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Tag: minister

  • Minister seeks increased vaccines production for animal diseases

    Minister seeks increased vaccines production for animal diseases

    The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has called on the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association to intensify vaccines production to curb Avian Influenza and other animal diseases in the country.

    He made the call when the association’s executives visited him in his office in Abuja.

    Lokpobiri said for the government to achieve a sustainable food security, more funding was required to support commercial vaccine production.

    He said: “For us to achieve the objective, we need more funding. If the Veterinary Council of Nigeria and your association intensify efforts in vaccines production, we will be able to control or combat the spread of Avian Influenza and other deadly diseases.”

    The minister commended the collaboration between the Veterinary Council and the Veterinary Medical Association, assuring that the ministry would complement their efforts by providing standard abattoirs,cattle grazing and other problems.

    He promised to direct the Director, Legal Department in the ministry to work with the association in reviewing relevant laws that would enhance their operations.

    Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association President, Dr. Edgar Amos Sunday, who led the delegation, noted that the group had contributed to the development of the agricultural sector, especially in the containment of livestock and zoonotic diseases, curbing of cattle rustling and herdsmen/farmers clashes.

    He highlighted the need to review laws hindering veterinary service delivery and livestock development.

    “This should aim to repeal obsolete sections and insert new ones to suit contemporary realities,” he added.

  • PMB, appoint minister for Kogi

    Since the unfortunate demise of the James Ocholi, Minister of State for Labour in a ghastly accident along Abuja-Kaduna road in March 2016, the seat of Kogi State at federal executive council is yet to be filled hence our clarion call on President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the issue.

    Kogi State is blessed with competent, intelligent and hard-working personalities that can be counted upon to join hands with other great Nigerians in the council, who are diligently using their talents to advance the cause of this country. The non-inclusion of Kogi indigene in the council has deprived the state its representation in decision- making of this country. Such as person can from any part of the state; that is, from any of the three senatorial district of the state.

    After all, the people of Kogi State voted en masse for this government whose emergence has rekindled the hopes of the people of this country for the much expected change. They would be delighted to see the government waste no further time to appoint one of their own as a minister.

     

    • Bala Nayashi,

    Lokoja, Kogi State.

  • Nigeria may lose N69trillion to climate change, says Minister

    Nigeria may lose N69trillion to climate change, says Minister

    Nigeria is at risk of losing N69 trillion to climate change, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heinken Lokpobiri, has stated.

    He spoke at the 2016 World Food Day celebration at the weekend in Abuja.

    Lokpobiri stated Nigeria may also lose up to 30 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2050 to climate change impacts.

    According to him, 70 per cent of the nation largely depends on agriculture.

    The minister said the federal government through the ministry had to establish the Department of Agriculture, Land and Climate Change to reverse the trend.

    According to him: “Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and therefore the most vulnerable to climate change with about 70% of her over 180 million people dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.”

    The Minister noted that policy integration was critical towards building climate resilience.

    He added that the ministry established an advisory committee on Agriculture Resilience to develop the National Agricultural Resilience Framework aimed at enhancing productivity and boost food security while protecting the environment.

    Lokpobiri said as a signatory to the Paris Agreement, the federal government is committed to reducing global warming below 2 degrees.

    Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Country Representative, Louis Setshwaelo, said the organisation has been committed to supporting the government on issues relating to agricultural development and climate change.

    Setshwaelo, who was represented by her deputy Dr. Raba Mani, said the symposium would contribute to the nation’s position in the international climate change conference scheduled to hold in Marrakesh, Morocco.

  • Group condemns attack on Niger Delta Affairs minister

    Group condemns attack on Niger Delta Affairs minister

    The Council of Cross River State Professionals has condemned the recent attack on Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Pastor  Usani Uguru Usani.

    During a news conference in Abuja, the group described as malicious a report that that the minister failed to execute some contracts already awarded by the ministry.

    According to the National Coordinator National Secretary of the group, Emeh Friday and Odeh Zeb, the appointment of the minister into the cabinet of President Mohammadu Buhari is a further testimony of his ability to deliver.

    “They have already failed! Their plot is dead on arrival – having been uncovered before they could achieve their nefarious ends and before any damage could be done. We are aware that these detractors are deploying their usual “pull him down syndrome” which is an ugly practice that has, unfortunately been turned to a political culture in the Cross River axis.

    “We advise these disgruntled elements, their agents, foot soldiers and political jobbers to find meaningful engagements which will profit their lives somewhere else instead of embarking on this un-wholesome witch hunt and destruction of other personalities. They should remember and realise the truism in the statement, ‘Those who must kill others in order to succeed must have death as sentinel to the doorstep of their success’.”

  • Minister threatens to sue writers

    Minister threatens to sue writers

    MINISTER of Information, Culture and Tourism Alhaji Lai Mohammed has threatened to sue two writers, Mr. Akin Fadeyi and Mr. Omo Bazuaye, for accusing him of plagiarising the “Change Begins With Me” campaign.

      He also threatened the executive editor of The Independent with a suit for claiming the launching of the campaign cost N3.4 billion.

       Mohammed asked the writers and the executive editor to withdraw their claims within seven days.

      The minister made the demands in separate letters to them through his counsel, Falana and Falana’s Chambers.

      The letters were signed by Oludare Falana, on behalf of the chambers.

      The letter to the two writers reads,: “We are counsel to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the minister of Information and Culture on whose behalf and instructions we write this letter.

      “Our attention has been drawn to your highly libellous statement published and circulated in some online media where you claimed, albeit falsely, that the ‘’Change Begins With Me,” launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, September 8, 2016, was stolen from you by our client.

       “In one of your reckless statements published online, you stated that ‘What I didn’t realise was that I could become the next victim until Thursday, September 8, 2016, when I saw that the idea we dropped on the Office of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Lai Mohammed; what seems a perfect replica of it was being launched by the minister without the consent of the real originators.”

      “Having damaged our client’s hard-earned reputation by your reckless action, we have his instructions to demand a retraction of your libellous publication within seven days of the receipt of this letter.

      “Take notice that if you fail of refuse to accede to our client’s demands, we have his instruction to sue you with a view to restoring his reputation, which your reckless publication has damaged.”

      In the letter to the executive editor of The Independent, the counsel said: “Our attention has been drawn to your highly libellous statement published and circulated in Volume 14, No. 208 of September 15 edition of your newspaper with the screaming headline: ’Change Begins With Me Campaign gulps N3.4billion’.

      “You also claimed in the publication, albeit falsely, that the Change Begins With Me”, launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday , September  8, 2016, was stolen by our client.

     “Having damaged our client’s hard-earned reputation by your reckless action, we have his instructions to demand a retraction of your libellous publication within seven days of receipt of this letter.

      “Take notice that if you fail of refuse to accede to our client’s demands, we have his instruction to sue you with a view to restoring his reputation, which your reckless publication has damaged.”

  • Headteachers collecting unauthorised fees will be sacked, says minister

    Headteachers collecting unauthorised fees will be sacked, says minister

    EDUCATION Minister Malam Adamu Adamu has warned headteachers of Unity Colleges to adhere strictly to the directive on the collection of only authorised fees.

    The minister warned that  any principal violating the directive would be sacked.

    In a statement by the ministry’e spokesman Ben Goong, Adamu directed that all authorised cost items, including boarding fees must be communicated to parents in writing and copied to the ministry before any payment could be demanded.

    According to the minister, any principal running foul of the regulation will have himself/herself to blame.

    He was quoted as saying: “For the avoidance of doubt, the authorised school fees for unity colleges for the 2016/2017 academic year has been placed on the ministry’s website – www.education.gov.ng

    “Any school principal who collects or has collected a penny outside the authorised fees as clearly stated must refund same to affected parents or guardians immediately.’’

    The minister urged parents whose wards were in unity colleges to report any infraction on the directive to his ministry for appropriate sanction.

    The minister said that one of the pillars of his Ministerial Action Plan, “Education for Change”, which would soon be launched, will make education accessible and affordable to all Nigerians.

    Adamu said he would not tolerate any act that could  sabotage the implementation of the Federal Government’s policy in the education sector.

    According to the minister, the time has come for “Nigerians to enjoy the benefits of ‘Change’ which they voted for and I will stop at nothing to deliver same in the education sector.”

    The minister said one of the reasons for the recent harmonisation of fees in unity colleges was to ensure that parents paid averagely less as well as eliminate indiscriminate collections.

    He said the indiscriminate collection of fees had resulted in parents in some unity schools paying much higher than their counterparts in other unity colleges.

  • Minister courts Igbo support for Buhari

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT)  Minister Malam Muhammad Bello has urged the Igbo people resident in Abuja to continue to support the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The Minister made the call when a delegation of the Igbo community resident in the Federal Capital Territory paid him a visit.

    Bello emphasised that the continued support from all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, political or religious inclinations is necessary to enable the President take Nigeria to greater heights.

    He also urged them to extend that same support to all his appointees in the Federal Capital Territory to enable them deliver quality services to the residents as encapsulated in the Change Agenda of the Federal Government.

    The Minister reiterated that his administration was working assiduously to make the Abuja light rail project operational by December 2017, adding that all the rail corridors would be developed to boost trade and commercial activities in the Territory.

    According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary,  Muhammad Sule, said that the history of Abuja cannot be complete without the mention of the contributions of the Igbo traders.

    He assured that his administration would continue to run an open door policy and all-inclusive government with all the strata of the society carried along to give every sector of the country a sense of belonging.

    The Minister called for peaceful co-existence amongst all ethnic groups resident in the Federal Capital Territory, stressing, “We should maintain the tempo of the peace we are enjoying in Abuja”.

    Bello used the occasion to admonish the residents of the Federal Capital Territory to always report any suspicious movement to the law enforcement agents, in order to nip in the bud any security breach.

    Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and the Eze Ndigbo of Abuja, Eze Ibe Nwosu promised to maintain high degree of peace wherever they found themselves in the Territory and would continue to contribute to the economic development of Abuja.

    Eze Nwosu asked the FCT Administration to carve out new layouts to develop new markets, in order to decongest the existing ones.

    Eze Ndigbo appealed to the Minister to include the Igbo people resident in Abuja in Board appointments and other political appointments to give them a sense of belonging.

     

  • Minister: no job losses after concessioning

    Minister: no job losses after concessioning

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Capt. Hadi Sirika, has assured unions in the aviation industry that the proposed concessioning of four airports will not lead to job losses.

    Sirika gave the assurance at a meeting with the Air Transport Senior Staff Services of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) in Lagos.

    The Federal Government had indicated its interest to concession the Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt airports, toward increasing their capacity and efficiency.

    Sirika, who noted that this was the first phase of the consessioning, said the 22 airports owned by the Federal Government would be concessioned at the end of the second phase.

    He hinted that the meeting was to give the unions the opportunity to become members of the Concession Project Delivery Committee and enable them make inputs to better the process.

    According to him, the government’s resolve to concession the airports is aimed at ensuring the establishment and sustenance of world-class standards in infrastructure development and service delivery.

    Sirika assured the unions that concession was not tantamount to privatisation or outright sale, explaining that the facilities being concessioned remained the properties of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigeria.

    His words: “Government has no plans whatsoever to sell national assets so it is sheer misconception. The truth is that government does not have money to invest and even if it could, with the sheer bureaucracy, it could take 10 years and Nigerians are tired of what is on ground and want something new.”

    He noted that private investors could provide funding for construction of world-class terminals in Nigeria under the build, operate and transfer process which would be beneficial to the country in the future.

    He added that two committees had been inaugurated to mid-wife the process, stressing that there would be continuous engagement of stakeholders toward ensuring what was best for the country.

    President of ATSSSAN Mr. Benjamin Okewu, who spoke on behalf of the unions, noted that the unions were not in agreement with the concession of the revenue generating airports.

  • Economic hardship’ll soon be over, says minister

    The current economic hardship will soon become history because the Muhammadu Buhari administration is working hard to change the situation, it was learnt yesterday.

    The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Aisha Alhassan, gave assurance yesterday at a meeting with All Progressives Congress (APC) women at Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

    The minister said the current economic crisis was not created by the incumbent administration.

    Hajia Alhassan, who was represented by the Coordinator for Women Empowerment, Chief Angela Akukalia, said the APC administration would put Nigeria back on the right economic footing.

    The minister said the Buhari administration was also committed to developing Nigerian women, adding that her ministry had begun the distribution of forms to women organisations and groups through the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) to boost their professions.

    She said: “The present process of economic recession is not caused by APC led government. Rather, it was caused by the immediate past government, which looted the nation’s treasury and threw the people into hardship.

    “APC will do everything humanly possible to put Nigeria back on the right positive track.”

    The minister stressed the need for increased support for the present administration to deliver on its electoral promises to Nigerians.

    Delta State APC Woman Leader, Dr Janeth Oyubu, accused the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government of hijacking the palliatives initiated by the Buhari administration.

    She said: “Don’t be carried away with the peanuts from the ailing PDP. I can assure you that APC has all it takes to transform your wellbeing by empowering you so that you can be helpful to your families and the society.

    “There will be more palliatives from the Federal Government and we are all witnesses to what the President’s wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, is doing to cushion the hardship faced by the less privileged in the society. We will continue to support her.”

     

  • Economic downturn: Minister urges Nigerians to be faithful and sacrifice with Buhari

    The Minister of Communications, Barr Bayo Shittu has urged Muslims and non-Muslims alike in the country to commit themselves to be faithful to  God and the government of the day in Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari in order to overcome the economic downturn confronting the country.

    This was contained in an exclusive interview with The Nation in Ibadan yesterday to celebrate th Eid-El-Kabir celebration.

    “Nigerians should remember that the economic hardship the country is facing presently was not caused by the present President Buhari’s administration, it was caused by the 16 years of lawless governance by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), administration who simply criminalise government to the extent that today the President is finding it difficult to fulfil it’s promises to the people.

    “The lesson we Muslim in particular must learn is that more so that we have a president who is trusted not to be a thief, who cannot steal from public purse and does not support corruption.

    We must have faith in who will never support corruption and who appreciates the sufferings Nigerians are going through and is committed to solving the problems and bringing about redemption in our nation. “ Shittu said

    He urged Nigerians to see the sacrifices President Buhari is making to make Nigeria great again, adding that Nigerians should not condemn him, but noted that they ought to support him.

    “We need to always remember our president in our prayer especially at the auspicious occasion and to also rely on God for help to our leaders should be able to solve all this challenges. God has assure us that after every challenges there will be peace. If we can go through this periof of economic downturn, God will replace it will comfort and with enjoyment for us. Let’s us all imbibe that spirit of sacrifice  and faithfulness to our leaders. We should all pray for God to continue to give our leaders the wisdom to turn this country around to a nation in abundance.

     

    “In every position we occupy in life we should be thankful and also give. We must sacrifice in order to get. In both instances there is an element of transition. Weather you are a leader or rich or poor everybody must sacrifice. The situation we find ourselves today was caused as a result of wasteful lifestyle.

    We must understand that Nigerian are really suffering, but it didn’t only come from Government but also the citizens itself. We have a role to play for the country to progress and it is a collective responsibility. All of us must change for the better. “ he said