NEWS
Lagos Lawmakers Seek Collaboration To End Food Insecurity
– as council chairman wants subsidy on agric products
Lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Friday held simultaneous stakeholders’ meetings with their constituents with renewed commitments to boost food security and sufficiency in the state.They also called for collaboration by the stakeholders to end food insecurity.Speaking in his Agege Constituency 1, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, identified food insecurity as a multi-faceted challenge requiring the efforts of the government and the people to resolve.This year’s stakeholders’ meeting is the ninth in the series and has the theme: ‘Ensuring Food Security for Sustainable Future: Youth Participation and Home-Grown Farming’.Dr. Obasa said the Lagos Assembly was committed to ensuring food security in line with the United Nation’s sustainabledevelopment goals of eradication of poverty.”We at the Lagos State House of Assembly are committed to making Lagos an producing state and not just a consuming state in the agriculture value chain to tackle the present-day reality of food insufficiency.”Our commitment is exemplified through transformational laws and policy supervision in the agricultural sector,” he said noting that with the collaboration of the Assembly, the government of the state has made giant strides in the agriculture sector.He listed some of the agricultural initiatives to include the setting up of the 34-hectare Ikorodu FishFarm Estate which has the capacity to produce andprocess 10,000 tons of fish per year partneringwith 400 fish farmers in the StateHe mentioned the AGRIC-YESprogramme and “the Oke-Aro and Gberigbe Pig Farm Estates that currently partners with 1,200 farmers and have the capacity of housing and processing 88,000 mature pigs per annum.”It is important to reiterate that, on our part as lawmakers, we have also created an enablingenvironment for farming activities to thrive in the state,particularly through the passage of anti-open grazing of livestock Law in September, 2021.”He said to achieve food sufficiency, farming capacity needs to be widened while residents should consider animal husbandry.In his opening remarks, the chairman of Agege Local Government Area, Ganiyu Egunjobi, identified insecurity and non-availability of low interest loan for the youth population as responsible for the food crisis.”This meeting cannot come at a better time. The problem responsible for the food shortage are many among which are insecurity that has prevented many farmers from accessing their farms. Farming in Nigeria is no longer attractive to the teeming youths.”I want to suggest to the government at all levels to subsidise farming and also give loans at very low interest to farmers. The government should also improve on existing physical infrastructures in farming communities that would discourage urban migration and encourage youths to embrace farming. Farming and youth unemployment are recurring issues which require multidimensional interventions to tackle,” he said.The keynote speaker, Dr. Akinyemi Olusegun of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, urged the youths and residents in the state to engage in urban farming.”In Lagos, we are more than 22 million and as a result we have a huge need for food. People want to eat and engage in food business,” he said urging youths to focus on home-grown farming.Eromosele Ebhomele Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly
NEWS
Governor AbdulRazaq inspects ongoing Kwara’s Indoor Sports Hall project
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq visited the Kwara Stadium Complex to evaluate the progress of the ongoing revival of the indoor sports hall.The rehabilitation and upgrade of the indoor sports complex began a few months ago after the Governor’s administration approved the project. The facility, which was last upgraded in 1991, is undergoing significant renovations awarded to Messr Disscom Ltd.Once completed, the indoor sports hall will join a number of other previously dilapidated sports facilities that Governor Abdulrazaq’s administration has successfully rehabilitated in the past five years. Additionally, the administration has completed the construction of a modern table tennis hall and a squash court complex. Notably, the squash court complex is highly regarded in Nigeria and West Africa for hosting the highest number of modern squash courts in one location.
NEWS
Ekiti Governor Honours Primate Ayodele’s Late Father, Names Street After Him
The governor of Ekiti state, Biodun Oyebanji has honoured the Primate Elijah Ayodele’s late father by naming a street after him in Ikere-Ekiti.The street which used to be ‘Area One’ where the prophet’s church in Ekiti is located has now been registered as Ayomate Avenue.According to reports, the renaming took the combined efforts of the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Alagbado, his chiefs, the local government chairmen, and ultimately, the governor of Ekiti state, Biodun Oyebanji.According to the governor, the street was named in recognition of the good works done by the late father of Primate Ayodele and the continuation of the good works by the prophet. He also recognized the efforts of the prophet to drive economic growth in the community.Primate Ayodele embraced the development while expressing appreciation to the governor for honouring God in such a manner. The prophet applauded the governor for his efforts towards bringing development to Ikere-Ekiti and promised that the presence of his church will in turn lead to more economic development in the local government.Furthermore, Primate Ayodele promised that he would begin by sinking boreholes across the local government to support the government in solving the water crisis.‘’I appreciate the governor for the magnanimous development of naming this vicinity after our church, it’s indeed marvellous in God’s sight. This is a testament to his love for God and the people of Ekiti state.”“I also want to appreciate him for the development he started in Ikere-Ekiti local government, the people are happy with him and above all, God is happy with him for all he is doing”“I want to promise His Excellency that our presence here will bring a new dawn to this vicinity, we will also assist the government. We will be sinking boreholes across the local government to solve the water crisis.’’History has it that Primate Ayodele’s father was one of the most respected individuals in Ikere-Ekiti who brought good tidings to the community and provided succour for individuals who needed help.Consequently, Primate Ayodele has been engaging in humanitarian activities on a large scale across the country. Since he opened a branch in Ikere-Ekiti, Primate Ayodele has organized charitable programmes thrice which involved selling a bag of rice for N20,000, scholarships for youths, empowerment for widows, to mention but a few.
NEWS
BREAKING: Gov Abdulrazaq approves bonus for Kwara workers to ease economic burden
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has approved a financial bonus that is equivalent to the monthly PAYE obligation for every civil servant in the state, including local government workers.
The emergency support measure will last for at least three months, according to a statement by the Commissioner for Finance Dr. Hauwa Nuru.
“This bonus has been approved as a buffer to bridge the gap that the correct PAYE deduction may have wrought on the newly implemented mininum wage. It is meant to serve as a soothing balm as workers adjust to the PAYE that was just correctly implemented in line with the Personal Income Tax Act,” she said.
“The payment of the bonus is effective from October and will run till December 2024. This is a significant step by His Excellency to support workers.”
The statement added that workers who have not registered with the Kwara State Residents’ Registration Agency (KWSRRA) should do so immediately because anyone without it will not get the bonus for November and December.
The statement said labour unions have also agreed to a refund of the special levy deducted from workers’ salary and suspension of deductions of same until further notice.
“Governor AbdulRazaq’s directive to deliver this relief speaks volumes about his humanity and his commitment to the welfare of Kwara workforce,” Dr. Nuru stated.
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