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FG Denies Suspending Livestock Transformation Plan …Listen To Nigerians On RUGA, Iwuanyanwu Cautions FG
The Presidency, yesterday, clarified that the National Livestock Transformation Plan of the Federal Government has not been suspended.
While advising Nigerians not to worry about the 30-day ultimatum given by the Coalition of Northern Groups over the suspension of the nationwide implementation of the Ruga settlement for Fulani herders, the Presidency advised the CNG to respect the Office of the President which, it said, took the decision in national interest.
The Senior Policy Adviser (Agriculture Interventions Coordination) in the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Andrew Kwasari, stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja during a training session organised for the executives of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and its executives in eight states considered to be flashpoints.
The training programme, which was jointly organised by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, had as its theme: “Dialogue and Negotiations: Why, When and How To Be Effective.”
Kwasari said, “No, the National Livestock Transformation Plan has not been suspended; in fact, it has been enhanced because Mr. President, in his wisdom, has spoken and directed that this is the plan that we should be working around to implement.
“We will need an all-encompassing committee of the National Economic Council, National Food Security Council, and Federal Executive Council working together to deliver this plan. So, for us, this is the type of leadership that the country needs. So, there is no mention of suspension whatsoever for the NLTP.”
Meanwhile, elder statesman, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has advised the Federal government to listen to the voice of the people who are vehemently opposed to its proposed RUGA settlement for herdsmen.
According to him, the federal government ought not bother itself with the Ruga grazing settlement programme for Fulani herders across the country.
Iwuanyanwu who holds one of the highest titles “Aha ejiagamba” in Igbo land, pointed out that there is no way majority of the voices of the people rejecting the proposal would be wrong.
He re-echoed that ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God.’
Speaking with newsmen, he said: “We have Fulanis in this country likewise other tribes; we have never had any problem; I don’t believe these people who are involved in the killings are from Nigeria; they might be from outside Nigeria but if government would allow this, that means they are allowing foreigners to come and kill our people. Look at what is happening in Benue, Nasarawa ,Taraba and Zamfara; no country can accept that. I believed that the government has reached a point where it should listen to the voice of the people.
“The whole of the South West cannot be stupid; South-South cannot be stupid; South East cannot be stupid; the Middle Belt cannot be stupid even the Hausas are in trouble because they’re being killed too. I don’t believe all these people are stupid. Of course, I’m very happy that the governors of South East have stated it clearly that they don’t want the RUGA settlement and if you come to South East on whose lands would they settle them?
“We don’t have the land mass; the land here is owned by people; there is nothing wrong with the cattle rearer negotiating with the landowners to buy land; we are not used to a situation where the Federal government would take over land and give to the herdsmen; I can’t understand that. Why can’t theygive it to other farmers? Why are the Fulani always being treated differently like a special tribe? Why is the Federal government insisting on having people’s land even when the people are saying no to that?
“We are not stopping anybody from anywhere from acquiring property; any Nigerian who can afford to acquire property anywhere has to do that with their money but not the Federal government acquiring it for them. Fulani are free to acquire property anywhere but they must negotiate with owners of the land.”
“Yes it is true that government is vested with power, but that does not mean that the owner of the land should be dispossessed of his land; the law also allows them to negotiate with the landowners.
“Igbo are everywhere, yet the government has not made laws to giving them lands free; Igbo buy their own land, so why are these people special? The era of migration has long stopped; everybody has settled at a place they can geographically call their own.
“So the Federal government should condemn the activities of herdsmen; some of them maim and kill innocent people while claiming that their cattle were rustled; if that is so, they should not resort to anarchy; there are laws to take care of that instead of them taking the laws into their hands.
“As a cattle rearer, your business is your business, not that of a state. So, the government should not bother itself about RUGA,” Iwuanyanwu said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.