₦airaland Forum

nzeobi:
What was he tried for and why was he freed.

nzeobi:
Zombies are funny lots, onyema should go to America and defend himself but tinubu should not be questioned.

olatilldend:
Eddie Murphy really aged well.

goodnessme1:
South africans are still better than south westerners.

September 6, 2019 Adejumo kabir

The Osun State Government has reacted to allegations levelled against it by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, that it is not willing to pay salaries of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) workers.

It accused Mr Makinde of playing ‘a greed(y) man’s script’, urging him to stop blackmailing Osun State.

The response was contained in a statement signed by Adelani Baderinwa, Supervisor of Ministry of Information on Friday.

Earlier today, PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Makinde said the Oyo government is ready to ‘divorce’ Osun over the non-payment of workers salaries in LAUTECH.

The institution is co-owned by the two states.


‘Stop being greedy’

In its reaction, the Osun government accused Mr Makinde of playing a ‘greed man script’.

He also advised Mr Makinde to always take the “rational path before making any statement on LAUTECH matter.”

”Governor Seyi Makinde needs proper briefing and extensive readings on LAUTECH before he could make factual and objective remarks,” the statement noted. ”Presently, he obviously does not have sufficient facts or may be playing greed man script.”


”And as a matter of fact, we are aware that the governor had during his campaign promised to acquire LAUTECH and makes it the property of Oyo government alone. We are not surprised that he started on a wrong note of blackmail on the university matter,” the statement added.



Read the full statement by the Osun governor below.

The attention of the State Government of Osun has been drawn to a statement credited to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state on his official twitter handle where he frivolously accused the state government of not paying the salary of workers of the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.

We will like to state that for 29 years of existence, Osun Government has been living up to its expectations and performing his responsibility as an equal partner in the LAUTECH ownership, notwithstanding the obvious cheating from the Oyo government.

Governor Seyi Makinde needs proper briefing and extensive readings on LAUTECH before he could make factual and objective remarks. Presently, he obviously does not have sufficient facts or may be playing greed man script. And as a matter of fact, we are aware that the governor had during his campaign promised to acquire LAUTECH and makes it the property of Oyo government alone. We are not surprised that he started on a wrong note of blackmail on the university matter.

However, Governor Seyi Makinde needs to be properly informed that Osun government does not owe LAUTECH workers’ salary since it took over the payment in July this year. What is outstanding is the August subvention which is being arranged alongside other statutory expenses of Osun government. It is unpleasant that Governor Makinde took to his twitter handle in an attempt to make a cheap political point on Osun. That is unbecoming of a governor.

May we remind the governor that in 2017, the Osun government committed a sum of N1, 250, 000, 000, and in 2018, Osun government paid N500, 000, 000. Between July 2010 and July 2016, Osun paid a total sum of N8, 692, 488, 234.04. Osun has offset the LAUTECH workers July salary with N300, 000, 000 in this year. We challenged Governor Seyi Makinde to tell the public what Oyo has contributed to LAUTECH between 2010 and 2019. The governor should be mindful of what he will say on LAUTECH.

When owner states were asked to pay N500m each for take-off after the visitation panel, Osun duly paid its own, but we are yet to have evidence of payment by our boasting counterpart.

Governor Seyi Makinde should be worried on why LAUTECH has not been self-sufficient in terms of funding and academic advancement since its creation, while Osun State University which was created a few years ago is making ways financially and academically.

We expect Governor Makinde to rise above the petty game of blackmail and attempt to incite the LAUTECH Workers and the Oyo people at large against the government of Osun and the administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola who is very responsive and committed to workers plight.

It is a known fact that Oyo had always wanted to own LAUTECH alone but it is our common patrimony and nobody can appropriate it through blackmail or whatever. Osun is not in any way forcing itself on the joint ownership of LAUTECH. The supposed ‘plan to split’ signed by former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former governor Alao Akala was a ruse. There is a legal and sincere process to be followed if Oyo state is indeed interested in taking over LAUTECH. Osun government will be happy if Governor Makinde initiates that process.

Osun has always been cheated on LAUTECH: only one (1) out of the eight ( academic faculties is in Osun, while Oyo has about twice of the staff strength of the University. Osun single-handedly funded the infrastructure development in the LAUTECH campus in Osun; also 85 per cent of the total institution’s infrastructure is in Oyo, whereas funding is equally carried out. Despite this, we are fully committed to joint ownership of our joint heritage.

Governor Oyetola who is passionate about functional education, a team player and a goal-getter will not cease in funding LAUTECH.

The amiable Governor Seyi Makinde is urged to take a deeper and more rational outlook at the matters of existence and operation of LAUTECH, otherwise, he will get lost in the shenanigans of LAUTECH OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL. Oyo has been a great cheat on Osun in this matter and only a dispassionate and discerning mind can deductively make good sense out of the situation. GSM is thus advised to take rational path before making statements on LAUTECH matter.

By Femi Ibirogba, Head, Agro-Economy

23 August 2019 |

The urban population growth rate in Nigeria is described as alarming, but it presents opportunities for young entrepreneurs in food supply chains.

Statistics from Lagos State indicates that about 85 new persons relocate to Lagos daily, implying that about 31,025 people settle permanently in the city yearly. As it is in Lagos, so it is in Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano, Ibadan and all state capitals in the country.

Also, it is estimated that food takes a very large portion of disposal family incomes monthly. On average, for instance, a person spends about N500 on food daily in Lagos, and there are about 20 million people resident in the city. This translates into about N10 billion circulating in the economy of the city every day. The circular flow of income revolving around food presents a very huge opportunity for youths and categories of Nigerians to source fast-moving crops for city dwellers.


There are many farm produce that is fast-moving in cities. Some of the products are maize, yam, eggs, vegetables, plantains, potatoes, beans and coconuts.

Where to source the products
Maize is a product widely cultivated in all the geopolitical zones of the country. So, they are available in every state. However, rural areas do produce larger quantities than urban areas because of hundreds of hectares of arable land in the suburbs. Fresh corns are hotcakes in the city, and marketers have little or no difficulty selling the products if they are fresh.

Yam is also produced abundantly in Nigeria. Tubers of yam are, however, expensive in the city. States with abundant yam production include Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Oyo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ondo and many more.

Eggs and other poultry products could be sourced from almost all parts of the country, but the Southwestern states of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, and north-central’s Kwara are known for bigger production. Oyo State is reputed to be the largest poultry production hub in the country, with the largest number of hatcheries and a concentration of giants in the feed mill sub-sector. Suburbs of Ibadan and Oyo township are egg-producing hubs. Osogbo in Osun State, Abeokuta in Ogun State and their suburbs are prolific in poultry production and these and many more states place vendors could source eggs and poultry chickens for onward delivery and marketing in cities where demand is high.

Sweet potatoes are also very much demanded in cities. Nigeria is one of the largest producers in the world too, and domestic consumption is high even in the cities. Improved varieties with bio-fortified micro-nutrients have been developed, such as orange-flesh sweet potato being promoted by International Potato Centre and Harvest-Plus Nigeria. The variety is fortified with vitamin C, zinc and other essential micronutrients as a means of combatting vitamin deficiency and malnutrition. Production hubs include Kwara, Osun, Kaduna, Ogun, and Nasarawa states.


Plantain and bananas are hotcakes and sources of income in cities. They are cheaper in rural areas but expensive in cities. They present good opportunities for those who can source them and sell in cities. Producing states include all the states in the forest ecology zones in the south, south-south, southwest and a large number of states in the north-central. Specifically, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Cross River, and Delta are large producers.

For instance, investigations by The Guardian revealed that in Ondo State, a bunch of plantains, while buying in large quantities, is about N500. But the same bunch is sold for about N1000 to N1,500 in Lagos, thus presenting a very attractive margin for aggregators.

Other products with high demand in cities are smoked fish, watermelons, onions and herbs and spices such as turmeric, gingers, and garlic. These are available in the north and some southern states in commercial quantities.

Marketing and survey
Rotimi Olawale, founder/Managing Director of JR Farms, said marketers of agricultural products should not assume that there is a market for their produce. The only available market, he advised, is the one created by the marketer.

He advised agricultural produce marketers to spend more time and resources in creating the market before the products are supplied. He also harped on concretising agreements on supplies through major dealers in commodity market places to avoid frustration.

For instance, the food supply chains in Lagos are built around hubs like Ketu and Mile 12 marketplaces. These hubs provide sustainable platforms for the marketing and sale of farm products in Nigerian cities.

Emplacing a marketplace in cities is also possible by leasing or renting an outlet, an office or an open place from individuals, firms and the government as temporary hubs for buying and selling.


Challenges
As attractive and profitable as selling farm products in urban places could be, there are many challenges.

The most challenging factor in aggregating food crops for city sale is insecurity in rural and agrarian communities, highways and food production hubs in the north and other food-producing zones. Food production hubs in Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Ondo and Benue states are increasingly becoming insecure with a high rate of kidnapping, banditry and herders attacks.

Poor road networks, logistic hurdles and high cost of transportation are also substantial difficulties facing food aggregators in the city. The rural roads are deplorable, and as a result, motorists do exploit passengers by charging exorbitant fares. This sometimes increases the landing cost and profit margin of the marketers.

As it is in other startups, so is the initial capital outlay in food crop marketing. The marketers would need financial resources for market survey, space or shop rent, and capital buys the crop in commercial quantity to make economic sense, logistics and perhaps to employ a sales attendant.

Other costs that may arise includes local government levies, interstate produce movement levies and a host of other transferred costs from transporters to the food merchants.

More challenges include storage facilities and post-harvest losses associated with most of the food crops.

The difficulties notwithstanding, cheaper sources of food crops in the agrarian areas make marketing and sale of farm-fresh foods sustainable in the urban areas. And this can take a good number of youths off the labour market.

Officialgarri:
All these guys shouting rented crowd, please tell me which politician doesn't use rented crowd.

Even a lovable politician is welcomed by groups like market women association and these groups are usually paid

Anyways, Ihedioha is in pains...

August 8, 2019

Ghana Immigration Service has arrested a Nigerian, Chioma Sabina, for allegedly trafficking teenage girls into Ghana and forcing them into prostitution.

The suspect, Chioma reportedly lured the girls into the country under the guise of securing them jobs as sales girls in a mall and a boutique she claimed to own in the Northern Regional Capital of Tamale.

After bringing them in, she then allegedly introduces them to prostitution.

According to Ghanaweb, Chioma usually asks the trafficked girls to pay GH¢ 8000 (over N500,000) each to her on arrival in Ghana with a daily target of at least GH¢100 (over N6000).


“Each night, we have to bring at least 100 cedis, otherwise, they will beat us,” said one of the victims.

One of her victims, a 23-year-old sex worker disclosed that she has to sleep with up to 10 men a night to raise her daily target. “If not you won’t know peace”

“When we came, the madam and her Ghanaian accomplice called Sof took our blood, fingernails, and pubic hair. And told us that now that they have those things from us, if anyone reveals the secret, they will make the person mad,” the victim recounts.

Chioma has been transferred to Accra for further interrogations and possible repatriation.

July 23, 2019
Following the announcement of his name as a ministerial nominee, some federal lawmakers from Oyo state were pictured on Tuesday in Abuja felicitating with Mr Sunday Dare.

Recall that insideoyo.com had earlier reported that Sunday Dare is one of the 43 ministrial nominees sent to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The lawmakers who were voted under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, were seen in a joyous mood with the nominee.

Some of the lawmakers are Akin Alabi representing Egbeda / Ona Ara federal constituency, Olumide Ojerinde representing Oorelope / Igbeti / Olorunsogo federal constituency, Tolulope Akande Sadipe representing Oluyole federal constituency, Akeem Adeyemi representating Oyo federal constituency, Shina Peller representing Iseyin / Itesiwaju / Iwajowa federal constituency.

The list of nominees came after public outcry over Buhari’s delay in constituting his cabinet. It took him six month to appoint ministers in his first tenure

At exactly 11:12am on Tuesday, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan read the list at the plenary of the Senate, revealing that screening will commence on Wednesday.

There are many surprises as some prominent ministers in Buhari’s first tenure missed out on the ministerial nominees’ list They include former minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau and Minister of Sports and Youth Solomon Dalung.

A social critic and respected human rights lawyer, Dr. Kayode Ajulo has declared he was not stopped by Fulani herdsmen at a checkpoint.
He said he only interacted with two members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Vigilante group around Akoko on his way to Abuja.

He said the operation of the vigilance group is known to all the security apparatus in the area.

He said his interaction with the members of the vigilante group was a voluntary undertaking as part of his profiling as a discerning leader of his community.

He said the interaction was part of his desire of curbing the menace of insecurity in Nigeria.

He urged Nigerians to sever political and ethnic sentiments from their minds on the insecurity in the country.

Ajulo, who made the clarifications in a statement in Abuja, said other security men came to corroborate the claims of the two members of the vigilante group.

His statement was titled “Synoptic account of my encounter with the Vigilante Group on the Highway.”

The lawyer said: “My attention has been drawn to the publication in print and electronic media of my encounter with some vigilantes on my way from Akure on the 21st July, 2019 which has generated a lot of controversial responses from different quarters.

“I have received calls from various well-wishers and friends of mine, locally and internationally, who out of concern, inquired whether I was hurt or injured by the vigilantes. It is pertinent to state that I am quite hale and hearty without any injury or harm.

“More so, it is important to state for the records the actual facts as regards the events that occurred that fateful, Sunday afternoon of 21st July, 2019 in order to clarify the narrative trailing the publications.

“It is quite true that I was in Akure, Ondo State from Friday, 19th July, 2019 to Sunday, 22nd July, 2019 for my mother’s investiture as the Iya-Ijo (Chief Matron) of our home Church, Christ Anglican Church, Oke-Ifira-Akoko, Ondo State.

“ On my way back to Abuja on the 22nd day of July, 2019 in the company of some security men, we saw two men at the highway around Akoko, Ondo State carrying dane guns.

“On sighting them, inquiry was made as to their duty on the highway with guns in their hands, being not uniformed men. They thereafter responded that they were members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Vigilante group whose operation is known to all the security apparatus in the area.

“Also, they willingly showed us their identity cards which had their names and designations. Some other security men came to corroborate their claims.

“I therefore wish to debunk the account that I was stopped by Fulani Herdsmen as peddled by some persons.

“Our interaction is a voluntary undertaking as part of my profiling as a discerning leader of my community, desirous of curbing the menace of insecurity in Nigeria.”

Ajulo cautioned Nigerians against turning the insecurity in the country to political and ethnic sentiments,

He added: “In response to the controversial reactions on my encounter with these men, it suffices to state that we as Nigerians, must sever political and ethnic sentiments from our minds in the bid to nip this ubiquitous insecurity in the land in the bud.

“In my comment on the gruesome killing of Pa. Fasoranti’s daughter, and a confidant, I categorically and unapologetically hinted that we should not see the killing as inter-ethnic attack as there are reported cases of massive killings in other parts of the Country.

“Recently, about 32 persons were killed in Sokoto State, several others killed in Kaduna, Benue, Niger, Zamfara and other States by some undisclosed bandits, who to me irrespective of their ethnic background are criminal and must be treated as such.

“The naked truth is that the insecurity in Nigeria is national which must not be ignored and we must join hands with our security agencies to fight the menace.

“Thus, we should not allow ethnicity and sentiment to becloud our sense of judgment and humanity in the war against insecurity.”

He said if Nigerians, especially public commentators, were not cautious, the increasing bigotry in the country might lead to civil war.

He said: “We are at a time in our nation that pretentious and sentimental interactions no longer works otherwise this bigotry may fan into flame the embers of civil war in this country.

“It will not be out of place to ask this poser: is it due to the lackadaisical attitude of the Law enforcement agencies and disregards for the inputs and indelible contributions of our leaders, the OPC and other local vigilante groups that these Miyetti Allah groups are now manning our highways in the South West?

“This is the question that must be addressed by all stakeholders regardless of their ethnic, religious and political affiliations.

“As I thank all for their concern, may I conclude with the words of the legendry Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa JSC (as he then was) that “when we act in unison, we will achieve the peace that we search, but when we are fighting separately, it is not coordinate and if we don’t accommodate one another, we cannot live together”.

The Catholic Diocese of Enugu on Saturday confirmed the attack on Rev. Fr. Ikechukwu Ilo by Fulani herdsmen along Numeh-Nenwe road in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

There was palpable tension in Numeh and neighbouring communities in Nkanu East on Saturday following the attack on the Enugu Catholic priest.

Father Ilo, a priest in charge of St. Patrick Church at Numeh, was reportedly attacked alongside one Mrs Chika Egbo on Wednesday evening. They were said to have sustained gunshot wounds.

Confirming the attack on the priest, the Director of Communication, Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Achi, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the attack was carried out by Fulani herdsmen.

The Catholic Church spokesman said Fr. Ilo was driving to his parish when suddenly two Fulani herdsmen carrying AK 47 rifles appeared from the bush.

They reportedly tried to stop him, but when they could not, they opened fire on his vehicle. He was said to have been shot in the leg and the other person sustained gunshot wounds.

He quoted Fr Ilo as saying, “As we drove towards the village, the Fulani killer herdsmen, who spoke both in English and Fulani languages, opened fire, trying to force us to stop. Seeing that we were not ready to cave in to their intimidation, they started raining bullets on our vehicle at close range and in the process, shot me at my ankle and shoulder while the other victim was shot in her leg and waist.”

He expressed gratitude to God that the priest was not killed, saying he was immediately rushed to Annunciation Specialist Hospital, Emene for treatment.

The police also confirmed the attack on the clergyman, adding that investigations into the matter had commenced to ascertain those behind the attack and their motive.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, on Friday, which confirmed the report, however, denied that the attack was by Fulani herdsmen.

Amaraizu said, “The Enugu State command of the Nigeria Police Force through its operatives are investigating the attack by robbers on a priest identified as Rev. Fr. Ikechukwu Ilo of St. Patrick Parish, Numeh on Wednesday July 18, 2019, along Numeh axis of Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State by unidentified persons, contrary to speculations of attack by a terrorist group.