News

Governor Adeleke Unveils Osun Cocoa Revival Agenda

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2024

Eric

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has unveiled a comprehensive Cocoa revival agenda of his administration as a major contributor to boosting agricultural production in the state.

Speaking as a guest speaker at the International Cocoa Conference in Lagos, Governor Adeleke who was represented by the Osun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security described the importance of cocoa to the diversification of Nigerian economy and recalled how Chief Obademi Awolowo developed the old western region with earnings from cocoa production.

“As oil is the backbone of the Nigerian economy today, so was cocoa to old Western Nigeria. The late sage, Premier of old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo deployed earnings from cocoa to develop the region, building the 25 story Cocoa House, investing in durable infrastructures, pioneering television broadcast in Africa and investing in education and health services.

“When you travel across the South West, you will see many old story buildings of various designs. Those are the houses of many prosperous traders who thrived across the zones in those days. Booming cocoa economy was the foundation of the robust economy of the old western region.” Governor Adeleke noted.

Unveiling the comprehensive agenda of his administration to revitalize cocoa production in the state, Governor Adeleke emphasized that cocoa producing states have a direct challenge and obligation to introduce new innovations that will help to revive the sector and increase productivity level of cocoa farmers.

“As a starting point, it is my considered view that Nigeria especially cocoa producing states have a direct challenge and obligation to introduce innovations towards reviving the cocoa sector; to set targets to increase tonnes of cocoa they presently produce; to support cocoa farmers and ensure that young farmers enter the sub-sector and to collaborate with research institutions such as the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria(CRIN) for new cocoa breed etc.”

The Governor proceeded to list the following agenda his administration is implementing to revive cocoa production and enhance the revenue base of the state.

“As a Governor, my agenda includes but not limited to the following, namely:

● To revive the sector holistically;

● Assemble stakeholders to design an updated revival plan;

● Get the cocoa industry in my town running again;

● Put life back into the cocoa farming sub-sector through demonstration of political will;

● Get more investors into the value chain through ease of doing business;

● Set up a domestic export terminal in Osun state to ease export process and access to international market;

● Partner with the railway corporation for easy of transport;

● Upgrade local infrastructures for farming community;

● Set up a modified commodity boards to strengthen stakeholders’ finance;

● Develop partnership with financial institutions to support the cocoa farming community;

● Develop relationship with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for agric tech and innovations; and

● An invitation to the Cocoa Research Institute for partnership and collaboration engagement.

In his effort to push the state to the top state in the community of cocoa producing states, Governor Adeleke disclosed that his administration is focused on doubling down on the implementation of the cocoa agenda by focussing on the following:

● A directive to the state Ministry of Agriculture to establish high yielding cocoa nurseries across the local governments in the state. This is to be implemented in partnership with the local government leadership;

● An action plan for the rehabilitation of old cocoa plantations in term of facilities and re-plantation;

● The opening up new cocoa estates with young farmers;

●. The introduction of a deliberate programme to protect cocoa farms from destructive activities of miners and mining activities;

● A plan to resuscitate the State owned cocoa processing industry at Ede for value chain addition;

● The adoption of the cocoa revival plan as part of our climate agenda. Reforestation through cocoa plantation is high on the table.

● Ongoing plan to establish cottage cocoa factories across the state Under an industry cluster agenda, our administration is targeting such cottage factories to increase cocoa processing and development of the value chain industry.

Emphasizing the need to revitalize cocoa production in the country, Governor Adeleke concluded by calling on the federal government to “declare an emergency in the cocoa sector by offering direct federal interventions in term financing for cocoa producing states; support creation of state marketing boards to fast track the re-development of the cocoa sector at state level; and empower the Ministry of Agriculture to support cocoa producing states through a World Bank project focussing on cocoa revival across the cocoa producing states.”

News

Court Sacks Pro-Wike Rivers PDP Chairman

Published

24 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Eric

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Monday, sacked Chukwuemeka Aaron, as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.

Chukwuemeka is a loyalist of the former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice Stephen Jumbo, in his ruling, nullified the PDP ward, local government and State congresses held in July 2024.

The development is coming barely one month after another High Court nullified the ward, local government and State congresses of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

The ruling sacked another Wike’s loyalist, Chief Tony Okocha, as the Rivers State chairman of the APC.

The court’s decision to sack the PDP chairman followed a dispute over the legitimacy of the PDP congresses.

The congresses were conducted by a faction of the party loyal to Wike.

A State High Court presided over by Justice Charles Wali had on July 20, 2024, stopped the PDP from going ahead with the ward, local government and State congresses.

News

Lawmakers Impeach Lagos Assembly Speaker, Obasa

Published

2 days ago

January 13, 2025

Eric

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

The lawmakers are accusing Obasa of multiple statutory and financial infractions.

Peoples Gazette reports that the lawmakers replaced Obasa by his Deputy Lasbat Meranda.

Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, was also a former chief whip of the House.

Source: Daily Post

News

Chief of Army Staff Approves Redeployment of Senior Officers in Fresh Shakeup

Published

3 days ago

January 12, 2025

Eric

The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army (NA) to various command, staff and instructional positions.

According to the army spokesman, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the redeployment is a strategic move to enhance operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency.

The redeployment cuts across Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Army Headquarters (AHQ), General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of Army training institutions, Brigade Commanders and other key positions. The reshufflement underscores Nigerian Army’s commitment to ensuring robust and dynamic leadership structure capable of addressing emerging security challenges.

Some of the senior officers appointed as PSOs at the Army Headquarters include Maj Gen LA Fejokwu, from National Defence College to Department of Army Administration and appointed Chief of Administration (Army), Maj Gen GU Chibuisi, from Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Civil Military Affairs and appointed Chief of Civil Military Affairs and Maj Gen AS Ndalolo, also from the Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Army Training and appointed Chief of Training (Army). Others include Maj Gen OS Abai, from Department of Army Training to Department of Army Transformation and Innovation, appointed Chief of Transformation and Innovation and Maj Gen JH Abdussalam from Headquarters 6 Division to the Department of Special Services and Programmes and appointed Chief of Special Services and Programmes. Maj Gen EI Okoro has been redeployed from the Department of Army Logistics to the Department of Military Secretary and appointed Military Secretary (Army).

Senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding (GOCs) include Maj Gen OT Olatoye from Nigerian Army School of Infantry to Headquarters 82 Division/Joint Task Force (JTF) South East Operation UDO KA (OPUK) as GOC 82 Division/Commander JTF OPUK and Maj Gen EF Oyinlola from Department of Military Secretary to Headquarters 3 Division as GOC 3 Division/ Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH). The acting appointments of Maj Gen AGL Haruna as GOC 7 Division/Commander Sector 1 JTF North East Operation HADIN KAI and Maj Gen IA Ajose as GOC 8 Division/Commander Sector 2 JTF North West Operation FANSAN YANMA among others have been confirmed substantive in the recent redeployment.

Other senior officers redeployed are Maj Gen GO Adeshina from Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals to Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre and appointed Director General while Maj Gen GM Mutkut is posted from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Multi National Joint Task Force Njamena as the Force Commander. The redeployment also featured Maj Gen MC Kangye from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery to Defence Headquarters as the Director Media Operations.

Senior officers appointed as Corps Commanders include Maj Gen OC Ajunwa from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps and appointed Commander, Maj Gen HT Wesley from the Department of Special Services and Programmes to Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, appointed Commander and Maj Gen TT Numbere from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Engineers and appointed Commander. Others include Maj Gen NC Ugbo from Department of Civil Military Affairs to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals and appointed Commander, Maj Gen ZL Abubakar from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery and appointed Commander and Maj Gen AP Oguntola from Nigerian Army College of Education Science and Technology to Headquarters Nigerian Army Education Corps and appointed Corps Commander.

Other senior officers also affected in the redeployment are Maj Gen JO Sokoya, appointed Commandant Nigerian Army Training Centre, Maj Gen UM Alkali appointed Commandant Army War College Nigeria, while Maj Gen FS Etim from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation is redeployed to Nigerian Army School of Infantry, appointed Commandant. Maj Gen AB Mohammed has been redeployed from the Department of Army Operations to Depot Nigerian Army and appointed commandant.