Ekiti State, the leading rice producer in Southwest Nigeria for 2023, is deepening its engagement with rice farmers across the state to enhance production.
Major towns where rice production is taking the centre stage, are Okemesi, Ido Ile, Ikoro, Ijero, Orin, Aisegba, and Ijan.
A recent series of meetings with farmers have brought to light challenges and set pathways for enhancing production through targeted state interventions.
According to the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), Ekiti produced between 150,000mt to 175,000mt of rice this year, which has positioned it as a critical supplier for major rice mills that source their paddy directly from the state.
Sharing his thought on this development, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, highlighted the state’s ongoing efforts.
“Lowland rice thrives in Ekiti, and we’re committed to building on this strength by supporting our farmers every step of the way.
“To back this commitment, Ekiti state has supplied rice farmers with FARO 44 seeds, known for their resilience and high yield, sourced from Premier Seeds.
“The state also provided Urea and NPK fertilizers at no cost, and just today, another substantial round of fertilizer was approved for distribution, particularly benefiting late-season planters.
“The government’s comprehensive support aims to close the production loop, ensuring a buy-back arrangement where harvested rice paddy is processed within Ekiti.
“Our food security plan is designed to subsidize production as much as possible and to be the final buyer for these products, directly supporting our farmers.
“With promising rainfall patterns expected to continue through mid-November, Ekiti’s rice farmers are anticipating a bountiful harvest.”
Boluwade, reflecting on the work done so far, emphasized that “food security demands deliberate actions.”
The Commissioner expressed excitement over monitoring reports from farmsteads, noting the positive impact of these initiatives on the ground.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described as suspicious and irresponsible, the rumoured death of the Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammad Abubakar and called on the Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the source of the rumour.
The group also wants those behind the rumoured death prosecuted describing their action as diabolical mission.
The call was made in a statement on Wednesday, by the Founder and Executive Director of the organization, Prof Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a false rumour of the death of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, which broke out yesterday, Tuesday, 29th October, 2024.
“The rumour spread like wild fire, creating tension, fear and suspicion in the hearts of millions of Muslims in the country as well as those of the Sultan’s friends and well-wishers.
Abubakar Sa’ad III, Sultan of Sokoto
*”We strongly condemn this development. It is saddistic, diabolical, malicious and luciferous. The enormity of the false rumour is better realized when viewed against the backdrop of the twin status of the Sultan and his revered position in the society.
“Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar is not only the Sultan of Sokoto, he is also the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), which is the umbrella organization for all Islamic associations in Nigeria. Whatever is said about him does not affect Sokoto State alone. It affects all Muslims in Nigeria.
“That is why those who spread news about people like him should weigh the gravity of their information and exercise caution.
“It is crystal clear, however, that those behind this satanic rumour have thrown caution to the winds. It is reckless, thoughtless and absolutely irresponsible.
“We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the source of the false rumour of the death of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar. Those found culpable should be made to face the law.
“This is necessary in the interest of law, order and good governance. Innocent Nigerians will continue to fall victims of cyber stalking until the security agencies start holding culprits accountable for their criminal activities.”
The Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, His Grace, The Most Rev’d Dr David Onuoha, has called for the immediate, and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu is the detained Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB. He has been in detention since 2021 when he was renditioned from Nairobi, Kenya, and kept under the custody of the Directorate of State Services, DSS. The Federal Government which proscribed IPOB, is prosecuting Kanu for sundry issues including treasonable felony. Most of the charges have been dismissed and Kanu had been discharged and acquitted by at least two Courts, but the prosecution continues as the FG insists on some other charges.
But in his Homily at the Service of Songs/Day of Tributes in honour of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR, the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide who passed, recently, at the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of our Lord, CATOL, Owerri, by the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, Archbishop Onuoha urged the Federal Government to release Kanu unconditionally in honour of Iwuanyanwu.
The Most Rev’d Dr David Onuoha
According to the Archbishop, in his Homily which was, at once, fiery, emotional and heart -lifting, the release of Kanu will de-escalate the tension in the South-east, and drastically reduce the insecurity which has bedeviled it.
He called on the Igbo from all works of life, including the Clergy, Politicians, Traditional Rulers, Businessmen and women, Youths, Journalists, all Stakeholders, to speak out with one voice and insist on the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.
Iwuanyanwu’s last outing, the Archbishop reminded the hundreds present, was a visit to Kanu at the DSS detention centre. The release of Kanu was very important to Iwuanyanwu, the Archbishop added.
Earlier, Archbishop Onuoha had urged Igbo youths to stop the killings and destruction in the South-east.
Chief Iwuanyanwu, who died at the age of 82, will be laid to rest at his residence, Atta Community, Imo State, on Friday, November 1, 2024.
As efforts are ongoing to restore electricity to the northern parts of the country, Nigeria’s Senate President Barau Jibrin has disclosed that terrorists are responsible for the problem.
The magazine reports that the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, announced last week that the Shiroro-Mando transmission line had been vandalised, leaving 17 of the 19 states in northern part of the country without power for days.
The damage has paralysed economic paralyses in affected states, those familiar with the matter said.
The deputy senate president said on Tuesday during plenary that terrorists had not only destroyed transmission cables and other electricity infrastructure, they have also taken over the areas where these damage have been done to ensure that repairs are made impossible.
Jibrin spoke after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu to ensure that power is restored as fast as possible.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa had also met with the 19 northern governors as part of the ongoing efforts to restore electricity, and protection of electricity infrastructure going forward.
Briefing the Senate yesterday, on what is being done to fix the problem, Jibin said the military must first clear the affected areas of terrorists before the repairs can be done.
He said he has met with the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu on how this would be achieved, stressing that security forces are prepared to move in any moment from now to displace the criminals.
According to him, the NSA is coordinating with the TCN and Ministry of Power on how to displace the terrorists who he said “are well-armed, well-armed to the teeth” from their hideouts.
“The National Security Adviser is on top of the issue. We have been discussing it with him personally. I have been talking with the National Security Adviser. I have been talking with the TCN Managing Director,” Jibrin said.
He stated further, “They are very ready to go there, but the fact is that the place has been occupied by terrorists that are well-armed, well-armed to the teeth. And so the security agencies are preparing to strike the area and get that threat off that place.
“But it’s not something we need to say because that would compromise their preparation to deal with the threat. So as we speak, all hands are on deck to deal with the situation. I just feel it’s proper I inform this whole sitting of what is happening.
“We’re in contact with them. We’re in touch with them, and we’re discussing with both the TCN and the NSA office.
“Now what has been done now is that the security agencies are putting their hands together to get to that spot and try to eradicate or take away the threat that has been there for quite a while.
“And it’s an arrangement that is not something that will be said to the public because that would compromise the arrangement or the preparation the security agencies are going to deal with the matter. So as we speak, the president has ordered and directed that the security agencies should do all within their powers to make sure that they deal with that threat,” Jibrin said.
I was not particularly keen about intervening in some of the things I read of late that were credited to the former Commissioner for Foreign Affairs to Governor Hope Uzodimma, Dr. Fabian Ihekweme until I left the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (CATOL) on Tuesday for the Service of Songs held in honour of the passing of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, one of Imo’s greatest mortals. May his soul rest in peace!
During the Homily delivered by the Most Reverend (Dr.) David Onuoha, the Anglican Archbishop of the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, the vanity of life was once more brought to the fore, and what struck more was the reminder that judgement awaits every flesh who goes the way of our dearly beloved Chief Iwuanyanwu regardless of who we are or what we are.
The tributes on Chief Iwuanyanwu from all and sundry were encouraging. The Church, the business community, the political class, the traditional institution, the youths, name it, all had kind words to share on the deceased.
While the sermon was going on, the small still voice in me reminded me about the law of sowing and reaping. Some call it karma while others refer to it as the law of retributive justice.
Therefore, given what was said by the cross session of guests during the Service, I was convinced Chief Iwuanyanwu sowed properly while still on this side of the divide and could as well be on his way to wear the much expected “Crown of Glory” that is the desire of every good Christian.
By the way, this intervention is not on Chief Iwuanyanwu, but about Dr. Fabian Ihekweme who, I have measured respect for.
The things I have read of late that were linked to him are, to say the least, unbecoming of someone of his calibre, and worthy of yours sincerely’s respect. They ooze blackmail, sabotage, betrayal, infantile pettiness, diabolism, et al. Dr. Ihekweme’s (alias Omu) persona, should not be associated with such, even by stroke of imagination any time, any day.
We shall return to that shortly.
The word of God in the New Testament concerning betrayal is deep. Very deep.
The Lord Jesus Christ knew he would be betrayed for the Scripture to be fulfilled.
But what pained Him so much was that the betrayal came from within. From
a trusted one among the 12 persons He chose to be His apostles.
Oguwike Nwachuku, Governor Uzodimma’s Chief Press Secretary/ Special Adviser Media
As recorded in the book of Matthew 26: 23-24, Jesus Christ said: “He who dipped his hands with me in the dish will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he has not been born.”
There is a thin line between betrayal, sabotage and blackmail. Suffice it to say that he who has the potentials to betray can also sabotage or blackmail. The fellow can as well subscribe to diabolism.
If you have read Phillip C. McGraw, author of Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out, particularly the chapter on Sabotage, you will appreciate where yours sincerely is headed.
McGraw wrote: “People just aren’t always really happy for your successes. If you let them control you with their jealousy, if you let them drag you down and define who you are, they will define you in a way that is convenient and nonthreatening to them. That’s what I mean by leveling: the attempt that others make to compromise you, to bring you to a level lower than the one they see themselves occupying.
“Subtly, so subtly, and consciously or not, jealous people are going to sabotage you for reaching a higher level than they have. This can be major league fusing, because jealous people flip-flop on you: They work for you when you are failing and against you when you are succeeding.”
Like I said earlier, the pieces I have read recently on the social media linked to the former Commissioner for Foreign Affairs ooze betrayal, jealousy, blackmail, diabolism and sabotage whether he wants to believe it or not.
My initial hunch after perusing through some of the copies was to wonder if Dr. Ihekweme had lost his memory or probably on admission for a particular ailment the doctors were not in a hurry to make public. But I was wrong.
It was not until I went further to share my thought with certain persons I consider Dr. Ihekweme’s allies with regard to his utterances on the Governor and his government, that it dawned on me he was intentional in his recent unbecoming demeanor.
Unfortunately, the feelers I got from those associates of his suggested that they are as embarrassed as any other well meaning, responsible friend or political associate of the Governor could have been. It was on that score that I felt Omu should be helped from himself.
But how do you assist a properly read adult, an academic for that matter who has a doctorate degree, very sociable, from further degenerating into the abyss of orchestrated or willful mischief making, betrayal, sabotage and blackmail?
Why would Dr. Ihekweme be the one to willingly elect to betray the man he dips his hands in the same dish with? What has become of him? Who did this to him? Who is blinding Omu’s eyes negatively to the law of reaping and sowing and consequently hindering him from wearing the much desired Crown of Glory on the judgement day? Questions and more questions saturated my mind.
Let me be clear, the matters Omu raised could not add up when you juxtapose them with all he said not long ago concerning what the governor, with his government of Imo State, has done in terms of infrastructure renewal, payment of salaries and pensions, restoration of public confidence in the conduct of government business, security of lives and property despite all odds, youth and women empowerment, to name but a few.
Could it be that Omu had been recruited by unseen hands the way the son of Simon, who is called Judas Iscariot, was recruited to betray his master, Jesus Christ for pittance for politics? 2027 is still far, I reasoned, but do politicians care about timing?
Yes, pittance because in one of the pieces credited to Dr. Ihekweme he sounded like someone whose vulnerability has got to a feverish level due to lack of money even though he tried to weave his frustration around the populace as their voice.
Let me be clear again. If Omu claims to be a political associate of Uzodimma and was part of those who brought his government in place, why would he destroy the same house he took part in it’s construction because of the idiosyncrasies of the flesh or what I call, the desire for what to eat and drink? Why would he be at the forefront of hazy tales designed to smear the credibility of the man he delights to call his friend?
There are people who believe that Omu lacks integrity and the ingredients of trust due to his style of politics. I haven’t really carried out a research on his politics to draw similar inference, but some of the things I have stumbled on, and were credited to him recently, are beginning to challenge my thought line.
I don’t want to believe that Omu’s second name is blackmail and that he delights in willing and dealing as people allege.
Mine is that if Omu has not seen the negative characterisation of his person as constituting a huge deficit to his public image, family image and by bigger implications, a minus to his lineage and those who look up to him for mentorship on integrity, loyalty, obedience and trust, then I give in on him.
As the American historian and philosopher, Will Durant rightly pointed out, “to speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.”
By speaking condescendingly against Uzodimma and his government, knowing full well he was not speaking the truth, Omu agrees completely with McGraw that he means no well for the Governor. It means he must have been wired with the same mindset like Judas Iscariot who betrayed his master for pittance.
I read on a social media platform where Omu boldly said, “I’m up in arms against the governor. Imo government is very, very poor because the wealth of the State is with one person, Hope Uzodimma and I don’t need anything from him because what he has stolen is still not enough for him.” Did I hear Omu say “stolen?”
There are other claims that border on executive rascality and recklessness, allegations of link to occultism, all of which coalesce into intentional blackmail and preparedness to undermine the person of the Governor and his office.
I do hope Omu will be fully prepared, mentally and psychologically, to substantiate these his wild claims, and that those goading him to rant in this manner for whatever reason(s) will not desert him when he needs them badly? I have not seen any laurel the characters cheering Omu up have handed over to him before or would want to hand over to him now, other than guiding him to an irretrievable and irreversible perdition. God forbid bad thing!
I hope Omu’s cheer leaders have not inflicted on him the notion of an all knowing potentate, thereby making him forget what Julius Caesar told Brutus in Shakespeare’s play, “the fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves.”
The worst thing that can happen to a person who is pejoratively regarded as a lover of okro soup is for the person to come to a public gathering and still demand for the same okro soup.
Dr. Ihekweme must ensure that what appears like a huge baggage, akin to the okro soup scenario, should not be allowed to hang precariously on his neck.
He needs to work so hard to correct such an impression already created in some circles over his political behaviour.
My late mum used to tell me that the plan to kill someone is never hatched once.
Suffice it therefore to say that for Omu’s lips to drip what has recently fouled the environment, he must have been hatching the plan for years from within, taking advantage of his hitherto membership of the inner circle of the Uzodimma apostles to betray him. Did I hear you say enemy within? I think the onus is on Omu to deny he was an enemy within, not a spy and an Uzodimma hater.
Yes, the imperfections of man makes it imperative that Omu, like every mortal, can err. But given his age, social standing and academic attainments, does he need to be reminded about the dangers of deliberate incitement of the people against their government or their governor? I thought the mark of leadership includes the ability of the so-called leaders to always err on the side of caution, be painstaking in doing things, be considerate, and above all, strive to lead by example? What type of leader does Omu want to be classified? Or is he not one?
That Omu called the governor Anti- Christ, and insinuated incomprehensible tales is the apogee of pettiness and a deliberate ploy to make a jest of a man, who by all standards, has better understanding of Christianity and the Trinity as encapsulated in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit than he thinks he has.
Uzodimma, like Omu is mortal. But unlike the latter, the governor is one man who is not given to pretences. Omu cannot deny that Uzodimma has this unusual gift of meticulousness, focused, never ever confused or overwhelmed by situations regardless of the pressure, distractions and circumstances he finds himself. So, why conjure things to incite the public against the man?
Why have people like Omu failed to see through Uzodimma’s line of thought and his intention in government? How are they helping him to fulfil his promise to God, via a covenant, to serve Imo people sincerely and with commitment?
Why choose to label your boss via sabotage, betrayal, blackmail, threat, and distorted information by deliberately being a hellion? Absurd, isn’t it?
The tendency for people to be fixated in their beliefs that things must be done in a particular way beats the imagination of those with creative minds. Or do we not know that fixed beliefs reflect one’s only understanding of one’s place in the world?
It is high time Omu thought deeply about what I call fixed beliefs syndrome which I am sure is ailing, not only him, but many a politicians in our dear State when matters of dispensation of political patronage and the hunger for pillage of the people’s common patrimony are involved.
Methinks the best way for one to predict one’s future behaviour is for one to peep into one’s past behaviour. Nothing says we cannot break the chain of the things that erred us in the past to restart our future. Nothing is late in doing if there is genuine zeal and repentance in us. As Carlos Castaneda, American anthropologist said, “we either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
I think Omu is one of those who owe Uzodimma gratitude regardless of whether they are still part of those running the government today with him or not. As one who professes a pro-Christ, I expect that Omu should rather count his blessings and name them one by one instead of the recourse to the often lamentation that is in sync with one of the observations of the famous U.S. humourist, Samuel Langhorne Clemence (popularly called Mark Twain) who said, “I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had seized to be one.”
Those who claim they mean well for our dear State should equally mean well for the man who is on the driving seat of the State and who wears the shoe and knows where it hurts. It amounts to callousness to deliberately plot to undermine the captain of the ship without taking into cognisance those on board the ship and it’s capsizing potential.
If the essence of politics is to cater to the needs of the people how then does undermining the man providing the leadership help the course of the people?
The situation of things today, nationally and globally, is too critical for reasonable fellows to compound things for either the leadership or the follower ship, and under any guise.
Hope Uzodimma has acquitted himself properly these four years and 10 months of being in charge of affairs in Imo State. He has demonstrated leadership despite all provocations and distractions and has proven what Anglo-Irish writer, and Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, Jonathan Swift has always said to be right, “vision is seeing what others don’t see.”
If anything, Uzodimma keeps projecting, unpretentiously, who he is and what he is, and that to me is what today’s Imo State requires. Like him or hate him, nothing will stop him from removing his eyes from what the future Imo State should look like.
Luckily enough, his style seems to align with the thinking of the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold.
Hammarskjold once reasoned: “Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then, you will see how low it is.”
Omu, please wise up.
Oguwike Nwachuku is Governor Uzodimma’s Chief Press Secretary/ Special Adviser Media
The Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, the Most Rev. (Dr.) David Onuoha, has urged Igbo Youths to stop the killings and destructions in Igboland.
Archbishop Onuoha made the strong appeal to Igbo Youths in his Homily at the Service of Songs/Tributes held in honour of Chief (Sir) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.
The event held at the Cathedral Church Of The Transfiguration, CATOL, Owerri, was organised in Iwuanyanwu’s honour by the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province.
It is the first time such an honour would be accorded to anybody in the Province.
Iwuanyanwu, in his lifetime was a Knight of St Christopher, Owerri (Anglican)Diocese, and was a great pillar to the Anglican Church just as he, also, was to the Roman Catholic Church and other Churches.
The solemn but heart-lifting ceremony featured a number of Choirs in the Province, including one from the Roman Catholic Church.
In his emotional but thought-provoking Homily Archbishop Onuoha, told Igbo Youths, in case they were forgetting, that their father, the man who provided not a few of them with employments through many of his investments scattered all over Nigeria, and especially, in Igboland is dead.
Based on that, he told them they owe Iwuanyanwu an honour. That honour, Archbishop Onuoha told them, is to stop the killings in Igboland; to stop the destructions in Igboland.
“Your father is gone. He is gone. The man who provided employment to you is gone. You must honour him. The way to honour him is to stop the killings, to stop the destructions in Igboland”, Archbishop Onuoha told them.
Present at the well-attended event, among hundreds of others, were Bishops from the Province – serving and retired, scores of Priests, the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Lady (Dr) Chinyere Ekomaru, her husband, Sir Chukwuma Ekomaru, SAN, the widow, children and grand children of the deceased, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Chieftains, Government Officials and Politicians.
Chief Iwuanyanwu, popular as Ahaejiejemba Ndigbo, was a businessman, serial entrepreneur, industrialist, politician, and until his passing, at the age of 82 years, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. He held the National Honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR.
Jelili Sulaimon, the suspended Chairman of the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, has made a U-turn. His seeming ego has vanished. He has just written a letter to the Lagos State Assembly Lawmakers seeking forgiveness for his shortcomings.
He was suspended by the House for non-compliance, defiance and unyielding attitude to the Assembly. And, sought legal intervention when he was suspended.
But in a ‘Letter of Apology’ personally signed by the embattled Chairman, addressed to Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, and read on the floor of the House on Tuesday, Sulaimon agreed that his actions may have caused disrespect to the House.
While expressing regret, he promised to, henceforth, show maximum respect to the House and work closely with the Legislators.
He also informed the House, through a letter by his lawyers, that he had withdrawn the suit he filed against the Assembly before a Federal High Court, Abuja.
“I am writing to express my most sincere and heartfelt apology for any actions or inactions, misrepresentation or conduct on my part that may have contributed to the recent misunderstanding between myself and the esteemed Lagos State House of Assembly under your leadership.
“Upon reflection, I realised that my conduct and certain decisions I made might have been perceived as disrespectful or contrary to the standard of leadership and the mutual respect that defines the relationship between the Assembly and the local government leadership.
“This was never my intention. I deeply regret any discomfort or displeasure this may have caused your personality as well as the entire House.
“I have always held the Lagos State House of Assembly and your esteemed office in particular, in the highest regard.
“Any action or miscommunication that may have suggested otherwise was an unfortunate oversight on my part. I am committed to fostering a more constructive and respectful relationship going forward.
“Once again, I sincerely apologise for any inconveniences caused by my actions or inactions,” the letter reads.
Kano State workforce is to be paid N71.000 as new minimum wage, Governor Abba Yusuf announced on Tuesday, October 29, 2024
The Source reports that the Organized Labour and the Federal Government had, in August, mutually settled for N70,000 as the new minimum wage.
Before then, N30.000 was the wage benchmark which the petroleum subsidy removal and floating of the country’s currency in the foreign exchange market combined effectively to render insignificant.
Only in August, the kano State Governor had approached the State Lawmakers with a supplementary appropriation bill of N99 billion to enable his administration meet with the new minimum wage and other issues.
Writing on his official site, Governor Yusuf noted that the decision to pay N71,000 is in sync with his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of workers in the State.
“The decision is in line with my administration’s commitment to social justice and the improvement of the living standards of our workers.
“In line with our commitment to social justice and enhancing the standard of living of our workers, we have approved the sum of N71,000 as the new minimum wage in Kano State.
“Additionally, following the promotion of 20,737 teachers by our Government, a total increment amounting to over N340 million has now been reflected in their respective salaries.
“Once again, I commend the State Minimum Wage. implementation Committee for its work”, the Governor stated.
The new minimum wage ,according to him ,will take effect from November ,2024 ,with the state’s monthly wage bill at the state level amounting to N6 billion.
Staff salaries and emoluments at the Local Government level ,he stated will come up to N7 billion.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has disclosed that his administration did not borrow any internal or external loan to run government during the outgoing year.
The Governor stated this on Tuesday while presenting a budget estimate of N375,790,077,618.15 for the 2025 fiscal year with special focus on food security, employment generation and wealth creation.
Presenting the Appropriation Bill before members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly at the Assembly Complex, Ado- Ekiti, Oyebanji explained that the budget estimate was prepared in line with global best practices to drive the Shared Prosperity agenda of his administration.
The Governor received a special applause from the state legislators led by the Speaker, Adeoye Aribasoye, for executing the outgoing 2024 Budget without borrowing either internally or externally and recording a commendable budget performance for the year.
According to the 2025 budget estimate laid before the state parliament, N192,326,570,488.61 representing 51 per cent of the total amount budgeted was set aside for recurrent expenditure, while N183,463,507,129.54 representing 49 per cent of the estimate was earmarked as capital expenditure.
This was in contrast to the size of the Budget for the 2024 fiscal year of N150,575,481,915.00 out of which N88,952,583,682.410 was recurrent expenditure and N70,619,898,233.20 was capital expenditure.
The Governor explained that the preparation of the budget was equally in line with the inclusive governance policy of his administration after receiving inputs from all communities during the town hall meetings in the three senatorial districts of the state.
According to him, the 2025 budget estimate was carefully prepared to consolidate on the gains of the 2024 Budget by improving the agriculture sector to enhance food security, provide grants to business owners and boost micro, small and medium enterprises.
The Governor further assured that provision has been made in the 2025 Budget to accommodate the proposed new minimum wage, while attention would also be given to the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects embarked upon by his administration in different parts of the state.
Governor also listed some of the projects to be given top priority in the 2025 budget to include some road projects and water and sanitation projects.
“The proposed 2025 Budget will focus on food security, wealth creation and welfare of our people. It is important to reiterate that our Shared Prosperity agenda is hinged on six strategic pillars, which cut across all the sub-sectors of the economy.
“Our objective is to create sustainable prosperity and grow the economy by equipping our people with the requisite skills, creating jobs for our youths and women, and exposing them to information communication technology and expanding the range of opportunities available for everyone.
“We are poised to sustain and create more conducive environment for investors and make Ekiti State the preferred destination to live, work, and invest.
“While we are making concerted effort to bridge the infrastructure deficit, we are also poised to create the enabling environment for investors in the State to increase our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In his remarks, the Speaker, Aribasoye, said the consideration of the Appropriation Bill provides the legislators ample opportunity to align their fiscal decisions with the aspirations and welfare of the people they represent urging them to commit themselves to the task in the interest of the people.
He said: “We must ensure that every Naira allocated serves the interest of the people of Ekiti State and we must be champions of accountability and stewards of public trust. We must ensure that the Budget represents the aspirations of Ekiti people.”
The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, joined in the call for the purchase of a befitting aircraft for Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The Source reports that the Vice president’s scheduled trip for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samao was aborted as a result of his faults detected in his aircraft in the United States of America, USA.
Vice President Shettima who was billed to represent President Bola Tinubu ,at the meeting was forced to return returned to the country.
Last week, the Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly speaker ,Rt Hon Abdulkariim Lawan, appealed for the replacement of Shettima’s aircraft.
He insisted that the life of the Vice president is in danger as far as the present aircraft attached to his office is concerned.
Vice President Kashim Shettima .
In a statement, Founder of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, noted that Nigeria should not be “Penny wise ,and pound foolish” as regards the safety of the life of the Vice president.
He then called on the Presidency and National Assembly to prioritize the procurement of a new aircraft for the office of the Vice President.
” A nation that plays with the lives of its leaders cannot be taken seriously. A rickety plane should not be the best we can offer our Vice president if we are serious as a nation,and if we value the lives of our leaders .
“It is also an infringement on Allah given fundamental human rights of anyone who is our President or Vice President if he has to live in constant fear of danger to his life .
“Our leaders also have the right to the safety of their lives . Anyone who is serving his country, particularly at that high level, should not be subjected to fear for his own safety.
“Those who fly regularly know how traumatic it is to sit for hours on an aeroplane that gives signs of faults.
“It is callous ,petty ,and mean to insist that your leaders should continue to use rickety planes that pose serious danger to their lives .
“We may be facing economic challenges at present but Nigeria should not be penny wise ,pound foolish”, MURIC cautioned.
