The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) has cautioned farmers against early planting of crops to avoid drought, saying the recent rainfall “is deceptive”.

The Oyo State Meteorological Manager, Emmanuel Udoh, gave the advice on Monday in Ibadan during a programme tagged: ‘Dissemination of 2026 Weather Forecast in Oyo State’.

Udoh, while providing advisories that would guide farmers in the coming farming season, said that the 2026 onset of rain, which determines the beginning of the planting season, starts from April 15 to the end of April.

“The variable we look at is when the soil moisture content is up to 50 per cent, which is enough for crops to use for nutrition and growth.

“That’s what the agency calls the ‘onset of rain’, and this is the right time farmers should start planting,” he said.

He maintained that recent rainfalls in some parts of the state are not for planting, “so farmers should not be tempted to start planting”.

The manager urged farmers to heed the information and follow the advisories issued to the farmers as regards onset of rain across the 33 local government areas in the state.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, said the government would continue to give priority to the development of agriculture in the state.

Olaleye explained that the weather forecast advisories for the planting season would provide farmers in the state with crucial information on the best time to start planting, and assist them make informed decisions.

He also highlighted the state government’s efforts in supporting agriculture, saying that in 2025, about 12,000 bags of fertilisers were distributed to farmers.

“The cost of ploughing for approximately 30,000 hectares of land was also subsidised,” the commissioner said.

Farmers’ representatives at the event urged the state government to boost security measures, to enable them to cultivate without anxiety of being kidnapped or facing attacks from roaming herders who destroy their farms.

The chairman of the All Farmers Association (AFAN) in the state, Abass Adewunmi, urged the government to take decisive action to resolve conflicts between herders and farmers, which have been affecting agricultural activities.

Adewunmi also encouraged cassava farmers not to be disheartened by the recent drop in cassava prices, but to take advantage of the upcoming rainy season to plant more cassava.

Pa Bamiji Alabi, a farmers’ leader in Akinyele Local Government Area, emphasised the need for timely government support, warning that delays in providing inputs and other forms of assistance would hinder farmers’ progress.

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepened collaboration with the military to strengthen maritime and internal security in the state.

The governor gave the assurance when he received the Commandant of the Amphibious Training School, Matthias Ibawa Amatso, who paid him a courtesy visit in Calabar alongside senior officers of the institution.

Welcoming the delegation at the Government House in company of his Deputy, Dr.

Peter Odey, Secretary the Government of the State, Prof. Owan Enoh, on Monday, Governor Otu expressed delight at what he described as a “commendable gesture of institutional harmony,” noting that the visit symbolized the strong synergy that must exist between government and security institutions in the pursuit of peace and development. He described the Amphibious Training School as a strategic asset to the state and the nation, particularly given Cross River’s extensive riverine and maritime terrain.

 “Let me warmly welcome you on behalf of the government and good people of Cross River State,” the governor said. “I must commend you for formalizing this kind of engagement. Recognition and harmony between institutions are always good, especially when they promote synergy among the entities that make up a state.”

Otu recalled the long-standing presence of the military institution in Calabar and the sense of security its operations have brought to surrounding communities. According to him, the school’s activities have historically served as a deterrent to criminal elements operating in the region’s waterways and creeks. “In earlier times, when we heard training drills and war songs from your vicinity, it sent a clear message to criminals that this environment is not a safe haven for unlawful activities,” he said.

The governor emphasized that maritime security remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the state, stressing that effective control of the waterways is critical to economic growth, national security, and the protection of strategic infrastructure. “Our greatest challenge has been how to effectively secure the maritime corridor. Fighting insecurity online is easier than confronting it in the swampy terrain of our creeks and waterways,” Otu stated.

He revealed that security operations in the region have sometimes encountered significant risks during difficult operations in riverine areas.

Assuring the military institution of his administration’s full support, the governor urged the commandant to expand the training capacity of the school to produce more highly skilled amphibious personnel capable of confronting emerging security threats. “Please train as many operatives as you can. If you require any support from the state government, we are ready to provide it. Security is a collective responsibility, and our government will always stand with institutions that strengthen it,” he said.

Otu also used the occasion to highlight the strategic importance of Cross River’s maritime infrastructure, noting that the state’s navigational channel remains one of the most promising gateways for maritime commerce in Nigeria. According to him, strengthening maritime security would further position Cross River as a major investment and logistics destination. “Our aspiration is to make Cross River a leading maritime and economic destination in Nigeria, and securing our navigational channels is central to that vision,” he noted.

In his remarks, the Commandant of the Amphibious Training School, Brigadier-General Amatso, explained that his visit was intended to formally introduce himself to the state’s chief executive following his recent assumption of office as the 37th Commandant of the institution. “It is important that having resumed duty here, I should pay a courtesy visit to His Excellency. It would not be proper for an Army General to be operating within a governor’s domain without formally introducing himself,” he said.

The commandant described the Amphibious Training School as a specialized military institution responsible for preparing officers and soldiers for complex riverine and swamp operations.

 “The school is not an operational formation like a brigade; rather, it is a training institution that prepares personnel for riverine warfare. We train soldiers and officers to navigate difficult terrain dominated by rivers, creeks and swamps so they can successfully carry out military operations,” Amatso explained, while also commending the people of Cross River for their longstanding hospitality and peaceful coexistence with the military institution.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reacting to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Monday, insisted that due process must be followed and allow the rule of law to prevail by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Earlier on Monday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which on October 31, 2025 restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognizing the outcome of the 2025 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The National Convention was conducted between November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

Delivering judgment, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam said that the PDP violated Constitutional provisions required before such a convention can become valid.

The FCT Minister stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja.

According to Wike, “Let me say that today is one of my happiest days because we must always abide according to rules.

“Remember that as an opposition party, we should not condone impunity. We should follow due process and allow rule of law to prevail.

“You realize that before this convention, I did say that what the party then was doing will not help us because every step taken will be set aside.

“And of course, you know one thing that happens to people when they are in power, you are a governor, you believe that you can do anything. I thank God that the law has spoken”.

The FCT Minister therefore, urged all party members together to rebuild the party, “The PDP convention for us, has provided the opportunity for all the groups to put themselves together and see how they can rebuild the party. And that’s very important because some people felt that for their personal interests, they can go along and do whatever they wanted to do”.

He insisted that it is not about the internal leadership of the party but rather it is about obeying the constitution and the Electoral Act.

He added that once the constitution and the Electoral Act is flaunted then “you are violating the INEC Guidelines, and your own Constitution, it is no longer within the realm of the internal affairs of the party”.

He noted, “For me, it’s an opportunity for everybody again to come back and see how we can salvage the party. But you see, mind you, the primaries will start from April. Now, this is March. Leave your ego. Leave your personal interests. Come back. Let’s sit down to say, Now we’re here. Can we see how we can forge ahead? That’s an opportunity. But if you say you don’t, of course, lawyers will tell you, no, let’s go to the Supreme Court. Mind you, the primaries will be from April to May. Now, look at it. By the time you go to the Supreme Court, you’re merely doing harm. Causing harm for your party, which you say you love, and which will not help us. For me, it’s an opportunity.

“Let everybody come back. Let’s sit down, say well, you have tried. You have tried. But the law has spoken. Let us stop this. And then see how the party will forge ahead. That’s my own. I think that’s an opportunity for the PDP to look inwards and say, okay, we have fought. Now it’s time to say, okay, enough is enough. Let’s come back, whatever we can do to put our heads together. Then we will move on. But if we continue to fight or say let’s go to the Supreme Court, it is not going to go well for the party.

“If you are a lover of this party, you will not encourage it. But if you say you want to go, we’re always also ready. Because for me, it’s the development of the law”

And he therefore insisted that the party convention will still hold as scheduled on the 29th – 30th of March, where the leadership of the party would be selected.