The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • Price of rice to fall despite World food prices increase

    Price of rice to fall despite World food prices increase

    World food prices rose slightly in September from the month before, buoyed by higher valuations in the vegetable oil and dairy sectors, the UN agency said on Thursday.

    The price index released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 178.4 points in September, up 0.8 percent from August.

    Prices on international markets were 4.3 percent higher than their values last September.

    FAO raised its forecast for global cereals output in the 2017-18 season to 2.612 billion tonnes, slightly above last year’s record harvest.

    The agency also raised its forecast for global wheat production to 750.1 million tonnes.

    NAN

  • Fadama III: World Bank earmarks $50m in North-East

    Fadama III: World Bank earmarks $50m in North-East

    The World Bank says it has earmarked 50 million dollars to fast track the implementation of Fadama III, Lead Economist Tunji Oredipe has disclosed.

    Oredipe made this known during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the bank, Fadama III and Borno Government on Thursday in Maiduguri.

    Oredipe said that the funds were provided to support Fadama programmes, enhance food assistance, provide livelihoods and facilitate the rehabilitation of infrastructure in communities ravaged by the insurgents.

    He said that 27 local government areas selected from Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe were expected to participate in the programme.

    Oredipe added that Maiduguri and Jere Local Government areas were selected as pilot areas of the projects in Borno.

    He explained that about 192,000 people were expected to benefit from the programme in the participating states.

    “The aim is to increase crop production, provide skills training, income generating activities and build resilience.

    “The programme will also provide cash support to encourage food security and nutrition.”

    According to him, the bank is working in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP) and International Community of Red Crescent to address food and humanitarian crisis in the region.

    Gov. Kashim Shettima commended the gesture, noting that it would go a long way to address the humanitarian crisis in the region.

    Shettima said that about 7,500 households would participate in the pilot project in Maiduguri and Jere Local Government areas.

    The governor, who noted that the programme would assist in reducing poverty, hunger and diseases, also commended the WFP, World Bank and other organisations for their humanitarian interventions in the state.

    NAN

  • Court docks man for dangerous driving

    Court docks man for dangerous driving

    The police on Thursday arraigned a 30-year-old driver, Daniel Onuh in a Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, over dangerous driving.

    Onuh, who resides at Daki-Biyu, Abuja, is facing two-count charge.

    The prosecutor, Florence Avhioboh, told the court that the defendant allegedly drove a Toyota Camry car in a dangerous manner along Obafemi Awolowo Express Way Abuja on Sept. 10.

    Avhioboh said Onuh drove from speed lane to service lane and run into Joshua Abotal of University of Abuja and damaged his car and it would cost N300,000 to fix it.

    The prosecutor said the offences contravened sections 18 and 29 and of the Road Traffic Act.

    However, the defendant denied committing the offences and the judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 and a surety in like sum.

    Sadiq ordered that the defendant’s car be kept in police station.

    He said the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must present utility bill carrying his name as he adjourned the case until Oct. 30 for further hearing.

    NAN

  • Plateau recruits 5,253 teachers to enhance quality education

    Plateau recruits 5,253 teachers to enhance quality education

    The Plateau Government on Thursday said it had recruited 5,253 ad hoc teachers as part of efforts to address shortage of teachers in the state.

    The Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board ( SUBEB ), Prof Mathew Sule, disclosed this while fielding questions in Jos.

    Sule said the state government had also trained more than 700 teachers to enhance their capacity and to provide quality education.

    The chairman said the deficit and quality of teachers in public primary and Junior Secondary schools had been a major concern to the government.

    “We visited some primary schools and discovered that many of the pupils in the senior classes cannot read or write.

    “As part of efforts to address the situation, SUBEB organised a three-day training in March on ‘Jolly phonics’ for 700 teachers across the state,” he said.

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  • Court arraigns man for stealing yams

    Court arraigns man for stealing yams

    A labourer, Monday Atawei, who allegedly stole 65 tubers of yam valued at N30,000 was on Thursday brought before an Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State.

    Atawei of no fixed address, is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Zedekiah Orogbemi, told the court that the defendant and two others at large, on Sept. 19 around 6:30 a.m at a farmland along Okitipupa-Ode-Aye Road, conspired to steal the yams.

    Orogbemi said that the defendant was employed as labourer by the complainant, Idowu Akinsuleyin, to work on his yam farmland, but later came back, after collecting his wages, to steal the yams.

    He said that the offences contravened Sections 312 and 390(9) of Criminal Code, Cap.37, Vol.1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.

    The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The Magistrate, Mr Banji Ayeomoni, admitted the accused to bail of N20, 000 with a surety in like sum and evidence of one year tax clearance.

    He adjourned the case until Oct.13 for further hearing.

    NAN

  • Udom redeems 50,000 dollars pledge to Super Eagles – NFF

    Udom redeems 50,000 dollars pledge to Super Eagles – NFF

    Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, has redeemed his pledge of 10,000 dollars per goal for the matches against Cameroon to the Super Eagles.

    The Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ) made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja.

    Gov. Udom had promised the players 10,000 dollars for every goal, two days before their clash with the reigning African champions, whom the Super Eagles walloped 4-0 in Uyo on Sept.1.

    They went on to earn a 1-1 draw with the Lions in Yaounde on Sept. 4.

    “Gov. Udom has redeemed the pledge on Wednesday, while calling on the Super Eagles to go for the broke on Saturday and expect ‘a handsome reward’ from him.

    “There will be more incentives for the Eagles if the team could earn a sixth FIFA World Cup appearance by winning on Saturday,’’ NFF’s spokesman, Ademola Olajire said in a statement.

    “I know you have the quality to overcome in this important match, but I don’t want you to underrate your opponents.

    “I love the professionalism and dedication to cause that you have shown since the beginning of this qualifying campaign. Those efforts have put Nigeria at the top of the table.

    “I want to commend the NFF, your coaches and the support staff for the great job they have all done in support of your efforts to get to this position.

    “You are just one win away from achieving your goal. The Zambians are taking this game as a do-or-die affair, so we need to be totally focused and play like soldiers,’’ it quoted the governor as saying.

    The statement said Super Eagles’ Captain, Mikel John Obi, thanked the governor and pledged to him and indeed Nigerians everywhere that the team would not disappoint on Saturday.

    “We very much appreciate the role Your Excellency, the Government and good people of Akwa Ibom State, the NFF and Nigerians from all walks of life have played to get us to this position in this campaign.

    “We know how much this match means and we will go out there and do the job,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Turkey orders detention of 133 workers in post-coup probe

    Turkey orders detention of 133 workers in post-coup probe

    Turkish authorities have issued detention warrants for 133 people working in the finance and labour ministries, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Thursday.

    The detention, according to Anadolu, was part of a widening crackdown  by the government following the 2016 failed coup attempt.

    The suspects were detained for allegedly using ByLock, an encrypted messaging app which the government said was used by the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara of orchestrating July abortive coup.

    Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies involvement.

    Anadolu said that 101 of the suspects were from the Finance Ministry and 32 from the Labour Ministry.

    It said that two of the suspects from each ministry were active workers.

    Since then, more than 50,000 people have been jailed pending trial over links to Gulen, while 150,000 people have been sacked or suspended from jobs in the public and private sectors.

    Rights groups and some of Turkey’s Western allies have voiced concern about the crackdown, fearing the government is using the coup as a pretext to quash dissent.

    The government says only such a purge could neutralise the threat represented by Gulen’s network, which it says deeply infiltrated institutions such as the army, schools and courts.

    In a latest development, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by media as saying that Turkey, Iran and Iraq will jointly decide on closing the flow of oil from northern Iraq.

    That was a retaliatory move after the Kurdish region voted for independence.

    Erdogan while speaking to Anadolu and other media including broadcasters NTV and CNN Turk on his return flight from a one-day trip to Iran, criticised the inclusion of the city of Kirkuk in the referendum.

    He said that Kurds had no legitimacy there.

    Iran and Turkey have already threatened to join Baghdad in imposing economic sanctions on Iraqi Kurdistan and have launched joint military exercises with Iraqi troops on their borders after northern Iraq’s independence referendum last month.

    In September, Russian oil major Rosneft had clinched a gas pipeline deal in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan to help it become a major exporter of gas to Turkey and Europe.

    The pipeline will be constructed in 2019 and exports will begin in 2020.

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  • Yusuf says Super Eagles in victory mood

    Yusuf says Super Eagles in victory mood

    Super Eagles’ Assistant Coach, Salisu Yusuf, on Thursday said the players were in good mood and ready to conquer Zambia on Saturday in their World Cup qualifier.

    Yusuf said this in an interview that the Super Eagles were mentally and physically fit to overcome the Chipopolo of Zambia in Uyo.

    The coach said that he had absolute confidence in not just his players but their management because they were on top of the cracker between the two countries.

    “The Super Eagles are in very positive mood for the game against Zambia on Saturday,’’ Yusuf said.

    He appealed for the support of Nigerians, saying it was necessary for the team to be victorious in the match to be played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

    The Super Eagles are ahead of other teams in Group B with 10 points and are followed by Zambia with seven points.

    Nigeria started the World Cup qualification campaign in what many soccer pundits predicted to be the group of death in a blistering form with a defeat 2-1 defeat of Zambia in Ndola to pick their first away win.

    Nigeria is on the brink of qualifying for the 2018 Mundial in Russia with an emphatic 4-0 win over the African champions, Cameroon in Uyo and the reverse fixture in Yaoundé which ended1-1.

    A home victory over Zambia – a side they beat away at the start of the group phase – will be enough to see Nigeria return to the finals after reaching the second round in Brazil in 2014.

    Other countries that could all book their spots at next year’s World Cup in the penultimate round of African qualifiers at the weekend are Egypt and Tunisia.

    That will leave the other two slots to be decided next month.

    NAN

  • Jigawa inaugurates health coordinating units in 27 LGAs

    Jigawa inaugurates health coordinating units in 27 LGAs

    Jigawa Ministry of Health has inaugurated Logistics Management Coordinating Units in 27 local government areas of the state.

    The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Abba Zakari, disclosed this in an interview in Dutse on Thursday.

    Zakari said the idea was to ensure close monitoring and utilisation of health commodities in health facilities in the 27 local government areas in appropriate manner.

    He explained that the units would ensure that the management do the right thing in a right manner in terms of drug storage, distribution, data collection, validation, analysis and to report to authority any problem for necessary action.

    The commissioner also said that the establishment of the units was in line with the directive from Federal Ministry of Health to ensure accountability and transparency in public health sector.

    He urged members of the units to be proactive and cooperate with one another toward achieving the desired results.

    He assured the members and management of heath facilities of the ministry’s support in the discharge of their duties.

    NAN

  • Oyo urges landowners to release lands for farming

    Oyo urges landowners to release lands for farming

    The Oyo State Government has called on landowners to release their idle lands to investors for cultivation so as to boost the state’s agricultural development.

    Prince Oyewole Oyewunmi, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, made the call a news conference in Ibadan on Wednesday.

    Gov. Abiola Ajimobi has repeatedly claimed that the major thrust of his administration’s economic policy was the exploitation of the potential of the agriculture sector to boost the state’s economy.

    “The state government places a high premium on agriculture, which has now become a national issue nowadays as a result of the fall in the price of crude oil.

    “As a result of the intensive engagement of our communities, we have realised that agriculture is the bedrock and foundation of the state’s economy,’’ he once said.

    Oyewunmi said that the state had over 2.5 million hectares of arable land that were suitable for agriculture, adding the state also grew a variety of crops that could be cultivated in all vegetational belts within the tropics.

    He, however, said that the state had been having some difficulties in making land available for farmers, entrepreneurs and investors who were willing to invest in agriculture on a commercial basis.

    The commissioner said that the government has launched an agenda tagged “Zero Tolerance for Idle Agricultural Land’’, having discovered that there were lots of idle lands in the rural areas across the state.

    “The state government is not interested in taking over the idle lands across the state but wishes to encourage landowners in the state to willingly release such lands to investors.

    “Releasing idle lands to investors who are ready to invest in mechanised agriculture on a large-scale basis would help boost the state’s economy.

    “We are not saying that the landowners should release their lands for free, they should release the lands on agreed terms, while government will serve as the facilitator,’’ he said.

    Oyewunmi proposed that the landowners could release the lands on partnership agreements with the potential investors, adding that they could let, lease and collect royalties on the lands or opt for outright sales.

    He reiterated that increased investments in agriculture would boost the state’s economy and create employment for its citizens.

    He urged the landowners to engage in outgrower schemes, adding that they could do this via partnership agreements with farmers and off-takers.

    Oyewunmi said that the farmers would be able to produce crops that would be bought by off-takers at prevailing market prices.

    He, however, said that the proposals were some of the recommendations made in the report of a committee set up by governor to look into the issue.

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