By Isaac Aregbesola

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, says the police have put in place water- tight measures to ensure free and fair Nov.11 governorship election in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi.

Egbetokun said this on Thursday in Abuja at a meeting with strategic police managers and media briefing to highlight policies, breakthroughs and achievements of the Nigeria Police Force in the last five weeks.

He said that the meeting was to avail the participants of the opportunity to enumerate some of operational plans toward policing the off-season governorship election to be held concurrently in the three states.

“We are going to leverage on the fact that the elections are limited to just three states to deploy adequately for this election.

“Just as you have seen in other isolated elections in Nigeria, you will see that we have availability of men more in number than what we used to have in general elections.

“So, I have no fear and nobody should entertain any fair about how safe and secure the elections are going to be in November.

“Just three states, it will be very convenient for us, so nobody should entertain any fear about the election, we are prepared for it and very soon we will start the deployment,” he said.
Egbetokun said that the police deliberately decided to take its annual retreat to one of the states, where the election would hold.

“The conference would be two weeks to the election, so it is deliberate and not by accident that we chose that state and that date.

“It is to show to the public that we are ready for the election, so there is no fear about the election,” he said.

He said that the internal security situation of the country, over the last one month had been relatively calm in spite of the threats of political and socio-economic instability that greeted the removal of fuel subsidy and post-election tribunal judgements across the country.

“Comparatively, we have recorded lesser number of violent crimes and other major offences across the country.

“ We are all aware of recent government efforts toward economic recovery and growth through local and international engagements with investors and technocrats.

“The Nigeria Police Force is poised to support the efforts of government by providing the needed security and enabling environment for all legitimate businesses and other economic activities in Nigeria,” he said.

He said that the force would leave no stone unturned and would continue to be on its toes in ensuring that it played its role well in the efforts toward achieving economic recovery, growth, as well as social and political development of the nation.

“Consequently, all command commissioners of police and other tactical commanders are hereby directed to ensure adequate security is emplaced and sustained in their areas of responsibilities.

“Any attempt by unscrupulous person(s) to sabotage the economic revival that our country is about to witness will be met with stiff opposition from all of us,” he said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) had scored 71.25 per cent by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in public service delivery among agencies uunder the Ministry of Science,Technology and Innovation.

Dr Felix Ale, Director,Media and Corporate Communication of NASRDA, confirmed the assessment on Wednesday in a statement.

The assessment report reflected the dedication of the agency towards excellence and commitment to public service.

Alhaji Ibrahim Arabi, Director-General of BPSR, while presenting the report, said it was conducted thoroughly and evaluated using various aspects of NASRDA’s operations, including its efficiency, transparency and service delivery.

He said: “The space agency has met its expectation in all areas of responsibility and general reflected excellence in leadership, relationship and responsiveness to stakeholders, efficient, reliable reporting and adequate systems and procedure.

“You have the best procurement process in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and that is a laudable feat.

“With this record,you have set a good precedence for other agencies under the ministry.”

According to Arabi, public institutions are the vehicle with which the government liaises with its citizens,hence the need to applaud the agency.

Arabi presented an Organisational Self-Assessment Tool Award to NASRDA on a silver-level performance of 71.25 per cent to NASRDA.

He encouraged the agency to remain dedicated in harnessing the power of Space Science and Technology to addressing national challenges and promoting socio-economic development of the country.

Arabi also appealed to the staffers of the agency to remain committed to the proper articulation of the agency’s strategy and objectives.

Responding, the Director-General of NASRDA, Dr Halilu Shaba, expressed gratitude for the recognition by the bureau.

He said that the report reflected NASRDA’s commitment to excellence in its service delivery towards national development.

Shada added that NASRDA’s openness to constructive criticism, unwavering commitment to its mission of advancing Space Science and Technology for the benefit of all Nigerians was yielding great returns.

“The BPSR exemplifies the government’s commitment to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public service delivery.

“To ensure that service delivery thrives, the Agency will continue to do its best in meeting the expectations of the organisation.

“We will continue to meet the basic requirements and tenets of other similar bodies for excellence and effective service delivery,” Shaba said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Ismail Abdulaziz

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Hon. Zacch Adedeji as the new acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Thursday in Abuja.

The president has directed the erstwhile FIRS Chairman, Mr Muhammad Nami, to proceed on a three-month pre-retirement leave with immediate effect.

This is in accordance with the provision of the Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243, which will lead to Nami’s eventual retirement from service on Dec. 8.

He said: ‘’Adedeji is hereby appointed in acting capacity for a 90-day period before his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service for a term of four (4) years in the first instance.

‘’Adedeji is a first-class graduate in accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University.

‘’He most recently served the nation as the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, following meritorious service terms as the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance and as the Executive Secretary / CEO of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new appointment takes immediate effect.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Adebola Adegoke

FranklinCovey Nigeria, a leadership and management service company, has urged the federal and state governments to make substantial investment in the children’s education.

The company said that such investment in education was crucial for nurturing patriotic citizens and fostering national development.

Mrs Ifueko Okauru, Group Chief Executive Officer, Compliance Professionals Plc (CPP), license owners for FranklinCovey Nigeria, made the call during a community outreach organised by the company on Thursday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FranklinCovey Nigeria, as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, distributed noodle packets to 110 pupils in Adekunle Anglican Primary School in the Makoko community area of Lagos State.

Okauru said it was pertinent for governments at all levels to intensify efforts to secure the future of the younger generation who grow up to become patriotic.

“Patriotism comes from feeling that a country has served you and you want to serve that country to make it great. The best way to do that is through education.

“These are the leaders of tomorrow and if we don’t give them the right education, they will give you what they have.

“Education has to be universal and we must guarantee a certain level of education that is truly free even if it is the first three years of a child’s life that we can afford.

“We ensure that their food, books, shoes, uniforms, and fees are paid for, so that way it’s an equalizer where no one feels inferior to the other,” she said.

Speaking on the giving programme, she said: “Today is the giving day for FranklinCovey organisation worldwide.

“It is a Global Day of Service for us and FranklinCovey Nigeria decided where we wanted to make the most impact was a public school where giving this token would be of value and deeply appreciated.”

Okauru said that the heartfelt outreach went beyond just providing essential supplies to school children, noting, “it ignited a spirit of giving and showcased the power of corporate social responsibility”.

She added that the gesture had the potential to shape the future of young students and their community.

“It shows that everyone should have a spirit of giving no matter how small it may seem. The more you give and impact people’s lives, the more you get.

“Also, this programme has also given the children role models they can look up to, so that they can focus on their educational journey to become successful and impact other people’s lives.

“Beyond giving them food, as I interacted, I could see that shoes were also an issue for them because some were wearing slippers or worn-out sandals. So, we would plan to give more items that are of need to them.

“The essence of FranklinCovey is about impacting individuals’ businesses and countries through the solutions that we provide. It is about people, principles impact, and growth,” she said.

Mrs Olajumoke Akinyemi, Human Resources and Finance Team, FranklinCovey Nigeria, urged corporate bodies and organisations to work together and assist the government in keeping children in school and out of the streets.

“Makoko is an underserved community and we decided to come to this public school to extend our hands of love to them in the little way we can.

“Coming into the community, I saw the poverty and it brought tears to my eyes. So, as an individual, I will do more in my capacity to help more children in disadvantaged communities,” she said.

Also, Mrs Nkem Dilim, Senior Delivery Consultant, Anglophone West Africa, said community outreach was tied to the company’s mission to enable greatness in people starting from the foundation – children.

She said the outcome of the outreach created an avenue to realise more areas of need for the children, which she said, they planned to follow up with the school.

Ms Oluchi Samuel, Implementation Specialist at the company, hinted that next year’s giving outreach would look at giving educational items such as socks, uniforms, books, shoes, and sandals.

“We are going to improve our corporate social responsibility projects. We are open to partnerships, initiatives, and projects that are aimed at community impact,” she said.

Responding, Mrs Folake Akinnagbe, Head Teacher of the school, thanked the organisation for the token, saying that it would provide immediate relief for the pupils.

She urged parents to put more effort into taking care of their children and securing their future. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

By Alex Enebeli

The Enugu State Government says it has constructed 15 aggregation and processing centres for improved production of  cashew, rice and poultry products in the state.
Mrs. Ihuoma Eze, the Acting State Project Coordinator of the World Bank-assisted Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project disclosed this on Thursday in Enugu.
During a media tour of the Nara rice and cashew aggregation and processing centres at Aguobu-Owa, Eze said that the projects were sponsored by the World Bank-assisted APPEALS project.
She added that the state government had also equipped the centres with agro-processing equipment and energy intervention for power supply to assist the rural farmers.
She said the centres were spread across 11 locations in the state’s three senatorial zones in accordance with their value chain belts.
The project coordinator added that the APPEALS Project had also installed equipment and energy in nine locations connecting farm clusters and common-user facilities to the national grid with 500kva/0.415 facility.
She explained that the feat was also made possible by Gov. Peter Mbah’s massive support, adding that the development would help to further increase cashew, rice and poultry outputs in the state.
“Farmers in the state suffer post-harvest losses due to inadequate bulk storage houses and near-absence of processing facilities.
“To reduce the losses, the APPEALS project in Enugu provided common-user facilities to farm clusters where farmers in cashew, poultry and rice value chains can store their produce and process them up to international standard.
“This will enhance their productivity, improve value addition and open vistas of market opportunities both locally and internationally,” she said.
The project coordinator commended the state governor for  his immense contribution at ensuring the success of the project in the state, within his first 100 days in office.
Speaking to newsmen, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, lauded the APPEALS team in Enugu for their dedication.
He stressed that setting up the agro-centres was in line with the governor’s vision for agriculture in the state.
He said that the project had enhanced the capacity of the local farmers across value chains that had comparative advantage in each senatorial zone of the state.
“As we push towards eradicating poverty, projects like this will help get to rural farmers, not just farming to consume but to improve the economy and employ others to reduce unemployment,” Onyia said.
Mr JohnMary Eze, a Rice Farmer, said that the rice processing centre was of great help to rice farmers in Nara and neighbouring communities in Enugu East Local Government Area.
He said that prior to the establishment of the centre, the farmers usually processed their rice at Ugbawka, a neighbourng community, relying on sunshine to dry their paddy rice.
While commending the World Bank, the Federal and Enugu State Governments for initiating the project, Eze noted that lack of tractors and access roads still posed a great challenge to rice farmers in the community.
“We also appeal to the government to provide irrigation for us for all year- round rice farming, as we currently depend on rainfall to plant our rice,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Oluyinka Fadare

By Ismail Abdulaziz

Former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, said that Nigeria Agenda 2050 had already identified and clarified where to be in 30 years’ time and how to get there.

The agenda is a perspective plan designed to transform the country into an “upper-middle income country” with a significant improvement in per capita income.

Agba spoke on Thursday in Osogbo while delivering a paper entitled: “Strategic Thinking for Progressive Governance in the 21st Century”, at the 22nd meeting of the National Council on Development Planning (NCDP).

He said that the perspective plan (Nigeria Agenda 2050) aimed to fully engage all resources, reduce poverty, and achieve social and economic stability.

“(The agenda) also targets developing a mechanism for achieving sustainable environment consistent with global concerns about climate change.

“The plan therefore presents the road map for accelerated, sustained and broad-based growth as well as provides broad frameworks for reducing unemployment, poverty, inequality, and human deprivation.”

Agba supervised the development of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025 and Nigeria Agenda 2050 as minister of state for budget and national planning.

He said that the path to that goal would pass through six Medium Term NDP, namely NDP (2021-2025) (already developed and published) and subsequent national development plans covering (2026-2030), (2031-2035), (2036-2040), (2041-2045), and (2046-2050).

According to him: “The first of the medium-term plans, named NDP 2021-2025, is to make Nigeria a country that has unlocked its potential in all sectors of the economy for a sustainable, holistic, and inclusive development.

“Specifically, the Plan aims to generate 21 million full-time jobs and lift 35 million people out of poverty by 2025; thus, setting the stage for achieving the government’s commitment of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.”

He said that having set the future agenda through the above plans, the next step was to ensure effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and achieving the planned result.”

“To achieve these, we need to address binding domestic growth constraints through creating the needed enabling environment for sustainable economic growth and development to allow the private sector to drive the economy.

“The strategy is contained in Volume III, which is the legal and legislatives imperatives. This volume includes 18 laws that need to be passed or amended and 10 policies for effective implementation of the NDP, 2021-2025,” he said.

Agba said that there was an urgent need to resubmit and ensure the passage of “The Development Planning and Project Continuity Bill,” which had been in National Assembly undergoing legislative process for enactment.

He stressed that this would improve plan implementation majorly affected by political and policy changes.

He listed other steps to take to include strengthening the link between the Plan and Annual Budget and improving inter-sectoral collaboration.

He also called for coordinated and harmonised efforts with states and creating the enabling environment for increased private sector investment.

Agba said there was need for a mid-term review of the performance of NDP 2021-2025, stressing that this would focus on the degree to which planned results were on target, and the areas that might require improvement.

“Mid-term review should be carried out before the development of NDP 2026-2030. The report should guide the development of the next plan. In fact, the mid-term review should start now,” he added.

The immediate past minister also said that for effective implementation of the plan, there was need to implement the National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy already approved by Federal Executive Council (FEC).

“Increase the monitoring and evaluation process to ensure that we are not only getting value for money but that we are also strategic in resource allocation.

‘’(It should) ensure that the Plan Implementation Unit already set up by the Ministry is adequately resourced, running and efficient; and, this also needs to be replicated at the sub-national level.”

Stressing the importance of feedbacks, he said the government must ensure that Eye Mark App of the Ministry and the iMonitor Platform of the Budget office were up and running.

“Feedbacks collated from citizens should be used to monitor and enhance project delivery, as the use of feedback will elicit   citizens and Civil Society Organisations’ (CSOs’) participation in tracking progress and performance of government’s interventions.”

Meanwhile, Agba also commended Tinubu for setting up a committee to reform Nigeria’s tax system, for enhanced collection and with a target of at least 18 per cent tax-to-GDP ratio within the next 3 years without stifling investment or economic growth.

“This is part of a push by government to curb its reliance on borrowing to finance public spending. This target is seemingly aggressive, but all efforts should be made to achieve it.”(NAN)

IS/

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By Segun Giwa/Millicent Ifeanyichukwu

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday that learning crisis was seriously stalling development in the country.

Mrs Yetunde Oluwatosin, UNICEF Education Specialist who said this at a media workshop on foundational literacy and numeracy in Benin, Edo, called for foundational learning skills to correct the trend.

The News Agency of (Nigeria) reports that the theme of the workshop is “Turning the tide on Nigeria’s Learning Crisis, A South-West media dialogue on foundational literacy and numeracy”.

The workshop was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Edo State SUBEB, Edo State Ministry of Education and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lagos State Directorate

Oluwatosin said that 73 per cent of 10 years old children in the country were still having the challenge of reading or comprehending simple text, while nine out of 10 kids in Sub-Saharan Africa were trapped by learning poverty.

She said that while this trend exited, only 63 per cent of five years old categorised as the poorest children living in the rural areas and in the north, participated in an organised learning.

Oluwatosin said that this had led to late primary school entry and poor learning outcomes.

The UNICEEF education specialist noted that three out of four children in Nigeria could not read with meaning or solve simple mathematical problems.

According to her, 73 per cent of the Nigerian youths are literate, while only seven per cent have ICT skills needed for working and learning in the digital economy.

Oluwatosin also said that limited infrastructure, insufficient supply of teachers, limited learning data, especially on proficiency level were some of the reasons for the negative trend.

She said that UNICEF was improving the quality of teaching and learning materials, and had provided more than 1.8 million children with learning materials between 2018 and 2022.

Oluwatosin said that UNICEF was planning to reach another 4.8 million by 2027, particularly in the north.

She noted that foundational learning skills was needed to stop the learning crisis trend to improve learning outcomes in primary schools in the country.

In her remarks, Ms Blessing Ejiofor, UNICEF Communication Officer, appealed to the media to use their influence to sway policies and decisions aimed at improving leaning outcomes for children in Nigeria.

Ejiofor said she was looking forward to media reports that would aid the understanding and influence positive actions from decision makers, to leverage both financial and non-financial resources, to reduce learning poverty.

Speaking, Dr Joan Oviawe, Edo State Commissioner for Education, commended UNICEF for their efforts aimed at reducing learning poverty in the state.

Oviawe, who noted that the state has been doing a lot to compliment UNICEF efforts, said that the state had embarked on mass literacy initiative, especially “out of school population”.

“We acknowledge all that UNICEF have been doing. On our part, we engage artisans under the mass literacy initiative and learning by correspondence, to teach them on how to read and write.

“We also introduced technology into our learning agenda and also distributed learning tablets for students and teachers to encourage them and ensure that the learning activities are well structured and centralised.

“The special students are also captured in this initiative and the idea is to ensure total inclusiveness in our education agenda,” She added.

NAN reports that more than 70 journalists from the South-West zone are taking part in the two-day workshop. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Tayo Ikujuni