NETHERLANDS TO COLLABORATE WITH OGUN ON VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

The Netherlands Government has expressed readiness to collaborate with the Ogun State Government, towards ensuring food security through improved vegetable production.

The First Secretary, Food Security, and Climate, Netherlands Embassy, Lagos, Marisha Lammers, disclosed this at a meeting in Abeokuta, with the State delegation, comprising the Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, his counterpart in Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, other senior government officials, and representatives of the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC).

Lammers said the partnership would also be extended to Kano, Kaduna and Oyo States, adding that the initiative would provide technical and financial supports to not less than 2,000 vegetable farmers.

“It is about increasing productivity of small holder farmers in the partnering States. We are focusing on green-house farming as pilot production innovation system in Ogun and Oyo, facilitating access to finance as we plan to link farmers and other value-chain actors to financial institutions”, he stated.

Responding, Mr.  Okubadejo maintained that the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration was poised to achieve food security, and continue to collaborate with individuals and groups to further develop its agricultural sector.

He submitted that the State has large arable land, manpower, operational delivery platforms and political leadership required for the development of horticulture value-chain for large scale production and exportation of vegetables.

’’Ogun State is a place to be because we have over 70 percent of our land suitable for agriculture, combined with our proximity to Lagos. We have a very big agenda in agriculture based on our competitive and comparative advantages.

 ‘’One of our key objectives in agriculture is to achieve food security, and we are determined to do things differently, that is why we are developing an aerotropolis, where we have special agro-processing zone that is fully dedicated to agro-industrial processing’’, the Commissioner explained.

On his part, Dr. Odedina, said the project was in line with the agricultural agenda of the present administration, adding that it would broaden the knowledge-base of farmers in the sector.

OLD NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SHUT OUT OF GLORY

Sofunde Akeem still lives in disbelief of how he was dispossessed of his possession right at the gate of Nigeria's First National Assembly Complex, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. He was attacked by knife-wielding teenage boys. He just left a Bank ATM Gallery around the place, but, according to him, “made a mistake to rely on the safety of passing through Tafawa Balewa Square”; A place that once houses the three arms zone of the country’s glory. Littered with debris; Rats, rodents, and reptiles have replaced the human presence at the old National Assembly structure after the building was abandoned and put out of functional use by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Though some federal agencies remain in some other adjoining structures, the exact chambers where legislative deliberation once held in the country’s commercial capital has been left to rots, while the entire complex is already disconnected from the national grid, government water supply, and federal presence. On October 1st, 1960 the Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, delivered his independence speech at the adjoining arcade and the lowering of the British Union Jack for the Nigerian flag took place at the abandoned historical complex. The buildings that accommodate the National assembly was claimed to have been built before the nation’s independence, but it’s now an eyesore. Also, in the same compound, offices called ‘the glasshouse’ that once served as the Federal Ministers offices have been converted to Ministry and departmental offices. It was however discovered to have been abandoned after a fire incident in 2016. The square at the extension part of the complex was built in 1972 and has since be popularly referred to as TBS. it has some monuments which include statues of gargantuan horses at the gates, the Remembrance Arcade with memorials to World War I, World War II and civil-war victims and the 26-storey Independence House, built in 1963. Major national functions, as well as other events like musical jamborees and religious gatherings, are often held at the square. According to staff in the complex, most of the National Assembly and presidency staff that are still occupying the offices are contract staff that the Liaison offices in the building recruited. “They don’t pay us well and that is why some people are stealing the abandoned equipment in the building. They have left them there to rot away. We were here in the days of the military. I was repairing water then, I mean I am a plumber. But, you can see what democracy has done to us. “ In the view of one of the staff that will also not want his name mentioned, “When their staff takes anything home, it is for use, but when any of the contract staff touch them, it is robbery. Just some weeks ago, an AC belonging to the Accountant General Office was stolen here over the night. You can just ask them, if this place is well secured and maintained, would they have been able to come in,” He said Other assets that have the same fate along with the old complex are the old Federal Secretariat Complex in Ikoyi, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) building and the old NITEL building which has now been turned into a residential apartment by some hoodlums who rents it out at the ticket payment of N15, 000 per room. “The legislative history in Nigeria has been full of selfish greed of politicians. They have not come to maintain anything and if this country is left to them, you may come here and hear what they have sold it to themselves.,“ Anthony Adepoju a lawyer interviewed at the High Court premises of the structure said. He is also of the opinion that if “government cannot maintain the place. They should just sell it to the private person in a transparent process or what purpose is it serving to leave it like this. “ However, the legislative presence at the assembly building has been replaced with the expensive cars parked for official use of the National Assembly principal staff whenever they are around in Lagos. The drivers only loiter around waiting for the next Abuja directive on what to do. Cracking a joke amongst themselves, some of them accused others of only been retained to pick up “honourable girlfriends and take madams around whenever they are in Lagos for business purposes or social functions.” The drivers must clean the cars every morning and start the engine in preparation for any directive. The old escort motorcycles that were used by previous leaders before relocating to Abuja were sighted, but are now presently out of use as no one is ready to pay for maintenance or repairs. The Electricity Ste-Down transformer at the back of the glasshouse has also been disconnected from the National Grid, and offices like the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Complaint Commission, Federal Pay Office, Hydrological services office, National Business and Technical Examination Board rely on their individual power generating plants.

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Three came back

In 1995, one of the brutal killings reportedly linked to the government of then military Nigerian head of state, Sani Abacha, was carried out. The victim was Alfred Rewane, a businessman and Warri chief who was also known as a major financial supporter of the pro-democracy group, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). He was assassinated at his home in 1995. Shortly after Mr. Rewane’s death, the police paraded seven young men — Sylvester Iyasele, Saturday Egbeide, Ola Obanuso, Sunday Obanobi, Effiong Elemi Edu, Elvis Iremuma, the former personal assistant and driver to the late activist, and Lucky Igbinovia, who was the security detail to Mr. Rewane — whom it said were behind the murder.

Osagyefo's Park in Accra

The place of His last rest...

His official car as the President of Ghana

Tree planted by Nelson Mandela at the park

The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is a national park in Accra, Ghana named after the country's first president. The remains of the late nationalist called ‘Osagyefo' (The Victorious One) in Akan language, lies in a mausoleum in the park.