BoI provides N100bn for cotton production

Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Industry, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Sunday said that the cotton subsector had received N100bn from the Bank of Industry through the Growth Enhancement Support scheme on the Cotton, Textile and Garments Funds.

According to the ministry, the bank supported cotton farmers, ginners and textile mills by funding their activities, adding that about 38 companies were fully repositioned through the GES scheme.

A statement from the FMARD noted that out of the N100bn, N75bn had been approved and committed to the CTG businesses across the country.

It added that four improved varieties of cotton seeds, which included Samcot 8, Samcot 9, Samcot 10 and Samcot 11, were promoted in 2012; while in 2014, six varieties of cotton seeds were developed by the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

It outlined the six varieties as Samcot 8 and 13 for the North-East, Samcot 9 and 12 for the North-West, Samcot 10 for the North Central, Samcot 11 for the South-West.

“To further boost production, the government also distributed free cotton seeds to 36,000 farmers, a total of 1,506.39 tonnes in the North-West and North-East, cultivating an estimated 75,000 hectares in 2012,” the statement added.

It further stated that in 2014, about 2,385.38 metric tonnes of certified seeds were distributed to 110,370 farmers in the North-East, North-West, and North Central under the GES scheme. 

APC, TUC demand reduction in fuel price

The All Progressives Congress and the Trade Union Congress have called on the Federal Government to reduce the pump prices of petroleum products in view of the crash in the prices of crude oil in the international market.

In a statement signed by the Director of Publicity and Strategy of the party in Oyo State, Mr. Wale Sadare, it said, the APC recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan and his economic management team arrived at N97 per litre of petrol in 2012 following skyrocketing prices of crude oil in the global market.

Nigerians need caring president– Kukah

 

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has said next month’s presidential election should not be about who triumphs, but a winner who will be ashamed of the state of the nation and do the right thing to fix the bad situ­ation.

Bishop Kukah spoke at the weekend during the burial of a prominent community leader and a retired military officer, Lt.-Col. Christopher Waziri Zonkwa, which held at Ungwar Rana, Ashafa Ikulu Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The APC And New Politics In Nigeria

History was made in December 2014 when the mega opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) held its presidential convention in Lagos State. The event was real political history because for the fact that the convention was held in the full glare of the public and television cameras. The APC primary election was action-packed, exciting and entertaining while it lasted and proved wrong those who felt that the APC would do a coronation or consensus primary like the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Secondly, it was democratic and transparent making it difficult for any of its very qualified presidential aspirants and their ardent supporters to fault the result or engage in any form of protest. Rather, as the convention ended and the winners emerged and the congratulations flowed, the party reaped crucial political capital interns of becoming stronger, more united and the reference point for the average Nigerian, many of whom asked the question, “is this kind of process possible in today’s Nigeria?”

Arsenal Transfer News: Wenger WANTS Cech, Schneiderlin hint, £277m Messi & Pogba setback

Arsenal are understood to be in the market for a new goalkeeper during the winter window, with current first-choice making a number of costly individual errors this term.

Boko Haram seizes army base in Nigeria town of Baga

A Nigerian soldier on patrol in Baga last year

The militant group Boko Haram has seized a town and key multinational military base in north-eastern Nigeria, officials and eyewitnesses say. 

A senator in Borno state said troops had abandoned the base in the town of Baga after it was attacked on Saturday.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is the largest Ecumenical Body ever established in Nigeria and in deed Africa.

ORIGIN 

On 27th August 1976 the (then) Federal Military Government, under Gen. Obasanjo invited several Church Leaders of diverse denominations to Dodan Barracks, Lagos. the Government’s sole purpose was to hold a discussion with the Church Leaders, on the National Pledge and the salutation of the National Flag, which the Government intended to introduce into the Nation’s Primary and Secondary Schools. The Church Leaders did not object to the introduction of the two items provided and on the condition that reading and reciting the National Pledge and saluting the National Flag would be preceded by the usual Morning Devotions, during which the Staff and the Students of each school worship their Creator and offer Praises and Prayers to Him. Immediately after the meeting the Church Leaders spontaneously decided to go to a place, not too far from Dodan Barracks where they could hold another meeting. the Catholic Secretariat opposite the race course bus stop was unanimously chosen.