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FG Approves N5.7bn for Gashua Water Scheme, Purchase of Seeds

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The Federal executive Council (FEC) has approved N5.7 billion for the execution of two Water Supply projects in Yobe and purchase of seeds for various crops to boost food production in the country.

The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri, made these known when they briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Council meeting.

The virtual meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.

The minister of water resources said: “Council today approved a memo for the execution of two contracts for Gashua Water Supply Project Phase II in Yobe State.

“Lot ‘A’ was in the sum of N1.27 billion and Lot ‘B’ in the sum of N2.24 billion. Essentially, one lot is for extension of water supply service to Zango and Sabon Garin Lamido, consisting of boreholes, solar panels and so on.

“The other contract is for the upgrading of the existing water works, which also includes the rehabilitation of some renovated tanks and provision of portable water treatment plants, as well as a host of other ancillary facilities,” he stated.

According to Adamu, the water supply contract is for a period of 18 months, adding that it was awarded to meet the water needs of residents of Gashua, which falls within the Sahel region.

He also said that due to a recent prevalence of kidney disease in the area, government had to intervene quickly, to save lives.

On his part, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri disclosed that Council approved N2.4 billion for the procurement of seeds for various crops to boost agricultural production in the country.

He said: “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development presented two memos.

“First was a memo seeking approval for the award of contracts to agricultural institutes and research agencies for the production and distribution of seeds and seedling to farmers.

“This is at the cost of N2,164,702,006.78. The approval given will now help our research institutes to produce seeds for farmers, to aid next year’s farming season.”

The Minister also disclosed that the council approved over N1 billion for the purchase of soil test kits.

“The second memo is for an approval for the award of contract for the purchase of 1,014 soil test kits and soil laboratory analytical equipment for the National Institute of Soil Science at the coat of N278,008,581.63, and council approved,” he stated.

He expressed the hope that the two approvals would go a long way to enhance agricultural activities across the country.Also speaking on the unveiling of the 2021-2025 National Development Plan, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, said: “The difference with this plan is that it provides a mechanism to engage, empower, and employ our teeming energetic youth.

“The plan puts opportunities for inclusiveness for young people, women, people with special needs, and the vulnerable ones, mainstreaming women gender into all aspects of our social, economic and political activities.

“This plan also has a financing plan to increase revenue to 15 per cent of GDP. Currently, revenue to GDP is 7 per cent. This plan also separates sports from youth and take sports as business.

“For the first time in our planning history, we have three volumes of the plan. In the past, we have always had one volume, which is the plan itself. But this time, we have three volumes. Volume One is the main plan, and that’s what will be accessible to the public.

“Volume Two is the prioritised and sequential list of programmes and projects that will be fed into the annual budgets. While Volume Three are the legislative imperatives.”

According to him, what Volume Three really seeks to cover are those laws or policies that impede the private sector from being the main driver of the economy.

“So, laws have been identified that need to be reviewed or changed. Policies have also been identified that need to be worked upon. So, Volumes Two and Three are not for the public. They are essentially for government to see what it needs to do.

“Another difference between this plan and the previous plan is the issue of Integrated Rural Development. This plan takes rural development away from agriculture.

“It looks at how to bring in different levels of infrastructure to the rural areas with a view to discouraging rural-urban migration and ensuring that broadband technology gets to the rural areas, and that power supply, even if it’s an upgrade, it’s within the rural areas. And we begin to open up our rural areas,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Council observed a minute silence in honour of former minister of Labour and Productivity, Hussaini Akwanga, who passed on Dec. 17 at 77.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, informed the council members of his demise shortly before the commencement of the weekly meeting and urged that a minute silence be observed in his honour.

The late Akwanga served as minister in 2003 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. (NAN) 

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Environment

Prolonged Public Holidays Come with Negative Economic Effects on Citizens – Anambra Residents

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Anambra residents have slammed the additional day approved by the Federal Government for the Muslim faithful to celebrate the 2024 Eid-Ei-Fitr, saying this will have negative effects on the economy.

The Federal government had early declared April 9 and 10 as Muslim-Ummah for the successful completion of a month’s spiritual rejuvenation.

Reports says that residents of Anambra capital city believe that the additional day which they did not plan for will result in economic hardship to the citizenry.

Most respondents believe that people had planned to resume their economic activities instead of wasting their time staying at home doing nothing..

Former Chairman, Awka Chamber of Commerce, Chief Felly Akosa, described the additional day to the two days approved earlier as “unfair to the economy of the country as people were unprepared for the additional day.

Akosa said that although it is right for the Muslim faithful to celebrate their holiday after a month-long fasting, the process needs to be carefully planned for in place of the additional rest day which could inhibit business activities.

Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, National Vice President of Igbo Apex Social Cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said the policy would cause huge economic waste as businesses are put on hold,

He advised that, in future, a proper and well planned programme needs to be in place before declaring a public holiday for any celebration that will be national.

“Our economy and other sectors are not very healthy,” and it would, therefore be appropriate to plan well to avoid declarations that will hamper the citizens’ welfare.

Mazi Christian Beluchukwu, a business man in Awka, described the extension of the Eid-El-Fitr public holiday to Thursday, April 11, as an added hardship for the citizenry.

Beluchukwu said that any public holiday for three days, April 9 to 11, to celebrate any feast in the country is an economic loss to the nation.

He said that it was best to stick to the two-day national public holidays as this gives room for the people to plan their activities very well.

He stated that his wife went to a public hospital on Tuesday and was unattended to because there was no doctor on seat to provide medical attention.

“She resorted to visiting a private hospital which cost extra money which the public hospital is expected to handle at a reasonable cost. (NAN)

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Environment

World Bank Fund: Corporation Rehabilitates Treatment Plant, Reticulation in Jos South

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The Jos Water Services Corporation (JWSC) has said that the World Bank fund received would be used to boost water supply to Bukuru and environs in Jos South Local Government Area.

Mr Apollos Samchi, the Managing Director of the corporation, said that N1.7 billion would be expended on the rehabilitation of water treatment plant, over head steel tank and laying of pipes to homes of consumers.

Samchi, who disclosed this on Friday in Jos, during a two-day capacity building workshop, said that the projects were expected to be completed in four months.

Reports says that the workshop organised for contractors has at its theme: “Implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans for Projects in Jos South.

The MD said that the projects would ensure steady provision of potable water to residents in Gyel and Kurgiya in Jos South Local Government Area.

He said the treatment plant when rehabilitated would pump out 5,000 cubic litres of water daily.

The MD further stated that the reticulation exercise would cover residents who weren’t initially connected to public water supply in the area.

Samchi said that the essence of the workshop was to ensure that the contractors were trained to develop adequate measures and controls to minimise and mitigate potential environmental and social risks that could adversely affect the project implementation.

He called on all the contractors handling the projects to ensure that they adhered to the environmental and safety standards and deliver within the specified timeframe.

In his remarks, Mr Jonathan Malann, the Plateau Project Coordinator, Sustainable Urban, Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene programme (SURWASH), also advised contractors to adhere to the environmental and safety standards as provided by the World Bank.

The Federal Government had received $700m financing from the World Bank to ensure that all its people have access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services.

The seven participating states are Plateau, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, and Kaduna.(NAN)

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Environment

Erosion Control Project: Gombe SEC Approves N389m Compensation for Residents

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The Gombe State Executive Council (SEC) has approved payment of N389 million as compensation for residents that would be affected by the gully erosion control project at Federal College of Education (FCE) Technical and its surrounding communities.

The Commissioner for Finance, Gombe State, Malam Mohammed Magaji, stated this at the end of the SEC meeting on Friday in Gombe.

Magaji said the payment, which would commence immediately, would be for individuals and organisations along the gully erosion site.

He said almost 1000 persons were expected to benefit from the gesture.

According to him, the compensation is part of the requirements of the World Bank, which specifies that such payments be made to property owners.

Magaji said the payment would also be made to ensure seamless resettlement of affected persons.

“The beneficiaries are in hundreds, almost a 1,000 people; there is compensation for houses, and also for business premises.

“There is also stipends for the elderly living around that area so that they are able to have good livelihood,” he said.

The commissioner for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Maigari, also said the SEC approved upgrade of the five mega senior secondary schools in the state to sustain improvement in the education sector.

Maigari said the upgrade would be carried out based on the needs of each of the schools.

She stated that infrastructure in some of the schools were already being upgraded to global standards.

“We have seen construction of toilets, installation of solar-powered light, construction of roads, school clinics, boreholes and many more,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on Nov. 23 signed a N12 billion contract with Triacta Nigeria Ltd. for a 21-kilometre gully erosion control work in six communities within Gombe metropolis.

The project is under ACRESAL project, a World Bank-assisted project to address the challenges of land degradation and climate change in northern Nigeria. (NAN)

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