Food blockade: South-west govs should inject 15% of annual budget into agriculture, says Gani Adams

 

Gani Adams, Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, has called on governors of south-west states to inject at least 15 per cent of their annual budget into agriculture.

Speaking on Friday against the backdrop of the recent food crisis in the region, Adams said such allocation would make a huge impact on sustainable food production in the region.

The Amalgamated Union of Food and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN) had halted the movement of food supply to the south in protest of a number of issues, including attacks on their members.

The blockade had resulted in scarcity and an increase in the prices of food items in the south — while a supply glut crashed prices in the north.

The strike was later called off on Wednesday.

According to Adams, the south-west consumes more than N8 billion worth of food and dairy products daily.

He said the recent food crisis was a clarion call to the south-west stakeholders, including security groups to provide the necessary security for farmers in order to produce enough agricultural produce.

“Investment in agriculture will provide employment, enhance IGR, provide food security, reduce urban congestion, and enlarge the coast for participatory, modernised agriculture,” he said.

“It is the responsibility of all the south-west governors to swiftly respond and seek a better approach to enhance both small and large scale farming across the region.

“They should also strengthen the security architecture of the region.”

Yinka Odumakin, national publicity secretary of Afenifere, Yoruba sociopolitical group, also said the south-west region can conveniently feed itself without dependence on any other region.

Odumakin added that there was an urgent need to go back to farming in the southwest.

The Afenifere spokesman described the north’s blockade of foodstuffs to the south as a challenge to the region “which had made its IGR from agriculture before independence”.

- THECABLE

21 convicted for not wearing face mask

 Twenty-one people have been convicted and sentenced by a mobile Court in Benin for not wearing face masks.

Twelve others were also sentenced for improper disposal of refuse and displaying wares in unauthorised places.

The unmasked 21 were punished for disregarding the Edo government public health rule imposed to curb the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The prosecuting counsel, Mr G. O. Odeyibo and A. Ayo, told the court that the 33 accused, who subsequently pleaded guilty, were apprehended within the Benin metropolis.

Presiding Chief Magistrate Rusberth Imafidon convicted the 21 face mask violators and directed them to do community service for three hours daily for two days. He gave them no option of fine.

He also sentenced the six convicts, who did not dispose off their wastes properly at the Oba Market, to do community service of three hours for one day. He also did not give them an option of fine.

Imafidon further sentenced the six other traders, who displayed their wares on a walkway, to community service of three hours per day for three days or pay a fine N3,000 each.

The community service includes clearing drains, picking trash, compulsory community sensitization and grass cutting.

The Chief Magistrate pointed out that doing community service was in tune with non-custodian sentence.

- PM NEWS

Report: UK to cut aid to Nigeria by 58 percent

 

The United Kingdom is considering major cuts in aid facilities to at least eight countries, including Nigeria, according to reports in the British media.

Open Democracy, a UK-based political website, on Friday reported leaked emails from the accounts of government officials as confirming the development.

The cuts were reportedly discussed by senior officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in February.

The report revealed that Nigeria is set to see a 58 percent cut in aid.

Others reportedly affected are Libya (63 percent between 2021 and 2022); Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (60 percent); Sudan (£110 million to £45 million); and the Western Balkans (50 percent).

TheCable understands that already, the Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reform in Nigeria (FOSTER), which supported reform in the petroleum industry, is to be abruptly ended with effect from March 31.

The project was funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID) — now renamed Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office after merger with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) — and managed by the Oxford Policy Management (OPM).

The FCDO supports maternal and infant health, sanitation, hygiene, water and education in Nigeria.

It is not yet clear which sectors will be affected.

In a letter dated December 2, 2020, and addressed to Sarah Champion, chair of the International Development Committee, House of Commons, Dominic Raab, UK foreign secretary, had expressed regret that the figure would change from 2021, but that it would maintain the 0.7 percent on the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for 2020.

“This decision has been taken with real regret. The global pandemic has forced us to reduce our budget. However, our commitment to be a world-leading donor does not change. We will spend 0.7 per cent this year and it is our intention to return to this when the fiscal situation allows,” Raab wrote.

“Despite next year’s adjustment, and using the latest official figures from the OECD (from 2019), the UK will likely be the second most generous ODA spending country in the G7 as a percentage of our national income ( GNI) in 2021.”

The foreign secretary had also said the ODA would focus its spending on “countries where the UK’s development, security and economic interests align, such as sub-Saharan Africa and the Indo-Pacific region”.

- THECABLE

Nigeria records 371 fresh COVID-19 cases, more deaths

 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has confirmed 371 fresh cases of the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country so far to 158,042.

The health agency made the announcement last night via a tweet on it’s verified Twitter handle.

According to the new figure obtained by DAILY POST, three persons died of the virus’ complication in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities, to 1,954.

The tweet reads: “371 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;

Lagos-101
Rivers-54
Anambra-31
Ebonyi-23
Imo-23
Kwara-22
Kano-20
Taraba-17
Akwa Ibom-16
FCT-15
Abia-13
Kaduna-13
Osun-5
Edo-4
Oyo-4
Kebbi-3
Ogun-3
Ekiti-2
Nasarawa-1
Zamfara-1

158,042 confirmed
137,025 discharged
1,954 deaths

Today’s report includes:

“204 community recoveries in Kwara State, 167 in Lagos State, 88 in Edo State and 60 in Osun State managed in line with guidelines.

Meanwhile, Nigerians are set to watch President Muhammadu Buhari, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and other top government officials taking the COVID-19 vaccines on live television today.

- DAILY POST

FG budgets N10.6bn for transportation of COVID-19 vaccines across Nigeria

 

The federal government has budgeted N10.6 billion for the transportation of COVID-19 vaccines to the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory.

According to a document seen by PUNCH, a total of N12.7 billion was budgeted as cost of transportation for the vaccine, procurement of PPE and AEFI kits.

In the document containing the budget details, Kano state has the highest budgetary allocation with N685.4million, while Lagos state, the epicenter of the pandemic, earmarked N558.6million for the transportation of the vaccine.

Bayelsa state has the lowest budgetary allocation for transportation with N121 million.

The budget was presented to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) alongside representatives of the federal ministry of health, on Thursday, in a meeting.

On Friday, Nigeria commenced its COVID-19 vaccination with doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which was first administered to health workers in Abuja.

The vaccination has been divided into phases. One of the phases includes the distribution of the vaccines to states that have met the requirements of storage and facilities.

As a result, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), which is the agency responsible for vaccines distribution strategy, budgeted N1.4billion for procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) while N373m was set aside for adverse events following immunisation kits (AEFI kits).

However, the NGF appealed to the federal government to support the logistics and inoculation activities to states.

“Following extensive discussions on the vaccine administration, governors called on the Federal Government to take necessary steps to support logistics and inoculation activities in states and resolved to take the following actions to ensure a smooth vaccine roll-out exercise across the country,” Kayode Fayemi, chairman of NGF, noted in a communique.

- THECABLE

End SARS: Killing of my father by police made me school dropout – Petitioner

 

A petitioner, Olusegun Olaosebikan told the Osun Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations and Related Extra Judicial Killings at its resumed sitting on Friday that the killing of his father made him to become a school dropout.

Olaosebikan, who approached the panel to seek justice for the murder of his father, said the killing also rendered the family wretched as tangible and intangible properties of the deceased were disposed of to take care of his hospital and other bills following the gunshots he received from a police officer.

Narrating his ordeal, Olaosebikan said his late father was shot by the police on January 1st, 2001 when he and the deceased were returning from crossover prayer night to herald the New Year.

The petitioner in his petition said the deceased who was the breadwinner of the family was gruesomely killed by overzealous officers who were on patrol in Iwo.

He said the incident had wreaked havoc on the family as the entire property and personal belongings of the deceased were disposed of to save his life before he unfortunately finally died.

Olaosebikan said he was forced to drop out of school when he could not afford the tuition fees anymore.

“I had to drop out of school when I couldn’t afford to pay the tuition fees. I was studying statistics at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, before the incident occurred.

“On that fateful day, my daddy and I were returning from the worship centre where we went to pray to herald the New Year when some police officers drove across our path and started shooting.

“It was in the process that my father was shot on the head. We rushed him to the hospital in Iwo before he was transferred to Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, where he spent six months.

“On that fateful day, there were five police officers in the patrol vehicle, but the only one I could identify was Olalekan Jimoh, who was not produced to face the law.

“Unfortunately, all efforts to keep the deceased alive and save him proved abortive as he died after six years of excruciating agonies.

“The incident made me dropped out of school when I couldn’t afford to pay the tuition fees. Not only that, I was unable to stay at school because of his serious sickness and we had to sell virtually all his belongings, including landed property and farm lands to save his life before he finally gave up the ghost.

“Though we took the matter to Iwo High Court in 2002, we were forced to withdraw the case when there was a palpable ‘threat to life’ by some top police officers.

“We are here after 20 years to re-present the case in line with the government’s directive to forward any petition on police brutality.

“I am appealing to the panel to grant all my prayers to fish out the killers and order adequate compensation to the tune of N100million”, he added.

Ruling in the case, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Akin Oladimeji (rtd.), ordered the presentation of final addresses by the two parties and adjourned the case to March 19th, 2021 for the adoption of the said addresses.

The panel, after legal arguments by the both counsel to determine whether or not it had the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the petition filed by Mr. Mustapha Muideen and two others whose petitions premised on the gruesome killing of eight out of ten occupants of the commercial bus that was attacked, robbed and burnt by police officers in Kogi State few years ago, adopted the final address presented by the petitioners’ counsel.

The panel also adopted the final address filed by Mr. Wasiu Jimoh against Osun State Commissioner of Police, while cases filed by Mr. Adeola Paul Sunday; Mrs Kafayat Ibitoye and 1OR; and Mr. Kehinde Ajibola all against Osun State Commissioner of Police were also heard by the panel.

- DAILY POST

Fulani herdsmen back in Ibarapa Oyo state destroying farms

 

 

Herdsmen have returned to Ibarapaland in Oyo State, putting farmers in despair as they grazed their cattle on their farms.

Ibarapaland was the scene of an ethnic flare-up between Yoruba and Fulani herdsmen in January, leading to the intervention of Yoruba activist Sunday Igboho.

The Fulani chief was evicted in Igangan and herdsmen left in droves, causing a national uproar.

But it appears, no lesson has been learnt by the herdsmen, according to a report by Saturday Punch.

The report, quoting farmers, said herdsmen have not only returned to the area, but also resumed destruction of farms.

They have also threatened to attack farmers when challenged.

The Chairman of Real Farmers Association of Nigeria, Igangan branch, Mr. Abiodun Adegoke, spoke of several incidents at Olukosi and Asunnara villages, in which herdsmen invaded farms, sometimes at night.

Adegoke said complaints had been lodged at police stations and wondered why the herdsmen have returned to ‘their wicked ways.

- PM NEWS