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Why I Should Represent Amuwo Odofin at the Federal House – Comrade Ayodele Adewale

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By Eric Elezuo
Leveraging on his superlative performance when he held sway as the executive chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area between 2008 and 2014, the people of the constituency feel it is the best if he replicates the same excellence performance at the Federal level, and so the clarion call for Comrade Ayodele Adewale to take up seat as member of the House of Representatives in 2019. In this interview, Adewale, reputed as an uncommon achiever, explains the passion that drives his desire. Excerpts:
Can we meet you sir?
My name is Ayodele Adewale, immediate past chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government.
Apart from being the immediate past chairman, what else are you?
I am the MD of Husbock Links and Developement. It is a construction, servicing, real estate and consulting company and we also have interest in agriculture and community affairs.
What of politically?
Politically I have served at various platforms but presently I am contesting for the House of Representatives, Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency.
Between 2014 when you left the chairmanship office and now, what has been happening in your life politically?
Politically, I have been instrumental to encouraging people to get into office, hoping that they will improve on what we started. Of course, I am in the forefront of supporting my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on various fronts, especially as it concerns Lagos State. I am also an active social commentator, educating the larger community about the working of the APC and of course their expectation from the society.
What can you tender to the people as a credential for them to vote you to the House of Representatives?
I have a historic record of active civil society participation, which thrives on the building of an ideal society. It is not a magical transition. That was the idea I brought into office as Chairman of the Local Government and I was able to implement a lot of it, and that is why you see more attention in the local government as people want to know what is happening. As a result, we have been able to key into other people’s thought, and they also have used the experience of our activities here to improve on their own local governments.
What do you think the person currently in the position you are contesting for in the House of Representative is not doing well?
My mission is to bring the attention of both the Federal and state governments to Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency because every politics deals with the grassroots, and one must improve his locality before venturing into a larger scope. Amuwo-Odofin has not received enough attention and the resources in the federal and state are quite limited. So, getting attention depends on how you are able to persuade and negotiate for your people. I can confidently say that from the beginning of this democracy, there is not much  project we have achieved.
So what projects have you proposed to bring down to the constituency when eventually you are elected?
I have not said I was going to do projects in the real sense. It is not about projects but representation.
Can you explain what you mean?
Government is about people and what they desire. Therefore, one must represent them through every legal Organized platform particularly in the National Assembly. You can’t do anything literarily without consulting your consistency and that is why I said it is about representation. Our people desire a lot of attention from the federal and the state governments, and I see myself as using that platform to further entrench our request and lobby authorities. The local government can only do little especially when it’s has a focused leadership and the state government has limited resources. It is the clamour of the people therefore, that will attract and bring development to our community’s. And my community needs someone who has the ability to lobby and negotiate totally is very much needed like me to represent them.
Aside that, we can also use that office to attract some attentions from the private sector using my pedigree and experience while I was Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government and of course, my relationship with companies and foreign nations, because while I was in government, the US Marine through the US Consulate comes yearly to render medical services to our coastal areas. And that today, has stopped. is it because I am no longer in government? There should be continuity. For this to happen, there must be someone who can bridge the gap.
I had a wonderful relationship with the private sector as well as NGOs like the Rotary Club, the Lions Clubs and many others, and we benefitted a lot from one another. I have what it takes to resuscitate that relationship.

Comrade Adewale, presenting a local government plague of honour to Pastor (Mrs) Adeboye

Can you itemize some differences between your days in Amuwo-Odofin LGA  and now? 
Yes.
During my days, the people came first, and we tried as much as possible to do thought provoking projects, making people wonder where we got the money from. And I told them it is just a matter of thinking out of the box. But today, everybody is demoralized as the government is even not funding meaningful projects despite the fact that they received over N1.2 billion from the federal and state allocation without adding the internally generated revenue from Amuwo Odofin LG only in one year. There is no meaningful project to identify them with as at today.
What can you say is the problem? 
I leadership and self aggrandizement
People put self far above the community and the office they occupy. I even heard that an auditor came and gave them pass mark. But it is only when an independent forensic auditor is invited, that people will actually see that all the money has gone under the bridge. Go to the schools, health centres, roads, environment; nothing meaningful and impactful is happening – everywhere is filled with filth and potholes on the roads.
I used to give free drugs when I was in office, I employed over 28 doctors, I was paying corps member Dr N100,000 at the riverine and N70,00 upland while other Dr got N170,000 stipend. Some other NYSC members  were collecting twenty-eight thousand naira, some fifty, some seventy, some thirty-five; the least was twenty depending on the type of service they render. I was the highest employer of corps members in Nigeria. Far above what the state government employed in any ministry or agency. At a point, I took 260 corps members and I was paying them monthly, but today, no corps member is paid again. So, what went wrong! Is it that they are not getting resources again, the answer is no. and they are even collecting more than what we collected. We constructed and rehabilitated roads, drainage, schools; we did training for civil servants and political office holders both in Nigeria and abroad. We attended many climate change conferences; even the climate change unit is now in comatose.

Comrade Adewale with Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode

But some people would argue the present administration was foisted on them by you…
Nobody foisted anything on anybody. We love the people. We recommended what I believe at the time was the best option. And if you put the equation together, you will realize that somebody who has been the Supervisor for Works, Head of Operations; Chief of Staff, and many more should practically be more qualified than any other person because he had seen the nitty gritty of the administration. Even God said he was disappointed that he created man; so, who am I? I wouldn’t know their inner intentions and self reasoning, but for you to have been in the office where things were happening, it should mean that you should be able to build on that foundation than someone who is coming to start from the beginning, from the outside.
So, at what stage did things go wrong?
I can’t go into the details now, but everything went haywire from the 4th day in office. They would not listen to voice of reasoning nor stick to the master plan of development for the area. By now, we should have built a stadium and a new administrative complex; redefining the face of public administration. By now, we would have built the first paediatric primary health care Centre in Nigeria. The job is supposed to be a continuous one; like what we have in Lagos state and that’s why the state is developing. There is a master plan that the present chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government was supposed to key into, which he promised to key into but jettisoned for his personal interest.
So, when you become a member of the House of Representative, do you think there won’t be issues bringing in your attractive investments into the constituency?
There won’t be issues, because when you are bringing investments, it doesn’t have to go through that channel. They can come independently and do what they want. If you are bringing investor or support for health care; there are private hospitals to partner with, as we did when I was in government. I partnered with Rotary club, Hosanna Hospital on deformity correction, cancer screening, prostrate screening, hypertension, high blood pressure, and diabetes. But we would still want them to partner with the local government because government is not about a person, it is institution. If they want to partner with the government, so be it. There are other private sectors that we can run it through. So, there will be no issues at all.

On a sensitisation tour with Corps members

So, what’s your strategy for winning this election?
The strategy is to sustain our relationship with people. Like I will say, the government is about the people. These people still remember what God used me to achieve and impact on their lives and system. There are those who had the opportunity of getting empowerment through the GCE and JAMB forms we provided; a lot of them are in tertiary institutions now, and some have graduated. Even their family still remembers that. The over 3000 babies that were delivered for free at our health centers while I was in government are over 6-years-old now; their parents see them and joy overwhelms them. The Agric supports we gave are doing well. The IT students that we trained through partnering with NIIT are using their certificates to cater for themselves, and they are earning a living. The community dwellers that we have meetings with regular in order to improve the environmental sanitation in every aspect are still there. So, they know the difference, and they are the one championing my course. Once we cross primary stage and I winning the APC primary, the deal is done. The strategy is based on full trust.
Some might say you would not be as efficient when you get to the House of Representative?
A leopard cannot change its spots. I am myself yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Comrade Adewale receiving leadership award on good governance at the United Nations headquarters, New York

So, what’s your promise to the people of Amuwo-Odofin?
My promise is that given another opportunity to serve, coupled with the experience we have gained now, it is far greater than what we had before. We are going to make an overwhelming improvement.
In the House of Representative, there is something called the Constituency Allowance…
I would not know; I only know from my civil society understanding that legislative business is for law making, and they have oversight functions. But, beyond that, I am going to lobby a lot of projects for my constituency. I have a lot of my colleagues in the House, so lobbying will not be an issue because of the relationship we have already. Therefore, lobbying to get project for my constituency is not a big deal. Moreover, I know the act of lobbying, and I am very good at it. So, it is not a big deal.
Talking about primaries, do you know those that will contest against you?
Yes, seven of them.
Do you think there is anyone of them who have a better pedigree than you?
In this game, I have learnt not to underestimate anybody, but I don’t think any of them have a programme, because all you see them do now is throw money around and post their pictures. No programme whatsoever on the poster! But I have a programme, which I capsuled in my mission and vision.
My vision is to see Amuwo-Odofin Federal constituency, Lagos state and Nigeria become self-sustained for development. My mission is to attract the attention of the federal and state governments for peculiar individual developments and sustainability. I am looking forward to the Amuwo-Odofin that can operate on its own, free of state and federal assistance. My mission encapsulates all about self-sustainability through women and youth empowerment, infrastructural provision and many others. When you say you want to bring the attention of people to somewhere, you have to develop your space, and that is why I capsuled it. It is big and deep. I am not limiting it to Amuwo Odofin alone but to Lagos state and Nigeria. For example, nobody is talking about the issue of the 37 local government development areas we have in the National Assembly. They should be listed into the federal revenue. Nobody is saying anything, and now that APC is in power is the best time for us to fight for it, before the Saraki crisis started. Now is the best opportunity because we have the control of the federal government, we have majority in the Senate and House of Representative, and we lost that opportunity.
Although you’ve summarized it to sustainability, can you itemize it?
They are all encapsulated in that. Without sustainability, you have nothing. Without good health facilities, infrastructure, security you can’t sustain yourself.
There should be more to it?
Except you want me to break it down, and I can’t do that in one article. I have lots of programs that will be created by law, but I have only summarized it. I’m a science-based person, and when I was the chairman, I did a lot. As a legislator, I cannot implement but I would work on laws that would bring the focus of the federal, state and local government to achieve that executive function using my oversight function without compromise. Already, I know the functions of the executive, it is now to back it up with an oversight function of the legislative and policies that is embedded in the law, and monitor it. I know I can’t be doing roads, unless I want to lie to you. That is why I am going to use laws and policies to make it effective because when the executive knows that somebody is monitoring and following them, they don’t have a choice but to implement it because I know how much will be coming from the federal to the local government. And once they are not implementing it, I know that I can call the community and tell them what has happened and the total budget they received. With this, all eyes will be on them, and they have no justification than to go and do it; that is the power of the legislature.

Comrade Adewale interacting with Barr Fabian of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo and other Igbo community leaders during his tenure as chairman

By the time you are following them bumper to bumper, even with the use of the media, they will be on their toes. With the knowledge of their budget for the year, no one can be telling you he has only done few empowerment, empowerment of what? No infrastructure, only bead making, cake and hair dressing as empowerment, for the whole of one quarter, six months and 1 year.  Then, there is a conduit pipe somewhere taking the funds disguised as empowerment programme. We would monitor every program in order to know the quality of program you are bringing to the people.
With your mindset and the environment we leave in, do you think the power that be will allow you achieve this?
The power that be, also need people in the society to help them to carry out the programme and policies of the party so that development will be seen. The powers that be cannot be everywhere, they need like minds, and that is the vision of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President Muhammadu Buhari and comrade Adams Oshiomole, and I can back it up. Asiwaju was so meticulous that he built the prosperity of Lagos from nothing to something, and he laid the blueprint in which successive governors have keyed into.
What is your view on the present Lagos State administration?
His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has proved to be a wonderful developer. He is investing more on infrastructure and creative art. Creative art, as we all know, is an empowerment programme. He is leveraging on the good foundation laid by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and sustained by Mr. Babatunde Fashola. It is infrastructure all the way because that is what will create security and provide opportunities. With somebody like me in the National Assembly; helping them to monitor this structure, they will definitely achieve more. The people will be happier, and by the time there is more of my kind doing the same thing, then we will be close to the ideal world we dream of. It is doable.

Comrade Adewale laying out his programmes and soliciting support from Oriade LCDA party executives as APC House of Reps aspirant for Amuwo Odofin

So, what advice can you give to the people as regard the forth coming election?

They should arm themselves with their PVCs. Also, they should free their thoughts from financial inducement. Whoever induces you financially does not have anything good for you. Whoever wishes to lead you must share your pain because he that wears the shoe knows where it pinches. If he has not lived with you, he cannot understand your pain. If they come from Ikorodu, American and several other places, or dance to music or take people to Dubai they cannot understand your pain because he or she will not understand it. He does not know whether it is water first or health centre. He or She will only do what he or she feels, and that’s not solving a problem. Also, he must get a refund for his money which he spent wooing the electorates. We know those that have integrity among us, and those that don’t. We also know those that support community development. So this is the time to make the right choice, and not be swayed by financial inducement.
Can we actually separate money from politics?
It is like oil and water. It will take time before you separate them. The oil will stay on top, the water will remain underneath. If you are careful enough, you can separate them; it will only take time.
Is that part of what you are bringing?
Yes, that why I educate my members through discussion. On weekly basis, we discuss and we proffer solutions.

Comrade Adewale being received by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, UK

So far, what is people’s reception of you like?
They are happy, they are waiting, and are also praying because they’ve enjoyed it before and they want to enjoy it again.
Thank you and we wish you success come 2019
Thank you and I appreciate you for your time

 

 

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How APC Apparatchiks Caged Nyesom Wike

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By Eric Elezuo

When the story of former governor of Rivers State, who is currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),  Nyesom Wike, is told in the future, one of the many catchphrases that may accompany the narrative may read, here was a man, who lost everything while attempting to grab everything.

Prior to, during and after the 2023 general elections, Wike became a bride of no particular groom, when he chose to hobnob between two political parties, betraying his own party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and working for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in an alliance that compensated him with the FCT job in the bargain. Technically, Wike remains the only politician who is not identified with any political party as at the moment, a source has told The Boss.

The Boss has also realised, in addition to a recent interview granted by Wike, that the former governor’s inability to declare for one party is rooted in his ambition to make a dash for the Presidency in 2027, banking on the possibility that President Bola Tinubu will not contest in the next election.

But the APC apparatchiks, who would not tolerate the Wike inroads into a political alliance that would not favour them, has constantly put the FCT minister on leash, caging every of his moves, especially with the crises in his home State against his anointed governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who suddenly sought his independence from Wike’s choking hold.

“Wike’s ambition has driven him into claiming the FCT job, and desiring to remain the defacto governor of Rivers State, a move some of the Rivers people have rejected, leading to a political quagmire in the oil rich state. Wike is just using the APC for his future. His target is 2027. But unfortunately for him, a lot of APC bigwigs are wary of his antics, and have created artificial hurdles for him, including the crises in his state. He has been caged,” the source said.

That has primarily explain his continuous face off with Fubara, whom he referred to as the ‘other person’ in a recent interview.

“When some peeople come to talk to me that beg your lawmakers now to do this. I said do you want them to obey me? They say yes. I said fine but what of the other person? He is not obeying me? He should assert his own? He should assert Independence,” he was quoted as saying in the interview that featured selected media houses.

Below are some of the excerpts from the close to two hours interview:

I thought Mr President has sorted it out?

The lawmakers cannot assert independence. You know, we we blow hot and cold. And that’s why I say anybody who supports an ingrate is a natural and ungrateful person.

People feel that agreement is loopsided. That you are not telling the lawmakers to return back to the PDP because every other thing was upturned?

How can the president tell me that I should go back to a party? How can you!
People that resigned were brought back?
For whose interest? Do you know what they said will draw impeachment? Do you know what that is, who benefited from it all? Tell me the truth. Whose office was under threat? When you say these people have gone to a party, it’s a matter of court interpretation. If you say I’ve left the party, it does not rely on you to say I’ve left the party. You need to challenge it in court. The speaker had to hit gavel. It’s not when you have interest, and you don’t want to look at the whole thing. As far as I’m concerned, the lawmakers have respected Mr President when the that agreement was reached. It didn’t take them 24 hours, they would do impeachment notice. What is the point that you brought Commissioners? Are they working? I didn’t know you will go into this kind of discussion, I’m busy! I’m busy with the metro line, how to achieve metro line…I’m busy with other projects, very busy. I don’t even have time to talk about politics. I have time for governance.

Which party do you belong to?

I’m a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Have you ever seen me change any day?

And you are not interested in the elections in Edo, whether your party wins or not?

The Wike that Nigerians know will always throw his heart behind his party. The one I supported before, what happened? The one I supported before now, what happened? So I have decided take a break now.

From politics?

No! As you see me here, I have decided to carry my cross. You see, at a point I was in PDP, I didnt hide it. When I said I was not going to support their Presidential candidate, is it that I spoke in a way people did not understand? Is it that I acted in a way people did not understand? Even the deaf can hear. What I said, the deaf can hear. But if this is not done, I wont do this.

But the party is to discipline you for that?

Discipline me for who? Who violated the party’s constitution? Who should be dissciplined? I am an advocate for the implementation of the constitution. It was you who breached it, and it still you that want to discipline me? In the first place, you shold have thank Rivers. Assuming we lost the governorship, would they have being talking about Rivers State being a PDP state?

Forget about this peoople who are galivating today who say they cannot serve master and serve boy. Now, they are serving boy on the road now. Like I told you, now is time for governance. Now, it is time to do your own assignment. The President has given me an assignment, and Im busy carrying it out. When the time for politics comes, then we would know who is where and who is not where? Running is not everything. I was a minister of state when I went to run for governorship? Did we not win?

You were the governor for eight years, and now the minister of FCT, which one has been more daunting for you?

Here is Nigeria, I dont have the kind of executive power I have when I was the governor. Most of the things I do here, I must seek the approval of Mr President. And anytime I seek his approval, he has always given me. Which has made my work easier, but I can tell you that it’s not easy. All kinds of people are here, the past presidents are here, former army generals are here, field marshals are here, everybody is here. Senate president is here, speaker is here, chief justice is here…so, it is not like in the state. But for whatever it is, if you have capacity, have capacity. It doesnt really matter where you find yourself.

When I was minister of state education, everybody thought that office is a hard office. When I left somebody was there, and someone said was it not where Wike was? It’s not the office, it is you that will tell us how the office will be.

Thank you honourable minister for this time…

Analysts and stakeholders have said that Wike’s responses betrayed his longing for the presidential ticket, which he lost in May 2022 PDP presidential primary in Abuja, and which he is coming to the realization that the APC will not oblige him come 2026 when the primary election tons are held. Consequently, he is maintaining his cronies in the PDP while frolicking with a very unsupported APC machinery.

As a result, he is making frantic efforts to realign with his colleagues, especially members of the G-5, who lost out in the last election including Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu and Samuel Ortom, and reaching out to some other governors like Adamawa and Bauchi for additional financial muscle.

“The deal is simple. He is banking on Tinubu not contesting in 2027 so he can unleash his full force on the PDP for the ticket, knowing it will be next to impossible to get the APC ticket. That explains his tenacious and opportunistic hold on two fronts, neither a confirmed member of the APC nor has he officially left the PDP,” The Boss source further alleged.

It is believed that except for Tinubu, no one will match him in resources and Finance, and so explained why APC caged him with the topsy-turvy situation in Rivers.

“So with his being busy in Rivers, which is his golden goose, and managing a complex centre like Abuja, where all eyes including Tinubu’s are on him, it is most unlikely that he can take a queenly step in the chess game playing out. They have reduced him to more of a pun, a disposal knight, especially with Fubara’s perceived independence from him, which is causing rancour. It is even interesting to note that the Tinubu/APC camp is supporting Fubara. They know that a weak Wike will not give them hassles on the national political level,” an analyst posited.

Another source has also claimed that the reason behind the PDP’s inability to call a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting is all boiled down to checkmating Wike’s perceived excesses. The party rather chose to keep the National Working Committee (NWC) intact.

While both stakeholders and analysts believe that 2027 is still far ahead, politicians in the likes of APC apparatchiks and the FCT minister are already locked in a battle of wits to see who holds the upper hand when the time comes. Wike has already said that ‘when 2027 comes, we would know who is who’. Though it was a veiled allusion to the Rivers governor, it still posits a general connotation to the war of relevance that has continually played out since the end of the 2023 political season.

minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the 2027 election will be a walk in the park for his political camp. 

At a thanksgiving service by Barinada Mpigi, a federal lawmaker, in Koroma, Tai LGA, where he made the remarks, Wike said the election will be easy for his camp because of the alliance it has forged with other parties as well as controlling the structures of both APC and PDP in Rivers State.

He said the alliance between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state cannot be challenged.

“With the forces we have, I don’t know of anybody who can challenge us,” Wike boasted.

But time will tell how the whole scenario plays out in this political game of chess involving Wike and the APC, and PDP.

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Enhancing Food Security: Governor Umo Eno’s Worthy Interventions

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By Michael Effiong

 

Today, the biggest threat to the survival of mankind is food security. Indeed, the phenomenon has taken a global dimension and is not confined to the borders of any nation.

 

Growing hunger has been fueled by a toxic mix of climate change, insecurity and a global economic crisis that has exacerbated poverty and inequality, affecting the ability of many families and communities to cope.

 

In Nigeria, at least in the last few months, there is no topic that has been more discussed than that of the rising cost of food stuff and the hunger in the land.

 

As US President John F. Kennedy once said, “The war against hunger is truly mankind’s war of liberation.” This is a war that must be fought with vigor and won.

 

On his visit to Niger State on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called on states to support the federal government’s effort in the area of agriculture and food security.

Interestingly, long before this call by Mr. President, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has already taken action.

 

How? Well, you can call him the modern day Nostradamus and will not be wrong. It was not that he was clairvoyant but we can adduce it to his power of vision because agriculture was one of his focus areas even before his overwhelming victory at the polls on March 18, 2023.

 

The then candidate Umo Eno had developed an economic blueprint for his campaign dubbed the ARISE Agenda. A of the A-R-I-S-E stands for Agricultural Revolution.

 

Having had this as part of his economic blueprint, it is no wonder that the Umo Eno administration had already hit the ground running and has been laying out plans, programmes and projects that are worthy of emulation in a bid to stem the tide of the current national crisis.

Perhaps what can be described as the most impactful and innovative intervention in the area of food sufficiency and sustainability in the country at the moment was signed into law on Thursday, March 14, 2023 as the Akwa Ibom State Bulk Purchase Agency which aims at ensuring that staple foods are available, accessible and affordable to the most vulnerable in the state.

 

Everyone knows that implementing this kind of programme can be herculean, but the government set up a committee with a well-laid out plan to ensure this works efficiently.

 

This programme, like others the Governor has initiated, would be devoid of any political coloration. Already, government has met with traders and market associations. Foodstuff agents will be selected and trained.  They would all sign an agreement with government and would be the ones to operate branded shops and redemption centres that will be located in selected markets and points across the 31 LGAs.

 

The Agency would use a voucher system akin to the Food Stamps now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the United States.

 

The Akwa Ibom equivalent when deployed, will operate in a similar fashion because it would be strictly for vulnerable indigenes who will exchange the monthly vouchers for staple food items.

 

The beneficiaries would get direct subsidies as they would pay well-discounted prices to the agents for the value of the food item on each voucher. The accredited agents would later present these vouchers to government for reconciliation and reimbursement.

 

Furthermore, the Governor’s 368 Personal Assistants in the wards are to help implement the programme at the grassroots while names of all agents and beneficiaries ( drawn from the state social register which had recently been updated) would be published.

 

It is expected that from this arrangement and involvement of many stakeholders, the Agency’s mandate would be delivered within a short period of time.

 

Knowing full well that the Agency’s work is a short term measure, Governor Eno is also thinking long term and has started preaching the “Back-To-Farm” message. His goal is to inspire Akwa Ibomites from all walks of life to see the benefits of farming.

 

In his words: “Please everybody, no matter how small your land is even if it is just behind or beside your house, sow something. We must return to the farm”

 

Let us cast our minds back to what used to be the norm back in the day. Our parents and grandparents used to have little farms around the house where green vegetables, tomatoes, pepper, okra, maize, yams, cassava e.t.c. were grown. Some even reared chickens and goats too.

Governor Umo Eno signing an MOU with Prof. Godfrey Nzamujo of Songhai Farms Initiatives Nigeria

 

Many may see this as a call to subsistence farming in today’s technologically-advanced world, but in truth, if we are able to grow a few of what we eat, it will not only reduce the hunger in the land in a matter of months, but it will free up funds for people to use for other things.

 

This initiative by the Governor for rural and urban dwellers to go back to the farm is already being practiced by other countries to boost their food supply. It is called urban farming.

 

Countries such as Argentina, Australia, Canada and China are way ahead and have incorporated this into their urban planning and city regeneration projects.

 

A good example of the success of this initiative is the city of Rosario in Argentina. Rosario’s Urban Agriculture Programme (Programa de Agricultura Urbana, or PAU) started small, but now grows nearly 2,500 tons of food each year. What started as a means of feeding the population in the wake of an economy in tatters is now a cornerstone of the city’s food sustainability initiative. This shows that the Governor’s call is a much needed step in the right direction.

Also, the government has commenced Phase II of the AK Cares Programme. Beneficiaries across the 31 LGAs would get farm implements, seedlings, poultry birds or fish juveniles and adequate training.

The Ministry of Agriculture is also being galvanized to distribute improved seedlings and support agriculture cooperatives to help increase their productivity. And the Ibom FADAMA Microfinance Bank has been restructured in line with the present realities.

That is not all, the Governor who takes the welfare of the citizens seriously also signed the Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Loans Law (Amendment) Bill, a private member bill sponsored by Hon. Mfon Idung. The law has increased the amount to be granted as loans to individual farmers, corporate entities and cooperative societies  and would enable them expand their operations, embrace modern farming techniques, boost productivity and ultimately, drive economic transformation.

 

It is worth mentioning also that Governor Eno’s people-centred intervention strategy also includes a rejuvenation of the rural communities through construction of rural roads and provision of key amenities. This idea is well captured in R (Rural Development) of the ARISE Agenda. The nexus between rural development and agriculture are as inseparable as a set of conjoined twins!

This school of thought concerning the importance of rural development as a way of boosting agriculture is also held by former Agriculture & Rural Development Minister and current President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina.

He expressed these sentiments most succinctly while delivering his acceptance speech on his conferment with the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership in Lagos recently.

According to him “Nigeria must completely transform its rural economies to ensure food security for all. A better Africa must start with the transformation of rural economies. That is because some 70% of the population live there. Rural poverty is extremely high. At the heart of transforming rural economies is agriculture, the main source of livelihoods.

“As a young student who attended high school in the village, I witnessed the high correlation of agricultural performance with education. “It was common then to hear the phrase “Agbe lo ba” . (farmers are kings), uttered with great pride

“The transformation of rural economies must therefore be structural, systemic, strategic and comprehensive. Doing so, means agriculture must be turned into a wealth creating sector. Sound public policies transform the lives of people”.

No one can dispute the need for sound policies as enunciated by Dr. Adeshina and this is reason as an ardent advocate of agribusiness and with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 in mind, the Governor’s earliest move in the agricultural sector on assumption of office was to sign an MOU with Songhai Farms for the development of Ibom Model Farms.

 

This long-term partnership is aimed at driving a technologically-driven agricultural revolution that will boost food production, tourism, youth development, knowledge transfer and job creation.

 

While construction has already begun at the first farm located in Nsit Ubium LGA (others will spring up when LGAs make land available), the Governor has shown his seriousness for this project by sponsoring some youths on training programmes in preparation for the Farm’s take off.

With all hands already on deck and machinery put in motion to operationalize the multi-layered approach initiated by the Gov. Umo Eno-led administration, the indigenes of Akwa Ibom State are soon going to heave a sigh of relief. Not only would the issue of high cost of foodstuff be history but food sufficiency would become the new normal in the state.

 

 

.Effiong, a journalist, is Senior Special Assistant (Lagos Liaison) to Governor Umo Eno

 

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Budget Padding Allegation: PDP Condemns Ningi’s Suspension, Calls for Akpabio’s Resignation

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By Eric Elezuo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi in the National Assembly, over his allegation that the Senate padded the 2024 Budget with a whopping N3.7trn for non-existent projects, and called for the immediate resignation of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The Party made its position known via a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, calling for an independent investigation into the alleged budget padding as well as other of Akpabio’s alleged misdemeanor including looting of N108 billion Akwa Ibom fund during his tenure as governor.

In addition, the party insists that the senate president should as a matter of urgency report himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The PDP viewed the suspension of Senator Ningi as a ‘desperate move to suppress investigation, conceal and sweep the facts under the carpet,’ and questioned the rationale behind the All Progressives Congress (APC)-Senate leadership refusing to refer the matter to the appropriate Senate Standing Committee for an open investigation in line with the extant Rules of the Senate, adding that it was obvious the leadership of the senate is hiding something.

The statement in details:

Step Aside, PDP Tells Akpabio Over N3.7t Budget Allegation, N108b A/Ibom State Fund
…Says It Stands With Senator Ningi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio immediately step aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.

The Party also demands that Senator Akpabio immediately reports at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the pending case of alleged looting of N108 billion belonging to the people of Akwa Ibom State under his watch as Governor of the State.

Furthermore, the Senate President should speak out on the reported N86 billion contract scam in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during his tenure as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

The PDP firmly condemns the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the Senate without a detailed inquest into the issue of budget padding which he raised.

The suspension of Senator Ningi is apparently a desperate move to suppress investigation, conceal and sweep the facts under the carpet.

Moreover, the frustration of investigation by the APC Senate leadership further confirms PDP’s repeated alert that prominent APC officials in the National Assembly and a top official in the Presidency have been using ministers and other government functionaries to siphon budgeted funds from the national coffers.

We ask, why did the APC leadership in the Senate not refer the matter to the appropriate Senate Standing Committee for an open investigation in line with the extant Rules of the Senate? What is the APC Senate leadership afraid of and what is it hiding from Nigerians?

It is even more absurd that instead of recusing himself, the Senate President sat as a judge in the matter; a situation that has the capacity to bring the institution of the Senate to further public disrepute.

This is especially as the issues at hand heavily border on alleged gross misconduct and criminal betrayal of public trust which are serious offenses under our laws.

Nigerians can now see why the APC leadership in the National Assembly, especially in the Senate continues to condone the unbridled looting of public resources including funds meant for palliatives for poor and vulnerable citizens.

This apparent inclination towards covering up sleaze in the polity is already pitching the institution of the Senate against Nigerians who are demanding for answers on the matter. Of course, the widely condemned suspension of Senator Ningi does not provide answers to the budget padding allegation.

It is indeed unfortunate and a huge smear on the image of the Senate, as the highest lawmaking and probity Institution in the country, that its Presiding Officer has found himself in a quagmire of alleged sleaze and betrayal of public trust.

Our Party therefore stands with Senator Ningi for his courage in seeking probity and accountability in the polity.

What Nigerians expect at this moment is for the Senate President to come clean by stepping aside, allowing for an independent investigation into the budget padding allegation as well as clearing his name at the EFCC over alleged looting of N108 billion and N86 billion under his watch as Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs respectively.

Signed:

Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary

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