Fish farmers have urged the Federal Government to reduce the cost of feed to make the industry attractive to Small Medium Enterprises (SME) and investors. Feed is said to constitute 70 per cent of the cost of production.
Speaking at an aquaculture value chain investors’forum in Lagos, with ‘Reducing the cost of fish production in Nigeria’as its theme, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) Gbola Akande said if the government sponsors long-term and low-interest loans with simplified borrowing procedures, it would reduce the cost of production and stimulate expansion of the fish farming industry.
He called on the government to look into agricultural subsidy, ensure low interest rate on credits to farmers, and ensure moratorium periods and subsidies on aquaculture inputs especially fish feed.
He added that government should make available soft loans to fish marketers to make farmed fish affordable to consumers, stressing that there is need to source a local fishmeal to replace the foreign fishmeal.
President, Lagos State Catfish and Allied Farmers Association (LASCFA), Mr Femi Ajala, called on government to remove all tariffs on agricultural inputs such as extruders, fishmeal and plants, in effort to make locally produced fish feeds to compete favourably with imported ones.
He said tariffs on fish meal which is key ingredients in the production of fish feeds should be removed.
Chairman, Lagos State Chapter, Fishery Society of Nigeria, Habeeb Giwa, said the imported fish feeds means a lot of revenue and it drains our naira.
Giwa called on the government to provide the facilities to produce fish feed in the country and urged other stakeholders to contribute to making the fish feed as cheap as possible.
National Coordinator, Democracy Vanguard, Adeola Soetan, has criticised the way the government and authorities treat students unions in universities.
He blamed the lack of direction and power of students unions on the consistent attacks on them by school authorities and government.
Soetan, who served as a students’ union president, Obafemi Awolowo Univerity, Ile Ife, spoke at the second yearly meeting of the Great Ife Alumni Association at the Springhill Hotel, Oko Oba on Independence Day.
The event had as theme: “Survival strategies in an economy in recession.”
He said: “Nowadays, because the university authorities attack the radically progressive organisations in their institutions, they have almost completely vanished in schools. What we have today is just students’ union for students’ union sake. Corrupt politicians use them to achieve various corrupt means, forgetting that what you sow is what you would reap.
“So until the culture of attack on student unionism is stopped, you are going to have emergence of cultists and commercial students’ activists, who will go to presidents, governors, politicians to collect money. In those days, it was a great crime to fraternise unnecessarily with government, not to talk of politicians. So what is happening today is just the result of the collapse of radical students’ movement in the university.”
Soetan, who is well-known as one of the most radical students union presidents of his time in the 1980s, also encouraged students to be more active in their unions’ electoral and leadership activities and cautioned students union leaders against corruption.
He said: “Students union must exist. However, the students must be watchful and active in who makes up their students union, so that if anyone goes against your wish, you impeach the person. There is no power beyond the student’s power in the university. It is only when students decide to sleep that you get ridiculous charlatans and criminals as leaders, because when you spend students money for yourself, you are simply a criminal.”
Also speaking, Chairman of the association, Steve Mbanefo emphasised the importance of alumni associations in higher institutions.
He said: “Alumni association is for greater bonding among our members and important for every institution. The functions are limitless. Students still come to us for help, we fight for the right and good of the students. They tell us what they want to tell the university and we relay the information to the school because we have the ears of the institution. We investigate unjust treatment of students. In fact, ours is such that the world wide president of the association is always a member of the senate of the universi ty. So they can never make decisions that would be militate against students right.”
Mbanefo also suggested that government should increase funding for education and cease corruption.
Players of Warri Wolves have again called on the Delta State government to offset their unpaid wages to help motivate them in the Glo Premier League title race.
Wolves, despite coming off a week-long strike over unpaid wages, thumped title rivals, Sunshine Stars, 3-0 with a commanding performance that saw Gbolahan Salami score a hat-trick.
Three of the influential players, who pleaded to speak with supersport.com after Saturday’s match, confirmed that they have been paid three out of six months salaries owed them but insisted that they are still unhappy with other financial obligations yet to be met by the club and its sponsor, the Delta State government.
“Most of us are family men and the major bread winners in our family. Imagine not being paid for months. We are grateful that we have been paid three months out of the six months salaries we are owed but to be honest most of those money have gone into paying debt and tuition fees of our children,” one of the players lamented.
Another Wolves star told supersport.com: “It is not what we expected as we had high hope of receving all of our money. Unfortunately we got just three months and I personally think we will be motivated if we are paid off our money as we are still in the title race and can win this. But right now the whole team is not so happy though like they say half bread is better than none. I still think that paying us everything we are owed will motivate us to win the title.”
The third player reeled out that the high cost of living is biting on him and some of the players who have wives and children to cater for as well as other dependants. “We do not have any other profession other than football. Some of us have to pay rent for the accommodation where our families live. We also have to pay tuition fees and other bills to run the home. Football is not a profession in which one can actually practice forever. That’s the reason we are calling on the government and the club to pay us our money as we are grateful for the part-payment so far.”
Already the League Management Company (LMC), which oversees the running of the top flight in Nigeria, had written to Wolves’ management to remind it of a 60-day deadline to pay up their players or face a six-point deduction. That deadline elapses on October 24.
“You are hereby reminded that the 60-day period, within which you are expected to remedy the breach, will lapse on October 24, 2015. Be advised that your club will become liable to the initial deduction of six points, should you fail to meet the deadline,” part of the LMC letter to Wolves read.
The LMC also urged the players of Wolves “to adhere to the grievance procedure and the rules and regulations of the league” as stated in the competition’s framework and rules which allows the players to give a 45-day notice to the club and 15 days for the LMC to resolve any dispute including financial obligation.
Players of Wolves claim they are still owed three months salaries, 115 per cent signing-on fees from last season as well as 10 league match bonuses and seven bonuses in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Warri Wolves, owned and financed by the Delta State government, are currently second in the standings of the Glo Premier League with 55 points, three behind leaders, Enyimba.
The Navy Sailing Club has said it will comply with the directive of President Mohammadu Buhari to develop water sports in Nigeria so as to enable the country challenge for top spot at international competitions.
Commodore of the club, Tunde Daramola stated that the President’s call to develop swimming in the country also applied to other water sports, which have potential of winning multiple gold medals for the country at international events.
Speaking at the Independence Sailing Race at the Navy Cantonment, Satellite Town, Daramola said the club was taking the President’s directive seriously by training and organising tournaments for athletes.
He noted that the first step was to catch them young, while races would be lined up for the sailors and athletes who take part in open water swimming. “It is a continuous process in terms of training. We need to ensure the athletes get enough experience and have confidence on water.
“Many people consider water sports as dangerous,that is why we are catching them young, expose them to water and see how well they do at national and international competitions in the hope that they become world class athletes,” Daramola said.
The Commodore, however, lamented that the major problem facing the sports were sponsorship, technical support and equipment. He said the manpower was available and called on corporate organisations to support water sports in the country.
The special guest of honour, Major General Adewole Jemitola said he was encouraged by the drive of the club to discover and nurture young talents. He stated that the efforts of the club in training leaders in water sports would help Nigeria attain glory in sailing, swimming and other related sports.
To make sailing popular, Jemitola stated that sponsors must identify with the sport by backing it with funds. He also called on the managers of the sport to go to schools and catch the talents at a young age.
“All my expectations have been met at this race. The environment is good, the water is clear, while the sailors have also done well. And staging the tournament on Independence Day will enable people to come and watch, thereby boosting the drive to make the sport popular,”he said.
As farmers grapple with safety, President, Federated FADAMA Community Association, Lagos State, Alhaji Abiodun Oyenekan, has urged the government to protect farmers under occupational health and safety regulations.
He said farmers are prone to injuries, as workers are exposed to pesticides and other chemicals, intense physical strain, and use of dangerous machinery. Notwithstanding the heightened risk of injuries or even permanent impairment on the job, farmworkers are ineligible for workers’compensation.
He said farmers could face health challenge because of risks, such as water quality and animal contact.
He said agri-workers should be protected as they are more likely to be injured be at risk on the farm.
According to him, farm workers are the backbone of the agricultural industry. They harvest crops and tend livestock and carry out operations that are grueling work and dangerous.
The Nation learnt that farmers pay is low with some taking below minimum wage, with no overtime pay.
Most farmers are not entitled to a day of rest weekly, nor are they eligible for workers’compensation when injured on the job. Farm workers are excluded from the labour laws.
At least 300,000 farmworkers labour on farms nationwide. They are denied their basic rights – the right to fair pay, a humane work schedule and safe-working conditions.
Many farmworkers are paid “piece rate,” based upon the units of produce picked or handled. This arrangement creates an incentive for farm workers to push themselves beyond their physical limits, for pay that is paltry considering the risk to their health.
He called on the government to protect the environment while ensuring the long-term health and economic strength of the agriculture industry. This would help reduce the risk of spreading diseases between farms, he added.
Fertiliser firms dominate talks on climate change and agriculture, a report said.
Fertiliser companies are among the world’s top climate villains, a new report from GRAIN asserts. Their products could be responsible for up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention the damage wreaked on waterways, soils and the ozone layer. But policies to transition agriculture out of its current dependence on chemical fertilisers are being undermined by the fertiliser industry’s lobby efforts.
GRAIN’s report: “The Exxons of agriculture”, shows how fertiliser companies have infiltrated the main policy processes on agriculture and climate to position chemical fertilisers as a solution to climate change and to weaken support for non-chemical farming. Under the banner of “climate smart agriculture”, fertiliser companies work in alliance with other food and agribusiness corporations to lobby for voluntary, company-led programmes that promote the use of fertilisers, such as Wal-Mart’s climate smart agriculture programme or the World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Agriculture.
Fertiliser companies even hold sway within the only intergovernmental initiative to so far have emerged on climate change and agriculture. The founding membership and steering committee of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, launched last year at the United Nations Summit on Climate Change, are stacked with fertiliser companies, their front groups and organisations that partner with them. GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems
The Federal Government is yet to remit about N100billlion representing retirees accrued pension rights and employees’ outstanding contributions under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), the Chairman, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Misbau Yola, has said.
Yola, who made this known while speaking to journalists in Abuja, said the last payment on accrued rights was made in February, this year.
Pension accrued rights represent the total sum of employees’ pension benefits before the commencement of the new Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The PenOp chairman, however, noted that despite the fiscal challenges, the Federal Government is trying its best as it has remitted contributions up to July, this year.
He pointed out that it is important that all outstanding payments are paid to avoid erosion of confidence in the CPS.
He said: “The fiscal challenge being encountered by the Federal Government has affected its pension contribution and remittances
“The Federal government is trying, as it has paid its remittances of contributions on its employees up to July, 2015. There are few challenges with the accrued rights, but we have been told that it would be paid soon. The last payment was made in February, 2015. These are issues that affect the confidence in the system.
“We are aware that the Executive members of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) visited President Muhammadu Buhari and raised the issue of the accrued rights, and the President promised the accrued rights would be paid soon. The accrued rights and outstanding contribution rights is about N100 billion.”
Speaking on compliance level of CPS by State Governments, he said Lagos State and perhaps Delta State are the only state that is up to date.
He said others are at different levels of compliances.
“The states are in various stages. We have various states and they have different needs and challenges. The Federal Government has complied the most and we can only encourage the states to also join the CPS.
“Even in the PRA 2014, there is a mention of states; the reality is that Federal Government does not make laws on pension matters for states. The states have rights to do their pension he way they want so we have to continuously engage them based on moral suasion for them to join. The states don’t have the resources the FG has and fiscal discipline is different.
“With the fiscal revenue challenges the states are having, it is not clear when the states will come out of the challenge. The states have revenue challenges and the Federal Government has more revenue streams,” he said.
The Federal Government spends an average of N100milion to fix a vandalised gas pipeline, a Senior Power Consultant, Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NAIF), Dr Frank Edozie, has said.
He said the cost of fixing a gas pipeline could be much higher than N100 million depending on the extent of damage done to the pipeline. He said many gas pipelines have been broken in the country, especially in the Niger Delta region, adding that the government has spent billions of naira in maintaining them.
Edozie while speaking on the topic ‘Deregulation: A key to Sustainable Development in Oil and Gas Sector’ at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, said each time a pipeline is ruptured or broken by unscrupulous people, the government spends a lot of money to fix it.
He said over the years, gas pipelines have been vandalised with resultant effects on the power generating plants that use gas as a feedstock or critical production material, noting that huge amount of money that can be channeled into other projects was spent on the maintenance of the pipelines.
He said: “Since the coming of the government of President Muhammad Buhari, the country has recorded few cases of pipeline vandalism and the situation has resulted in improvement in power generation that is currently over 4,500 megawatts (Mw).
According to him, the country has witnessed increase in power generation and distribution since May 2015, adding the development is a good one for Nigeria that has been battling epileptic power supply for decades.
Edozie said the industry is yet to attain the required electricity supply of 10,000Mw or more, stressing that power will be stable once problems relating to destruction of gas pipelines and poor generation output are resolved.
On gas price, he said any further increase in the price of gas from $2 or $3 per 1000 standard cubic feet (scf) depending on the buyers, would lead to increase in tariffs paid by electricity consumers.
He explained that the cost of production of electricity by thermal plant is dependent on the cost of gas, which is a feedstock in the industry, among other variables.
Edozie said power will improve remarkably once problems such as gas pipeline vandalism, and poor accessibility of the product (gas) by the turbines, are removed.
The Managing Director, Frontier Oil Limited, Thomas Dada, said power generation has increased since May this year because there is an improvement gas infrastructure.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has resolved to develop a regulatory framework for quality checks and enforcement to ensure that farmers access quality fertiliser.
Its Permanent Secretary, Sonny Echono, represented by the Director, Farm Input Support Service Department of the Ministry, Akinbolawa Osho, stated this at the launch of a soil project on the Establishment and Implementation of fertiliser Quality Control System in Nigeria, supported by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
Echono said the framework for fertiliser quality control would enable the government inspectors to undertake periodic quality control at fertiliser production plants, ports of discharge and market outlets. He said fertiliser samples would be drawn by inspection officials for laboratory analysis.
He said the government has identified some violations in the sub-sector which include plant nutrient deficiencies, misbranding, adulteration, short weight of bags, bagging quality, operating without certificate of registration or with expired certificate of registration.
He condemned the activities of some unscrupulous players who have been ripping off farmers the benefit accruable from their investment in fertiliser.
Echono also revealed that a Draft Fertiliser Bill that the ministry sent to the National Assembly has passed the first reading and would ensure it is passed into law soonest. He maintained that the present administration’s drive in the agricultural sector of the economy which is geared towards employment generation, food security and poverty reduction.
He, however, appreciated the support of AGRA towards the development of a regulatory framework for the establishment and implementation of fertiliser quality control system in Nigeria.
Deputy Director, Quality Control, FMARD, said the project was aimed at developing and implementing a functional fertilizer regulatory system in the country which she said would address the problems of fertilizer quality in Nigeria.
Technical Assistant to AGRA, Mary Yaodze expressed the confidence the organisation reposed in the ministry and pledged their continued collaboration, which she said would improve production, quality of fertilizer and its control.
Ebonyi State and the Federal Government have teamed up to tackle erosion, perhaps the worst environmental threat in the region.
The collaboration is considered a strong step forward by the Dave Umahi administration because erosion ravages most parts of the state, especially Afikpo North, Afikpo South and Ohaozara local government areas.
Recently, a joint ecological survey was undertaken to ascertain the level of the problem with a view to tackling it. This is reflective of the need for the federal government to immediately intervene, so as to avert further destruction of private and government properties and loss of life resulting from the negative impact of this natural disaster.
The devastation caused by gully erosion in the council areas were made explicit as officials from the Presidency, Ecological Fund Office alongside state officials took a tour of affected locations in the state.
This ecological challenge affected roads, bridges and houses among others in the areas visited.
•One of the erosion visited
The areas include Ogwuma Edda, Mgborokum Road in Ekoli Edda, Omanwu Ezieku Road in Ekoli Edda, Isiofu, Ekoli Okagwe Road, Achiogba Waterfall in Ekoli Edda, Libolo Erei Road, Old Council Secretariat in Nguzu Edda among others in Afikpo South Local Government Area.
Also, in Afikpo North LGA, the team saw the impact of gully erosion at Amangbala, Eke Market Road opposite Zenith and Eco Bank, Amasiri, among others.
Speaking with The Nation, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Afikpo South Local Government Area, Mr. Eni Uduma Chima who appreciated the effort of the present administration toward involving the Presidency in the eradication of gully erosion in the state, revealed that 15 sites in Afikpo South were identified by the Ecological Fund Office, Abuja.
The council boss who explained that the biggest site of gully erosion was the former location of the council headquarters added that the natural disaster had forced people in the area to relocate to erosion-free zones within the council area.
“We have 15 gully erosion sites and the biggest was the former location of Afikpo South council headquarters. This natural disaster forced the council headquarters with six other buildings to be relocated to a new site. Governor Dave Umahi has been active and responsive to the need of the people of the state and that was what led to the arrival of those from the Presidency to handle issues of gully erosion in the LGAs.
“Six roads leading within and outside the Council area are in a bad condition following the impact of gully erosion as the state government had made serious effort to ensure that it is tackled without delay. We sent photos and video clip of the devastating impact of gully erosion in the council area and today officials from the Presidency are here to carry out an on the spot assessment, so as to provide lasting solution to the problem”.
Mr Eni lauded the efforts of the state government for getting the federal government involved.
“This shows that the governor really loves the people of Afikpo and cares about their welfare. We have no doubt that the partnership between the state government led by Engr. Dave Umahi and the FG led by President Buhari will lead to the control of this erosion scourge”
His counterpart, Caretaker Committee Chairman of Afikpo North LGA. Mr. Oko-Enyim stressed that all hands must be on deck to tackled incidences of gully erosion throughout the state.
He commended both the state and federal government for the timely intervention adding that his council area was going through the challenge of gully erosion for quite a long time.
Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ABUCCI) has asked the Federal Government and other stakeholders to support and provide incentives for the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
President of ABUCCI, Tony Ejinkonye, who stated this at the 10th Abuja International Trade Fair, entitled ‘Entrepreneurship as a Panacea for Economic Growth’ said the theme of this year’s fair was chosen based on the reality that about 75 per cent of the organised private sector was made up of SMEs.
He said the call became necessary given the importance of MSMEs in the development of any economy, and urged the government to reposition the manufacturing sector, as it is the engine of growth of any economy.
Ejinkonye also appealed to the government to make the development of infrastructure a priority, saying it was important for the current administration and other stakeholders to seriously address the transport sector, especially the rehabilitation of the railway system and road network facilities.
He said this would greatly enhance the transportation of both raw materials and finished goods. He noted that the current administration’s effort in bringing solution to the fuel crisis had led to an increase in economic activities in the country.
On the trade fair, he said it was targeted at promoting accelerated development of commerce, as well as promote the revitalisation and diversification of the economy to boost non-oil exports.
According to him, 2015 is also designed to galvanise international entrepreneurship into the nation’s economy.
“Entrepreneurship is the engine that drives every 21st Century economy; robust entrepreneurships is a must for a robust national economy,” he said.
Meanwhile, John Chukwu, FCT Permanent Secretary, represented by a Director, in the ministry, Abubakar Sani, said the theme of the fair was timely and commendable, given the current economic realities of the nation’s economy.
Chukwu noted that the increasing number of unemployed youths has made entrepreneurship a viable platform to deploy the hands of job seekers and economically empower them.
He said in a bid to reduce unemployment in the territory, the FCTA established Abuja Enterprise Agency to key into the Federal Government’s job creation programme.
“We strategically established the Abuja Enterprise Agency as a special purpose vehicle for the development of entrepreneurship skills and the provision of viable financial muscle to support entrepreneurs,” he said.
