The Nation Newspaper

Tag: urges

  • Ex-Aso Villa Chaplain urges leaders on moral rebirth

    Former Chaplain of the Presidential Villa Chapel, Aso Rock, Abuja, Rev. Williams Okoye, has urged moral rebirth. He also advised leaders to imbibe the habit of rendering selfless service.

    The cleric enjoined leaders to exhibit high moral values as was the case with Jesus Christ and ex-South African leader, the late Nelson Mandela, if the country must grow.

    Okoye, the General Overseer of All Christians Fellowship Mission, Maitama, Abuja said the political class lacked values for the nation to develop and realise its potential.

    He spoke in Abuja during his Christmas Day sermon, titled: “Values modelled by Christ.”

    Said he: “It is my conviction that the single most important factor responsible for our miseries, emptiness and shadow-chasing, either as individuals, the church or as a nation is our distorted sense of values and misplaced priorities.

    “We must learn to put the values of the mind and spirit before everything. Any nation, which places emphasis on materialism, is toying with disaster.

    “Most of these politicians do not get it when you talk about values. They think you are talking of infrastructural development, which greed will hardly allow them to provide. Moral value or transformation is what only true Christians can give.

    “Our politicians cannot give what they don’t have. I think the church needs to do serious work because most of these politicians attend churches and they go to mosques to pray. Even in the mosques, there are moral values, there are ethical teachings.

    “Let’s go back to character building, teaching from our religious books, so that we can develop men and women of character, who will change our nation.

    “I refer to what is going on in China. The country is not too religious, but because they adhere to these values, they are developed and are almost overtaking America. In the 60s, I am told we were ahead of China, Singapore and other nations. What has kept us behind is our distorted sense of values and misplaced priorities.”

  • Expert urges support for pig production

    The Federal Government has been urged to support pig production through use of modern technologies.

    The publisher,Food Farm News, Mr Ayeni Oladehinde said in a statement that because of the lack of innovative approaches to animal nutrition in the pig market, volumes have decreased in recent years.

    He said the nation’s pig industry has slaughtered fewer animals, due largely in part to higher, more unstable feed costs.

    The decrease, he maintainned can be partially explained by unexpectedly large increases on soyabean and grain prices, while pork prices only enjoyed a slight boost during the same period.

    According to him, the government can boost productivity in the industry by increasing investment in finishing facilities – farms where young pigs are kept until they reach market weight.

    He called on the government to improve fortunes in the industry through the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) programme, adding that there is greater potential for wealth-creation and employment-generation, if Nigerians are made to explore the opportunities across the value chain.

    He said the nation needed to harness its potential, scrap old production systems that had an adverse impact on the environment and develop faster and more flexible processing of environmental and building applications.

    He called for investment to improve the social and economic well-being of approximately farmers across the country, adding that the level of pork production, could led to increase significantly as a result of the investment.

  • Martins urges reform of prisons

    The Metropolitan Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, yesterday in Lagos enjoined Christians not to be carried away by merrymaking during the Yuletide.

    He also urged that they should remember those in distress.

    Rev. Martins spoke at the KiriKiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos while sharing the message of love, peace and joy of the season with the inmates.

    He advised them to put their trust in God and be law-abiding while serving their various prison terms.

    The bishop said inmates should be determined to live a new life saying, “their attitude to life should be positive.

    “If we are all recognising the coming of the Lord, his birth and we are engaged in merriment, we should not forget those who do not have the opportunity of doing merriment with their families.

    “That is why we have come to share the day with them, to pray, to encourage and to give them the gifts that we believe will be useful for their welfare.

    “Life is such that we must constantly find ways of becoming better, a stage in life that they are in, is a stage that they will have to put behind them in order to be useful to themselves and the society in future,’’ he said.

    Rev. Martins enjoined them to ask for respect for themselves as images of God, noting that as they respect themselves others would respect them.

    The cleric said there was need for adoption of measures to facilitate prompt dispensation of justice and protect fundamental rights of the people.

    Rev. Martins urged the Federal Government to accelerate the nation’s prison reform to enhance inmates’ welfare, stressing that there was need for inmates to be adequately cared for.

    “For those who are awaiting trial, their trials need to be speeded up; they will not be left in prison unduly, some of them we understand have even spent many more years than they would have received, if they were duly tried and convicted.

    “That is one of the important areas, and the other important area is to take care of those who have been convicted, knowing full well that they are there for reformation.

    “Give them the opportunity to learn; give them opportunity to become professionals for those who are not, so that when they come out, they will be useful to the society and they will be re-integrated into normal life.

    “Nigerians need to know that people who have committed crimes and have paid their dues by serving terms in prison need to be given a chance to settle back into society.

    “We should be able to recognise the fact that people can change, so we need to change our attitude toward prisoners; we need to give them another chance just as God gives all of us another chance,” he said.

    The Comptroller, Lagos State Prison Command, Mrs Catherine Ononye urged the inmates to ask for God’s forgiveness and draw closer to Him.

    “The events of today will expose to the inmates how close they can get to God, if they have sinned they should just ask God for forgiveness.

    “ I believe it will give some of them the hope they have lost, so that they will understand that no matter how bad things are, it can always get better’’.

  • Anglican bishop urges priests to be fearless

    Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos West Rev. James Odedeji has urged the clergy to be fearless in the discharge of their duties.

    He spoke yesterday at the ordination of 12 priests at the Arch. Bishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral in Ikeja, Lagos.

    Bishop Odedeji said if those called to serve God fail to defend the truth, the country will continue to be rudderless.

    He said: “The new priests that are being celebrated today must show good example, just as Christ stood for the truth. A man of God does not need to steal or beg. God is the owner of the universe and He is the only person we should be afraid of. So do not be afraid to tell those in authority and your congregation the truth.”

    The cleric urged President Goodluck Jonathan to reflect on the letter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and improve on the shortcomings of his administration.

    He said: “All that the former president said are food for thought. Even when some of the allegations are not correct, they should not be thrown away without giving them it a thought.

    “Criticism does not have to be constructive. Sometimes it has to be destructive. Even if it is destructive, you still need to examine it and see whether what was said is right or wrong.”

  • Cleric urges Nigerians to curb vices

    A cleric, Prophet G.O. Fakeye of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Ayo Nio), Lagos has urged Nigerians to assist government in curbing vices.

    The clergyman, who spoke in Lagos at the weekend at the presentation of God’s Glamorous Generals, an initiative of Mrs. Ngozi Edemba Iroanya, said government alone could not curb vices.

    He hailed Mrs. Iroanya for her initiative.

    The woman said: “God’s Glamorous Generals is a weekly television programme, which is entertaining, educative and investigative in outlook. The principle guiding this programme is fundamentally to dispel rumours, unhealthy perceived impressions and inherent superstition surrounding men and women with the divine call to serve God.’’

    She said the airing of the programme will start next month on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), TVC, Galaxy TV, MITV, LTV8 and others.

    Former Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan and the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Religion (Christian), Dr. Sam Ogedengbe, were some of the dignitaries at the event.

  • Don urges govt to recruit vet doctors

    A DON, Dr Adedoyin Osipitan has urged the government to improve on veterinary services by recruiting more veterinary surgeons to assist in meat inspection and public health.

    He said to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2020, the states must improve on veterinary services by recruiting more veterinary surgeons to cope with meat inspection and public health activities.

    He also urged the political leaders to ensure that their budget on agriculture was high.

    Osipitan, a lecturer at the Federal University of Agricultue, Abeokuta, said the dream of sufficient live-stock and poultry production might not materialised unless the government guaranteed a fair standard of living for farmers.

    According to him, there is the need for the country’s leaders to be abreast of the changing technological know-how in agriculture. This, he said, was not necessarily in agriculture alone, but also in livestock and poultry production.

    He said efforts on research have been protecting the agricultural sector from emerging diseases linked to globalisation.

    His words: “As a result of globalisation and climatic change, the agricultural sector is facing an unprecedented worldwide impact of emerging and re-emerging animal diseases and zoonoses.”

    He lamented that most of the veterinary officers in the states civil service were inadequate for the country.

    He said each local government should have at least two veterinary officers to assist in delivery services and promotion of public health.

    The don warned livestock farmers to stop patronising unqualified veterinary personnel.

    He urged veterinary officers in the major cities to promote the ethics of the profession and prosecute fake practitioners.

    He called on the Federal Government to appoint more qualified veterinary experts.

    He, however, noted that some state governments have mapped out strategies for animal disease intervention, upgrading of veterinary laboratory and protection of local poultry.

  • Benin monarch urges Labour to end strike

    The Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, has urged civil servants in Edo State to call off the indefinite strike they embarked on since last Tuesday.

    The workers, except those in the judiciary, embarked on the strike over issues bordering on welfare.

    Meetings with the government have ended in a deadlock, with Labour insisting on full implementation of their demands.

    At a meeting with Labour leaders, Oba Erediauwa promised to intervene, but asked that the strike be called off because of the Ugie festival, which would soon begin.

    He said the festival required peace.

    Oba Erediauwa spoke through Chief Eduwu Ekhator, the Obasogie of Benin Kingdom.

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Ademokun, said they would meet their members to discuss on the request by the Benin monarch.

    A meeting of the Labour leaders has been scheduled for today. Among the issues to be discussed is to appraise the strike and the intervention by the monarch.

  • NDIC urges states, local govts to float MFBs

    The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) yesterday urged states and local governments to establish Microfinance Banks (MFBs) to leverage on the financial inclusion drive and reduce poverty at the grassroots.

    The Managing Director of the Corporation, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, who gave the advice at the workshop for Business Editors and Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, said investing in MFBs would help the local governments and states to improve financial access to people, their productivity and contributions to the Gross Dmestic Product (GDP).

    R ecalling the various initiatives of the corporation to support the survival of the MFBs over the past few years, Ibrahim said it behoved on state and local governments to float and nurture the micro finance institutions to enable them play their financial intermediation roles in the economy.

    He said: “We have been urging the state governments to roll out. If you remember those that were in Jigawa State we rolled out put statistics of the MFBs covered. For instance, in Jigawa, there are no fewer than five functional MFBs even though there is a brand new airport there.

    ”So, we have been urging the state governments to take advantage. The Central Bank has realised that it is important for state and local governments to be given the opportunity to float and nurture and dispose of MFBs.

    ”This is a new policy that has been agreed upon by the CBN and it is in the realisation that MFBs cannot be left in the hands of DMBs because the creation and sustenance of MFBs is a very serious developmental issue and the UNDP and some other developmental organisations have amply demonstrated that.

    “So, we continue to call on the local governments, the state government to float and nurture sustainable MFBs in their area to help the poor in their area to have access savings and to credit without which our strive for financial inclusion and poverty eradication cannot be realised,” Ibrahim added.

    He explained that it would be difficult for states that do not have enough MFBs to access the N220 billion  Micro, Small Medium Scale Enterprises Development Fund.

    On the problem of unclaimed insured deposits of customers in the failed banks, the NDIC boss said plans were underway to set up a committee that would come out with modalities on how owners of the deposits are identified and paid their secured deposits.

    He cited the little value of some of the deposits as likely reasons some depositors appeared to be apathetic about calls being made to them by the corporation to come for payment of their deposits.

    According to him, the NDIC, is supporting the  financial inclusion drive  through guaranteeing deposits, especially of small and poor savers since that is the direct link between deposit insurance and financial inclusion.

    Ibrahim, who noted that deposit insurance was vital to financial inclusion because the poor need assurance that the services of the deposit taking financial institutions are safe and available at all  times they desire, said the NDIC, and the CBN, would come out with a framework on deposit insurance that would take care of emerging developments in the financial services industry.

    “To roll out, we are developing a framework for the insuring of deposits of mobile banking, we need to provide insurance cover, some protection for those who do internet banking,’’ he assured.

  • Embrace SONCAP registration, SON urges

    Embrace SONCAP registration, SON urges

    The Director-General, Standards Organisations of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu has urged manufacturers to embrace SONCAP registration, as this would check  the importation of substandard products.

    Odumodu, who was represented by the Director, Operation,  JohnAchukwu, made the appeal during a 5,000- man walk against substandard products in Abuja, stating that the event was important to Nigerians.

    He said: “We are appealing to Nigerians to embrace the SONCAP programme, it is a programme put in place to check imports of substandard products. This will make Nigerian consumers have more confidence in locally made products.

    “Nigerians should develop the habit of utilising locally manufactured products, this way influx of substandard products into the country will reduce drastically.

    “The objective of this walk is clear; please patronise goods that are made in Nigeria. Patronise goods that are our own, so that if you have any complain, we will be able to trace the manufacturers.

    “But when you keep buying goods that are made abroad, when there are complains, it becomes very difficult to trace the manufacturer and cut the scene and the root. Patronise made in Nigeria so there will be job availability, this is one of the key issues we are having this walk for SON.”

  • Group urges Fayemi, Bamidele to reconcile

    The Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Groups (COSEG) has urged Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and House of Representatives member Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele to reconcile in the interest of the progressive bloc in the state.

    The group also warned politicians not to plunge Ekiti State into chaos, ahead of the 2014 governorship election.

    COSEG’s warning came on the heel of the recent reports of disruption of political meetings, maiming and killings, accusations and counter-accusations between the two camps in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The group urged the supporters of the two politicians to embrace peace.

    COSEG warned in a statement by its Chairman, Mr. Dayo Ogunlana, and Secretary, Mr. Razaq Olokoba, that any crack in the wall may make the enemy of the progressives to plot evil.

    The group urged the two leaders to guide against any act that could cause irreparable damage to the polity and socio-economic life of the people of the state, in particular, and Yoruba nation in general.

    COSEG wondered why should two brothers from the same party, who have paid their dues in the struggle of the Yoruba people and Nigerians for democracy, could become political foes.

    The association advised them to sink their personal differences and work for the good of Ekitiland.

    The group said that the political rivalry should not be allowed to degenerate into the ugly rift between Chiefs Adekunle Ajasin and Akin Omoboriowo, which led to killing, maiming and wanton destruction of property in the old Ondo State.

    COSEG added: “Ekiti is not only a centre of knowledge well known for the industry, it is also an important epicenter of Yoruba politics. Any major crisis in Ekiti would definitely not augur well for the rest of Yoruba, particularly at this time when the grounds lost to political miscalculations about a decade ago have just been regained and are being consolidated.

    “It is on this note that COSEG calls on well meaning Yoruba elders, both within and outside political parties, to join hands in stemming the tide of an impending disaster because a stitch in time, it is said, saves nine”