The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nasarawa

  • FEDERATION CUP: IfeanyiUbah supporters storm venue in 30 trucks, 40 buses

    FEDERATION CUP: IfeanyiUbah supporters storm venue in 30 trucks, 40 buses

    …Club offers Lagos fans free ride

    Supporters of FC Ifeanyi Ubah will be arriving Lagos on Sunday in over 30 trucks and 40 buses to cheer the team to victory against Nasarawa United in the final of this year’s Nigeria Federation Cup billed for Teslim Balogun Stadium.

    Both teams will be playing in the final of the country’s oldest competition for the first time and they will be keen on replicating holders Akwa United’s feat of winning the trophy in their first final appearance.

    FC Ifeanyi Ubah Media Officer, Diegwu Mwankwor informed NationSport that the club wanted their supporters to be at the stadium and cheer the team to their historic victory.

    “Our supporters will leave on Sunday morning from Nnewi and around Anambra. We have about 40 buses and 30 trucks that have been outlined to convey our fans around Lagos and from Anambra to the venue of the final. You know the gate has been thrown open and we want our fans to be there live when we make this historic achievement,” Mwankwor told NationSport.

    The club have also provided Hummer buses, Marcopolo buses to convey Lagos fans from strategic places in the state to the venue of the final.ubah-1

    “We wish to inform all our fans and lovers of football that, by 12noon on Sunday, November 6, 2016, everyone should make their way to the most convenient point of conveyance in Lagos to join the buses that Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah has provided to transport them free of all charges to the stadium,” the club also said in a statement made available to NationSport .

    “There will be buses at strategic points across various parts of Lagos State. For fans residing in areas such as Okokomaiko, Badagry, Iyana Iba, Volks and environs, there will be buses at Trade Fair Complex, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway to convey them to the match venue.

    “Those residing in Navy Town, Satellite Town, Festac and environs should go to Alakija Bus stop to join the buses to convey them to the stadium while fans residing at Amuwo-Odofin and parts of Festac can join the buses at Apple junction”.ubah-3

    “Those residing at Old Ojo Road, Agboju, Maza-maza and environs should go to Mile-2 (under the bridge) to join the buses while those who reside in Boundary and Ajegunle should join the buses at Wilmer Bus-stop for conveyance the stadium”.

    “Fans residing at Suru Alaba, Coker, Doyin, Orile and environs should go to Orile Bus stop to join the buses. There will also be buses at Oshodi, Adetola, Capital Oil & Gas Truck Park along the Oshodi-Apapa expressway and Cele Bus stop amongst others,” the statement read.

  • Nasarawa were the better team – Udoji

    Nasarawa were the better team – Udoji

    Enyimba skipper Chinedu Udoji has admitted Nasarawa United were the better team and so deserved to be the ones in this year’s Federation Cup final.

    A first half penalty goal by Seun Sogbeso proved to be the difference between the two premier league clubs in Ibadan on Saturday.

    They will now face FC IfeanyiUbah in the cup final.

    “Nasarawa deserved their victory, they are the better side,” simply said Udoji.

    “But I can’t believe my eyes that we are out of the Federation Cup.

    “Our dream of picking a trophy has come to an end. It is unfortunate that all the efforts of the season have now come to nothing.”

    Udoji continued: “That’s football for you, this was not our season, so unfortunate that with recruitment of some of the best players in the league, we ended up not returning to the continent.”

    “A big lesson to the team and the management. So many factors were responsible for our late distraction from the league and the FA Cup.

    “But we still bless God for an injury free campaign.”

  • Odita wants teammates to redouble efforts against Nasarawa

    Odita wants teammates to redouble efforts against Nasarawa

    Enugu Rangers captain, Okey Odita has challenged his team mates to redouble their efforts to ensure  they don’t come up with such unimpressive display they had last weekend against FC IfeanyiUbah in a NPFL Match Day 32 tie which ended 2-0 against them.

    The Flying Antelopes surrendered their leadership of the league last weekend after their listless performance  in Nnewi but Odita in a chat with SportingLife expressed that they must put behind them their loss against the Anambra Warriors and channel their preparation towards posting a commendable outing against Nasarawa United on Sunday in Makurdi.

    He said with less than 10 matches to the end of the season, getting points both home and away would become difficult and they must be willing to put their bodies on the line in their attempt to ensure that Rangers end their 32 years wait for another league title.

    “We were not happy at all with our performance against FC IfeanyiUbah and we have vowed to correct the mistakes against Nasarawa United. It won’t be easy but we must be at our best to make that possible. The season is almost over and all clubs are desperate to get points on the road and in home matches,” Odita told SportingLife.

  • Two Chinese abducted in Nasarawa

    Two Chinese attached to West African Polaris Investment have been kidnapped in Agada village, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, the police said yesterday in the state capital, Lafia

    Police Public Relations Officer, Ismail Noman said XJieng AI Jung, 50 and Wenso Ping, 45, were ambushed by unknown gunmen at about 2.28pm while going to Abuja.

    He said that the gunmen who wielded sophisticated weapons are at large with the police on their trail.

    Assisting the police in tracking the kidnappers are vigilante groups, local hunters and community.

    He said security operatives had been deployed in to the forests and bush around the area to arrest the suspects and rescue the victims.

  • States can be self-sufficient via non-oil export: Nasarawa as case study

    One of the most blessed states in Nigeria is Nasarawa because it combines a unique potential for both agriculture and solid minerals. Its appellation as “Home of Solid Minerals” is, indeed, true because this is the most endowed state in Nigeria in terms of deposits of economically and commercially viable natural resources.

    The report of the 2013 National Survey on Agricultural Exportable Commodities done through the collaboration of Central Bank of Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Federal Ministry of Trade & Investments revealed that Nasarawa State has great potential for the production and exportation of sesame seeds, ginger and sugarcane.

    According to the report of BudgIT on the revenue and expenditure of the Nigerian states from January to last July, Nasarawa was the fourth on the list of states that with huge deficit. Despite the huge potential of this state, it has not met its recurrent expenditure due to over-dependence on federal allocation.

    This report is aimed at showing the government of Nasarawa State that it can truly diversify the economy of this state by making some deliberate effort to increase the farming of the sesame seeds, ginger and sugarcane in the state. The government should encourage citizens to undertake farming of exportable product by forming cooperatives in different parts of the state, train citizens in the farming of one of these commodities, provide them with improved variety of seedlings, agree a price to buy the harvested crop from them and then give them bank guarantee to buy the harvested crops from them at a collection point and pay them back within a stipulated period.

    This means the state will partner with trading firms to coordinate the exportation of the commodity and earn  foreign exchange afterwards. The state can then pay the farmers from the export proceeds upon conversion to Naira. This model has a humongous potential not just to generate revenue for the government, but also to create unprecedented job opportunities for the citizen of this state.

    In this article, I will be considering the potential of farming and exporting sesame seed as a very viable and sustainable means of revenue generation for Nasarawa. Let me also point out that the facts raised in this paper are based on the data obtained from different research done by Central Bank of Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and some universities in Nigeria.

    Nasarawa produced about 40,000 metric tonnes of Sesame seeds in 2012. Using the national average of about 38 per cent, this state has arable land that is about 1,041,292.80 hectares of lands. We have made some reasonable and very conservative assumptions in this analysis and these include:

    • The state is using just 20 per cent (260,323.20hectare) of this land for the farming of sesame seed -the yield per hectare of sesame is two metric tonnes per hectare (even though, there are varieties that can yield more than this) this yield was used to make provisions for losses that might occur during harvest -the unit price of sesame seed is $1,200 per metric tonnes FOB Lagos (even though it can be as high as $1,500.
    • Cost of farming was put at N122, 000 per hectare based on some research works-cost of exporting per metric tonne was put at N25, 000 based on the export projects I have handled in the past.

    With a yield of 2MT per hectare, this means that the state can produce 520,646.40MT of sesame seeds on the land size stated in the assumptions above. If this sesame seed is exported at a free on board (FOB) price of $1,200/MT, the total proceeds will be $624,775,680.00. Using a conversion rate of N280 to $1, this amount to N174, 937,190,400. The unit cost of farming sesame seeds and exporting are N130, 000 per hectare and N35, 000 per MT respectively. The total cost of farming plus 30 per cent profit on the sales to the government (or to the trading company engaged by the government) comes to N43,994,620,800 and the total cost exporting (transport, documentation, freight forwarding etc) comes to N18,222,624,000. The total project cost (farming and exportation) will be about N62, 217,244,800. The estimated profit that can accrue to the state on this project comes to about N112, 719,945,600.

    According to data obtained from government sources, the IGR of the state for the year 2014 was about N4, 085,127,585. From the analysis we have done on farming and exportation of sesame seed, the state could grow her internally generated revenue by about 2,759% from this source alone.

    We strongly believe that if the government of Nasarawa can adopt this commodity as a means of revenue and implement the strategies suggested in this report, the state can be repositioned on the path to prosperity and greatness within few years.

    For questions on this thought, you can reach me via email to bayemibo@3timpex.com.

  • Nasarawa’s Dogo not upset by 3SC defeat

    Nasarawa’s Dogo not upset by 3SC defeat

    Nasarawa United head coach, Kabir Dogo has said he is not disappointed at his side’s loss to Shooting Stars at the Lekan Salami Stadium in a Match Day 26 fixture in Ibadan.

    “We played one of our finest quality football and lost gallantly 1-2 to Shooting Stars Sports Club. The hosts’ winning goal came in the added minute largely due to loss of concentration on the boys,” Dogo told supersport.com.

    “However, it was generally a good game on both sides as the result could have gone either way. I’m not demoralised or disappointed with the outcome of the match rather I’m happy with the players for their outstanding performance in the clash even though we did not grab the desired result.

    “I tell you if they can replicate today’s (Sunday) form in our other matches on the calendar just be assured we will challenge for the continental tickets. I’m proud of the boys and I assure you we will quickly recover the points in our subsequent matches”,he  said.

  • Nasarawa transforms slums

    Nasarawa State is fighting the infrastructure battle under Governor Tanko al-Makura. The Nasarawa Geographic Information Service (NAGIS) has been up and doing in upgrading slums in the urban centres into habitable settlements, thereby re-integrating their inhabitants into a saner society defined by the availability of social amenities and public utilities.

    Slums have been an eyesore in many towns. They pose a serious problem for government’s developmental efforts. Those who reside in them are exposed to health hazards, apart from lacking adequate sanitation, improved water supply, decent housing or adequate living space.

    Worried by these challenges, Governor al-Makura inaugurated NAGIS a year ago. One of its terms of reference was providing a clear and detailed blueprint on general land use and district plans.

    Under the first phase of the implementation, slums in Lafia, the state capital, Mararaba, Masaka and other settlements along the Abuja corridor, are expected to be addressed. The Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Mr. Sonny Agassi, who shed light on the slum upgrading policy, explained that it is essentially a strategy for environmental renewal. People around the areas are expected to receive a new orientation about better life through an improved access to adequate water supply, education, electricity and sewage services, he added.

    Also, owing to the tenuous legal status of slum inhabitants, government is pushing for the legalisation of the right to the land on which slums are built.

    Agassi stressed: “Slum upgrading’s goal is to transform these areas into decent housing areas. The concept of slum upgrading as espoused by the Al-Makura’s administration is a strategy for the improvement in a slum’s infrastructure which has become necessary after a period of unprecedented urban growth along the FCT corridor since the transference of the nation’s capital to Abuja”.

    The commissioner said priority will be given to the transformation of Mararaba in Karu local government area. It is one of the rural agricultural areas along the Keffi-Abuja Expressway, encompassing Nyanya, Ado, New Karu, Masaka and Uke with an estimated population of 205,477people.

    As a result of its closeness to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), its lands are targeted for a lot economic activities. The activities of the informal sector in these areas are uncoordinated. Many modes of transportation are used along the corridor, either to places of work, recreation or other businesses. These often lead to a chaotic situation on a daily basis.

    There is no central water reticulation system or public supply. Residents access potable water by sinking boreholes. Some purchase from water vendors. Some dig wells. Many draw water from nearby streams.

    Almakura has also expressed worry over the challenge of solid waste disposal along the Karu-Abuja road. In his view, the axis slum upgrade has become necessary because refuse is dumped indiscriminately because there was no designated site for refuse dumping or collection. The dumped refuse usually found their way into drains and waterways. When the drains are blocked, it could lead to flooding and other negative consequences.

    Agasi explained that, after government has made provision for refuse dumping and collection sites, a new legislation prohibiting indiscriminate dumping of refuse would be enacted and mobile courts instituted to enforce environmental sanitation laws.

  • 3sc’s Izu dashes Nasarawa’s hope

    3sc’s Izu dashes Nasarawa’s hope

    Shooting Stars’ Izu Joseph pulled a last minute trick to dash Nasarawa United’s hope of picking a point from Ibadan in their Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match day 26 clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium.

    The visitors had showed promise of pulling an upset as Abdulrahman Bashir fired in the 18th minute and stood firm for the whole of the first period, keeping the hosts on disadvantage into the break.

    Shooting Stars, however, found their feet in the 61st minute as Ibrahim Salau was fouled in the box and Ebiaku Promise calmly converted the resulting penalty to get even.

    With the fans showing desperation, 3SC made quick substitutions, replacing Olabisi Samuel with Izu Joseph in the 74th minute but Nasarawa replied with Bature Yaro in for Abdulrahman Bashir as both teams remained squared into regulation time and Nasarawa looking like getting away with a point.

    With six minutes added, it all looked difficult for Shooting Stars but their pressure produced a last minute corner from which Izu Joseph sneaked in to tap home from the resulting goal mouth struggle, providing 3SC the winner at 2-1.

  • Nasarawa’s Bashir’s strikes down Rivers United

    Nasarawa’s Bashir’s strikes down Rivers United

    Abdulrahman Bashir was the match winner as hosts Nasarawa United stopped Rivers United 1-0 in a Nigeria league Saturday.

    The home win catapulted Nasarawa from 14th position to seventh on the table with 33 points from 24 matches, while Rivers United remain in third place on 38 points.

    Former Enyimba striker Bashir scored on the hour to give the Lafia club all three points at stake in this encounter. He jabbed home a cross to make hay. It was his ninth goal of the season.

  • Nasarawa to pay N100m for demolishing property

    The government of Nasarawa State has been ordered to pay N100 million as damages for demolishing a property belonging to Kinric Construction and Fabrication Company and its affiliate, HARPS Property and Investment Company Limited.

    Justice D.D Adeck, who gave the order, held that the government was to pay the money for aggravated damages for unlawful termination of contract, trespass and demolition of property.

    The companies filed a case against the state government at the High Court for unlawful demolition and destruction of developments on the proposed Kinric Commercial Park along Abuja-Keffi Expressway, Mararaba-Karu.

    Also joined in the case as co-defendants are the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice, Usman Yusuf, and the KAPDA Property Company Limited.

    Counsel to Kinric and HARPS Property, Sebastine Hon asked the court to declare the invasion, demolition and destruction of his clients’ investments, despite the memorandum of understanding with Greater Karu Planning and Development Authority (GKAPDA), as unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful, null and void.

    Other demands included an order for the immediate right to repossess the property without any further interference or disturbance, as well as a refund of N898 million as full value for the development of the property.

    The lawyer told the court that his clients had a MOU incorporated by KAPDA Property Limited, in whose name a Right of Occupancy (R of O) issued on January 23, 2007 by the state, through the then GKAPDA, which later became Nasarawa State Urban Development Board.

    The MOU had leased to Kinric Construction and HARPS Property to develop for 25 years, the 23 hectares of land that belonged to KAPDA property, near the international market.

    But counsel to the state government, Solomon Ayenaje, said because Kinric and HARPS did not do anything substantial for more than two years after the execution of the MOU, including submission of building plans for approval, the government was compelled to order work stopped and subsequently terminate the contract.

    Justice Adeck ordered that Kinric and HARPS repossess the property and that N98 million be awarded to them as general damages, and another N2 million as aggravated damages against the defendants.

    An additional 10 per cent interest would be paid by the state on the N100 million.