The Nation Newspaper

Tag: produce

  • ‘Why Nigerian produce are not accepted globally’

    Despite concerted efforts by the federal government towards diversifying the nation’s economy away from the oil-sector to agriculture, local agro produce have continue to suffer rejection in the international market, Dr. John Isemede, an expert in export and international market has revealed.

    According to Isemede, erstwhile consultant to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), it is disheartening to note that the nation is losing out in the agro-allied subsector, especially in the export market which the government considers an avenue to grow the economy.

    Speaking in an interview with The Nation, he recalled that there was no rejection before 1986, when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) advised Nigeria to kill the commodity boards.

    The first rejection, he stated, occurred in 1988, saying that before this time, Nigeria was running commodity boards.

    He said, “With the commodities board, it was one-stop shop, so there was no National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) or Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON). The only thing we had was Plant Quarantine, and Federal Produce Service. They were doing their job, side by side with the commodity boards. But the IMF advised us to kill the commodities board and introduced middle men. That is why we are having problem with quality today. Ghana has been able to put its own in order. There is what we call the Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), of which 2000 farmers in Kenya are registered.

    “This type of certification is like National University Commission (NUC) to the universities. The certificate that you are given by the university is not for the university alone because the university has been accredited by the NUC. In South Africa, a lot of farms have been approved, in Malawi and so on. Ghana does not have that yet, because they don’t have Ghana GAP, but they are using the international accreditation body. But in Nigeria, we have more than 30 different agencies doing the same job, yet the certificates we issue in Nigeria are not recognised globally where people are moving yam, cocoa shear butter and others across boarder. This issue of rejection was funded by the European Union, carried out by UNIDO. The government has a role, and individuals also have roles to play.”

    Isemede said that the greatest problem the country has is lack of traceability, explaining that apple from South Africa or Lebanon for instance cannot only be traced back to the country, but can also be traced to the farm and to the tree.

    Raising some posers, he said, “Our pineapple and mango in Mile 12 market, can you trace where they are from or the farm? Don’t you see imported banana in our markets with a small sticker on it? These are the issues. What gives a premium price to products are the packaging and the traceability. You can see children in the traffic running after car with imported apples and all of that, but why are we not able to sell our mangoes in the traffic? This is because the accreditation bodies and the people that are supposed to do their jobs in Nigeria do not have the equipment, they are not prepared or that they are not recognised.”

    The problem is not that the country cannot meet standards. The country can meet standards as long as it has experts and the products, he said.

    “The issue for instance is that there are more than 100 ways of exporting cocoa beans, cocoa butter, cocoa powder and so on. But a man who is asking for cocoa beans and you give him cocoa powder, is that what he requires? That is what leads to rejection,” he stressed.

    He advised that for Nigeria to avoid further rejection in the international market there must be a link from the farmers to the processors, to the markets with a good tag of traceability, using agencies that are recognised worldwide to issue certificates.

    He noted that there are some certificates that you do not even require as it is the buyer that determines what he wants.

    “The only thing that will save this country is for us to identify our experts, support ourselves, communicate and put things together with proper coordination, we would get there. This is the time for government to stop budgeting to ministries that are duplicated in functions. It is high time we revisit what the organised private sector is doing. This is time for the government to give target to different sectors and ministries and departmental agencies,” he stressed.

     

  • ‘Kwara North should produce next governor’

    Governorship aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Kwara state, Alhaji Shuaib Yaman has said that the formula for the party to win 2019 election is for APC to pick its candidate from Kwara north.

    Alhaji Yaman, a political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, said the district’s numerical strength with other parts of the state is capable of giving APC victory at the poll.

    The aspirant told reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital, adding that “the last election the central had 41 percent, the north is acknowledged to have done 20. By the way Ilorin should have the highest population as it is the state capital. It is made up of people from all parts of the state and even non indigenes.

    “As it is shown in the voting pattern in the last election that Ilorin had 41 percent, whether we like it or not Bukola Saraki will take a chunk out of that. Today go to Kwara North we are almost 95 percent APC.

    “We are coming together for the first time and the Emirs have announced that the people they represent are all APC. If you take our own 30 percent which is original. Bukola Saraki will take 50 percent of the 41 percent of the Kwara central leaving about 20.5 percent.

    Which reasonable political calculation would pick 20.5 percent instead of 30 percent that is assured.”

    He is confident that APC would pick its governorship candidate from the northerner part of the state.

    “The PDP short-changed this country for so long using autocratic means in selecting the candidates. This is precisely what APC has come to change.

    “APC is a party based on fairness and justice. I can not even dream it that APC will not give the slot to Kwara central,” he added.

    Justifying why the north whoud produce the next governor of the stat, he said: “I happen to come from Kwara North and we strongly believe that given the singular reason of giving every part of the state a sense of belonging, should be the one to produce the next governor of the state. And it is simple. Kwara central has had it for twelve good years. Late Admiral Mohammed Lawal for four years, Bukola Saraki had eight years making a total of twelve.

    “Now the Kwara South is almost completing its eight years. And it is significant here that one individual is aspiring from the south. It means that there must be a sense of fairness from this people from the south. It must be sense of justice that making any of them not to come out for the governorship seat for 2019 elections.

    “Every other part of this state must be given its own due place of recognition. And i say it all the time. How will Kwara central justify it that they have had it for twelve years? And they will now come and appropriate another eight years that belong to the north making theirs 20 and on what pedestal will anybody stand to say the northerners should not have. Are we sub-humans or we are not qualified to rule or that we are slaves? In whatever way we look at it, it is unjustifiable.

    “Take Nigeria as an instance, northerner Nigeria as it is constituted has got enough numerical strength to keep the presidency of the country in perpetuity.  But for every part of the nation a sense of belonging, the north has conceded that it should rotational and it has become a convention.

    “The other argument i hear that it is not in the constitution that we must rotate. There are even constitutions that are not written. The

    British Constitution is just a Charter. It is not written.

    “The foundation for peace is justice. In this stage we believe what is just is just and what is fair is fair. It is the turn of the Northerner Kwara to produce the governor. Anybody giving any other story is saying it on selfish stand.

  • ‘Nigeria can earn $400b from agric produce export’

    Nigeria can earn about $400 billion in 10 years from the export of agricultural produce,   Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria (CASON) Coordinator, Sotonye Anga, has said.

    He, however, said for the country to achieve this, there was the need for the government to improve the global competitiveness of exporters.

    Anga noted that despite the  initiatives put in place by some state governments and the involvement of Nigerians in the business, Nigeria still lagged behind in export infrastructure    certification.

    He told The Nation at the weekend that the perishable goods need extra care to ensure they remain fresh.

    Anga, however, identified one of the significant challenges facing exporters as access to finance.

    To solve the problem, the CASON coordinator said there was the need to float an export credit agency.

    He added that an efficient and cost-effective infrastructure was required for local exporters to be competitive, adding that the tariff structures are more expensive in the country than in other parts.

  • I ‘m home to produce another film – Bandele

    I ‘m home to produce another film – Bandele

    Biyi Bandele is a world-acclaimed filmmaker.  A Nigerian resident in the United Kingdom, he turned Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow sun into a film a few years ago.  He is in Nigeria at the moment to produce yet another remarkable film titled Nigerian Prince.  He speaks to Edozie Udeze on this and more

    Biyi Bandele is an internationally-acclaimed filmmaker.  He is known all over the world as one of Africa’s best film producers, directors and researchers.  A Nigerian by birth, Bandele also produced the film, Half of a Yellow sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning novel which is basically on the Nigerian civil war of 1967 – 1970.  In fact, Bandele is known to have eyes for any script that has a lot to say about the history or social issues that concern Nigeria.

    Concerning Half of a Yellow Sun, a film that made a lot of waves when it was produced in 2013, he said, “Ah, it was a big production.  Yes, it took us six years or so to finally package it.  It took a long time to raise the money and the logistics to put together such a big film.  It was daunting but when it was finally produced it became a big hit.  It is out there now; the world has seen it, people everywhere have seen it”.

    To get the actors and actresses together to make the film the hit it turned out to be, Bandele said, “Oh it was a blessing in disguise that it took that long to gather the resources for the film.  It was during this period that we assembled the characters from different locations.  Onyeka Onwenu came later in the day.  Before she appeared on the scene I was looking for an actress to play that part of a rural woman (a mother) which she played.  I auditioned dozens and dozens of people and nobody fitted into that character.  And then one day I just woke up and thought that Onyeka could be the one to use for that role.  But then I only knew her as a musician in the 1980s.  I was one of her big fans.  I never knew that she is also an actress.  But I remembered that many years before then I’d had a conversation with Chimamanda who kept saying that Onyeka could play that role quite well.  That role of mama, oh, Onyeka could be great”.

    While he struggled to get the person to play this role, one day it occurred to him to get in touch with Onyeka.  “At that point I told some of our cast to get in touch with her.  Then she was a federal director in Abuja.  But when she was contacted she sounded willing to do that bit.  The very next morning she came and she was dressed in character.  She was mama.  It was awesome.  She was amazing to see that moment.  It was indeed a privilege working with her.  I mean, I am really, really proud of her because I worked with a lot of actors I never dreamt of working with.  I am proud of a lot of them.  It was really good”.

    He also recalled some of the remarkable moments while he worked on the project.  “Oh, I mean everything about it was quite remarkable indeed.  Working in Calabar, Creek Town, some other difficult terrains and locations, under very, very tough conditions; it was amazing.  I think I was also very naïve, because a lot of the issues there were on Biafra.  That was one of the things that really drew me to it.  I said since we’ve been talking about it this was the time for me to get into it.  I mean, I am not a separatist, but here is the history of a people, of a nation and we needed to handle it.  We needed to gather more information.  In fact, if we needed to move on as a nation, we shouldn’t forget the history of the past and what it entails.  You can’t feel the present by simply ignoring the past.  That was how it was.  But also I think I was naïve in some other aspects of it.  My understanding of the intensity of the feelings of the people concerning that story and what it portends was also part of the naivety.  I was really naïve in this aspect.  But sometimes naivety is a great thing.  It is there, you know”, he proffered, grimacing.

    For Bandele, scripts that have profound stories to tell, appeal to him most.  Wherever he sees one and it is time to go to work, he does not hesitate to do so.  “You know, I feel there are many Nigerian stories out there.  I live in London, I spend most of my time out there, yet I know that there are plenty of stories about this nation.  I move more between London and New York, but the stories that are always, always, pushing at my imagination are Nigerian stories, African stories with deep historical sense appeal to me all the time.  Now, I am producing a film called Nigerian Prince which is being directed by Friday Okoro who is a Nigerian-American.  He was born in America.  Both parents are from the South-East.  The story is mainly autobiographical.  He is 30 years old and a graduate student in New York.  It is about a Nigerian American kid who is brought home by his parents.  He thought he is home on holidays.  But they brought him back to Nigeria for good.  They kept him here, took his passport because he has been misbehaving over there in the States.  They thought the best way to save him is to bring him home to show him where he comes from.  He is angry; he is dejected, he falls into trouble often and on with 419ners.  It is right of passage, a good story to do into a film.  When Friday sent the story to me last year I didn’t know him.  He got in touch with me through facebook.  Most people get in touch with me through facebook, saying I have a script, I have this, I have that.  Sometimes there is nothing to it; they just talk.  But when I read Friday’s script I really liked it.  Then he didn’t know Lagos at all.  And I know Lagos quite well.  So, I am producing the film as someone who put together the entire infrastructure, taking care of the accommodation, all the logistics and so on”.

    Beyond Nigerian Prince which is his primary concern now, he is also involved in two other projects.  Bandele loves to be busy with projects that are remarkable and awesome.  He said “I have other projects that I am directing at the moment.  But I cannot talk about them yet.  There are issues there now that if you talk, it may not be in the interest of the project”.

    He however gave kudos to the Nigerian home video genre for the way they’ve been doing the job.  Yet he said, “I do not consider myself a Nigerian home video maker, I am a Nigerian filmmaker.  I say this because not every American Hollywood filmmaker is an American filmmaker.  Same with Bollywood and so on.  Nollywood has a marketing label which is interesting.  Nigerian market is indeed enough for me”, he said as he chuckled with laughter.  “Nollywood is quite active in doing what it is doing and that is good enough as it is.  The industry is growing and this is good indeed”, he surmised, smiling.

    Bandele is also a novelist, playwright and the most versatile and prolific of the UK-based Nigerian writers.  His novels include The man who came in from the back of beyond, The Street, Burma Boy and many others.  In 2013, Half of a Yellow sun was selected for screening in the special presentation section of Toronto International Film Festival.  Even then, the film has received a wide range of critical attention and reviews from different parts of the world.

    He has, in addition worked with so many stage theatres in the UK.  Some of them are the Royal Court Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company and more where he has either directed plays or performed on stage.  A seasoned theatre/film guru, he has also won several international awards in recognition of his professional acumen and dexterity.

  • Olubadan chieftaincy: How our family became the first to produce two crowned kings in Ibadan

    Olubadan chieftaincy: How our family became the first to produce two crowned kings in Ibadan

    —Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe whose father was the first Olubadan to wear beaded crown

    Says reform favours Olubadan

    When a late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe, mounted the throne of the Olubadan of Ibadan land in February, 1976, little did he know that he was entering a special place in the history of Ibadan. Aside being the first Olubadan to wear a beaded crown, which he received in December of the same year, he is now the first Ibadan monarch to have his son crowned as another king in the historic review of the Olubadan chieftaincy system.

    With the crowning of the Ashipa Balogun, High Chief Latifu Gbadamosi Adebimpe, as the Oba of Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan last Sunday, the Oba Adebimpe family of Odinjo Compound, Ibadan, has made history for being the first to produce two beaded crown monarchs in Ibadan land. The new oba relishes the feat as much as other members of the Adebimpe family.

    Can we meet you, Kabiyesi?

    I am His Royal Majesty, Oba Latifu Gbadamosi Adebimpe, the Ashipa Balogun of Ibadan land in charge of Akinyele Local Government Traditional Council, Moniya. That is where I am the traditional council chairman and that is my domain. Each of the 11 members of the Olubadan-in-Council (now Council of Obas in Ibadan) has his traditional domain which is local government. The question of domain or not should not arise in our case because it has always been there. Even my friend, Sen. Rasheed Ladoja, is the chairman of the Traditional Council of Ibadan South West Local Government. That is his domain. Criticism of the review is nothing but political.

    You are among the first set of His Royal Majesties in Ibadan land. Can you share with us your ancestry?

    Providence. That thing they call providence. I thank God that I belong to the Adebimpe Family of Odinjo. All the past Baales or Olubadan of Ibadan land used to wear abeti-aja (one of the stylish Yoruba traditional caps) and all other types of caps. When it came to my father’s turn to be installed as the Olubadan of Ibadan on 23rd February 1976, he wore ikoris (another traditional cap) and as the turn of events would come up during debates at the Oyo State House of Chiefs, a civil servant asked the then Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi, why the Olubadan had to be in the front row without a beaded crown, while some other obas wearing beaded crown sat at the back. I think my father was seated between the Ooni of Ife and the Alafin of Oyo in the front row. Then the Ooni told the person that Ibadan can wear beaded crown at any point in time because the founders of Ibadan were warriors from different towns in Yoruba land.

    Whenever any debate like that took place anywhere, the matter would be brought to the Olubadan –in—Council. So, my father had to report back to the council what transpired at the meeting, especially on the wearing of beaded crown. That was when Ibadan said it was an insult for anybody to query or question the dignity of the Olubadan wearing abeti-aja or ikori cap and they said ‘yes’ it was time for them to wear beaded crown like other obas. I don’t want to go into what really happened until eventually it happened on the 10th of December, 1976 when my father was crowned as the first Olubadan of Ibadan land to wear beaded crown.

    As at the 1976, was the title the Olubadan or Baale of Ibadan?

    It was the Olubadan of Ibadanland. So, I think, which means my father could be termed as a sort of reformer of the firmer system and now that system is being transformed again because Ibadan is no more a town. It is a mega city.  It is too large and too big, and they used to call my father His Royal Majesty because my father could not crown any other oba in Ibadan land. He could install baales or mogajis, which was what had been happening since then until August 25 this year when more obas emerged in Ibadan. That is another transformation of what started from my dad. Incidentally, I happened to be the direct son of the late Olubadan, Oba Adebimpe, which means my family has crowned two kings now in the history of Ibadan. We are the first family to ever produce anything like that. I am proud to be part of that history and I am very thankful to God. Indeed, names often influence incidents.  Before my father became the Olubadan in 1976, there was no one among the baales or Olubadan before him that had the prefix ‘Ade’ before their names. Adebimpe, just like it happened to my father, now it is happening to me. So, there is much in a name. That was when it started through my father and it is also starting through me. Names are really of key significance. It is joy forever!

    When he became the first Olubadan to wear a beaded crown, how will you describe the feeling in your immediate and extended family?

    We thanked God for it and it was awesomely celebrated by the whole of Ibadan. It was an innovation, the people accepted it and the occasion was really joyful. That it started with us, it has a place in history and the name has now become indelible and golden in the history of Ibadanland.

    Where was the crowning of your father done?

    The crowning was done at Mapo Hall. And incidentally my own crowning too was done at Mapo hall. Even the present Olubadan of Ibadanland also received his crown at Mapo Hall.

    So government organised a special ceremony for the crowning since the Olubadan was already on his throne?

    Yes. The ceremony was held on December 10, 1976. Now, the beauty of the present reformation is that all the Olubadan, including my dad, uptil the present Olubadan, were known and addressed as ‘Royal Majesty’, because there was no other oba below them or there was no oba to be enthroned under them. Only the kings that can enthrone other kings are known and addressed as ‘Imperial Majesty’. And that is what we have been nurturing, thinking about, pondering about for a long time. And now God has used the present governor, Abiola Ajimobi, to be bold and courageous enough to promote the dignity of obaship in Ibadanland. I thank God for him and he will go down in history as the transformer of the Olubadan chieftaincy system. All the previous governors have tried to reform the Olubadan Chieftaincy system in Ibadan in one way or the other, but none ever thought that it could come up in this way. Well, I won’t say because it didn’t happen during their time, God has time and purpose for everybody and Ajimobi is only destined to achieve this feat for Ibadan. Because he was courageous and bold enough to achieve the rare thing and rare feat, for Ibadan, I thank God for him and by the grace of God, his name will go down in history as the transformer of Ibadan chieftaincy system.

    Since you have been enthroned as His Royal Majesty, how have your kinsmen and women been responding to the elevation?

    Yes, I tell you, everybody gladly accepted it and they were happy that it is happening and that we are again part of that history. It started from us, from our family, and we are still part of another history that is being made. That means we have scored two golden goals already. And who will not be proud of that? Two obas from Adebimpe family? We thank God for it. And I want us to appreciate it that it is coming at this time and that this man, Ajimobi, is the one doing it. I will still mention it again, before our coronation, we said Olubadan was a royal majesty and it was from that day of our coronation that he became His Imperial Majesty. He will now be installing obas in Ibadan. Take for instance, the Oba of Lagos, he has so many other obas under him and any occasion he attends, you will see the entourage of his royal fathers following him. See other paramount rulers as well, that is what makes them Imperial Majesty. See what happens around the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo and many places like that. The only thing that is constant is change. That we are part of these changes is good, and that is not the end of it. Many things will still happen later. This is not even the end of the change to the Olubadan chieftaincy system. Some people will still bring other innovations that will promote the dignity of Ibadanland.

    I am indeed happy, joyful and elated that I am part of this history at this time. I am indeed very grateful to God. And perhaps many people don’t understand it; it will not diminish Olubadan authority on the administration of Ibadanland. Far from it. Anything that his obas do in their various domains must be ratified by the Olubadan because he is the prescribed authourity of the entire Ibadanland. So, as the Chairman of the Traditional Council of Akinyele Local Government, if we want to appoint any baale there, the traditional council there will have to do the exercise and report to Olubadan and the Olubadan-in-Council because they still have to make the final decision to approve or not. Any of the baales that we screen at our local government levels depend on them. It is the decision of the Olubadan-in-Council that Olubadan will stamp as the prescribed authority. So, that is what will dignify the system and I think it is a beautiful thing. We thank God that it is happening. Our kabiyesi must not fear anything. And I thank God for him and as the reformation started from my dad, this new reformation is also starting from him (Olubadan). His name will go down in gold as the first Imperial Majesty in Ibadanland. I think it is a lack of understanding of the nitty-gritty of the whole system that is causing the misunderstanding. But in actual fact, it is a fantastic thing.

    There are some critics of the new review. One of the questions of the critics is if the new royal majesties can appoint chiefs as expected of every oba and how do they get chiefs since they don’t have specific ancient kingdoms they are to rule over. The second question is that now that we have the Imperial Majesty supervising the Royal Majesties and Royal Highnesses, is it going to still be in a line of royal tradition in which the lesser obas will remove their crown in honour and respect of the Imperial Majesty?

    Like I told you earlier, the Royal Majesties have their different domains, that is where they represent the kaboyesi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland. I belong to Akinyele Local Government Traditional Council just like all others in the 11 local governments in Ibadan. I told you something about the appointment of baales in the lesser cities; I have a traditional council which I chair. I have members there, including baales. They are under me. We will screen all the candidates for any vacant position in the local council where I preside over, particularly the villages and or communities. We will screen them because they have to present documents to back their claims to the ownership of the baale of the place. We will do our write-up and everything and we will then send our final report to the Olubadan and Olubadan-in-Council for final screening and ratification. The final decision or whatever we have done at the local government level rests on the kabiesi and his council, which means we are still subjected to whatever is the decision of the Olubadan and the Olubadan-in-Council.

    Are you not going to have chiefs that will be working with you?

    No, the baales are there already to do that. They are already serving as my own chiefs and in that case, not all the baales have been elevated to the post of Royal Highness. Even the baales that have been elevated to the position of royal highness in my domain are still under me and under my control because I am the chairman of the traditional council of the local government and that is why I am the Royal Majesty. It is higher than the Royal Highness and that is one of the beauties of it.

    And as Royal Majesties, how do you pay homage and or obeisance to His Imperial Majesty when you are also wearing beaded crown?

    It is still the normal thing. You cannot just stand with your hands to your side or your pocket to greet Kabiyesi Olubadan. Neither can my own Royal Highnesses stand up to me; they have to do the normal thing as prescribed by the tradition. The elevation does not erode or remove the normal traditional courtesies the lesser obas pay to the higher oba.

    I congratulate you, because you are a direct son of the late Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe. The world is changing and I will like to know if any of your sons is also interested in this traditional system so that we would say in the nearest future, that we can still have another crowned king in the Adebimpe family.

    Adebimpe family is made up of four principal sections. It is only by coincidence that my own choice as the traditional chief came when it was my section’s turn. We have produced many mogajis but unfortunately they couldn’t ascend to the line, but when it got to my father’s section, I was picked. So, it could still happen but that is a decision for the whole family. So, it is not my section’s exclusive right, the system is a fantastic one. The Adebimpe family is a very large one consisting of four principal sections.

    Were you already a mogaji in 1976 when your father was enthroned?

    No, it was impossible. It was after him that I became a mogaji. It doesn’t work like that. You cannot be an oba and your son a mogaji, it is impossible. It is after the demise that you will have to apply to the Olubadan for the appointment. After a king’s demise, the families will agree on who to represent them as the mogaji. I started as a mogaji in 1991. Sen. Rashidi Ladoja became a mogaji about a year later but he was at the ceremony where I became the mogaji as my very good and close friend.

    How come Ladoja is your senior in rank?

    That is God for you. Now, even in July 1993, I was already Jagun Balogun of Ibadan but before the formal installation that took place in October 1, 1993, there was vacancy at the Olubadan line and Ladoja became the Jagun there. It was from October 1 that his own ladder started counting but my own started counting since July 1993. So, I was his senior but your elevation depends on vacancies on your line. There were so many vacancies at the Olubadan line. Even some people who started many years after me had gone higher in ranks in the Olubadan line because of the several vacancies there. Now, Ladoja had risen tremendously along that line.

    In fact there was a time the gap between us was about eight steps but that is the work of God. You cannot become anything except God makes you. So there is nothing to rival or envy about. He who God wants to make the Olubadan of Ibadan is only known by God. You cannot struggle, you cannot contest it, you cannot protest it or even buy it. So, only God knows who is going to reach there. But the prayer of every chief is for them to reach the peak of the traditional chieftaincy line. That is how it is. He is today the Osi of Olubadan line and I am here today by the grace of God, the Ashipa Balogun of Ibadanland. God knows. You only know when you get to the line, you don’t know when you will bow out and only God knows who will get there and there is no competition about that.

    What word of advice do you have for the critics of this latest review and for the sons and daughters of Ibadanland?

    For any reform whatsoever, no matter how good it is, people will always see the other side of it. There is nothing good that is not criticised because the way I see it may be different from the way you will see it and you have the independence and freedom to express your opinions about it. But the most important part of it is to educate people, tell them the benefits over the demerits of that reformation. The reformation of the new system is more advantageous, more dignifying and more befitting for our traditional headship of Ibadanland. When you make them to realise that the Olubadan cannot become His Imperial Majesty if he does not have other smaller or lower kings under him that he can install and crown, it is impossible. All the kabiyesis that had ruled Ibadanland had only installed baales and mogajis and those ones are not crowned obas. I thank God for the present Olubadan because this reformation is starting with him. He started it and his name will go down in gold as the man from whom a new order started.

    To all Ibadan sons and daughters,  I want them to embrace it; thank God that we have a son who is the current governor of Oyo State that has thought of giving Ibadan this befitting and dignifying status through the transformation of the Olubadan Chieftaincy.

  • Lagos to use plastic crates to store farm produce

    Lagos State government is committed to the use of plastic crates in the storage and transportation of farm produce.

    Director of Agricultural Services in the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, represented by Mr. Adebisi Adegboye, stated this at the Capacity Building/Market Sensitisation on Produce Vehicle/ Crate Project held in conjunction with the Union of Perishable Farm Produce Traders of Lagos State and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Ikorodu.

    If the proposal is embraced, it will reduce post-harvest losses, he added.

    The awareness programme which was supported by the Postharvest Loss Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN), under GAIN is aimed at reducing losses associated with the use of the weaved raffia basket in the transportation and storage of farm produce in the country.

    According to him, over 45 per cent of fruits, vegetables along with roots and tubers are lost to improper crating and transportation.

    Adegboye lamented the high level of food products waste due to poor storage and transportation method.

    At the PLAN crating workshop, Senior Project Manager PLAN Nigeria, Dr. Augustine Okoruwa, told the produce traders that though the loss of fruits and vegetables occur throughout the value chain; it is more severe during post harvest and distribution stage.

    He lamented that in sub-Saharan Africa, more so in Nigeria than in most other countries, almost 60 per cent of all fresh fruits and vegetables produced are wasted, adding that over 20 per cent of this waste occurs at the processing state while crating and transportation accounts for the rest.

    He said it was the need to reduce this that motivated GAIN to embark on the PLAN project in conjunction with the United States Agency for International Development (USIAD), Rockefeller Foundation, and its Alliance members; International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Federal Institute for Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) its partners in the move to ensure improved nutrition for the people.

  • Don calls for reduction of chemicals in farm produce

    Prof. Timothy Olabiyi, a crop and environmental expert, says the high use of chemicals by farmers is affecting the acceptability of Nigeria’s farm produce in the international market.

    Olabiyi of the Department of Crop and Environmental Protection, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, spoke during a one-day training workshop organised for farmers on “Organic Agriculture’’ in Ejigbo, Osun.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the training, which was organised by the Association of Organic Practitioners of Nigeria, has “Go Organic’’ as its theme.

    Olabiyi said organic farming was still the best agricultural methodology which farmers could adopt, bemoaning the excessive use of chemicals for farm produce by the country’s farmers.

    According to him, Nigerian farmers are so used to chemical application to such an extent that some of them believe that they cannot farm without the application of chemicals.

    “Before any developed country takes any farm produce from Nigeria, they will assess the chemical residue in it.

    “And at a point, when the chemical in the farm produce exceeds the required standard, it will be rejected.

    “We need to start producing high-quality produce, devoid of chemical or insects, and wood, among others.”

  • ‘It’s our turn to produce council chief’

    ‘It’s our turn to produce council chief’

    Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ajegunle have resolved to put an end to monopoly of power by the people of Olodi by ensuring that the next chairman of Ajeromi Local Government, Lagos State, emerges from their area.

    The aggrieved members of the party visited the Lagos office of The Nation to present their case recently. Their spokesman, Mr Yunusa Olaosegba explained that Ajeromi Local Government is made up of Ajegunle and Olodi communities. He said for over 40 years, the Olodi axis has dominated political power by  producing local government chairmen, members of House of Assembly and House of Representatives to the detriment of Ajegunle community.

    To prove their case, Olaosegba  gave the names of those that held positions since 1979, all of them from Olodi axis. They are Chief Dele Fayemi, House of Representatives (1979-1983); Hon Japhet Ogunyemi, member, Lagos State House of Assembly (1979-1983); Hon Toyin Bolarinwa James, member House of Representatives (1999-2003) and Hon. Adesina Ogunkoya, member, House of Assembly (1999-2015).

    Others are Hon. Tajudeen Ajasa Oluwa, Council Chairman (1991-1993); Prince Rabiu Adio Oluwa, Council Chairman (2000-2007); Hon Kamaldeen Bayewu, Council Chairman (2008-2014)and the current Council Chairman, Mrs Danmole Fehintola Akaba.

    “We have met with the APC Senatorial Leader, Chief Rabiu Oluwa on the continued marginalisation of Ajegunle and the need to reverse the trend by conceding the party’s chairmanship candidate to us. Ajegunle deserves better treatment. It has the number of votes in the local government. Whenever there is a problem, it is Ajegunle votes that come to the rescue.

    “We have resolved to present Samshideen Arogundade, a talented young man who has empowered many youths in the community and ameliorated water problems of the people through sinking of boreholes. He has been in the struggle for the chairmanship position in the past five years.”

    Mr Bright Obaduemu, a lawyer,  corroborated Olaosegba’s views. He said the marginalisation of Ajegunle was very obvious. The fall out, he said, was the denial of infrastructural development such as good roads, potable water, drainage and waste disposal facilities, among others.

    Obaduemu, who said he was born and brought up in Ajegunle, claimed that there is no street  in Olodi that has not been tarred; they also dominate infrastructural development as if Ajegunle was not part of Ajeromi Local Government Area. This discrimination must stop, he said.

    He said: “Ajegunle is not lacking qualified candidates to hold political offices but they are not given the opportunity to get there. We have plethora of vibrant youths that are competent to be council chairman but we have settled for Arogundade because of his antecedents.

    “I have the privilege of relating with Samshideen Arogundade; he has demonstrated penchant  for philanthropy; he takes youths of Ajegunle abroad for education empowerment in United Arab Emirate (U.A.E.). He has a registered foundation dedicated to the development of the youth and to assist the orphans, elderly and physically-challenged people. His respect for elders stands him out among the youth.

    “He‘s ably armed with ideas; he has been on ground; his international exposure will enhance the development of Ajegunle”.

    A representative of Arewa community in Ajegunle, Alhaji Mohammed Bashir Yusuf appealed to the leadership of the APC in Lagos State to prevail on the  APC leaders in Ajeromi Local Government Area “to  please allow Ajegunle to present chairmanship candidate”.

    Yusuf said conceding the office to Ajegunle will create a sense of belonging and as well ensure equity, fairness and justice.

    He said the people of Ajegunle are very loyal to the APC. “We have never disappointed the party when it comes to election; we want the party to compensate us this time around by conceding council chairmanship position to Ajegunle,” he stated.

    For Mr Nelson Ibebunjo, Ajegunle will develop if the people of the community are allowed to hold political offices.  Ajegunle is a slum. Arogundade has what it takes to develop it. For five years now, we have been struggling for chairmanship position. We are appealing to the APC  national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to come to our rescue.

    The women representative, Mrs Blessing Eze said women in Ajegunle have endorsed Arogundade’s aspiration for the chairmanship position. “All women stand with him;  we believe there will be development in Ajegunle if he becomes Chairman of Ajeromi Local Government Area”, she said.

  • ‘Nigeria has capacity to produce 2.2m bopd without Bonga’

    Nigeria will be able to produce 2.2million barrels of oil per day (bopd), even with the shutdown of Shell’s 225,000 bopd Bonga oil field and Forcados terminal, industry stakeholders have said.

    The stakeholders, including the Chief Operating Officer, First Exploration and Petroleum Company, Dr Saka Matemilola, and the Chief Executive Officer, Abuja Power Station, Mr. Jameel Jammal, said with sustainable peace in the Niger Delta, oil production will go up rapidly.

    Matemilola said the country can produce 2.2million bopd, despite the fact that  its output has dropped to 1.875bopd from 2.1 million bopd, following the decision by Shell to shut down its Bonga field in order to carry out a maintenance check on the facility.

    He said once stakeholders including the Federal Government are able to guarantee peace in the region, the country would not have problem in increasing its oil production and exports.

    According to him, production disruption at Bonga cannot hinder Nigeria from increasing its oil output. He  added  that a sustained peace initiative in the Niger Delta, is what Nigeria needs to achieve growth in the petroleum sector.

    He said Shell decided to shut down the two facilities temporarily for strategic reasons, stressing that Nigeria has the capacity to increase its oil output considerably, whether Shell resumes activities in the two facilities or not.

    Matemilola said: “The problem in Bonga is short-termed, which means that solution can be proffered shortly by Shell. Had it been that the problems affecting the two facilities are major ones, I would have said that more time would be required to fix the problem.

    “It is not that Shell does not want to fix the Forcados facility. It is afraid that the facility may be bombed again. Considering the cost of repairing such a big facility, it does not make economic sense to fix it immediately it is attacked.’’

    Matemilola, who is also, the Chairman, Society of Petroleum Engineers of Nigeria (SPE-Nigeria), said Shell can complete the turnaround maintenance in the Bongo’s oil field within a short period. According to him, resumption of production activities in Bonga’s oil field would happen very soon in view of its contribution to the country’s oil output.

    Also, Jammal said a sustained peace initiative and a friendly operating environment is what Nigeria requires to produce 2.2million bopd or more in order to re-establish its position as the largest oil producer in Africa. He said the country can produce 3million bopd, provided the right environment is in place.

    “While it is regrettable that the country’s oil output has dropped to 1.875million bopd, following Shell’s decision to carry out turnaround operation on its Bonga field, Nigeria can make up for the loss and even surpass 2.2 million bopd without relying on production from Bonga, he said.

  • Govt urged to target lower farm produce contamination

    A former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, has urged the government to cut the contamination rate of plant-origin products.           Adeloye said improved agro produce safety would  help to prevent large-scale outbreaks of food-borne illness and reduce rejection of exports to Europe and the United States (U.S).

    Calling for better oversight on the farms, the expert stressed that it was time farmers and food manufacturers followed good safety practices, and greater focus made on prevention in the production process.

    He urged the government to encourage food production businesses to meet international standards on food safety and hygiene such as International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).

    Meeting these standards, which take into account criteria such as proper equipment and human resources, he said, would not only increase businesses’ prestige and competitiveness, but help protect consumers’ health.

    Currently, he noted that there was concern about antibiotic residues left behind in meat and consumed by people and pesticides found on agro  exports that were rejected on arrival at their destinations.

    He said the use of antibiotics and chemicals by farmers should be controlled to safeguard human health.

    He urged government agencies to increase inspections, quarantines and test more samples of produce both domestic and foreign.

    He asked relevant agencies to implement measures to ensure food safety and hygiene, tracing the origin of foods of all kinds and focusing on essential farm produce.