National President of Ebonyi Youth Assembly, Comrade Chinedu Ogah has dismissed the call by an official of Campaign for Democracy (CD) that the name of Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi should be removed from the list of eminent Nigerians to receive this year’s National honours.
He said the call was dripping with political motives and therefore should be discountenanced by President Goodluck Jonathan. He said in a statement that Elechi had committed no offence; to deserve a deletion of his name from the honours’ list.
The South East zone chairman of CD, Mr Dede Uzor had at a news conference in Onitsha, Anambra State on Wednesday called on President Goodluck Jonathan to delete Elechi’s name from the list of eminent Nigerians chosen for National honours.
He based his call on a recent publication which alleged that the Governor and his deputy, Chief Dave Umahi had committed some financial misdeeds that deserve investigation by anti-graft agencies.
Insisting that there was no merit in Uzor’s claims, Ogah argued that the allegations being referred to were what the opposition in the state has been rehearsing in the last five years.
He said “We, the Ebonyi Youth Assembly would have supported this call if there was any truth in the allegations on which the call was anchored on”.
He continued, “We have heard this several times from the opposition in the past five years but each time these people who are making these allegations are asked to substantiate their claims they will dissolve into thin air”.
The youth leader stressed that it was ironical that the same Elechi several people and bodies including civil society groups had praised for his prudence in the management of the state’s resources was being accused by a CD official of fleecing the state.
He said “I am taken aback by this accusation because Elechi more than any other governor in this country is praised lavishly by all and sundry for his prudence and discipline in the management and application of the state’s resources”.
He stressed “this is why I believe that the call for the governor’s name to be expunged from the honours’ list is clearly political. We know it is coming from the opposition quarters “.
The Youth Assembly President described Elechi as one of the leaders who fought for the creation of Ebonyi State, and who has continued to work for the development of the state. “Elechi was honoured several years ago by the Federal Government on account of what he had done for his people and Nigeria generally”, he said.
He reiterated the need for President Jonathan to ignore the call by CD official, saying it was not sincere. He said “this advice from the CD chairman in the South East is fraught with lies and should be ignored”.
Staffers of Dom Communications, publishers of Nigerian Pilot wore gloomy faces today, weeping uncontrollably after the news broke that James Momoh, secretary of their Editor was knocked down by the convoy of the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Wednesday night.
The incident occurred at Mabushi junction in Abuja at about 8.00pm, while the deceased was returning from work.
Eye witnesses said the late Momoh was taken to the NNPC hospital by the car that knocked him down. He gave up the ghost on the way to the hospital.
His corpse has since been deposited in the mortuary.
The late Momoh, born on May 30, 1978 hailed from Ajaokuta in Kogi State. His colleagues who spoke to NaijaLeaks described him as gentle, easy-going and hardworking.
Meanwhile the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council, has expressed sadness over the death of Mr. James Momoh of Abuja based Pilot Newspapers.
In a statement by the Chairman of Council, Comrade Chuks Ehirim, described the death of Momoh, a production staff with the newspaper, as avoidable and unfortunate.
According to Ehirim, the tragic death of Momoh brings to fore the recklessness of government convoys and their absolute disregard for traffic rules and other road users.
The NUJ FCT chairman lamented that the minister has not demonstrated any concern and human feeling for the deceased by reaching out to his relatives. He said she was rather more bothered about protecting her image.
Ehirim warned that the union will not fold its arms and watch government officials treat human lives with levity and called for proper investigation into the matter as well as proper compensation for the bereaved family.
The First Bank Nigeria of Plc has earned plaudit for the Enugu state government for its continued support for government programmes and project.
The commendation was made by the state Governor, Barr. Sullivan Chime during the presentation of a cheque of N40 million to the state government by the management of the Bank to support the organization and hosting of the festival.
Governor Chime who was represented by the Deputy Governor Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, further noted that the first Bank has in the past lived up to their corporate social responsibilities and called on other corporate organizations operating in the state to emulate the First Bank’s gestures.
He stated that among other things, the state government has provided enormous facilities such as roads and other physical infrastructures capable of attracting tourists, and potential investors to the state.
Summing up, governor chime state that our culture has been neglected in the past, adding that efforts were being made from the state government to revive our rich culture and called on all and sundry to make effort towards resuscitation of our cultural heritage.
The governor said that the 2011 cultural festival was a success but with the support of the First Bank Nigeria PIc, the 2012 fiesta will be improved for the better.
He said that the state government would continue to partner with First Bank Nigeria PIc and other corporate organization to provide enabling environment for them to operate in the state.
Presenting the cheque of N40 million as well as felicitations on behalf of the management of the Bank, the Group Head Public Sector, South East, Mrs. Nwanneka Okolo, expressed pleasure to identity with Enugu state government on the 2012 cultural fiesta.
Mrs. Okolo noted that the Bank had shown interests in promoting Arts and Culture, in parts of the country pointing out that the Bank, once brought Umu Oja cultural Dance Troupe from South Africa and Co-sponsored the Cross River Arts Fiesta.
She used the occasion to restate the readiness of the Management of the Bank to continue to promote the rich cultural heritage of in the country as means of festering national unity and development.
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Rivers State has accused the Rivers State Government of lying for saying that it had created 13,000 jobs for the inhabitants of the state.
The ACN was reacting to a report credited to Sir Tony Okocha, Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, who while receiving members of Ikwerre Development Association (IDA) who paid him a courtesy visit in his office, disclosed that the Rivers State Government has created 13,000 jobs for indigenes and non-indigenes through the various agricultural schemes in the state.
Jerry Needam, the party’s Publicity Secretary, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt said no such jobs exist, except in the imagination of government officials.
If however, government insists it created 13,000 jobs, ACN challenges it to use statistics to prove it by publishing the names of beneficiaries, when they were employed and the various government departments they were absorbed.
According to the party, Rivers University graduates and those that passed out from other educational institutions are still largely unemployed.
If these army of educated people are jobless, who then benefited from the Rivers State 13,000 jobs?, ACN queried.
ACN said the government may have been emboldened to make the statement by the recent teaching vacancies which it advertised and which government officials capitalized upon to extort money from unsuspecting unemployed people.
Up till now, the result of the interview which they attended in their desperate bid to obtain the teaching jobs has not been announced, ACN lamented, and advised the Rivers State Government to stop deceiving the people, of the state who it said are now wise.
History was made on August 30, 2012 when President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the production of oil at the Orient Petroleum Resources (OPR) Plc’s Anambra River production facility, at Aguleri Otu in Anambra state, thereby launched Anambra state into the elite club of the nation’s oil producing states.
The company, according to its Managing Director, Chief Emeka Nwawka, an engineer, is currently stock-piling the extracted crude in large barges at Nsugbe-Umuleri site of its refinery in Anambra East council of the state, ahead of the coming on full stream of the refinery in a few months time.
The Chief Executive also confirmed that two meetings had been held with the representatives of the Enugu state Government on June 21, 2012 and July 31, 2012, attended by the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Patrick Okolo(represented by his Permanent Secretary, Mr Eze O. Eze), the Attorney General, Chief Anthony Ani and the chairman of the Uzo-Uwani LGA Chief Cornell Onwubuya on one part and the company on the other. At these meetings, “issues raised by some negative rumours and commentaries over the location of the oil well being produced by OPR and the area of 2158 km2 covered by OPR’s operations were resolved to the satisfaction of the Enugu state representatives. The Enugu Attorney General, Chief Ani at the end of the second meeting in July, expressed satisfaction that no further clarification was required from OPR.
Nwawka stated that the two oil blocks, OPL-915 and 916, covering an area of 2158km2, extend a little into Edo, Delta and Enugu states, while the bulk is in Anambra state.
The Federal Government had granted the oil blocks to the company in 2002, from when after studying and analyzing the seismic data thereto, they decided to proceed with its full development. The actual oil drilling process which commenced few months ago began with their re-entry of the Anambra River 1 well in OPL-915,which had first been drilled about 45 years ago by the SAFRAP(which later became Elf , and later again to Total Plc)
The detailed engineering, sourcing of the modules, site acquisition, perimeter and topographical surveys amongst other surveys as well as site civil engineering works of the refinery have been completed, according to the OPR boss.
The Managing Director also confirmed that the installation of the modules have been planned in two phases. That while the Phase One with a 20,000bpd capacity would be ready next year(2013), when it’s expected that the whole project whose journey began in 2002 would have gulped more than Two hundred and fifty million dollars ($250m). The Phase two with 35,000 bpd capacity would be ready the following year in 2014. It was therefore expected that when fully completed to installed output capacity of 55,000bpd in 2014 it would have taken about $600m.
Nwawka stated that with the commencement and the anticipated enhanced cash flow from the initial module, the company would be able to invest in the second module without recourse to additional borrowing.
Orient Petroleum Resources Plc, with the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyoku as its chairman remains a privately owned venture set up in 2001. Its shareholding base extended very widely to all parts of the country. They include some respectable Nigerians, the 21 Local Government councils of Anambra state, and some state governments like Rivers and Anambra amongst others who are minority shareholders.
The license to construct a refinery was granted by the FG in 2002 and with due operational diligence OPR secured the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate in 2005. Thus became the first to be so certified in the country’s oil sector.
He pointed out that both the Enugu and Kogi state governments are still considering investing in the company. He confirmed that investment in the company remains open through private placement and that OPR has more than 3000 shareholders in its books.
According to him, Orient is just a purely Nigerian company doing business in Anambra and other states of the nation.
While confirming that Orient is still searching for and prospecting oil within Enugu and Kogi states as embodied in their OPL 915 and 916 oil blocs with the mind to go to any such location/s to drill, irrespective off the number of locations.
Reacting to the storm of controversies presently coming from Kogi and Enugu states over the new success story of Orient (OPR), the Anambra state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike waved the reported comments from some citizens of the two states as non-issue. According to him, as far as the Anambra state government is concerned none of those comments exist because they are neither official nor from their state governments, irrespective of the persons talking.
He pointed out that the project was initiated by the administration of the former Gov Chinwoke Mbadinuju (1999-2003), driven by his Commissioner for Special Duties then, late Chief Mrs Uzo Obi-Okoli in 2001. She organized an international Investors’ Forum in September, 2001 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
Uzodike confirmed that the administration of Dr Chris Ngige followed up on the project by investing One Hundred million (N100m) on behalf of the state. The incumbent administration of Obi went a lot further by investing a whopping Four Billion, four Hundred million naira (N4.4bn) also. He admitted that no one invests that kind of money outside his area. When the company floated its shares on the stock market it sold for N100, 000 each, applicable in multiples of ten.
He emphasized that “Aguleri-Out location of the oil well marked as OPL-915 on the oil bloc seismic map granted to the Orient Petroleum Resources Plc by the FG is in Anambra East council of the state. It is not in any dispute. That was the exact location Mr President’s helicopter landed on August 30.
There were no Delta, Edo, Kogi or Enugu people there because it was far away from their villages. The boundaries were clear. It’s apparent that all the commentators were paid rabble rousers and trouble makers who want to make issues out of nothing.
Also, yesterday Gov Obi made a broadcast on the raging controversy where he highlighted the government’s position which was in consonance with the position of Orient. He cautioned every one to guard their utterances for the sake of peace and good neighbourliness.
Anambra state citizens wondered why Kogi and Enugu state governments appear to be sponsoring crusade of calumny against the project. Or why they refused to write the Directorate of Petroleum Resources, the Minister of and the Ministry of Petroleum on the issues instead of merely stoking crises with inflammatory comments from their homes and hamlets. More so how com none of the two state governments bothered to invest in something they want the world to be so dear to their hearts whereas others from far away staked their millions and they now sit outside to claim on empty grounds.
They also wondered why none of the commentators deemed it necessary to formally write the National Boundaries Commission and or the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation for copy of the boundary map, and if they did, why did have they not availed their audience the situation. Both offices have records of the boundaries.
A straw poll of people in more than 30 countries shows U.S. President Barack Obama would win by a landslide if they were allowed to vote in the U.S. election.
The poll conducted for United Press International by CVOTER International/WIN-Gallup International found the strongest support for Obama in Iceland, Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Ireland while Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s highest support was found in Israel, Pakistan, Georgia, Macedonia and China.
The poll queried more than 26,000 men and women outside the United States. Sixty-three percent of those queried said the U.S. president has a high or very high impact on their lives while 29 percent discounted the impact and 9 percent said they were uncertain or didn’t know.
Asked if they would like to vote in the United States, 42 percent said yes, with the percentage rising to 46 percent among those less than 30 years of age.
If U.S. elections were a global affair, 63 percent said they would vote and 81 percent said they would support Obama, compared to 19 percent for Romney. Among U.S. voters, the two candidates are separated by only 3-5 percentage points, recent polls have indicated, giving Obama the edge.
“In 29 of the 32 countries polled, Obama’s rating for policies and competence is 55 percent and above, the lowest figure being in Pakistan,” the pollsters said. “In seven countries, the approval for his policies and competence is in the 90s, and in another nine it is in the 80s.”
Obama’s support was highest in Iceland (98 percent); Netherlands, Portugal, Germany (97 percent); Ireland, Denmark (96 percent); Switzerland, France, Finland (95 percent); Italy and Turkey (94 percent); Brazil (93 percent); Romania, Saudi Arabia (91 percent) and Australia (90 percent).
“Surprisingly, support for Romney fails to match Obama’s everywhere except Israel. The most notable is Pakistan, where despite Obama’s controversial handling of AfPak [Afghanistan and Pakistan] that has nosedived ties with Islamabad and where an overwhelming majority of citizens increasingly identify America as an archenemy, Obama leads 59 percent to 41 percent among those who would vote — although the actual numbers are 13 percent to 9 percent in Obama’s favor, as a majority of Pakistanis say either they don’t know or they would choose neither,” pollsters noted.
Romney garnered the most support in Israel (65 percent), Pakistan (41 percent), Georgia (36 percent), Macedonia (30 percent), China (29 percent), Lebanon (26 percent), Iraq (20 percent), India (19 percent), Colombia (16 percent), Hong Kong (15 percent) and Cameroon (15 percent).
The poll, conducted among most of the Group of 20 nations and others in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, Aug. 20-Sept. 5, had an error rate of 3.5 percentage points and a confidence level of 95 percent.
In Nigeria, like other countries of the World, from time to time, there must be one issue or the other making the news and heating up the polity. Today it is the stubborn decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to print or mint N5000 currency note and this has been approved by the President and later rubber-stamped (could they have done otherwise?) by the Nigeria Economic Management Team (NEMT). So why should other small Nigerians like me talk about what Mr. President had approved? I just want to exercise my right to express my feelings on an issue I believe will affect my life negatively beginning from 1st January 2013 when the N5000 note will be put into circulation. Because currency must be printed, to me, this cost should be seen as given or sunk cost and therefore is not important in the decision to print or not. But what is important is how printing higher denomination note will affect the economics of Nigerians. Again, is it a priority to print N5000 note when Nigeria currently has eleven denominations (the first three are in coins and the rest in paper notes)? We also need to look at what other things needed to be done by the CBN that could have added positive value to the well-being of Nigerians instead of printing N5000 note.
The first most important issue to resolve here is whether or not raising Naira denomination to N5000 will lead to inflation, thereby eroding the purchasing power of the Naira. As a layman in Economics, let me assume that as at 31st December 2012, the total money in circulation (M1, others held constant) will be N4 billion made up of basically all the existing Naira denominations of 50k, N1, N2, N5, N10, N20, N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1000. Now on 1st January 2013, the CBN rolls out the N5000 notes into circulation in addition to the existing N5, N10, N20, N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1000 notes. The question is: will the amount of money in circulation still be N4 billion on 31st January 2013? The answer is no. The money in circulation will be N4 billion minus (50k + N1+N2 that will be phased out) + N5000 newly printed note. This clearly shows that money in circulation will surely increase. But will there be a corresponding increase in the quantity of goods to be bought at this point in time; the simple answer is no because nothing new was done to increase production. So Nigeria will have a situation where higher volume of money interacting with lower quantity of goods; the result will be that the prices of the goods will become higher than they were before the printing of N5000 note. Is this not an inflationary situation? Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (CBN governor), Atedo Peterside, Shamsudeen Usman, Aliko Dangote, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Aig-Imoukhuede should answer this layman’s question.
In Nigeria we have a habit of unilaterally raising the prices of what we sell to higher currency denominations, without increase in quantity. That is why the idea of coins in Nigeria will not work as long as there are higher denominations. For example, today in Nigeria, the 50k, N1 and N2 coins have long been neglected because sellers quickly raised the prices of their goods to match with the new higher denominations Obasanjo introduced (whether this made him a bad or good Economist, I do not know). Hence, nothing sells for 50k, N1, N2 and so these coins do not have any purchasing value. In his new proposal, the all-knowing Sanusi will convert N5, N10 and N20 into coins. What happened to 50k, N1 and N2 coins will happen to them and they will become useless. This type of Economics may not be orthodox, but it is Nigerian and it is a fact.
Should the size of an economy determine its currency denominations? As at July 2012, the United States of America’s export volume for 2012 was 183.269 billion US dollars, while the United Kingdom recorded 41.396 billion pounds ( source: www.tradingeconomics.com). Their highest currency denominations are 100 dollars and 50 pounds respectively. Was it their respective volume that determined the highest denomination for each country? If the answer is yes, why then should their respective denominations not changed for higher ones knowing that volume increases have been consistent? Why were they not concerned about the issue of printing periodicity or time intervals of “5 to 8” years as noted by the CBN? The truth is that size of an economy may not be a determinant of currency denominations. If the answer is no, why should the omni-science Sanusi tell us that the size of the Nigerian economy dictates that higher denominations are needed? So, on both the size of the economy and periodicity, I think there are no universally agreed standards, each country does it the way it deems suitable.
Some Nigerians have also compared the face values of the Naira and other currency like the dollar and had recommended that since $100 is USA’s highest denomination, Nigeria’s should be N15, 000. Unfortunately they did not tell us why the US decided to have $100 as its highest denomination neither did they tell us the economic implications of having N15, 000 as Nigeria’s highest denomination. Will N15, 000 buy more goods or not? What will be its implication on foreign exchange? May be it is just to satisfy Nigeria’s zombie nature of imitating what should not even be imitated in the first place. Fela said so!
About convenience, it is not that Nigerians hate to carry coins (after all when they go to the UK or USA they gladly carry coins). It is also not in the main a rounding up issue, it is that coins in Nigeria hardly have value, so who wants to carry what does not have value? Sanusi and the Economic Management Team should watch how many goods will sell for N20 when it becomes a coin? “Pure water”, sweets etc will all settle from N50 note upwards. For “pure water” or sweet to sell for N50 in the future, compared to N10 they sell today, is it not inflationary? Please Nigerian Oxford, Harvard trained Economists should help to explain to us whether this upward movement in price is not inflationary? On the long run, will Sanusi provide the needed resources and technical support producers of “pure water” may need to boost their output? If yes, what is he doing presently in that direction? After all, like my Ikwerre people will say, “ wowhusi weze nu ise ochi”. This means you can predict what a person will do in the future based on what he/she is doing today.
Still on convenience, with N5000 notes, I can carry five packets of 100 pieces each on me. That means moving about with N2.5 million and who said that the propensity to spend more will not be higher than carrying N50 notes of the same quantity? The truth is that I cannot carry about 500 packets of N50 compared to just 5 packets of N5000. The more money in my pocket the more I spend! Since there is no restriction on the amount I should spend per day, it will be inflationary to print N5000 notes that put more cash in my pocket to spend. This is anti-cashless regime.
I recall that N35 during my class one in secondary school ( that was in 1977 and having collected “saw-dust” from my mother) was able to purchase two to five tins of Geisha, three tins of peak milk, a packet of cabin biscuit, two packets of Omo detergent, one packet of sugar, one tin of small size bournvita-beverage, five tablets of lux or joy toilet soap, two tablets of sunlight or premier washing soap plus my transportation from Rumuakunde Emohua (my home town) to the then Government Secondary School Creek Road, Port Harcourt and I would still have cash balance left for use in school. As at today, I am sure N5000 cannot do that feat. So, which makes better economic sense: a lower denomination that can buy more goods for me or a N5000 note that can buy less? In this sense, using convenience as a factor for printing higher denominations of a currency cannot be based on economic sense.
Given the state of the Nigeria economy, is printing of N5000 note a priority? Why is the CBN not worried about the 23% unemployment rate in Nigeria? Will printing N5000 note assist Nigeria in reducing this rate? Will printing N5000 note increase productivity in Nigeria’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors? Nigeria’s inflation rate is 12.8% and official interest rate is 12%. How will the printing of N5000 note help to reduce these rates?
The all-knowing Sanusi and his supporters said that the N5000 note will not be used by everybody in Nigeria. Therefore it will be discriminatory. So, how will it support small scale businesses grow? If I were Sanusi, I will see to it that industries and factories spring up just like churches and mosques are springing up daily in almost all the streets in Nigeria. Sanusi should be more interested in productivity of Nigerians than printing of N5000 note that is backed by no additional output.
Why is Sanusi not worried that Nigeria imports over 80% of her petroleum products consumption; while she remains one of the highest producers of crude oil in the World? What kind of Economists does Nigeria have who think so un-seriously in rectifying the ills of the economy? Minus the wasting asset called crude oil, where is the productivity of 160 million people to back up the extra one packet of N5000 notes that will be released in January 2013? Assuming Sanusi prints 10,000 packets of 100 pieces each of N5000 notes, where are the goods it will buy in January 2013? Where is Dr. Pius Okigbo? Where is Prof Sam Aluko? Nigeria is in deep economic trouble!
How will the printing of N5000 note discourage the high level stealing in government as epitomized by Chief James Onanefe Ibori who is currently languishing in jail in the UK? If he were to be in Nigeria today, he may have been a free man controlling the levers of government and who knows, become the CBN governor. In Nigeria, everything, especially the absurd, is possible. The higher the denominations, the more attractive to steal public funds.
In about 2009, Sanusi reprinted the N10, N20 and N50 notes and made them look like a polythene paper. My mother called them “iwai waterprufu”. In Ikwerre where I come from, money is called “iwai” and “waterprufu” means a material that is not water permeable. She was trying to describe the notes as looking like polythene papers. But what economic value did that exercise add to the Economics of Nigeria? In real terms, should Sanusi not do a research and show Nigerians the economic, social and political gains the country has been enjoying for printing “ iwai waterprufu”? In Harvard where they all schooled, is this not a relevant question?
Again, Sanusi should try as much as possible not to mislead Mr. President. Why rushing to Mr. President to approve an action before letting Nigerians know about it? Even his colleagues in government were hand-tied from truly expressing their minds because Mr. President had already approved it. Yet Sanusi knows that Nigeria operates a democratic system of government? As such one would have expected him to first of all mention the idea to Mr. President and seek his approval in principle to let Nigerians have the matter thoroughly debated. After the debate, the matter is taken to the relevant government economic agencies for further discussion and articulation. Thereafter he would present the result to the Federal Executive Council (FEC). At FEC, members are allowed to freely express themselves on the issue. The position of the FEC is the major consideration for Mr. President’s approval; not Sanusi’s one-man-show to the Villa. Once the President approves, Sanusi can thereafter implement Mr. President’s approval. Nigeria is a democracy!
Given all these questions and lapses, I advise Mr. President to withdraw his earlier approval given to Sanusi. Withdrawing it is never a sign of weakness; rather it makes better sense to do so especially in the interest of integrity and public value. Otherwise, Sanusi should quickly print and give Nigerians N50, 000; N100, 000; N200, 000; N500, 000 and N1, 000,000 currency notes because it is cheaper and more convenient to do so. Q. E .D.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has set the agenda for his second term in office saying his administration will concentrate on expanding the economy of the state by increasing the GDP and creating wealth.
Speaking during the visit of the management team of the Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), led by its Executive Director, Dr Omoefe Asemota to him in his office, yesterday, the Governor said this would be done in addition to the ongoing infrastructural development and urban renewal programme in the state.
He said: “In this second term, it is clear to me that we have to sustain what we are already doing but also focus on expanding the economy of the state, increasing the Gross Domestic Product and creating wealth.”
According to him, “to get full value of the rural roads we have constructed, agriculture must be taken seriously and I have directed the Commissioner for Agriculture that we have to be more active.”
While noting that the state government is ready to collaborate with NIFOR, Comrade Oshiomhole disclosed that every institution in the state is part of the corporate citizen in the state.
“We are happy to oblige farmers land to farm. The Dangote group has indicated interest to invest about a billion Naira investment in oil palm in the state when land is provided and we are working to keep the people busy by planting cassava not only for domestic consumption but for also for export,” he noted
The Executive Director, NIFOR, Dr. Asemota commended the efforts of the state governor at repositioning the state within the last four years, especially in the area of agriculture, and promised to collaborate with the state government in the sector.
He urged the state government to establish a 50,000-hectare oil palm belt which could be expanded saying this would encourage investors into the oil palm sector in the state and further create jobs.
An appeal has gone to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chief of Army General Azubuike Ihejirika and other well meaning Nigerians to intervene and secure the release of their son Felix Okoye who is being detained by the General Officer Commanding [GOC] 81 division of the Nigerian Army in Lagos.
This appeal was made In Benin on Thursday by Okoye’s aged father Nwakasi Okoye who said his son Felix Okoye had an accident with the GOC 81 division of the Nigeria Army in Lagos.
Narrating what happened Pa Nwakasi Okoye, 80 years old said ‘the accident happened on Friday 7th September 2012 at Tin Can Island, Lagos at about 5pm when his truck Man Diesel accidentally hit the GOC 81 division, Lagos Major General Kenneth Minimah’s car Chrysler 300 tokunbo car, the car had not been registered when the accident happened.’
He said the infuriated General then took Okoye to the Dodan Barracks, Obalende Military guard room when the GOC ordered his detention since Friday without feeding him, he has been feeding himself since then.
He said his son had been denied access to his wife and family members since the date of the accident, his handset seized.
He said even when the driver promised he was ready to repair the General’s car but the GOC was not ready to listen to his plea but insisted ‘the bastard’ will rotten in detention. ‘This is a civil matter not military in nature, it is also illegal to detain a civilian in a military facility, this type of officer is denting the image of the Nigeria Army and the transformation agenda of the Chief of Army.’
He said all entreaties to make the General see reason and release the poor driver to come home to take care of his aged father and sick wife has so far fallen on deaf ears.
An attempt to reach the GOC 81 Div or the Army PRO was unsuccessful.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Thursday in Abuja reaffirmed his confidence in Nigeria’s ability to overcome its present challenges and emerge as a very strong, united, stable and economically-progressive nation.
Speaking at a farewell audience with the outgoing Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Stefan Scholz, President Jonathan said that his administration was steadfastly evolving and implementing policies and measures to tackle the country’s current developmental challenges, including those related to national security and power supply.
The President told Dr. Scholz that some of the positive effects of the policies, measures and actions being implemented by the Federal Government will become increasingly apparent in coming months.
President Jonathan commended the outgoing Ambassador for his efforts to improve bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Austria, noting that trade and economic relations between both countries had improved significantly during his tenure. “You have done wonderfully well and we are quite pleased with what you have achieved here,” he told Dr. Scholz.
Dr. Scholz described his tenure in Nigeria as a great “honour, privilege and opportunity” to get new perspectives on development.
He praised the Federal Government’s Agenda for National Transformation and pledged that Austria will continue to give Nigeria all possible support and assistance towards its successfully implementation.
