₦airaland Forum

“Then for you to create a ranch, the environmental impact assessment must be done on the areas earmarked for the ranch, and it must not take a minimum of two to three seasons. That’s to say you must do studies during the wet season, do studies during the dry season and then repeat it so that you compare before you can say this place is suitable for a ranch.

By Joseph Erunke ABUJA—THE Fulani in Nigeria have said they will not accept cattle ranching because the country’s geographical location was not suitable for it.

Besides, the Fulani said the species of cows they had, as subsistence livestock farmers, were not good for ranching in the country, saying they could only be confined to ranching if their livestock were replaced with breeds suitable for it.

This was even as they said the anti-open grazing laws being established by state governments would die a natural death like ‘political sharia law’ in Zamfara.

According to them, the laws are being used as campaigns by some people to win votes in 2019 elections.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, through their socio-cultural association under the aegis of Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore, the Fulani insisted that events in history showed that ranching was not practicable in Nigeria and to this end, urged the Federal Government to immediately stop state governments from enacting anti-open grazing laws.

National Secretary of Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Alhassan, who read the association’s prepared speech to newsmen at the event, called on the Federal Government to stop state governments, especially Benue and Taraba states, from going ahead with implementing the laws.

He said: “The whole experiment of ranching in Nigeria is a total failure, you can google it, it’s there on the Internet for everyone to see.

“ Right from the 70s,the old Gongola State had experimented ranching, the same with Kaduna State and even the old Plateau State. All the ranches collapsed because the geographical location of this country is not suitable for ranching.

“In places where there are successful ranching in the world, the volume of rain per annum in those areas is at least four to seven months, that’s why you have grasses that can naturally be sustained.

“At the same time, you must have the necessary breeds that will support even ranching.

The current breeds we have in this country cannot be supported by ranching. “Anywhere you keep these volume of cows we have now, for two weeks, they will eat out everything and you will have ecological disaster, “he said.

Alhassan said the purpose of the briefing, coming barely a week after the previous one, was to further reassert the position of the Fulani on the anti-grazing laws enacted by state governors and their opposition to it.

He said:  “ We view the anti-grazing law as an agenda to destroy our means of livelihood by visionless and desperate politicians.

“Anti-grazing laws are nothing but populist agenda   designed by visionless and desperate politicians to destroy our means of livelihood.

“This dangerous gambit must be nib in the bud by the federal government through the security agencies as it portends great danger to the cooperate existence of the country.

“These laws are oppressive and negative and are fundamentally against our culture as Fulani pastoralists,   against our economic interest and   against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

[color=royalblue]“It is important to note that inter-state movement of pastoralists is similar to inter-state commerce and it is only the National Assembly that can legislate on that aspect as captured in item 62 of the exclusive legislative list. So no state governor can decide to stop movement of pastoralists because that is their own form of commerce. So, they have gone against the constitution. [/color]

“The laws do not take into cognisance our sociology, our economic interest, our production patterns, climate variations and factors that pushed pastoralists into these migrations. These migrations are not picnics, they are detected by ecological needs.

“It is a common knowledge that the primitive form of agriculture practiced in Benue and Taraba states and indeed all over the country, is not consonant with global best practices. “

So why singling out the pastoralists and insist that they must ranch which is the global best practice? That’s out argument.

“If the whole agricultural policy, the whole development of agriculture in Nigeria is still at this primitive stage, you cannot single out the herders who are also farmers that they must practice global best practice, it’s not possible.”

Alhassan insisted that Benue State government breached the constitution by stopping open grazing, given that the River Benue Basin, its tributaries and lakes were under the control of the federal government. “Again, very fundamentally,the River Benue and the tributaries and also the international routes and roads that pass through Benue don’t belong to Benue State Government, they belong to the Federal Government.

Benue State Government has no jurisdiction over River Benue, its tributaries, the lakes, the river basins, they are all federal government’s. So how do you now start to legislate to   say ‘you are going to stop access to those natural resources?’

“Between January and and early May,is when pastoralists move to the river basins because that is the peak of dry season and most of the rivers pastoralists use to water their animals dried up and they now move towards the River Benue.

“So designing a policy that will exclude the herders completely is wrong, what they should have done is to have restricted areas for the herders and then give them access to grazing corridors and watering points during those peak periods of dry season.

“As cultivation comes up during the rainy season, these people naturally migrate northwest. So, it’s detected by climatic changes. That’s why we are saying it’s not possible, the law will not work because it’s not well thought out.

“Then for you to create a ranch, the environmental impact assessment must be done on the areas earmarked for the ranch, and it must not take a minimum of two to three seasons. That’s to say you must do studies during the wet season, do studies during the dry season and then repeat it so that you compare before you can say this place is suitable for a ranch.

“So ranch is technologically driven, it’s capital intensive and it’s not practicable for this kind of subsistence farmers we have, the livestock farmers are subsistence farmers. It’s just like saying nobody will cultivate his land if he doesn’t own a tractor, so how many people will go to farm? “

So, it’s not that we don’t want to respect law and order but when you make an impossible laws, then you are not creating peace. You are either deliberately attempting to provoke conflict for either political reasons or you are being hoodwinked and deceived by desperate political advisers just probably because they want to get money out of you, they make you create laws that will create conflict.”

The Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore scribe continued:”In particular, the Benue Valley which has been causing problem in land resources, we have issue of population and nature and pattern of settlement. It’s not just the herders that can be blamed for it.

“If you look at it typically, the Tiv people have the culture of nomadic farming, if they farm this year here, the next year they move to another location and their culture of reproduction is such a manner that it has made useless of land tenure system.

“ There’s   no Tiv farmer that will tell you that ‘we have a family land’   because of the fragmentation of the land, because of the number of children they have, they cannot inherit any parcel of land. So they now straddle along communities in the Benue Valley and neigbouring states’ lands belonging to other communities and fallow lands that pastoralists use for grazing, they will cultivate them in a very extensive primitive manner, occupying large hectares of land.

“If they cultivate here this year, the next year, they move to other places. That is why they have problem in Nasarawa border communities, they have problem in Taraba border communities. All those areas are extensively being cultivated, there is no mechanization any where, and there’s no modern farming. So, with the pressure on the land resource, if you want to address it, you cannot just single out the herders and say ‘they must be kept in one place without making any provisions for them.’”

According to him, the anti-open grazing laws were being targeted at Fulanis and their livestock.

“And these laws, if you look at them, they are targeted at the pastoralists because one, you have not provided any space for them and you ask them to go and buy land to create ranches when the context of the law you created, you have already poisoned the minds of the people that own the land, that you are creating this law because of the crisis that is in place. So who will allow anybody to have access to the land?

“So our point is that if the government is serious, they should make land available to us after all, the Land Use Act vests lands in the hands of state governors. So they should give us land so that we can practice our occupation.”

He said contrary to beliefs in some quarters land trespass has been the source of Fulani and farmers crisis in Benue, it was rather cattle rustling, youth unemployment and what he called rural banditory, wondering why there was pending cases of land trespass in any law court in the state.

“I challenge the Benue State Government to tell us how many court cases that have to do with trespass on land are before the courts in Benue? Or is it that they don’t have faith in the judiciary that they don’t take cases there?

“So, it’s not a question of trespass on land, that’s just the truth. I want people to understand that these conflicts we are having year in and year out, the major drivers are not on trespass on land. Rather,   the drivers are cattle rustling, rural banditory, youth unemployment and desperate politicians that want to create crisis so they can sustain themselves in power, “he added.

eaglebeliever:
You just made your calculations unnecessary complex by multiplying by 12 and later dividing by 12. Why didn't you just divide the N1 bilion by 400, 000 right away and arrive at N2,500/month ?

omohayek:
It is the primary means of doing so in most countries, so what exactly is the problem? Only in messed-up places like Nigeria do citizens expect "free" services from government without having to pay anything for delivery, a ridiculous expectation caused by decades of oil rents.

raker300:
Op said 1billion naira

Wch is around 300,000 dollars

Take note

By Boluwaji Obahopo

LOKOJA—Kogi State internally-generated revenue, IGR, has hit N1 billion monthly, Executive Chairman of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, KGIRS, Dr. Yakubu Oseni, has stated.

Oseni said this, yesterday in Lokoja, while speaking with members of the Correspondent Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Kogi State chapter, adding “before we took over, the state was generating N300 million monthly; but now we have hit one billion naira on the average, after blocking all the leakages.”

He said though the state governor gave the agency N3 billion monthly targets, but the recession in the country was one of the reasons the agency was yet to meet its target.

He, however, decried the nonchalant attitude of the citizen towards tax payment, saying only 400,000 persons, including both the state and local government workers, are paying tax; half of the figure, he said, were not consistent in their payment.

The Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Kabiru Adjoto, said on Wednesday that the federal character policy of the Federal Government was hindering national development.

Speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Benin, Mr. Adjoto said professionals and experienced individuals were being over-looked for reasons best known to the policymakers in the country.

“The federal character policy has led to the systematic collapse of the nation’s socio-economic and political environment,” he said.

The speaker said that professionalism should be given special consideration over federal character policy.

“We need to harness the abundant potential in this country by putting square pegs in the square holes,’’ Mr. Adjoto said.

According to him, the Edo Assembly is carrying out reforms to promote merit and encourage professionalism in the state.

(NAN)

The state of Osun has ranked second in human Capital on Nigeria’s first sub-national competitiveness index released by the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria.

Osun ranking in human capital

The report which was release early November by the council took two years of research into the factors that drive competitiveness in Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.

The research was funded by Ford Foundation and The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

The research covered more than 2,000 businesses, 8,000 households, 400 indicators and 4 pillars.

[color=royalblue]In Human Capital which covers education, migration, gender equality and health, Osun came second after Delta State whilst Enugu state took the third position, whilst Kebbi, Borno and Gombe took the last three positions respectively.[/color]

Osun ranking in human capital

The State of Osun has received several knocks after BudgIT, a socio-economic organisation released its State of the State 2016 report, stating Osun cannot meet its obligations due to its huge deductions for debt repayment from its Federal Allocation.

[color=royalblue]Though the state continue to pay it workforce in an arrangement that sees workers in levels 1-7 (67% of workforce) receive their full salary, whilst workers in grade level 8-12 (25% of workforce) receive 75% of their salaries and workers in grade level 13-17 (8% of workforce) receive 50% of their salaries. [/color]

Osun ranking in human capital

Meanwhile, the state government in its defense on the BudgIT report revealed the state invested heavily in human capital, saying independent reports from several credible local and international organisations has ranked Osun high in all the Human Development Index.

The commissioner for Information, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa reacting to the report on Sub-National Competitiveness Index revealed that, “this again has vindicated our government.

We borrowed funds for infrastructural and human capital development.

Osun ranking in human capital

“The ranking of Osun as Second in Human Capital amongst the 36 states in the Federation in the First Sub-National Competitiveness Index is an endorsement of our belief that investment in Education and other critical infrastructure can never be overemphasized.

“Again, I must appreciate our workers who have made this possible.

They have remained steadfast and continue to sacrifice for the future of Osun and its children yet unborn in the face of daunting challenge in meeting our monthly obligations.

“You can be rest assured that the state government will complete all the projects its embarked upon before the end of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administration”, the commissioner noted.

It can be recalled that Osun also maintained the 2nd position after Lagos in the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) recently released the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) for the year 2016. The report concludes that Osun has the least poverty outside Lagos.

Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to contest the presidential election in 2019 just as he has indicated interest for Ebonyi governorship election.

Photos:Buhari presides over Armed Forces Council meeting

The governor told State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, that Buhari was very qualified to seek a second term in office.

Umahi, a first term governor, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was at the Presidential Villa ahead of Buhari’s planned visit to Ebonyi, Anambra and Imo states.

“Well, any first term governor would want to go for second term and if what you wish yourself, you should be honest enough to wish another person the same.

“Since, Mr President is doing his first term and I am doing my first term, it’s my wish to re-contest and I will as well wish the president the same to re-contest,’’ he said.

On the President’s planned visit to Ebonyi, Umahi said the state was fully prepared for the visit.

He said: “We pleaded with Mr President for the visit and before then we have been preparing, we are fully prepared.’’

The governor revealed that several projects had been lined up for inauguration by the President during the visit.

According to the governor, the twin flyovers that is built across the African trans-atlantic road running from Enugu to Cameroun passing through Ebonyi State will be among the projects to be inaugurated by the president.

“We have quite a lot of projects that we have executed within the past two and the half years. “We have three twin flyovers that are built across the African trans-atlantic road running from Enugu to Cameroun passing through Ebonyi State.

“So we have to build three twin flyover to decongest traffic on that road, each of the twin flyover is 700 metre length.

“We have completed two and the third one is 80 per cent done, Mr President will commission the two.

“We also have a mall what we call Ebonyi mall that is modelled after the famous Dubai mall.’’

He stated that the president would lay a foundation stone for the mall during the visit.

Umahi expressed the hope that Buhari would inaugurate the Mall project when he returned to the state for re-election campaign in the next 12 months.

“Also we are building a tunnel that dovetails into a flyover that is parallel to the existing flyover, that particular junction that is called Akanu Ibiam junction.

“We want Mr President to lay the foundation stone and that flyover bridge will be named after Mr President and we are sure to finish that project in the next 12 months.

“Mr President will also come back, he will be commissioning it when he comes back for his campaigns.’’(NAN)

● Dickson inaugurates committee, says port to commence in 2020

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

The Nigerian Army Engineering Corps, has concluded the survey of the 15,000 hectares of land set aside for the construction of the Agge Deep Seaport located in Ekeremor local council , Bayelsa State.

Governor Seriake Dickson who made the disclosure yesterday while inaugurating a 14-member project implementation committee assured prospective investors that business activities at the port would kick off before 2020.

Dickson, who expressed satisfaction with the job done by the Nigerian Army on the site of the project, said the government intended to further engage them to survey another 15, 000 hectares for the development of the Agge Port City.

“All I want to see before the end of my tenure on the 14th of February, 2020, is that some commercial port-related activity should have started in that seaport. That is why it has become necessary to put this team together.

“Already a lot of work has been done. But going forward, it is the intention of the government to create a formal platform beyond this team either by way of a state corporation, which will be established by a bill that I intend to send to the State House of Assembly.

“Or, we get the Agge Seaport Development Company registered as a corporate entity that will run the actual management of the assets of that company”, the governor said.

He said he was hopeful that the federal government would fulfil its promise of granting all necessary licenses for the project, and assured the investing public of the security of their lives and investment in the area.

Dickson said the government has decided to work closely with all security agencies to build a Forward Operations Base (FOB) to provide a robust security presence in Agge.

Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, highlighted the benefits associated with the project to include stimulation of socio-economic activities in the state and pledged that the committee would do everything to actualise its mandate.

Members of the committee include government representatives as well as those of the Nigerian Army and Navy.

The Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, yesterday said the Nigerian army was presently involved in various researches towards evolving suitable local metals or steel that would be used in the manufacturing of general purpose machine-guns and other weapons for military use.

Buratai, represented by the GOC, 6 Division, Maj.-Gen. Enobong Okon, stated this at the ongoing 33rd conference of the Nigerian Metallurgical Society (NMS) at the Petroleum Training Institute Conference Centre in Effurun, near Warri, Delta State.

He said: “The Nigerian Army Institute of Technology, the Nigerian Army engineers and research units have made invariable contributions in researches leading to the production of general purpose machine-guns using local metal materials.”

The army chief, who stated that this was one of the new innovations of the Nigerian army in line with its technological advancement projections, said the army would collaborate and synergise with the NMS and other stakeholders to produce other local metal materials to be used in the production of other weapons.

The conference with the theme “Metal Production: A Panacea for National Security and Economic Recovery,” also had in attendance representatives of the Ministers of Mines and Steel Technology and his Science and Technology counterpart, represented by Dr. Sam Etatuvie, and other stakeholders.

Various speakers at the conference, including the president of the NMS, Prof. Benjamin Adewuyi, were unanimous that the steel policies of government were yet to yield any dividend in the country despite the importance of iron and steel in industrial and national development.

Adewuyi said the role of steel in national development could not be over-emphasised and that it is not only the pillar or bedrock of industrialisation, but also a yardstick for measuring the strength of a nation.

He said: “Despite the fact that steel and aluminum industries had been described as pathway to economic and industrial growth, the Ajaokuta Steel Plant (ASP) and Aluminum Smelting Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) had been enmeshed in one controversy or the other.”

The Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, on Saturday inspected the palace of Emir of Gusau being executed at a cost of N505 million by the state government.

The governor also inspected the reconstruction of 23-km Gusau Bypass.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had in July awarded the road to TRIACTA Construction Ltd at a cost of N2.2 billion.

Mr. Yari, who expressed satisfaction with the quality and level of jobs done on the two projects, urged the contractors to ensure timely completion of the projects.

“Our administration since inception has embarked on various development projects aimed at improving the lives of the people,” the governor said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ibrahim Dosara.

The governor, who had earlier met with heads of security agencies over the security situation in the state, urged the people to ensure that the projects were protected against damage or abuse.

Earlier, the Chairman of the State Project Monitoring Committee, Lawal Liman, assured the governor of supervision of the contractors to ensure delivery of quality jobs and timely completion.

NAN also reports that the new emirs’ palace which is one of the modern palaces being built by the government has facilities such as spacious reception, dinning room, Emir’s wing and guest houses.

It also has boys’ quarters and girls’ arena, Sarkin Gida and Sarkin Dogarai quarters, a school and a mosque, perimeter fence with two gates.

(NAN)

deomelo:
Your federal reps, senators, and federal agency are all part of the government are part of the FG and it is their job to make sure they not only divert FG projects to your region but to also make sure all the FG institutions in your region looked after, this is what you sent them to Abuja to do.

You people act as if you don't have leaders at all or it's not your leader's job to do anything for you.

I bet one or 3 reps or senators from the SE are part of the Aviation committee.

“The Enugu State government had never been approached by FAAN in relation to the foregoing issues. Besides, most of these concerns are actually not areas state governments can statutorily delve into.”

When the first international flight took off from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu on August 13, 2013, it was expected that four years later, the airport would be servicing at least three more international carriers.

This is because industry market analysts believe that the airlines would have international passengers from Aba, Enugu, Onitsha, Abakaliki, Nsukka, Owerri, Awka and other areas in the South East and South South zones of the country who would spend less than two hours to the airport and board their flights rather than travel about six hours to Abuja or Lagos to travel overseas.

Also there are heavy cargoes coming from mainly Asia, where many businessmen and women from the South East region import goods from and it would be easier to move such goods from Enugu than from Lagos or Abuja because of proximity advantage.

In fact, hauling goods from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to cities in the South East is fraught with many challenges, including the loss or damage of such goods on transit, invasion by night marauders who most often maim and kill truck drivers on the highway, especially in the night.

But after the elation of that first flight by Ethiopia Airlines, which has continued to maintain that route, no other airline has started operation from the airport.

THISDAY spoke to the Manager of Enugu Airport, Mr. Mgbemene Orji, who explained why the airport has not attracted more international carriers, which also explained why even some local carriers are not operating the route despite passenger surge.
Orji explained that the airport cannot operate 24 hours because of structural deficiencies at the airport, but for now it could only operate from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm daily.

The Manager said there is no enough water for firefighting because it is difficult to dig borehole at the airport due to coal deposits. Currently the airport management buys water from tankers everyday but this is not enough to provide adequate fire cover for large body aircraft or higher number of aircraft traffic.

“Currently we are building overhead tank but it is nothing if we cannot source underground water, which will be in adequate supply to meet the fire cover needs,” Mgbemene said.

He also noted that there are no approach lights, which are usually located at the two ends of the runway, about four kilometers before the runway. These are lights that guide the aircraft to the runway, especially in the night.
“On one side of the approach to the runway, there is Orie Emene Market, which must be relocated so that the approach light can be installed. The other side of the approach is located at Abakpa Nike area of Enugu. The day FAAN engineers wanted to install lights at that area, the indigenes said they were not compensated for the land and therefore would not allow the installation”, he added.

The Airport Manager also disclosed that there are two masts, one owned by Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) and the other by the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) at the Abakpa Nike end of the runway. These masts obstruct flight approach, necessitating that immediately the aircraft takes off it must bank right to avoid collision with the masts. This makes flying to Enugu airport more difficult during the Harmattan.
But the Enugu State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ogbuagu Anikwe in reaction to the problems of the Enugu Airport said,

“The Enugu State government had never been approached by FAAN in relation to the foregoing issues. Besides, most of these concerns are actually not areas state governments can statutorily delve into.”
THISDAY learnt that more international airlines would be operating to Enugu if these obstacles were removed and the benefits of 24 hours flight operations to Enugu include more jobs for the citizens, the people travelling at their convenience and also more businesses coming to the city and environs.

FAAN believes that the Enugu State government could help to solve these problems because it would be of immense benefit to the state and its people when more airlines begin to fly to Enugu, popularly known as Coal City.
For example, Enugu stat government can settle the host community at the Abakpa Nike area so that the approach light can be installed by compensating them for the land even engage them to protect the installation and the state government can also relocate the Orie Market in Emene.

THISDAY gathered that Emirates, Qatar Airways and some international cargo airlines may indicate interest to operate from Enugu if thee safety critical equipment is installed.

“I am aware that there are plans by some cargo airlines to bring cargo from Dubai, Malaysia, China and other parts of Asia through the Enugu airport if the airport can operate for 24 hours. Most international airlines like to operate in the night to their hub so that they will start distributing passengers to their connecting flights in the morning. Night flights will really help the Enugu airport,” an official of FAAN told THISDAY in Lagos.
THISDAY also gathered that there is job to be completed on the Enugu airport runway by Julius Berger, which has been called back to site and work on the terminal building is yet to be completed.

“There is a subsisting contract on the runway and work on the terminal building so the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has called the company back to site,” revealed the FAAN official in Lagos.

It is the view of many in the aviation industry stakeholders that the burden of managing the airports by FAAN has become cumbersome due to depleting revenue so state governments have been supporting the agency to maintain the airports located in their areas. So it is expected that the state governors in the South East, and especially the Governor of Enugu state should give support to Enugu airport to solve the aforementioned challenges so that the airport would improve its status to the benefit of the people of the zone and the state.

October 2017 – The United Nations refugee agency is scaling up efforts with partners to provide humanitarian assistance to thousands of Cameroonians who have fled violence in that country's Anglophone regions to south-eastern Nigeria.

“UNHCR [the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees] is working with the Nigerian Government and other UN agencies on a contingency plan, readying humanitarian assistance for up to 40,000 people crossing into Nigeria,” Babar Baloch, spokesperson for UNHCR, told reporters Tuesday at the regular press briefing in Geneva.

However, he pointed out that “our fear is that 40,000 might actually be a conservative figure in a situation where the conflict might continue.”

UNHCR and its Nigeria teams are currently evaluating the situation in various locations in south-eastern Nigeria and have registered some 2,000 people so far.

Additional 3,000 are awaiting registration, while more people might be stranded in forests in Cameroon when trying to cross the border.

Moreover, the UN agency has distributed relief items such as mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, cooking utensils, hygiene kits, as well as 40 tons of food in Nigeria's Cross River state.

“The current influx of Cameroonians seeking refuge in Nigeria poses additional challenges to the international community and a burden to an already stretched assistance,” Mr. Baloch explained.

Nigeria and Cameroon are already grappling with one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with 2.5 million people displaced by Boko Haram insurgency, according to UNHCR.

Cameroon's Anglophone regions have seen multiple strikes and demonstrations over the past year as tensions have mounted over what the country's English-speakers see as discrimination against them in favour of the majority French-speaking population.

The Edo State Government has assured the people of the state that work on the Gelegele Seaport is in progress as there is sufficient economic justification for its development.

Speaking to journalists on the socio-economic gains of the planned seaport, Governor Godwin Obaseki explained that it would serve as an agro-processing zone and will be driven by the state government and the private sector.

Reacting to the rejection of a motion on the establishment of the seaport, sponsored by Honourable Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma in the House of Representatives, Obaseki said Gelegele seaport will serve as an export processing zone, and added that the appropriate agencies are already being consulted.

“For me, I don’t understand what was being attempted or what the issues are at the House of Representatives. We never designed a Port that requires such a motion to be moved on the floor of the National Assembly. I must add that we are ready to work with all organs of government to realise this project as it will impact greatly on the economy of the state and region,” the governor said.

He explained that the seaport will be located where there is enough gas that can be used to generate electricity and power industries.

“There is sufficient economic justification for the Gelegele port and we will raise funds from the private sector to develop the facility. We do not believe that the federal government will stop or discourage Edo State from building a Port that is economically viable,” he added.

Obaseki said the seaport is on course as his administration is talking to consultants who are currently working on the designs and conducting studies on water depth, the width of the river and the amount of dredging needed.

He assured Edo people that a lot is being done to make the project a reality within the shortest and realistic time possible.

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Monday ordered the redeployment of troops who participated in the special military exercise in the Niger Delta to Lake Chad region.

Mr. Buratai, a lieutenant general, announced the redeployment at the closing of Exercise Crocodile Smile II in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers.

He said the redeployed to Lake Chad was to flush out remnant of Boko Haram insurgents, and also complement efforts of security outfits in the area.

According to him, the Nigerian Army is passionate and committed to flushing out remnant of Boko Haram insurgents within the nation’s territory.

“I want to assure that most of the troops that excelled in the operations across the (Niger Delta) region would be redeployed,” he said.

“The Troops would be redeployed especially within the Lake Chad waters to flush out remnant of Boko Haram terrorists that are within the Lake Chad islands and other areas.

“Boko Haram remnants which are virtually within the border areas of our neighboring countries would have to be properly identified and flushed out in a joint effort.

“This is a task that we must ensure is accomplished.”

Mr. Buratai expressed optimism that the redeployment of troops would complement efforts of security outfits including the Multinational Joint Task Force to flush out insurgents from the area.

He attributed present successes recorded in the North East and military exercises in other parts of the country to the support of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In his remarks at the occasion, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said the exercise was held in the Niger Delta and some states in the South West to access army commanders and train troops.

Mr. Dan-Ali, a retired brigadier general, said that Mr. Buhari was desirous to building formidable, well equipped and trained armed forces that citizens would be proud of.

“The exercise was inaugurated as part of the Nigerian Army plans to effectively dominate all hostile areas, coordinate and consolidate on the gains of Exercise Crocodile Smile I,” he said.

Mr. Dan-Ali commended the army for its commitment to training, professionalism and efficiency to tackle contemporary security challenges facing the nation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise began on October 7.

(NAN)

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has appealed to the Federal Government to prevail on the Benue government to extend the implementation of its Anti-Open Grazing law scheduled to take effect from Nov.1.

In an interview with the Newsmen on Sunday in Makurdi, the National Coordinator of the association, Alhaji Garus Gololo, said the extension of the implementation time would enable both the government and herders resolve some grey areas in the law.

He, however, did not disclose the duration of the extension needed.

Gololo regretted that the law had placed certain responsibilities on the part of herders which were difficult to fulfill within the timeframe provided for its implementation. ”

For instance, we are expected to ranch our cattle, but a typical ranch involves the construction of schools for the children of the nomads, a veterinary clinic, borehole for its water supply, electricity and adequate space for the cattle to graze within the ranch. ”

At the moment, what the government has promised is only the pivot ranches where all arrested cattle would be kept for a time after which it would be sold.”

According to him, since it is difficult to buy land from the villagers, government should construct ranches and rent them to herdsmen.

“They can build the ranches and give them to our members on rent since it is not possible to get land from the indigenes. We will rent them from the government and keep our cattle there.”

He said it would not be in the interest of all for the Fulani’s to leave the state in anger and called on the federal government to intervene to save the state from further crises.

He, however, stated that the herdsmen were set to migrate to Nasarawa, Taraba and Niger states  if all entreaties for extension of the implementation time for the law failed.

Gololo, accused Gov. Samuel Ortom’s Security Adviser, retired Col. Edwin Jando, of masterminding the anti open grazing law as a move to chase out the Fulani’s from the state. ”

We (MACBAN) have no confidence in Col. Jando. He does not want us and our cattle in Benue and we are leaving. I have written a petition to the governor against Jando,” Gololo said.

Responding to the accusations by Gololo, Jando said nobody wanted the Fulani’s out of the state.

Jando explained that the herdsmen were carried along in all processes leading to the enactment of the law, therefore, it was not correct for MACBAN to claim that the law was against them and sought to flush them out of the state.

He said the import of the law was to protect livestock owners by criminalizing cattle rustling.

“Apart from providing a permanent solution to incessant clashes between farmers and herders, it protects livestock owners by criminalizing cattle rustling. ”

The extensive sensitization and advocacy  of this law has made the MACBAN who were initially apprehensive to now support it.

“In view of the above facts, it is not true that Fulanis are not wanted in Benue,” he explained.

Amarabae:
It looks poor,
1.5billion a month? For a state like Anambra,
Let there be improvement by bringing out policies to ensure faster and easy growth of private sectors in Anambra.