Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Senate on Tuesday adopted a motion which was sponsored by Senator Sunday Marshall Katung representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, seeking intervention in farmers’ loss of ginger worth N10 billion due to pathogenic diseases.

In the motion, the lawmaker called for urgent need to address the outbreak of a deadly disease affecting ginger production in Southern Kaduna which has caused a devastating effect to farmers.

Katung said ginger has been grown in the Southern part of Kaduna State since about 1927, and it has steadily increased in its importance as a valuable commodity over the intervening years, but never witnessed destruction of this magnitude due to diseases.

The motion further noted “that Kaduna State ranks the highest in ginger production in Nigeria, contributing to Nigeria’s place as one of the largest producers of ginger in the world, with a production average of more than 300,000 tonnes during the five-year period 2014-2018, and a global market share of about 11 per cent, trailing only India;

“Cognizant that as a subset of the agricultural sector, ginger production has a significant impact on revenue generation and farmers income, thereby reducing the rate of poverty amongst the local farmers of southern Kaduna and the country at large;

“Also cognizant that apart from its revenue generating potential, the consumption of ginger has many health benefits ranging from the prevention of stomach ulcers, the reduction of nausea and vomiting amongst pregnant women, to chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients;

“Worried that the 2023 ginger season in Southern Kaduna State has suffered a significant setback due to an outbreak of fungi pathogens infection destroying over 2,500 hectares of farmlands estimated at 10 Billion Naira across seven Local Government Areas of southern Kaduna State, thereby significantly threatening Nigeria’s position on the world chart of ginger production;

“Also worried that this devastating and unprecedented ginger pandemic affects Nigeria’s non-oil export performance and is already affecting the lives of many individuals within the affected communities of southern Kaduna because ginger is their source of livelihood.”

After contributions highlighting the importance of ginger production, the Senate mandated its Committee on Agricultural Production and Rural Development to interface with the hierarchy of the National Agricultural Quarantine Services and its supervisory Ministry, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

The Committee was asked to conduct an on-the-spot assessment tour of all affected areas of the ginger pandemic in Southern Kaduna state.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio called on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to immediately coordinate surveillance systems to collect, analyze and interpret data on this disease, towards the prevention of further spread or phytonoses

Popular singer, Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, better known as Skales, has cried out that he is being threatened for speaking out against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, after he was recently oppressed by its operatives.

Leading Reporters learnt that the singer recently called out EFCC, claiming heavily armed operatives of the agency broke into his house and wrongly accused him of being a fraudster.

He said they oppressed him in the presence of his wife and six-month-old daughter, stressing that he had a panic attack because of some health issues he is dealing with.

He also said his producer was injured by the EFCC operatives.

Taking to his X handle on Tuesday morning, Skales said his life was under threat following his revelation of his ordeal in the hands of EFCC operatives.

The ‘Shake Body’ crooner wrote, “I was just threatened for speaking out now.”

For stealing hospital beds, the Akwa Ibom State High Court, Eket local government area jurisdiction, has sentenced a medical doctor, one Nwaopara Adolphus Uche, to two years’ imprisonment.

 They were stolen from Immanuel General Hospital and Immanuel Psychiatric Hospital in Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State and converted them to his private clinic.

 Uche, according to the particulars of the case, is said to have used his position as the Medical Superintendent of Immanuel Psychiatric Hospital, to commit the crime.

Therefore, the court headed by Justice Nsemeke Daniel convicted the 39-year-old native of Mbiere in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State, on a two-count charge of stealing and conspiracy.

Also convicted to one-year imprisonment is Kubiat Anthony Isidore, a 28 – year-old welder from Ikot Idim in Odoro Ikot, Essien Udim local government area, who conspired with the doctor, and one Felix Samuel Ekwere, a 35 – year-old security guard at Immanuel General Hospital, from Ekpene Obo in Esit Eket LGA, who was caught moving out some of the stolen hospital beds at night.

Samuel, according to the charge file, had confessed to the police that it was the convicted medical superintendent that sent him. And the judge had no other option than to convict the trio who were prosecuted by the state through the Ministry of Justice in a charge number HEK/13C/2023

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has disqualified the Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the November 11 governorship election, Timipre Sylva.

Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Chief Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of Bayelsa would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.

This was sequel to the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 filed on June 13, 2023 by Deme Kolomo, a member of the APC seeking disqualification of Sylvia, who was Minister of State for Petroleum Resources in the administration of Muhammadu Buhari.

As the campaign for the November 11 governorship poll in Bayelsa State reaches its peak, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has refuted reports suggesting cracks within its ranks.

Secretary, media and publicity committee, of the party’s national campaign council and former spokesman of the party, Hon Yekini Nabena, implored the general public to disregard the reports of crisis, just as he chided the state governor, Douye Diri over the report 

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Nabena described as “sponsored media reports” the reports suggesting that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, and 2019 APC Governorship candidate, David Lyon, were working for Governor Douye Diri.

According to him, all suggestions of a crack in the camp of the APC in Bayelsa is a ruse.

He said the media report which quoted some unnamed sources is a propaganda sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to cause disaffection within the winning APC team.

Nabena released recent pictures where both Lokpobiri and Lyon recommitted themselves before the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to deliver Timipre Sylva and the party in Bayelsa

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has approved the payment of a 28-year backlog of gratuity for pensioners in the Edo State Local Government Staff Pension Board.

In a statement, the Head of Local Government Administration (HOLGA) and Permanent Secretary, Local Government Staff Pension Board, Osas-Ehigie Sandra, said a screening exercise will be held for the payment of pensioners on the payroll of the Local Government Staff Pension Board between 1979 and 2008.

She said: “This is to inform pensioners on the payroll of the Local Government Staff Pension Board, who retired between 1979 and 2008, that the governor has released funds for their gratuity, and that screening exercise will be held in the Local Government Staff Pensions Board premises, King Square, Benin City.