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Food Security: Ekiti set up storage facilities for bumper harvest
The Ekiti State government has set up storage facilities in different parts of the state, with the sole aim of buying farm produce from farmers during harvest season and storing them for release during period of scarcity.
This ccomes with a move to ensuring food sufficiency and availability in the state.
The State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, who on Monday led some officials on inspection of one of the storage facilities for agricultural produce in Ado- Ekiti, said building the storage facilities is one of the government’s plans to avert the food scarcity that was experienced in the state last year.
Governor Oyebanji said government’s immediate focus is to address food shortage, reduce post-harvest losses and ensure food sufficiency all year round across the state.
Speaking with Journalists shortly after the inspection, Governor Oyebanji who was accompanied on the inspection by his Chief of Staff, Mr Niyi Adebayo, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Boluwade Ebenezer, Commissioner for Trade, investment and cooperatives, Mrs Tayo Adeola, said the initiative was in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu to the State Governors to prioritize food security as critical step in combating hunger across the country.
The Governor, explained that the state cultivated over 6,000 hectares of farmland in 2024, adding that the warehouse for storing food crops was a major challenge, hence the decision of his administration to provide storage facilities this year.
The facilities, according the Governor would help in regulating prices of food items in the eventuality of food scarcity.
While expressing his delight that a large chunk of the farm produce were bought from young farmers under the Bring Back Youth in Agriculture programme , the Governor assured that his administration remains committed to alleviating hunger and achieving food security in the state.
“We promised Ekiti State good governance and like you said we have been trying to work that talk. The President directed that each state should embark on strategy of food security and in Ekiti State in the last one year, we have started with phase one of a very deliberate attempt to ensure that we prow ourselves out of hunger, last year we cumulatively cultivated over 6,000 hectares of land in the state, all planted.
“Going forward, we want to ensure that, those crops that we buy from the youth, store them there and we will release to the market when there is increase in prices of food so that we can moderate prices”. The Governor stated .
In his own remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and food security, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade said that the goal is not only to tackle hunger but to also create opportunities for youth in agriculture.
While explaining that the initiative would ensure steady food supply throughout the year, Mr Boluwade said government would encourage farmers, particularly the youths in agriculture to increase production, knowing that their produce would not go to waste and government is willing and ready to buy from them.
News
JUST IN: Former Power Minister Mamman Convicted of N33.8bn Fraud
Justice James Omotosho held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, finding Mamman guilty of illegally diverting public funds linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power projects.
[File photo] : former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman
A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on a 12‑count charge of fraud and money laundering involving about ₦33.8 billion.
Mamman, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, was found complicit in the illegal diversion of public funds totalling about ₦33.8 billion.
The court found that he made a cash payment of $655,700 (equivalent to ₦200 million) for landed property in Abuja, without recourse to a financial institution.
Justice James Omotosho held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, finding Mamman guilty of illegally diverting public funds linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power projects.
The court also found that Mamman used the funds for personal gain, including paying $655,700 (about ₦200 million) in cash for landed property in Abuja—beyond the legal limit—and acquiring luxury assets in Nigeria and abroad.
Justice Omotosho described the prosecution’s evidence as “overwhelming,” saying Mamman failed to offer any credible defence, while the EFCC presented 17 witnesses and 43 exhibits to support the case.
The court noted that most of the funds were siphoned through Bureau de Change operators (BDCs), who converted the money into foreign currencies and handed it over to the defendant.
“The evidence of the prosecution is overwhelming as against the scanty and almost absent defence of the defendant.
“The defendant did not offer any credible evidence to rebut the prosecution’s case,” Justice Omotosho held.
News
Kogi Commissioner confirms release of remaining abducted orphanage victims
The operation, carried out in the Agbaja Forest axis of Lokoja Local Government Area, resulted in the safe recovery of five boys, two girls, and two adult females.
Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo has confirmed the safe return of all those kidnapped from the Daarul-Kitab Islamic Orphanage in Lokoja.
Gunmen stormed the orphanage on April 26 and abducted 23 children, including the proprietor’s wife. Following intervention by security operatives, 15 victims were rescued on April 27.
In a statement Commissioner Fanwo said that the remaining nine victims regained freedom during a rescue operation conducted in the early hours of yesterday.
He described the development as a breakthrough against criminal elements operating within the state and a relief to affected families.
According to him, troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army led the coordinated search-and-rescue mission with support from other security agencies.
The operation, carried out in the Agbaja Forest axis of Lokoja Local Government Area, resulted in the safe recovery of five boys, two girls, and two adult females.
Fanwo said the remaining nine victims regained freedom during a rescue operation conducted in the early hours of Wednesday.
He described the development as a breakthrough against criminal elements operating within the state and a relief to affected families.
News
FCCPC, NAFDAC sign consumer protection MoU
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday at the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have signed a partnership agreement aimed at improving consumer experiences and ensuring value for money.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday at the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, described the partnership as a deliberate step towards strengthening collaboration in the interest of Nigerian consumers, particularly in areas where product safety and consumer protection intersect and require coordinated action.
In her remarks, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, described the MoU as a step in the right direction.
“We have had similar arrangements in the past, but this represents an improved version of the partnership,” she said.
She commended the FCCPC leadership for its commitment to protecting Nigerian consumers and reaffirmed NAFDAC’s dedication to fully implementing the provisions of the agreement.
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