The Nigerian Government on Monday unveiled measures to overcome the high prices of food in Nigeria within the next 180 days.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari said a 150-Day Duty-Free Import Window for food commodities would be implemented by the Federal Government.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Kyari said: “150-Day Duty-Free Import Window for Food Commodities, suspension of duties, tariffs and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities (through land and sea borders).

“These commodities include Maize, Husked Brown Rice, Wheat and Cowpeas. Under this arrangement, imported food commodities will be subjected to a Recommended Retail Price (RRP). (I am aware that some good citizens might be concerned about the quality of the would-be imported food commodities as it relates to the trending worries around the genetic composition of food.)

“I am glad to reiterate that the Government’s position exemplifies standards that would not compromise the safety of the various food items for consumption.

“In addition to the importation by private sector, Federal Government will import 250,000MT of Wheat and 250,000MT of Maize. The imported food commodities in their semi processed state will target supplies to the small-scale processors and millers across the country.”

He listed other measures to be implemented by the government to include:

“Engage relevant stakeholders to set a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) and mop up surplus assorted food commodities to restock the National Strategic Food Reserve.

“Continuous ramp-up production for the 2024/2025 farming cycle. sustained support to smallholder farmers in the ongoing wet season farming through existing government initiatives, strengthen and accelerate Dry Season Farming across the country. Embark on aggressive agricultural mechanization and development to reduce drudgery, drive
down the cost of production and boost productivity, collaborate with Sub-National to identify irrigable lands and increase land under cultivation, work closely with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, to rehabilitate and maintain irrigation facilities under river basin authorities across the federation.

“Development of a strategic engagement for youth and women across the Federation for immediate greenhouse cultivation of horticultural crops such as tomatoes and pepper to increase production volume, stabilize prices, and address food shortages.

“Fast-tracking ongoing engagements with the Nigerian Military to rapidly cultivate arable lands under the Defence Farms Scheme, while encouraging other Para-Military establishments to put secured available arable lands to cultivation.”

He said the Renewed Hope National Livestock Transformation Implementation Committee will be inaugurated on Tuesday, 9th July 2024 with a view to developing and implementing policies that prioritize livestock development and ensure alignment with the National Livestock Transformation Plan.

The government also plans to enhance Nutrition Security through the promotion of production of fortified food commodities and offer necessary support to scale up the Home Garden Initiative by the Office of The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Abubakar noted that over the next 14 days, the Nigerian Government in close collaboration with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) and the Economic Management Team (EMT), will convene with the respective Agencies to finalize the implementation frameworks.

“We will ensure that information is publicly available to facilitate the participation of all relevant stakeholders across the country,” he said.

He said the PFSCU will manage a dashboard for the President, providing him with direct visibility into these interventions and ensuring accountability.

He warned him not to pass a route in Wuse 2, in the FCT over protesting Nigerians.

Sani said he recently encountered protesters in Wuse 2, carrying placards against ‘hunger in the land’.

In a post on his X handle on Monday, the former lawmaker said some of the protesters among them recognized him and allowed him to pass.

However, Sani suggested in the post that Akpabio might not be given a free pass by the protesters. He, therefore, advised the Senate President not to go through Wuse 2.

He wrote: “I just passed a group of protesters in Wuse 2, carrying placards against ‘hunger in the land’. Some ladies among them recognized me and shouted “No be that Afro Senator be that”, I answered “yes na me the former Senator”; then they responded “Oya pass”. Make Akpabio no pass there o.

A Nigerian Muslim woman, Hadiza Adamu, has spoken about her experience after she tied the knot with a man who was threatened by her success.

The software engineer and girls-women rights activist disclosed this on Monday, July 8, while reacting to a post by another Nigerian lady, Mariam Aliyu, who called out Arewa men over the way they easily divorce their wives.

“Most patient women in the world are northern women! That’s why their men will go to any length to use their patience against them, doing ashawo upandan, marry today divorce tomoro.! In the north you will see a 15 year old girl child divorcee!,” Mariam wrote.

Hadiza wrote: “In as much as divorce is hala in Islam, it’s a shame how they do theirs. When they start looking for another lady then the one in the house is being maltreated as a rag,”

“I was a victim of sure predicament but I am gradually getting back to myself. I was a girl that loves education so much but unfortunately got married to someone who sees my success as a challenge to him but Alhamdulillah am trying to get back to my fit again.”

The student body also said the inability of some institutions to submit the required data is denying the students the chance to apply for the loan.

The National President of the association, Lucky Emonefe, on Monday, said the ultimatum became necessary because of the July 12 deadline issued by NELFUND for institutions to upload the data on their portal.

“The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS is appalled by the update from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, stating that many higher institutions have failed to upload their students’ data on the board’s portal.

“This comes in light of the deadline of July 12, 2024, issued by the management of NELFUND for the submission of students’ data.

“NANS frowns at this development as it shows a lack of commitment and urgency on the part of the remaining state higher institutions in Nigeria. NELFUND was established to provide interest-free loans to students in need, and it is disheartening to see that some institutions are not taking advantage of this limited opportunity for their students.

“We call on the management of these institutions to prioritize the uploading of their student’s data on the loan board portal before the deadline. Education is a fundamental right, and every student deserves access to financial support to further their studies.

“NANS will continue to monitor the situation closely and call on the remaining institutions to immediately ensure that all students have the opportunity to benefit from this loan scheme. We will not stand by and allow any student to be denied access to education due to administrative negligence.

“Failure to make this provision available to the NELFUND portal within the next 48 hours will leave us with the only option of rolling out our action plans against the erring institutions,” Emonefe said.

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The Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, Delta has discovered two illegal refining sites with 45,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta.

Navy Commander Patrick Ali, the Base Operations Officer (BOO), representing Commodore Abba Muhsin, Commander, NNS Delta, on Monday led naval personnel to the sites in the coastal communities of Ajasolor and Ogbukoko.

Addressing newsmen, Ali said that five metallic storage tanks, four ovens and five dugout pits were uncovered, adding that a suspect was apprehended with a wooden boat.

“Based on credible intelligence, the NNS Delta Gunboat team discovered illegal refining sites in Warri South Local Government Area.

“This is in line with the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)’s mandate of the Operation Delta Sanity to end crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism and securing critical maritime assets.

“This is one of the series of actions in keeping Delta safe and secured,” he said.

Speaking on the uncovered illegal refining sites, he said that due process would be followed noting that the Nigerian Navy was environmentally friendly.

“You can see that the hoodlums set one of the dugout pits on fire and ran away thus causing environmental degradation. The Navy is environmentally friendly, we will follow due process,” he said.

Ali warned oil thieves and other criminals operating in the maritime space to desist or face the full wrath of the law.

He also said that the NNS Delta was determined to rid-off its areas of operations of crude oil theft and other forms of illegalities.

He, however, thanked all the agencies and individuals that had supported the efforts of the NNS Delta in achieving the feats.

Recall that Davido has been in a custody battle with his baby mama, Sophia.

Amid the legal battle, Israel on Sunday, shaded Sophia for leaking her conversation with Davido’s father and tagged her as a Gold digger for sleeping with Davido despite the age difference.

In response, Sophia released an audio conversation of Israel apologizing to her.

Reacting to the audio, Israel stated that the conversation was months ago.

He wrote; “Ahhh. Conversation from months ago”.

It was gathered that the leaked audio was when Sophia confronted Israel following his comment in the interview where her daughter, Imade talked about visiting many countries.

Reacting to Imade’s interview, Israel wrote; “My Oga’s money”. Which indirectly implies that Davido was the one funding his child’s numerous trips.

A comment that didn’t sit well with Sophia who accused Davido of abandoning their daughter in July 2022.

An entrepreneur, Mike Emerah, has slammed the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, for opposing the purchase of a new presidential jet for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Recall that a committee of the National Assembly reportedly recommended the purchase of new aircraft for the Presidential Fleet.

The lawmakers noted that aircraft in the Presidential Fleet had deteriorated, placing the lives of the President and Vice President at risk.

The recommendation was opposed by several Nigerians, including Peter Obi who argued that Nigerians cannot be dying of hunger and starvation while the Presidency is budgeting billions of Naira to procure a new jet for the President.

Reacting to the development, Emerah described Obi’s utterances as extremely negative.

“I am disappointed with Obi’s utterances because it seems to me that he wants the President of a whole country like Nigeria to die in a plane crash, just as some Presidents of other countries have died in the past while using rickety jets.

“Before now, I used to have much regard for and respect for Obi but with his latest utterances, my respect and regard for him has watered down.

“Even if the old jet must be sold, the presidency should first and foremost procure a sound jet before disposing off the old ones or repairing them and not vice versa.

“By the way, if I may ask, is Obi saying that the presidency should stop performing its statutory functions until the old jets are sold before a new one is procured or is he saying that the old ones must be repaired before the presidency will start performing functions and besides, what is the guarantee that the old ones are properly repaired and the yardstick that the repair has been properly carried out,” he said.

Manchester United forward, Mason Greenwood, was at the club’s Carrington base on Monday but did not join training with the team.

Greenwood’s future with the Premier League club remains uncertain since he was suspended by the club in January 2022.

This followed allegations of rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his partner.

Although the charges against Greenwood were dropped in February 2023, the player was loaned to Getafe in LaLiga last summer.

He is expected to move on permanently now the transfer window is open again.
Following the expiry of his loan, Greenwood reported to Carrington on Monday.

According to The Athletic, Greenwood was there for negotiations regarding his departure from Old Trafford.

The 22-year-old left without joining the rest of the squad on the grass.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, fixed Sept. 26 for the arraignment of another two senior staff of Rural Electrification Agency (REA) by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC for alleged N1.84 billion fraud.

The officials, who are being prosecuted separately, are Aminat Asuni and Laure Abdullahi.

They were part of the five others already arraigned by the ICPC before sister courts.
Justice Nkeonye Maha fixed the date after ICPC’s counsel, Mrs P.N. Emeka, sought an adjournment to enable the commission to serve the defendants with the charges.

When the two matters were called, Emeka informed the court that the defendants were evading arrest.

She, however, applied for an adjournment to enable her effect the service of the processes on Asuni and Abdullahi before the next adjourned date, and Justice Maha fixed Sept. 26 for the defendants to take their plea.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the ICPC had filed two separate charges against Asuni and Abdullahi.

In the first charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/207/2024, the anti-corruption commission filed a four-count charge dated May 8 and filed May 10 against Asuni, while Abdullahi was also preferred with a four-count charge numbered: FHC/ABJ/CR/208/2024, and filed same day.

Asuni was alleged to have, sometime in March 2023 or thereabout while being a public officer in the employment of REA Abuja and with intent to defraud the agency, received the sum of N336 million in different tranches through her Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) account number: 0022457813 under the false pretence of project supervision.

On his part, Abdullahi was alleged to have, within the same period and with intent to defraud the agency, received N433 million in different tranches through his GTB account number: 0023343114 under the false pretence of project supervision.

The act was said to have contributed to the economic adversity of REA.

The offence is contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, among others.
The two officials were being charged for diverting the N336 million and N433 million belonging to the agency.

NAN reports that the money formed part of the N1.84 billion allegedly misappropriated by seven top officials of REA, including Abubakar Sambo, Director of Finance and Account of the agency.

The Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, in Kano, Hashimu Sulaiman Dungurawa, has said those behind the purported suspension of the National Leader and Presidential Candidate of the Party, and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State were long ago expelled from the Party.

“Let me be clear to you that these people who say they have suspended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso were long ago expelled from the Party for several anti-party activities and connivance with opposition to create problems in the NNPP”.

Dungurawa responding to the alleged extension of suspension time of Kwankwaso and Governor Yusuf, by one Umar Jibrin and Omalara Johnson in a Communique they signed, Monday, said, “you can see that there is a missing link in their actions”.

He said the missing link is that as a Party that has only one single Governor and the Presidential Candidate of the Party, who nurtured it to its present position, you are saying you suspended them, can this make any sense to anybody?

Dungurawa alleged that he knows those behind the crises in the NNPP. “they are the opposition who are afraid of the emergence soon of Kwankwaso as the next President of Nigeria, in 2027, God willing”.

He assured that the Party remains one of the biggest emerging parties in the country saying, ”a party that will present the next president of the nation, we know those who are behind the purported suspension, the forces are sponsored by the ruling government and the ruling Chairman of APC”.