FG inaugurate N144m agric equipment hiring centres in Zamfara

The Federal Government on Tuesday in Gusau inaugurated four agricultural equipment hiring centres worth N144 million to boost mechanised agriculture in the state.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said at the inauguration that the four centres cost the Federal Government N144 million.

The minister said there would be 20 tractors, power tillers, harvesters and planters, among other modern farm machinery in each centre, located in each senatorial zone with one at the state centre.

Adesina said a total of 1,200 centres would be established across the country before the end of the year, in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive.

He explained that farmers would access the equipment under the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, with the federal and state governments paying 50 per cent of the cost of hiring the equipment.

He added that the days of corruption in providing tractors for farmers were over, as it was now in the hands of the private sector.

Adesina said the ministry would support farmers in Zamfara with N193 million to have free access to tractor services in the next four months.

“This will enable farmers in the state to cultivate 8,000 hectares extra, increase food production by 32,000 tonnes and create 1,000 jobs,” he said.

The minister said that farmers in the North had benefited from the GES scheme, as they represent 75 per cent of the scheme’s beneficiaries.

He urged farmers to support President Jonathan so as to continue to enjoy government’s support in boosting agriculture.

Earlier, Mr Saidu Abdulsalam, the Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Zamfara branch, said there were more than three million people in the state and 90 per cent of them farmers with 250,000 family farms.

He said AFAN was in support of the President as his term in office had enabled members to feel government’s presence on the farms for the first time.

He appreciated the Federal Government for allowing farmers in the state to participate in the GES scheme.

Mr Waziri Ahmadu, the Executive Director, Wholesale and Finance, Bank of Agriculture (BOA), said the centres would enhance efficiency, increase food production and raw materials for industries.

The director said BOA was collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to replicate same landmark achievement in Kebbi.

Ahmadu said the bank had resolved to align its budget with the principles of Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) to further boost agriculture in the country. (NAN)

FG inaugurate N144m agric equipment hiring centres in Zamfara

Arms, Ammunition Discovered In Zamfara Lawmaker’s Home

Pandemonium nearly broke out in Gusau yesterday when a cache of arms and ammunition was discovered in the house of a Zamfara lawmaker by security operatives.

According to a reliable source, some men who were arrested with arms in Kano made a confessional statement that they got the arms from the suspected lawmaker in Zamfara State. The raid on the houses of the law maker (names withheld) which was carried out by security operatives led to the discovery of arms and ammunition in large quantity.

“During the search, several AK47 rifles, two boxes of life ammunition and several tins of tear gas were discovered in his residence in Gusau, while a grenade was discovered in his Tsafe residence”, the source said. However, when contacted yesterday, the embattled lawmaker maintained that he was invited by the police and he had made a written statement.

The Zamfara State Command, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Lawal Abdullahi, said the operation was carried out by a special team from Abuja but declined to make further comment.

Arms, Ammunition Discovered In Zamfara Lawmaker’s Home

Lawmakers summon Minister of Defence, IGP, others over Zamfara killings

Lawmakers have summoned the Minister of Defence, Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar over the Zamfara State killings.

They are to appear before the House of Representatives joint Committees on security to explain the recent killings of villagers, allegedly by Fulani herdsmen in Zamfara State as well as the escalating attacks by herdsmen in various parts of the country.

The lawmakers also condemned the spate of killings around the country.

The resolution of the House followed a motion brought before it by a member, Hon. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau (APC-Zamfara), under matters of urgent national importance.

Gusau, moving the motion, said the attacks resulted in “the wanton destruction of lives and property”, adding that about 15 villages were raided and over 200 villagers killed in cold blood.

He said: “Mr. Speaker, honourable colleagues, the past 72 hours have witnessed unprovoked attacks on innocent villagers by Fulani herdsmen who now organise themselves on motorcycles with sophisticated weapons ranging from sub-machine guns, assorted rifles, automatic weapons to unleash terror on helpless and defenceless villagers.

“The most surprising thing is that these attacks can go on for hours without any form of intervention from the security agencies in and around the state as the attackers do whatever they like with their victims, include raping of women.”

While calling for a review of strategies in the fight against terrorism, the lawmaker said the security agencies need to be more committed in the way they handle various situations.

The Green Chamber resolved to summon the minister and the IGP, who incidentally are from Zamfara State as well as the NSA to brief its joint committees on security on the situation.

The lawmakers urged the army to establish battalions in such violence- prone areas to forestall future occurrences.

It was also resolved that the House should direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to supply relief materials to the villages.

The House ordered an investigation into the non-implementation of a plan to build an army battalion in Doma Local Government of Nasarawa State.

The project was meant to stop the incessant communal clashes among ethnic groups.

The House directed its committees on Works and Army to investigate the non-implementation of the project and report back within one month.

The resolution stemmed from a motion under matters of urgent national importance moved by Hon. Mohammed Onawo (PDP-Nasarawa).

Onawo, arguing the motion, said though N100 million was appropriated in the 2014 budget, the contract is yet to be awarded.

He said: “The essence of the project is to boost security in the senatorial district comprising Doma, Lafia, Awe, Keana and Obi and the neighbouring towns of Guma, Gwer West and Agatu in Benue State, which at the moment is threatened by frequent insurgent attacks resulting in loss of lives, property and other casualties bringing an increases situation of refugees and humanitarian calamities all over the two states.”

According to him, the appropriated funds may be mismanaged, if actions are not taken by parliament to forestall such and ensure a quick delivery on the project.

Lawmakers summon Minister of Defence, IGP, others over Zamfara killings

EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan expresses anger over N/West govs refusal to sponsor Christian pilgrims

President Goodluck Jonathan has accused governors of some North-West states of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa and Kaduna of marginalising Christians in their states by failing to sponsor them for the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The president said this in Abuja last Wednesday when he met with a delegation of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, led by its President, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Secretary General, Ishaq Oloyede.

After responding to the complaints of alleged maginalisation of Nigerian Muslims made by the delegation, the President shocked everyone at the meeting when he announced that he had his own grouse with some Muslim leaders from the Northwest.

“I still don’t understand why governors from especially the North-West do not want to sponsor Christians to Jerusalem,” Mr. Jonathan was quoted as saying. “If you sponsor Muslims to Mecca, you have to sponsor Christians to Jerusalem. If you don’t do that it is marginalization and it is unfair to Christians.”

The President then told his guests that when he was governor of the South-south state of Bayelsa, he consistently sponsored Muslims, who were minority in the state, to Mecca.

Mr. Jonathan then requested the Sultan and other members of the delegation to help pressure the governors to refrain from any form of religious discrimination.

The President had in March 2013 raised the same concern when he hosted the Pastor Ayo Oritseja for-led Federal Government delegation to the 2012 Christian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem at the Presidential Villa.

Responding to complaints by Mr. Oritsejafor that some states from the North did not sponsor any pilgrim for 2012, Mr. Jonathan had said, “If some states are sponsoring pilgrims of one religion and leaving out the other, that is against the law. Nigeria is a secular state and so nobody should be discriminated against based on religious belief.”

At the meeting with the Sultan and his delegation, President Jonathan reiterated that position, saying the governors discriminating against Christians in their states should have a change of heart and do the right thing, our sources said.

The president spoke about pilgrimages and state sponsorship at a time many Nigerians are pushing for governments to withdraw from spending public funds on pilgrimages to Mecca and Jerusalem.

The Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commission and Agencies, which Mr. Jonathan himself empanelled, had recommended the scrapping of both the National Hajj Commission and the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission.

The Stephen Oronsaye-led committee had argued that it was wrong and unnecessary for government to continue to waste scarce public funds on personal religious obligations of citizens.

The Kano State Government recently said it saved more than N1 billion following its decision to stop sponsoring pilgrims to Mecca and Jerusalem.

Speaking in Kano at the 30th Memorial Anniversary of Mallam Aminu Kano, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso said the funds so saved was ploughed into education, transportation and health projects.

“There is nowhere Islam allows for the removing of public funds to sponsor individuals on pilgrimages,” Mr. Kwankwaso said at the event.

A source at the NSCIA-Jonathan meeting said, “We were shocked when the president veered off the issue at stake and then began to talk about sponsorship of pilgrims to Jerusalem.

“It is either he has forgotten the recommendations of a committee he set up himself or he is not interested in implementing the report of the committee.”

The delegation had visited the president to complain about alleged lopsidedness in the composition of the 492-member National Conference, saying there were far more Christians at the confab than Muslims.

According to a presidency source familiar with the deliberations at the meeting, the Sultan, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, told Mr. President that as the leader of Nigerian Muslims, he was under tremendous pressure from Muslim leaders and organisations across the country about the alleged lopsided in the composition of the conference.

He informed the president that his members were becoming impatient and restless and that Mr. Jonathan needed to act fast to defuse tension.

The Sultan, who was said to have spoken “eloquently and without mincing words”, also asked the President to do everything necessary to make the Conference succeed.

In his response, President Jonathan said he was not aware of the implication of the composition of the conference and promised to make amends, insiders say.

He also urged the Sultan and his delegation to pass extensive messages to Muslims across the country that he would not deliberately do anything that is unfair to any group or religion in the country.

EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan expresses anger over N/West govs refusal to sponsor Christian pilgrims