By Moses Kolo

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has donated food items worth N50 million to 500 women at selected Internally Displaced (IDP) Camps in Kaduna State.

The National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke disclosed this on Thursday during the inauguration of the distribution at the IDP Camp located at Giwa Local Government Secretariat in Giwa, Kaduna State.

Osodeke, who was represented by Abdulkadir Mohammed, ASUU Zonal Coordinator for Northwest Zone, said the gesture was to identify with the poor and the downtrodden in line with union’s constitution.

“We have noted that there are a lot of things wrong in this country including; social and economic crisis and those who suffer the brunt most especially are the displaced persons due to banditry and insecurity.

“Unfortunately, this situation is nationwide and not restricted to Kaduna State.

“The union felt that there was need to identify with them and we budgeted over N50 million to support the IDPs in the northwest states including; Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano, Kebbi and Zamfara,” he added.

The president said the government should pay attention to the plight of the people, adding that “Nigerians are suffering, not only the IDPs but even salary earners.”

He said that the union in its intervention targeted women and children who are the most vulnerable.

“The union is identifying with the masses in spite the fact that the government has stopped our salary since the past eight months but didn’t deter us from helping the most vulnerable,” he said.

The president urged the government to come up with policies that would add value to the lives of the masses, especially those at the grassroots level.

Mr Shehu Giwa, Chairman of Giwa Local Government Council, who was represented by, Usman Zubeiru, Director, Social Development of the Council, described the gesture as heartwarming, saying the palliatives came at the right.

“The people are very happy as the items would go a long way in cushioning their suffering, as such we are very happy with the demonstration of care by ASUU,” he added.

He noted that the state and federal governments including non governmental organisations had extended their respective support towards the plight of the IDPs in the area.

Mrs Rikaiya Aliyu, a beneficiary lauded ASUU over the support and prayed that same gesture be extended to other IDPs across the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 500 women drawn from; Giwa, Chikun and Kajiru LGAs benefited from the food donation by ASUU. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by AbdulFatai Beki/Julius Toba-Jegede

By Reporters

A cross-section of Nigerians in Abuja says balanced diet is out of their reach, due to the rising food  prices  and dwindling household incomes.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Tuesday that the situation was worse, especially for low income earners in the country.

Some attributed the situation to the current economic situation while others said; they have maintained balanced meals in spite of the dwindling household incomes.

Mrs Susan Akpomera, a Healthy Living Consultant, said that maintaining a balanced diet was not a function of abundance of money but proper meal planning, proportioning and discipline.

According to her, a balanced diet is a meal or diet that contains essential nutrients needed for optimal functioning of the body.

”Therefore a plate of food can contain rice, a piece of meat, vegetable at the side and fruits to be taken after about thirty minutes, this is balanced”, she said.

Akpomera advised families to employ the services of a nutritionist to help in designing a healthy meal plan that would suit the size of their pockets.

Miss Peace Nwankwo, a banker, said eating a balance diet does not have to do with the amount of money you have, adding that, with proper planning, one could still maintained balance diet with a little income.

”With the current economic situation what we need to do is to feed well. We don’t eat to get full rather we eat what will sustain us.

“We need to reduce the number of times we eat to ensure that if we are eating twice a day, it should be good food. A little of all the needed nutrients will go a long way.

”Eating healthy will also keep us away from the hospital. We cannot afford to fall sick with the present economy, so let try to help ourselves,” she said.

Mrs Mary Balogun, a teacher, said that she feed her family with whatever she could afford just to stay alive.

She said” these days, we don’t think of balance diet, all we want is to eat something that will sustain us. Who is talking about balance meal.

“I can’t even afford to eat properly again as food prices continue to surge. Once I can feed my children twice daily, I am satisfied.

Mr Godwin Peter, a civil servant said he and his family eat not to maintain balance diet but to be satisfied and continue their daily activities.

He said in spite knowing the importance of egg for the development of his children, he could no long afford the one egg per day because of the cost.

Peter said that he look forward to a better Nigeria adding that hope is what is keeping him alive.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Inflation Report, inflation rate in Nigeria has increased to 26.72 per cent in September.

The reports said these increases were observed in food and non-alcoholic beverages at 13.84 per cent and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel at 4.47 per cent. (NAN)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/ Joseph Edeh

By Blessing Ibegbu
Karu community and environs in FCT were thrown into uproar on Friday due to reports of alleged male genitals disappearing mysteriously.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the past three weeks, more than 10 people in the communities allegedly lost their organs to some suspected ritualists yet to be apprehended.

Some of the victims, Habib, Sanyoalu and Ibrahim, whose surnames were with held, had alleged that they had contact with an unknown man, and suddenly their genitals shrunk.

According to them, it was so sudden and they stopped feeling their reproductive organs.

NAN correspondent, who visited the Karu Police station, reports that the situation is not different as some victims came to report that their organs were missing after a handshake with a stranger.

The victims said the suspects were beaten and seriously injured before intervention of the police.

The victims said the suspect approached them at different times, asking for direction.

According to them, as soon as the suspects left them, they discovered their organ shrunk and they could no longer feel it.

Meanwhile, the DPO Ogungbemi Igbekele, took the victims in company of other policemen to the Nyanya General Hospital, to check their organs and ascertain the allegation.

Igbekele said the case was not established, since it had not been proven medically, adding that he would make sure that justice prevailed if the cases were true.

However, after thorough examination of the victims at the hospital, it was revealed by the doctors that the victims reproductive organs were intact and perfect, though the victims still claimed otherwise.

NAN reports that the suspect, whose name was also not mentioned, was in bad shape after being battered, received medical treatment before returning to the station. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Idris Abdulrahman

By Sani Idris

The Coordinator of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project in Kaduna (KADRAAMP), Mr Zubairu Abubakar, has said that accessible roads in rural settlements would reduce post-harvest losses, cost of transportation and accident rates in the state.

Abubakar said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kaduna.

NAN reports that RAAMP is a third-generation rural access road project, which is keyed into by 19 states, including Kaduna, and aimed at strengthening the institutional and financing base for sustainable management of state and rural road network.

RAAMP is funded through contributions from the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

The project is being supported by the International Development Association (IDA), a subsidiary of the World Bank, and the L’Agence Francaise de Development (French Development Agency) in the form of loans.

Abubakar explained that due to inaccessibility of storage facilities and good road networks in the rural areas for the movement of farm produce to markets in the urban areas, farmers usually encounter great losses after harvesting.

He added that good road networks, if provided through the project, would reduce traveling time and the cost of transporting food items from the rural areas to the urban centres.

He noted that the world bank assisted project which would be counter funded by the Kaduna state government, will ensure food security, thereby eliminating barriers to food abundance and ensuring prosperity of rural farmers.

He also noted that the RAAMP would provide employment and opportunity for business activities.

“In the course of the construction of rural roads, skilled and semi-skilled labour will have to be employed.

“Accessibility to rural areas will open up many opportunities, lack of access makes a lot of people shy away from exploring business opportunities in rural areas,” he said.

The Coordinator further explained that the five-year project started in 2022 and would last till 2027, adding that Kaduna state would benefit immensely from the construction of rural roads and rehabilitation of existing ones that have failed.

He also said that river crossing structures in the rural areas would be constructed while existing ones would be rehabilitated.

“All these will improve trade where agricultural produce are sold,” Abubakar noted.

Abubakar, however, said they were being careful with areas that have challenges of insecurity.

He said they engaged a Consultant to do identification and prioritisation, where they would begin with areas that have less security challenges.

“The project is for five years. As time goes on and with security situation improving, the work will reach all the locations. The state government is doing its best in ensuring security in the state, as it improves, we move on,” he said.

He lauded the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU), the State Project Monitoring Committee (SPMC) and the State Project Implementation Committee for doing well towards the success of the project.

He called on the rural dwellers to be patient, noting that the project will cut across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, especially places with potentials for farming activities and markets farm produce.

NAN reports that the Kaduna Government, in June 2023, moved to develop bills for the establishment of Rural Access Roads Agency (RARA) and State Road Fund (SRF) to ensure development and maintenance of the rural roads in the state.

NAN also reports that Gov. Uba Sani, on September 2, flagged off road construction of Tachira-Kadarko, Tachira-Mayi Kawon Assu and Makabun-Aya-Lagum rural roads, covering a total of 17.5 kilometres in Kaura Local Government Area of the state. (NAN)
Edited by Vincent Obi

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

The Kwara Government on Wednesday commenced the evacuation of street beggars from the Ilorin metropolis.

Speaking at one of the locations of the exercise, Mrs Kemi Afolashade, Kwara Commissioner for Social Development, said the areas affected are: Tipper Garage, Tanke, Offa Garage, Geri-Alimi and Challenge in Ilorin.

She said that these were areas where the street beggars were domiciled, adding that the exercise was one of the core mandates of her ministry.

Afolashade said the leadership of Gov. Abdulraham Abdulrazaq prohibits street begging and therefore beggars are prohibited to stay in these areas.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the exercise, the commissioner rescued a mentally challenged woman sleeping under the bridge.

The commissioner who provided food and other needs to the mentally challenged woman also offered to rehabilitate and empower her with a vocation of her choice. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Gregg Mmaduakolam) Julius Toba-Jegede

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Delta Government says it has taken delivery of 13, 800 bags of rice out of the the 17,400 bags being expected from the Federal Government as palliatives to cushion the impact of petrol subsidy removal in the state.

By Adedeji Egbebi

The Chairman, Ikole Local Government Area, Ekiti, Mr Sola Olominu, has urged security agencies in the state to extend surveillance to all the communities in the council.

Olominu gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikole-Ekiti on Monday.

He waned that incessant kidnappings and killings of innocent people by criminals and ritualists would no longer be tolerated by his administration.

The chairman described the unfortunate incident that occurred on Aug. 30, in Itapaji-Ekiti, where one person was killed and two others kidnapped as an act of wickedness.

He assured the family of the victims that thorough investigation would be carried out by the police and the perpetrators would face the wrath of the law.

“I want to urge our security agencies, especially the police to assist us in arresting all the perpetrators of Itapaji-Ekiti ugly incident.

“It is an act of wickedness to kill an innocent person who left his house to find a means of sustaining his family during this challenging period.

“I sympathise with the family of the deceased and I equally prayed that God will arrest the perpetrators of the wicked act.

“My administration will support the security agencies with the necessary logistics needed to carry out the investigation effectively,” he said.

Olominu urged residents living in communities located at the border of the state to be more security conscious, adding that any strange movements should be reported to the nearest police station. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited By Chinyere Bassey/Julius Toba-Jegede