The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

  • World Food Day: Delta opens register for farmers affected by flood

    Delta state government on Tuesday announced that it has opened a register for farmers whose farms were washed off by the recent flooding to document their particulars.

    Mr Austin Oghoro, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, made the announcement to commemorate the World Food Day in Asaba.

    He said that the theme for this year’s celebration, “Achieving Zero Hunger” was threatened by many factors, including natural disasters, conflicts.

    Read Also:World Food Day: FG restates commitment to zero hunger

    He added that the Delta Government was working with relevant Federal Government agencies on ways to assist farmers who were adversely affected by flood.

    He noted that the collaboration was aimed at stamping out hunger by the year 2030, adding that new agriculture programmes would be introduced to support farmers in the next budget year.

    He explained that in spite of the impact of extreme weather conditions and other adverse phenomena like tsunami, earthquake, hurricane and flood, the world could achieve zero hunger through collaborative efforts with respect to adaptation and sustainable farming methods.

    The permanent secretary said “our efforts at achieving zero hunger had not been without some challenges, the most daunting one – flooding.

    “A good number of farmers suffered huge losses this year due to flood and in some cases, loss of lives was involved.

    “Arrangements have been made to capture the details of all farm losses at the various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and Area Offices of the Ministry of Agriculture in the affected local government areas.

    “We implore farmers affected by the flood to go and register,” Oghoro said.

    He said that the state in its efforts to boost agriculture, food and jobs creation, distributed over 10,000 cuttings of improved varieties of cassava to 176 farmers for multiplication in 2018.

    He said that rice farmers in the state also received support that culminated in the cultivation of upland and lowland rice on about 300 hectares.

    He said that the support would be increased in the next planting season to accommodate dry season rice cultivation.

    Oghoro said the state government supported cassava and rice farmers, as well as oil palm producers for the development of the entire value chain to serve as game changer in the agriculture sector.

    Also for the protein need of the people and creation of jobs, he said, a good number of youths were engaged in fish farming and two fish farm clusters established at Ewulu and Mbiri.

    He added that “both clusters have the capacity to produce 50.1 tonnes of fish per cycle.

    “To promote the production of animal protein, a Broiler out Growers’ scheme has been put in place and a piggery programme is running currently with 25 farmers engaged and an estimated output of 107 tonnes in first circle in December.”

     

  • Buhari becomes Red Cross grand patron

    President Muhammadu Buhari was on Monday decorated at the Grand Patron of the National Red Cross Society at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The event, where he was decorated by the National President of the Society, Bolaji Anami, took place at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.

    Buhari said “I appreciate this honour bestowed on me.”

    Read Also:Buhari, Obasanjo, Saraki, Dickson mourn ex-Appeal Court president

    The President specifically thanked the Society for its supports in the North East and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

    He assured the Society that the Federal Government will look at its challenges.

     

    Details Later…

  • Accountability key to North East development plan – Saraki

    Accountability key to North East development plan – Saraki

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Friday said that accountability and oversight were necessary components in the country’s efforts to rebuild the insurgency-ravaged North East zone.

    A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said that Saraki was responding to the conclusion of a four-day visit by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights, Dr. Chaloka Beyani to internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps.

    It said that Saraki indicated that he was encouraged to learn that the international community was beginning to pay more attention to the suffering in the North East.

    Oloniyonu quoted Saraki as saying, “We are hopeful about the increasing international attention being shown toward the North East. On our part, we need to make sure that our accountability mechanisms generate confidence in our ability to absorb and monitor the delivery of aid material and resources.”

    It said that the Senate President, who added that Nigeria was heading in the right direction in tackling the North East’s humanitarian crisis, however noted that “there are still many issues in the areas of accountability, such as sexual abuse, lack of protection and the provision of basic services that need to be addressed.”

    Saraki said “Gradually but surely, we are heading in the right direction. However, let us not take our foot off the gas pedal. We must make accountability an expectation in Nigeria’s humanitarian relief infrastructure. Accountability must be built into all aspects of the relief to rehabilitation effort to promote greater confidence in our capacity.”

    Saraki, the statement said, also emphasized the need to focus less on the sensational stories of corruption in the relief effort and instead focus on more transparent systems to root out corruption and profiteering.

    It said that Saraki assured that when the 8th Senate resumes sitting later in the month, the humanitarian crisis in the North East will be a high priority.

    “As Senate President, I am sure that I speak for many of my colleagues when I say that we are more than willing to work with any and all Nigerians and international stakeholders to restore development, dignity and hope to the people of the north east,” he stated.

  • Saraki seeks probe of diversion of IDPs relief items

    Saraki seeks probe of diversion of IDPs relief items

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Thursday asked security agencies to immediately set machinery in motion to investigate allegations of diversion of relief items meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

    The Senate President also asked the Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Mallami to prepare grounds to prosecute anybody found wanting in the diversion of items meant for IDPs.

    This is contained in a statement by the Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu in Abuja.

    The statement said that with recent reports of aid relief deliverables being diverted by some officials in charge of ensuring the distribution of materials to the IDPs, Saraki urged the security agencies to immediately set up a team of crack detectives to investigate the allegations while the Attorney General should ensure the prosecution of individuals found culpable in the misappropriation of relief items.

    “Such reports are totally unacceptable. The IGP must immediately take action and bring all those that have carted away relief materials meant for the people of the North East to book,” Saraki was reported to have said.

    It said that Saraki commended the pledge of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to continue providing relief assistance to millions in the North-east, despite last  Thursday’s (June 28th, 2016) attack on a its relief convoy that left two aid workers, one contractor and two soldiers  injured.

    It said that the Senate President also “called on the security agencies and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami to investigate the allegations that some aid deliverables meant for the internally displaced persons are being diverted by officials in charge of distributing to the people.”

    It said that the Senate President applauded UNICEF for not turning its back on the troubled zone, which has witnessed increased cases of malnutrition – primarily amongst women and children – since the Boko Haram insurgency in the region led to suspension of agricultural activities, destroyed markets, and hindered access to clean water.

    Saraki was quoted to have said, “UNICEF’s decision to press on in the North East despite Thursday’s attack is truly commendable. On our part, the Nigerian government must back the resolve of our international partners with greater coordination platforms in terms of security for aid workers and thorough mandate mapping exercises to ensure that we are meeting the needs of those in crisis areas.”

    Saraki further reiterated his call for an immediate review of the security situation in the North East by the relevant authorities, and urged domestic and international partners to step up humanitarian intervention projects in the region to save more lives.

    “It is a difficult situation, whichever way we look at it,” he said, “however, its situations like these that should prompt aid agencies on the ground to scale up their activities and coordination in order to save thousands of lives.”

    It said that late last week, unidentified assailants attacked a humanitarian convoy that was on its way to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital from Bama.

    The convoy included staff from UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Following this attack, UNICEF announced that it would be temporarily suspending “humanitarian assistance missions pending review of the security situation” in the North East.

    In recent months, the organisation has repeatedly issued warnings that of the 244,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition in Borno State alone; one in five would die if they do not receive the appropriate treatment.

    Last month, Saraki led a delegation to IDP camps in Maiduguri, Borno State where he pledged that the Senate would work on expediting the passage of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) Bill as well as look into the issue of malnutrition and shortage of medical supplies in the North East.

    The NEDC Bill aims to create a multi-state platform for the coordination of relief and donations to the zone.

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