POTATOES CULTIVATION: FG APPROVES 3.3 BILLION NAIRA LOAN FOR PLATEAU STATE

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N3.38 billion Africa Development Bank (ADB) loan for cultivation of potatoes in Plateau State.

Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun said this to State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to her, the state government will also contribute N595 million counterpart funding.

Stressing that about 60,000 jobs will be created from the potatoes value chain, she said 17 local governments in the state will benefit from the project. A strong monitoring team, she said, will be in place to ensure the loan is judiciously used.

She said the loan has five years moratorium and 25 years repayment period.

She said: “My approval was on behalf of Plateau State to support the potato value chain. There is a loan that we had previously cancelled from ADB. So, it is not a new loan. We cancelled it and redirected the money to request on behalf of Plateau State Government to support the potato value chain.

“The rationale is that Plateau actually accounts for 95 per cent of Nigeria’s potato production and from Plateau, potatoes are actually exported to Ghana, Niger, Chad and other countries and despite that, there are huge profit losses because there is no enough storage and there is so much more we can do with Plateau’s potatoes.

“So, ADB has come up with a comprehensive programme that will affect over 100,000 families. It is expected to create 60,000 jobs in a potato value chain, from processing, storage, replacement of current inputs and indeed, export.”

Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola said FEC approved N1.58 billion for Abuja-Kaduna highway repairs to support the closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.

He said N4.1 billion was approved for Apapa-Wharf road.

Fashola said: “The two memos were ratification of road works that had to be done under emergency circumstances. The first was the Abuja- Kaduna highway. Recall we had to immediately do palliative works to support the closure of the Abuja airport runway, which necessitated diversion of traffic to Kaduna.”

“At that time, we didn’t have FEC’s approval. We only had anticipatory Presidential approval as prescribed under the law for emergencies works.

Britain banning petrol, diesel cars in 2040

Britain will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 in an attempt to reduce air pollution, a move that will spell doom for oil producers, such as Nigeria.

The measure, 23 years away, could herald the end of over a century of popular use of the fossil fuel-guzzling internal combustion engine.

Britain’s step, which follows France, amounts to a victory for electric cars that could eventually transform the wealth of major oil producers, car industry employment and one of the icons of 20th Century capitalism: the automobile itself.

The mayors of Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens have said they plan to ban diesel vehicles from city centers by 2025, while the French government also aims to end the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040.

The British government has been under pressure to take steps to reduce air pollution after losing legal cases brought by campaign groups, and in May set out proposals for a scrappage scheme to get rid of the most polluting vehicles.

“Today we are confirming that that means there should be no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040,” environment minister Michael Gove told BBC Radio.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives had pledged to make “almost every car and van” zero-emission by 2050. The Times newspaper said the supply of hybrid vehicles which have both an electric and petrol or diesel engine would also end.

There is a mountain to climb, however.

Electric cars currently account for less than 5 percent of new car registrations in Britain, with drivers concerned about the cost and limited availability of charging points and manufacturers worried about making expensive investments before the demand is there.

“We could undermine the UK’s successful automotive sector if we don’t allow enough time for the industry to adjust,” warned Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The Future Is Electric?

While many automakers may find it hard to countenance the end of the combustion engine, some have embraced a future where electric vehicles, or perhaps even driverless vehicles, ultimately win the race.

Earlier this month, Volvo became the first major traditional automaker to set a date for phasing out vehicles powered solely by the internal combustion engine by saying all its car models launched after 2019 would be electric or hybrids.

Renault-Nissan in 2009 announced plans to spend 4 billion euros on electric car development.

But until Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating on U.S. diesel emissions tests, most mainstream auto manufacturers had been slow to sink serious investment into battery cars.

The backlash against diesel, without which carmakers would struggle to meet CO2 targets, has since refocused minds and produced a flurry of new commitments.

Volkswagen (VW) itself unveiled ambitious plans last year to roll out 30 new battery-powered models that it expects to account for 2-3 million annual sales by 2025 – or as much as 25 percent of its vehicle production.

Toyota, which pioneered gasoline-electric hybrids but had long resisted battery-only cars, changed tack last year and has since unveiled plans for a new range of pure-electric models.

In Europe, so called ‘green cars’ benefit from subsidies, tax breaks and other perks, while combustion engines face mounting penalties including driving and parking restrictions.

China, struggling with catastrophic pollution levels in major cities, is pushing plug-in vehicles, though in the United States there is much less appetite so far.

Germany, the home of major carmakers such as VW, Daimler and BMW, should soon start phasing out petrol and diesel too, said Oliver Wittke, a transport expert in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU).

But there is likely to be resistance in Europe’s biggest car market. More than 600,000 jobs could be at risk in Germany from a potential ban on combustion engine cars by 2030, the Ifo economic institute said earlier this month in a study commissioned by Germany’s VDA car industry lobby.

Germany’s three major carmakers have also invested heavily in diesel technology, which offers more efficient fuel burn and lower carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline-powered cars.

In response to the British decision, a German government spokeswoman said on Wednesday Merkel had repeatedly warned against “demonizing” diesel vehicles.

Yet Britain’s move will accelerate the decline of diesel cars, whose nitrogen oxide emissions have been blamed for causing respiratory diseases, in Europe’s second biggest market

Local Government Autonomy Remains Sacrosanct- Comrade Khaleel Ibrahim

The Plateau State chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) on Thursday, April 20, 2017 staged a solidarity march to the offices of the Speaker of the House of Assembly and that of the Executive Governor of the Stat, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, during which they submitted a memorandum.

Speaking at the solidarity march, Comrade Ibrahim Abdulkadir, National President of NULGE, said: ”This is a nationwide advocacy campaign. The national leadership of NULGE decided to drive this process across the length and breadth of Nigeria to canvass for constitutional reforms that will strengthen the institutional framework of local government, considering the fact that the prevalent situation in local governments is such that entire system of government is missing in the political economy of our nation and even though the Constitution of Nigeria recognizes the entire system of government as the third tier government, with the democratic structure and at the same time, it is one of the tiers of government that attracts much revenue.  But the truth is that the entire system has been hijacked by the by the political elites in our society.

“So, considering the fact that local governments anywhere in the world are the nucleus of national political edifice, where it is now needs improvement.”

In his own submission, Comrade Samson Mafuyai, the President, Plateau State Chapter of National Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE) and also the Deputy President National Labour Congress Plateau state Chapter, said he was not comfortable as long as the local government staffs are receiving 55% salary scale of what their counterparts are receiving at the state level,

He noted that the discrepancy in the salary structure of the state was a flagrant abuse of office by the last administration. He said it is unacceptable and the discrimination must be stop.

He said: “This is one of the reasons that are driving us to seek for the autonomy. If we are in control of our funds and we are unable to pay salaries, we will understand because, if your local government becomes too broke that they don’t have enough money to pay staff salaries you cannot hold anybody responsible. We will manage our problems by ourselves,” he added

Mafuyai said “We had series of court cases with the last administration but, when his Excellency Governor Simon Bako Lalong came, he said, he prefers out of court settlement and we entered into an agreement with the government and he agreed to pay us our four months withheld salaries”.

He said, the governor equally promises that when revenue improves he would put local government on the same salary scale with the state.

Mafuyai thanks the National President of NULGE and all those who troop out to support the solidarity march.

Jos Carnival Marks Return of Peace to Plateau – Hon. Saleh Shehu Yitmong, Hon Jacob Kassam

Plateau people have expressed joy at the recently concluded Jos Carnival, saying it marked the return of peace on the hitherto troubled state. Our correspondent who covered the event, first of its kind in the state, reports that it drew a large number of people from all walks of life.

 

Hon. Saleh Shehu Yitmong, member representing Dengi Constituency and Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, said: “The carnival has gone a long way to show that the government is serious about peace and transformation of Plateau State.

“We strongly believe that over a long period of time such an activity has never taken place. You can see for yourself how people came out en-masse regardless of their social standing, their tribes or religious beliefs. This is symbolic. Whatever the governor has been preaching, he is now translating it into action. As you can see, people are trooping out. This has passed a message that people are now living harmoniously together and now it has cleared doubts in people’s minds that Plateau is now safe for people to come and invest. The Jos crises are now history.

“When we were inaugurated, the first thing we did was to put up a committee to promote peaceful atmosphere. And now we are happy we are seeing the end product. My message to Plateau people is that we should embrace each other. We must love one another; we should work hard and be self-reliant.

“The carnival symbolizes the return of the Home of Peace and Tourism. Plateau is back on track and it has regained its glory.”

On his part, the member of the House of Assembly representing Kanke Constituency, Hon. Jacob Kassam, had this to say: “The carnival wouldn’t have been completed without hooting the Zombi horn. The carnival has gone a long way to show that Plateau people are united. We must strive and live together.

“Kanke is richly endowed with culture and I believe this is the first time this carnival is being held in Plateau. I won’t be surprised if by this time next year this rich display of culture is not held again.”

Veteran Journalists Suggest Diversion of Recovered Loot to Agric

The Plateau State League of Veteran Journalists (LVJ) has suggested that the Federal Government should adopt a method whereby 80 per cent of money realized through whistle blowing on corrupt politicians should be channelled into agriculture, education, health, tourism and revitalization of  moribund but viable industries throughout the country.

In a press release jointly signed by Dr. Gideon Barde and Hon. Tunde Oladapo, Plateau State Chairman and Secretary-General respectively of the LVJ, they said if properly implemented, the suggested measure would reduce strikes, protests, youth unemployment and poverty which the country is passing through.

They applauded the bold steps adopted by the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Simon Lalong to revolutionize agriculture, tourism and ailing industries throughout the nooks and crannies of the state.

“The group is particularly happy following the enthusiasm of youths, farmers and adults’ 

participation during the recently concluded agricultural summit and the cultural carnival initiated by Governor Lalong’s administration to employ restive youths and appealed to the Federal Government ton come to the aid of the state,” the statement added.

The League also commended the recent suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), but advised President Muhammadu Buhari to beam his searchlight further in order to flush out all the cabals under is administration as the League believed more revelations are coming out soon after the exit of the two kingpins.

The LVJ also congratulated professional journalists in the state such as Mr. Lukeman Bello of Unity FM, Mr. Yakubu Tadi of Plateau Radio Television Corporation, Mr. D. Femi of J-FM, and Mr. David King of Silverbird Radio for creditably winning the minds of listeners during the recently concluded radio analysis contest.

They urged the awardees to be fearless but objective in their news gathering and reportorial duties in accordance with the ethics of the profession which focuses on truth, justice and fair play.

Local Government Autonomy, a Panacea for Grassroots Participation in Nigeria Democracy

The demands for scrapping of state and Local Government joint accounts and State electoral commission, financial and administrative autonomy top the memo submitted to the Executive Governor Plateau State, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, the Speaker Plateau State House of Assembly Hon. Peter Azi, during the solidary match by the Plateau State Chapter of National Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE) on 20th April, 2016 in Jos, the state capital.

The solidarity procession which started at the State NLC secretariat attracted overwhelming crowd and support for local government autonomy as the third tier of government.

While, receiving the Memo from the NULGE National Chairman, Governor Simon Bako Lalong promises to deliver the memo to the chairman Nigeria Governors Forum and equally make inputs and submit same to the state House of Assembly.

Governor Lalong said “I made a promise to Plateau People that I don’t want to see Salaries arrears again” he said, it is disheartening to find out that someone just siphoned over 7billion naira at a time when workers were on strike for non-payment of salaries, ‘that money must be returned’ he added.

Earlier, while receiving the MEMO from the National Presidents of NULGE at the premises of the State House of Assembly, the Plateau State Speaker, Rt. Hon. Peter Azi, said, “we in the Plateau State House of Assembly adopted the position of NULGE, because we believed the autonomy will strengthened the local government administration” he said they will give the memo express approval.   

In brief

As a result of lack of financial autonomy, local governments have become a shadow of themselves. To put it succinctly, they have been emasculated by the various state governments which continued to hold on to their statutory revenue allocations under various guises.

The polity is awash with reports of state governments tampering with statutory allocations of revenue allocated to the local councils while the latter is unable to challenge this flagrant violation of the constitution.

Speaking to the mammoth crowd that gathered to support the Plateau NULGE, Comrade Stephen Aluko said, without the grassroots support and votes, those in government wouldn’t  have been in their position today, he wonders why the same people are denying the local government autonomy. He said “as long as there is no autonomy at the local government level, there is no democracy in Nigeria”

Aluko said, during the presidential campaigned President Buhari promised to give local government autonomy if voted into power, and Nigerians are expecting nothing less than this, he added.

He said “if truly APC is for change and they wants to fight corruption, then the right thing to do is granting autonomy to the local government.

In his own part Gad Shamaki noted that the issues of local government autonomy is about rights, and freedom, because local governments operates at the grassroots level and it is the closest government to the people, they must have financial and administrative autonomy in order for development to be sustained. He said “Joint account is a fraud and must stop

Governor Lalong Commissions 15 Operational Vehicles for VIOs

With effort to complement the resume agenda of government, about 15 ford vans and two potholes pitchers Howo have been distributed to the department of Vehicle Inspection  Officer (VIO) by Governor Simon Bako Lalong.

The Governor while commissioning the operational vehicles at the headquarters of VIO at Old Airport Road in Jos, Plateau State on Wednesday, Febeuary 8, pledged his administration’s readiness to improve the wellbeing of Plateau citizens by providing them with quality lives for effective good governance.

He declared that under his government no time will be wasted or delayed in construction of new roads among all other contracts awarded by government.

Lalong reassured citizens of the state of provision of conductive atmosphere in the area of road management. He charged the ministry to strengthen the awardable laws and commence the process of revenue collection on vehicles to ensure that there is improvement on vehicle taxes.

The governor called on all commuters to cooperate with the VIO

He condemned the use of bombs across and road block, those commissioning with help to address the challenges of traffic road laws in the state.

He assured of sending to regulate the movement of vehicles on our highway in the state to check the activities by eschewed all corruption tendencies to publish.

The vehicles are strictly for public use not for private by warning the commissioner to make sure that no vehicle is used for works, Plateau State, Hon. Pam Dongs said, commissioning for operational vehicles which is the first to wines the clear manifestation of rescue mission.

He said, the duty of VIO is to help towards improving revenue generation in the state, release or funds toward operation potholes within Jos, Bukuru Metropolis.

Dongs promised to ensure good maintenance of the newly purchases vehicle revenue generation and pitching of potholes within the state capital.

The permanent secretary, Engr. Sunday Hyat disclosed that this commissioning has boosted the yearnings and aspirations of the people and urged the VIO to make good use of this operational vehicles to good use.