46 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
Adamawa govt distributes chicken, poultry feeds to farmers
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LAUNCHING: From left: Mr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo,MD/CEO, Slot, Mr. Nitin Anand,Director, Products, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Obinna Aniche,Director, Brands and Marketing, Airtel Nigeria and Mr. Sachin Verma, Country Manager, Core Group Africa, at the launch of iPhone 5s in partnership with Airtel Nigeria in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.
Politicians contributing to insecurity in Nigeria —Gov Idris BY BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO
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OKOJA—GOVERNOR Idris Wada of Kogi State has blamed politicians in the country for contributing to the current insecurity in the country. He said that politicians employ the services of thugs and hooligans warning, however, that the state government would deal with anybody who patronised thugs or encouraged any act of violence with the approach of the 2015 general elections in the country.
Wada spoke yesterday, during the third anniversary of the Kogi State House of Assembly, in Lokoja. The governor said that the state government will no longer tolerate thuggery, hooliganism and indiscipline and asked politicians in the state not to patronise thugs or encourage any act of violence as the government would deal decisively with offenders. According to Wada, acts of thuggery and hooliganism as encouraged by the political class
had contributed greatly to the insecurity being witnessed in the country now. “The era of thuggery and acts inimical to peace and security of lives and property of the people of the state have gone for good. The concern of every politician now is to see to the development of the state. “I urge the political players in the state not to engage youths as thugs for whatever purpose and should not by any means patronise thuggery. “Any one caught in the act of
thuggery would not be spared, no matter how highly placed in the society,” Wada said, urging politicians to use their body language to discourage hooliganism that used to characterise the state’s political landscape in the past. The governor also called on the people of the state to be security conscious, pointing out that security was everybody ’s business hence it should not be left in the hands of security agencies or government alone.
Why Jonathan can't curb corruption alone, by CAN BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG OS—THE Plateau State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Soja Bewarang has said it will be difficult for President Goodluck Jonathan to curb or eradicate corruption in the country except every citizen gives his/her support in the fight. Bewarang noted that corruption is sinful and conquering corruption means eradicating sin which was not possible as long as man lived on the earth. He spoke yesterday in an interview with Vanguard in Jos, the state capital. He said that if every citizen whether a farmer, teacher, business person or politician takes a bold step and say no to corruption, the scourge would be curbed and the country freed from it. His words: “As long as man lives on the earth, sin will continue to exist and corruption is sin. If each Nigerian would say no to corruption in the farm, in the classroom, in business, in the market, if we will all take a position and say to ourselves, I will not be corrupted, neither by giving or receiving bribe, we will overcome corruption.
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“The President is doing his best but his effort alone cannot stop corruption except we take the bold step to stop sin, support him in stopping corruption for development to take place in this country.’’ He described as “laughable”
the recent claim by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, that Muslims were being marginalised in the country asking, how can the Muslims be marginalised? It is politics. “This is laughable. How can Muslims be marginalised? They
have been leaders in this country for many years, they have all the resources and the privileges. Who own the big businesses in Nigeria? For the Sultan to say such is laughable, I don’t even want to believe he said such,” he said.
Pharmacists decry poor drug distribution channels BY DEMOLAAKINYEMI
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LORIN—THE National Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, Olufemi Adebayo has decried what he described as the chaotic drug distribution channels in the country and asked the Federal Government to intervene over the issue. Adebayo said that the
disorderly distribution channels were the major reasons why counterfeit drug business and corruption thrive in the system in the country. He spoke in an interview with journalists in Ilorin, during the 33rd Annual Conference of the association with the theme,”Evolving Best Practices in Community Pharmacy.” He noted that the prevailing development must urgently be
reversed in the collective interest of Nigerians. His words: “For better health care delivery, our roles as pharmacists need to evolve from drug producers and dispenser to that of provider of quality drug products with patient-centred care which includes array of functions of counselling, drug information and monitoring of drug therapy in patients."
Group faults PDP on furniture for Edo schools
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ENIN CITY—THE Owan Progressive Vanguard and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, Alhaji Dada Akpeji, have faulted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state over its comments on furniture supplied in schools in the state. The state chairman of the PDP,
Chief Dan Orbih had challenged the state government to make public the report of the Panel allegedly set up to look into the award of contracts for the supply of school desks to secondary schools in the state. But the group in a statement by Mr. Ohis Ehimeka, said the PDP chairman does not have details of the contracts but only
decided to play to the gallery because he is in opposition. He said: "The furniture was made and delivered by an Owan son . Orbih needs to go round the over 700 schools renovated and reconstructed by the Adams Oshiomhole-led administration to see for himself rather than these unwarranted attacks and misinformation."
O L A — T H E Adamawa State Government, yesterday, distributed 45,000 chickens, poultry feeds and equipment to farmers in the state. The coordinator of Millenium Development Goals, MDGs, in the state, Alhaji Adamu Garbajo, said the gesture was under the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT, programme cosponsored by MDGs and the State Government. Garbajo said over 2,000 poultry farmers from five local government areas benefited from the programme which included a six-month training programme. The CCT Project Manager, Malam Abubakar Musa, commended the state government for cofunding the programme which he said would go a long way in empowering farmers. Musa urged the beneficiaries to make proper use of the opportunity in order to improve their lives and those of their families.
....As Jigawa farmers seek expansion of tractor hiring scheme
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UTSE—SOME farmers in Hadejia, Jigawa, yesterday, urged the Federal Government to expand the tractor hiring scheme to rural farmers in the country. A cross section of the farmers who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Hadejia, said that expansion of the programme would enhance productivity. Malam Gambo Aminu, a farmer, urged the government to review the programme to include small scale farmers. Aminu said they were not accessing tractors and other services under the programme due to high cost of the equipment and cumbersome processes. His words: “The tractor hiring scheme is favouring large scale farmers since most of us could not meet the laid down conditions to access the services."