Category: News

Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu

The Enugu State Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization, Hon. Patrick Ubru has stated that the administration of Gov. Peter Mbah is keen on adding 300,000 hectares to the state’s agricultural space as part of the plans to grow Enugu’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn within four to eight years.

Ubru who revealed this during an exclusive interview with Pacesetter, added that quite a lot of interventions were ongoing in the agricultural sector, “most importantly for our smallholder farmers”, because according to him, “agriculture is the mainstay of any economy”.

“We understood that for us to scale up our production, we will need to get into dry season farming as is obtainable in the North. So, we introduced dry season farming and in doing that, we decided to train our farmers.

“We took rice as an example because we found out that within the Owo, Idodo, Amankanu and Ubahu axes, those places are rice belts but our small scale farmers farming there did not have the modern knowledge on how to grow rice and optimize their potentials. So, we instituted a team to teach them this and it’s still ongoing.

“Besides that, we have also provided solar water pumping machines for them to aid the dry season farming. If you go to Nenwe, Oduma, you will see our smallholder farmers enjoying such facilities. Leveraging on the strengthened relationship we enjoy with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, we have also distributed seedlings, fertilizers to our farmers.

“I want to emphasize that the state is keen on expanding its agricultural production capacity. Currently, we cultivate on 111,000 hectares of land but the state has made a bold commitment on adding 300,000 hectares to our agricultural space.

“Why do we want to do that? The state has a policy of encouraging large scale farming. In the month of March, we signed an agreement with a private investor to cultivate 15,000 hectares of land in Ikem, Isiuzo and work has commenced. He will be cultivating cassava, maize, rice, soybeans, etc.

“We have this cassava to bioethanol value chain development where we undertake an end to end approach on cassava development, from the seed multiplication to planting to harvesting to processing to different byproducts of cassava, up to bioethanol refining. The guarantee is that any cassava cultivated in Enugu state must be off taken one hundred percent.

“Another initiative is the Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ) which the Governor of Enugu State has also assured Ndi Enugu will be established in the three senatorial districts of the state. The pilot SAPZ is already coming up in Owo. We have done the feasibility study and environmental impact analysis for the take-off of the pilot SAPZ, sponsored by Africa Development Bank, other private investors and the state government.

“Yet another initiative is the Green Smart School where we’re developing smart farms so that we can teach our children, at a tender age, to embrace agriculture. In 260 Green Smart Schools, we will be having 260 smart farms”.

On what the state was doing differently to arrest the menace of food inflation, Ubru explained that the government’s approach was to expand her production base to knock down the cost of food items.

“Once money is chasing few goods, there’s always inflation. Food inflation may also have been caused by what is known as cost-push inflation because there are a lot of things that go into production of food.

“Come to Enugu state, when you see a government that has gone head on to provide infrastructures like roads, to ease the transportation of food produced to the market, it will more than reduce the cost of food.

“When you see a governor who’s interested in providing good health facilities to enable even farmers take good care of their health and not lose some days due to sickness, it will help to reduce food inflation.

“When you see a government that is interested in educating the citizens, inclusive of farmers, to have more knowledge in producing more food, because if we expand our production base, definitely it will knock down the cost of food items.

“When you see a government encouraging everybody and every household in Enugu state to plant something even behind their compound, it will more than reduce the cost of food.

“So, a government that has a strategy, supporting its farmers, will reduce the cost of food. Once we produce what we eat here we, becoming self-sufficient, definitely the cost of food items will come down. Once you arrest the price of food items, you arrest the price of other things needed to aid life”, he noted.

A civil society organisation, the Enugu Good Governance Group, E-3G, has congratulated the Governor Peter Mbah Administration in Enugu State on its emergence as the most prudent among the 36 states governments in the first quarter of 2024.

The group, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Odinaka Okechukwu, said the report published by the Open Nigerian State, a website supported by BudgIT, which showed that the Dr. Peter Mbah Administration recorded the least recurrent expenses among other states in the first three months of 2024, was yet another indication that the governor’s presence in government was inspired by selfless service.

It is recalled that data published by Open Nigeria States based on the budget implementation report of the states showed that whereas Benue, Imo, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe States have no data to their names, the remaining 30 state governments spent N986.64bn on recurrent expenditures, which includes workers salaries, refreshments, sitting allowances, travelling, utilities, among others, in the first quarter of 2024.

Lagos State recorded the highest recurrent expenses nationally, being N189.62bn, followed by Delta State, which recorded N68.68bn.

Ebonyi State recorded the highest recurrent expenses in the South East with N14.95bn, followed by Abia State with N10.92bn and Anambra State with N9.91bn recurrent expenses.

Enugu State recorded only N7.51bn to emerge the least in recurrent expenditures in both the region and the entire country. Imo has no data.

Reacting to the development, the Enugu Good Governance Group said, “This is a clear testimony to the high level of fiscal discipline in the Governor Mbah Administration, and a demonstration that accountability, transparency, and traceability, which he mouthed as guiding principles in the administration of public funds were not mere campaign buzzwords.

“With a record 107.2bn recurrent expenditure, representing about 21 percent of Enugu’s N521.5bn 2024 budget and a whooping N414.3bn or 79 percent of the budget earmarked for capital projects, Governor Mbah has thus far left no one in doubt of his commitment to disrupting the status quo to transform the state in all ramifications.

“Also commendable is the governor’s disposition to citizen engagement. Besides several town hall meetings and media engagements, Mbah, on Thursday, 30th May, 2024 engaged the citizens on X (formerly Twitter) Space, devoting two full hours to interact with mostly the younger generation on the policies, programmes, and projects of his government, among others.”

The group enjoined Mbah to continue on the path of prudence and putting the people above self.

Saudi Arabia has announced the sighting of the Dhul Hijjah crescent, signalling the beginning of the 12th Islamic month.

Eid Al Adha, the biggest Islamic festival falls on the 10th of Dhu Al Hijjah.

Eid ul-Adha is celebrated by Muslims all around the world on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah (the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar)

It is the second major Islamic festival celebrated by Muslims after Eid-ul-Fitr.

In an announcement on Thursday, Saudi said consequently, Friday will mark the beginning of the holy month.

Also, the Hajj pilgrimage for 1445 AH-2024 will commence on Friday, June 14, with the day of Arafah falling on Saturday, June 15.

The development brings the Muslim biggest festival, Eid Al-Adha, to be observed on Sunday, June 16, 2024.

The Arafat Day, which precedes the festival, will fall on June 15.

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court had on Wednesday, called on all Muslims across the Kingdom, to participate in the sighting of the crescent moon of the Arabic month Dhu Al Hijjah.

This action is expected to help determine the commencement of the new and last month of the Hijr, and also the day the festival falls on (Islamic) calendar.

…as CP Kanayo reiterates police resolve to bring everyone involved in the dastardly act to justice

Five (5) male suspects, comprising HRH Herbert Ukuta, the traditional ruler of Igga community, Festus Okonkwo, Ofodile Titus Henry, Sunday Ugwu and Obinna Ayogu, arrested for masterminding the unprovoked and unwarranted attack and gruesome murder of two (2) policemen and three (3) neighbourhood watch group members, in the evening hours of Friday, May 3, 2024, at Igga community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, were on June 6, 2024, arraigned in court and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre.

They were arraigned for the offenses of conspiracy, terrorism, and murder upon being found culpable during investigations.

It will be recalled that on the said date, a combined security policemen and neighbourhood watch group, providing security for a team of investors on a visiting tour to a proposed agricultural investment site in the area, was ambushed and attacked by a large group of armed criminal elements harboured in the community. However, the remains of the two (2) policemen and three (3) members of the neighborhood watch group murdered by the assailants, were later recovered following the revelations of the traditional ruler and others earlier arrested and detained on court orders.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, psc (+), has reiterated the resolve of the Command to bring everyone involved in the senseless act to justice.

He cautions those hell-bent on using social media and insidious and clout-chasing online media publishers to publish falsehoods, in a bid to divert public attention from the mind-boggling issues in the case, to desist forthwith.

He warns that the command will not be deterred or distracted from getting to the root of the ugly incident by such unfounded media smear campaigns.

DSP DANIEL NDUKWE, anipr, nisma
Police Public Relations Officer,
For: Commissioner of Police,
Enugu State Command.
June 6, 2024.

Global education stakeholders under the auspices of the NGEducators International Model United Nations, NGIMUN, an initiative of the International Human Rights Commission, IHRC, have recommended Enugu State’s education development model to other Nigerian subnational governments and countries as a veritable framework to eradicate poverty, contain insecurity, and improve living standard.

The recommendation was made on Wednesday at the opening of the maiden NGIMUN conference, themed “The Development of Education in Developing Countries” and holding in Enugu, South Eas Nigeria, citing the innovative approaches and huge investments by current government to leapfrog education in the state.

Speaking at the event, which drew participants from 14 nations as well as several UN bodies, the Coordinator of NGMUN and Director and Ambassador, African Regional Headquarters of IHRC, Dr. Tivlumun Ahure, said Enugu was consciously chosen to host the maiden conference due to its leading role in education development.

“Enugu State has done unbelievable things with education. Our central theme has to do with the development of education in developing countries, and that is why we are in Enugu.

“The evaluation and assessment exercise that was carried out in every region of the world regarded as the developing world, across Central America, Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, especially Oceania, Asia and so on, all the regions of the world known as the Third World countries, our concern is about the poor countries and the developing countries.

“What decided the choice of Enugu State is that it is confirmed and authenticated in the global south, it is Enugu State that is pioneering and leading in educational development.

“We have toured Enugu for the period of six whole months, beginning from September, 2023, and that same tour held in several regions of the world in order to determine the exact destination to hold this Conference, “The Development of Education in the Developing Countries.

“The decision is to celebrate that particular area that is doing well in the developing countries on the issue of developing education and then we narrowed down to Cameroon first, and for very clear indices, we came down to Nigeria. The report was delivered in Nairobi, Kenya that we should come down to Nigeria, Enugu State in particular, and host this event,” he stated.

Speaking, the Chief Host and governor of Enugu State, said the state took a radical approach to education development because education remained the strongest weapon with which to fight poverty, and would continue to do so in terms of policies and funding for the same reason.

“My first reaction is that I’m humbled. We didn’t even know that our modest efforts in our education sector were already gaining such international attention and acclaim.

“We are indeed honoured and humbled. The generous statements and words being made by the diplomats and the UN Human Rights Commission and those who are focusing on education in developing countries.

“As we always said, we are obsessed with education. We know that education is the surest weapon and the strongest way to fight poverty. If we are going to give a deadly blow to poverty, we must get our young people equipped with the right skill set to deal with tomorrow’s workplace. And that’s what the Green Smart School initiative is all about.

“But we are not just advocating for zero tolerance for out of school children, but we are also saying that these children deserve to have access to quality education. And that quality learning starts from early childhood, age three. This is essentially what we are doing, making sure they are exposed to future skills. To artificial intelligence, to robotics, to augmented realities, to mechatronics. All these skills we need to be able to compete favourably with their peers across the globe. That’s essentially what we are imbuing them with,” Governor Mbah said.

Announcing yesterday the suspension of the nationwide strike that commenced Monday, in a communiqué at the end of their joint National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, and its TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, gave insight into why labour suspended the indefinite nationwide strike yesterday

The communiqué explained that NEC also reviewed the government’s position on other critical demands, particularly the reversal of electricity tariff hike and the cessation of the discriminatory classification of electricity consumers into bands.

According to the communiqué, the NEC-in-session equally examined the circumstances behind organised labour’s withdrawal from the Tripartite National Minimum Wage negotiation process within the context of the behaviour of the federal government towards the exercise and the content of the understanding reached with labour.

The communiqué informed that the NEC critically examined the following key issues: The Federal Government’s proposal to commit to a higher national minimum wage; the ongoing demands for the reversal of the electricity tariff hike back to N66/kwh; and the demand for stoppage of the apartheid classification of electricity consumers into bands.

Members of NEC also x-rayed reasons for withdrawing from the Tripartite Committee for the Negotiation of the National Minimum Wage, the content of the memorandum of understanding reached with the Federal Government at the meeting of Monday, June 3, 2024.

The communiqué read: “On the National Minimum Wage, the NEC-in-Session acknowledges the personal offer by the President Tinubu to commit to a higher National Minimum Wage above the N60,000 on offer.

“On electricity tariff hike and classification: The NEC-in-Session is deeply disappointed by the government’s silence and lack of concrete action regarding reversal of electricity tariff hike and the abolition of the apartheid classification of electricity consumers into bands.

‘’The NEC reaffirms that these issues are critical to alleviating the financial burden on Nigerian workers and the general populace. The electricity tariff hike and discriminatory band classification remain unacceptable and must be addressed alongside the wage increase.

“On the reason for withdrawing from the wage setting process, the NEC-in-session frowned on the refusal of the Federal Government to go beyond N60,000 at the ongoing national minimum wage negotiation which compelled our withdrawal.

“On the agreement with the Federal Government, the NEC-in-session affirms that the Federal Government has agreed that the offer of N60,000 was not sufficient and has, therefore, shown commitment to making better wage offer to Nigerian workers and reaching agreement on same within one week.

“In view of the deliberations, the NEC-in-session resolved as follows that there is a greater need to create the right ambience for negotiation to continue unhindered.

‘’The indefinite nationwide strike is, therefore, relaxed for one week from today (yesterday) to allow the Federal Government commit to a concrete and acceptable national minimum wage; take definitive steps to reverse the electricity tariff hike back to N66/kwh and abolish the discriminatory classification of electricity consumers into Bands.

“The NLC and TUC national leadership are mandated to continue to maintain open channels of communication with the Federal Government to negotiate and secure favourable outcomes for Nigerian workers and people.

“All affiliate unions and state councils are, therefore, directed to relax the indefinite nationwide strike and return to their respective workplaces immediately.

“The NEC-in-Session expresses profound gratitude to Nigerian workers and the general public for their unwavering support and solidarity in this critical struggle for improved living and working conditions.

“The NLC and TUC remain committed to pursuing all necessary actions to protect the rights and welfare of all Nigerian people and workers as we urge all to await further directives while the negotiation continues.”

Vanguard

Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu

The Executive Chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani has stated that contrary to speculations, the Enugu State government did not increase taxes in the state but simply used a “penetration methodology” to collect taxes in the informal sector. 

Nnamani who spoke to Pacesetter during an interview explained that the state government also activated the collection of some taxes which were passed into law by previous administrations of the state but left dormant, stating that it was impossible for the state government to unilaterally increase taxes when most of the payable taxes fell within the exclusive legislative list.

In his words: “We have been able to activate new revenue areas or new revenue lines. For instance, when we came on board, there was no purchase tax in the state. We activated purchase tax and capital gain tax because they were actually provided for in our laws but were never activated all these while, and revenue is coming in from there. We have also tried to expand the net of who pays our PAYE -Pay As You Earn and Withholding taxes. 

“The tax did not increase beyond levels and if you watch what is being collected, there is actually less that the state can do in terms of increasing tax. They don’t actually have much of the powers to increase taxes, because the personal income tax is a federal law, and you don’t have unilateral powers to increase it. 

“The withholding tax, capital gain tax, stamp duty tax, these are federal laws. What the state has power to do is the Land Use Charge, which the state, instead of increasing it, reduced the rate because we are much more interested in covering a wider net than restricting it to people and asking them to pay unrealistic amounts.

“So, we crashed the rate by less than half to ensure that people actually pay. The only thing in our Land Use Charge is that people who are seen to be the rich, who live in areas that are regarded as high-reserved areas, have to pay exactly what is worth the value of the property because Land Use Charge is calibrated on the value of the property. Like somebody who lives at Abakpa or Emene pays around N38,000 a year as Land Use Charge while someone in 9th Mile pays around N15,000. Can’t you see that it’s actually reduced by more than half? But if you live in Zoo estate and it’s residential, you are going to pay N266,000. 

“In the informal sector where you hear all sorts of noise, I think what we did is actually a penetration methodology because we asked the market to pay N21,000 a year and it includes the tax, ESWAMA levy, local government stallage, the business premise. You can imagine that, all of them consolidated to pay N21,000”. 

When asked what his office was doing to sensitize the people, especially in the informal sector, since he explained that the issue of tax increment was a mere speculation, he lamented that the average Igbo man finds it difficult to pay taxes. 

“I don’t think the challenge is sensitization, it might be part of it, but the challenge is that an average Igbo does not see tax payment as a contribution towards the building of the state. We have had a lot of sentimental analysis about tax. We also had a lot of bad orientation about tax. 

“Some people see tax as payment we give to the government official to go and eat. They are not seeing it as their own contribution to grow their economy. If you remember that even in the 60s, in the coming of the whites into Nigeria, when you ask an Igbo man to pay tax, it’s like you are removing blood from his system and that is actually why the first riot we had in Nigeria was in Igbo land, in Aba, because they were asked to pay tax. 

“Some will even come here and tell me, why not go to the United Nations and ask them to give us money to develop? Why not go to the World Bank and ask them to give us money to develop? Why not go to the federal government to collect FAAC and develop the state? What they don’t actually understand is that the development of a state is by the citizens or residents of those states. 

“What we asked them to pay is N21,000 a year and you have an opportunity to pay monthly, quarterly, half yearly or yearly. I don’t think anywhere in the world where you asked somebody to pay N21,000 for a whole year to include tax and levies, you have killed them”.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have agreed to suspend the ongoing strike over disagreement on a new national minimum wage with the Federal Government for one week.

A source attending the ongoing NEC meeting in Abuja confirmed this to our correspondent.

“A joint NEC meeting of TUC/NLC has approved to relax the industrial action for one week with immediate effect,” the source said.

The strike, which commenced on Monday, entered the second day on Tuesday.

The Federal Government on Monday expressed commitment to raise the N60, 000 offered as minimum wage after a meeting with the leadership of organised labour.

Further, the TUC president Festus Osifo confirmed this in Abuja on Tuesday after a joint extraordinary national executive council meeting of the unions.

“A joint NEC meeting of TUC/NLC has approved to relax the industrial action for one week with immediate effect,” Osifo told Channels Television.

A communique will be issued shortly, the labour chief said.

Both unions downed tools on Monday to register their grievances over the hike in electricity tariff and lack of consensus on a new minimum wage.

Nation/Channels TV

…As Nigerian Railway extols Gov Mbah as a man of his words

The Enugu State government has begun the disbursement of the second batch of compensation to the property owners and tenants of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, affected by the soon to be commenced construction of modern transport terminal at Holy Ghost, Enugu, according to a government issued statement.

The move has also been commended by the NRC, which is the lessor of the said properties.

Speaking, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozor, however, reiterated processes and criteria for payment of compensation, saying original tenants of the NRC were entitled to compensation.

“The compensation is for property owners, those who are the original tenants of the Nigerian Railway Cooperation. They should go and submit their documents to them after which the Nigerian Railway will forward those documents to the state for immediate payment of their compensation.

“This is the second batch of the compensation. The first batch has already been paid and they are happy.

“For those who are here to collect their payments today, they will fill the indemnity form, and sign it. The state government and the Nigeria Railway Corporation, which is the landlord, will also sign.

“More so, another form ensuring the right of first refusal to these affected persons after the completion of the project will equally be signed here. This is in line with the governor’s earlier commitment in writing to ensure that present occupants are given the first opportunity to own places there once ready,” the Commissioner stated.

Ozor further stated that in order to mitigate the high cost of transportation in the state, the Enugu State government had procured 50 Compress Natural Gas(CNG) buses with the passenger capacity of 80 persons each for the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), stressing that additional 100 buses would equally be delivered.

In his words, “CNG saves 64% of fuel cost and the buses have trackers and must have each security personnel to guarantee safety of the passengers. We are going to have at least 80 bus shelters where these buses will enter to discharge passengers. The idea is that we shouldn’t be dropping passengers on the roads.

“So, what we are doing at Holy Ghost, Agbani, Abakpa, Garki, and Nsukka in the first phase is not all about bus terminals. In these terminals, we will have cinemas and other facilities where people can easily go to have fun.”

Meanwhile, speaking to newsmen, one of the beneficiaries and Managing Director of Farm Associate Nigeria Limited, a livestock feed production company, Alhaji Isa Okeke, lauded the state government for fulfilling its promises.

He said the reason it seems people were always apprehensive was because of failed promises of the past governments, saying he was happy that the Mbah administration had kept every promise made for people to begin to trust government again.

Okeke said that as a renowned agriculturalist, he was always ready to partner with the state and bring his ideas towards the actualisation of.what he described as the very ambitious plans of the Mbah Administration in the agriculture sector.

In his remarks, the District Public Relation Officer, Eastern District Headquarters, of the NRC, Dr. Onyedikachi Onovo, commended the state government for the smooth process of the payment of compensation, maintaining that the interest of the Corporation was to ensure that due process was followed in the payment of compensation to its tenants in the area.

He further urged those whose names were yet to be captured to do the needful by submitting their details to NRC for immediate payment by the state government.

“Our interest as the Nigerian Railway Corporation is to ensure that due process is followed in paying the property owners. It’s important that we are here and we pray it continues smoothly so that everyone will be happy at the end of the day.

“Those whose names have not been captured should hasten up and submit their details to the Nigerian Railway Cooperation for onward transmission to the state government, which is ready to pay them their compensation. It’s a good move and I laud the state for this,” Dr. Onovo said.