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FG donates 42,000 metric tonnes of grains to Zamfara
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains to Zamfara as part of measures to tackle the current economic down-turn in the country.
The Director-General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar ,while presenting the items to Gov. Dauda Lawal in Gusau on Monday said that the gesture was in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinibu.
Zubaida represented by Dr Ishaya Chinoko, Zonal Director, NEMA in charge of North West States, said that the food items were released from the National Strategic Reserve under the custody of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
“The assorted food commodities include Maize, Millet, Sorghum, and Garri.
“Today, we are here to hand-over the food items to Zamfara government for distribution to the identified deserving beneficiaries in the communities through the constituted committees in each of the 14 Local Government Areas of the state”, she said.
She disclosed that the food items presented to Zamfara comprised of 6,160 of 50 kg bags of maize, 12, 040 of 50kg bags of sorghum and 2,520 of 50kg bags of millet.
”All the items will be shared equally to all the 14 Local Governmrt Areas of the state.
“Also, based on the directives of Mr President, 20 per cent of the food items to be given to each LGA should be given to religious organisations (Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) while Three per cent should be given to boarding schools”, she said.
She said that membership of the committee is made up of the Chairmen of each council, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and a traditional ruler.
Other members of the committee she said included representatives from the Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Faith-Based Organisations, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees.
“We also had members from the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Women Associations, Persons With Disability Groups, Youth Associations, Principals of Boarding Schools, Civil Society Organisations and the Media”, she said.
Responding after receiving the items, Lawal commended President Tinubu for the gesture.
According to him, we are very greatful to Mr President for considering various vulnerable households in the state especially the victims of banditry.
“This assistance came at the right time; this is in line with my administration’s policy of providing succor to the vulnerable persons.
“I am giving assurance that the state government under my watch will ensure judicious distribution of the items to all targeted beneficiaries.
“I want warn those to benefit from this items to avoid selling it them. These items are for your households’ consumption and not to be sold. (NAN)
By Abubakar Yunusa
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has further reduced the ex-gantry price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to N835 per litre.
According to sources at the refinery, the plant dropped the price of the petrol sold to oil marketers to N835 per litre, six days after the refinery reduced it to N865 per litre.
“The refinery reduced the price of the petrol to N835 per litre,” a source told TheCable.
The reduction in Dangote petrol price followed an announcement by the federal government on April 9, that the naira-for-crude oil deal will continue after the first phase ended on March 31.
“The stakeholders reaffirmed the government’s continued commitment to the full implementation of this strategic initiative, as directed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),” the finance ministry said.
“Thus, the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira initiative is not a temporary or time-bound intervention, but a key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining, bolster energy security, and reduce reliance on foreign exchange in the domestic petroleum market.”
On April 15, Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), said the estimated pump price of petrol in Nigeria is less than that of neighbouring countries in West Africa.
Ahmed also said Nigeria’s petrol importation reduced by 29.9 million litres in eight months due to increased contributions from local refineries.
Three suspected herdsmen have been arrested following the attacks that led to the killing of 11 persons at Otobi community in Otupko local government by suspected herdsmen.
Governor Hyacinth Alia disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital.
He expressed worry over the situation and called on security agencies to track down the perpetrators.
According to Alia, National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, has promised to deploy more security assets to the State to arrest the renewed wave of attacks in the state, especially the Otukpo axis.
The governor also announced the deployment of security personnel to the affected area, with three suspected herdsmen arrested in connection with the Otobi killings.
According to the member representing Otukpo-Akpa Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Kennedy Angbo, nine corpses were recovered Tuesday night, followed by one in a hard-to-reach area later that evening.
By dawn Wednesday, other corpses were found, bringing the total number of fatalities to 11.
The attack has sent shockwaves through the state, particularly because the Otobi community—home to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources Multipurpose Dam—has now come under assault twice this April.
A security guard was previously killed at the dam site just days before this latest massacre.
Earlier, the governor sent his deputy, Samuel Ode, on an assessment tour to the devastated community.
He offered condolences to the grieving families and reassured residents of the state government’s commitment to tackling the spate of violent attacks across rural areas.
Ode also made some cash donations to carter for some immediate relief while the state emergency management agency has been tasked to move in for needs assessment and provide emergency response to those in need.
The attack on Otobi is the latest in a disturbing string of assaults along the Otukpo-Ado Road, from Okpamaju to Asa One and Asa Two down to the Ebonyi State border.
At least 15 million Nigerians are at risk of flood disasters in 2025, Vice President Kashim Shettima has disclosed.
He made the disclosure at the commencement of a one-day Validation Workshop on the Anticipatory Action Framework for Nigeria held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser Abuja on Wednesday.
The Vice President, however, said the Federal Government is taking a proactive approach as against a reactive approach to forestall the disaster.
He emphasized the need for collaboration among all the agencies of government at the states and Federal Government level to tackle floods and other disasters in the country.
Some of Maiduguri communities submerged in flood following a leak in the Alau Dam in 2024.
VP Shettima decried that Nigeria loses 5 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to floods.
However, he disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has approved the sum of N15 billion to be released for emergency responses.
The Vice President, who also condemned the recent heinous attacks in Plateau state, expressed the sympathy of President Bola Tinubu to the affected families.
He, however, advocated a non-kinetic approach to tackling the security challenges on the Plateau and North-East.
According to him, “There can never be a military solution to the crisis in Plateau, North-East.”
Last week, the Federal Government predicted heavy rains and floods in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The high-flood risk states are: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said coastal and riverine flooding would be experienced in some parts of the South-South geopolitical zone of the country due to a rise in sea level.
Among these states are Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers while Akwa-Ibom and Edo fall under the high-flood risk states.