From Sylvia Udegbunam Enugu

Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah has ruled out political correctness in the war against insecurity in the state, just as he reiterated his commitment to revamp social infrastructure, banish poverty and grow the state’s economy exponentially.

Mbah stated this in his keynote address at the 2024 Standing Committee Meeting of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, held in the state capital on Thursday.

“One of the oft-repeated goals of my government is the vision to grow Enugu State’s economy to one of Nigeria’s top three, and also to achieve a zero percent rate in the poverty headcount index. These are not mere posturing.

“Achieving those targets necessarily entails the fixing of critical building blocks. One of these building blocks is security.

“There is thus in Enugu State, no twiddling of thumbs or sitting on our hands in matters relating to security. In fact, there is no room for political correctness in dealing with any threat to security. We demonstrated this when we ended the illegal ‘sit-at-home’ order that a fringe gang of criminals had tried to impose in Enugu State.

“In securing Enugu State, the strategy has not been limited to the familiar deployment of security personnel to the streets and acquisition of vehicles. Cutting edge technology plays a vital role in the mix. This is no flippant claim.

“Enugu State is on the verge of launching a real-time platform where round-the-clock surveillance of major streets in the capital is done, incorporating human and artificial intelligence,” he said.

He noted that since every nation’s socio-economic fate is often closely tied to the standard of its tuition or the attention its government devotes to improving the quality of education and access to it, his administration devoted the lion’s share of the state’s 2024 budget to education, and was ramping up the establishment of 260 Smart Green Schools to prepare the children of the state for the future.

“At 33 percent of the state’s total budget for the year, our N158 billion allocation to the education sector is the highest in Nigeria – both in percentage and per capita terms. This implies that for every 100 Naira we are spending, 33 Naira goes to the education budget,” he stated.

He also restated his administration’s disruptive innovations, which he said, were currently changing the narrative and repositioning healthcare, water supply, transport infrastructure, agriculture, reviving moribund state-owned assets, boosting the MSMEs, up skilling the youth, and making Enugu State investors’ haven and preferred choice.

“In the last three months, we have secured over N300bn in investments. The growing list of investors underlines our commitment to fostering an environment conducive for business. This ease-of-doing-business climate led to revitalisation of the moribund Enugu United Palm Products Ltd, courtesy of a N100bn partnership between the Enugu State government and Pragmatic Palms Ltd.

“We have also recently secured a deal with ODK Tractors, a Danish company, for the assembly of tractors locally. The target is to assemble 300 tractors before the end of this year, and 1,000 before the end of 2025.

“Indeed, this commitment is at the heart of our recently secured N40 billion deal towards the revamp of the long moribund Sunrise Flour Mills, where the machines fell silent since 1985 – two years after its commission,” he stated.

He restated his administration’s commitment to de-risking investments, noting that the recent approval of the sum of N183bn for the construction of 141 urban roads and 20 rural roads in addition to the 71 roads earlier constructed and 10 rural roads awarded in 2023 were all geared towards improving the quality of life and ease of doing business in the state.

The governor, therefore, craved the Church’s and citizens’ continued support in the task to reinvent Enugu State.

“The path might seem tortuous sometimes; but the hint of the enormous gains the journey promises outweighs the fleeting discomfort,” he concluded.

From Attah Ede Makurdi

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Benue Command yesterday paraded a 17-year-old woman, identified as Nguemo Ikyowe for allegedly killing her three year old step son, Vanen Ikyowe in Ginde Village in Guma Local Government Area of the State.

Parading the suspect at the command headquarters in Makurdi, the State Commandant, Larai Bitrus stated that the suspect was arrested on Sept 12, 2024 at Ginde Village in Guma Local Government Area of the State for a case of culpable homicide.

She explained that the Command received a distress call from members of the public on Sept 12 that one Nguemo had murdered a three year old boy and dumped his corpse in a river at Ginde Village in Guma Local Government Area.

“Our men stationed at Ginde Village swiftly moved to the scene and arrested the suspect who later confessed to the crimes during interrogation.

“The suspect led their officers who conducted a search and discovered the lifeless body of the boy and deposited it at a mortuary in Ginde Village.

“The crime is against the state and so, she will be handed over to the Nigerian Police Force for possible prosecution after their investigation”, Bitrus stated.

The command appealed that life was sacrosanct and no one was permitted to take another’s life no matter the level of provocation.

While answering questions from newsmen, the suspect said she is the victim’s husband’s second wife.

She explained that she went to the bush with her step son to fetch firewood when a spirit came upon her and she murdered the boy.

From Dan Amasingha, Minna

Following the effect of climate change and in an effort to mitigate the situation on the environment and community development, Niger State has launched the ACReSAL project, a World Bank-assisted initiative aimed at addressing desertification and enhancing community resilience.

The program, launched at Abdulkadir Kure University, Minna was set to complement the technical assistance provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN) under Components A and B of the initiative, which focus on dry land management and community climate resilience.

Speaking at the groundbreaking event, Governor Umar Mohammed Bago stated that Component A of the project addresses dry land management by tackling desertification and land degradation.

He pointed out that the aim was to complete investments at the community level towards ensuring that efforts to combat environmental challenges are both sustainable and impactful.

According to him, Component B, on the other hand, deals with improving agro-climatic resilience at the community and household levels.

“This involves promoting locally adapted sustainable land and water management strategies, paving the way for climate-smart approaches to agriculture and natural resource management”

Governor Umar Bago, represented by his Deputy, Yakubu Garba, emphasized the project’s role in supporting the state’s initiative to develop multi-sectoral approaches for desertification control and landscape management.

“This project will not only improve community resilience but also enhance the livelihoods of our rural communities,” he noted.

“The project will engage and train 100 youths, who will be supported with starter packs to establish plant nurseries at various locations across the state.”

Bago further stated that as part of the initial phase, the project will commence with the establishment of nurseries at the front view of Abdullahi Abdulkadir Kure University in Minna, before expanding to other areas including Bida, Kontagora, New Bussa, and Suleja. In addition, 100 women have been identified to receive training in seedling production, contributing to economic empowerment and community development.

“Water and sanitation are also key components of the ACReSAL project to improve these essential services, 100 boreholes will be drilled across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state.

“The first phase of this effort will target Abdulkadir Kure University and seven communities, including Kpanduko in Bosso, Baidna in Paikoro and Kaliko in Wushishi, with further expansions planned in the near future,” Bago added.

Bago praised the collaboration between the state and the World Bank, assuring continued government support through prompt payment of counterpart funds. He also commended the efforts of the State ACReSAL Project team for making this initiative a reality. “I urge all beneficiaries to make judicious use of this opportunity to be part of the success story of our New Niger Agenda for a green economy,” he said.

In his speech, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Yakubu Mohammed Kolo highlighted the ACReSAL project’s response to the unique challenges faced by the semi-arid regions of northern Nigeria, including erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and extreme weather patterns.

These factors have had a profound impact on food production, water availability, and the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities. The project aims to equip communities with the tools and knowledge needed to adapt to these challenges, ultimately reducing their vulnerability to drought and unpredictable weather conditions.

He added that by promoting climate-smart agricultural techniques, the project seeks to improve crop yields and water management practices. It will also engage communities in sustainable land management practices to prevent further land degradation, restore degraded ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity across the state’s semi-arid landscapes.

“Through innovative water-saving techniques and improved irrigation systems, the ACReSAL project will ensure sustainable water management for both agricultural and domestic use. This, combined with efforts to build the capacity of farmers, women, youth, and community leaders, will empower communities to take charge of their resources and livelihoods in sustainable ways,” the Commissioner stated.

The Commissioner further mentioned that the ACReSAL project represents a collaborative effort to create a more resilient, food-secure and environmentally sustainable future for Niger State. Governor Bago’s administration remains committed to supporting these initiatives and ensuring their success for the benefit of all residents.

Highlight of the event was the flag-off of ten tractors and trees planting to mark the beginning of the project.