The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Inadequate

  • Inadequate shipping threatens agriculture export

    Inadequate shipping is threatening the agricultural export, the  National Publicity Secretary,National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Sotonye Anga, has said.

    He said though there was adequate shipping capacity to move other  goods out of the ports, it  was  not so for agricultural produce, especially cashew export.

    He reiterated that there was a misplaced belief that there is adequate shipping to meet the agriculture export.

    Out of the ports, he added that there were inadequate facilities for cashew to be stored and shipped  to avoid their contamination.

    According to him, if substandard logistics adversely affects an export product, for example, contamination by hazardous substances in the same shipment—it will likely be refused entry into abroad.

    He explained that cashew export must reach the customer in a good condition as required and it is mandatory that the produce reaches the buyer at the time needed.

    He explained that in most cases shipment out of Nigeria a does not meet those conditions.

    Despite this challenge, the  President, Cocoa Association of Nigeria(CAN), Sayina Rima, said  there have been strong performances in export  as  operators make efforts to meet shipping schedule to avoid rejection.

    He said cocoa exporters take three-month contracts to allow them enough time to ship the produce.

    He said there was  a need for more collaboration with agriculture to get more products for export.

  • ‘Planned 20,000 Mw of power is inadequate’

    ‘Planned 20,000 Mw of power is inadequate’

    The Federal Government‘s  20,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity target is too small for the country, Green Elec Chief Executive Officer,  Mr. Marcel Hochet, has  said.

    He said the government should rather focus on achieving 40,000Mw to meet its energy need.

    Green Elec is a solar energy solution firm with offices in Nigeria and France.

    In an interview in Lagos, he urged the government to address the problems in the sector.

    He said gas, hydro and renewable energy are the most feasible sources of power generation, asking the government to leverage them for growth.

    According to him, poor infrastructure had hindered past administrations’ plan to provide regular power supply. He added that the government should solve the problems in the sector to encourage growth.

    Hochet said: “The country’s population is growing at a geometrical progression of 3,6, 10 and 14. By this, the population is growing faster than the available resources in Nigeria. Because of this problem, the government needs to harness potential in the country to stabilise power supply.”

    According to him, countries, which boast of huge megawatts of electricity, combine gas, hydro, sun, wind and other sources of generating power to achieve growth.

    “France was able to generate its  65,000 mw by combining different methods of power generation. The same applies to South Africa, which generates 40,000Mw of power for its population of 45 million. But in Nigeria, we are finding it difficult to deliver 10,000Mw. The highest megawatts of electricity so far generated were 5,000 Mw. That was achieved in the first quarter of 2016.  Nigeria should follow the footsteps of developed economies to achieve that goal,” he added.

    He said though solar and other renewable energy sources generate fewer megawatts of electricity, they help in boosting power supply.  He said if the government was desirous of meeting energy needs of its people, it should  explore opportunities at its disposal to achieve it.

    He urged the Federal Government to improve its efforts of providing stable power, noting that the government has started well by privatising the sector.

  • N529b vote for infrastructure inadequate, says NIESV

    N529b vote for infrastructure inadequate, says NIESV

    The N529 billion allocated to Power, Works & Housing in the 2017 Budget is not enough, Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors &Valuers (NIESV) President Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi has said.

    He told The Nation that the allocation is a drop in the ocean, if any development is to be achieved in the sector.

    He said to produce one megawatt of electricity costs almost N1 billion. “If the government put money into infrastructure provision, it will benefit a lot of people from the professionals to artisans, vendors, manufacturers and traders.

    ‘’It will affect the whole gamut of the economy and stimulate the economy as farmers would be able to bring in their produce from the hinterland and businesses can flourish because people will be able to move around to transact their businesses,” Dr.  Patunola-Ajayi said.

    The NIESV chief regretted that the government did not involve professionals in the built environment sector in budgeting for infrastructure and skill upscale.

    He queried the number and types of houses that the budget provided for, saying this was for lack of reliable statistics for housing gaps.

    He asked: “What type of house is the government going to provide? Is it for the young people, young graduates, middle class, poor or the upper class? The truth is that the government has not shown sufficient commitment to infrastructural upgrade, housing provision and good and motorable roads.”

    He also criticised the situation where the government preferred to give jobs to foreigners as against local professionals insisting that the indigenous professionals can only grow and upscale their skill through continuous patronage by government.

    NIESV Chairman, Lagos State, Mr. Offiong Ukpong said he does not believe the government can implement the budget successfully no matter how much is budgeted for the sector.

    He criticised the government for its neglect of estate surveyors and valuers, noting that the sector cannot move forward if the trend continued.

    He reiterated NIESV call for the creation of the office of the Valuer-General.

    He argued that the government would value its asset yearly as it is done in advanced countries, adding that the issue of corruption that arises each time public assets were being sold off would be addressed as politicians and other money bags will no longer be able to buy up the assets at cheap prices.

    He stressed that the Code of Conduct Bureau will never be efficient without the input of estate surveyors who are trained on valuation, insisting that no other professional body is qualified to do this other than the NIESV.

  • Inadequate policemen

    Inadequate policemen

    •Decentralisation is the answer

    The assertion by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase that the Nigerian Police as presently constituted cannot protect all Nigerian citizens is a self-appraisal that deserves attention. The IGP spoke at a public forum at the University of Jos, on the topic: “Police and Public Partnership in Prevention and Control of Violent Crime and Conflicts in Nigeria”.

    We have severally promoted the need for a new approach to the increasing challenges of policing in Nigeria. Indeed, we are surprised that despite the grave security challenges facing our country, and the glaring inadequacy of the federal police, there is still no agreement to decentralise policing, as applicable in other federations.

    Yet, all across the country, it is the state governments that now provide most of the infrastructure needs for police operations. Evidently, every other day, the IGP visits one state or another to commission vehicles, communication equipment, or police offices, built and donated by the state governments to the police. In many states also, you have several variants of agencies that approximate to either a traffic police, environmental police or revenue police. Again, there is a proliferation of private guards or policemen, engaged in policing, for those that hire them.

    As now confirmed by the police helmsman, the present police as constituted, is obviously not enough to secure our country. As noted by the IGP: “The organisational structure of the force consists of the Force Headquarters, 12 zonal commands, and 37 state commands, including the Federal Capital Territory”. He further said: “Nigeria Police Force’s staff strength by 31st December 2015 was 305,000. This is inclusive of 1,331 Cadets currently on training at the Police Academy, Kano, as well as specialist branches and civilian supportive staff”.

    The fundamental challenge no doubt is inadequate manpower, and understandably the Federal Government does not have the resources to employ enough personnel to meet standard police-population ratio. This much was confirmed by the IGP when he asserted: “The work of the police in any society is a very difficult, complex and dangerous vocation. The expectations of members of the public in Nigeria are many and varied and exceed the resources and support given to the police.”Understandably, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is making efforts to recruit additional 10,000 personnel.

    But, we are however worried that despite the president’s effort, the gap in our country is still far behind the need, as Lagos State, with its ever-growing population, could need that much addition, all by itself. What is therefore needed, is to allow states and even local governments that can afford it, to have their own police. Indeed, universities and specialised institutions elsewhere have their own police. So, what we need are laws, firm guidelines, rules and regulation, providing for the roles and responsibilities of the different cadres of police. That would also include the types of arms and ammunition available to them.

    With low manpower, the infrastructure is yet inadequate. Take the police stations across the country for example; most of them are completely deprecate. In fact, it is common practice to see Divisional Police Offices and Area Commands use monies extorted from detainees and accused persons to maintain the stations. It is also common to hear those who run or call the police for emergency services being asked to buy fuel for the vehicles or the generator that was bought privately by the police. Also, other essential needs like borehole, desks and chairs and even stationary are not provided by the authorities.

    In our view, it is unrealistic to expect the police as presently structured and constituted, to live up to the high expectations of Nigerians.  The earlier we faced reality by decentralising the force, the better.

  • ‘Govt’s funding of teaching hospitals inadequate’

    An ophthalmologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof Folasade Ogunsola, has urged philanthropists and corporate organisations to support the government in funding eye care.

    Speaking at the 25th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), she said the government was finding it difficult  funding teaching hospitals.

    She said: “It will be appreciated if non-governmental organisations and philanthropists support the government by investing in eye health care. We should use those who have to treat the less privilege.”

    Besides, she said the universal health coverage should be funded by the rich and those who have the  means.

    Her vision, she said, is for everybody to have good and comprehensive eye care so that each person can contribute his quota to the economy.

    Ogunsola said: “It is almost impossible for someone that is blind to contribute to the economy effectively. When you can see, then you can contribute to the economy and Nigeria can be a better country.”

    She enjoined people to seek treatment when they are plagued with eye problems at the right place, which is with an ophthalmologist.

    “When people go to wrong places, they get the wrong treatment,” she said.

    The don said an eye clinic and primary health care (PHC) centre that has a primary eye care unit are some of the places to go when an individual has an eye problem, adding: “If you go to the chemist, you will be given the wrong thing to treat your eyes but if it is a PHC centre then the individual will be treated right.”

    On poor cornea donation, she said culture is a major factor, adding: ‘’People want to go back to their maker the way they were created. So, whenever they are implored to donate their eye they find it very unusual.”

    The expert said: “It is doable. Cornea can be donated to another person because when people die, only their soul goes to God, their remains are buried. Education and awareness can make people give in to the idea of donating their cornea.”

    She advised people against using harmful traditional medication because the eyes are very precious and should be well taken care of.

    People, according to her, should treat their eyes the way they treat the mouth, stressing: “If you would not put poison in your mouth why should you engage in harmful traditional medication for your eyes.”

    She urged people to always rinse their eyes with clean water when they wake in the morning because there are times that they used their hands to rub the eyes. “Hygiene is very crucial in the maintenance of one’s eyes,” Ogunsola added.

  • Nyako: N2b inadequate for Northeast’s security

    Nyako: N2b inadequate for Northeast’s security

    Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako yesterday decried the N2 billion Federal Government’s proposed budget for security in the Northeast.

    The region has been facing the Boko Haram insurgency for over four years.

    He said it was appalling that the Federal Government could not increase the budget when it proposed more than the amount on less important things.

    Nyako, who addressed reporters in Yola noted that the N2 billion budget proposal showed the unserious stance of the Goodluck Jonathan administration to tackling security in the region.

    President Jonathan, on December 3 in Gombe, announced that his administration would provide a special intervention package for the Northeast to stimulate it’s economy, following the destruction of property and residents livelihood.

    It was learnt that in the 2014 budget the Federal Government provided N2 billion under ‘Service-Wide Vote’ as “counterpart funding” for the Northeast.

    The use of ‘counterpart funding’ shows that the programme would be jointly funded with the six states in the zone.

    Nyako said the budget was “grossly inadequate” to tackle the security and sundry challenges confronting the zone.

    The governor urged the Federal Government to increase the proposed budget.

    He noted that if the central government could give ‘’Nollywood’’ a N3 billion stimulus package, the proposed security budget to fight Boko Haram in the Northeast was “not encouraging or engendering confidence.”

    Nyako noted that since 2011, the Adamawa State had spent billions to support security forces in the state.

    He said: “As far as we are concerned, N2 billion for six states is inadequate. Commerce and agriculture have been seriously affected; so many people have lost their livelihood and shelter.

    “The issue is about development of infrastructure. We have the worst roads; no electricity…. If the Presidency is serious, these issues must be considered and we expect that before the release of any fund, an outline should be given to know the areas of intervention and who the beneficiaries are.”

    The governor objected to the proposed counterpart funding of security matters by states and local governments.

    According to him, the two tiers were already funding security operations, which the Federal Government should be handling.

    Also, the Northeast Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Change (APC) Dr Umar Duhu said the amount was inadequate and unacceptable.

    Duhu said the proposed N2 billion “came as a shock and disappointment to many of us from the Northeast.”

  • Inadequate competitions discouraging female cricketers

    Joseph Eshua, the Head Coach of the national female cricket team, on Monday said that lack of regular competitions has dampened the morale of the players.

    Eshua told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on that being a new team the players needed regular competitions to hone their skills and to keep them engaged.

    The team’s first international outing was at the Pepsi International Cricket Committee (ICC)-Africa T-20 in Uganda on Dec. 16, 2011 since its inception in 2010.

    “The national senior female team is still young and needs regular participation in competitions to help develop their skills while also encouraging them. Because most of them are already feeling discouraged for they have been idle for so long after their first international competition in Uganda. And I guess this is because the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) is still trying to propel their male counterparts onto the world scene,” he said.

    He added that apart from the National Women’s Cricket Trophy organised annually by NCF, the female team has no other national competition to engage in as individuals.

    “I want to appeal to the NCF to strive as much as possible to increase the number of national competitions for female cricketers in the country,” Eshua said.

    The head coach told NAN that he believed the national senior male team would excel at the forthcoming ICC-Africa T-20 competition in Uganda based on their preparation. The ICC-Africa T-20 would commence on Feb. 23 and end on Feb. 25 in Uganda.

    “We stand a chance of performing above average at the competition because they started camping early enough unlike what usually obtained when preparing for such tournaments. And I expect every patriotic Nigerian to put them in their prayers so that we not only play well, but also qualify for the One Day International (ODI),” he said.