Two workers of the Bauchi State Ministry of Housing and
Environment on Saturday reportedly escaped being lynched by some
charcoal producers in Zaranda village, Toro Local Government Area
of the state.
The incident took place during an inspection of Zaranda by a
team of Mobile Court on Environmental Abuse set up by the
ministry.
The Chairman of the Mobile Court, Magistrate Laraba Hamisu, was
one of the officials attacked.
According to a source, the team’s assignment was forcefully
terminated following several threats by the attackers who later
smashed the windscreens of the team’s vehicles.
The state Commissioner for Housing and Environment, Mr Hamisu
Shira, condemned the villagers’ actions but said the government
would not be intimidated.
He warned that the perpetrators of illegal tree felling for
charcoal making, an activity for which the community is renowned
for, would be apprehended and made to face the wrath of the
law.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi Police Command has arrested about 72 suspects
for various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed
robbery and thuggery within the last one month in the state.
The police spokesperson, Kamal Abubakar, while parading the
suspects at the command’s headquarters, on Saturday said 57
suspects had been charged to court while 15 others were still under
investigation.
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FG slashes Farmers Equipment at
50% Discount to enhance Production
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural
Development, Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri has reassured farmers of
Federal Government’s resolve to support and also make farming
equipment accessible to them in other to achieve food sufficiency
and economic growth in Nigeria. The Minister gave this
assurance when he visited the Livestock House of the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) in Mando,
Kaduna, Kaduna State over the weekend.
Shehuri pointed out that the visit was basically to
ensure that the staff and management team of the ministry in the
Kaduna office worked in tandem with the objectives of the
Federal Government at improving the farmers capacity towards
achieving food security for the teaming population and Job creation
for the Nigerian youth and as such, he stated that “We will
ensure that the equipment and farm inputs procured by the ministry
get directly to the people they are meant for (farmers) because
they are the bedrock of government investment designed to achieve
government’s policy of economic diversification and growth through
the agricultural sector.
The Minister further stated that the farming equipment
procured by the ministry would be sold to farmers at 50% discount
to show government commitment, determination and good will at
improving farmers production capacity in order to actualize the
food sufficiency policy and income generation of the current
administration. He added that “the border closure has further
energized rice farmers and they are working assiduously to
continuously produce the quantity locally consumed and prepare to
mobilize for export in the nearest future. Today, they are smiling
to the banks with the impressive sales they have recorded and this
opportunity has created more jobs, not only in rice production but
also livestock and other commodities.”
The Minister described Nigerian farmers as the very
determined and hardworking workforce in the labour industry in the
country, saying, “they work tirelessly even without assistance from
government to improve the country’s economy and put food at the
table for Nigerian homes. “We look at agriculture as an
enterprising business and we assure Nigerians of better jobs from
the type of growth that will result from it,” he added.
In his remarks, the North West Zonal Director, FMARD,
Engr. Mathew Owolabi described the minister’s visit as a good and
timely adding that this would encourage and enhance the capability
of staff in the state office and the zone in general. He
pledged the support of the entire North West to work arduously
towards achieving its mandate and the next level agenda of Mr.
President in the agriculture sector, in terms of job creation,
economic growth and food security.
For: Director, information ( FMARD)