AFOLABI
My nude scene with Eucharia Anunobi in viral film affected my marriage – Zack Orji opens up
Veteran thespian Zack Orji recently spilled the tea on a steamy scene he shared with Eucharia Anunobi in the cult classic “Glamour Girls,” revealing its fiery impact on both his personal life and matrimonial bliss.
Dishing out the details on the set of “Legend’s Untold Story,” hosted by Nollywood’s own Labista, Orji delved into the sultry depths of his role in the 90s sensation.
Unveiling the aftermath of the film’s sizzling reception, Orji spoke about his death rumour said he was suspended from church after the film was released.
He elaborated on the sequence of events, recounting how his pastor personally reached out to inform him of the barrage of inquiries flooding the church’s phone lines regarding the controversial film.
Initially assured of confidentiality, Orji was taken aback when a persistent journalist broke the news to him, seeking confirmation of his alleged suspension.
Expanding on his revelations, Zack Orji, sheds light on the toll the movie took on his marriage, stated that his wife was also affected by the movie.
According to him, though she was an actress, many people put different things in her mind about the provocative scene.
He said they had some issues after that, however, he didn’t recall how it was resolved.
WATCH HIM SPEAK BELOW
Destiny Etiko destroyed my marriage with Alexer – Harrysong
The acclaimed Nigerian singer and songwriter, Harrison Tare Okiri, widely recognized by his stage name Harrysong, has hurled serious accusations against Nollywood superstar, Destiny Etiko, in a lengthy tirade that also slams his former label boss KCee and his estranged wife, Alexer Perez Gopa.
Harrysong, who has been locked in a public conflict with KCee, whom he accused him on Friday of signature forgery and fraud, vowed to unveil the deceitful schemes allegedly orchestrated by Alexer and her mother, implicating Destiny Etiko.
Alexer had earlier contacted popular Instagram blogger Cutie Juls to reveal her distressing experiences with the singer, claiming that the former Five Star signee pressured her to terminate her third pregnancy and voiced his frustration about the possibility of having another girl.
In a fiery and unrestrained response to these allegations and the gossip blog Alexer used to air them, Harrysong took to Instagram Live with a blistering tirade, blasting Destiny Etiko for allegedly masterminding his wife’s connection to gossip blogs in a calculated effort to smear his name.
He vehemently accused Etiko of being the puppeteer behind the scenes, orchestrating this campaign to tarnish his reputation with these scandalous accusations.
Accompanied by a damning voice note as evidence, Destiny Etiko was allegedly heard directing Alexer on the specific Gistlover blog to select from the multitude of similar accounts on Instagram, to reportedly highlight Harrysong’s purported mistreatment towards her.
According to Harrysong’s account, Destiny Etiko was allegedly urging Alexer to exploit their marital discord as a means to gain fame and drag Harrysong’s name through the mud.
He proceeded to unveil a catalogue of alleged transgressions, delineating a sequence of purported atrocities ascribed to Alexer and her mother amidst the backdrop of his marital woes.
Details of crucial meeting Emir Sanusi had with security chiefs emerge
In a bid to douse the tension that envelopes the ancient city of Kano and find lasting solution to the imbroglio that characterises the emergence of new monarch, the 26th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, met with security operatives on Saturday.
The details of the crucial meeting has now been made public, with Emir Sanusi describing his reinstatement by the state government as justice against the injustice done to him in the past.
On Friday, Governor Abba Yusuf reinstated Sanusi as Emir of Kano after deposing the 15th Emir, Aminu Bayero.
This was after the Kano State House of Assembly heard the motion on the Kano State Emirate Council Amendment Bill and eventually abrogated the 2019 Law that allowed for the creation of the five separate emirates from the old Kano Emirates.
But despite a court stopping Sanusi’s reinstatement, he was enthroned by the State government.
The development has heightened tension in the north west state and put the reinstated and dethroned emirs on a potential collision course.
However, meeting with security chiefs on Saturday, Sanusi said he had not seen the specific court order.
“The emir, who spoke for over an hour during the meeting, told us that what the state government had done was justice against the injustice meted out to him in the past.
“He told us that he had not seen the court order we were referring to, describing it as a media court order until he sees it,” a source privy to the meeting told Daily Trust
My reinstatement justice against injustice – Emir of Kano, Sanusi
The 26th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, has described his reinstatement by the state government as justice against the injustice meted to him in the past.
On Friday, Governor Abba Yusuf reinstated Sanusi as Emir of Kano after deposing the 15th Emir, Aminu Bayero.
This was after the Kano State House of Assembly heard the motion on the Kano State Emirate Council Amendment Bill and eventually repealed the 2019 Law that allowed for the creation of the five separate emirates from the old Kano Emirates.
But despite a court stopping Sanusi’s reinstatement, the statement had enthroned him.
However, meeting with security chiefs on Saturday, Sanusi said he had not seen the specific court order.
“The emir, who spoke for over an hour during the meeting, told us that what the state government had done was justice against the injustice meted out to him in the past.
“He told us that he had not seen the court order we were referring to, describing it as a media court order until he sees it,” a source privy to the meeting told Daily Trust.
Mbappe leaves PSG after winning domestic Treble
Kylian Mbappe played his last match for Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, winning the French Cup against Lyon.
The Ligue 1 champions won 2-1, thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembele and Fabio Ruiz.
Jake O’Biren pulled one back for Lyon in the second, before PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a superb save minutes later.
PSG, who are the Ligue 1 and French Super Cup champions, have now secured a record-extending 15th Cup title and first since 2021.
However, they were only able to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, where Borussia Dortmund eliminated them.
Mbappe leaves as a free agent and is widely expected to sign for Real Madrid.
Nicki Minaj arrested over alleged possession of drugs
Popular Rapper, Nicki Minaj has been arrested over all ages for possession of drugs.
She was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands on her way to Manchester for her performance at Co-op Live.
The Singer had shared a video of airport officials asking to search her luggage on her Instagram.
She in the video denied that she was carrying any drugs but was told that she needed to go to the police station.
She also alleged that some persons have been trying to sabotage her tour
“They’ve been trying to stop me from coming to every show. They took my bags before I could see them. Put it on the plane. Now they’re waiting on customs.
“This is what it looks like when ppl are paid big money to try to sabotage a tour after all else fails. Everything they’ve done is illegal.” She wrote.
EFCC ex-chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde is dead
A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde is dead.
He died at the age of 61 years.
Mr Lamorde reportedly died on Sunday morning in Egypt where he had travelled for medical treatment.
Mr Lamorde was the third Executive Chairman of the anti-graft agency.
Details shortly…
Fireworks over Tinubu as LP, other opposition parties score him low one year after
On inauguration day at the Eagle Square, Abuja, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made promises on critical areas affecting the country including economy, security, power and petrol subsidy.
In fact it was on that occasion that he made the statement ‘subsidy is gone’ which has continued to reverberate in the economic circles across Nigeria.
Nearly one year after, people are asking, How much of the promises have been fulfilled? Find below the full text of the May 29, 2023 speech:
My Fellow Citizens,
I stand before you honoured to assume the sacred mandate you have given me. My love for this nation is abiding. My confidence in its people, unwavering. And my faith in God Almighty, absolute. I know that His hand shall provide the needed moral strength and clarity of purpose in those instances when we seem to have reached the limits of our human capacity.
This day is bold and majestic yet bright and full of spirit, as is our precious nation.
As a nation, we have long ago decided to march beyond the dimness of night into the open day of renewed national hope.
The question we now ask ourselves is whether to remain faithful to the work inherent in building a better society or retreat into the shadows of our unmet potential.
For me, there is but one answer. We are too great a nation and too grounded as a people to rob ourselves of our finest destiny.
This nation’s journey has been shaped by the prayers of millions, and the collective sacrifices of us all.
We have endured hardships that would have made other societies crumble.
Yet, we have shouldered the heavy burden to arrive at this SUBLIME moment where the prospect of a better future merges with our improved capacity to create that future.
To the surprise of many but not to ourselves, we have more firmly established this land as a democracy in both word and deed.
The peaceful transition from one government to another is now our political tradition. This handover symbolizes our trust in God, our enduring faith in representative governance and our belief in our ability to reshape this nation into the society it was always meant to be.
Here, permit me to say a few words to my predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr President, you have been an honest, patriotic leader who has done his best for the nation you love. On a more personal note, you are a worthy partner and friend. May History be kind to you.
For many years, Nigeria’s critics have trafficked the rumour that our nation will break apart, even perish.
Yet here we are. We have stumbled at times, but our resilience and diversity have kept us going.
Our burdens may make us bend at times, but they shall never break us.
Instead, we stand forth as Africa’s most populous nation and as the best hope and strongest champion of the Black Race.
As citizens, we declare as one unified people devoted to one unified national cause, that as long as this world exists, NIGERIA SHALL EXIST.
Today, Fate and Destiny join together to place the torch of human progress in our very hands. We dare not let it slip.
We lift high this torch so that it might shine on every household and in every heart that calls itself Nigerian. We hold this beam aloft because it lights our path with compassion, brotherhood, and peace. May this great light never EXTINGUISH.
Our administration shall govern on your behalf but never rule over you. We shall consult and dialogue but never dictate. We shall reach out to all but never put down a single person for holding views contrary to our own.
We are here to further mend and heal this nation, not tear and injure it.
In this vein, may I offer a few comments regarding the election that brought us to this juncture. It was a hard-fought contest. And it was also fairly won. Since the advent of the Fourth Republic, Nigeria has not held an election of better quality.
The outcome reflected the will of the people. However, my victory does not render me any more Nigerian than my opponents. Nor does it render them any less patriotic.
They shall forever be my fellow compatriots. And I will treat them as such. They represent important constituencies and concerns that wisdom dare not ignore.
They have taken their concerns to court. Seeking legal redress is their right and I fully defend their exercise of this right. This is the essence of the rule of law.
Over six decades ago, our founding fathers gave bravely of themselves to place Nigeria on the map as an independent nation.
We must never allow the labour of those who came before us to wither in vain but to blossom and bring forth a better reality.
Let us take the next great step in the journey they began and believed in.
Today, let us recommit our very selves to placing Nigeria in our hearts as the indispensable home for each and every one of us regardless of creed, ethnicity, or place of birth.
My supporters, I thank you. To those who voted otherwise, I extend my hand across the political divide. I ask you to grasp it in national affinity and brotherhood. For me, political colouration has faded away. All I see are Nigerians.
May we uphold these fitting and excellent notions as the new Nigerian ideal.
My fellow compatriots,
The Nigerian ideal which I speak of is more than just an improvement in economic and other statistics. These things are important; but they can never convey the fullness of our story.
Our mission is to improve our way of life in a manner that nurtures our humanity, encourages compassion toward one another, and duly rewards our collective effort to resolve the social ills that seek to divide us.
Our constitution and laws give us a nation on paper. We must work harder at bringing these noble documents to life by strengthening the bonds of economic collaboration, social cohesion, and cultural understanding. Let us develop a shared sense of fairness and equity.
The South must not only seek good for itself but must understand that its interests are served when good comes to the North. The North must see the South likewise.
Whether from the winding creeks of the Niger Delta, the vastness of the northern savannah, the boardrooms of Lagos, the bustling capital of Abuja, or the busy markets of Onitsha, you are all my people. As your president, I shall serve with prejudice toward none but compassion and amity towards all.
In the coming days and weeks, my team will publicly detail key aspects of our programme. Today, permit me to outline in broad terms a few initiatives that define our concept of progressive good governance in furtherance of the Nigerian ideal:
The principles that will guide our administration are simple:
- Nigeria will be impartially governed according to the constitution and the rule of law.
- We shall defend the nation from terror and all forms of criminality that threaten the peace and stability of our country and our sub-region.
- We shall remodel our economy to bring about growth and development through job creation, food security and an end of extreme poverty.
- In our administration, Women and youth will feature prominently.
- Our government will continue to take proactive steps such as championing a credit culture to discourage corruption while strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the various anti-corruption agencies.
SECURITY
Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence.
To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security DOCTRINE and its ARCHITECTURE.
We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide, better training, equipment, pay and firepower.
THE ECONOMY
On the economy, we target a higher GDP growth and to significantly reduce unemployment.
We intend to accomplish this by taking the following steps:
First, budgetary reform stimulating the economy without engendering inflation will be instituted.
Second, industrial policy will utilize the full range of fiscal measures to promote domestic manufacturing and lessen import dependency.
Third, electricity will become more accessible and affordable to businesses and homes alike. Power generation should nearly double and transmission and distribution networks improved. We will encourage states to develop local sources as well.
I have a message for our investors, local and foreign: our government shall review all their complaints about multiple taxation and various anti-investment inhibitions.
We shall ensure that investors and foreign businesses repatriate their hard earned dividends and profits home.
JOBS
My administration must create meaningful opportunities for our youth. We shall honour our campaign commitment of one million new jobs in the digital economy.
Our government also shall work with the National Assembly to fashion an omnibus Jobs and Prosperity bill. This bill will give our administration the policy space to embark on labour-intensive
infrastructural improvements, encourage light industry and provide improved social services for the poor, elderly and vulnerable.
AGRICULTURE
Rural incomes shall be secured by commodity exchange boards guaranteeing minimal prices for certain crops and animal products. A nationwide programme for storage and other facilities to reduce spoilage and waste will be undertaken.
Agricultural hubs will be created throughout the nation to increase production and engage in value-added processing. The livestock sector will be introduced to best modern practices and steps taken to minimize the perennial conflict over land and water resources in this sector.
Through these actions, food shall be made more abundant yet less costly. Farmers shall earn more while the average Nigerian pays less.
INFRASTRUCTURE
We shall continue the efforts of the Buhari administration on infrastructure. Progress toward national networks of roads, rail and ports shall get priority attention.
FUEL SUBSIDY
We commend the decision of the outgoing administration in phasing out the petrol subsidy regime which has increasingly favoured the rich more than the poor. Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources. We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions.
MONETARY POLICY
Monetary policy needs thorough housecleaning. The Central Bank must work towards a unified exchange rate. This will direct funds away from arbitrage into meaningful investment in the plant, equipment and jobs that power the real economy.
Interest rates need to be reduced to increase investment and consumer purchasing in ways that sustain the economy at a higher level.
Whatever merits it had in concept, the currency swap was too harshly applied by the CBN given the number of unbanked Nigerians. The policy shall be reviewed. In the meantime, my administration will treat both currencies as legal tender.
FOREIGN POLICY
Given the world in which we reside, please permit a few comments regarding foreign policy.
The crisis in Sudan and the turn from democracy by several nations in our immediate neighbourhood are of pressing concern.
As such, my primary foreign policy objective must be the peace and stability of the West African sub-region and the African continent. We shall work with ECOWAS, the AU and willing partners in the international community to end extant conflicts and to resolve new ones.
As we contain threats to peace, we shall also retool our foreign policy to more actively lead the regional and continental quest for collective prosperity.
CONCLUSION
This is the proudest day of my life. But this day does not belong to me. It belongs to you, the people of Nigeria.
On this day, Nigeria affirms its rightful place among the world’s great democracies. There, Nigeria shall reside forever.
The course of our past and the promise of the future have brought us to this exceptional moment.
In this spirit, I ask you to join me in making Nigeria a more perfect nation and democracy such that the Nigerian ideal becomes and forever remains the Nigerian reality.
With full confidence in our ability, I declare that these things are within our proximate reach because my name is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I am the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God bless you and May He bless our beloved land.
*In the following pages, the ruling party, opposition parties’ members as well as a renowned economist, in what is at best fireworks on the Tinubu government, assess the administration one year after.
Local refiners won’t end fuel crisis if market is unregulated – Marketers
Despite the four local refineries in Nigeria having a combined capacity of 450,000bpd, oil marketers and energy experts have expressed diverse views on whether they can end the lingering fuel crisis in the country if fixed by the Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The four state-owned refineries in the country located in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri have stopped operations since 2019, forcing the Federal Government into foreign refining of its crude oil, which has grossly affected the fuel supply and economic stability of the country.
In a bid to fix the Port Harcourt refinery, the Federal Government in 2021 approved the sum of $1.5 billion, but the refinery, which has a total capacity of 210,000bpd has yet to restart operations since then.
The Federal Government initially said the refinery plant would commence operations in December 2022. Later, it shifted the commencement date to the end of the first quarter of 2023, but nothing else came out of it.
However, on Monday, the National Public Relations Officer, Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, said the PH refinery may now commence operations by the end of July after several postponements.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company, Mustafa Sugungun, has said the rehabilitation of the Kaduna refinery would be completed by the end of 2024 after years of being shut down due to lack of maintenance.
Speaking during an oversight visit to the refinery by members of the Senate Adhoc Committee on Petroleum Downstream led by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, in April, Sugungun explained that the 110,000-barrel-per-day refinery would start producing at 60 per cent capacity by the end of the year, while full production will take place subsequently.
Recall that the acting Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), Desmond Inyamah, had said the refinery would commence full operations in December 2023.
Disclosing this when members of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee over-sighting the refinery projects visited to inspect the level of maintenance of the Warri refinery, Inyamah said the last time maintenance work was done at the WRPC was in 2004 and 2005.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, Olufemi Soneye, also told our correspondent in February that the mechanical completion of the Warri refinery would be completed in the first quarter of this year.
However, speaking in separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH at the weekend, the oil marketers and experts argued that even if the current administration moves speedily to get the four refineries into full operations in the next few months, the consistent fuel crisis in the country may still not be completely eradicated because the refineries would likely face supply constraints of crude oil.
In his submission, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Dr Billy Gilly-Harry, said though there were strong indications that the Port Harcourt Refinery would start operation anytime soon, the Tinubu’s administration should work on putting the entire four refineries into full operations in other to ease the country’s consistent fuel crisis.
He said, “It is difficult for me to confirm any date for the Port Harcourt Refinery re-operation. But I had a physical visit to the place a few weeks ago and what I saw was good enough to go. But they (NNPCL) don’t want to announce anything again, because they don’t want Nigerians to have issues. We were hoping that on the 29th of this month, the Warri refinery would go live, while the Port Harcourt one would come onboard shortly after. But since the management of the PH refinery has projected a date for its reactivity in July, we can’t say anything more about it.
On whether the full operationalisation of the four refineries would reduce the price of fuel in the country and the artificial scarcity of the product, he said that cannot be guaranteed, except the Consumer Protection Council and other agencies emplace strict price regulations in the market.
“The price of fuel in a deregulated petroleum product regime will be determined by the cost of demand and supply. If the Consumer Protection Council is working optimally, there should be a source of control so that we, the retail outlet owners, will not unnecessarily hike fuel prices once the refineries take off. Though we have our internal mechanisms to regulate ourselves in as much as we have the NMPDRA, the CPC should also put in their efforts to protect the consumers,” he explained.
Also speaking with Sunday PUNCH, IPMAN Vice President, Hammed Fashola, said full operation of both the Port Harcourt refinery and the Dangote Refinery would serve as a “big relief for everybody” in the country if it can be achieved.
He said, “It is very important and I believe the government is working towards that. If the Port Harcourt refinery can come up this year, and maybe the Warri refinery next year, my concern about the whole thing is the Kaduna refinery which has been abandoned for years. I don’t know if it is still good or available to transfer crude. I think the government has to look at that before they start pumping money into it. That is very key because there will be further constraints and it will be useless.
However, in his submission, an energy expert and lawyer, Mr Ayodele Oni, stated that even though the refineries were completed, it would be difficult for them to meet Nigeria’s fuel needs, because there had been an onward sale of the country’s crude oil for years to come.
“There have been debates whether we have enough crude because of the faulty agreement the government has reached having sold out our future crude so even if you have a refinery and you don’t have enough crude, there is a challenge there,” he said.
The expert further urged the Federal Government to boost its investment in oil exploration and production to ensure a stable supply of fuel in the country.
[OPINION] President Tinubu, acute food scarcity is here - Dele Sobowale
“No one whose stomach is totally empty can be persuaded that his need is not for food but for entertainment” – Professor John K Galbraith
Tears came to my eyes when I read recently that the World Bank (which some of us love to hate) announced that it was spearheading the effort to raise $300 million in cash and food items from all over the world in order to reduce the mortal impact of famine in the North-East of Nigeria; where about seven million Nigerians are at risk of perishing for lack of food. The bank is not promising them amusement or something absolutely dispensable.
It is embarking on giving those in danger the first basic need of all animals – FOOD. When a week after it was announced that the Federal Government has approved N90 billion subsidy for pilgrims to Mecca, it became very clear why black Africa is backward; and might remain under-developed for centuries. Our leaders frequently exhibit poor sense of priorities. As an economist, of one thing I am sure. The N90 billion spent on pilgrimage – whether to Mecca or Jerusalem – would earn zero return on the investment. It is pure waste at a time when Nigeria can least afford it.
Our national predicament went from bad to worse when the Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, disclosed that the FG collected N320 billion revenue in the first quarter, Q1, of this year – instead of the N2.1 trillion budgeted. Thus, a government which had generated N1.8 trillion deficit, and which had been borrowing recklessly, still considered it wise to give away thirty per cent of its miserable earnings to fund a jamboree for a very small percentage of Nigerians. Mr Atedo Peterside said the gesture will send the wrong signals. He was being polite. I think it will reconfirm to the rest of the world that Africans are really retarded. Otherwise, what is one supposed to honestly say about a nation, which in the last nine years – including May 29, 2023 to May 29, 2024 – which had been living on the begging bowl; and whose leaders still place funding pilgrimage at the top of its priority?
“The worst thing that can happen to a leader is to look back and find that nobody is following”- US President Lyndon Johnson. My article published two Sundays ago and titled, Lets Pray for Tinubu to Succeed, induced the most disheartening response ever to any article since 1994. Not only were people, mostly young, asking me to stop wasting my prayers on Tinubu, the maledictions were stunningly shocking. One message specifically asked me: “How can you continue to pray for a man who squanders N90bn on pilgrimage with all the problems we have in Nigeria?” Admittedly, I have not conducted a poll, and possibly no one has done it also.
If the impromptu comments made by young Nigerians about this government represents the views of the 18 to 40 years group of Nigerians, then it is quite clear that overwhelming majority has lost faith in this government. Labour certainly has; after the shocker of N48,000 minimum wage per month offer. How anyone in a serious government could imagine that N48,000 per month represents the best they can do is a mystery to me. Labour leaders now have a problem on their hands. Those who speak without modesty generally have a difficult time eating their words.
On Monday, May 13, 2024, I had an article published on this page titled ‘Unpleasant Surprise Awaits Nigerian Workers’. In it, the reasons why Organised Labour was raising false hopes among workers were outlined. Given the extensive investigations undertaken before that column was written, there was no doubt in my mind that Labour would be lucky to get N70,000. The FG, on the very next day, announced N48,000. Labour leaders are still too dazed to offer a counter offer. That is perfectly understandable – given the gap between N615,000 and N48,000. Only God knows how Labour leaders will climb down from their inordinately high perch. But, that is what happens when top decision makers are not quantitative in their analysis.
Even Lagos and Rivers cannot pay N200,000 without going bankrupt within a year; not to talk of Nasarawa, Ebonyi and Ekiti. That said, the main objective of writing today’s article is to draw the attention of President Tinubu to an impending food crisis which must be addressed urgently before it becomes a calamity. Virtually all the global institutions conducting on-going research into national food production have concluded that Nigeria is one of several countries worldwide likely to suffer from acute food scarcity this year. The North-East is expected to be the worst affected based on a combination of factors – late rain, drought, pests, flood later in the year, withdrawal of Anchor Borrowers Programme support and insecurity.
Nigerians read reports of terrorist kingpins being eliminated by security forces. But, no farmer, hiding safely somewhere, will return to the farm the next day. More work is needed on security before rural people nationwide will return to their farms. This year’s harvest is projected to be worse than what we had in 2023; which was worse than the 2022 productivity. That exactly is the problem; to which the FG is addressing its mind – other than applying conventional wisdom, which has already failed us. Two well publicised interventions will help to illustrate the point being made about conventional approach to increasing food output. The CBN and Niger State government recently announced initiatives expected to boost food supply in Nigeria and state in particular.
The bank announced that it would supply several million tons of fertiliser this year. Niger State acquired tractors for use by its farmers to speed up land clearing. Good intentions were on display by the bank and the state on the two programmes. But, good intentions are never enough to achieve intended results. After terminating the ABP and announcing that it would henceforth face its core mandate, it was a policy error for the CBN to once again get involved with fertiliser purchase and distribution. That is the function of the Ministries of Agriculture nationwide. Corruption invariably creeps in. But, that is only one fault with the initiative. Fertiliser is only effective if applied at the right time by the farmer. With farms in most states under the control of terrorists and kidnappers, farmers don’t go to farm at will anymore.
Tractors need drivers. And in rural areas of Niger State, a driver alone is a seating duck for murderous hoodlums – unless the drivers are going to be accompanied by security men. Even then, it might still amount to putting several people in mortal danger. Obviously, the success of the two initiatives will be severely limited by pervasive insecurity. Yet, Nigeria must produce more food to feed a growing population in order to avert famine this year and 2025. The world is gearing up to help provide some food this year. But, unless we demonstrate that we are prepared to face the challenges of food production, donor fatigue will soon set in. At any rate, we cannot expect to remain global almajiris for ever. It is therefore imperative that we device new ways of producing more food by adopting alternative methods of feeding ourselves.
NIGERIA’S FOOD WARRIORS – N180M SOLUTION
“The time is a quarter to midnight” – Norman Borlaug, 1914 – 2009, Nobel Peace Prize Winner in Agriculture, 1970. Borlaug, generally recognised as the father of the Green Revolution, made this statement when receiving his Nobel Prize. The world then was on the brink of food disaster. The Green Revolution pulled mankind back from the precipice. Since then, global population explosion and climate change have combined to push us back towards the abyss – particularly in Africa. Biotechnology came to the rescue briefly and now gene modified crops are again racing to defence of homo sapiens – who have demonstrated very little wisdom with respect to sustainable food security.
Nigeria is among the worst nations in that respect. Advances in food security for any nation have never depended on the vast majority of Professors of Agriculture; who frequently are purveyors of conventional thought. The world has benefited greatly from those thinking outside the box. For Nigeria, the time is less than a quarter to midnight; and all our Professors in Agriculture have no ideas to rescue us. We need a revolutionary approach. Some of us might have come across the saying that “War is too important to be left only to Generals.” I strongly believe that Nigeria’s food security is also too vital to be left to farmers and Agric Departments of universities – for one simple reason known to all of us: Farmers can no longer go to farm.
That fact constitutes the greatest obstacle to good harvests today. Unfortunately, the stomach is a rascal; it demands to be served everyday. Nigeria’s 220 million stomachs cannot wait until the time Emilokan makes farms safe for farmers to be fed. Obviously, we need to find our way around this obstacle to increased food production. That was why I felt so sad to read that the FG approved N90 billion for Hajj subsidy. For about N180 million or 0.2 per cent of the pilgrimage subsidy, starting with 100,000 food warriors, we can transform food production from only rural-based to a total country undertaking. The returns on investment over the years will exceed 100 per cent each year….
To be continued
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