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”The current administration is fighting Boko Haram with the weapons i acquired – Goodluck Jonathan

Published

8 years ago

January 28, 2016

Sahara Weekly

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Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who is yet to say anything about the On-going probe of his National security adviser over $2.1bn arms procurement scandal has told those anticipating his part of the story that he would, at the “appropriate time”.
He further said the weapons the present administration is using to fight boko haram are the ones he acquired.
At a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Mr. Jonathan emphasised the importance of education in fighting terrorism.
He later tweeted about his readiness to speak on the alleged arms funds mismanagement.
“My voice will certainly be heard at the appropriate time regarding the alleged arms funds mismanagement,” the former leader said.
“I would not want to interfere with the proceeding by the judicial system that my administration worked tirelessly to strengthen.
My post presidential focus is advancing democracy and good governance in Africa.”
Mr. Jonathan later added that the Buhari administration, which is investigating the scandal, is currently fighting Boko Haram with weapons his government purchased.
“G and collectively I am confident we will eradicate them,” he tweeted.
Earlier at the press conference, Mr. Jonathan said lower education levels are linked to poverty and poverty is one of the chief causative factors of crime whether it is terrorism or militancy or felonies.
According to him, there are obviously other dimensions to the issue of insecurity in Nigeria and particularly terrorism, the dearth of access to formal education over years created the ideal breeding ground for terror to thrive in parts of the country.
He added, “Education is one of those issues. If former African leaders can form themselves into an advisory group to gently impress on incumbent leaders the necessity of meeting the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommended allocation of 26% of a nations annual budget on education, I am certain that Africa will make geometric progress in meeting her Millennium Development Goals and improving on every index of the Human Development Index.
“Data has shown that as spending on education increases, health and well being increases and incidences of maternal and infant mortality reduce.”
Mr. Jonathan explained that while in office he began the practice of giving education the highest sectoral allocation beginning with his first budget as President in 2011.
“My policy was to fight insecurity in the immediate term using counter insurgency strategies and the military and for the long term I fought it using education as a tool,” Mr. Jonathan said.
“As I have always believed, if we do not spend billions educating our youths today, we will spend it fighting insecurity tomorrow. And you do not have to spend on education just because of insecurity. It is also the prudent thing to do.
“Nigeria, or any African nation for that matter, can never becomewealthy by selling more minerals or raw materials such as oil. Our wealth as a nation is between the ears of our people.”
The former president said it was no coincidence that the Northeast epicenter of terrorism in Nigeria is also the region with the highest rate of illiteracy and the least developed part of Nigeria.
Explaining that in Nigeria though the federal government does not have a responsibility for primary and secondary education, he could not in good conscience stomach a situation where 52.4% of males in the Northeastern region of Nigeria have no formal Western education.
According to him, the figure is even worse when you take into account the states most affected by the insurgency.
He said, “83.3% of male population in Yobe state has no formal Western education. In Borno state it is 63.6%.
“Bearing this in mind is it a coincidence that the Boko Haram insurgency is strongest in these two states?
“So even though we did not have a responsibility for primary and secondary education going by the way the Nigerian federation works, I felt that where I had ability, I also had responsibility even if the constitution said it was not my responsibility.
“Knowing that terrorism thrives under such conditions my immediate goal was to increase the penetration of Western education in the region while at the same time making sure that the people of the region did not see it as a threat to their age old practices of itinerant Islamic education known as Almajiri.”
Mr. Jonathan noted that for the first time in Nigeria’s history, the federal government which he led set out to build 400 Almajiri schools with specialized curricula that combined Western and Islamic education.
He said 160 of them had been completed before I left office.
“I am also glad to state that when I emerged as President of Nigeria on May 6th 2010, there were nine states in the Northern part of the country that did not have universities,” he said.
“By the time I left office on the 29th of May 2015, there was no Nigerian state without at least one Federal University.”
The former president recounted that the fall of the Gaddafi regime in August 2011 led to a situation where sophisticated weapons fell into the hands of a number of non state actors with attendant increase in terrorism and instability in North and West Africa.
Mr. Jonathan explained that his administration initiated partnership across West Africa to contain such instability in nations such as Mali, which I personally visited in furtherance of peace.
He said, “And with those countries contiguous to Nigeria, especially nations around the Lake Chad Basin, we formed a coalition for the purpose of having a common front against terrorists through the revived Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
“Those efforts continue till today and have in large part helped decimate the capacity of Boko Haram.”
He also explained that his administration waged the anti-terror was with the effort to improve intelligence gathering capacity, lamenting however that this has not enough attention.
“Prior to my administration, Nigeria’s intelligence architecture was designed largely around regime protection, but through much sustained effort we were able to build capacity such that our intelligence agencies were able to trace and apprehend the masterminds behind such notorious terror incidences as the Christmas Day bombing of the St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State.
“Other suspects were also traced and arrested including those behind the Nyanya and Kuje bombings.
“Not only did we apprehend suspects, but we tried and convicted some of them including the ring leader of the Madalla bombing cell, Kabir Sokoto, who is right now serving a prison sentence.”
The former president said he would use the newly Goodluck Jonathan Foundation to further democracy, good governance and wealth generation in Africa.
He said, “Of course, Charity begins at home and for the future, what Nigeria needs is to focus on making education a priority.
“Thankfully, the administration that succeeded mine in its first budget, appears to have seen wisdom in continuing the practice of giving education the highest sectoral allocation. This is commendable.
“I feel that what people in my position, statesmen and former leaders, ought to be doing is to help build consensus all over Africa, to ensure that certain issues should not be politicized.”

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Business

Federal Housing Authority goes digital …As the MD/CEO flags off Digitalisation drive

Published

11 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Federal Housing Authority goes digital
…As the MD/CEO flags off Digitalisation drive.

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The Managing Director and Chief Executive, Federal Housing Authority, Hon Oyetunde Ojo, May 1st, 2024 flagged off the Authority’s digitization drive.
In a ceremony at FHA’s head office, the MD CEO noted that the digitalisation effort is the first phase of the organisation’s march towards being a fully digitized outfit. This phase he stated covers all the Authority’s internal operations. He stated that the next phase that would take off in the coming weeks would be the real time interface with the public: allottees, prospective customers and Stakeholders.

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Describing the event as a significant milestone in the Authority’s history and corporate existence, Hon Ojo noted that it has become necessary for FHA to embrace digitalisation to stay competitive and relevant.

In his words, the MD said : ” in today’s rapidly evolving world, where technology continues to reshape industries and redefine how we operate, it has become imperative for us to embrace digitalisation to stay competitive, efficient and relevant.
The FHA Chief Executive noted that when his management resumed duties about two months ago, they found It unacceptable to lead the nation’s premier housing agency operating analogue in the this 21st century. He noted that their resolve and commitment to modernize and streamline the Authority’s operations, enhance service delivery, and ultimately serve the Stakeholders better, was the driving and motivating force behind them.
Hon Oyetunde Ojo also emphasized that the robust programmes of his management towards expanding the operations of the Authority has made it expedient to embrace digitalisation.
Citing FHA’S role in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) on Housing, the commencement of the Authority’s Diaspora City initiative as some of the projects FHA is currently involved in, he pointed out that the enormity of the projects can only be supported by digitalisation.
According to him, “…it has become more pertinent now that FHA is in the fore front of Housing revolution in the country through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in Housing… the Authority is also getting set fir the take off of the Diaspora City initiative, meant to help our people living outside the country to gave befitting homes back home”
Continuing, he said that the enormous nature of these projects has made digitization of FHA more expedient.
” We are repositioning an FHA where people could stay in the confines of their homes and monitor their investments with us, buy houses, obtain any information the want, just by the click of a button”. He said.
The MD revealed that the coming months and years will witness series of digital initiatives that would be rolled out across the Authority. He declared, ” … from automating manual processes to digitizing records, implementing advanced analytics, and enhancing cybersecurity measures, our digitalisation efforts will touch every aspect of our organization”.
Hon Ojo encouraged the staff to embrace the changes that comes with digitalisation. ” As we embark on this journey, I encourage each and every one of you to embrace change, to be open to new ideas, and actively participate in our digital transformation. Together, we have the opportunity to shape the future of FHA and pave the way for a more innovative, efficient, resilient organization “. He said.

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Business

Backward Integration: Dangote Targets 700,000MT of Refined Sugar in Four years

Published

18 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Dangote reacts to EFCC’s visit to its Headquarters

Backward Integration: Dangote Targets 700,000MT of Refined Sugar in Four years

…As Q1 revenue rise by 20.1% to N122.7bn

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Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (DSR) has unveiled plans to produce 700,000 metric tonnes of refined sugar from locally grown sugarcane in the next four years, through its Backward Integration Programme (BIP).

Chairman of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Aliko Dangote stated this at the company’s 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held yesterday in Lagos, just as the Nigerian Exchange released the company’s first-quarter result for 2024, indicating an increase of 20.1 per cent in its revenue to N122.7 billion.

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Dangote, at the AGM, said in alignment with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s policy guidelines, DSR continues to focus on and enhance its Backward Integration Project (BIP) by deploying and reviewing project strategies to ensure efficient delivery.

He noted that the 700,000 metric tonnes would meet 50 per cent of the current market demand for refined sugar. According to him, the 10-year sugar development plan to produce 1.5 million MT of sugar per annum from locally grown sugarcane remains a germane roadmap to the attainment of the Company’s objectives.

“Our focus is on achieving the revised targets set for DSR Numan Operations, Dangote Adamawa Sugar Limited, and Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited, while we are hopeful that the Taraba State Government will resolve the community payment issues that have led to the stoppage of activities at the Dangote Taraba Sugar Limited, Lau/Tau project.”

He added that “…During the year under review, despite the challenges we were faced with, the company significantly scaled up investment in the Backward Integration Projects with the ongoing expansion of the DSR Numan factory refining capacity from 3,000TCD to 9,800TCD year-end.

“The factory will be increased with an additional 5,200TCD to 15,000 TCD (tonnes of cane crushed per day) eventually to meet the need in view of the massive land development activities also going on at the site. The aim is to achieve 24,200 hectares in total by the year 2029.”

He also emphasised that despite the adverse impact on the business environment by the continuous increase in the inflationary trend, lack of liquidity and FX to fund the company’s equipment import among others for the backward integration projects, concerted efforts are ongoing to secure the needed funds for the development of the Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited project at Tunga in Awe Local Government Area of the state.

“This will enable the company to put in place the needed infrastructure for the eventual commencement of full-scale production and ensure that the Dangote Sugar Backward Integration ‘Sugar for Nigeria Project’ is achieved. In the end, over $700 million investment would be committed to the Backward Integration Programme,” he added.

Dangote said that the Dangote Sugar (Ghana) Limited, was established as a subsidiary of the Company during the year under review, in line with the plan to expand its presence in the sugar industry across Africa.

On outlook, he stated that “achievement of the goals of the Sugar Backward Integration Master Plan remains our focus. This will go a long way in delivering the anticipated benefits, especially in FX savings and cushioning its impact on our operations amongst other benefits to the company, all stakeholders, and the nation.”

Group Managing Director/CEO of Dangote Sugar, Ravindra Singhvi said, “Despite these challenges, we are resolute and focused on the delivery of our business targets in the medium to long term.”

He pointed out that “as we continue to navigate through the scarcity and high cost of foreign exchange, escalating costs of raw materials amongst others, our focus is to enhance the effectiveness of our supply chain processes, optimise cost, improve our operational efficiencies and delivery on our Sugar for Nigeria backward integration project.”

He said “the target is to produce a minimum of 1.5MT refined sugar annually from locally produced sugarcane at our integrated sugar production estates, which is expected to alleviate some pressure on costs and our demand for foreign currency.

“Achievement of a sustainable business remains one of our key strategies and concerted efforts were made towards sustaining the achievements we have recorded in the past,” Singhvi added.

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Business

The Arena: Adron Homes To Host Business Warfare Challenge

Published

22 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Sahara Weekly

ADRON HOMES TACKLING NIGERIA'S LEADING CHALLENGE OF HOUSING DEFICIENCY, GIVES SUCCOUR TO TINUBU INITIATIVE

The Arena: Adron Homes To Host Business Warfare Challenge

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Adron Homes’ renowned Business Warfare Challenge, THE ARENA, is set to commence once again, heralding an exciting period of strategic competition and professional growth within the company.

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Designed as an innovative Business Series, THE ARENA serves as a platform to cultivate and enhance the business acumen of Adron Homes’ esteemed staff, ultimately driving improved performance across the organization. This prestigious event brings together top managers from Adron Homes’ nationwide offices, creating a dynamic battleground where strategic minds collide in pursuit of golden prizes and lifetime rewards.

At the heart of THE ARENA are the Lions and the Lord Lion, distinguished judges tasked with evaluating the business strategies presented by competing teams. These strategies, if deemed viable, stand to be fully funded, amplifying the stakes and motivating participants to unleash their creativity and ingenuity.

Reflecting on past editions, where monthly winners emerged from various branches nationwide, it’s evident that THE ARENA is not merely a competition but a celebration of excellence and innovation. The allure of bumper gifts, including all-expense-paid trips to exotic destinations like Singapore, serves as a testament to Adron Homes’ commitment to rewarding outstanding performance and fostering a culture of achievement.

As anticipation mounts for this year’s series of THE ARENA, excitement reverberates among Adron Homes’ dedicated staff, eager to showcase their talents and compete on a national stage. With the competition now set to unfold quarterly, the stakes are higher than ever, promising a heightened level of engagement and enthusiasm among participants.

Moreover, the rewards for success in THE ARENA are nothing short of extraordinary. From luxurious weekend getaways at five-star resorts within Nigeria to coveted all-expense-paid trips to the iconic city of Paris, accompanied by generous shopping allowances, Adron Homes spares no expense in recognizing and rewarding the achievements of its top performers.

Initiatives like THE ARENA underscore Adron Homes’ commitment to nurturing talent, fostering innovation, and creating a workplace culture