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The nation spends
N4.2 trillion every year to import food despite its rich agricultural
potential, said Gbenga Makanjuola, Chairman House of Representatives
Committee on Agriculture.

Mr. Makanjuole said
yesterday in Abuja at a workshop on agricultural biotechnology
organized by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation that prior
to the emergence of oil in the 1970s, Nigeria had been a major exporter
of agricultural commodities.

“With a Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) of about $40 billion, Nigeria is Africa’s second
largest economy, yet over two thirds of the population lives below the
poverty line of $1 per day,” he said.

He said a concerted
effort should be made to improve the performance of agriculture,
agro-processing, and trade as well as the nation’s infrastructure to
enable Nigeria take fuller advantage of emerging opportunities in the
domestic and international markets.

Technology to the rescue

Mr. Makanjuola
advocated the application of agricultural biotechnology for improved
food production, sustainable socio-economic development, food security
as well job creation in the country.

“The technology has
numerous potentials which include the ability to increase food
production, limit the use of pesticides, reduce the amount of land
required for farming and improve nutritional value of food varieties
for Nigerians,” he said.

Mr Makanjuola
allayed fears about the potentially harmful effect of genetically
modified products. He said that a biosafety bill which is currently
before the Senate will act as a national biotechnology policy. He said
it will define the modules of practice of the technology and the
handling of the products to ensure safety for human health.

“South Africa and
Burkina Faso are examples of two countries in Africa that have embraced
[genetically modified] foods with the passage of biosafety bills,” he
said.

The Nigeria Bar
Association (NBA) yesterday asked the National Assembly not to
introduce the controversial Right of First Refusal clause into the 2010
Electoral Act. The NBA said the clause would pave way for automatic
nomination tickets for federal lawmakers who wish to contest in the
2011 general elections.

Chairman of the Bar
in Abuja, Abdulrahman Atadoga Ibrahim, on Tuesday warned that any
attempt to smuggle the notion of automatic nomination tickets into the
Electoral Act would be treated as an insult to the nation and the
people. Mr Atadoga issued the warning during the commencement of the
2010/2011 FCT Judiciary legal year.

“The proposed
clause is undemocratic, in bad taste and will not augur well for the
nation if allowed to see the light of the day,” he said. “Such a clause
is another form of election rigging which the country cannot afford at
the moment.”

Jail the riggers

The NBA also called
on the federal government to immediately set up an Election Offences
Tribunal that would bring to book any person or group involved in
election rigging.

The NBA said that
it was not enough for a rigged election to be nullified and insisted
that those involved in the rigging should end up in jail to serve as a
major deterrent to other evil-minded ones.

“Election riggers are being allowed to move freely on the streets
because of absence of punitive measures,” said Mr Atadoga. “The country
cannot afford unnecessary and expensive court actions that may arise
from unfair methods of conducting elections.”

The federal
government has assured investors that the forthcoming general elections
in 2011 will not affect the nation’s investment climate, as it is
making all efforts to ensure policy continuity in the country.

The Vice President,
Namadi Sambo, gave this assurance on Tuesday, when he received energy
delegations from Nordic countries at the State House, Abuja. He said
the federal government is providing the enabling environment for
businesses to thrive, in areas such as the legal framework and the
provision of adequate security to ensure that the safety of lives and
property of Nigerians and that of investors, are protected to
international standards.

Mr Sambo restated
the administration’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections in
the 2011 elections, by providing a level playing ground for all
aspirants, noting that with the experiences garnered by the president
and himself, “our programmes are very clear. Nigerians believe in our
programmes, and we are confident that we are very popular and there
will be continuity,” he said.

The Vice President
urged the delegation to partner with government to meet the aspirations
of the Vision 20: 2020 blueprint. He highlighted viable areas of
investment to include, the power sector, where he cited the Zungeru and
Mambilla Hydro Power projects, coal fired and thermal power plants and
their management. He also called for investments in the renewable
energy sector, the oil and gas sector and the transportation sector,
which he enumerated as roads, bridges, railways and waterways. He said
the government is facing the funding challenges for these
infrastructures through Public Private Partnership (PPP), concessional
funding, as well as bilateral funding.

Harnessing the relationships

Speaking earlier,
the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Kjell Lillerud, said that the
delegation was in the country to further advance cooperation between
the Nordic countries and Nigeria especially on the energy sector.

Expressing that the
countries have had friendly relations, Mr Lillerud stated that “they
are yet to explore the full potentials of their economic relations.” He
said the Nordic countries could impact positively on the energy sector
of Nigeria, with experiences in biological research, renewable energy
and environmental friendly technology, adding that he hoped concrete
agreements will come out from the visit, within the context of a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

On his part, the
leader of the business delegation, Matti Pekkanen, Nigeria’s country
manager for the ABB (Asea Brown Boveri, a Swiss-Swedish multinational
corporation operating mainly in the power and automation technology
areas), said Nigeria is a country where the business opportunities and
the opportunities for improving the people’s lives are so vast and
concrete. He explained that they have the firm intention to enhance
more cooperation, knowledge transfer and investments into Nigeria.

Other members of
the delegation were the Ambassador of Finland, Anneli Vuorinen, and
that of Sweden, Per Lindegaarde. Others present at the meeting were the
Minister of State Power, Nuhu Wya, and several government officials.
The Nordic countries are Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

The Nigerian Union
of Pensioners (NUP), Ondo State chapter, yesterday faulted the recent
biometric enrollment for pensioners across the country, saying it is a
pointer to the fact that “Nigeria is a failed state”.

The pensioners’
outburst is coming on the heels of the directive given by the Permanent
Secretary from the office of the Head of Service of the federation,
that all pensioners who were not available during the biometric
exercise should report to Abuja for further enrollment. The pensioners,
however, blamed the office of the Head of Service for the shortcomings
experienced during the biometric registration, stressing that the
office lacked the technical skill to carry out such a programme.

The State Chairman
of the NUP, Eni Olotu, told his colleagues yesterday in Akure that the
action of the Head of Service was totally unfair to the pensioners. Mr
Olotu, who doubles as the Chairman of the south-west Zone of the union,
lamented that 2,000 out of the 6,000 pensioners in the state were not
registered during the biometric exercise. He noted that the inability
of the pensioners to be registered was as a result of the lack of
enough manpower and equipment brought to the state during the exercise.

“During the
registration exercise, the people who carried out the assignment came
with just two computers, which was not enough for the pensioners in the
state,” he said.

“Despite that many
of our pensioners came from a long distance for the exercise, those
posted to the state still messed up. One of the laptops being used for
the exercise was stolen. So, do you now blame our members for the head
of service’s ineptitude? It is not true that our members were not
available for the exercise. Some whose data were captured during the
exercise also have one problem on the other.”

Pondering options

The Chairman said
the directive that pensioners who were not registered go to Abuja for
another round of registration was not acceptable to the union.

“We vehemently
reject the directive that our members who were not registered should
come to Abuja. We are totally against it,” he said.

“Why should aged
people between the ages of 67 and 75 be asked to come to Abuja for
registration exercise? It is totally unfair on our members. How do you
expect people who will not collect more than N1,000 every month to now
go to Abuja?”

Mr Olotu also
pointed out that the union might be forced to protest if the issue was
not urgently resolved. “It has again been proven that Nigeria is a
failed state. There is nothing which government can do well. We have
served the country meritoriously and deserve to be treated well. The
government is only giving us our right and nothing more; it is not a
favour or privilege,” Mr Olotu said.

He hinted that the south-west zone of the union would deliberate on
the issue later in Ibadan to decide the next line of action.

The Federal
Government says it is committed to the development of more gold mines,
as part of efforts to broaden the country’s economic base and diversify
revenue sources away from oil.

Mohammed Sada, the
minister of mines and steel development, who disclosed this yesterday
in Abuja at the 2010 ministerial briefing, said a lot of progress has
been recorded with the ongoing reforms aimed at creating the desired
economic impact and contribution to the country’s gross dometic product
(GDP).

The minister, who
spoke on the theme, ‘Revitalising the Nigerian minerals and metal
sectors’, said government is working seriously towards establishing
more mines in the country.

The mines are
expected to help the country produce about 650,000 ounces of gold per
annum, considering the ongoing high level of exploration for the
mineral at various locations in the country.

“In the next two or
three years, the country is going to have more gold mines. Currently,
government is assisting in the establishment of the first major gold
mine in the country in Osun State.

“But, we have to
focus attention on the reforms and ensure that operators avoid those
things that would drive away potential investors in the industry,” he
said.

Effective regulation

As a prelude to the
effective regulation of operations in the sector, the minister said
about 10,000 cumulative applications have been processed for various
mineral titles between 2008 and 2010, out of which 6,000 have already
been approved and granted, while the ministry has supervised the
successful reclamation of two abandoned mine sites in Badawa, Kano
State, and Nsukwe, Abia State.

Besides, he said a
comprehensive mining inspectorate template has been created for proper
supervision of mining activities in the country, while a fully
automated cadastral office has been established to ensure that adequate
information about the various mineral resources available in the
country are put online at the disposal of potential foreign and local
investors.

As part of effort
to help the government diversify solutions to the perennial power
supply problems, the minister said the ministry is working with the
presidential task force on power to ensure that coal is considered a
veritable alternative source to the existing sources of power
generation and supply.

Strategy for poverty reduction

Describing Nigeria
as a country known globally for tin, columbite, and tantalite
production and export, as well as coal exploited as local energy source
and for export, the minister said the development of the nation’s
minerals has been adopted as a strategy for poverty reduction and rural
wealth generation.

In line with this
strategy, he said government has disbursed and managed a World
Bank-assisted micro grant to 86 mining co-operatives and communities,
valued at about $3million (about N450million), saying government is
targeting about 250 beneficiaries before the end of the project.

He identified lack
of reliable geological infrastructure for data generation and
dissemination as one of the problems the industry is facing, assuring
that under the reform dispensation, government has divested interest in
mining business, and concentrate on being administrator/regulator, to
allow the private sector to drive mining operations in the country.

“In view of the critical importance of steel, the steel department
is currently undertaking a critical study on ways to revamp the steel
sector, so that it can play its role in the nation’s
industrialisation,” he said, adding that government should help
mobilise the necessary funding required for the acquisition of
geosciences data, sustained mineral exploration, and institutional and
human capital development.

Africa needs a coordinated multi-country response to
tackle the menace of cross border diseases, President Goodluck Jonathan
said yesterday in Abuja.

Presenting a keynote address to declare open the
Inter-Country meeting on Cross-Border Public Health Issues, at the
Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Mr. Jonathan said, “Diseases that cross
borders need a coordinated multi-country response. You are therefore
challenged to deliberated and agree on best practices in addressing
cross-border public health issues.”

The president who was represented by the Vice
President, Namadi Sambo, also said he was delighted that “we sister
African countries are meeting together to solve our major health
problems,” adding that as a sub region, health issues in one country
are bound to affect the neighbouring countries unless guidelines on
prevention and control are developed and implemented.

“The world is only secure if all of us are safe,” he said.

The President commended the Ministers of Health from
the various countries “for conceiving this idea of cross-border
discussions.” He also stated that with the calibre of delegates at the
deliberations, he was sure that “the outcome of the meeting would
appreciate Africa’s health challenges with a view to building bridges,
including networking and creating workable partnerships to tackle
them.”

Mr. Jonathan further disclosed that Nigeria has
placed health as a cardinal objective, stressing that a healthy nation,
creates a healthy human capacity needed for national development.

“We as a country are committed to creating an
enabling environment to ensure smooth implementation of the
recommendations from this meeting in line with the dictates of our
National health policy.”

He, therefore, directed the Ministry of Health and
the Millennium Development Goals’ office to setup a Regional Centre for
Disease Control in Nigeria as soon as possible.

The President also used the opportunity to commend
the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation and other
development partners for the successes achieved in the eradication of
polio and guinea worm in the country, adding that such efforts should
also be geared towards controlling diseases such as cholera,
cerebro-spinal meningitis and malaria.

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi
Chukwu, said cross-border public health issues have persisted despite
the existence of guiding resolutions, adding that to this end countries
represented at the meeting had decided to jointly consult and
deliberate on an effective way of implementing these resolutions.

In his remark, the WHO Regional Director for Africa,
Luis Sambo, commended Nigeria for hosting the meeting, which he said
gives the countries the opportunity to share experiences and strategies
to overcome their health challenges.

He used the occasion to commend Nigeria on her
efforts to eradicate polio in the country, disclosing that Nigeria had
achieved 98 per cent reduction in polio cases, with only eight cases
recorded as at June, 2010.

Countries at the meeting include; Benin Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Central African Republic.

The Akure division of the Appeal Court commenced
proceedings yesterday with the inaugural sitting of the appellate
court, five months after approval was granted.

At yesterday’s proceedings, six criminal appeal
cases were attended to by the three judges posted to the division by
the president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami. They are the
presiding judge, N. S. Ngwuta, C.E. Iyizoba, and M.A.A. Adumein.

The Ekiti State governorship election appeal that
was heard at the Court of Appeal, Ilorin, Kwara State, would have been
heard at the Akure court if it had commenced sitting at that time.

Speaking before the beginning of proceedings, Mr.
Ngwuta remarked that the taking off of the Akure division of the court
was the fulfillment of people’s aspiration in the state to bring
administration of justice nearer to the people.

“I want to warn that in fulfillment of every
desire, there is an obligation created. It is our duty to lay proper
foundation for the new Court of Appeal division in the state, but to do
that better, we seek the co-operation between the Bench and the Bar.

“It is going to be joint responsibility. I urge you to be diligent
in your work, and you should not file frivolous petitions and
applications. Moreover, be honest in your dealings and in doing that,
you owe the court a higher duty,” the presiding justice stated.

On Monday, the
Chief Judge of Kogi State, Nasiru Ajanah, advocated for the financial
autonomy of the state’s judiciary as a vital element in maintaining its
independence.

Justice Ajanah made
the appeal while speaking during the commencement of the 2010/2011
legal year at the State High Sourt in Lokoja.

“It is important to
reiterate here and strongly emphasize that the judiciary is not seeking
autonomy for its own sake, but in the interest of the government and
generality of the people.” The state chief judge said the court’s
financial independence was supported by section 121[3] of the 1999
constitution, which states that money from the consolidated revenue
fund belonging to the judiciary should be paid directly to the heads of
the courts.

“The truth remains
that the Nigerian system of government involves checks and balances
between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary,” he said.
“The independent judiciary has a vital constitutional role to ensure
that the acts of the Executive and the Legislature comply fully with
the basic law and that the fundamental rights and freedoms which are at
the heart of the Nigerian constitution are fully safeguarded.” Mr
Ajanah also appealed to the state governor, Ibrahim Idris, to ensure
the implementation of the constitutional provision.

Staff welfare

Mr Ajanah said that
the state judiciary was the first to implement the new salary structure
for judicial workers. He also said that within the year, laptops were
provided to all 60 magistrates manning the various courts.

“This has greatly improved the quality of judgments coming from those courts,” he said.

Mr Ajanah said that
the effect of the implementation of the new salary structure meant an
improvement in the welfare of the workers and a reduction of corruption
to the barest minimum. He promised to extend the arrangement to the
area courts in the coming year.

“We are also working towards acquiring verbatim reporting equipment
to reduce the issue of recording proceedings in long hand,” he said.

President Goodluck
Jonathan yesterday commissioned the Total Radar Coverage for the
Nigerian Airspace (TRACON) seven years after the contract for the
project was signed.

The contract to
execute the project was signed in 2003 between the Nigerian Airspace
Management Agency (NAMA) and Thales S.A of France under the Ministry of
Aviation in the sum of 66,500,870 Euros.

The equipment has been installed in nine airports across the country.

The project
comprises 4 Primary Radar and 5 Secondary Radar Heads co-located in
Nnamdi Azikwe, Murtala Muhammad, Malam Aminu Kano and Port Harcourt
International airports. TRACON has 5 relay stations which serve as
standalone Secondary Surveillance Radar located at Talata Mafara,
Maiduguri, Numan, Obubra and Ilorin.

During the
commissioning, Mr. Jonathan noted that this was another stride by the
present administration to overhaul the aviation system and raise it to
international standards.

“This is another
deliberate stride by this administration to provide safe and secure
airspace across the country. The sector is currently undergoing
transformation from its past state of disrepair to conform with
international standards” he said.

He also noted that
this is coming shortly after Nigeria received the category 1 status in
the aviation sector, adding that this was a befitting gift for
Nigeria’s 50th anniversary.

“The TRACON equipment installation is a good milestone and a good 50th anniversary gift to Nigeria” he said.

Mr. Jonathan
commended the Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njeze and her team as well
as the officials NAMA for the success of the project.

The Minister of
Aviation, Mrs. Njezeh, is the seventh minister to work with the seventh
project team and Mr. Jonathan is the third President to commission the
project before its completion according to the Acting Managing
Director, of NAMA, Nicolas Udoh.

Mrs. Njezeh in her welcome address admitted that the journey towards the realisation of this milestone was not an easy one.

She also noted that
the project was birthed to give surveillance to the airspace and “to
ensure the safety of all aircraft within the Nigerian airspace to avoid
collusion”.

“This will make Nigeria a force to be reckoned with”, as it is the third after Egypt and South Africa to attend this status.

The architectural
design of TRACON consists of Voice Communication Systems, Voice
Recording Systems, Very High Frequency Transceivers, fibre optic,
Display Consoles, Integrated Aircraft Billing systems and spares while
radars at the international airports comprise of both the primary and
secondary radars.

Between 2005 and 2006 alone, Nigeria witnessed two ghastly air crashes that claimed several lives.

Following the
tragedies, one of the projects embarked upon to address the safety
needs of the industry was the TRACON Project aimed at providing total
coverage for the Nigerian airspace to enhance civil and military
surveillance of aircraft (s) operating within the country.

The project was awarded by the Federal Government in 2003 and was supposed to be completed within 36 months.

Dignitaries present at the occasion include the governors of Delta
and Rivers, members of the National Assembly, Head of the Civil Service
Federation, some members of the Federal Executive Council, the Chief of
Defence Staff and Service Chiefs amongst others.

The N2.2 billion fraud case against Joe
Musa, former director general of the National Arts Gallery, was stalled
on Monday by the absence of the judge, Olukayode Adeniyi, at the
Federal Capital Territory High Court.

An officer of the court, who requested
anonymity, told the open court that Justice Adeniyi had commenced his
official leave. The move stalled further prosecution witnesses
testimonies on the case.

Mr Adeniyi was made a vacation judge in
August, when all the judges at the FCT judicial territory were on their
sabbaticals. All the cases listed for his hearing have been shifted to
further dates. Mr Musa’s case was adjourned to sometime between October
30 and November 4.

Case history

The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) on January 29 instituted an eight-count charge
against Mr Musa and three other senior officials of the gallery. The
four were accused by Festus Chidi Orji, the gallery’s chief internal
auditor, of pocketing about N40 million meant for staff training.

The accused, who jointly pleaded not
guilty to any of the allegations, said that no funds were particularly
voted for staff training during Musa’s tenure. According to them, the
account books of the office under Mr Musa were kept clean for the first
time in the history of the organization.

Mr Musa said the allegations were baseless and orchestrated to replace him.

The other accused persons are: Olusegun Ogunba, director of finance;
Kweku Tandoh, director of research and education; Elizbeth Oparagu,
deputy director of administration and Chinedu Obi, special assistant to
Mr Musa.