News 2-10

Niger Assembly wants report on N5.7b pension fund misappropriation made public

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

The Niger State House of Assembly has called on Governor Abubakar Sani Bello to make public the report of the investigative panel into the N5.7b pension fund misappropriated during the past administration of Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu.

The Assembly gave this directive during an oversight visit of its Committee on Labour to the Niger State Pension Board in Minna.

The panel was headed by the deputy governor, Ahmed Mohammed Ketso.

The House Committee on Labour and Productivity also headed by Hon. Malik Madaki Bosso further expressed concern over the deductions made over 13 months from workers salaries by state ministry of local governments.

The committee said the money deducted were not remitted to the board since the resumption of the new pension scheme.

EHORECON develops guidelines to strengthen practice

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) has developed four guidelines aimed at strengthen the practices of environmental health in the country.

The Registrar of EHORECON, Dr. Baba Mohammed made the disclosure at the opening of a two days workshop on stakeholders critique meeting on the development of guidelines for disinfection of microbial (COVID-19) clinical impacted surface in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja .

Dr.Mohammed said that the meeting was very necessary and critical to identify the practices of environmental health professionals.

He said the guideline was apt and timely. “Firstly, the development of the guidelines for premises inspection and sanitary inspectors majorly is to inspect premises, through identifying the issues and problems in those houses.

“Also, it was to check toilet facilities in the premises and the processes of certification of the premises”.

He explained that “Environmental Health Officers will use modern methods for certification habitation continuously”.

The EHORECON boss pointed out how critical the guidelines for operation of public health,pest and vector control was.

“The guidelines for vector control will be explicit, given the new technology that will be used step by step by the Environmental Officer in local government, to reduce the numbers of vectors that are of medical importance”.

Also speaking,Prof. Agwu Amadi, of Federal University of Technology Owerri, said without proper guidelines in any profession it cannot be effective.

“But with a proper guideline delivery, it will be effective. More environmental practitioners should be recruited in every community in Nigeria.”

Group partners BOA on food security

From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The National Apex of Nigerian Farmers Cooperative Societies Limited (NANFACOS), in line with the Federal Government policy, is set to partner with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) to ensure food security in the country.

The National President of NANFACOS, Honourable Nwagwugwu Uzoma disclosed this when he led the National Officers of the society on a courtesy visit to the Bank of Agriculture in Kaduna yesterday.

He said the society established in 2019 is to among other things, compliment the efforts of the Federal Government in the agricultural sector.

The President explained that the Apex Cooperative body is designed to support the Federal Government in ensuring that agriculture maintains its stay in Nigeria as the giant of Africa.

Ayo Adebanjo urges priority for child education

By our correspondent

Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has urged communities to prioritise education of their children as investment in future community development .

Chief Adebanjo who gave the charge while speaking at the 2021 Ibido-Ogbo Day celebration at the weekend said that mothers must be willing to make sacrifices for the education of their children because mothers constitute the bulwark of the family.

Chief Adebanjo, who is the Asiwaju of Ibido-Ogbo and Father of the Day at the event, stated that many fathers cannot shoulder the responsibility of educating the children alone and recalled that in his youth days, especially with polygamy, mothers sold some of their belongings to ensure the education of their own children.

The Afenifere leader, who is an indigene of Ogbo community, near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, pointed out that while multiple wives in a polygamy setup was a major reason why mothers had to take care of their own children, the harsh economic realities of today, which have rendered many men incapacitated financially, demand that women, in polygamy or monogamy, would also need to make sacrifices, like mothers of old, in the education of children. He commended the leadership of the Ibido-Ogbo Development Council ( IODC) for seeking to sustain the community’s legacy in education by sponsoring the education of brilliant but indigent children in the community.

The chairman of IODC, Mr. Folasade Adekoya, had in his welcome address announced that the Council had initiated a programme of educational counseling and financial support of children of the community. He stated that education had always been a priority in the community, and pointed out the trail blazing achievement of an indigene of IBIDO-OGBO , late Samuel Olukoya, who was among the pioneer students of St. Andrew’s College, Oyo in 1896. Mr. Adekoya, who announced the launching of a Palace Building Appeal Fund at the event, appealed for the continued support of community members and well-wishers in implementing the Council’s educational, cultural and economic development agenda. The IODC chairman specially thanked the youths of the community for their efforts in the village, ‘’ especially in areas of security, supervising our economic resources, assisting the elderly ones in cases of emergencies and general welfare of the village’’.

The 2021 IBIDO-OGBO DAY celebration, with the theme : EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, was a three-day event which featured free medical examination and provision of drugs for community members on Thursday, November 25, while Friday featured ‘’ IKOKORE NIGHT, ikokore being a special delicacy of the Ijebus, with the grand finale on Friday, November 27 which featured a fund raiser, award of prizes to school children in the community, cultural dances and performance by the ‘Agbo’ masquerade.

R-L: IODC chairman, Mr. Folasade Adekoya delivering his welcome address, Dr. Bisi Olawunmi, a mass communication lecturer at Adeleke University, Ede who was a Special Guest, Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Asiwaju of Ibido-Ogbo and Otunba Adejare Adesanya, representing chairman of the occasion, Dr. Teni Adesanya during the 2021 Ibido-Ogbo Day celebration

Engineering company to produce electric cars in Nigeria

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

An engineering company, Zeetin Engineering, said it has concluded plans to set up a multi-billion naira factory in Idu Industrial area of the federal capital territory (FCT) to produce electric cars.

Speaking with journalists recently in Abuja, Robert Azibaola, promoter of the company, said he has invested about N3.5 billion in setting up the place.

Azibaola said, so far, he has not borrowed money from the bank, adding that he is desirous to receive bank facilities that would assist him to accelerate the completion of the factory.

He said the Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank have expressed their readiness to furnish Zeetin Engineering with a loan facility of N2.5 billion each.

“As a visioner, this is my vision and it is to make Nigeria great,” he said.

“Except we get our act together, the black race globally will not have a proper footing in spite of their inventions in the western countries. This is my personal contribution towards making Nigeria a great country.

“Zeetin focuses on all types of metal works of high-end engineering. It has acquired and installed the most sophisticated production machines (CNCs, Plasmas, 5Axis Milling, Lathes, etc) in the metal works industry in Nigeria.

“With its capacity, Zeetin will be functioning as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for Nigeria and will be churning out full-scale industrial product for the Automotive, Aeronautic, Aviation, Railways, Marine, Agricultural sectors, etc.

“The lack of OEMs in the country has been a great hindrance to the growth and development of manufacturing and assembling companies. Manufacturers in Nigeria usually resort to importation of all their spares amidst scarce foreign exchange and lead time.

“When fully operational, most Nigerian businesses in need of specialised spare-parts will get from Zeetin direct and would not be waiting for importation from abroad. Thus, Zeetin Engineering shall be bridging a vital gap.

“Zeetin has array of machines that are for the manufacture of other machines, spares and equipment.

“This is why Zeetin is leading the way to become Nigeria’s proudly OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) at full-scale industrial levels for Nigeria.”