Some communities in Rivers State enjoyed significantly the All African Service Project (AASP) by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints, humanitarian services in their Church’s stakes and districts in Nigeria.

The humanitarian services which was held on the 16th August this year is an annual event usually carried out by members of the church to assist their host communities at different locations of the church every year in Africa.

In Port Harcourt Nigeria, Port Harcourt South Stake, this year they did Zebra crossing in Borikiri, precisely at UPE junction, this is to drastically reduce accident.

In Bundu Ama, still in Port Harcourt South Stake, there was a massive turnout, as the church offered free medical test and provided free drugs for those that have malaria, High Blood Pressure and illnesses that was discovered.

They equally carried out free eye test and gave out glasses for those that also have eye problems.

In the process of the testing woman, named Mrs Anthonia Marshall, was perceived to have breast cancer , which the church was contemplating to refer her to hospital and ready to bear the cost if actually it was a breast cancer.

Apart from that, the Church further provided school uniforms and books for primary school children in Bundu Ama community.

Comprehensively over 300 persons benefitted from the free medical outreach.

Speaking, the President of Port Harcourt South Stake, Williams Igoniye, explained that Helping Hand is an initiative of the Church go West Africa Project where they provide services for host community.

” This is purely a humanitarian services rendered to our host communities all over West Africa, mostly where the church is located.

” This year in Port Harcourt South Stake, we able to carried out designing of Zebra crossing at UPE junction Borikiri, with the view to reduce accident and safety of human beings.

” We also carried out free medical outreach at Bundu Ama. My happiness was that people came out to take advantage of the services , as I speak to you over 300 persons benefitted from it.

Also, speaking, during the construction of the zebra crossing, a resident, Mr. Edet Okon, commended the church for job well done.

According to him, the zebra crossing will afford the elderly and children to cross the road safely, hence that road was one of the most busiest roads.

” I am really happy that church is carrying out such an important project that will help people living within the area.

” I will suggest that government train drivers on how drive on areas where there are zebra crossing”, Okon said.

The Community Development Committee (CDC chairman in Bundu Ama, Frank Oba, expressed joy over the services rendered by the Church and called on other churches and organisations to emulate them.

By: Tonye Orabere

Some members of the rice farmers’ associations have blamed the continuous hike in the price of the product in Nigeria on the activities of unscrupulous farmers and middlemen in the sector.

The rice farmers’ leaders made this known in separate interviews with The Tide source  in Lagos.

The vice-chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr Sakin Agbayewa, said the consistent fluctuations in the price of rice could be linked to human manipulations in spite of the government’s efforts.

“As regards the high price of rice, I think we are taking one step forward and five steps backward.

“Some few months ago, the Federal Government came out with a waiver, giving some companies a small waiver to import rice into the country in order to crush the price. And while that was on, did they mobilise the local farmers? That is where the issue lies.

“Although few farmers were empowered by the Federal Government with a 75 per cent reduction on the cost of production, others were given fertilisers for free.

“Now, the question is this. Those local farmers who were empowered, did they really cultivate anything?

“The main issue is that the rice price hike can be linked to a cartel that wants to frustrate government’s effort,” Agbayewa said.

According to him, while the waiver was on, they actually imported rice into the country, and the price came down, but while they were importing, they were also warehousing.

“Now that the importation waiver is over, the cartel is creating artificial scarcity.

“Also, some of the farmers who cultivate local rice—it’s not that we do not produce enough, but some farmers only capitalise on the shortage in the system.

“And with the shortage, they are now repacking local rice in foreign bags for selfish reasons. They do this to sell at high cost because they know Nigerians have this high taste for foreign things.

“There is a high level of insincerity and dishonesty among our people. Some unscrupulous farmers, middlemen, and even retailers can be blamed for the current hike,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Mr Raphael Hunsa, called on the government to relate with the real farmers for the price of rice to drop.

“The price of rice will continue to go up if the government fails to support local rice farmers.

“The price will go higher and higher because cultivation of local rice is quite different from importing rice.

“And what we can do to resolve the issue of consistent price hikes in rice is to support the rice farmers in the right way.

“Though government is trying, and we don’t dispute that, but they should let their interventions get to the right hands.

“They should invite local rice farmers to a roundtable for formulation of the right policies and programmes for the sector.

“So, we know our problem, they should ask us and we will tender our problem. It is now left for the government to resolve the problem through the normal channel. And with that, the price of rice will come down,” Hunsa said.

He also urged local rice farmers not to sell off the interventions provided by the government, but should utilise them for the growth of the sector.

“We will also use this opportunity to tell our farmers that any input being given to them should not be sold.

“They should not sell it out. They were given the input for continuity.

“The continuity is what government is after. So let government continue to try their possible best to help farmers and not relent,” the RIFAN boss said.

On his part, a rice dealer at Oja Oba Market in Agege area of the state, Mr Mustafa Aliu, said the price of rice rose few weeks back due to the expiration of the waiver on rice imports.

“The price of rice is currently between N70,000 and N80,000 for a 50 kg bag. We can only sell it the way we bought it.

“There is no foreign rice among my products. I sell only local rice, and it’s clean and healthy,” Aliu said.

Also, another trader, at Iddo area of the state, Mr Temitayo Hakeem, said, “With the high demand for foreign rice, we will continue to witness this rise in the price of rice.

“There are bags of rice that still sell as high as N145,000 or N150,000, depending on the choice of the consumer,” Hakeem said.

The Tide reports that a 50 kg bag of local rice currently sells between N65,000 and N80,000, depending on the species.

The same quantity sold for between N45,000 and N55,000 two months ago.