NEWS
Diesel Price Hike: Bread Scarcity Looms as Bakers Mull Shutdown
By Joseph Amah, Abuja
Nigerians may soon experience bread scarcity if Bakers under the aegis of the Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria (PBAN) make good their threat to shutdown their bakeries over the rising cost of diesel.
PBAN President, Emmanuel Onuorah, said this during a recent interview. Onuorah lamented that surging diesel prices were taking a serious toll on bread production for the association’s members.He said it had also caused an inevitable rise in bread prices. “This country may collapse on everybody. Industries will shut down operations, and all of us will go down. Imagine the price of diesel going towards N850/litre,” he said.
“Remember, I said wheat is not the problem, and that it is energy that will be the major problem in this Russian-Ukraine war. Almost N850 for a litre of diesel, and they are still increasing it every day.”“Is it that marketers just brought in this product and this is why they are increasing the price by the day? Our businesses will just begin to shut down one after the other. That’s what I’m contemplating doing now. I will shut down all the bakeries. “Diesel is what we use in running our generators, diesel is what we use in running our oven. What we were buying N350 is now about N850 in less than a week.”
Onuorah said the ripple effects of the diesel price hike would have a major effect on industries across the globe, particularly in Nigeria where there are no current measures to cushion negative impacts. “It’s going to be a major problem. It’s going to have a major ripple effect on industries in Europe and everywhere, and Nigeria’s own will be worse because we don’t have any buffer. We don’t have any fall-back position,” he explained.
To prevent an imminent shutdown of operations, the PBAN president called on the federal government to urgently accelerate efforts towards tackling the problem. Recently, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) asked the federal government to provide palliative measures to address the effects of the hike in diesel prices.
NEWS
Benue Investment Coy to Establish Trust Fund for Young Entrepreneurs
The Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) says it would soon establish the BIPC Trust Fund to provide financial support and resources for young entrepreneurs.
The Managing Director of BIPC, Mr Raymond Asemakaha, made the disclosure on Saturday during a virtual town hall meeting tagged “Advancing Economic Development in Benue State: Our Recent Achievements and the Future Outlook. ” Asemakaha said that the establishment of the trust fund wasto enable the young entrepreneurs to start up their own businesses. “By redirecting Benue youths into the business ecosystem, BIPC aims to create a vibrant entrepreneurial culture in the state. “The establishment of the Benue Investment Trust Fund is a significant step towards achieving this goal, and it is expected to have a positive impact on the state’s economy. “This initiative aims to empower young people in the state to become entrepreneurs and job creators,” Asemakaha said. He further said that the current initiatives of the company were aimed at redirecting Benue youths into the business ecosystem. “Even though the state has multi-sectoral challenges, Gov. Hyacinth Alia has headhunted technocrats like me who are fixing it and redirecting the state economy to take its original place. “Jobs lost from 2014 to 2023 is pegged at 907,676 in the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) sector. This administration is able to reverse the negative growth from -3.2 to positive just within one year. “Output has to exceed population growth going forward, though presently, our output growth is low in relation to population growth. “That is why we are coming up with effective strategies and policies to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. “The such policies include the Benue State Inclusive Economy Policy, the Benue State Policy on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, and the Benue State Industrial and Trade Policy, among others,” he said. Report says that the virtual town hall meeting, which was hosted by Irene Azubuike of Viider Consulting, provided a platform for stakeholders to engage with BIPC general manager. The participants shared their thoughts on the initiative, expressing hope and potential to transform the Benue business landscape. (NANEducation
Group to Purchase JAMB Forms for 300 Indigent Students in Kogi
A socio-cultural group, the Legends Club of Okun Land in Kogi,is set to purchase Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for 300 indigent students to support less privileged students in the area.
Mr Olusegun Abereoran, the Director, Media and Publicity of the club, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in Lokoja. According to Abereoran, about N3 million has been paid by the club to purchase the JAMB forms for the indigent students in Okun Land, Kogi West Senatorial District. “The Legends Club of Okun Land has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to the development of its community by rolling out 300 JAMB forms to support the less privileged Okun sons and daughters.“This announcement was made during the club’s Annual General Meeting held in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi.“The President of the Club, Femi Olubiyo, reiterated the club’s dedication to uplifting the socio-economic landscape of Okun Land.“Our aim as a club is to channel our resources towards improving the lives of our people and creating an environment where all Okun youths can realise their full potential,” he said.Abereoran noted that education remained a key driver of socioeconomic development, adding that “this initiative is one of our ways of ensuring that no youth in Okun Land is left behind.”“To achieve this noble goal, the club has set aside funds to procure 300 JAMB forms, which will be distributed equitably across the five local government areas of Okun Land, with each area receiving 60 slots.“This gesture underscores the club’s belief in education as a powerful tool for transforming lives and communities,”Abereoran said.He, therefore, called on all eligible Okun youths to seize this opportunity by registering early and preparing thoroughly for the upcoming JAMB exams. (NAN)NEWS
Nigerian Army Redeploys Top Officers
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has approved the redeployment and posting of its top officers.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Saturday in Abuja.Nwachukwu explained that the redeployment was a strategic move to enhance operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency of the Army. He said the affected officers included Corps Commanders, Principal Officers, General Officers Commanding (GOC), Commanders, Commandants of Army Training institutions, Brigade Commanders and other key positions. According to him, the redeployment underscores the army’s commitment to ensuring robust and dynamic leadership structure capable of addressing emerging security challenges.Nwachukwu said that some of the senior officers appointed as PSOs at the Army Headquarters include Maj.-Gen. Lawrence Fejokwu, from National Defence College to Department of Army Administration, who is appointed Chief of Administration (Army).He said Maj.-Gen. GU Chibuisi has been redeployed from Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) to Department of Civil Military Affairs and appointed Chief of Civil Military Affairs.Also redeployed is Maj.-Gen. AS Ndalolo, from NARC to Department of Army Training, as Chief of Training (Army).Others include Maj.-Gen. Olusegun Abai, redeployed from Department of Army Training to Department of Army Transformation and Innovation, appointed Chief of Transformation and Innovation.Maj.-Gen. JH Abdussalam from Headquarters 6 Division becomes the Chief of Special Services and Programmes.“Maj.-Gen. EI Okoro has been redeployed from the Department of Army Logistics to the Department of Military Secretary and appointed Military Secretary (Army).“Senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding (GOCs) include Maj.-Gen. OT Olatoye to 82 Division/Joint Task Force (JTF) South East Operation UDO KA and Maj.-Gen. EF Oyinlola to Headquarters 3 Division as GOC 3 Division/Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH),” he said.The army spokesman further said that the acting appointments of Maj.-Gen. AGL Haruna as GOC 7 Division/Commander Sector 1 JTF North East Operation HADIN KAI has been confirmed.Also confirmed as substantive, he said, was the acting appointment of Maj.-Gen. IA Ajose as GOC 8 Division/Commander Sector 2 JTF North West Operation FANSAN YANMA among others.Maj.-Gen. GO Adeshina has been redeployed from Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals to Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC) as Director General.Similarly, Maj.-Gen. GM Mutkut has been redeployed to Headquarters Multi National Joint Task Force Njamena as the Force Commander.“The redeployment also featured Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery to Defence Headquarters as the Director Media Operations,” he said.Nwachukwu also disclosed that Maj.-Gen. Obinna Ajunwa moves to Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps as its Commander.Similarly, Maj.-Gen. Henry Wesley moves from the Department of Special Services and Programmes to Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, as Commander.He said Maj.-Gen. TT Numbere moves to Headquarters Nigerian Army Engineers as Commander, while Maj.-Gen. Nosakhare Ugbo moves from Department of Civil Military Affairs to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals as Commander.According to Nwachukwu, Maj.-Gen. Zakari Abubakar moves to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery as Commander and Maj.-Gen. AP Oguntola becomes the Commander of the Nigerian Army Education Corps.He added that Maj.-Gen. JO Sokoya, has been appointed Commandant, Nigerian Army Training Centre, while Maj.-Gen. UM Alkali is now Commandant of Army War College Nigeria (AWCN).“Also, Maj.-Gen. FS Etim moves to Nigerian Army School of Infantry as Commandant, while Maj.-Gen. AB Mohammed has been redeployed to the Depot Nigerian Army as commandant.“Other newly appointed senior officers are Maj.-Gen. IE Ekpenyong now Commandant Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering and Maj.-Gen. AO Adegbite as Commandant of Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport.“Brig.-Gen. AM Umar is redeployed from Army War College Nigeria to Warrant Officers Academy and appointed Commandant, among others,” he further said.The army spokesman said the army chief has also directed all the newly appointed senior officers to bring renewed vigor, dedication and commitment to their duties.He noted that this was particularly to ensure the sustenance of the ongoing onslaught against terrorism, insurgency and other threats to national security.“He equally charged them to ensure that the welfare of troops remain paramount as they assume their new appointments,” Nwachukwu said. (NAN)