By Justina Auta

Mr Ajentekebia Harry, Country Director, Logistics Nigeria, CONTINENT AFRIQUE, a non governmental organisation, says excessive drug abuse is responsible for the increased violence and crime in Nigeria.

Harry said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on the occasion of World Drug Day in Abuja, on Wednesday.

NAN reports that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime commemorates World Drug Day every June 26.

According to Harry, Nigerian youths are advised to jettison the attractions of drugs because of its destructive nature.

“Many of the criminal and terroristic activities you see today in Nigeria are drug induced.

“These drugs have the capacity to simulate unholy acts that can plunge the nation into chaos,” he said.

CONTINENT AFRIQUE’s country director, who lauded the National Drugs law Enforcement Agency for its bold fight against drugs, urged youths to embrace a more responsible living.

According to him, drugs are misleading and can gradually eliminate lives of both the victim and innocent members of his neighbourhood.

Tamuno-Ibi Harry explained that drugs were the straight way to destruction if not contained.

“Drugs do no one good, it instead, leads to death and destruction of destinies,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Uche Anunne

By Collins Yakubu-Hammer/Justina Auta

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to creating a conducive environment for journalists and the media profession in the country.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at a book presentation titled: “Writing for Media and Monetising it” by Azu Ishiekwene.

“As we celebrate this milestone, it is also important to reaffirm the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to a free and responsible journalism.

“We understand that a society can only flourish when its media organs are free to report the truth without fear of retribution and to equally hold those in authority accountable.

“The Tinubu’s administration is therefore, dedicated to creating an environment where journalists can work freely, without intimidation, and with the assurance that their rights will be acknowledged and protected,’’ Idris said.

The Minister, however, stressed that, freedom comes with responsibility.

He noted that as the government championed the cause of a free press, it is incumbent on the media to exercise the freedom with a sense of duty, ethics and patriotism.

According to him, it is crucial that the information disseminated to the public is accurate, balanced, and devoid of sensationalism.

“We must all strive to ensure that this role is played with the utmost responsibility while we work closely to advance the course of good governance in our country.

“We must be wary of fake news, misinformation and disinformation and indeed, new cankerworms that destroy individual and corporate reputation, and above all, destabilise the society,’’ Idris said.

Speaking on the book, the Minister said the author had done a huge favour of distilling his great skill, talents and experience into the 280 pages of valuable works.

“I am very glad about the enthusiastic reception that the book is getting from a wide range of quarters as well as stellar reviews and comments, from some of our most respected media practitioners.

“This initiative represents a meaningful way for the author to give back to the media industry by offering valuable guidance and support to the next generation of journalists.

“Indeed, the way Azu has creatively deployed the Internet for this new book is a testament to how well he has kept up with changing times and technologies,” he said.

Speaking, the Chairman, Leadership Newspaper Group, Mrs Zainab Nda-Isaiah said the author has been honing his craft, writing articles that educate, inform and entertain on various and diverse topics.

“This book is not just a collection of tips and tricks, but a comprehensive guide that covers the entire process of writing for media from idea generation, to publication.

“However, this book is in a class of its own, because beyond what I just mentioned as its focus, the book also focuses on monetizing the craft of great writing,’’ Nda-Isaiah said

Meanwhile, Mr Ahmed Shekarau, owner of Trust TV and Daily Trust Newspaper encouraged the media to focus on human angle reporting that would create traffic in the media space,

Similarly, Ms Kadaria Ahmed, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Radio Now 95.3fm, stressed the need to educate citizens on the significance of what they are doing.

Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi of Mass Communication Department, School of Postgraduates Studies, Baze University, emphasised on the need for the media to be creative and adapt new trends in media profession. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu has pledged more support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in its fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

The President made the pledge as Special Guest of Honour, at the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, otherwise known as World Drug Day, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Speaking on the theme: “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention,” Tinubu enjoined all and sundry to support the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative launched by NDLEA three years ago.

The President was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume.

“I commend and urge everyone to redouble their efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking in the country.

“On this score, I wish to reassure you of this administration’s support. The Renewed Hope Agenda places the youth at the centre of its focus. Therefore, we ensure that our young people are protected from anything that could derail their future or destroy their potential,” he said.

He noted that illicit drugs and substances had wreaked havoc on individuals, families, communities and countries worldwide.

“In the face of such a formidable challenge, prevention is the most potent weapon that we can deploy. Prevention not only saves lives; it also saves resources that would otherwise be spent on treatment and rehabilitation.

“It empowers individuals to make informed choices, promotes healthy lifestyles and creates resilient communities capable of withstanding the pressures of drug abuse.

“Investing in prevention is not merely a moral imperative, a prudent way of safeguarding our future.

“By allocating resources towards evidence-based prevention programmes, we can break the vicious cycle of drug abuse and protect our youth from falling prey to the menace,” said Tinubu.

He stated that, “the assignment before us as a country requires that we prioritise evidence-based prevention strategies, allocate adequate resources and foster partnerships for greater impact.

“This government will support NDLEA to build on the success recorded in the past few years. We shall work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we have positive statistics from the next national drug use survey that will be conducted in the country.”

He urged all Nigerians to join hands in this noble cause, saying it is an assignment for all patriotic citizens, including religious leaders, traditional leaders, educational institutions, opinion leaders, and civil society organisations.

“NDLEA has created a formidable platform for cooperation vis-à-vis its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy initiative,” he said. 

Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, said the ‘Save Our Families’ social advocacy campaign launched at the ceremony by the President, was designed to prevent and tackle drug use through early detection and intervention.

He said the newly produced special drug test kits was a necessity in every home, school and workplace, and that the Drug Integrity Test initiative would metamorphose into an anti-drug culture for every Nigerian.

“The test is intended for secondary school students, students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and returning students, workers in government and private offices and individuals seeking political offices as well as prospective couples before taking their marriage vows.

“The drug test will serve as a tool for the prevention of drug use and early detection of the individual’s status of drug use for the purpose of appropriate intervention including treatment and rehabilitation.

“Let me also add that our drug integrity test, which has been adopted by some government institutions and tertiary institutions in the country, is a preventive mechanism,” said Marwa.

He said the Agency had produced tens of thousands of special test kits capable of detecting 15 different substances, which were available in all its commands across the country.

“This is for use in homes, schools, workplaces and others. Apart from helping in early detection of drug abuse especially by our youths so that we can get them help in form of treatment, this will also create some deterrence effects,” he said.

Speaking on the theme for this year’s World Drug Day, Marwa said drug use prevention lied at the heart of NDLEA’s strategy in addressing the drug problem because it was far more effective and cost-efficient to prevent drug abuse than to deal with its consequences.

“In this regard, we have used our WADA social advocacy initiative to campaign vigorously at the grassroots and create awareness for our people to shun illicit substances.

“WADA is a sensitisation and advocacy initiative that employs the whole of society approach to engage all stakeholders including the government sectors, institutions, and Non-Governmental Organisations.

“This is with emphasis on youths in and out of school, community gatekeepers including traditional and community leaders, as well as religious leaders among others.

“I am proud to state that the programme has been a tremendous success as an effective tool of advocacy for social action and an awareness driven vehicle for public engagement and collaboration against the drug scourge,” he explained.

He stated that between 2021 and 2024, the Agency embarked on 6,423 sensitisation and education programmes targeting young people in school and 987 programmes for Out of School youths in order to create awareness on the dangers associated with drug use.

“This is in addition to the millions of homes reached with our anti-substance abuse messages through our aggressive and impactful media campaigns using various traditional and new media platforms,” he said.

The outgoing United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative, Dr Oliver Stolpe, also made a number of recommendations.

“After the exceptionally successful testing of the school-based drug prevention programme UNPLUGGED involving half a million secondary school children in Nigeria, the programme should be rolled out to all 28, 000 public and private secondary schools.

“We need to enhance the resilience against drug use among the millions of out-of-school children, for example through sports-based initiatives such as Line Up Live Up (LULU).

“Furthermore, we need to strengthen families in their ability to recognise and address drug use in effective and constructive ways,” he said.

Stolpe further said: “Most importantly, there is an urgent need to repeat the 2018 national drug use survey. Without up-to-date data, there is no way in which we can assess whether our collective efforts have long-term impact and address the actual priorities.”

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who emphasised the importance of testing in schools expressed the ministry’s support for NDLEA drug test campaign.

According to him, the most important place where this prevention fight should start is the education sector.

“And we will do our own part, even last week, it was something we considered and promised to review the existing policies so that we can work with NDLEA to take it to secondary schools and primary schools.

“To establish at all levels compulsory and sustained testing, it has to be compulsory and sustained, right through the years and period of their education,” he said.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Rep. Abass Adigun, called for more budgetary provisions for NDLEA in the face of its multi-faceted mandate.

“We at the national assembly are ready to work with the NDLEA and we need the federal government to look into this,” said Adigun. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The Federal Government has solicited stakeholders’ collective engagement to close the literacy gaps among youths and adults in the country.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, made the appeal at a National Stakeholders’ Engagement on Achieving Youth and Adult Literacy in Abuja.

The event, organised by the National Commission For Mass Literacy, Adult and Non- Formal Education (NMEC) has the theme: “Addressing the Challenges of Data Collection, Out-of-School Children/Youths.”

A report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Yobe had the lowest literacy level of 7.23 per cent in 2017, Zamfara 19.16 per cent, Katsina 10.36 per cent and Sokoto 15.01 per cent.

The report shows that Southern states were far better with Imo the highest with 96.43 per cent, Lagos 96.3 per cent, Ekiti 95.79 per cent, and Rivers 95.76 per cent.

The minister, however, said that there must be an holistic approach towards improving the quality of knowledge and certificate given to the adults and non-formal schools.

“The stakeholders engagement is to carry everybody along and get the buying in of all Nigerians.

“The way forward for us is to pay attention to education and this is not only for children but holistic in adults and non-formal education and this education must be backed with certification.

”We are trying to see how we can improve the quality of knowledge and certificate that can be given to our adults and non-formal schools.

“We also want to incorporate skills acquisition into it so that they can also have skills,” he said.

Sununu added that there was the need to begin to create awareness campaign that would help parents appreciate the importance of an educated society.

“For you to have an educated children, you must have an educated family.

“There is a direct relationship of the education of the offsprings to that of the parent,” he said.

The minister said that with President Bola Tinubu’s attention on education advancement, low literacy level would be eradicated in the country.

According to him, the president has achieved relative success in this with the return of over 2 million children back to school.

Also, the Executive Secretary of NMEC, Prof. Simon Akpama, said the roadmap for the Nigerian Education Sector had provided a strategic framework to tackle illiteracy challenges head-on.

Akpama urged stakeholders to harness the diverse expertise and resources to create inclusive and effective educative programmes that would enhance unhindered access to quality education.

“The population increase contributes to increasing number of out-of-school children and once parental illiteracy is high, it will contribute to increasing the number.

“We must support government in funding adequately youth and adult literacy. Except this commission is properly funded, we will continue to compound the problem of out-of-school children,” he said.

The Chairman, House Committee on Alternative Education, Mr Ibrahim Mustapha, commended the political will of the President towards changing the literacy narrative of the country.

Mustapha also expressed the commitment and support of the National Assembly in achieving an educated society. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bayo Sekoni

By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu will consult further before arriving at a final decision on the new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, said this at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said the report of the tripartite committee on the new wage was presented and deliberated on at the FEC meeting, but was stepped down to enable the President consult further.

Idris said this would allow the President take an informed decision on it before sending its bill to the National Assembly for consideration.

“We discussed the new minimum wage issue at the council meeting.

“The new national minimum wage is not just that of the federal government, it is an issue that involves the federal government, the state governments, local governments, and organised private sector.

“And of course, the memo was stepped down to enable Mr President to consult further, especially with the state governors and organised private sector,” he said.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, also briefed on government finances and debts, including ways and means.

“When we interrogate the figures over the first quarter of this year, starting from middle of December 2023 and the end of March this year; if we want to be positive, what we will say is that the glass is half full.

“We are halfway there. If not, we can be negative and try and say the glass is half empty. Why do I say this? The total debt stock of Nigerians in dollars terms fell by 15 per cent, that is very positive.

“Any rating agency, any creditor, any investor looking at that will see it as a positive move.

“We are a country that has petrodollar, we have ability to earn in dollars. So it’s highly relevant that we look at what is our exposure in dollars terms,” Edun said.

According to him, on the other hand, the exchange rates increased by 8 trillion in actual debt issuance, and the total external debt and domestic debt in Naira terms had increased by 25 per cent.

“That brings me to the foreign exchange movement which can change tomorrow, as we know. Linked to that is the all important question of the government’s capacity to pay its way.

“Debt is all about the revenue to service it, and of course to use those funds properly, judiciously,  accountably and in a way that gives positive returns.

“At no time have we gone to Mr President to seek permission to go the the Central Bank to pay anybody, be it external debt service, be it share capital cash calls for any of the liabilities that the government has,” he said.

Edun explained that as with all agencies, the government was focused on ensuring that the revenue due to it was collected robustly using technology, avoiding blockages associated with manual processing, which he said had led to a very robust revenue effort.

“Likewise, we are implementing debts or expenditure controls, also very ably empowered by technology.

“Mr President inherited a legacy of N3.4 trillion in outstanding ways and means which have been securitised on the eve of the entry of President Tinubu’s administration.

“We are doing a forensic audit, we are interrogating that figure because its a liability which we have to pray interest on. So, any deficit that you might see to the consolidated revenue account, may be automatic debit on a figure that is still being interrogated,” said Edun.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, also said the Council gave approval for the upgrade of key infrastructure in the country’s healthcare system.

He said that the Council approved the engagement of a transaction adviser to develop a public private partnership (PPP) to expand, modernise and refurbish six teaching hospitals’ equipment.

The hospitals are: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, University College Hospital Ibadan, National Hospital Abuja, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital and Usmanu Dafodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

“That is a massive upgrade of infrastructure. The transaction adviser will develop full business case and then come back to the Council for approval for mobilisation to execute the contract over the next 12 to 20 months.

“The second item is the expansion of the pathology lab and the mortuary at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. The contract was awarded, and it also includes building hostels for nurses and other health professionals. That is under a PPP arrangement,” said Pate.

He gave an update on diseases ravaging the country, particularly Cholera, which he said was discussed extensively, in addition to the emergence of yellow fever in Bayelsa.

He said the National Centre for Disease Control was working with Lagos State, which has a very strong institutional ability to be able to contain the disease.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, said the Federal Government has approved procurement of Mikano CNG vehicles for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

He said that council also approved the procurement of two full body scanners for Lagos and Abuja International airports.

Also, Minister of Works David Umahi gave an update on road projects across the country, assuring that by October, most of the ongoing road construction and rehabilitation would be completed. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

By Cynthia Okoye

The Kungaboku rural community in the Bwari Area Council, has appealed to the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike for the construction of its access road and provision of potable water, other basic amenities.

Residents of the predominantly farming community, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

They urged the minister and other relevant bodies to safe them from being cut-off completely from the territory because of the bad state of the access road to the community.

Zephaniah Moses, the community youth leader said the only road leading to the community has been washed off by the rains making it very difficult for people to come in and go out .

“When heavy rains fall, the river across the road will be filled up. We will have to wait for at least, five hours, for the water to go down, before anyone can go out or come into the community

“What we need, is a bridge across the river. The palliative measures we have done on the road, through communal efforts have been washed off with the coming of the rains,” he said.

Moses also appealed for the provision of potable water, the rehabilitation of the only, LEA Primary School in the community, which he said the roofs of two of the blocks of classrooms, have been blown off by storm.

“Whenever it rains during school hours, the pupils will have to cramp in the few classrooms covered with roof for the rain to subside.

“The school also needs perimeter fencing to protect the pupils and their teachers from attack,” he said.

Mr Rafiu Akintoye, a resident and farmer, who said he has lived in Kungaboku for 15 years described the community as peaceful and the indigenes, accommodating.

On the poor state of the road, Akintoye recalled an incidence when the river across it washed away a car trying to go out of the community when it was raining.

According to him, it took the intervention of able-bodied young men in the community to rescue the occupants of the vehicle down the river.

He said before the community carried out the palliative maintenance on the road, there were times they would have to remain in the community for two days whenever there was heavy downpour.

Akintoye said that the primary healthcare centre in the community is also in dire need of rehabilitation, health workers and drugs.

According to him, the health carecentre built by government and equipped by the Rotary Club many years back is in a sorry state at the moment.

He said health workers are not readily available, especially in the night, putting sick residents at risk and there are no drugs to be dispensed for patients.

A poultry farmer in the community, Mrs Anna Jonah narrated how the bad access road has affected her business negatively.

“Coming in and going out of this community is the major challenge, especially for farmers who are dominant here.

“You have to trek a long distance before you can get “okada or keke” (commercial motorcycle or tricycle), many of them are not willing to come here.

On Saturday, I paid N5,000 to a “keke” man who brought in my chicken feeds, a distance of just 10 minutes. The fare will not have been up to that if the road is good.

People that come in here, to buy the birds also complain about the bad road and use the opportunity to underprice our birds,” she said.

She appealed to the Minister, the Bwari Area Council and other relevant bodies to come to their aid in fixing the road for ease of doing their business.

Mr Omerigwe Bartholomew, who did his national youths service’s programme in a farm in Kungaboku some years back, said he has remained in the village doing his own farming.

He said some of the big farms in the village are being leased out by the owners because of poor infrastructure and unfavourable business environment.

“I am into poultry, livestock and crops production. Right now, I am coming from my cassava farm

“I choose to remain in this village, after my youth service, because the villagers are peaceful and accommodating.

“We have not recorded clashes between farmers and herders here because we all live peacefully and when there is misunderstanding, the community head resolve it amicably,” he said.

Bartholomew appealed to the FCT administration to fix the infrastructure in Kungaboku village, particularly the access road, healthcare facility and potable water.

He also urged agricultural agencies to visit the village for possible  establishment of farm clusters.

He assured that such development would boost agricultural production in the area and attract many youths to site more farm projects in the area. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

=======
Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

By Alex Enebeli

The Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC), and the Okofia Ukana community in Udi Council Area, on Saturday, signed a partnership agreement for housing development in the community.

The partnership also entailed the signing deed of customary grant for the use of large expanse of the village land for new residential and commercial houses.

Mr Gerald Asogwa, the General Manager, ESHDC, and the Corporation’s Secretary, Dr Anayo Edeh, signed on behalf of the corporation while Mr Chijioke Achi, the Chairman of Okofia General Assembly (OGA) and the Village Secretary, Mr Chijioke Orji, signed on behalf of the community.

The ceremony which took place at the palace of the eldest man in Okofia, Chief Jeremiah Ebunyebe, was witnessed by the directors in the housing corporation as well as elders and men of Okofia community.

Asogwa said that the acquisition of the land in the community’s Achievers Layout would fast track the urban renewal programme of the state government.

He said that Gov. Peter Mbah had planned to expand the Enugu city as the state capital was already filled up.

“There is no way we will continue to restrict the city growth to the area it occupies today.

‘The Uwani area, developed years ago is already filled up, the same thing with the Independence Layout, the same thing with GRA.

“What the Governor wants to do now is what other states have been doing such as Lagos state with its Garden Atlantic City or Epe/Lekki,” he said.

According to him, it is what a people do in a place that it becomes.

“In the next couple of months that particular area which we call Blossom Garden Solar City, in which part of your land belongs, is going to have a new face like other major estates in the city,” he said.

Asogwa thanked the leadership and people of Okofia on behalf of Gov. Mbah and promised that the decision it took to key into the trajectory of the governor would not be in vain.

“We will develop that place and you people are going to be proud of your decision,” he said, adding that a road project had already begun to link the capital city to the estate up to the surounding villages.

He said such development would increase the value of the land, reduce travel time to the capital and open up the area for other investments.

The OGA chairman, Achi, said that with the signing ceremony the community had given the corporation authorisation to begin its renewal programme in the Achievers City Layout, Phase 1 covering a total of 800 plots.

Achi assured that both parties would keep to the terms of the agreement, saying that, “it is our desire that the corporation will execute the project satisfactorily.

“We use this opportunity to thank the Enugu Gov. Mbah for bringing development to the rural community and for other department strides on various parts of the state.

“We are satisfied with what he is doing in Enugu state as projects dot every corner of the state”.

The chairman praised Mbah for restoring water supply in the state capital, and appealed to him to extend the water scheme to Ukana and other rural communities.

He also lauded the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Uche Ugwu, for being a true representative of the people and supporting the governor to enable him to realise his development agenda (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maureen Atuonwu

A News Analysis by Ahmed Ubandoma, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities is a non-governmental organisation that has, on many occasions, raised concerns about the population of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the country.

The argument of the organisation has been that without an accurate figure on PwDs, it will be difficult to make adequate plans for their wellness.

It alleges that the 2006 Nigerian census recorded 3.2 million people as living with disabilities, or 2.32 per cent of the total population of 140 million people in that year which, according to it is inaccurate.

It then enjoined the National Population Commission to cooperate with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for a fair capturing of the PwDs in future census.

Concerned persons living with disabilities have also observed that the ratified United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of 2007 and its Optional Protocol in 2010 have no any impacts on the management of PwDs across the country.

According to them, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, charged with submitting reports on progress might not have been doing so, thus limiting the understanding of disability to a treatise of welfare and charity, resulting in total neglect of the several rights of the PwDs.

For instance, Mr James David Lalu, the pioneer Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, explains that it takes 20 years struggle to recognise the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in the country.

“There are a lot of things to put in place in a particular building before you can achieve an effective accessibility.

”One of the efforts we are making is to create a programme to bring together experts on accessibility, within and outside the country’’, he explains.

Similarly, Mr Abdullahi Usman, President, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, notes that many PwDs are live in abject poverty “and if you go to some parts of the country, they engaged in street begging because they are not educated enough to know the dangers of it.

“Our members needs skills acquisition training. If the Federal Government can help us to admit our members into skills centres to acquire different skills, we will appreciate that’’.

Concerned by this condition of the people living with disabilities, President Bola Tinubu’s administration through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, announced a new policy direction under the Renewed Hope Agenda that in every social intervention programme undertaken by government, 10 per cent of such would be reserved for PwDs.

Suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Betta Edu, who announced the new policy while inaugurating various empowerment programmes for persons with disabilities in Abuja, said that the President directed that the disability community should be given priority in all intervention programmes of government.

“Already, we are into conditional cash transfers for 15 million households; out of this figure, 10 per cent is reserved for the disability.

“So, we are happy and very proud of the disability commission for pushing on all fronts to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda is actually achieved,’’ she noted.

“We are providing Point Of Sales (POS) machines to persons with disability across the country so that they can be the last mile distributors of the funds to people living in villages and hard-to-reach areas.

“We also gave N130, 000 each, as scholarship to some physically challenged students in tertiary institutions.

“Beyond this, we have also been able to bring officials of the Corporate Affairs Commission to carry out proper registration of their businesses and N20 million has been released for that purpose.

“We are having several other interventions such as giving out grants to associations linked to persons with disabilities,” she said.

Edu said that the Federal Government would be committed to supporting the educational needs of citizens, persons with disabilities inclusive.

She also said that the ministry would collaborate with the Ministries of Finance, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, among others, to eradicate poverty in the country.

“Some people are poor because they do not have access to education while others are poor because they do not have access to quality healthcare services or are poor because they do not have access to jobs,’’ she observed.

She said that the ministry had been given a full department to coordinate the overall national responses on issues relating to persons with disabilities in the country.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Abdullahi Usman, President, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, therefore, commended the president for the gesture and for rectifying the African Charter on Human Rights and the rights of persons with disabilities in the country.

Usman, however, decried the slow level of implementation of the presidential directive which he said that only half of his members had so far benefited from the intervention programme.

“First, we must appreciate the government of Tinubu with the Renewed Hope Agenda and for his wonderful job of ensuring that there is equal opportunity for all citizens.

“All we are asking for is to have equal opportunity where inclusive society will be guaranteed because nothing about us is without us,’’ Usman pleaded.

Ms Chisom Onyekwere, one of the beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope intervention programme that got POS machine, also expressed gratitude for the gesture.

“I am a living witness of the Renewed Hope intervention programme and for me, the president has made impact in this one year of his government because I was given POS machine and a token of N100,000 to startup my business through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs,’’ she said.

Mr Halilu Gayam, Chairman, Nasarawa State Association of the Deaf, however said that his members had yet to feel the impact of the Renewed Hope intervention programme.

“We in Nasarawa State have yet to feel the impact of president’s intervention but we use to see in television as other states benefit and we hope our turn will come.

“Majority of our members in Nasarawa State are well educated because we have special needs school and the areas we would need Federal Government support is job opportunities,’’ he said.

Also, Ms Brisca Aaron, Executive Secretary, Bauchi State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, said that the state had benefited from the Federal Government’s intervention programmes.

“The policy has been implemented in Bauchi State because the state is benefiting from the relief materials and other social interventions of the Federal Government to persons with disabilities under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

“Bauch is the first in the North-East region of the country to domesticate the discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Law and we have strong synergy with the Federal Government in promoting disability inclusive projects, especially as it relates to their education, health and social wellbeing,’’ she said.

Observers, nonetheless, believe that Tinubu means his promise on the Renewed Hope Agenda when he said that it would leverage the nation’s population and resources with main focus on unleashing the nation’s full economic potential. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, with a group of online editors, under the aegis of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) in Abuja.

By Taiye Agbaje

The presidency has called on Nigerians to embrace subsistence farming to address the challenge of rising cost of food.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, made the call at a meeting with a group of online editors, under the aegis of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) in Abuja.

A statement on the meeting was made available to newsmen by ACOE’s Chairman, Mr Martins Odiete, on Saturday in Abuja

“In 1976, former President Olusegun Obasanjo introduced ‘Operation Feed the Nation,’ promoting farming.

“In 1984, when former President Muhammadu Buhari came in, there were shortages of rice, milk, and sugar, and the government had to open warehouses to make these items available to people.

“This is not the first time we are going through this kind of crisis.

“The government is investing in agriculture to make things available and affordable, and as individuals, we also have a role to play,” he said.

Onanuga acknowledged that, things were not working as President Bola Tinubu’ wanted.

He, however assured that in the next twelve months, Nigerians will begin to see the results of the government’s efforts for the country’s benefit.

“Though people complain about hardship, I told the BBC that cost of living crises exist globally.

“Maybe what is happening in the world is a cycle, and countries will have to go through certain difficulties.

“We are going through it, but this government is making serious efforts to reduce the hardships faced by our people,” he said.

Onanuga assured the association of robust relationship towards dissemination of news in line with global best practices.

Earlier, Odiete emphasised the importance of partnership with the presidential media team, at a time Nigerians are eager for essential information from their government.

“In an age where information flows ceaselessly across digital platforms, this partnership is pivotal for ensuring accurate, responsible and effective dissemination of news and information.

“By working together, we can ensure that the information reaching the public serves the greater good of society,” he said.

Odiete, who thanked Onanuga for the meeting,  noted that members of the association were thoroughly screened to avoid admitting the wrong persons.”(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi