News
Don’t make nonsense of our huge investment in agric , EKSG warns herders
Ekiti state government has issued a stern warning to herders operating in the state not to make a mess of government’s huge investment in agriculture by allowing their flocks invade and destroy farms in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Brig. General Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd) gave the warning in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting of Ekiti State Farmers’/Herders’ peace committee at Jibowu hall, Government House. He said government will henceforth invoke the full weight of the law on any underage found herding or anyone herding at night.
Gen. Ogundana, who is also the chairman of the committee, disclosed that Governor Oyebanji inaugurated the committee in 2023 in his effort to bring permanent end to farmers/herder clashes in the state. He affirmed that the ban became imperative in order to bring peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding between farmers and pastoralists in the state.
“Since the government will not fold its arms and allow the lawlessness to continue, the Herders/Farmers Peace Committee was inaugurated by Governor Biodun Oyebanji in 2023. The Committee is to interface between the herders and farmers. In addition, there are other policies and control measures put in place to strengthen the relationship between them.
“Some of these policies include; Anti-Grazing Law which is an Act of the state House of Assembly. The law is to ensure that there is no grazing at night, Prohibition of under-age from grazing, no grazing on the farmland and the defaulters are to be dealt with according to the law of the land.
In the drive to also ensure effective coordination and compliance at Local Government levels, the committee inaugurated 18 local government Coordinators to serve as representatives of the committee at the LGAs. Gen Ogundana said the effort will bring about the desired cooperation among herders, farmers and the host communities.
He called on traditional rulers, local government Chairmen and representatives of farmers and herders to create a forum where they can dialogue on the need to be inter- dependence and invariably address the issue of suspicion, trespasses by either party as well as educate one another on the importance of abiding with the Anti-Grazing Law of the state.
Gen Ogundana also hinted that government has set up Farm Settlements across the state in order to address food shortage. This, he said, is in addition to the Agro-Task Force comprising of Security Agencies to provide protection for farmlands and farmers.
“Identification of herders, farmers and the host communities staying on the farm settlements. Registration of the concerned groups is in progress.
“This will enable the communities to identify intruders or criminals entering the areas to carry out illegal activities, instead of allowing innocent people to suffer.
“You are requested to cooperate with the team that will be going round to carry out the exercise.
“There is the need to prevent herders migrating from other States to Ekiti State. It is a general belief that the migrating herders come from outside Nigeria to graze in Nigeria. This group of herders are suspected to have some criminal tendencies and they are destructive in nature.”, He asserted.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade also revealed Governor Oyebanji’s plan to invest heavily in agriculture in 2025 hence the need to make adequate preparation towards ensuring security and protection of farmers and farmlands from miscreants that that come in form of herders.
Boluwade also noted that there is hardly any society that can achieve development without peace, adding that this year alone, government had invested over N2Billion in agriculture stressing the importance of seeing the turnover to encourage both government and farmers to do more.
Speaking on behalf of all security chiefs in the state, Commissioner of Police, Kayode Akinwale commended the efforts of the state Governor at ensuring peace and security of the state and called on traditional rulers to take charge of the security of their domain by constitution security vigilantes to protect their communities.
The Chairman, Ekiti state Council of Traditional Rulers, represented by the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Adejuwon, called on security forces to be alive to their responsibility as he expressed trust in the various commitment of government at ensuring peace and adequate security in the state.
News
President Tinubu swears in seven new ministers
President Bola Tinubu has sworn in seven newly-appointed ministers at the Council Chambers in Abuja.
Those sworn in include Nentawe Yilwatda as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as the Minister of Labour & Employment; Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu as the Minister of State Foreign Affairs.
Others are Jumoke Oduwole (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (Trade and Investment), Idi Mukhtar Maiha (Minister of Livestock Development), Yusuf Abdullahi Ata (Minister of State, Housing, and Urban Development), and Suwaiba Said Ahmad as the Minister of State Education.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presides over the Swearing in Ceremony of New Ministers Screened by the Senate at the State House
Monday’s swearing-in came days after their appointments by President Tinubu and subsequent confirmation by the Senate.
Calls for the reshuffling of the president’s cabinet reached new levels in the wake of Nigeria’s dwindling economic fortunes which have worsened the living standards across the country.
President Tinubu heeded the calls in October, sacking five ministers and nominating seven others. Those dismissed included Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye (Women Affairs); Lola Ade-John (Tourism); Tahir Mamman (Education); Abdullahi Gwarzo (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Jamila Ibrahim (Youth Development).
This was in addition to the reassignment of new portfolios to 10 other ministers.
News
Osun: Police confirm arrest of man for allegedly killing father
The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a man identified as Saidi for the alleged murder of his father, Bale in his farm at Ilusi, Osun State.
The Osun police spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, who confirmed the arrest, disclosed that investigation has commenced into the matter.
Opalola said, “The suspect was arrested on the suspicion that he killed the father. I have been briefed about it. Investigation is ongoing.”
Village sources also revealed that the remains of the Bale was discovered on his farm on Friday after it was noticed that he had been missing for some hours.
A resident of the village, simply identified as Sakariyau, said that Bale went missing last Thursday and after a thorough search around the village, his corpse was found on his farm the following day covered with leaves.
He said, “Before he (Bale) was traced to his farm on Friday, he could not be found anywhere around the village since he left for the farm.
“When we got to his farm, we searched everywhere and found his remains covered with leaves. His head was cut off by unknown people.
“Thereafter, people around, who suspected Bale’s son, who accompanied the deceased to the farm on the day he was killed, descended on him.
“He was seriously beaten because people knew he went with his father to the farm to harvest cocoa. He initially denied killing the man, but he later admitted committing the crime after he was seriously tortured by some angry youths.
“The cocoa produce already harvested and the motorcycle of the deceased were found on the farm. The boy was later handed over to police and he was taken to the Iperindo station for further investigations.”
News
Appeal Court acquits ex-CJN Onnoghen
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, from his conviction of false assets declaration by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The conviction of Onnoghen was thrown out by the appellate court following the resolution of the issues that led to his trial and conviction.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had on January 25, 2019, about 29 days before the presidential election, suspended Onnoghen from office as the CJN and swore in the next most senior jurist of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Muhammad, to take over the leadership of the judiciary.
Delivering judgment, the Presiding Justice, Justice Abba Mohammed, adopted the terms of settlement between the federal government and Onnoghen.
He also ordered that the four bank accounts of the former CJN forfeited be returned to him.
Shortly after the judgment, Counsel to Onnoghen and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adegboyega Awomolo, thanked President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi for ensuring the resolutions of the issue.
Onnoghen’s suspension came barely eight hours after he announced his decision to inaugurate judges who would preside over election petition tribunals.
Ex-President Buhari’s action elicited varied reactions from both within and outside the judicial circles, with the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, describing it as a coup against the judiciary.
Onnoghen was later convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on a six-count corruption charge that was preferred against him by the Federal Government.
It was alleged that he made a false declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
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