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Tag: Oyo

  • Search for truce continues in Oyo APC

    Search for truce continues in Oyo APC

    What could spur followers to oppose their leader consistently in a united front? The crisis that engulfed the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oke-Ogun State, Oyo State has escalated. The party leader, Chief Michael Koleoso, is being accused of anti-party activities. The protracted crisis leaves the future of Koleoso’s political career hanging in the balance. BISI OLADELE reports.

    For elder statesman, Chief Michael Koleoso, this is a trying period. The former National Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is being battled by party members, most of who he groomed in politics, for allegedly being smart by half.

    The septuagenarian had announced his retirement from politics last year, indicating  his resolve to play only minor role in political activities. But, his critics in the Oke-Ogun All Progressives Congress (APC), faulted his claim, saying he was only officially withdrawing from the APC to join forces with another party to battle Governor Abiola Ajimobi in the last elections. They contended that Koleoso was involved a war of supremacy with Ajimobi, whom he accused of failing to recognise him as the leader of the party in the state after the demise of Alhaji Lam Adesina.

    Many chieftains have appealed to the APC zonal leader, Chieft Pius Akinyelure, to wade into the crisis.

     

    Genesis of the crisis 

    The crisis started after Adesina’s death in November, 2012. In rank, Koleoso was next to Adesina in the leadership structure of the party. But, his position as deputy was unofficial. He was only accorded the honour by virtue of his political strength, experience and influence over the years. He was one of the leaders that insisted that Ajimobi should be given the governorship ticket. Hence, at Adesina’s death, Koleoso expected himself to be declared the leader. But, it never happened.

    Sources said that Koleoso could not have been made the leader because of his activities when Adesina was alive. The zonal leaders were also said to have insisted that Ajimobi should become the leader because he earned the respect of APC members as governor.

    Both Adesina and Koleoso were said to have left Ajimobi in the cold when the need to inaugurate the Seventh House of Assembly arose in 2011. Ajimobi’s ACN had only 13 members while Alao-Akala Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had 12 and Rashidi Ladoja’s Accord had six in a keen contest laced with bitterness and acrimony. For the governor to have a House that would cooperate with his government, he needed a majority in the House in such a way that would leave no opportunity for the PDP and the Accord to collude against the ruling ACN. “Ajimobi needed the two older politicians desperately, but he never got it,” said a source. He recalled that both of them told him that he was the governor and must find a solution to his problem. “He was left in the cold. He was forced to humble himself and approach Ladoja for an alliance, which eventually worked for him. But the then party leadership vehemently opposed the same alliance that helped stabilize Ajimobi’s government. It was a tough knot for Ajimobi to crack. But, we thank God for helping him to succeed.” The source said.

    To confirm the position of the zones, an advertorial was published by each of them in December, 2012 to endorse the governor as the leader of the party. The battle line was, therefore, drawn between the Ajimobi-led APC and Chief Koleoso.

    Koleoso was said to have dragged many of his close associates, who were not holding positions on the Ajimobi administration away in preparation to join another party that will give Ajimobi a good run in the election. Koleoso was said to have boasted that he would ensure that Ajimobi and the entire APC experience an electoral rout.

     

    Anti-party activities

    In September, last year, the political space was awash with the news that Koleoso had taken his associates to the Labour Party (LP). He was said to have liaised with Alao-Akala, who was believed to have some followers in Oke-Ogun and other zones. The thinking, according to sources, was that the combination of Alao-Akala’s strength and Koleoso would defeat Ajimobi.

    A source said: “He started embracing break-away members of our party. Then, he went to invite Chief Alao-Akala to Labour Party (LP) to contend against Ajimobi. He took away his close associates including Chiefs Awakan, Adelere, Ige and Sangolade. He instructed all his followers to go to LP including the immediate past Chairman, Saki West Local Government, Mr Dapo Popoola.

    “When Governor Ajimobi visited Oke-Ogun to distribute letters of appointment to teachers, he did not come. During the main campaign again, he did not come. He instructed all the party chairmen in the 10 local governments to follow him to LP but some of them ignored his instruction. All these confirmed that he worked for LP.”

    But the election went the other way. The APC won convincingly in the 10 local government areas of Oke-Ogun in the presidential and National Assembly election. The feat was repeated in the governorship election with the exception of only Oorelope Local Government where the APC lost.

     

    Election amid crisis

    The number of politicians appointed by the Ajimobi administration was unprecedented, according to leaders from the area. They contended that Ajimobi even surpassed Adesina, the acclaimed ‘the friend of Oke-Ogun’, in opening up opportunities for Oke-Ogun people in government. Six people were appointed as commissioners with several appointed as special advisers, senior special assistants and special assistants.

    Projects that met local needs were undertaken. While the Iseyin main township road was dualised, the Saki campus of the Polytechnic, Ibadan was upgraded to a polytechnic and the School of Nursing, Kishi was repackaged for improved performance. Besides, the deputy governor, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, hails from the zone.

    The governor warmed himself into the heart of the majority through his performance. His urban renewal project, Free Health Mission, recruitment of 5, 300 teachers, free transportation for civil servants, massive promotions of civil servants and enthronement of peace across the state, among others, endeared him to many voters. In the end, Ajimobi was preferred to other candidates including Ladoja, Alao-Akala and Sen. Teslim Folarin,

    The emergence of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate also fetched some support to the APC across the nation.

    It was also gathered that the nomination of a former Deputy Governor Iyiola Oladokun, as a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT), further hurt the strong politician as it suggested that the party was not going to compromise on its stand against his alleged anti-party activities. He believed he should have got the nomination, in view of his standing in the party. Oladokun also hails from Oke-Ogun.

    But, the crisis deepened when party chieftains in the zone learnt that the Koleoso told the national leadership of the APC that he had delivered his constituency during the presidential and National Assembly elections. They faulted the national leadership’s recognition for Koleoso and took to the media to publish paid advertorials puncturing the recognition, saying he deceived the national leadership. They affirmed Chief Samuel Adekola as the authentic leader of the party in Oke-Ogun and urged the national leadership to ignore the strong politician.

  • Oyo liason officer pleads with civil servants

    Liason Officer of Ibadan North Local Goverment to the Oyo State Governor, Hon Yinka Akinbode has enjoined the civil servants in the state to exercise a little patience as regards their salary outstanding, that they would soon be paid.

    Hon. Akinbode in a statement issued in Ibadan noted that the relieve package the president was talking about will soon be used for what it meant for as soon as the fund gets to the Governor.

    He said further that “the Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi meant well for the state and he wil do everything possible to keep the state at peace and to tackle the piority that is bedridden the peopel due to the mulitplier effect of the Federal Government led by the former president, Jonathan Goodluck”.

  • Four die in Oyo multiple road accidents

    For several hours yesterday, traffic was halted following multiple auto crashes that led to the death of four commuters on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo State.

    Three different accidents occurred in close succession between 50 and 60 metres.

    It was gathered that the accidents occurred around 9am.

    Witnesses said an accident involving a petrol tanker happened first.

    The source added that the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid a hitch.

    The petrol-laden tanker went up in flames.

    Also, a container-laden truck on its way to Oyo collided with a commercial bus while trying to avoid the burning tanker.

    Some occupants of the vehicles were said to have died. Others were badly injured.

    On the other side of the road, three commercial vehicles driving towards Ibadan also crashed, leaving some of the passengers badly injured.

    A witness, Kunle Alao, while commenting on the multiple accidents, said they occurred “like bomb explosions in a split-second”.

    “We heard the loud bang and ran away. Then another crash happened and then the third crash,” he said.

    Some officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and policemen were deployed to the sites to rescue victims trapped in one of the damaged vehicles.

    Another tragedy struck in Ibadan yesterday as a tenant in a flat lost his possessions to an afternoon fire, which occurred on Ayetoro Street at Oke-Itunu, Ibadan.

    The flat, which is one of the four in the one-storey building, was completely razed, except for a Bible.

    Furniture, television set, a digital compact decoder, refrigerator, clothes, a laptop, and other valuables were burnt.

    It was gathered that the inferno, which started around 3pm, was prevented from spreading to the other flats through the combined efforts of the men of the state Fire Service and residents.

    Though the cause of the fire was unknown, some residents claimed it might be due to power surge.

    “It happened a few minutes after light was restored,” a resident told The Nation.

    The victim, who was visibly shaking and in his late 60s, could only answer: “I have lost everything I laboured for. I don’t know where to start again. We are just grateful that we did not lose anybody, except our properties.”

  • Police uncover another kidnappers’ den in Oyo

    Police uncover another kidnappers’ den in Oyo

    POLICE in Oyo State have uncovered another kidnappers’ den, where atrocities were being committed at Oyagbe, Oyo town.

    Commissioner of Police Muhammad Katsina, who led reporters to the den yesterday, said the place was a deserted hotel belonging to a businessman, Olatunji Kabiru, who is already in police custody.

    The police chief added that his operatives had arrested five suspects in connection with the incident.

    Katsina, while parading the suspects, added that a victim, Husseni Sani, was rescued from the suspected kidnappers.

    The kidnappers, he said, came from Benin Republic through Kwara State before settling at the Atiba Local Government Area.

    The police commissioner said: “Today, we are happy to announce that a ground-breaking discovery was made yet again and this time in Oyo town, where some wicked individuals kidnapped a fellow human for ransom.

    “We have so far arrested five people connected with the crime, including the hotelier, and the victim is now in our custody.

    The hotelier, who is a former councillor of Ward 1 of the council, said that the kidnappers came to him and asked for three rooms for two weeks.

    He claimed that a deposit of N5,000 was paid to him.

    Kabiru said that he was not aware that they were kidnappers and that he got to know about their activities when the police contacted him.

    The kidnapped victim, who trades in cattle, lives at Ikoyi Ile in Kajoola Local Government.

    He said he was kidnapped in Ogbomoso and fed with rice and Coke for 14 days.

    Sani said the kidnappers demanded N1 million and threatened to kill him and his elder brother, if he was unable to pay.

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, hailed the police and other security agencies for arresting the suspected kidnappers.

    He said the prompt move contributed to the discovery of the hideout, advising community’s members to be more careful in their activities.

    “I thank men of the police and other security agencies for a job well done for bursting the crimes in this part of the state, which is very surprising to us in this area. The prompt actions of the police contributed to the immense discovery of the kidnappers. I must add that such people should not be allowed to exist in our societies.

    “I have to say at this juncture that it is everybody’s duty to be alert over the happenings in their environment and keep the police informed about dangerous activities in their environment,” the Alaafin said.

     

  • Excitement as Oyo offsets salary arrears

    Excitement as Oyo offsets salary arrears

    After many months of despair, Oyo State workers can now heave a sigh of relief following the commencement ofpayment of salary arrears owed civil servants by the state government and the renewed assurance from Governor Abiola Ajimobi on prompt payment of salaries. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU reports.

    For many, the failure of the Oyo State government to pay workers’ salaries is both unjust and insensitive to the plight of workers. An average civil servant felt depraved and unfairly treated, even in the wake of fresh screening exercise of workers when they were still being owed four months’ salary arrears.

    They believed the governor had misspent state resources on electioneering campaigns and bogus contracts for projects spread across the state. But it goes beyond that.

    Before workers’ salaries accumulated, civil servants in the state had received their salaries on or before the end of each month. States began owing their workers when the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan slashed allocations to states by over 50 per cent; an action which the government attributed to the sudden and unexpected fall in oil revenue.

    As a result, about 27 state governors were caught in the web; failing to pay their civil servants. Some states owed their workers up to 10 months. Till date, Oyo State government owes its workers salaries for April, May, June and July.

    The workers converse in their offices, sharing their bitter experiences in the wake of the harsh economic condition occasioned by non-payment of salaries. Some find it extremely hard to make their way to the secretariat, while others relate their inability to feed and pay their children’s school fees and so on.

    “We cannot but express our gratitude to God for seeing us through all these weeks and months of hardship. We cannot say all that we have been going through these months to keep body and soul together.

    “But we are glad that eventually the government is now prepared to pay the arrears. Many of us have been evicted from our houses, many school children could not sit for examinations due to the inability of their parents to pay school fees. This is because the government could not pay salaries.

    “So, you can see why an average worker in the state will be happy on knowing that the government will begin payment of three months salaries to them. Yes, it is true that prompt payment of salary is our right, but is there any sanction provided in the Constitution against any employer of labour who fails to pay workers their salaries?

    This is where the problem lies. Until we have a law that forbids any employer of labour from owing workers salaries, workers will continue to suffer,” one of the workers who didn’t want his name in print for security reasons said.

    However, the dark, long tunnel ended with hope and promises. The workers’ morale came alive once again. And excitement filled the air with renewed vigour.

    Just last week, workers received salary payment alerts for the month of March. This resulted from consultations between the government and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

    Commenting on the development, the chairman Oyo State chapter of NLC, Mr Waheed Olojede said the exercise would begin with the payment of March salary to workers in the mainstream on grade levels 13 and above.

    According to him, salaries of members of staff of local government areas who had already collected their March and April salaries are not included.

    “With the sustained consultation of labour union with the Oyo State Government over the weekend, it is now clear that payment of the balance of March salary to workers in the mainstream of public service on grade level 13 and above, pensions and subventions to the judiciary and state higher institutions will commence with immediate effect,” Olojede said.

    The development was cheering for the workers. The payment elicited wild excitement among them, some of who rushed hastily to their banks.

    One of the workers, who pleaded anonymity, described the commencement of the salary payment as long overdue, even as he expressed his happiness over the ability of government to offset backlog of salary arrears.

    But just as the workers’ nightmare seems to abate, the government, last week, issued a new circular requiring all civil servants to be screened before they will be certified for payment.

    The verification exercise, which was carried out from one ministry to the other, according to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Ismail Alli, is to ensure that there is orderliness in the civil service.

    “The aim of the screening exercise”, he further explained, “was not to witch-hunt anybody but to have a dependable data base and consolidate government’s record to know who are on ground and ensure their positions. That is why we are doing it where they resume duties every day.

    “Secondly, we want to know whether people have acquired the right qualifications over the years. So, it’s just to ensure that people are in the right places. There is no interior motive behind it,” he said.

    However, the labour union has cautioned against any attempt by the government to use the ongoing screening exercise to victimise or witch-hunt any civil servant, adding that such development or action will be vigorously resisted by the entire labour movement in the state.

  • Police uncovers another kidnappers’ den in Oyo

    Police uncovers another kidnappers’ den in Oyo

    … Five suspects arrested

    The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered another kidnappers’ den at Oyagbe area in Oyo town,‎ where different atrocities are committed.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Katsina, who led journalist to the den on Tuesday, disclosed that the place has been a deserted hotel belonging to one Olatunji Kabiru who is now in police custody.‎

    He also stated that the men of the state command had arrested five kidnappers in connection with the kidnappers’ hideout.

    Katsina while parading the suspects added that a victim Husseni Sani was rescued from the den of the kidnappers in Oyo Town area of the state.

    According to him, the Kidnappers had come all the way from Benin Republic and moved to Kwara State and finally settled at the Atiba Local Government of Oyo state.

    He said:” Today (Tuesday) we are happy to announce that a ground breaking discovery was made yet again and this time in Oyo town where some wicked individuals kidnapped a fellow human for ransom. We have so far arrested 5 people connected with the crime including the hotelier, and the victim Saki Fulani is now in our custody.

    The hotelier, Olatunji Kabiru a former counsellor of ward one, Atiba Local Govt of Oyo State, said that the kidnapper had come to him asking for three room for two weeks which he claimed that a deposit of N5,000 was giving to him.

    Kabiru said that he was not aware that they were kidnappers and that he got to know about their activities when the police came knocking at his door step.

    The kidnapped victim, Hussein Sani, a cattle rearer from Ikoyi Ile, Kajoola Local government in Oyo town, said that he had been kidnapped at Ogbomoso and was fed rice and Coke for 14 days.

    He said that the kidnappers had demanded N1million and threatened to kill him and his elder brother if he was unable to pay.

    In his reaction, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, thanked the police and other defense agencies for their swift action at clamping down on the suspected kidnappers.

    He said that the prompt and assertive move of the police contributed immensely to the discovery of the hideout, adding that community members be more careful in their various activities.

    “I thank men of the police and other security agencies, for a job well done for bursting the crimes in this part of the state which is very surprising to us in this area. The prompt actions of the Police contributed to the immense discovery of the kidnappers, I must add that such people should not be allowed to exist in our societies.”

    He however, called on the public to always inform the police when they suspect any unholy activities around their environment.

    “I have to say at this juncture that it is everybody’s duty to be alert over the happens in their environment and keep the police informed about dangerous activities in their environment,” Alaafin said

  • Oyo sanitises hospitality

    Oyo sanitises hospitality

    Oyo State government officials are inspecting  hotels, event centres, night clubs, restaurants and other public facilities.

    The move, the government said, is to boost revenue and ensure compliance with the laws guiding the operations of hotels and allied organisations in the hospitality industry.

    The visit to hotels, part of the yearly routine monitoring and inspection of establishments in the hospitality sector, was carried out by officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Bunmi Babalola, in Ibadan, the state capital.

    Over 20 hotels, event centres, night clubs and other hospitality enterprises were visited.

    Babalola said the operation, which is continuous, was expected to boost revenue from the hospitality sector, adding that it would ensure compliance with the law and regulations guiding the hospitality sector.

    “As the chief regulators of the industry in the state, we have to move round to ensure that standards are maintained; to re-emphasise the need for operators of this sector to report  questionable characters  to law enforcement agencies and also expedite action on the payments of all outstanding levies to the government.

    “On the issue of security, we enlightened them on the need to complement the efforts of the state government on safety of lives and properties of people in the state by their provision of a micro security arrangement that will cater for their immediate environment and the response was good as we observed that most of them are security conscious,” he added.

    The Permanent Secretary harped on the need for prompt payments of yearly renewal dues and other levies, warning that  recalcitrant operators and other defaulting establishments would be appropriately sanctioned, urging operators to do adequate checking of their customers.

    He said: “We appreciate the hoteliers and other allied enterprises in this sector for partnering with the state in the area of job creation. However, I want to say categorically that the government will not tolerate any hotel that fails to comply with the standard of operations and prompt payment of all dues. Compliance will empower the government to expedite action on the ongoing urban renewal  projects across the state, which will in turn be a boost to tourism development in the state and expectedly, a concomitant boom in hotel patronages.”

    He, however, assured that the inspection would be extended to Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, and other zones in the state.

  • Oyo begins salary payment

    Oyo State workers were in a happy mood yesterday as the news on payment of arrears of salaries filtered in.

    The workers were jubilating when our reporter went round the secretariat yesterday.

    Though, they were yet to receive bank alerts, the workers were seen in groups discussing the development.

    Some of the workers said they are happy as the government is ready to pay the arrears.

    “We cannot but express our thankfulness to God for seeing us through all these weeks and months of hardship. And we are glad that eventually the government is now able to pay the arrears. Many of us have been evicted from our houses, many children could not sit for exams due to their parents’ inability to pay school fees. So, you can see why an average worker is happy knowing that the government has started paying our arrears.”

    It was gathered that an agreement was reached between the government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that payment will begin this week.

    Local government workers are owed May and June salaries, other workers are owed April, May and June.

    The NLC State Chairman, Waheed Olojede, said the exercise would begin with the payment of March salary to workers on grade level 13 and above.

    According to him, the payment will not include the local government staff who have collected their March and April salaries.

    He said: “The government and labour talks resume today on other outstanding for April, May and June. Workers are to please be on the alert accordingly.”

  • Oyo sanitises hospitality

    Oyo sanitises hospitality

    Oyo State government officials are inspecting  hotels, event centres, night clubs, restaurants and other public facilities.

    The move, the government said, is to boost revenue and ensure compliance with the laws guiding the operations of hotels and allied organisations in the hospitality industry.

    The visit to hotels, part of the yearly routine monitoring and inspection of establishments in the hospitality sector, was carried out by officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Bunmi Babalola, in Ibadan, the state capital.

    Over 20 hotels, event centres, night clubs and other hospitality enterprises were visited.

    Babalola said the operation, which is continuous, was expected to boost revenue from the hospitality sector, adding that it would ensure compliance with the law and regulations guiding the hospitality sector.

    “As the chief regulators of the industry in the state, we have to move round to ensure that standards are maintained; to re-emphasise the need for operators of this sector to report  questionable characters  to law enforcement agencies and also expedite action on the payments of all outstanding levies to the government.

    “On the issue of security, we enlightened them on the need to complement the efforts of the state government on safety of lives and properties of people in the state by their provision of a micro security arrangement that will cater for their immediate environment and the response was good as we observed that most of them are security conscious,” he added.

    The Permanent Secretary harped on the need for prompt payments of yearly renewal dues and other levies, warning that  recalcitrant operators and other defaulting establishments would be appropriately sanctioned, urging operators to do adequate checking of their customers.

    He said: “We appreciate the hoteliers and other allied enterprises in this sector for partnering with the state in the area of job creation. However, I want to say categorically that the government will not tolerate any hotel that fails to comply with the standard of operations and prompt payment of all dues. Compliance will empower the government to expedite action on the ongoing urban renewal  projects across the state, which will in turn be a boost to tourism development in the state and expectedly, a concomitant boom in hotel patronages.”

    He, however, assured that the inspection would be extended to Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, and other zones in the state.

  • BATNF donates to farmers in Oyo

    TO alleviate poverty among smallholder farmers across rural communities in the country, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has supplied agricultural support materials to farmers in Oyo State under the second cycle of BATNF-sponsored cassava enterprise value-chain development project.

    Chief Kola Jamodu, BATNF Board Chairman, who was represented by Mrs. Oluwaseyi Ashade, Executive Director, BATNF,  at the flag-off in Otu Community area of Oyo State,  said agriculture is significant to poverty eradication and wealth creation.

    She said: “There is need to provide necessary requirements for the development of the agricultural sector like trainings, improved agricultural inputs, production capital, storage facilities and access to markets.”  This need, Ashade said, has posed a challenge to governments at all levels. Several farming communities in Nigeria are affected by these challenges and this contributes in no small measure to the problem of poverty, hunger and other economic challenges.

    “The enormity of these problems is such that governments alone cannot solve them. There is need for the organised private sector and other charitable institutions to come to the aid of the government to address this important issue of agricultural development especially as it affects smallholder farmers who are key players in the sector and who are responsible for the production of a great percentage of the food consumed in the country,” she further said.

    Receiving the agricultural materials from the Foundation, Alhaji Muda Balogun, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed his gratitude to the Foundation for coming to the aid of the farmers.

    His words: “We like to thank the management of BATN Foundation for coming to our aid, especially at a time when we need to move our farming business to a greater level. As we can see, all the farmers from Otu and Ighoho communities of Oke Ogun are excited because the Foundation has brought succour to us all by making farming simpler, better and more profitable.

    “I also want to urge my fellow benefiting farmers to take good advantage of this intervention, by ensuring that they are accountable, hard-working, and most importantly continue to see farming as a profitable business. In so doing, this will serve as a motivation for BATN Foundation, and other would-be sponsors to further elevate farming business in our communities,” he said.

    Thomas Omosefe, Head of Leaf, BATNF, while speaking at the event said all the farmers, as part of the Foundation’s major partners, should leave no stone unturned in ensuring that they (farmers) make the best use of the opportunity.

    He said: “As our major partners, we will continue to ensure compliance with best practices that will enable success for farmers in their operations. Most importantly, we will support your business through periodic trainings, input distribution among others, to pave way for transformation of your business in a way that will impact bottom-line for farming operations.”

    The event was the second flag-off of BATN Foundation’s cassava enterprise development projects across Otu, Ogbooro and Igboho in Oke Ogun, Oyo State, to help smallholder farmers easily transform their farming operations from subsistence to commercial level.

    Other states that have benefited from this agricultural intervention include: Ebonyi, Nigeria, Kaduna and Benue.