Category: Featured

…Reiterates Govt. Commitment to Partnering NTA

By Jennifer Yusuf

Deputy Governor of Imo State, Engr. Gerald Irona says former Governor Rochas Okorocha is fighting the present administration of Chief Emeka Ihedioha with ill-gotten wealth.

The Deputy Governor stated this in Owerri while receiving a delegation of the management team of the Nigerian Television Authority –NTA, Friday afternoon in his office.

“Let me reiterate the commitment of the present administration in Imo State, led by Chief Emeka Ihedioha to partner with the Nigerian Television Authority and all other Federal public institutions in the state. We are all working for the general interest of Nigerians.”

“We have finished politicking and this is time for governance and all hands must be on deck to ensure that Nigeria moves forward. The country is going through a difficult period. You will recall that almost on daily basis, there are media reports of ugly incidents and social vices everywhere.”

“We will encourage you to ensure that you support the government to fight crime in Imo State. Banditry has no boundaries and we must encourage the exposure of criminals, particularly, those that have looted our treasury. They must not be condoned. A criminal is a criminal. Criminals all over the world fight with ill-gotten wealth. It is the responsibility of the media to expose people who, in their opinion, through investigative journalism are corrupt.”

“We met Imo that people had lost confidence in government. We met Imo that was disoriented. There was a disconnect between the citizens and the government. Look at the challenge of flooding in Owerri. People built on canals and water ways and Owerri master plan was distorted. You can see that there are no good roads in Owerri. Someone was in charge of this state for eight years and you can see the depth of infrastructural deficit. He is now using looted funds to fight the present administration for asking questions that every responsible administration must ask. We are barely two months old and I can assure you that Imo State will smile.”

Earlier in her speech, General Manager of NTA Channel 12, Owerri, Mrs. Franca Akinneye congratulated the Governor and the Deputy Governor for their victory at the polls.

She pledged the commitment of the station towards partnering with the present administration to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.

Mrs. Akinneye assured the Deputy Governor of their commitment to professional and responsible journalism, irrespective of the political party in power.

“We are professionals and we are committed to professionalism, not minding the political party in power.”

Highpoint of the meeting was a presentation of Star Times Television Decoder to the Deputy Governor by the Head of Station.

Present at the meeting were: Communication Adviser to the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Dr. Walter Duru, Admin Manager of NTA Channel 12, Owerri, Emmanuel Opara, Marketing Manager, Martha Okoro, Babatunde Gbenga, Ugwu Hycinth, Chibuzo Lilian Okpara, Ada Oke and Nkiru Onyejesi.

By Danzumi Ishaku

Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has expressed the determination of his administration to make Taraba State the number one producer of rice in Nigeria.

Gov Ishaku disclosed this during a courtesy call on the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus, Mr Vyacheslav Bril at that country’s Nigerian Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday.

Gov Ishaku who was at the Embassy to seek ways in which that country and Taraba State can collaborate for the development of the state briefed the Ambassador elaborately on the development strides already achieved by his administration during his first tenure and called for assistance of the Belarusian government in areas of education, health, skills acquisition and transportation.

He told the Belarusian delegation at the meeting that his administration’s dry season farming has boosted rice production tremendously and created many wealthy farmers in the state.

Gov Ishaku expressed the desire to do a lot more to get more youths in the state productively engaged and taken out of the unemployment queue. He said a lot was achieved through the Hope Afresh Foundation of his wife, Anna Ishaku and the efforts of his own administration to help women and youths become financially independent through the acquisition of skills. He called on the Belarusian government to assist his administration with technical expertise in critical areas of socio-economic development.

In his response, Ambassador Brill promised to facilitate the visit of Belarusian experts to Taraba State to further study the critical areas of technical assistance that the state would require. After the visit, the country and Taraba State would work out a Memorandum of Understanding for a lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.

The Ambassador invited Gov Ishaku to visit Belarus to familiarise himself with what the country has to offer Taraba State in terms of technical assistance.

A delegation of the Taraba State government is to meet with the embassy’s team of experts later in the year for further discussion on areas of collaboration.

By Jennifer Y Omiloli

Alhaji Muhammad Musa Bello, who hails from Adamawa state, was conceived on eighth January 1959. An old boy of the prestigious Barewa College, Zaria, the FCT Minister is an alum of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he acquired a B.Sc. in Management with inclination for Banking and Finance in 1980 as well as an MBA in same field.

He had an impressive career which spanned banking, industry, business and public service. He, at various times, was in charge of credit and marketing at the ICON Merchant Bank Plc and later a Director at Habib Bank Plc and several other top ranking firms.

An experienced project manager, he was Managing Director of the Bakabure Industrial Complex, Yola. He also has been member of several sub-committees of the defunct Technical Committee on Privatization and Commercialization (TCPC). He has equally been very active in the promotion of enterprise and commerce in Adamawa State, a passion which saw him play an active role as an official of the Adamawa Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA).

Before he was invited to join the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, the Minister was Chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria [NAHCON] from 2007 until May, 2015.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

It is already an old trick for some people in the US to pass the buck for whatever crises that arise in their own country.

Recently, they brought up the theory that China dumped goods onto the US market, striking their industries and causing native companies to close down.

Filled with anger, they condemned China as if the country has to take the blame for the collapse of American companies. How unreasonable is that?

Anyone with some insight will know immediately that the US is trying to frame China and make the latter a scapegoat for its own fault.

China has always traded with other countries legally and legitimately on the basis of free trade. It is a natural economic phenomenon that Chinese goods show strong competitiveness in international markets with relatively low costs of production and high quality.

Some US officials keep preaching free market competition, yet what they have done doesn’t seem to conform to their words.

The US randomly compared the price of products from a third-party country with that from China and then determined that China dumped goods on the American market.

In 2014, the World Trade Organization decided that the 25 anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations conducted by the US against China from 2006 to 2012 violated the WTO rules. Clearly, the US has abused the punitive measures.

Since the US falsely diagnosed its problem, it is impossible for it to provide right prescriptions.

In 2009, United Steelworkers (USW) claimed that a total of five US tire factories closed and 5,100 workers became unemployed from 2004 to 2008.

Using this as an excuse, America added 35 percent, 30 percent, and 25 percent punitive tariffs for three consecutive years respectively on Chinese passenger car and light truck tires. At one point, the export volume of affected tire products to the US declined by more than 60 percent.

However, the market share of US products didn’t increase and the country failed to protect domestic industries or improve employment.
Within three years, 1,200 jobs were added in the US tire industry. However, American consumers spent $1.1 billion more on tire and related products and the retail industry lost more than 3,700 jobs.

It is a proven fact that accusing others with no warrant and even abusing punitive tariffs could only bring unfortunate consequences.

With the economy developing and the industry being upgraded, it is economic normalcy as well as an objective law to eliminate some outdated production capacity.

In the book The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism, American economist Russell Roberts told a story about Ed Johnson, a fictional US television manufacturer, who traveled to the future with David Ricardo, proponent of comparative advantage theory.

Johnson was very depressed when his television factory collapsed. But Ricardo told him that the secret of success lies in comparative advantage and opportunity cost.

The US can only maximize its profits by converting to the industry that it is better at and making the products that bring more profits. Then it could use the money it earns to buy TV sets. In the process, the US is still a winner.

Today, the US has upgraded its industries to high-end manufacturing, modern service, and etc. Over 80 percent of the job losses can be traced back to the improved efficiency brought by new technologies.

This is an inevitable trend in line with economic development as well as a pragmatic choice made by the US itself. It is hard for the world to understand why the US becomes so resentful and angry.

It seems that the US got sick, yet it forced others to take medicine.

In the era of economic globalization, market encourages countries to join the international industrial chain with their advantages. The international production system is increasingly connected and the division of labor is becoming clearer.

While enjoying the benefits brought about by the division of labor in the global market, some US officials pretended to be the victims and even blamed other countries for the collapse of American businesses in market competition.

This fully exposed the bullying nature of some Americans, who are good at making things up to satisfy their greed for profits.

It is impossible to address the issue in America by spreading rumors and smearing other countries or by setting up thresholds and adopting trade protectionism.

The escalating US-China economic and trade frictions unilaterally provoked by the US have caused more and more American companies to lay off their staff, which is a convincing evidence.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

By Dauda R Pam

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has directed all commissioners that were newly sworn in, to live by example, by staying in their offices always, as may be required and only come to Government House on invitation only.

The directive was dished out while presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of Commissioners at the Multi-Purpose Hall of Government House, Maiduguri, Wednesday.

He warned, “You should operate from your various ministries of assignment and not frequenting the Government House except on invitation or emergency.

“In my inaugural address, I made it very clear that the daunting task before us is to reposition the state after having suffered from the destructive types of machinery of the insurgency. You were all carefully selected out of so many of your kind and therefore the government and people of Borno expect nothing less than the best from all of you. You must, therefore, work hard to justify the confidence reposed on you”

” It is in this vein that I have created a new ministry of science, Technology and Innovation to facilitate the development and deployment of science and technology apparatus to enhance the pace of socio-economic development of the state through appropriate technological inputs into productive activators”.

He also emphasised the need for collaboration, “we must emphasize complimentary of functions and responsibility and also the need for the cooperation, understanding and commitment of every one of you so that collectively we will deliver our promises to improve the living standards of our people.”

“I assure you that the executive council meeting will be held regularly and therefore all EXCO memos must be backed up by budgetary provisions confirmed by the budget office before submission to the cabinet secretariat for consideration” he further said.

He urged them to work assiduously to bridge the gap between politicians, civil servants as well as members of the public, so that together, working in harmony and understanding, “we will achieve our vision of a stronger and prosperous Borno” He called on all to rededicate themselves towards the achievement of the 10 point development agenda of his administration so as to positively impact on the lives of the people.

The oath of office was administered on Babakura Abba Jatau,Saiyna Buba, Engr Mustapha Gubio, Engr Kabiru Wanori, Hon. Abubajar Tijjani. Other included Mrs Julina Bitrus, Arch Yerima Saleh, Yerima Kareto,as well as Auwal Hamza, Zanna Mustapha, Engr Abba Wakilbe, Col Abubakar Chitoma (Rtd). Prof. Isah Matte and Mauro Mandata as Special advisers.

Responding on behalf of the newly sworn-in Commissioners, Prof. Isah Matte, thanked the Governor for finding them worthy of the appointment and assured him, that they will work assiduously to justify the trust reposed on them.

By Dauda R Pam

Borno state Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has flagged off the distribution of food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Monguno, to mark the state’s humanitarian day.

The Governor in an interview with the media, said, ” we are here in Monguno purposely to distribute food items to the IDPS residing in Monguno who have not been benefiting from any humanitarian support”.

Prof. Zulum, who spent two days in Monguno, where he personally supervised the distribution of the food items across the 13 different camps in the town, said he was impressed with the conduct of the exercise.

”We are going to give items to 20,000 households, each household will get one 50 kg of maize flour and unprocessed maize. We are going to continue to assist them,” the governor added.

Hear him, “I wish to pay tribute to all humanitarian workers that lost their lives while discharging their duties in the state. I pray that Allah in his infinite mercy forgive their shortcomings and grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss. I also wish to appreciate the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator In Nigeria, Ambassador. Edward Karlon, Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Borno. State, the Nigerian Military, Para-Military, Civilian JTF, Hunters and vigilantes.”

Zulum also used the occasion to officially lay the foundation of 1,000 housing estate in Mungono where he noted that” Government is not unmindful of the plight of IDPs and therefore, we are going to construct 1,000 houses for them through the ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement., So that our IDPs will be resettled in a dignified manner”.

He expressed profound gratitude to the Federal Government National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and appealed to other International Non-Governmental Organisations for more support, as the humanitarian crisis in the state was huge. Adding that Borno state government is ever ready to partner and collaborate with all humanitarian stakeholders in the state to bring succour to the IDPs.

Zulum also revealed that the government will provide vehicles, uniforms and logistics in addition to payment of #15,000 to each of the 267 members of the vigilantes in the area.

The Chairperson Borno state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, in her remarks said, ” the distribution is targeting 30,000 households. We have brought 28,000 bags of rice, 2000 cartoons of sugar and 1,000 of salt, 2,000 jerricans of cooking oil”, for distribution