News

CAN challenges political office holders to provide dividends of democracy

Published

1 year ago

April 8, 2023

Enugu State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Saturday challenged political office holders to execute policies and programmes that would touch the lives of the less-privileged.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu, its chairman, Rev. Emmanuel Edeh noted in his Easter message that electoral victory was not for particular people, but for all residents of the state.

He urged the governor-elect, Mr Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), national and state assembly members to ensure proper deployment of their constituency projects for the benefit of the masses.

He condemned the attitude of politicians who diverted social welfare packages meant for the masses like scholarships, fertiliser and other benefits to personal and selfish uses.

Edeh noted that constituents were now more awake to happenings in the polity and governance would no longer be business as usual.

People are aware of constituency project funds that were never used for pubic good by many lawmakers, he said.

He advised politicians to engage organisations like CAN and its leaders in the 206 wards in Enugu State to spread the dividends of democracy to ensure that they percolated to the masses.

Edeh lamented that the just-concluded governorship election in Enugu State was marred with unprecedented violence.

He challenged security agencies not forget that in the build-up to the election, someone in the state declared that the exercise would be a “do-or-die’’ affair.

While expressing joy that no death was recorded, the CAN chairman enjoined the winner to carry everybody along while the losers should embrace peace to enable the state to move forward.

Edeh described Easter as a time for sober reflection; a time that genuine believers commemorate the suffering of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary that brought salvation to mankind.

The chairman encouraged Christians to hope in genuine promises of God adding that when Christ was crucified, it was as if all hopes were lost, but He resurrected and came back to life.

Edeh charged people to shun violence, avoid criminality and corruption, which he said were capable of destroying the nation.

News

Woman killed while crossing road in Anambra

Published

21 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Fellow Press

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.

The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.

He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.

“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.

“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.

“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.

“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.

While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.

He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.

News

LASG’s maize palliative impactful, says poultry association chair

Published

21 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Desmond Ukafor

The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.

Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.

“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.

“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.

He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.

According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.

“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.

“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.

“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.

He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.

“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.

“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.

He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.

“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.