Agro Business 3rd edition

Agro Business
with Success Kanayo Uchime


Plantain growers receive succor

Growers of plantain in Nigeria will soon have a new lease of life with the recent launch of the ‘Stop Bunchy Top’ campaign targeted at preventing the spread of the Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ogun State.
     The campaign which is a collaboration between IITA, Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS), National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), and the Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture, seeks to sensitize farmers experiencing the scourge of BBTD infestation.
    It is also aimed at creating awareness among extension workers, policymakers, and farmers in disease-affected areas and elsewhere about the danger of BBTD and control measures, which include the need to plant clean banana suckers and to prevent their fields from becoming infested.
     Speaking during the event, the NIHORT Executive Director, Adenike Olufolaji, said that as part of the collaborative project with IITA, they have already trained more than 200 farmers in Ogun State and supplied about 8000 clean plantain suckers between 2014 and 2015.  
     He noted that the training focused on how farmers can identify the disease and also produce clean planting materials adding that his organization has emphasized that clean planting materials must be collected only from certified sources because it guarantees clean orchard and consequently improves productivity.
     Also speaking, IITA Director, Robert Asiedu, said IITA appreciates the reception and high level of support from government, pledging to intensify research to ensure effective control.
     He noted that IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, and that its award-winning research-for-development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries.
    “IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees,” he stated.
     He also stated: “IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. It is a member of Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.”

Investment opportunities in snail business

Heliculture (snail farming) is a very lucrative business which has a very low startup capital with high profit margin. Currently, very few smart Nigerians have discovered this secret, and do not want others to know about the methodology involved in rearing snails.
What is heliculture?
Heliculture (scientific snail farming) is simply domesticating snails at home, making them feel as if they are in their natural habitat (home). Heliculture is a very lucrative venture that is yet to be appreciated in the agro industry, because very few are aware of its profit potential. However, the very smart few in the business discovered this, and are making a fortune from it.
     People see snails here and there, some people take it as meat, but quite a number do not know how to go about rearing them. This is made worse because snails, which belong to the family of animal called Mollusca, is a hermaphrodite - it has both the female and male sexual organs; so one cannot really distinguish between the male and female specsie of it. Snail, also is high in protein (12-16%) and irons (45-50 mg/kg), low in fat, and contains almost all the amino acid needed by humans.
     However, the smart few in the snail farming business over time keeps the farming methodology very secret to themselves. But the plain truth is that snail farming is as easy as anything. The only thing the snails may constantly demand from you is your attention and care. They hardly fall sick. You do not have to buy their food and you may not have to spend much to build a pen (house) for them.
     The beauty of it all is that the snails reproduce rapidly; they are capable of producing hundreds of eggs, which hatch into snails. It is now possible to produce 1,000,000 snails worth more than N5 million twice a year. This is made possible because of the availability of very highly prolific Achatina Achatina species of snails, which lay 200-400 in one batch 2-3 times a year. There is the urgent need for Nigerians to have a radical shift from total dependence on government for job to self-employment.
    One of such attractive areas for self-employment is snail rearing. It is a great money-spinning business that can provide a substantial source of protein to complement Nigerians’ carbohydrate meals. Sadly, Nigerians inclination to go into business in the fields where thousands have already made their fortune, has led to the utter neglect of such lucrative area of snail farming in Nigeria or export at international market.
Income earning opportunity
     The demand for snail is higher than the supplies and as such, the market potential of snail is inexhaustible, locally and internationally.
     This technology has been approved to be the most lucrative farming venture presently, as it requires far less capital investment, while much profit is being generated in a considerable short period. It has lower risk compared to other livestock farming.
      Snail farming in Nigeria is virgin in the kingdom of livestock. As a result the earlier investors   without doubt have bright prospects in exploring this venture.  Virtually every part of snail is of vital use in food, pharmaceutical industry, manufacturing and fishing industries.  Snail is an export commodity, which has value next to gold in overseas countries. It is a foreign exchange income earner of our day. Our climate is one of the best in snail breeding.
     Snail farming in Nigeria requires small capital and the running cost is very low, hence their feeds are very local. Snail business indeed, is a gem in the livestock business. Therefore, take advantage of the opportunity of being among the fore-runners in this unbeatable venture. You can conveniently earn income a thousand fold higher than your present earning. You can keep your present job and do this on part time since it does not require much time.
     This is a real export market that earns foreign revenue without you running from pillar to post. This is not fiction, but factual. Not imaginary, but a reality. You too will share your view with others. No stress, no time consuming, no odor, no noise and no irritation. Snail farming is a practicable and viable venture, yet unexplored in Nigeria. If it has worked elsewhere, it will work in Nigeria.
The snail market
     There is a ready market for snail, locally and internationally. If you rear snail in commercial quantity, hotels, and fast food restaurants will be your regular customers. They will only need your assurance of regular supply per week. There is also good market for snail meat in the international market if only you can do a good packaging. You can make millions of Naira from this vast and inexhaustible market. Snail farmers are making huge profit as the global demand for the delicacy increases. In Nigeria, the prices of raw, matured snails go for N250 to N600, depending on the size.
    However, the annual demand for snail in Nigeria is about 7.5million kg annually. The international trade in snails is flourishing in Europe, France, China, and North America. The United States imports more than $5million worth of snails annually from all over the world, including Nigeria. France also requires about 15, 000 metric tons of the delicacy annually.
     Snail meat has been consumed by humans worldwide since pre-historic times. It is high in protein (12-16%) and iron (45-50 mg/kg), low in fat, and contains almost all the amino acids needed by humans. A recent study has shown that the glandular substances in edible snail meat could be of value in fighting a variety of ailments, including whooping cough. Snails can also be helpful to Asthmatic patients.
     You now see that this is an opportunity for you to get rich. You do not have to go in search of job when you can conveniently make millions of Naira right at your backyard with little capital and on part-time bases.
Source: This aerticle was written by Gideon-Wealth Ele, Port-Harcourt, and retrieved from his  website: http://snailfarmingng.blogspot.com.ng/ 




IFAD, developing rural agriculture in Nigeria

In its efforts to develop agriculture in the rural areas of Nigeria, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has made tangible commitments in the sector. With its recent commitment of $27 million for the development of rural agriculture, the organization has again demonstrated its firm resolve to decisively reduce poverty in at least 345,000 rural poor households in the country.
    With this effort, the organization is implementing its proposed seven-year rural agriculture finance support program which is ultimately aimed at reducing poverty in the country.
    In a statement by its Country Program Manager, Atsuko Toda, she assured that the program will in no small measure help tackle unemployment and poverty in Nigeria as well as encourage economic growth and development.
     She noted that IFAD commitment of the huge sum is a clear demonstration of its willingness to help in the fight against poverty and unemployment in rural communities and as such urged the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) to ensure smooth and transparent implementation of the program.
     Toda pointed out that IFAD has financed nine programs and projects in Nigeria since 1985, with a total loan commitment of US$187.4 million, adding that all programs and projects have addressed the livelihood needs of the rural poor, including smallholders, rural small businesses, poor fishing communities, young people, landless people and women.
     According to her, IFAD’s operations have contributed to the generating and disseminating technology to increase incomes and family food security while also introducing approaches for effective soil and water conservation and environmental management.
     She said it has fostered demand-driven and participatory approaches to agricultural and rural support services, capacity building and institutional strengthening to ensure the sustainability of successful development approaches.
      On IFAD’s strategy in Nigeria, Toda said IFAD’s support for the Nigerian government’s poverty reduction program focuses on facilitating economic and social development in rural areas. “Its particular objectives are to empower rural poor people, especially women, by increasing access to resources, infrastructure and services, and to promote the management of land, water and common property by local communities.”
    She noted that these objectives reflect the need to overcome environmental degradation in the country, as IFAD projects address issues such as erosion and the loss of soil fertility, as well as coastal zone natural resource management.
      It is worthy to note that IFAD directs assistance towards the following areas in the country: empowering small-scale farmers, landless people and rural women to generate sustainable incomes from farm and other activities. It supports pro-poor reforms and local governance to expand access to information, effective transport systems, village infrastructure and technologies, and improving access of poor rural communities to financial services and social services.
   At the government’s level, IFAD helps build capacity and strengthen institutions providing services to rural poor people, assisting with necessary policy changes, developing local organizations to enhance their effective participation, and promoting initiatives to foster rapid private sector-led poverty reduction and economic growth.

Palm Oil: Government’s revenue continues to drop

The federal government will continue to witness a downward trend in palm oil production both as a crop for export and local use as a result of low incentives in investment, dysfunctional land tenure system, transaction costs and high risks arising from poor governance.
    These facts are contained in a recent study entitled: “Nigeria: A Smallholder Case-study,” which is part of a global study of key palm oil producing countries assessing the Socio Economic Impact of High Carbon Stock (HCS).
     In a statement by Thompson Ayodele, of the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (IPPA),
 one of the authors of the study, he said that these are the key findings in a multi-country study on palm oil recently released.
      He noted that the study discovered that small-holder palm oil farmers account for over 90 per cent of palm oil production which is not enough for local consumption alone, adding that the study also discovered that palm oil ought to provide a significant boom to local livelihoods and play a key role in poverty reduction strategy through a well-established value chain, but these were overshadowed by broader problems.
     Ayodele said the study established that the sector is plagued by dysfunctional land tenure regime which works as a disincentive for long-term investment by both smallholders and large estates. There is also lack of coordination between state and federal authorities and a general disregard by local communities of federal laws relating to land tenure, and that this has prevented investors to be wary of making large-scale investments in the sector.
    He observed that this is exacerbated, given that a range of government policies targeting the sector are either poorly implemented or grossly inadequate to tackle the challenges, and that the available option for investors is the purchase of pre-existing plantations, as is the case with few investors already in the sector.
     “In addition, the study further discovered that the global environmental concerns surrounding palm oil production has no direct relevance to Nigeria palm oil as there are much more significant obstacles to investment aside from complying with the required environmental standard imposed by environmental non-governmental organizations. The question of the impact of environmental regulations on palm oil – whether through private sector (e.g. Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) or state or national laws – on smallholders is and has to this point been a non-issue,” he stated.
     He opined that environment-driven regulatory frameworks such as High Carbon Stock (HCS) or Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is likely to provide some level of assurance to assuage environmental organizations, but their imposition or adoption is an additional burden on small-holders who can barely produce enough for the local economy. “Therefore, mandating palm oil farmers to comply with certain environmental requirements would be ineffectual in the face of poor environmental management in Nigeria which is hamstrunged by lack of enforcement capacity.”
      “The land tenure system is perhaps the biggest disincentive for investment, particularly for palm plantation. The risks associated with the land tenure system have necessitated companies to undertake extensive community consultations which have achieved positive results. However, there will always be levels of dissatisfaction in any community where consultation is one-sided with government. This will lead to some level of conflict which requires constructive engagement of all the stakeholders,” Ayodele argued.
      He continued: “Oil palm is not a key driver of deforestation in Nigeria. Environmental thresholds on oil palm will not necessarily result in environmental protection. They may simply prompt development of another crop, this is because the area available for oil palm is suffering from low productivity.”
    According to him, the environmental threshold on oil palm will not necessarily result in environmental protection largely because oil palm is not a key driver of deforestation in Nigeria, and that the population’s reliance on firewood for fuel is likely to worsen deforestation, as a weakened economy will force more Nigerians to chop down trees for cooking fuel and shelter.
      He advised that government’s policy needs to aid smallholders in order to achieve self-sufficiency in palm oil production as well as reforming the land tenure system which dis-incentivizes private large-scale plantation.

Personality Profile 3rd edition

I believe Ndiowu will move forward again – Engr. Emenike
It is the prayer of the President-General (PG)of Ndiowu Town Union (NTU), Engr. Chike Emenike, that his town will get out of the mucky waters it found itself and move forward again. In this interview with our Editor-in-Chief, SUCCESS UCHIME, he talks on that and other critical and burning issues in his town Ndiowu. Excerpt.

Question: May our readers meet with you?
Answer: Well, I am Engr. Chike Emenike, a material and metallurgical Engineer. I finished from Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Owerri in the 1990s. I run my own company, and we are into corrosion services in the Oil and Gas sector. We are based in Port Harcourt. I am married with three children and I am a native of Ndiowu.
Question: You are the PG Ndiowu Town Union (NTU). For how long have you been the PG?
Answer: By the grace of God, I have been the PG since 2011. I was re-elected in 2013, and have just two years to finish my tenure.
Question: How do you feel being the PG of Ndiowu?
Answer: Honestly, I thought it was something that will not be of stress to me, though it has to be, but I see it as an opportunity to contribute to the betterment of my community. It is not as simple as I thought. Over the years, we have this issue of everybody complaining that things were not done well and that these people were doing this and doing that. So I thought that at 50 years plus, I should be able to do something well.
Question: What motivated you to aspire to that office?
Answer: At least, those things that people complained bitterly about, I wanted to see how we can come and remedy them, especially purposeful leadership. I am talking of a leadership that is devoid of sectionalism and division.  Leadership that takes into cognition, the growth and development of the town rather than of individualism and the thinking of one’s family only. There has been the issue of divide between Mgboms and the Aros in my town. My mother is from the stalk that answers Mgbom, while my father is from the stalk that answers Aro. So I am found in-between, and it will be difficult for me to side any of these divides, but in any case, I wanted to see the possibilities of down-playing all these divisions and move on the name Ndiowu. This is so because, that is the unifying factor for all of us. So that has been my vision.    I came in at a time everyone generally agreed there was no government, that the government then had collapsed, and that their interest was collecting one million from the then government of Mr. Peter Obi and do whatever they liked with it. The leadership completely broke down, either because the leaders then did not have an idea of what to do or that they had a narrow program, and I have to start from the scratch. As a matter of fact, there was no official handover from that regime, because there were two regimes operating parallel to each other. One was championed by one Arch. Godfrey Oguoyibo, while another one called Ndiowu People’s Council (NPC) was over seen by Mazi Rasford Nwafor.
Question: So who conducted election for you?
Answer: By the time we were discussing this election thing, we were told that the two factions were in court. Incidentally and fortunately for the community, the judgment of the court came out within the same period, so NPC won the case. We were not in government then, but we approached them, and requested they give us a go ahead to conduct a single election for Ndiowu, and they obliged.
Question: Was NPC a town union or a political organ?
Answer: It was actually a town union. It was after the court that the community came together and said, “let us drop these two names NPC and NTU and go with a new one.” So we set up a Caretaker Committee that will dissolve the two and conduct a fresh election. Then, NTU rejected the agreement and went to court and challenged APC and they lost the case. The court said APC is legal because it was a child of necessity as a result of the crises and factions. But already, NTU, because of their long leg, had NTU registered with the government. So we could not let it go. So when the 2011 judgment came, we then said, since we have NTU registered with the government, let us hold an election with that name instead of getting a new one, but it will not be a continuation of that regime. It was a consensus thing, and NPC was not operating with any constitution because it was a caretaker committee set up by the community. Meanwhile, NTU said they have a constitution, and on that day of election, there were intrigues. The Local Government Transition Committee then and the Town Union and Chieftaincy Matters at the states level brought all of us together in one single election, held at one venue, and that was the election I emerged. Mind you, that election was not conducted with any constitution, because NPC that won in the court did not have any constitution, they only had guidelines. NTU had a constitution which they called 1990. It was a factional constitution which also had its electoral guidelines and putting the two side by side, we could not have been able to conduct a successful election, because their guidelines were saying different things.
 Question: So what did you do then?
Answer: We merely adopted all the provisions. It was a consensus and by the grace of God, the Local Government Chairperson then, had to be our own Hon. Emeka Aforka, and he was there present, he practically supervised the consensus and we went on with the election. By the time we entered, it was obvious to me that we could not just continue to operate without a document and we said let us have a Constitution Review Committee along the line. Agreement was reached that four years should be ideal for the tenure of the executives, and that was my first two years in 2012. In August 2013, a new election based on the two years we agreed initially was supposed to come up in December of that same year, 2013, but this agreement was reached in August to be specific. We then said okay, whoever wins the 2013 election will run for four years. The agreement was documented; people were there from all over the places. On the day of the election, it was equally announced just to reaffirm, and the election took place, and I won. The inauguration was done by the transition chairman then.
Question: Having been PG for four years, what are your landmark achievements?
Answer: Okay yes! One major achievement I think we have made was that we were able to create that enabling environment that the entire Ndiowu people now believe in Ndiowu project. Based on that, a whole lot of things that were not happening before then started happening. Like as you were coming here, I hope you saw the tarred road. Within the few years I was there, the then Governor, Peter Obi made a promise to our able Hon. Okey Ude, and it came to pass. We looked at those things as major achievements we have made, because if we did not create that enabling environment, probably it would not be possible. Again, our people used to petition whenever a good thing is coming, but to my greatest surprise, there was no single petition.That borehole there is from MDGs, solar street lights also came from MDGs, and another borehole was done by the MDGs. Question: Do you have any budget estimate for 2016?
Answer: There is no budget apart from the income we have received now. That is, the N500, 000 the state government gave this December as palliatives. So it has been difficult getting fund, because most of us work against our attempt, even some prominent persons, most of them you may know in this town, have never supported the Town Union. The fact is that Ndiowu politics is very unique. Each time the Town Union makes a move, you must find people that will counter it.
Question: Why did you say that Ndiowu politics is unique?
Answer: It is unique in the sense that right from my childhood, there has been this divide. Some people use the Ngbom as a platform, because 99% of those that claim Ngbom in this town are not really Ngbom. We all know who the Ngboms are, but people use them as a platform to fight anything that is coming into the town, why? Because they said they are being described as slaves. They say some feel the town belongs to them, and because of that, they will never allow them to rest until they too become part of Ndiowu. The real Ngboms are all quiet and calm, very good people. You cannot find them fermenting troubles or being part of the meeting of the trouble makers.
Question: Are the Ngboms agitating for the Eze?
Answer: On the issue of Eze, the Ngboms say they need to be included in the politics of Ezeship. I quite agree that people have the right to agitate for one thing or the other. But I also know that you do not ask people to give you a position. You have to come into the fold and demand for your right. You do not fight from the outside. As far as I am concerned, that does not tell me they are demanding for anything, and that is my position. I know everyone has the right to agitate, but first of all, let us come together. Let there be a forum for discussion, and there, you tender your demands.  If they have a demand, they have to come and we address the issue one after the other, not by mudslinging or by writing petitions when you hear that government wants to do something in the town, then you write petition against it. Does that entail you are making a demand?
Question: What happened with the tenure issue?
Answer: Yes, they accused me of tenure elongation and manipulation of the constitution. I was accused of all manner of things. Even I was accused of selling a whole village and pocketed the money. I was accused of arming some youths with dangerous weapons and that they, the youths, have driven away all the prominent people in the town. Well, what I did as a result of all these accusations was to sit down and put my position in writing. I called it “Matters Arising” as regards Ndiowu chieftaincy and constitution. You know I have talked about a committee, after they did what they did and we took decision in 2013, nothing much happened again. They did not complete their assignment, so in the presence of the late Eze, a decision was taken to continue with the constitution, so as to complete it. We were making arrangements on how to finish the work on the constitution when an accusation came that I was going into the constitution because I wanted to become the Eze, and also that I wanted to elongate my tenure as mentioned earlier.
Question: Let us talk about the court issue. What prompted you going to court?
Answer: What happened was that the Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Matters who when he invited us, that is my executive and the other faction led by Hon. Emeka Aforka, as usual on the constitution matter. I gave him all the documents and write-ups, how everything went. The said Hon. Aforka brought a document which he called their constitution and gave to the Adviser. He, the Adviser, said he will get back to us, but he never did. So we discovered that he was using the supposed constitution from the other faction as Ndiowu constitution. We protested and told him he cannot give Ndiowu a constitution, that the so-called constitution they gave to him was not Ndiowu constitution, that it was a factional thing. We had a heated argument, and I saw he was bent on using that constitution, and was about to set fire in Ndiowu. I should be stupid to allow him cause damage. So I have to start a court process to stop him from using that factional constitution to empower the other faction from holding an election.
Question: Did you just stopped at the court process?
Answer: No! I also wrote a petition to the Inspector-General (IG) to stop this group from setting fire to the community. They were really prepared. They threatened to kill me, kidnap me and all that, in the presence of the entire community. It will be stupid of me to just keep quiet. That was why I had to run to the IG, and he gave instructions that no election should be held until all the naughty issues are settled.
Question: So in summary, what is the key problem in Ndiowu?
Answer: Well, the key problem has been the constitution. So what is it in the Constitution? How the Eze will rotate. Will it rotate amongst the nine villages that make up Ndiowu, or the four quarters we have in the town? I have started the process of solving this longtime problem, and once I am able to end it well, people will be able to see that we have been able to relatively solve a major problem. We have been able to have a draft constitution on Chieftaincy and the Town Union. We are distributing copies to everyone, so people can make input.
Question: Any promise or prayer for Ndiowu?
Answer: You see, when I was growing up, I never knew anyone as Ngbom or Aro. So there is need for us to get back to our first love. Until we are able to do that, we cannot progress. When we are able to select a vibrant Eze and Town Union executives, I believe Ndiowu will move forward again. Therefore, my prayer is that God will help us have an acceptable constitution.

General News 3rd edition

Follow established laws, UN warns Biafran agitators
Stories By Ikenna Nwosu

The United Nations (UN) has issued a stern warning to those clamoring for the independent state of Biafra to always ensure they pursue it in line with established international law.
     In a report on Naij.com news site, it said that the EU Foreign Affairs Chief, Federica Mogherini, who issued the warning to the agitators of pro-Biafrans calling for independence said that any form of self-determination must be achieved “in accordance with established international law.”
    According to Naij report, thousands of Nigerians across the country’s Southeast have taken part in demonstrations in recent months, demanding an independence referendum for the historical region of Biafra.
     It said that protesters also want the release of pro-Biafran activist Nnamdi Kanu, who has been detained by Nigerian authorities since October 19, 2015. Muhammadu Buhari has rejected calls for Kanu’s release, saying authorities are worried that the United Kingdom (U.K)-based activist would jump bail.
    The report said Mogherini addressed the issue in a written response to a letter from Jonathan Levy, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS), a U.S.-based body campaigning for an independence referendum on Biafra.
    “In the letter, which was sent to Levy, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security said that the EU has a “longstanding multifaceted relationship with Nigeria” and follows political developments in the West African nation closely,” Naij report stated.
    It noted that Mogherini said protection of human rights and fundamental freedom remains a priority for the EU, and that pro-Biafran protesters have complained of abuses during their marches and three people were reportedly killed by security forces during a demonstration in Aba, Abia state in southeast Nigeria.
      Naij report has it that the Abia State Police said they were not aware of any deaths at the demonstration, adding that a group of lawyers is also reportedly preparing to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Buhari’s government for human rights violations against supporters of the secessionist movement.

Biafra: Kanu explains why he apologized to Buhari, Jonathan, othersBy Ikenna Nwosu

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and founder of Radio Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has come out to justify reasons why he tendered unreserved apologies to President Muhammadu Buhari, former President, Goodluck Jonathan and other Nigerians.
    In a statement, Kanu claimed it is un-African to be rude and insolent to elders, and as such, tendered unreserved apologies to the President, former President Goodluck Jonathan and other prominent Igbo leaders whom he had castigated earlier through his Radio Biafra.
       He stated: “Referring to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a terrorist, evil and a pedophile is regrettable and uncalled for, and for that, I unreservedly apologize, and will be doing so in a private letter to the President.
    According to him, before Buhari, there was Goodluck’s administration, and that he had said uncomplimentary things about him and other prominent Igbo leaders as well, which he now recognized should not have happened because it is un-African to be rude or insolent to elders.
    Kanu also stated: “All I was trying to do was to draw attention to the problems afflicting our society, so that something will be done about them.”
      He affirmed that his organization IPOB was registered legitimately at the United Nation (UN), and as such is pursuing the rights of a specific indigenous people, in this case, Biafra, to seek self determination according to the UN charter.
   “The reason for the formation of the Indigenous People of Biafra is to avail those referring to themselves as Biafrans the opportunity made available as a result of the United Nations declaration to seek the peaceful rebirth of Biafra in line with international law,” he noted.
     Kanu said that the secessionist agenda of IPOB became necessary as a result of incessant hardship, lack of holistic development in the socio-economic landscape of Nigeria, lack of youth employment, corruption in high offices and economic regression.
     It is to be recalled that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), in 2015 effectively neutralized the illegal broadcast from the seditious pirate radio station operated by Kanu, that had shattered the peace in parts of the Southeast of Nigeria with unsavory hate messages.
      NBC Director-General, Mba, had said that blocking of the station became a matter of urgent concern when they started appropriating FM frequencies in various cities across the Southeast and it became for them an urgent national security matter. “We had to trace them though they were using more sophisticated equipment.”
         The illegal radio station was operated by Kanu, who is said to be resident in the United Kingdom (UK), and its activities became a source of concern to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, as a result of the station’s pejorative reference to the president as terrorist-in-chief and other derogatory names. The station also metaphorically used the word “zoo” or “zoological republic” in describing the generality of Nigerians who are not pathetic to the Biafran cause.

Rights Watch cautions on social media bill

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has sent a warning signal to the National Assembly on the dangers of the proposed Social Media Bill before it, if passed into law. The bill, HRW said, could affect an estimated 15 million plus Nigerians who use social media, not to mention the doubtless high number of Nigerians who send text messages.
    In statement by its Nigerian representative, Mausi Segun, he said that the draft bill to “prohibit frivolous petitions and other matters connected therewith” specifically targets users of social and electronic media, adding that it has passed its second reading in Nigeria’s Senate, and that it is now due to go to committee, where it will be further studied. “If passed into law, it will restrict freedom of expression and a free press, which are protected by Section 39 of Nigeria’s constitution.”
     According to him, the draft bill, sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, a member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s All People’s Congress Party (APC), seeks to criminalize two types of behavior. “First, it proposes a sentence of up to seven years in prison or a five million naira fine for “anyone who intentionally propagates false information that could threaten the security of the country or that is capable of inciting the general public against the government through electronic message.”
    “Second, it seeks to criminalize anyone disseminating via text message, Twitter, WhatsApp, or any other form of social media an “abusive statement” intending to “set the public against any person and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies established by law,” he stated.
    Segun revealed that the penalty for this is up to two years in prison or a two million naira fine or both, and that the bill is riddled with problems, adding that the vague term “abusive statement” is not defined and leaves a lot of room for subjective interpretation.
     “Also, the proposed sanctions are excessively heavy. But most troubling of all, the draft bill is simply unnecessary. The offenses it seeks to criminalize already exist under Nigerian laws including those on treason, defamation, and libel,” he stated.
     He opined that Nigeria’s lawmakers should focus on the critical issues facing the country, such as the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, communal violence, corruption, and impunity for crimes by Nigerian security forces, rather than trying to muzzle non-violent expressions of genuine dissent and criticism. “To stay in line with international and African human rights standards, Nigeria should be moving to decriminalize defamation, not creating new similar crimes.”
     He noted that Nigeria is known for its vibrant civil society and strong independent media. Ironically, it was free speech and a free press that helped to bring President Muhammadu Buhari and his party to power in this year’s elections. The Senate should not succumb to a misguided attempt to reverse those hard-won freedoms.

 Nigerian traders admonish govt. on university curriculum

The Nigerian traders, under the auspices of National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), have called on government to develop a conscious policy towards integrating international trade law into the curriculum of Nigerian Universities as a way of developing more domestic capacity in trade law, while also recognizing the role of trade lawyers in government institutions.
    The call was made at the end of a two-day public-private sector dialogue on Nigeria/Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) trade litigation gap organized by the association in collaboration with European Union (EU) and German International Cooperation (GIZ), held at the Nightbridge Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos recently.
    Speaking during the forum, the NANTS President, Ken Ukaoha, Esq. said that the non-state actors should explore the option of strategic litigation by bringing cases before the ECOWAS Court of Justice that seeks to test the extent of the human rights jurisdiction of  the court, especially since some of the trade-related infractions have human rights undertone.
    He noted that government needs to play a more proactive role in shaping the regional integration agenda especially by complying with regional instruments and using its political and economic weight to ensure that other countries do the same, adding that stakeholders should liaise with and seek collaboration of public interest lawyers to initiate cases at the ECOWAS Court of Justice on possible pro bono basis.
     Ukaoha said that stakeholders should also explore advocacy towards the establishment of specialized courts with trade law competence to adjudicate over trade related issues, such as customs valuation, certification, etc at the national levels.
      “There is need to widen the conversation to include all those working on the rule of law and regional integration, as well as members of the judiciary and political leaders at the national and regional levels. The identified gaps in trade litigation should be brought to the notice of the relevant community institutions and member states as a way of advocating the necessary legal changes,” he stated.
    He is of the view that business actors and law enforcement agencies who ply their trade across the borders should be continuously sensitized through workshops, seminars, publications and road shows about ECOWAS as well as the rules and procedures for transacting business within the region, including products that are contraband. 
    He opined that there is need to establish a mechanism to collate complaints from the business community on the infractions of regional instruments as it concerns them, and that this could be done through the various market traders associations.
     “Also Nigerian traders in other countries should form or register with National Association of Nigerian Traders in those countries as a platform for obtaining information and seeking redress where the need arises,” he also stated.
     Ukaoha noted that since the domestic courts of member states are incompetent to adjudicate on contraventions of regional instruments, that there is need to have an effective regional platform for the adjudication of those infractions/infringements.
     He observed that the ECOWAS Court of Justice is a potential forum for the adjudication of trade related regional instruments; therefore, there is need for advocacy towards the expansion of the jurisdiction of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, hitherto limited to human rights, to cover trade related issues as part of economic rights.
     He said that his organization will set up an email platform or mobile application for collation of complaints from traders on hindrances to regional trade or work with the GIZ in order to popularize the Trade Related Incidents Mapping System (TRIMS) currently being piloted in Ogun State, stressing that the email or app should be widely disseminated to traders.

Editorial 3rd edition

Sustaining the vigilantes

The important role the vigilantes play in securing life and property in communities can never be underplayed. We see them as veritable tools in the management of security within our communities. They should be encouraged by the government and the host communities if they have to optimally perform their civic role.
     As voluntary security operatives, they assist in the maintenance of law and order. They also assist in accident or other occurrences of natural disasters, arrest and hand over of suspected criminals to the police, and more importantly, they help provide intelligence information to the police.
    It is disheartening to note that in most communities, the vigilantes are not properly managed. Their allowances are not promptly paid to them or not even paid at all. There have been complaints by some of the vigilantse that the meager amount of N10, 000 being paid by the state government does not even get to them as at when due. This should not be so, and we condemn it in its entirety.
     We call on Town Unions to consider augmenting the allowances of the vigilante. If possible, some of their members need to be placed on full time paid job. This is to allow for a wholehearted devotion to their duty. Security is a serious business, and must be regarded as such. A situation where they will be left on part-time basis is not fully acceptable by us. Performing security functions with a divided attention is not and can never be healthy at this time that crime wave is increasing on daily basis.
     We believe that if the vigilantes have to effectively perform their supplementary duties, they need to be on full-time job. Furthermore, there should be in place a secretariat where they conduct their day to day activities, with a full-time staff always there to attend to people at all times.
     Again, the town unions should ensure that adequate training and retraining exercises are provided for the men. We believe that with proper orientation, they will be placed in a better position to efficiently perform their duties. We believe that a situation where a group of people are gathered without proper training both in theory and practice of security delivery is not healthy and should be discouraged.
     Providing adequate training for the vigilante will expose them to the modern techniques of security operations and investigations, handling of ammunitions and more importantly information gathering and management. These trainings should also be on a regular basis, not this one-off thing.
     We also call on Town Unions to set up security committees in each of their communities, to be headed by experts in security operatives. The issue of security deliverance should not be left in the hands of non professionals and mediocre
    We believe that when you call a monkey to work for you, you will get the output of a monkey. Square pegs should be placed on square holes, if effective security of our communities must be achieved.
     Again, we suggest that the method of selecting vigilantes should be looked into. People with good antecedents should be recruited. Anyone with unquestionable character should never be allowed to make the team. Life is so sacrosanct to be entrusted in the hands of charlatans who do not appreciate the value of life.
     We heard with dismay a situation in one of the communities where the vigilantes are the ones personally going round to draw debts meant for their allowances. This is unacceptable, as it will create room for compromise on the part of the vigilantes. The Town Unions should make adequate arrangements for the collection and disbursement of the allowances due to the men.
      We are pleased with government’s arrangement in making the traditional rulers the chief security officers of their various communities. Leaving it in the hands of the Presidents-General of the town will be inconsistent with the principle of hierarchical order. The traditional rulers should serve as the “chief security officers” of their communities, and as such, should be charged with the responsibility of overseeing the security situations in their communities.
       We appreciate the efforts of the state government in instituting a code of conduct for the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG) operating in the 177 communities in the state. This is a healthy development, as it will help to put the vigilantes in proper check. It should not be handled with lip service. Defaulters of the Code should be shown the back door at once. We believe the document will help make the AVG more effective and human service oriented, rather than being hostile and lawless outfit that operates outside the law, and preys on the people it is supposed to protect.
      We heard of situations where traditional rulers, Presidents-General of the various communities, and other influential indigenes converted their vigilantes into a kind of personal army and bodyguards and even sometimes use them to harass and intimidate perceived enemies. This kind of act should be discouraged especially with the Code of Conduct document in place. Such unscrupulous elements who have converted vigilantes to their “private army” should be sanctioned and made to face the full wrath of the law.
     We applaud the state government’s efforts to sanitize the activities of vigilante units in the state, by setting up the state vigilante supervisory committee which is charged with the responsibility of regulating the activities of the vigilantes, based on the Anambra State Vigilante Law of 2014. This is a welcome development, and serious efforts should be made in the implementation of the laws, and there should be proper methods of monitoring in order to achieve the major aims and objectives of setting the AVG.

Religion/Life 3rd edition

What most husbands do that is hated by their wives
By

In our book “understanding the man you married’’ we present to the wives those things they usually do consciously or unconsciously, which most husbands hate. If your wife has read it, you will definitely notice some good changes in her behavior towards you. In case she has not read it, try and buy her a copy; it will do your marriage a whole lot of good.
   Problems in the home are like accidents, they do not just happen; they are caused. In this series, we shall let the husbands know what women say, which husbands do, consciously or unconsciously that offend them. What you are about to read represents the general opinion of over hundred different women from all walks of life. We have decided to use “most women because the opinions are from most of the women interviewed. These attitudes according to these women are some of the major causes of serious problems in many marriages. Here are some complaints of most women against their husbands.
1. Most women get offended when their husbands allow their family members to take over their home.

Most men fall victim of this act. This has caused most marriages to be ruined by in-laws. Marriage can never be a happy one unless the man obeys the basic principle of marriage: “A man shall leave father and mother and cleave to his wife and both shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2: 24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10: 7 and Ephesians 5: 25-31). Because of the importance of this principle, it is repeated in all four Bible references mentioned above. Let us explain briefly the three words that make up the principle, namely: leaving, cleaving and one flesh.
 Leaving:
A man is to leave his father and mother: marriage is for men and not far boys. Only men who are matured are required to marry. As a child cannot grow up unless the umbilical cord is cut off from the mother, so marriage cannot grow up and develop if a man does not separate from his family. Leaving is a price of happiness. Your marriage cannot be free and happy if you are still under your parent’s control. Leaving protects your wife’s rights and puts her in control of the home.
 Cleaving:
The man should cleave to his wife: To cleave means “to stick” or to be glued together.” Unless the man has decided to leave his parents, he cannot really cleave to the wife. Your wife wants to cleave to you, that is why she left her parents, abandoned her father’s name and picked yours. The best way to reciprocate is by leaving everyone else to cleave to her. When you are glued together with your wife like a paper, anything trying to separate you, is just trying to tear you,  and eventually hurt you. When you cleave together, you are closer to yourselves than anyone or anything else (including your children, family and friends or work).
 Both of you shall be one Flesh:

This is the mystery of marriage - two individuals from different backgrounds, exposures and temperaments coming together to become one in marriage. This describes the physical aspect of marriage. When you and your wife become one flesh, what hurts her hurts you. Your love is shown by giving her your body, mind and heart without reservation, and in complete trust to her (1 Corinthians 7:4). When you become one flesh, you become more like each other - you look alike, talk alike, behave alike etc. (just like my wife and I). Your wife is supposed to knows all about you; what you have, your plans etc. You are then two individuals joined into one without a joint. You have become inseparable. The reason people separate or divorce is because they have never become one flesh in the first place. It is impossible to separate if you become one flesh with your wife.
2. Most women get offended when their husbands are unappreciative of their kind deeds. The best way to get a woman’s attention and love is by appreciating every little deed she does. Praise your wife for a little thing, and watch her do more. But when a husband pretends as if he did not notice what his wife did right, it discourages his wife. Every wife needs to hear from her husband words like: “I appreciate the way you work hard to take care of me and the family.” If a husband is careful to tell his wife that he appreciates, the interest she shows in him and the children, the wife will improve and do even more. Your wife wants you to give her more appreciation. Look for opportunities to appreciate her both in public and private. Most women love a husband who appreciates their efforts. We believe your wife agrees with this.
3. Most women get offended when their husbands neglect their emotions. As we said earlier, every woman has emotional needs which her husband is expected to meet. Men are not too emotional. In fact, most men have the problem of meeting their wives’ emotional needs. Most men have been accused of neglecting the emotions of their wives. Often times, most men are not careful to notice whether their wives are happy or not. We therefore conclude that any man who says so has an emotional problem himself.
     Dear husband, you must put yourself in the shoes of your wife. You must create the spirit of unity so that you and your wife can share your joys and sorrows. Do not allow your wife to suffer emotional neglect simply because you have become a business tycoon, company executive or general overseer. Most women want their husbands to make out time to be with them no matter how busy they are. We believe your wife will be glad if you do so.
4. Most women get offended when their husbands scold them publicly. There are men who talk to their wives the way to talk they their little children. When a man does not respect his wife, he should not expect outsiders to respect her. Respect is reciprocal. Respect your wife, and she will respect you. Why should a man speak to his wife as if she is his house maid? The wife you dishonor is the wife that will disregard with you. Most women hate it when men scold them publicly. A woman said to us, “I prefer my husband to beat me than talking to me disrespectfully before the children and visitors.’’ It is ungentlemanly to scold, abuse, beat or disgrace a woman in the public. The wife you scold will be cold on the bed. Be kind to your wife. Talk to her in a gentle manner. Respect her, and lovingly correct her. Every woman including your wife appreciates this.
      5. Most women get offended when their husbands expose their past life which they told them in confidence. It is trust and love that makes a woman to reveal to her husband her past negative experiences. It hurts a woman’s emotions when her husband uses her past life to abuse her. There is no one without an ugly past that he or she would like to keep to him/her self. But love and trust demand that one should share those experiences to the one he/ she loves. A problem shared is a problem solved. It is disheartening when you expose your wife’s past secret life. When you expose your wife’s secrets, you are also exposing your own secrets too. Even your wife will not be happy if her faults or past life is carried to the church or prayer meeting or discussed among the family, friends or relatives. Her secret is your secret. A husband is his wife’s confidant. Do not be among those men that use their wives’ faults or negative experiences to intimidate, harass of traumatize them.  
6. Most women get offended when their husbands complain and never compliment.

Most husbands are very critical. There is nothing their wives will do, they will not complain about. We hope you are not one of them? If you have a critical attitude towards your wife, and only find faults with her cooking or anything she does, it is natural for her to be discouraged. No woman can be changed by criticizing her. Too much of criticisms will definitely make a woman to be rebellious. If you want to get your wife go extra mile to satisfy you, compliment every of her efforts. Remember we said earlier that when a woman is happy, she can give everything she has. One way to make her happy is to praise her always.
Dear husband, start being careful to complain less. Say more positive comments and fewer negative ones. A man complains that his wife does not rest at home; she works so much in the house. The wife replied, “thank you my dear for your care, but all I want from you is to tell me, well done and thank you for keeping the house clean. That makes me happy.”
Rev. Blessing Rufus is a marriage counselor and author based in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. He is also the President, Marriage & Family Health International – a non denominational family ministry and Rector, Institute of Marital Success, Email: blessingrufus65@yahoo.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/blessingrufus Tel: 08035148133, 07030122546.  

Gay marriage: Anglican Communion sanctions church

The Anglican Communion has sanctioned a United States (US) liberal branch for supporting same-sex marriage, a move that averted a formal schism in the world’s third-largest Christian denomination but left deep divisions unresolved.
     This is contained in a report by Estelle Shirbon of Reuters, adding that the Anglican Communion, which counts some 85 million members in 165 countries, has been in crisis since 2003 because of arguments over sexuality and gender between liberal churches in the West and their conservative counterparts, mostly in Africa.
     She noted that following the four days of closed-door talks, the heads of the world’s 38 Anglican provinces said the liberal U.S. Episcopal Church would be barred for three years from taking part in decision-making on doctrine or governance.
       Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was quoted as saying that he remained committed to “walking together” with them as fellow primates in the Anglican family, but lamented their decision. “For fellow disciples of Jesus in our church who are gay and lesbian, this will bring more pain.”
      Shirbon said the sanctions also prevent the U.S. church from speaking on behalf of Anglicans on inter-faith or ecumenical bodies and bars it from certain committees for three years, stressing that there were widespread fears of a schism ahead of the talks, which were convened by Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of Anglicans.
      “One of the most outspoken conservatives, theArchbishop of Uganda, Stanley Ntagali, proposed at the talks that the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, which is considering also approving same-sex marriage, should withdraw from communion activities until they repent,” she stated.
       According to her, the proposal was rejected, and Ntagali left the meeting early, although he stopped short of quitting the communion.




2016 will be a great year – Evang. Nwoye
Ogonna Umeh

The Parish Pastor in-charge of Paradise Parish, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Ndikelionwu, Orumba North, Evangelist Friday Nwoye has predicted that 2016 will be a great year for those who have their faith and believe in Jesus Christ.
    Speaking on the topic: “How to build our lives in Christ,” during his first Sunday of 2016 message delivered at the Parish, he noted that the salvation of every believer will only be fulfilled in God, adding that God has a lot in reserve for His people this year.
    Evang. Nwoye said unless Christians build their lives in Christ, they cannot stand firm in this perverted world, noting that the problem with most people today is that they build their lives without Christ, without knowing that what matters most in any house is its solid foundation.
    “Our education and civilization has failed us, and these are what God wants us to know this year. God wants us to know that whatever He has not approved will never come to pass. Unless we follow God’s mandate, we cannot make it in life,” he stated.
    Quoting Psalm 127, where the Bible states that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain, unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen watch in vain, he said that when people build their lives around Christ, it will definitely be a happy home, and that the contrary will bring sadness and frustration.
     He noted that God is the architect and builder of life and without Him, no one can be anything in life, adding that the problem most people have is that they feel that following God’s standard is a long way and as such, they try to create a shortcut, which in most cases, ends in catastrophe.
     He stated: “This is the time to humble ourselves before God, so that He will lift us up. He will do us well this year. A godly home cannot be built on worldly pattern. Some believers are not spiritual enough as to make good demands from God. Godly homes are designed from heaven, and not from this earth.”
     Also making reference to Exodus 23:2 where the Bible encouraged the believers not to follow the crowd in doing wrong, and Romans 12:2, which talks of not conforming to world’s standard, but renewing of mind, Evang. Nwoye noted that people of today do not want to hear God’s word, but what their mind is saying to them.
    Speaking further, he said that one new development in the Parish is that God has started to bring His own people, “God has His people that He kept somewhere, and He has started to bring them.”
     He pointed out that these are the last days and as such, believers should keep hoping on God to wipe out their tears this year, adding that God has started a new thing in the lives of His people, and that He will definitely finish that which He has started.
    Evang. Nwoye warned that God’s judgment has already started, and for people to avoid that judgment, they must turn to His Son, Jesus Christ who is the Savior of all mankind.  

Feutures 3rd edition

                    ‘We’re architects of our misfortune’

 The issue of corruption has been the greatest challenge facing Nigeria. It has caused untold hardship to Nigerian, more so, why the nation’s economy has defiled all human reasoning. Here CHIKE UCHIME, our Editorial Adviser, ex-rays the consequences of corruption on Nigeria’s economy.

 So far, it seems nature has placed the burden of the nation’s redemption on the shoulders of Muhammadu Buhari. As the President started to “deviate’’ from the “norm,’’ it appeared to me that he had got the magic wand to fix again this de-railed and now comatose nation. The ‘’norm” means looking at corruption - Nigeria’s biggest problem, and walking away as his predecessors cowardly did. But Buhari is now into a confrontation with this dreaded monster.
     The successful execution of this war will usher in good governance and reinvent a nation where justice, equal opportunities and quality lives will be guaranteed the citizenry. But being a battle against the rich and influential elements, it will certainly not be an easy one. As this war rages on, Nigerians must drop their tribal, religious and political differences as well as their inclinations towards immediate gratification (expecting too much too soon). The dividends of this change mantra, though must come, may take a while to materialize, since the “heaps of the Augean Stable” to be cleared are mountainous.
     How would the life of an average Nigerian look like in the remaining months of this New Year? When businesses begin to take stock of their performance at the end of 2016, would they be smiling to their banks or telling tales of woes? To any realist, it does not require any rocket-science or crystal-ball divination to provide answers to those questions. Except one is living in illusion borne out of tribal, religious or party prejudices, the handwriting on the wall today is quite clear and speaks volumes that Nigerians are in for yet another difficult year.
    Never would it be blamed on what the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari has done or failed to do in its few months in the saddle. No! It is not his fault. It is all about the nemesis which has now caught up with us as a nation; the repercussions of our collective failure; our pay-back time for failing to do what we should have done in the years past. Can one ever eat his cake and have it? That is an infantile thinking. We ate up our economy. We also ate up our pride. How now would a comatose economy smile at Nigerians now when the nation has rejected best governance practices and embraced corruption instead?

When I saw oil prices tumbling down to a record low of 27 dollars per barrel, third week of January, I wept for the current administration. I wept because this may dampen their spirit and commitment to making good their campaign promises to Nigerians. Buhari had even planned an ambitious N6.8 trillion budget for 2016 with an expectation that the nation’s bread-winner-oil would be selling at 38 dollars per barrel. But before he could say Jack Robinson, before his budget proposal got to the National Assembly for any meaningful deliberation, the price of oil had dropped to 28 Dollars with more ominous signs that it would dip further, especially with the recent lifting of the ban on Iran, another major oil producer, whose oil would soon hit the already saturated market. Again, the United States of America, noted for patronizing the Nigerian oil over the years, has also made itself sufficient in oil. All these are sending dangerous signals to the Nigerian economy. As we speak, the Nigerian economy is bleeding to death.
     The average family is finding it extremely difficult to feed properly. Not a few family heads have been disgraced as they could no longer pay the school fees of their pupils. The average family can no longer afford to buy kerosene or fuel despite hundreds of billions of Naira said to be paid by government in the so-called subsidy over the years. Meant to reduce pains on Nigerians, this subsidy has ended up enriching only the same cabals. Businesses in Nigeria have continued to relocate elsewhere as infrastructural deficiencies have pushed their operating costs. The Dollar is nowhere to be sourced by those involved in international business or Nigerian students in foreign lands. Prices of all goods in Nigeria purchased with the dollar have gone up astronomically; some buy as much as 300 percent, even as traders who sold their goods could no longer access the foreign currency to buy more.
     Are you surprised how we got here? The blame rests squarely on us as a people. All those who paraded themselves as our leaders should cover their faces in shame. They have proved themselves to be failed managers of people’s resources. They lacked simple futuristic thinking, proactive sense and the right commitment to run the affairs of the nation. They lacked even simple wisdom which an ordinary primary six trader at Alaba International Market or Ariara Aba could display. No one tells them to diversify their product base whenever they find such it necessary.  Even with their little education, they know how to plan and manage their income and expenditure efficiently much better than those running the affairs of Nigeria at federal, state and local government levels. I stand to be corrected.
     Were our so-called leaders unaware that the price of our crude, which at a time sold at over 140 dollars per barrel might tumble one day or even lose its relevance in the international market? What did they do to diversify the nation’s economy? These same leaders said time without number that unless corruption was killed, it would one day kill Nigeria. But instead of initiating programs to address the problems, they chose complacency thus, the Nigerian economy remained perpetually dependent on oil. Every month, State Governors, cap in hand, shamelessly rush to Abuja to share the ‘’national cake’’ with monies collected unaccounted for same local governments. Corruption was let loose.  Leaders took to unbridled thievery and day-light looting.
     Part of this blame should also go to us - the led, especially the educated ones among us; lawyers, journalists, teachers, doctors, engineers, trade unionists ,the civil society groups, etc, who are guilty of criminal docility. I remember the time of the no nonsense Gani Fawehinmi and Tai Solarin. All the governments during their time never had rest. Tell me what could we as a people not be able to do or achieve if we wanted? Is the will of the people not much greater and mightier than military arsenals? When IBB, erstwhile Military dictator, thought he could take Nigerians for a ride, a greater force led by a civilian Generalisimo, Gani Fawehinmi and the civil society brought him to his knees and he “stepped aside’’ and never came back. Similar forces successfully waged the war against the third-term ambition of Baba Iyabo. Therefore, if such forces were brought to bear on subsequent regimes, probing into their finances, the profligate financial lifestyles of government officials, Nigeria would have gone beyond where she is now. She would have been aiming the sky. But lo and behold, we went to sleep.
      Solarin and Fawehinmi, who died fighting corruption and injustice in our land, unfortunately did       not have successors. The so-called activists, who emerged after their demise, were more or less        people masquerading as activists in the day but sycophants in the night.
    So, we are the architects of our today’s fortune or misfortune. I dare ask. How could an economy bleeding to coma smile at us? Ours is an economy where a whooping N1.34 trillion of public funds was said to have been stolen and shared by just 50 people in a space of seven years.
    We deserved our current situation, because it was in our hands to avert it by holding our leaders accountable. Better guide your loins, for this economy will unleash its deadliest blow on us for some time to come, because we failed to do what we should have done! Our economy was allowed to bleed to coma by radicals who pretended to be leaders and we watched them helplessly.
     For how long can a people suffer injustice before they cry out or act? For how long will injustice and corruption reign in our land? One research was quoted as saying that Nigerians are the happiest people on earth. Perhaps, that could also explain the “suffering and smiling’’ mentality which the legendary Afro Musician, Fela Anikulapo- Kuti saw in us before his death some decades ago.
     However, thank goodness that Buhari is here, at this critical moment of our history, other-wise, there would have been once a nation called Nigeria. But having gone through our dirty past and the stubborn-stains left all over us as a people, he has begun to work on reinventing this nation with a fight against the      monster called corruption. But would they allow him? The forces of darkness, the cabals who have held Nigeria down all these years, are also at work. Those rich and influential elements in the society fingered in the reported corruption cases are fighting back, trying to make us think Buhari is persecuting them because they are not from his own party, religion and tribe. But nothing can be further from the truth. These people may not be done yet. Nigerians, corruption is fighting back!
     We should better wake up now and face the reality. This battle against corruption is not and should not be seen as Buhari’s project, but a project of every Nigerian. Once successful stemmed out of our society, or mildly put, reduced to the barest minimum, this country will be working again. Sound governance practices will find their way into every sector, businesses will begin to thrive, employment opportunities will open up, crime and criminalities well come down etc. Corruption has remained the greatest impediment to this country’s progress. I remember late Tai Solarin’s answers to my question to him at his Ikenne residence on why Nigeria had remained a still- born over three decades (then) after her independence. He said: “Chike, three things are responsible, one, corruption, two, corruption, and three, corruption. Take away corruption from Nigeria, this country will be well again.’’ I also visited Gani Fawehinmi at his chambers at the time in search of the problems, and he did not mince words in blaming our “corrupt leader.’’ 

Chike Uchime is the publisher of the Lagos based Forward Magazine – a financial magazine. He can be contacted through his tell: 08033444604, 08176856384, 09099926800.





Solving the epileptic power situation in Orumba

 

Electricity supply to Orumba has been epileptic to say the least. Stakeholders have said much on how to make improvements, yet, not much has been seen in terms of constant electricity supply to the area. In this write-up, SIR (ENGR.) EMMA KANU JP, a retired Principal Engineer with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), x-rays the abnormal situation and then proffers solutions to the problem.

 

It is to be observed that the supply of electricity to Orumba came later than most parts of the state. Precisely, it was only in 1982 that the state government, under the then governor of the old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, extended the 33kv line from Ekwulobia to Ajalli. As a result, 100KVA 33/0.415kv transformers were installed at Ajalli and Ufuma. The idea by the government at that time was, first, to let the people have electricity that could be standardized in future, and also win the people of the area to the then ruling party,  Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP).  
      At that time, Oko was connected in 1983 by the then Federal Government, but unfortunately, that government was short-lived as it was over-thrown in 1983 by the then military government of General Muhammadu Buhari. As a result of this, the intention of standardizing the network was not carried out again.  But rather, the line was extended to other towns. By 1988, the following towns had been connected to the network, Oko, Amaokpala, Ndikelionwu, Awgbu, Ufuma, Ajalli, Nawfija, Isulo, Ezira, Umunze and Owerre-Ezukala.
    The source of power is from the Nibo 2x30MVA transmitting station. That is to say that there are two 30MVA 132/33kv transformers in Nibo. One of these 30MVA transformers supplies Awka and its environs, while the second supplies power to the former Aguata Local Government Area, and also Nri, Agulu, Adazi-Enu, and Awka-Etiti. Ironically, this bulk transformer is now over loaded, hence the frequent load shedding consumers are experiencing at present.
       It is interesting to note that the power from the Nibo 30MVA 132/33kv transmitting station is transported to Orumba via the Agulu 33kv feeder. This single 33kv feeder supplies power  to Agulu, Adazi, Adazi-Enu, Awka-Etiti, Igbo-Ukwu,  Awgbu, Nanka, Ekwulobia, Uga,  Achina,  Ogboji, Ndiokpalaeze, and Agulu Uzoigbo.
      Others are Agulu Ezechukwu, Umuomaku, Onne,  Amesi, Akpu, Umuchu, Amanse, Akpo, Nkpologwu, Oraukwu, Nri, Ezinifite,  Isuofia, and the entire Orumba North and south local government  areas.
     Then, by 2003, this single feeder was supplying power to over 100 autonomous communities, and from the towns being supplied by this feeder, one can see that the line was over-stretched and over-loaded. Following the normal engineering standard, 33kv line should not exceed 60kms for optimal and efficient power supply. But for this particular feeder, the total route length is over 250km. hence   one can then appreciate the incessant power interruption in the area.
      Having said all that, there still remains room for improvement. The way forward should be the:
1. Construction of 2^nd Agulu 33kv Feeder
This feeder is very important for sustainable power supply in Orumba. If it is realized, the existing one could supply power to Aguata Local Government Area, while the second one could supply to Orumba. This project was started in 1993 by the then National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), but unfortunately up till date, it has not been realized.
       It is worthy to note that, one Sir Onyeaso of Owerre-Ezukala had made frantic efforts to realize this project but all to no avail. It is important to note that the quick realization of this project will help to improve electricity power supply to Orumba.
 2. Construction of 132/33kv transmitting station in Ndikelionwu
The panacea for efficient and uninterrupted power supply in Orumba is the construction of 2x30MVA 132/33kv transmitting station in Ndikelionwu with six 33kv radiating feeders. By this arrangement, the 33kv feeder will be closer to the area instead of radiating from Nibo. The voltage will be improved and the fault level reduced.
3. Usage of non-standard materials for construction of rural electrification projects
It is a common practice today that most   communities finance the construction of electrification projects in their area, even when government awards   contracts for such projects. The adverse effect of this is that the contractors, owing to non-payment, often abandon the project, leaving it at the mercy of communities to complete. In these circumstances, non standard materials are eventually used.
      The result is constant breakdown of the network and loss of transformers. In these circumstances, communities should also properly liaise with EEDC engineers in order to ensure that standard materials are used. This will ultimately prolong the life span of the projects.
4. Derating of community Network from 33kv to 11kv
It is interesting to note that 11kv network configuration is the standard voltage for power distribution in towns and villages. This makes the voltage to be more flexible, easy to handle and more reliable, but unfortunately, all the communities in Orumba are still on 33kv network configuration, except Oko, Ndiowu, Umunze and Owerri-Ezukala. Something needs to be urgently done about this.
       It is therefore, necessary that in our efforts to achieve improved electricity supply to Orumba, that we should not lose sight of the standard voltage for power distribution in towns and villages. It is to be noted that to derate a town like Ndikelionwu from 33kv network to 11kv network, a power transformer of about 7.5MVA 33/11kv capacity is required, including all its accessories.
     This can be located and installed opposite Ndikelionwu Town Hall for 11kv feeders to be created. One feeder needs to serve Ndikelionwu and its environs; the second feeder is to feed Ufuma and its environs, while the third feeder reinforces the already existing Ajalli 11kv network and its environs. Then, the fourth feeder will serve as a spare. Again, the second 7.5MVA 33/11kv transformer in Isulo will be made to take care of Eziagu, Isulo, Ezira and its environs. By this arrangement, the bogus and over stretched 33kv line will be reduced to the barest minimum, and likewise, the frequency of fault occurrence will also reduce.
4. Installation of 33kv Isolators at strategic locations
Installation of 33kv isolator will help to introduce flexibility in the network. During faults clearing or maintenance of the network, isolators are used to sectionalize the lines so that areas not affected by the network maintenance can be on supply while the areas affected will be without power supply.
5. Creation of a district office/self accounting undertaking at Ndikelionwu
It is interesting to note that Orumba is long overdue for EEDC district office or self accounting undertaking.  As it is now, the district office is at Ekwulobia, while the self- accounting undertaking is in Umunze. The consequence of this is that any little request from Orumba has to go to Ekwulobia for approval. It has to be considered that the distance is too far and the roads so bad for effective communication and attention. If a district office is to be located in Ndikelionwu, then high caliber staff will be posted to the area. Furthermore, additional materials and vehicles will be allocated to the area. The present situation where only one staff mans the fault centers in Oko, Ajalli and Umunze is not adequate to meet the needs of the people.
       On the political angle to the whole issue, it is pertinent to note that from the above, one can see that there is much to be done in order to improve power supply in Orumba. No matter the amount of money we can generate, it might not do much to give the much envisaged power stability in the area. What we need and urgently too, is the sustainable unity of the Orumba Forum, and the gathering of enough political muscle to pursue these needs at the highest governmental level.  Our politicians at all levels, should be contacted and made to be committed to this noble idea.
     It is my sincere desire that the points raised in this write-up be properly looked into and also effectively followed up.  I believe they are the ultimate panacea for improved and continuous improvement of electricity supply in Orumba and environ. Thanks and God bless you!

 Engr. Emma Kanu (JP) is a retired EEDC Principal Engineer. He hails from Ndikelionwu, Orumba North, and resides in Enugu. He can be contacted through his telephone number: 08037441157.

Anambra: Gov. Obiano’s steady march to growth, dev.    

Anambra Kwenu! As the undisputed Light of the Nation, and thus, ‘Light of West Africa,’ we, Ndi Anambra are firmly collectively resolved “To be the first choice destination and most preferred location to site new industries.”
    As visionary people that are widely respected for our integrity, industry and indomitability, we have forged ahead as a family. Indeed, more as a formidable victorious army. We have turned obstacles and challenges into stepping stones, rising to laudable achievements and heart-warming, sustainable accomplishments. Anambra ndewo!
     On his inauguration on 17^th  March, 2014, as the 4th Executive Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano, pledged his administration to 4-C’s: Continue, Complete, Commission and Commence projects for the welfare and sustainable development of  Ndi Anambra.
     “Willie Will Work,” was his personal pledge, as he identified ‘enablers,’ or key policy areas such as education, health, security, environment, road infrastructure, transportation, the development and promotion of culture-based tourism, amongst others.
   As a resourceful and astute administrator, Gov. Obiano has put at beloved Anambra State’s service, invaluable education, skills and experience he acquired from Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha, University of Lagos, Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, Texaco PLC and Fidelity Bank PLC.
    A large-hearted philanthropic, disciplined, God-fearing, people-oriented, father and friend, Gov. Obiano, has earned by popular acclamation the moniker, “Working Willie.’ This is so because, it has become clear that this gentleman of transparent fidelity is sincere in his desire to serve and lead well. Indeed, ‘Willie is working,’ and this was echoed by his national recognition and honor as the “Governor of the Year 2015.” Anambra shares in his glory.
    To earn such acclamation, agriculture had received tremendous boost since March 2014. As a modest rice farmer myself, I can attest to the remarkable degree of support we have received in the fields, from inputs to extension services. An American investor has started cultivating 500 hectares of rice and cassava in Orumba North LGA. Over 4,000 hectares have been devoted to rice cultivation across the state, which has a competitive comparative advantage in the cultivation of rice, cassava, maize and other staple and cash products. This has attracted a cash inflow of billions of naira, and also created thousands of skilled and semi-skilled jobs and facilitated the rapid growth of allied industries.
       Recently, “H.E. Gov,” as he is also fondly called, ordered the immediate payment of the N112 million FADAMA counterpart fund to ensure that the World Bank supported projects get optimal implementation. The week before that, he had commissioned what promises to be the largest and most sustainable integrated poultry farm in the country.
     In education, the World Bank and other local partners have helped Anambra reposition its students and schools for greater academic achievements. Anambra students, teachers and institutions now regularly win national and international contests cutting across various disciplines. Human capital development is thus being seriously addressed, with increasing attention being paid to adult and vocational education.
     Infrastructural development has also benefited from capital infusion and skilled technical partnerships, with roads and bridges further opening up the state for quick and easy access and intra-state movement vital for security, health and agricultural interventions, amongst others.
     Crucial and central to all this rapid growth and development is effective communication. While commending the state Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism for dynamically implementing its mandate, it is necessary to expand the capacity of key state organs such as Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Radio & TV services which should be online, uninterrupted to enable people in all  time zones keep in touch with home. Its transmitters must be upgraded for its broadcast services to reach a radius of at least twenty states around us.
     The widely acclaimed weekly National Light newspaper, which is currently read in major cities across Nigeria, should also have its capacity expanded and facilities upgraded to grow it into a daily newspaper. Also to be upgraded is its real-time/online platform for mobilizing Ndi Anambra, who are conservatively estimated to be over 20 million worldwide. We can then harness these enormous potentials in the irreversible rapid and sustained growth and development of our beautiful homeland. Hopefully, our 20 million-plus brothers and sisters will look forward to moving back home to a better quality of life than they enjoy in the Diaspora. Long live Anambra!
*Prince Osita Ike, Nnanyelugo Ndikelionwu, is a PR/ Development Consultant and Farmer. He sent in the article from Ndikelionwu, Orumba North L.G.A, Anambra State. He can be contacted through his telephone: 08023114900,