Nigerians hail Matawalle on proactive action on security

By Olorunfemi Adejuyigbe

Nigerians from all walks of life have hailed the executive governor of Zamfara state, His Excellency, Governor Bello Matawalle, on his government’s proactive action on security in the State.

In an early morning phone in programme where security issues in the State was discussed, callers commended the latest action of the government on kidnappers.

It will be recalled that the State government has recently pronounced a death sentence on any kidnapper caught in the State. Most of the callers indicated that this pronouncement was long overdue in order to checkmate the current rising kidnapping cases not just in Zamfara state but generally in the country.

Governor Matawalle few days ago, threw his weight behind death penalty on those convicted for banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and cultism in the State, when he signed into law a bill passed by the Zamfara State House of Assembly prohibiting and punishing terrorists, cattle rustling, cultism, kidnapping and other incidental offences.

The new law provides that any person found guilty of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, Cultism or being an informant to the bandits is liable to death penalty. Also under the law, anyone found guilty of aiding and or abetting the crimes mentioned is liable to life imprisonment, twenty years imprisonment or ten years imprisonment without option of fine.

Recently, Zamfara state has witnessed a new wave of rising kidnapping and banditry cases, a situation which ignited the call by the government for the citizens to pick up guns and arms to protect themselves.

However, while the state’s call for the citizens to take up arms, met with some form of reservations from different quarters, the current call for death penalty for kidnappers caught, has elicited great commendation for the government.

Matawalle was also commended on the radio phone in programme, for his foresight in providing good governance and infrastructure in the state and also for his usual swift responses to issues that affect the citizens of his state.

Top Presidential Aspirant Decamps To Labour Party, Declares Support For Peter Obi

By Olorunfemi Adejuyigbe

The presidential aspirant of the National Rescue Movement has decamp from the party to support labour party presidential candidate, peter obi.

This is seen as a major boost to the aspirations of peter obi and labour party, in clinching the presidential seat.

LP in a post on its Twitter account on Wednesday evening revealed that Martin Agbaso and his supporters, Emeka Mandela, a presidential aspirant aligned with Obi’s ambition.

According to the party, the presidential organisation of Mandela officially collapsed into Labour Party for the former Governor of Anambra State.

This is coming at a time LP is working on merging with the New Nigeria Peoples Party and its presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2023 race.

The support for the presidential ambition of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) has received a boost as a presidential aspirant of the National Rescue Movement collapses his structure into the party.

LP in a post on its Twitter account on Wednesday evening revealed that Martin Agbaso and his supporters, Emeka Mandela, a presidential aspirant aligned with Obi’s ambition.

According to the party, the presidential organisation of Mandela officially collapsed into Labour Party for the former Governor of Anambra State.

This is coming at a time LP is working on merging with the New Nigeria Peoples Party and its presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2023 race.

Obi and Kwankwaso have met on the possibility of merging to push out the All Progressives Congress and the New Nigeria People’s Party

However, there seems to be a stumbling block as no presidential candidate is ready to step down to be the other’s, running mate.

Announcing the development on Wednesday, the party wrote, “Labour Party today welcomed new members to our great party. New members include Chief Martin Agbaso & His Supporters, Dr Emeka Mandela (Presidential Aspirant of National Rescue Movement -NRM) who’s a presidential organization officially collapsed into the Labour Party for Peter Obi.”

ABIODUN WINS BEST GOVERNOR ON MSMSE AWARD

By Olorunfemi Adejuyigbe

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has been awarded the best governor in Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises by the Federal Government.

Speaking at the award ceremony held in Abuja, Prince Abiodun noted the important roles of Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Industrialized process, hence the various measures put in place to encourage its growth in the State

According the the governor, “in the continued implementation of the Building our Future Together Agenda, our Administration has established the Ogun State Enterprise Development Agency that provides much-needed support and capacity building to the Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which are the bedrock of any economy.

“The Agency facilitates the development of MSMEs through Business Development Services, Access to Market, Access to Fund and similar services. It also assists in the facilitation of all available intervention funds from the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria and monitor compliance with all requirements in order to achieve its objectives.

” We have carried out disbursement of livelihood grants to 2,094 women in the state to boost their Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operations. In specific terms, we have done empowerment and Capacity building through the OKoowo Dapo Scheme of 500 female entrepreneurs across the state to enable them access financing and scale up their businesses; empowerment of 2,500 rural women across the state through provision of products worth ₦100m; empowerment of over 600 youths through vocational training while 400 women and youths are still undergoing training at the Vocation training centre under the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; empowerment of 95 Women across the three senatorial districts and more than 100 widows in commemoration of the International Widows Day”.

On measures to improve ease of doing business, governor Abiodun pointed that his administration has reorganized the Ogun State Investment Promotion Agency to provide a truly one-stop-shop for investors to know about the natural and solid minerals resources of the State and the business opportunities, and the facilitation required to invest in the State.

The facilitation, the governor noted includes, land acquisition and ownership through the State Land Administration and Revenue Management Service (OLARMS), community relations, statutory documentation, and linkages with the suppliers, especially farmers through the Anchor Borrowers Scheme of the Central Bank, adding that over 40,000 agri-prenuers have been produced through the process.

He said it was the desire of his administration to develop the Micro, Medium and Small Scale Enterprises (MSME), as part of its industrial revolution and to empower small businesses which would help in creating the path towards a sustainable economic development thereby resulting to employment generation, poverty alleviation and food security.

He noted that several MSMES Business Clinics had been held with more than 3,844 Entrepreneurs across the State in attendance, saying the key objective of the Business Clinics was to create avenue where relevant Enterprises development partners such as CAC, NAFDAC, SON, Financial Institutions R&D Institutes and Entrepreneurship Development Institutions (EDIs) would provide information on services relevant to entrepreneurs as well as avenues for on-the-spot Services in business name registration, product registration and standardization, access to finance and market as well as registration with the Business Membership Organization

His administration, the governor emphasized, was developing the State Masterplan and designation of industrial hubs with provision of power, leveraging on the gas pipeline that runs through the state just as it was constantly rehabilitating and upgrading roads leading to the industrial hubs and the inner roads.

While calling on investors to take advantage of the potentials that abound in the State, Prince Abiodun stressed that harmonisation of taxes and levies to eliminate multiplicity and ensure ease of self-assessment and payment had been carried out while there is regular interface between the industry and the academia to strengthens the curricular and equip the products of tertiary institutions with the requisite competencies required by the MSME development.

Abiodun noted that Ogun State E-Procurement Portal (eprocurement.ogunstate.gov.ng), has been created for Contractors/Vendors registration aimed at allowing more MSMEs bid for Government contracts, emphasizing that they would also be provided with free registration for MSMEs with Contracts below N20Million, as details of contracts awarded to MSMEs would be made available on the portal (archive.ogunstate.gov.ng; https://aprocurements.ogunstate.gov.ng) to increase MSME Participation.

He said State has enacted laws establishing a viable and autonomous PPP Unit, which lays out the process and guidelines for all private sector partnership engagements like Joint Ventures, Concessions and Strategic Alliances especially in the development of infrastructure and exploitation of the State’s natural and mineral resources proven in commercial quantities.

The governor appreciated the federal government for partnering the State in its developmental efforts and President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts at revamping the nation’s economy, stating that the Award would further propel his administration to scale up activities on the Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises as well as proactively engaged them in a sustainable manner to keep growing.