News
C’River clears 72,000 hectares for rice, others
The Cross River Government has cleared 72,000 hectares of land for cultivation of rice and other crops.
The state Gov. Bassey Otu made the disclosure at a dinner for journalists, on Thursday.
He also said that the government had awarded a contract for procurement of 108 units of three-wheel mini tractors for use by smallholder farmers across the state.
He said that the government would continue to encourage the farmers, who, he said, had been sustaining food production in the state.
Otu said that there was the need for the farmers to transit to mass production through mechanised agriculture.
He said that the government had re-mapped and re-classified state-owned land in its Southern Senatorial District for commercial agriculture.
According to him, 50,000 of the hectares would be for audacious rice revolution which has been inaugurated at Ndok in Ogoja Local Government Area.
“The project is financed by a credit guarantee scheme whereby the state government will plough in N150 million monthly with direct engagement of farmer groups.
“At the minimum, the expected annual yield for the 50,000 hectares is about 300,000 tonnes of rice at six tonnes per hectare.
“This is food crops revolution, and the same initiative will be extended to cash crops such as cocoa and oil palm.
“The state government has accordingly inaugurated a committee for value chain policy and strategy development on cocoa, oil palm and coffee.
“We have also distributed solar-powered mini irrigation pumps, mini rice milling machines, grinding machines, livestock feed etc. to farmers across the state to enhance value addition,” he added.
Otu said that the government would, in the next few months, unveil other support packages for farmers in order to speed up food production.
“This is just a part of what Cross River State Green Economy is all about,” he said.
Otu said that the government was intentionally pursuing agriculture as the mainstay of state.
“The comparative advantage the state has over other states of the nation in terms arable land and climate, makes agriculture the best foot forward in combating hunger and ensuring food security,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner was part of activities to celebrate the governor’s one year in office. (NAN)
MTN Nigeria, a leading telecommunications company, has invested N3.5 billion in corporate social investment (CSI) in 2024, bringing its total CSI spending to N31.9 billion since its inception, the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Tobechukwu Okigbo, announced on Thursday.
Speaking at the Nigerian Exchange Ltd (NGX) during the presentation of the company’s Facts Behind the Sustainability Report, Okigbo highlighted the tangible impacts of MTN’s initiatives.
“Our efforts have benefited over 663,300 individuals, supported 628 small businesses, and improved educational outcomes in 62 schools across Nigeria,” he said.
The company also launched the Sustainability in Action, Value for the MTN Everyone (SAVE) campaign to enhance employee engagement in sustainability efforts.
To improve global accessibility, MTN’s 2023 sustainability report was digitally tagged with extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL), making it easier for investors and stakeholders to access.
MTN Nigeria made significant strides in reducing its environmental footprint, cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 11% from its 2021 baseline of 113,826 tCO²e to 101,300 tCO²e in 2024.
The company expanded renewable energy use by adding 194 solar-powered rural telephony sites and became the first telecom operator in West Africa to introduce eco-friendly SIM cards.
On the social front, MTN reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality through its Yellowpreneur platform, which provides women access to low-interest loans.
“No fewer than 600,000 women have benefited from this initiative,” Okigbo noted, adding that the loans, facilitated through partner banks, carry an interest rate not exceeding N3.00.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos has approved a N20 million bail for music producer Ezekiel Onyedikachi, popularly known as EeZeeTee, who is facing allegations of forex transaction fraud amounting to $255,000, as brought forth by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a concise ruling delivered on Friday, Justice Aneke stipulated that the bail conditions include the requirement of one surety residing in Lagos, who must possess property valued at the bail sum. The judge had previously granted release to EeZeeTee into the custody of his attorney, Mr. Ojukwu Chikaosolu, and provided a 72-hour timeline to fulfill the bail requirements.
Initially, the EFCC lodged a 14-count indictment against EeZeeTee for purported fraudulent conversion, which was subsequently revised to seven counts, alleging that he conducted foreign exchange transactions without the necessary license.
Prosecuting attorney Bilikisu Buhari-Bala informed the court that in June 2023, EeZeeTee engaged in a foreign exchange transaction valued at $52,895 with one Mr. Oladotun Olaobaju Mureke, without the authorization of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
This action, she contended, contravened Sections 5 and 29(1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap F34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and is subject to penalties under Section 29(2) of the same legislation.
EeZeeTee has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 20, 2025, to commence the trial.
Catholic cardinals have elected Robert Prevost, the first Pope from the United States of America, who has taken the new name Pope Leo XIV after the conclave decided in just four rounds of voting on Thursday.
Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi said it took cardinals only four rounds of voting to pick a new pope and that white smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel chimney after a day’s voting is “a clear sign of the unity of the Church. ”
The Pontiff, picked even faster than his predecessor, Francis, appeared on the Vatican balcony amid enthusiastic cheers from thousands of faithful who packed St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday to witness the historic event.
“May peace be with all of you,” he said from the Vatican balcony after paying tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who gave his life to the service of humanity. He stressed that he wants to deliver his blessing to the people as Pope Francis did in his last appearance in St Peter’s Square.
After concluding his speech, the new Pope started reading a religious passage in Latin, paying homage to the saints and the Madonna. The pope continued with a message of peace and noted, “God loves us all, unconditionally”.
“Humanity needs Christ as a bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us, and help each other, build bridges.
“Without fear, united hand in hand with God, we are the Disciples of Christ, and the world needs his light.
“Brothers and sisters dearest, this is the first greeting of Christ resurrected. I want to offer a greeting of peace to your families, all of you, wherever you are. May peace be with you,” he said.
Chicago-born Prevost, 69, is seen as a reformer who worked for many years as a missionary in Peru before being made an archbishop there.
The cardinals strongly perceived that the new pope would need to carry forward Pope Francis’s legacy of reaching out to those on the margins and bring along with him a wide spectrum of those within the Church, including those with whom Pope Francis was sometimes at loggerheads.
Observers considered Cardinal Robert Prevost a candidate who could fulfil that role—someone who could be a bridge between different worlds.
The fact that the conclave decided in just four rounds of voting suggests that the cardinals agreed with that assessment.
Robert Prevost will be the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter. Although he is the first American to fill the role of Pope, he is considered as much a cardinal from Latin America because of the many years he spent as a missionary in Peru before becoming an archbishop there.
Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Ecuadorian and French descent, Prevost served as an altar boy and was ordained as a priest in 1982. Although he moved to Peru three years later, he returned regularly to the US to serve as a pastor and a priest in his home city.
He has Peruvian nationality and is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges. He spent 10 years as a local parish pastor and teacher at a seminary in Trujillo in northwestern Peru.
He is well known to cardinals because of his high-profile role as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Latin America, which has the critical task of selecting and supervising bishops. Francis made him a cardinal less than two years ago.
As Francis appointed 80% of the cardinals who took part in the conclave, it is unsurprising that someone like Prevost was elected, even if he was only recently appointed.
He will be seen as a figure who favoured the continuity of Francis’ reforms in the Catholic Church. Prevost is believed to have shared Francis’ views on migrants, the poor and the environment.
He will be fully aware of the divisions within the Catholic Church, and his Latin American background also represents continuity after a Pope who came from Argentina.
During his time as archbishop in Peru, he did not escape the sexual abuse scandals that have clouded the Church. However, his diocese fervently denied he had been involved in any attempted cover-up.
Before the conclave, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that during gatherings of the College of Cardinals in the days before the conclave they emphasised the need for a pope with “a prophetic spirit capable of leading a Church that does not close in on itself but knows how to go out and bring light to a world marked by despair”.
Top 10 Things to Know About the New Pope, Robert Francis Prevost
1. First American Pope
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, is the first pope from the United States, born in Chicago, Illinois.
2. Elected as the 267th Pope
He was chosen after a swift two-day conclave, becoming the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
3. Age and New Namel
At 69 years old, he adopted the papal name Leo XIV upon his election.
4. Deep Missionary Experience in Latin America
Prevost spent over a decade in Peru as a bishop and seminary educator, gaining respect for his pastoral leadership and cultural fluency.
5. Leader of the Augustinian Order
He led the Augustinians globally for over ten years, managing an international religious community.
6. Key Vatican Roles
Before becoming pope, he was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America—two influential positions in Church governance.
7. Academic and Legal Scholar
He holds degrees in mathematics, theology, and canon law, and has taught canon law in Latin America.
8. Calm, Reform-Oriented Leader
Known for his consensus-building style, Pope Leo XIV is seen as a clear-headed reformer continuing the legacy of Pope Francis.
9. Advocate for Women’s Inclusion
He supports meaningful female participation in Church governance, emphasising their real impact within Vatican bodies.
10. Mission-Driven Papacy
Pope Leo XIV remains committed to missionary work, global outreach, and addressing challenging issues like clerical abuse with humility and resolve.