The Nation Newspaper

Tag: challenges

  • Wiko challenges OEMs

    Wiko challenges OEMs

    An obscure smartphone maker in France has created a successful European challenger to tech giants Samsung and Apple. Wiko is majority-owned by Chinese technology group Tinno Mobile and its phones are manufactured in China.  It has also become a popular brand in Portugal and Italy.

    Wiko has eight per cent of the French market, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, which measured “triple-digit growth across Europe” for the brand in the past year.

    The company has plans to take the brand into countries where inroads have already been made by Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE to bring down the price of smartphones.

    It will start selling handsets in the UK this autumn, according to David Garcia, head of International Development at Wiko, followed by parts of Africa such as the Ivory Coast and Senegal, the Middle East and Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand.

    Wiko was established in February 2011 by a French businessman Laurent Dahan. Its head office, design and marketing teams are based in Marseille.

    Garcia said the heart of the group was in Europe, but there was support from its Chinese partner.

    “There is a European brain and atmosphere that would not be possible if we were based in China,” he said. “You need to be based in Europe to understand European needs.”

    Even so, he admits that making phones would not be possible in Europe. “You can think in Europe but you have to make it somewhere else.

    You need your costs in China to stay competitive.”

  • ‘Physically-challenged ’ll continue to do well in spite of their challenges’

    He is a friend to the less-privileged. He is not ashamed to identify with them in the open. Reverend Jonathan Adegoke Adejunmobi, a Mass Communication lecturer at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, has been at the forefront championing the cause of these otherwise neglected members of the society for a long time now.

    Recently, he had another opportunity to draw the attention of Nigerians to the plight of the physically-challenged and he did not miss the opportunity of taking a swipe at some Nigerians who discriminate against them in the society.

    But contrary to the generally held belief that disabled people cannot achieve anything good with their life, Adejunmobi differs.

    He said: “Disability is not inability, but an unusual spice of life introduced by divine architecture for people to glorify God, the Creator. When the unusual, uncanny and incredible achievements of intellectuals who, though disabled, are spotlighted and showcased for people to savour and appreciate, then you would want to give a loud applause to  these very special breed of people for their landmark accomplishments.”

    While complaining about a perennial conspiracy against people with disability by their able counterparts, he said this inhibits the performance of the disable.  “The conspiracy is so thick and deep, particularly in a closed system like Nigeria. It is a wonder and an amazement that people with disability still find the courage and the resilience to surmount this treacherous obstacle deliberately set in their way by their able counterpart to make them falter and fail.”

    The lecturer likened the discrimination against the people with disability to what the blacks suffered in South Africa during the apartheid era.

    “But in spite of all these odds facing them, intellectuals with disabilities still rely on the grace of God and the power the Lord has endowed them with to aspire and actually shine in their various fields of endeavour over and above their able counterparts who dissipate their energy constantly setting traps for people with disability.”

    He called on Nigerian to give recognise and support the physically-challenged, especially the intellectuals among them, who he said has to be three times as good as his able counterpart to succeed.

    He urged the physically-challenged to remain optimistic about life and to take a leaf from the life of great men who suffered various forms of disability.  “Isaac Newton, who discovered gravity and successfully propounded the law of gravity is disabled.  He has a disability identified as stutter epilepsy.

    “Leonardo Davinci, the famous artist and inventor, who among many other things, invented the bicycle, was disabled. It was a disabled Pythagoras who became famous for his Pythagoras theory for working out the length of sides of on a right angled triangle.

    “Franklin D. Roosevelt, former President of the United States of American, ruled the greatest nation on earth in a wheel chair.  He suffered from paraplegia caused by Polio.  Louis XVIII, one-time king of France, suffered from paraplegic disorder caused by Gout.

    “Bob Dole, former US Senator, had a withered arm, the result of casualty as a combatant in world war II.  Thomas Gore, US Senator from Oklahoma, was blind from childhood.”

    He also listed a number of Nigerian achievers with various forms of disability.

    “We have Nigerians like Evangelist Olu Kayode; Mrs. Foluke Idowu; Prince Paul Adelabu; Barrister Damlami Basharu; Barrister Ayodele Adekanmbi; Mr. Tajudeen Alade of FRCN; Mrs. Nike Omeke of FCE Sped, Oyo, who is a Chief Lecturer and Head of Department; Professor Bitrus Gumna, a Nigerian disabled, who is making Nigerians proud in the American intellectual circles and Mrs. Grace Adejunmobi, the pioneer Director, Department of Special Education, Secretariat Ibadan.

    “All these go to prove that the disabled endowed by God with intellectual capability must be supported by the society so that they can contribute their own quota and make the society look better than they met it.

    “My fear is that if the society continues to frustrate them, the disabled with intellectual capability will continue to flourish, much to the chagrin and disgrace of a society that should otherwise have encouraged them.”

  • Osun election, corruption top Abba’s challenges

    Osun election, corruption top Abba’s challenges

    Like other sectors of the society, the police have battled corruption. This is one of the challenges facing the acting Inspector General of Police Suleiman Abba. Many will be watching out for how he handles the general elections, especially the Osun governorship poll, writes JUDE ISIGUZO  

    Some years back, a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police was a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in a police station on Lagos mainland. He made any policeman posted to his station to sign an undertaking that he or she would not be corrupt.

    The retired DIG documented this undertaking in a file. On the other hand, he set a target for the policeman on how much money they were expected to bring to him at the end of every week. He warned his men to ensure that they were not caught extorting money from members of the public by the Police Monitoring Unit, a department responsible for arresting corrupt policemen, as he would deny them using their undertaking as evidence.

    A policeman, who worked with the retired DIG, said: “Some week when we did not meet our target, we borrowed money from members of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and filling station attendants to make up because he would not listen to any excuse. All he cared about was his returns.

    “Those that were caught in trying to meet with their target he denied them by presenting the undertaking that was signed by the affected policeman. He would go on to tell the Monitoring team how he hated corruption and corrupt policemen and that was why he made them sign an undertaking before they would start working with him.”

    Corruption in the police, according to analysts, is the number one challenge before acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sulaiman Abba.

    Favouritism is another problem analysts have identified as dragging down the force. There are police officers and men who have been serving in a Divisional Police Station, Mobile Police Squadrons, command, units and Departments for a decade. These officers are so rich that they have the money to bribe their superiors to leave them where they are serving. Abba should discourage such practice and ensure that all policemen under him and in his time should enjoy equal right. This will discourage corruption. Abba should also continue with the no road block order introduced by his predecessor as it has reduced incidents of accidental discharge, harassment and intimidation of members of the public on the highway.

    Another issue the new IGP needs to address is that of covering up police officers and men who have been indicted for stealing from members of the public. Many a time, police officers had turned complainants to accused, converted belongings of a suspect while investigation is ongoing and are even indicted for kidnap and murder. Rather than punish these officers, some of them have even been celebrated and promoted. Cases abound. A former CP in Abia and Rivers states, who is now an Assistant Inspector General (AIG), was indicted while serving as CP Rivers for stealing three exotic cars belonging to an accused person while investigation was still ongoing. He was alleged to have converted one of the cars to personal use and sold the other two to his friends at a ridiculous price. The accused petitioned the Special Fraud Unit and the case was re-investigated and the CP indicted. But rather than punish him, the CP was promoted to the rank of AIG.

    Divisional Police Officers have been indicted for allegedly killing innocent citizens in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country but at the end of the day, nothing comes out of the investigations. Abba should discourage this practice.

    Welfare is one area Abba really needs to address and fast too. Policemen should be encouraged to make them see their job as service to humanity and not a licence to oppress, intimidate and extort members of the public. When the Chairman of Police Service Commission, Mr Mike Okiro was appointed as the 13th indigenous IGP, he wept on his visit to inspect police barracks in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital and Elere in Agege, on the outskirts of Lagos. Though the renovation of those barracks that he promised was never acted upon up till date, he was able to lay a foundation for a police estate in Idimu. A flat in the estate, which is supposed to be for junior officers, is being sold for N8million. Where the force high command expects the junior officers to raise this amount from is what only they can answer. Abba should learn to march words with action by renovating the barracks if he cannot construct new ones. Salaries should be increased; promotions should come as at when due; those on special duties should be paid their allowances and retire officers and men should get their entitlements immediately after leaving service.

    Family members of deceased officers and men must be paid their breadwinners’ entitlement promptly. Abba should train and re-train his men and equip the forensic department in Alagbon to handle high level investigations.

    The first litmus test for Abba would be the conduct of the Osun State governorship election coming up on August 9. Nigerian are watching and expecting that Abba will not be partisan. He should be objective in his dealings with all the political parties involved to ensure a professional conduct.

    In a letter to the acting IGP through its national coordinator, Okechukwu Nwanguma , Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), a network of 46 civil society organisations committed to promoting police accountability and respect for human rights, said: “We are fully appraised of the fact that the tasks confronting you as Inspector General of a large police force are enormous and daunting. The challenge of managing such an unwieldy  and centralised police force  in a populous, complex and troubled country is  made even more herculean by historical, institutional and structural problems, as well as other factors external to the force and, therefore, beyond your control as the chief of police.

    “NOPRIN and other civil society platforms have over the years continued to advocate for reforms aimed at transforming the police into a professionally effective, democratic, accountable and people-friendly service organisation which enjoys public confidence and cooperation and capable of meeting the safety and security needs of the community it serves. Over the years, the NPF has grappled with the problem of severe under-resourcing. We are also aware that budget allocations for the police are pilfered at various levels in the line of bureaucracy before they reach their final destination.

    “A compromised and corruption-ridden recruitment process allows misfits and criminals to find their way into the police and continue to dent its image. The police force continues to parade a poorly trained, ill-equipped, badly paid and ill-motivated workforce that is prone to corruption and violence. Professionalism, effectiveness and integrity are hindered by political interference by political authorities that have no more than rhetorical commitment to police reform.

    “However, while these external incapacitating factors are not within the control of the IGP, there still remains some space for any IGP who is genuinely committed to reform to show leadership. With determination, you can creatively exercise powers and ensure that things within your control in the system work well. We believe that with commitment and determination, you can improve in the areas where your predecessors have not fared very well. You can, for example, make it clear to police officers that their duty is to serve and protect their communities and not to prey on them. Police officers ought to be protectors, not predators.  Human rights abuses breed public resentment and erode public trust and cooperation. You must constantly remind them of the ‘… obvious that the duties of the Nigeria Police Force are a direct consequence of the powers conferred on it by law. It becomes mandatory that the law must regulate the performance of its duties relating to arrest, detention, search, and seizure and the use of force. In other words, these duties must be exercised strictly within the limits prescribed for the Police by law. And any form of exercise of these powers which does not strictly conform to the prescriptions of the law can have unpleasant consequences for the Police Force (as a corporate entity, as well as for the individual Police personnel).’You can make it clear from the onset that your administration will not tolerate human rights abuses, corruption, disobedience of court orders, violation of the constitution and subversion of the due process and rule of law. As you  settle down and familiarise yourself with your new office and the tasks ahead, we wish to draw your attention to some areas we respectfully think you need to pay particular attention. The NPF stinks and you need to demonstrate your commitment to sanitise it by addressing the following specific issues. Where necessary, we will illustrate with  some specific cases which we had earlier brought to the attention of your predecessor,  but which remain pending or  unresolved. How you address these cases that touch directly on the image, integrity and operational efficiency of the police will be a litmus test to your commitment to leave the NPF better than you met it as IGP.

    “You need to prioritise respect for human rights which impinges on police-public relations. You have to, perforce, vigorously pursue and promote an anti-corruption policy. Then, you must take seriously the issue of accountability for police abuse, corruption and misconduct. You must equally address, very seriously, the welfare of personnel. Failure of Accountability:  Impunity for police abuses Lack of effective accountability measures to sanction and deter police misconduct accounts for the increasing number of cases of abuse and misconduct. One case, among the numerous, that illustrates impunity is the continued indefinite detention of Chinagorom Ihejiagwa by SARS Awkuzu, Anambra State in disregard of a court order. This is one of the several complaints which NOPRIN received and brought to the attention of police authorities but which has remained untreated.

    “NOPRIN had written several complaints to the former IGP concerning these abuses by SARS, many of which have been reported in several newspapers. But the authorities have failed to address these complaints and the underlying causes of the abuses which make them routine. One of the very dangerous practices portraying the police in a very negative light and which you must address urgently is police contempt and disregard for Court Orders. You must take steps to change the attitude of the police to court orders. Ihejiagwa was arrested by SARS Awkuzu and has been detained since May 31, 2014. He has been denied access to his family members and his lawyers. The O/C SARS has also refused to charge him to court. He was arrested by one police officer attached to Awkuzu SARS and simply identified as ‘Pele’. Although ‘Pele’  accused him of buying a stolen vehicle two years ago and refused to ‘settle’ him,  the O/C SARS, Awkuzu, Mr. James Nwafor later told Chiagorom’s brother that he is a ‘confessed kidnapper’ and that ‘we will kill him’.

    “We call on you to demonstrate that the Nigeria Police under your administration will do away with the odious practice of shielding criminals and covering up crime and that you will show sensitivity to public concerns by responding to public demand for justice in this case. Please, do not allow this matter to be swept under the carpet.

    “The issue of Police personnel welfare, you must make bold to make a strong case for an increase in the remuneration and allowances of officers. Salaries and allowances must be paid in full and on time. Those on special duties must be catered for in terms of their travel, accommodation, hazard and other allowances. Family members of police officers who die in line of duty must be treated with fairness and compassion. Their deceased breadwinners’ entitlements must be released to them in full and on time. They must not be thrown out of the barracks while the police force owes them their entitlements. You must also make bold to let the Federal Government understand your operational challenges and the need for the government to adequately equip, train and motivate personnel to enable them discharge their functions and effectively deal with crime and insecurity.”

  • ‘Women are ready to forge ahead no matter the challenges’

    ‘Women are ready to forge ahead no matter the challenges’

    Erelu Angela Adebayo is a woman of many parts. The former first lady of Ekiti State is the new chairman of WEMABOD and the first woman to ever hold the position since its inception. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about turning the organisation around positively, her passion for children and helping female entrepreneurs to access credit, amongst other issues.

    What does the appointment as chairman of WEMABOD mean to you?

    I would say that the appointment is exciting and I look forward to working and making a difference. WEMABOD represents the five Southwestern states and all the assets of the Southwest were managed and are still being managed by WEMABOD, apart from Lagos State. We have never had a woman in this position. So, it is a challenge for a woman to come in now and I am looking forward to it and promise to give it my best during my tenure.

    For a lot of women entrepreneurs, accessing credit facilities from banks and the related organisations is usually a problem. How can they break this barrier?

    That is another area that I am very passionate about. I am also on the advisory board of the Dangote Foundation and this has been a great opportunity to work and network with women. We have been working with the Bank of Industry (BoI) and they have a number of facilities in this regard, giving women access to credit for their businesses. The foundation itself has micro credit facilities for these women whose businesses usually fall under the category of small and medium scale enterprises.

    How would you assess the performance of women in business?

    They are amazing; they are really amazing especially when you see the products that they are churning out. Our women are working hard in spite of the fact that the environment in which they are working is hostile. Recently, I watched a documentary by the Americans showing the challenges for American women and the fact that they are underrepresented in spite of the facilities that they have. Interestingly, that is not the case in Nigeria; the women are ready to forge ahead no matter the challenges that they are faced with.

    As a first lady, you had some projects that you were passionate about. Are you still monitoring and maintaining these projects?

    Yes, I am. The project that is dear to my heart is my children’s home. During my tenure as first lady, I put in my best and I am happy about the impact that it had on the society as well as having to touch the lives of these children for the better. The home, happily, is still on ground and the government runs it and I am the patron. It is actually doing very well and a lot of other beneficiaries are there.

    Apart from the new appointment, are you thinking of contesting for elective office soon?

    I have always said that I am not a politician. I am a wife of a politician. I give my husband due respect, but if there are opportunities for me to serve in anyway and he gives me the permission, then I would work.

    What were some of the memorable moments for you as a first lady?

    There were so many and the list would include running the children’s home, my family and my touching lives. I remember the day we went to collect the children from the hospital that the doctors were on strike and we just went there to pick this lucky children, about 18 of them. That, for me, was my first memorable moment as the first lady.

    Of course, there were so many others and there are so many other things which are commonplace that really mattered to me. For me, the important thing in life is to make a difference and touch lives. I always tell others that the areas that are a challenge to others, we should help to change and transform lives. I am a Christian and I live a life that should be emulated by others.

    Do you have a mentoring programme for young ladies and women?

    Yes, I like to help young woman and teach them how to pick up their life in the right direction. Most of the programmes that I organise are educational projects. It gives the foundation, and once you have the right foundation, you can then begin to build on it to get a better future. Unfortunately, if the foundation is not right, then you just cannot go far. I also try to work on their skills and there are programmes that are entrepreneurial in focus.

    It is over a hundred days that the Chibok girls have been missing. How do you feel about this?

    First of all, I am bothered. It is really sad and words cannot totally explain the feeling. We have to pray because there is nothing God cannot do. The women and the NGOs that have been protesting have done so much and with prayers I believe that things would definitely get better.

    If you had to advise Nigerian women, what would you tell them?

    They should pray for the nation. It is very important for us to pray persistently to bring about the changes that we all desire.

    Do you think that women in politics are doing well considering the affirmative action and other opportunities available?

    They are working hard, just like the female entrepreneurs. They have the focus but the environment is very hostile. We need to continue to give them our support and encourage them to be at their best.

    Someone is pushing a bill against NGOs, claiming that they got grants from donor agencies to sponsor programmes against our government. What do you think about this?

    There is need for enlightenment about the issue. Some people are ignorant of the facts and they need to get a better insight on the matter. I believe that one person lost to Boko Haram is one too many. We need the cooperation of the women, NGOs, faith-based organisations and everyone to tackle the problem. If we allow it to go further than this, then it would bring a terrible consequence. This actually is not about gender now. Nobody should ignore any terrorist group that comes to Nigeria or any part of the world.

  • Tackling cassava farming challenges

    Tackling cassava farming challenges

    In the last two years, cassava has been the most talked about crop. Despite this, farmers are facing challenges  of poor returns on their investment at the end of every farming season, reports DANIEL ESSIET.

    Madam  Dorcas  Oduah (not  real name) should be  a happy  woman. A broad smile spreads across her face when she looks over her two plots of farmland in her local community in Enugu State. She has a passion for planting cassava but she   walks five kilometers to get to her farm everyday.

    Using the traditional hoe and cutlass as tools, she carefully tends her crops,  weeding and straightening the  tubers, while praying for rainfall which will be two weeks late. If rain fails to fall, she may not be able to harvest her cassava tubers which does not only support her family as food, but also serves as her source of income with which she trains her three kids in school. She will also use revenue earned from the sale of cassava to pick medical  bills should any member of the family ‘break down’.

    Over the last few years, cassava has become the crop with the potential to wipe out poverty. For one, it is grown in areas where many poor people live. And for another, it is grown by small farmers, who constitute majority of the population.      Globally, cassava production has expanded immensely to meet the rapidly rising demand from the livestock feed, starch, and bio fuel markets.

    In fact, market demand for cassava has become so strong that farmers who traditionally engaged only in subsistence farming, now also grow cassava as a cash crop. This has made cassava one of the most dynamic agricultural sectors, helping to drive industrial development while delivering higher incomes to smallholder farmers.  Interestingly, the sector,   has   not  recorded very  significant growth.  This is attributed to the snail speed of mechanisation which has not improved the  capacity of small and medium  enterprises, constituting the large number  of  investors.

    Most  of the  farmers carry out 70 per cent of the work manually; planting, weeding, harvesting, transporting cassava, peeling, soaking, bagging and selling while  there are  no specialised  machines designed  to undertake  land preparation, harvesting, transporting and grating on  a  cassava  farm. The only mechanisation involved along the chain might be the use of a mobile grater.  This has resulted  in   poor  returns  at the end of the farming  season.    Farmers are often at the mercy of volatile market forces and the elements.

    Oduah  and several farmers in her village could make more money from their efforts but in their community,  farmers sell cassava individually to traders, and are therefore unable to negotiate a better price for selling in bulk.

    Though  cassava has multiple uses and markets ranging from on-farm consumption as food or livestock feed to local wet or dry starch processing enterprises, the level  of  industrialisation has not led  to large scale   processing of cassava into higher value food and industrial products – from noodles, glucose, and maltose to textiles, pharmaceuticals, cardboard and glue.

    A  Senior  lecturer, School of  Science,  National Open University, Dr Grace Jokthan  said  cassava  has  not  taken a pivotal  position  within  the  sector  because  it is produced  primarily for food in the form of gari, lafun and fufu with little or no use in the agribusiness sector as an industrial raw material.

    Added to this, is the absence of special machines to process cassava to several value-added products to  prevent spoilage.  She explained that cassava  tubers consist of 60 to 70 per cent water and have a short shelf life. Once harvested, the tubers have to be processed or consumed immediately otherwise they will begin to deteriorate. For Oduah and  other  farmers, this is a major contraint.  She said there is need for processing mills to prepare the crop for storage purposes, thereby guaranteeing higher prices for farmers in the future.  As much as cassava require processing machines, the cost of acquiring the machines is prohibitive for poor farmers in the rural areas.

    Weekly, farmers transport fresh tubers from farm to processing sites.  They    spend a lot of money because the tubers have to move in time.  Any delay would   result in spoilage, loss of quality and overall production cost. As such transportation is a major cost component in cassava processing.  In some   villages, farmers    cultivate cassava to produce  fufu for weekly market days.

    As cheap as the process of getting  it done  may  appear, a lot of man hour is spent peeling roots, washing, soaking, wet sieving and copiously adding water before pressing. Averagely, fufu processing requires no less than 14  steps. On sale day, time would be spent grating and bagging. As a newcomer to the large commercial food processing sector, Mrs  Jokthan said there are concerns about cassava’s quality, not only as a household food item, but also as a raw material or additive in an industrial-based food handling enterprise.

    For  the expert and  other  stakeholders, the principal users of cassava are village-level garri processors that require limited quantities of fresh roots per day.  Large processing plants who need larger quantities are faced with high transaction costs, of collecting small amounts of cassava over a large area with bad roads.  The processing plants  operate below capacity while a significant percentage of farmers are left with unsold harvest.

    Above  all, majority of the   farmers have not benefited from initiatives and programmes aimed at improving farming techniques, better farm equipment, seeds, fertiliser, post-harvest technology, agricultural financing and so on.

    Some  of the farmers  have been affected by adverse weather conditions – and worries that farmers won’t be able to purchase inputs for the next season. As a result, the villagers feel they still need help. They also would like continued support and training, because they view this as a good source of income as well. The small-scale cassava wet starch processors are  not   pleased with some new varieties because though they gave better root yields and they  don’t  have  higher starch concentration.

    In  this  regard,  Mrs  Jokthan  said  research  institutes  need to recognise the potential for farmers to boost their income by growing the improved varieties.

    The other issue is the  shortages of yielding varieties, cassava roots which  some  farmers  find  it  difficult  to source.

    In most  cases, farmers  source them  from far  communities, thereby  increasing transport costs, and cutting down profits.

    For  her also, how much farmers benefit from cassava trade depends a lot on how well they are linked to markets.

    That is why, she   appreciates  several small-scale starch plants set everywhere,  decentralising processing opportunities further. Some  of the farmers  have   has been affected by adverse weather conditions – and worries that farmers won’t be able to purchase inputs for the next season.  They also would like continued support and training, because they view this as a good source of income as well. Mrs   Jokthan  said there is a   need  to empower  farmers to access to new cassava cultivars, product quality improvement and market expansion for sustainable enterprise.

    While the government is  supporting  cassava farmers to  improve their  farming techniques, most don’t have access to  good  roads to allow them reclaim precious farmlands.

    Consultant to the World Bank, Prof Abel Ogunwale  said  the government needs to build rural roads and irrigation systems to allow  farmers to open  hectares of new farmland. According to him, the impact would result to enormous returns for farmers.

    This is because  there are  times,the harvest is so big that the immediate market cannot absorb it all so they have to sell in other markets.The  process is  smooth where there are good connecting  roads.

    According  to him,  many  of the  farmers   use rudimentary agricultural techniques, use less  quality cassava and fertilizers. As a result, productivity has been extremely low and soil fertility has gradually declined. This further worsens the farmers’ situation and keeps them in a cycle of extreme poverty

    The   top priority,he  noted  is for  the government to develop carefully tailored rural financial services, adding that credit in rural areas is hard to come by and businesses cannot grow without finance.He maintained  that  funding is  a challenge  for established and new rural enterprises supporting  cassava  production.

    According to him, financing cassava businesses is a particularly important way of generating economic growth.

    Another side of the story is that in many cases, banks drive such a hard bargain that small producers barely make any profit.

    As any farming activity, cassava agriculture requires the management of risks such as soil degradation and price volatility. Farmers employ several adaptive and risk reducing strategies, for instance by diversifying cropping patterns to cope with risks of harvest failures, price slums or loss of market access, and by establishing cooperatives or using agricultural commodity exchanges.

    Cassava demand will be increasing over the next decades.

    For  watchers, the success of the cassava transformation depends  on the government  providing  adequate  inputs while strategies that ensure fair distribution of the resources be are implemented.

    Other challenges  that have to be addressed include lack of  enforcement of the 10 per cent  inclusion of cassava flour in bread flour that had in the past  left hundreds of small processors with unsold inventories and farmers with nowhere to sell their cassava harvest.

     

     

  • Abia in Diaspora urged to respond to challenges at home

    Abia in Diaspora urged to respond to challenges at home

    The Rector, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Sir Allwell Onukaogu has urged indigenous people of Abia State resident in the United States of America and other countries to join forces design a blueprint that will address what he called “the dangers at home”.
    Onukaogu delivered a lecture at the 2014 Biennial Convention of Ohuhu Progressive Union in Houston, United States of America, noting that youth restiveness, thuggish behaviour, armed robbery, religious extremism and other social vices prevalent among youths in the country could be drastically minimised only if indigenous Abia people and other Igbo citizens would come home and invest meaningfully.

    “You people should come home and invest to ensure the rapid transformation and development of your fatherland. Your investment at home could serve as a tool to take thousands of jobless youths off the streets, thereby helping in not only to solve some of the current security and social challenges facing the country, but also bringing to an end the exodus of our youths from Nigeria to other countries in the erroneous belief that they are seeking for greener pastures.”
    He said Abia is now a safe haven for business and other economic activities, adding, “I know Ohuhu people are great academicians and bureaucrats. Very few are gifted in business endeavors that can compare with what the people of Nnewi can do, but it is no excuse. We can attract genuine foreign investors into our land. You can join forces within yourselves and cooperate with others to attract industries to our land. Our home is peaceful; more peaceful and safer than Onitsha commercial areas where expatriates are being convinced to invest. You are more knowledgeable than those of us at home in international Politics and Economics. You must use these meetings of yours to fashion out economic plans and strategies to redress the dangers at home by establishing industries that will endure,” the guest speaker noted.

    Lamenting on the economic loss and the damage the ugly trend of “medical tourism” has done to Nigeria’s economy and health sector, Onukaogu in his paper called for the establishment of state the art hospitals across the country to carter for any medical case(s) that would warrant Nigerians seeking for medical assistance abroad as he noted that such medical cases and stress inherent with such medical trip can be reduced and treated in the country with less cost if facilities for treating such ailment could be accessed in Nigeria.
    “You can invest in hospitals like the Indians. Our people who travel to India stay in hotels, sometimes for over a month and pay bills to obtain quality health care. They can be willing to pay far less if such facilities are to be established at home. I know we have great medical doctors with the zeal to serve, but who are unduly manacled and encumbered by lack of state of the art facilities.
    “You don’t need to be a medical doctor before you can setup a good hospital. What you need is to mobilize funds, equip the hospital with state of the art facilities with well trained medical staff. “I believe that with time such hospital will grow not just like the famous Indian Hospital, but will go a long way to save Nigerians the billions of money they spend annually on visa and other expenses going abroad for medical treatment. I have continually read about, sometimes even a group of our Nigerian brothers and sisters from the Diaspora come home with a team of doctors to perform surgeries for our people. I have been in receipt of containers of books shipped from abroad by Nigerians, including you people as contribution towards the development of institutions. All of these are good; very good and must be commended, but you could do more,” Onukaogu stated
    Abia Poly rector who is also a Knight and lay President Methodist Church Nigeria, Umuahia East Diocese further called on Ndi-Igbo in Diaspora to imbibe the spirit of Jewish-Americans noted that such relationship with their host country and community could attract development in Igbo land and foster a strong tie between Nigeria and Americans as is the case between Israel and America today.

    In his remarks the President Ohuhu Development Union International, Mr. Ginikanwa Okedi thanked the Sir Onukaogu for honouring their invitation and for inspiring the audience with his lecture, assuring him that Ndi-Igbo and Ohuhu indigenes in Diaspora would work assiduously to improve and better the lots of their people at home.
    Okedi while assuring that they would work to create and maintain good relation with their host country, expressed their willingness to invest in their home state (Abia) and to key into the overall transformation agenda of the Abia State government led by Sir Theodore Ahamefule Orji.

  • Judges, lawyers identify arbitration challenges

    Judges, lawyers identify arbitration challenges

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch last week held its annual law week for 2014.  The one-week event attracted many lawyers and judges sector, writes ADEBISI ONANUGA.

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch last week  held its annual law week for 2014. The one-week event, which also incorporated the mandatory Continuous Legal Education, was themed: “Surmounting Professional Challenges through Continuous Legal Education”.

    It attracted former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon,  House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and  Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu at the annual Bar Dinner.

    Also in attendance were  Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha,  Akwa Ibom State Governor Godwill Akpabio, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Oyo State  Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who was the chief host.

    The mandatory Continuous Legal Education attracted a large number of Justices of the Court of Appeal, Federal and State High Court . The Justices of the Court of Appeal included  Tijani Abubakar, Sidi Bage and those of the High Court including Justices Opeyemi Oke, Oluwatoyin Ipaye, Adenike Coker,  Sedoten Ogunsanya,  K. A. Jose, S.B. Candide-Johnson, Ayisat Opesanwo, Funmilayo Atilade, Latifat Oluyemi, Lateefat  Folami, Ronke Harrison, Adeniyi-Adeogo Adebajo and Kazeem Alogba among others.

    During the Continuous Legal Education programme, the Bar and the Bench disagreed on those that constituted obstacles to successful implementation of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Lagos State. While Justice Toyin Ipaye put the blame at the door step of lawyers, the Bar represented by the chairman of the branch, Monday Ubani absolved lawyers of any blame on the issue. Ubani said the plaintiffs/Claimants always want their lawyers to fight for them in the court. He said most times, they viewed lawyers who advised clients to opt for  ADR as a weakling and incompetent.

    Justice Ipaye  said experience has shown  that most of the resistance to the use of ADR mechanisms comes from the lawyers and not necessarily their clients.

    Justice Ipaye a facilitator at the programme  in a paper titled: “Exploring the mediation window at the Court of Appeal, Magistrates Court, High Court, Family Court, Criminal Court: Prospects,Challenges, Drawbacks,Efficacy” .

    The judge, who was represented by another judge, Justice Latifat Oluyemi, noted that lawyers are resistant to the change because they have been well  trained in litigation, the adversarial method of resolving disputes; they are thus unfamiliar with the other models.

    “But change has come and they have to jump on board the train or they will be left behind at the station”, she stressed, adding that ADR is now a global reality.

    Justice Ipaye said the appropriate thing for judges and magistrates to do is to seek to know the reason for the non submission to mediation or other ADR method by lawyers and claimants/litigants and address the concerns.

    In his paper, The Rudiments of Brief Writing, Mr. Olatunde Adejuyigbe counseled lawyers against filing a brief of argument in solidarity with appellant.

    Said Adejuyigbe: “The role of the respondent in an appeal is to defend the decision of the court from which the appeal emanates and canvass arguments that the decision of the lower court be affirmed”.

    Citing relevant authorities and a decided case between Ohiaeri and Yusuf, Ogebe J.C.A., Adejuyigbe argued that where a respondent files a brief of argument urging court to allow the prayers of the appellant, the court will strike out such a brief by the respondent or discountenance it.

    He said if the respondent finds it difficult to support or defend the decision appealed against, he needs not file a brief of argument.

    He however said that where a respondent filed a cross-appeal against the decision of a lower court, “he can canvass arguments in respect of the cross-appeal with the objective of urging the Appelate Court to set aside a specific finding of error made by the lower court.

    He said this point was made very clear and correctly by a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, in a matter between Lafia Local government and Governor of Nasarawa State in 2012.

    Justice Adebajo who delivered paper on Criminal Evidence remarked that where the court directs that DNA samples be provided by defendants, it has been found out that the prosecution is obliged to put the result before the court and also to make it available to the defendants.  He pointed out that where the report is not made available to the defendant,  the court would presume the report in favour of the defendant.

    Adebajo described forensic evidence as a two-edged sword, which most often serves the best interest of the party calling for it.

    In a welcome address, chairman of the branch, Monday Ubani explained that the choice of the topics was informed by challenges which some lawyers are facing in the sector.

    Ubani said the topics were intended to equip lawyers with the skills and knowledge that would make them excel in the administration of justice and  abreast of developments around the world.

    During the world press conference held to kick-start the law week, Ubani took a cursory look at the situation in the country and said that the entrenchment of a true federal system of government is the only panacea to reducing tension and the various problems that have been confronting the country.

    Ubani also stressed the need for resource control by the owner state, saying that it is also key to reducing tension in the country.

    “We feel strongly that the best system that will reduce tension and create competitiveness and healthy rivalry for the purpose of development is a proper federal system. If this is not agreeable to all citizens, then the country is advised to go their separate ways”, he stated.

    He insisted that only a true federal system of government would be condusive and reduce tension for such a multi-ethnic and diverse religious country like Nigeria.

    “Other issues like state police, control of natural resources by the owner state, payment of certain percentage to the Federal Government, creation of local government and the strengthening of institutions like the judiciary, electoral commission among others should all be agreed upon”, he said.

    The NBA chairman pointed out that the country would be taking a retrogressive step if it should subject the outcome of the ongoing national conference to the National Assembly for consideration on the planned amendment to be made to the 1999 Constitution.

    Rather, he suggested that the outcome should be subjected to a referendum of the people.

    He, however, warned that all efforts being made at the conference would be a futility if it failed to discuss such issues like definition of citizenship and aspiration of one common goal and objective.

    He asked members of the House of Representatives to investigate the allegation of the missing $20 million oil money and the N10 billion allegedly squandered  on  the hiring of private jets by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Allison-Madueke .

    The association urged members of the House of Representatives to handle the matter with the same courage with which the Committee on Aviation handled that of the former Minister of Aviation, Pricess Stella Oduah saying: “They must let Nigerians know the truth of their finding”.

    It observed that the ship of Nigeria is heading towards a wrong direction and urged the leadership to look into its compass and change direction.

    Ubani lamented that the governance of Nigeria is not reaching to the nooks and crannies of the country noting  “few parasites are presently sitting on top of Nigerian wealth, sharing it the way they want to their family members, cronies and friends to the exclusion of the majority”

    As part of the activites marking the Law Week, the Ikeja branch of the NBA, (a.k.a. The Tiger Branch), engaged the Lagos Island Branch (a,k.a. Premier Branch) in novelty football match which ended 1-1 draw.

  • WTF Youth Olympics qualifiers: Our challenges, gains, by taekwondists

    WTF Youth Olympics qualifiers: Our challenges, gains, by taekwondists

    They left unannounced but when they got to Taipei City in Chinese Taipei, they wowed the whole world with their beautiful display despite their inexperience and lack of exposure.

    The nine-man Team Nigeria that featured at the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-organised Youth Olympics Qualifiers as well as the World Junior Championships returned to the country at the weekend from the Asian country with a lot of gains as well as challenges that prevented them from fulfilling their potentials at the competitions.

    The team tutored by Coach Jin Beom Kim, would remain grateful to the National Sports Commission (NSC) as well as the Director-General of the commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye for facilitating the trip despite the short time to prepare.

    At the WTF Youth Olympics Qualifiers, none of them advanced beyond the first round but at the World Junior Championships some of them won their first round fights, which was an improvement for the team.

    Although before the team embarked on the trip, Coach Jin Beom Kim never raised the hope of the team but he believed that the experience and exposure would count for the team in subsequent tournaments, especially the forthcoming African Junior Championship holding in May in Botswana.

    Impressed by the team’s performance after the world taekwondo ruling body discovered that the entire team was making their debut in an international competition, WTF was inspired to give Nigeria a wildcard for the 2014 Youth Olympics holding in August in Nanjing, China.

    The taekwondists, who spoke after their arrival at the weekend, admitted that the trip has afforded them the opportunity to learn the new techniques in the sport.

    Olushola Olowookere, who fought in the male – 68kg of the World Youth Championships, said with the knowledge he acquired at the tourney, his morale, has been boosted.

    “Attending this competition alone was indeed a great experience for me. I gained a lot in terms of the new styles as well as new moves. Although, I lost my fight but I was able to watch other top athletes with the way they fight so that I can use what I picked from there to help myself in subsequent competitions. I want to express our sincere gratitude to the NSC’s DG as well as the Korean coach for the rare opportunity given to some of us,” he said.

    Abdullah Adegoke, who was one of the athletes that won his first round fight in the male -59kg, admitted that he was sure that going to Botswana in May, he has the wherewithal to clinch a medal.

    Also, Adamu Abubakar Isa, who fought in the two events could not quantify the knowledge he gained from being part of the team, saying, “I think this would always remain with me and I look forward to breaking into the senior national team.”

    Esther Godwin and Ogeh Ogochukwu who fought in the female events never believed they could wear the colours of Nigeria but their dream became reality in Taipei City when they both featured in the two events.

    “At least I was able to win one of my fights during the World Junior Championship and this alone has given me hope that with more training, I can conquer the continent in May before aiming to triumph over the world. I think my dream of winning medals for Nigeria in major competitions is getting closer,” Godwin admitted.

    Like Godwin, Ogochukwu, believes her first appearance at the world tournament has ignited her passion to aim in the sport. “I never expected that I will represent Nigeria but with what I witnessed in Taipei City, I am now sure that with more hardwork, I am destined to be among the first set of female medalists for Nigeria at the Olympics,” Ogochukwu said.

    However, two of the athletes are also expected to start their Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) on Monday March 31, as they spent at least three hours a day during the competition to study for the examinations.

  • We’ll overcome our challenges, Jonathan insists

    We’ll overcome our challenges, Jonathan insists

    Despite increasing onslaught by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram in the north, President Good luck Jonathan yesterday maintained that Nigeria will overcome its challenges.

    He gave this assurance at the third service of Dunamis International Gospel Church, Area one, Abuja.

    Jonathan thanked Christians for their prayers for the country, stressing that Nigeria’s situation could have been worse without their prayers and those of other religions.

    According to him, almost every part of the world are going through trouble time and Nigeria too is having its own share of the negative events.

    He said: “If you watch television, both local and foreign, we always have negative news as breaking news. The whole world is almost in trouble and as a nation, we are bound to have our own fair share. With your prayers, surely we will overcome our challenges.”

    While urging the congragation to continue to pray for the nation, he thanked the officiating Pastor, Dr Paul Enenche and his team for their consistent support and prayers for the country.

    “It is only spiritual healing that is total. We thank you for what you have been doing.” He added

    He said that he will continue to worship outside the State House on every last Sunday if the month till he leaves the Presidential Villa.

    On Pastor Enenche’s message, titled ‘Fraudulent Practices’, President Jonathan said he was touched.

    Jonathan said: “The happiest people in this world are not the big names.”

    Delivering the message, Pastor Enenche took the congregation through Proverbs 22:7, Genesis 14:22 to 23, Job 1:1 to 3, Proverb 14:11 said that no man needs to live fraudulently to succeed.

    The Pastor gave three counsel to the congregation in order to avoid fraudulent practices.

    They are: “Looking away from what is not your, Labour honestly and diligently, and Looking up to the rewarder of diligent labour.”

    “Whatever God has not given to you and you take, it does not add anything to you, but take away something from you. Crookedness today equals affliction tomorrow,” he stated.

    He prayed to God to grant the President the courage needed in taking decisive steps that will transform the country and to uphold the rule of law.

     

  • Jonathan challenges Obasanjo to provide proof of snipers

    Jonathan challenges Obasanjo to provide proof of snipers

    The Presidency yesterday challenged former President Olusegun Obasanjo to provide evidence backing his claims that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is training secret snipers towards the 2015 general elections.

    The December 2, 18-page letter written by Obasanjo was widely published last week. Among the issues raised by the ex-President is the allegation that snipers were being trained ahead of the 2015 elections. He also said 1,000 people had been put on political watch list.

    Although the statement by Presidential Adviser on Media and Publicity Dr. Reuben Abati, did not mention the ex-President by name, it was clearly a response to that portion of his letter.

    The Presidency requested the former President to prove his claims or forever remain silent.

    It also took on opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) for calling on the National Assembly to impeach President Jonathan.

    The statement reads: “President Jonathan is running a people’s government. He does not need any snipers. His legitimacy comes from the people. Those who are alleging the existence of snipers should step forward and provide the evidence or shut up forever and go down in history as spineless cowards, driven by sheer greed and indecency.”

    It described the call by the APC for Jonathan’s impeachment as “reckless and irresponsible.”

    “We have noted with utter disdain, the reckless and irresponsible call by the APC on Sunday for the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan.”

    “Ordinarily, we would not have dignified Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s latest vituperations in the service of his paymasters with a response, but we thought it necessary to warn that the Federal Government will not standby idly and let the nation be plunged into unnecessary crises and political instability because of the desperation and apparent readiness of the APC spokesman and his gang of power-seeking desperadoes to sacrifice the well-being of the country on the altar of their selfish personal ambitions.

    “The Presidency totally condemns the decision by Alhaji Mohammed and his party to move further beyond the bounds of honourable and acceptable political conduct with the senseless call for the impeachment of a President who continues to sincerely devote himself to the discharge of the sacred mandate freely given to him by Nigerians.”

    “The APC, which remains a minority party with doubtful credentials in the National Assembly, knows full well that its attempt to hector and blackmail a Parliament dominated by loyal members of the President’s party, the PDP, into an impeachment process, will come to nothing.”

    The statement added: “But it has cavalierly embarked on this outrageous gambit, with scant regard for peace, order, security and political stability in the country, in furtherance of its dastardly and heinous strategy of over-heating the polity and working to cause public disaffection against the Jonathan Presidency with lies, false accusations and unjustifiable indictments ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    “The emptiness and hollowness of the APC’s call for President Jonathan’s impeachment will be obvious to all objective and discerning Nigerians who read through the statement issued by Alhaji Mohammed. It was long on self-serving rhetoric and falsehoods, but lacked a single clearly defined charge on the basis of which any plausible impeachment proceedings against the President can be initiated.

    “All that the APC could offer in justification of its absurd and hare-brained impeachment call was a rehash of its well-worn litany of baseless accusations against the President, including some for which culpability should be laid squarely at the doorsteps of its own leaders and some of their new friends.

    “The Presidency also considers it utterly deplorable that the APC has, in its Machiavellian desperation to seize control of the Federal Government, recklessly assailed the integrity and honour of the Nigerian Judiciary in a callous attempt to pre-empt the outcome of the case legitimately brought against it and some of its new friends by the PDP.

    “Alhaji Mohammed’s unscrupulous effort to drag the nation’s judiciary into its murky political warfare and his readiness to intimidate and blackmail members of the bench so as to secure a favourable outcome for his party in the pending case clearly shows that nothing is beyond the pale for him and the APC in pursuit of their quest for power.

    The Presidency also said the Jonathan Administration does not need Lai Mohammed or the APC to remind it of its constitutional responsibility for the security and well-being of Nigerians.

    “The President will continue to do his utmost best to achieve positive national transformation in all areas in spite of efforts by the opposition to thwart or disparage the work of his administration.

    “In this regard, we have noted the undisguised threat by the APC to foster public insurrection against the Federal Government if pending legal cases go against it. We urge Nigerians to take special note of this boastful indication of an intention to resort to lawlessness.The Presidency warns that the APC and any persons who make themselves its willing tools for the breach of public order and safety will be made to face the full sanctions of the law. Those who are threatening fire and brimstone should be ready for consequences of treasonable action.

    “The APC’s false copy-cat allegation that 1, 000 snipers are being trained by the Jonathan Administration clearly shows that they are now in cahoots with some other elements who are bent on discrediting this administration and inciting the public against it.

    “We dismiss the APC’s call for the President’s impeachment as opportunistic, partisan and ill-motivated. We call on patriots to make the necessary distinction between such reckless violations of civic duty and the urgent need to protect the integrity of the Nigerian nation against those who for selfish reasons have declared their readiness to stop at nothing.”