill acquisition project at Eletele, which he had already completed but not commissioned before he left office, has been converted to a school of basic studies named after Governor Dickson.

    “There is another one we built in Asuama, in Kolokpo/Kokpomo area, with live-in facilities — we were to build a jetty there — to train divers and other technicians. That project has been abandoned,” he added.

    Sylva said he had hoped that the Brass Liquidified Natural Gas (LNG) project was going to be a reality during the time of the past administration. He added: “Unfortunately, I was wrong. At a time we had the President of the Federal Republic and the Minister of Petroleum Resources — the most powerful ever Minister of Petroleum Resources from Bayelsa State — the administration could not achieve Brass LNG in Bayelsa.

    “This is very sad; this would have actually given us a lot of mileage in employment generation. But, I’m happy to announce that the Brass Fertilizer Project is on. We will encourage the promoters of that project to realize their dream, because it will be for the benefit of Bayelsans.”

    Sylva said the third transformation pillar of well-being and security will rest on improving access to healthcare services, peace and conflict resolution, and maintaining a sustainable environment.

    On the fourth pillar, Sylva said the vision of the APC government under him is to create an effective public service, with a renewed focus on performance and service delivery. He added: “Whatever you do, without an effective public service, we will achieve nothing. Under this pillar, we will among other things, harmonise the civil servants with the policy thrust of the APC government.”

    Earlier, the head of his campaign and Minister of State for Agriculture, Chief Heineken Lokpobri, praised the candidacy of Sylva, saying that about 75 per cent of Bayelsans have indicated their zeal to vote out incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson during the December 5 election.

    The Director of Press and Publicity of the Timipre Sylva Campaign Organisation, Mr. Nathan Egba, said today the APC standard bearer is much more prepared for office morally, psychologically and even academically than he was during his first coming under the banner of the PDP. He said the ordeal he went through after becoming governor, because of the way and manner he clinched the PDP ticket and the general attitude within the party, made it difficult for him to concentrate on his work.

    Egba said Sylva took part in the 2006 governorship primary, against the wishes of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had instructed formidable aspirants like Timi Alaibe not to take part in the contest, to pave the way for the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan. He said: “After Jonathan was made the Vice Presidential running mate to Umaru Yar’Adua, the party wanted a more loyal person to take up the governorship ticket, but Sylva rejected the idea, saying the best thing is to go for the person that came second in the primary. They could not suppress it, because it was a compelling argument. From that moment, they did everything possible to undermine him and his administration.”

    He refuted insinuations that the over 1,000 APC members led by Senator John Brambaifa and Alex Ekiotenne who reportedly defected back to the PDP recently have affected the standing of the opposition party in the state.

    He said: “The two men behind the defection back to the PDP came into the APC in August this year and returned back to the fold October of the same year. This obviously tells you that they came into the APC for a mission, which is to destabilize the party. So, to answer your question, the APC family is united. The two men behind this are interlopers who came into the APC for a mission and they have failed in that mission; that is why they quickly scurried back to the PDP.”

     

  • ‘Buhari’s economic blueprint will be pro-people’

    ‘Buhari’s economic blueprint will be pro-people’

    National Woman Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, is one female politician to watch in the current political dispensation. The Kogi State-born administrator is also the President of Council of African Political Parties (Women Wing). In this interview with Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo, she spoke on President Muhammadu Buhari’s 100 days in office, the Kogi governorship election, among other issues.

    President Muhammadu Buhari marked his first 100 days in office last week, what is your assessment of his performance?

    Two words; quietly impressive! Without injection of funds and devoid of any propaganda, we are witnessing significant improvements in virtually all aspects of our national life. Look at power for instance. Just a few months back, most parts of this country barely enjoyed electricity supply regardless of whether or not we paid electricity bills. But today, virtually all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria enjoy good to steady power supply. Also, the refineries are now in full swing and operating near their respective maximum capacities, when hitherto we were made to believe they would never see the light of day again. Filling stations now abide by the stipulated pump price of petroleum products as against ripping off hapless and helpless Nigerians. The anti-corruption crusade is taking firm roots across the country in spite of attempts to derail it. The Treasury Single Account (TSA) will go a long way in blocking the leakages in the system and enthroning accountability and probity in the public sector. The Assets of Our President and Vice President were published in line with their promise to Nigerians. You can also see the renewed sense of responsibility and dedication on the part of our security forces from the military to the Nigeria Police. I can go on and on; it’s indeed a restoration of those basics, which decades of misrule had made us believe were unattainable luxuries. And this is just the beginning.

     So what do you make of the opinions expressed by some analysts that the Nigerian economy is stagnating?

    Let me start by saying that President Buhari I have come to know respect and identify with, is not solely preoccupied with paper economics, but also the tangible effects of the economy on the common man. As we are all aware, ours is for all intents and purposes a mono economy, literally dependent on oil which price continues to fall in the international market. In the life of the past administration, Nigeria sold oil for as high as a $120 per barrel, but today, it’s barely $47 per barrel. In simple terms, we have lost about 2/3 of our national revenue. That is bad news even in the biggest economies of the world. Nonetheless, as far as the President is concerned, the ordinary Nigerian should be able to live a better quality of life when we have steady power supply, better security of lives and property, prompt and regular payment of salaries as exemplified by helping the states  wake up to their responsibilities of paying the backlog of workers’ salaries across the federation. Allied with a systematic and comprehensive upgrading of our infrastructure road network, communication and an aggressive diversification of our economy, which is heavily dependent on oil is top on the agenda of this administration. This will in turn create millions of jobs for Nigerians and shackle the unacceptable level of unemployment in the country. In any case, some of the studies or indices being bandied around stretch back well into the previous administration and therefore cannot be a fair assessment of this administration’s performance in the area of economic development.

     The president has come under criticisms on what is regarded as his lopsided appointments. As an APC chieftain, what is your take on the controversy?

    Controversy, I think the word ‘opinion’ better captures the views that trailed President Buhari’s recent appointments. And in my candid opinion, it is rather premature in the life of this administration to make such assertions. He will cater to the needs of all parts of this country in the fullness of time; let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Nigeria is so diverse, over 200 ethnic groups, and therein lies our collective strength. There are competent and honest Nigerians in all parts of this country. In any case, the President himself alluded to the issue of federal character when he said even if he wanted to sideline any part of the country; the law would not permit him.

     You have a background in Urban and Regional Planning, what in your opinion is responsible for the housing deficit in Nigeria?

    Any analysis or diagnosis of the problems in the housing sector must take into account the sum total of the historical antecedents in the efforts to reposition the sector. This will encompass a painstaking study into why we are where we are in spite of the numerous attempts by various regimes to bolster the fortunes of the housing subsector of our economy.  The housing sector has been bedeviled with criminal inattention and lack of planning on the part of stakeholders.  The sector contributes only about four percent to our GDP, compared to advanced climes where the housing sector contributes up to a quarter of the National GDP. This is largely attributable to the lack of political will to overhaul the extant legislations regarding ownership, acquisition and management of land in country. This obviously constitutes an impediment to easy access to land and affordable houses for Nigerians.

     What then is the way forward, how can we make the housing sector a key contributor to the Nigerian economy?

    Our party, APC has a well thought out blueprint to bring the sector out of the doldrums. We believe that housing as an independent sector ought to be one of the key drivers of our national economy as a developing country. It can contribute significantly to creation of jobs, especially for the youths. We therefore intend to make it stronger than it is right now. Hopefully, we will get to a place where it begins to play a vital role as a key component of our GDP.  Significantly, we intend to create a sustainable land mortgage market by reforming land ownership so as to give the common man easy access to title deeds. The aim is to achieve a credible housing programme which cuts across all social classes of the society. A housing programme that will kill the over 17 million mass housing deficit problem we have in Nigeria presently; it is a huge challenge but it is not too difficult for a willing government.

     You are from Kogi State; which gubernatorial election is scheduled for November. What are the chances of your party in the election?

    It has never been brighter. The wind of change which swept across Nigeria earlier this year has not abated. The people of Kogi State deserves better than the back to back PDP regimes of incompetent and rudderless leadership.

    You were recently elected as President of the Council of African Political Parties (women wing) headquartered in The Republic of Sudan, can you tell us more about that?

    The Council of African Political Parties is an umbrella body of political parties or associations across the African continent. I was chosen to represent APC, which happens to be the ruling party in Nigeria today and it was a rollercoaster experience.

  • Gombe: A blueprint for farmers-herdsmen’s peace

    Gombe: A blueprint for farmers-herdsmen’s peace

    For no fewer than four years, Gombe State has been spared the common bloody clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers. The reason is the state’s  blueprint, reports VINCENT OHONBAMU

    Across the country, herding cattle has since become just as dangerous as tilling the soil. Herdsmen and farmers often clash over grazing  rights, destruction of crops and herd rustling, among others. Those clashes do not merely leave the combatants with bloody noses. Perhaps, thousands have perished, not only on the farms or in the wild but also in communities where raids have nearly wiped out residents.

    Worse, no state has found an answer to the bloodbath, except Gombe. In the past four years, herdsmen have been grazing their animals in peace, just as farmers have been cultivating without much issues from their roving counterparts.

    Gomber residents have their governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo to thank for it. His peace strategies are paying off.

    What did he do?

    He set up a devoted committee which ensures that any sign of clash is never allowed to degenrate to a fight.

    It is in this regard that the governor has offered to avail the Federal Government his blueprint on containing farmer-herdsman clashes.

    “The state is ready to surrender the blueprint of its existing strategies to the Federal Government at any given time,” Dankwambo said.

    “We have a committee existing under the Ministry of Animal Husbandry that settles whichever disputes whenever it or may occour and we call it The State Farmers and Cattle Rearers’ Committee and has a dedicated line with a secretary.

    “So, we welcome the Federal Government to come to Gombe state and learn from the experience of such committee and that is why over-time, we have not had any kind of clashes or disputes in Gombe State.”

    Governor Dankwambo spoke in Gombe at the flag-off of sales of 12,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers and 35.5 metric tonnes of improved varieties of seeds to farmers in the state for the 2015 wet season farming.

    He warned against diverting the inputs, and discriminatory sale of the commodities, saying they “belong to the people.”

    He said each bag fertilizers was procured at N6,400 and would be sold N3,800 (46% subsidy) a bag while the improved varieties of maize (Samaz 18 and Samaz 14) would sell for N750.00 per 10kg bag.

    He expressed satisfaction with the pace of agricultural development in the state and dry season farming in which many farmers now exploit the agricultural potentials of Dadin-Kowa Dam, Balanga Dam and the Gongola River basin, pledging commitment “to supporting them to raise production and maintain the leading role of the state in agricultural production in the Northeast sub-region.

    There is more. Some  225 new tractors and 3,358 ox-drawn ploughs have been procured and distributed to farmers, who also now boast improved grains to boost their yields.

    Dankwambo also recalled the “procurement and distribution of 8,000 units of water pumps sold at subsidised rates to farmers.

    Things are looking up  for Gombe farmers, just as their cattle-breeding counterparts have little to worry about.

    The Gombe blueprint is worth celebrating.

     

  • Wanted: A blueprint for profitable cocoa farming

    The Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Cocoa Development Initiative, Mr Robo Adhuze, has called for a blueprint that will make cocoa farming profitable.

    He appealed to investors to pump funds into cocoa production and help to position the industry as a viable area for economic growth, wealth creation and employment.

    To create a robust industry, Adhuze said the industry needed nurseries, processing facilities, more training for cocoa farmers and increased extension services that the association provides to make a sustainable impact on the industry.

    He said the sector needed assistance to help attract more youths to the industry, considering that the average age of cocoa farmers is 60.

    He said young farmers need all the assistance to sustain their interest in the cultivation of the commodity, which should include access to fund, land, fertiliser and other chemicals at a highly subsidised rate.

    He said there was need for the government to pursue a transformative initiative aimed at  empowering farmers to become more productive and secure for the future of cocoa.

    He said cocoa farmers needed more support and that they should be paid a fair price.

    Given the varied issues facing farming communities, he stressed that the right strategies would  help turnaround the sector.

    He said some local cocoa farmers had abandoned their land, which they considered unproductive, following poor yields of their cocoa trees that have a life span of between 25 and 30 years, calling for assistance to enable them replace them.