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FG Asked Not to Relent in Regularizing Activities of Its Agencies for Effective Performance
FG Asked Not to Relent in Regularizing Activities of Its Agencies for Effective Performance
By: Michael Mike
The federal government has been advised not to relent in its effort at regularizing the activities of its agencies to take out duplicity of roles and boost efficiency.
The advice was giving on Monday during the resumption to duty of the newly appointed Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Dr. Innocent Bariate.
Speaking at the event, Director, Inspection and Enforcement of NESREA, Abdulsalam Isa, while itemizing the challenges of the agency, which include workers welfare, low budget, amongst others, complained about the encroachment of the Ministry of Environment into the mandate of the agency.
He lamented that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) was also duplicating some of the agency’s functions.
He said: “Presently, NESREA is confronted by multiple challenges that have hindered compliance monitoring and enforcement activities in recent times. These include: Lack of adequate funding which has made the agency to operate at a low capacity or inefficiency. Often times, accessing funds from government coffers is tough, and is a major obstacle to effective regulation of facilities. As a result, consistent visits and follow-ups are often lacking, leading to inadequate compliance monitoring and insufficient enforcement of standards.”
He added that: “To attain global standards, the agency’s financial quota needs a degree of increment/expansion that will shift the preponderance (superiority in weight, power, importance or strength) from short term funding to long-term funding for the agency’s growth and development. Recognizing the importance of compliance monitoring/enforcement and awareness creation as drivers of the existence of the agency, there is the need to strategically and consciously secure funds for work.”
He decried that: “There are functions which were domiciled with the agency that have been deliberately encroached on by the FMEnv, thereby causing rifts between the two parties. This has incapacitated the agency in the discharge of its duties.
“Also, just like most other government agencies, NESREA is faced with attempts by sister Agencies (example NAFDAC) to duplicate its functions, even when the NESREA Act clearly defines the boundaries of each Agency.
” It may interest you to note that since inception, the agency has established six (6) Zonal Offices, thirty-five (35) State Field Offices and two (2) Reference Laboratories across the nation to assist in tackling the various environmental challenges in all States of the Federation; however, the Agency regrettably has no field office in the FCT.
“The present office accommodation that houses the Headquarters is of great concern, considering the number of staff and available basic amenities in the building as well as proximity to other basic amenities such as transport stations, banks etc. Sir, serious attention is required in this area to ensure a conducive work environment for staff.
“Staff salary and welfare is grossly insufficient considering the extremely high cost of living in the country. Despite the hazards and challenges of the job, staff salaries have not seen a corresponding increase in recent years, and have remained stagnant since the last review in 2010, with no adjustments made to reflect the rising cost of living or the growing demands of the job.
“The agency’s salaries and allowances are nothing compared to other Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) worldwide and, even to similar Agencies like National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA). So far, the Agency has made efforts to ensure a better salary and condition of service.
“Though at its final stage of implementation, the agency is yet to achieve any result due to political bottlenecks. This effort therefore requires urgent follow-up before implementation of the new minimum wage.”
On his part, the new Director General, Innocent Bariate said NESREA will need to work in unity to be able to achieve the agency’s mandate.
Innocent, who stressed the importance of unity, said, “I am coming with a plain mind and would want to assure you all that we will work together .”
He also added that: “We move not only to pursue the mandate but also to pursue the vision .
“The only way we can do that is by working together. You can count on me at all times but I will like to work with each and everyone.”
He also promised to look into the workers welfare, saying “under my leadership, I will pursue the welfare of workers.”
The DG also said that the agency will be collaborating with partners and other agencies to ensure that the agency fulfilled its mandates.
FG Asked Not to Relent in Regularizing Activities of Its Agencies for Effective Performance
News
Owo church Massacre: DSS recaptures Ansaru Terrorists Mastermind of deeper life church shootings
Owo church Massacre: DSS recaptures Ansaru Terrorists Mastermind of deeper life church shootings
By: Michael Mike
The Department of State Services (DSS) has recaptured a top commander of the Ansari terrorist group, Abdulazeez Obadaki, believed to have masterminded the August 7, 2012 mass shooting of Christian worshippers at a Deeper Life Bible Church, near Okene, in Kogi State.
At least 19 worshippers, including the pastor were killed, with several others sustaining varying degrees of injuries after three men armed with AK-47 rifles walked into the church and opened fire on the worshippers.
Security sources said Obadaki, who, after the church mass shooting, also masterminded another attack on five commercial banks in Uromi, Edo State, was arrested, but escaped during the July 2022 jailbreak at Kuje Custodial Centre.
Security sources disclosed that the suspected terrorist leader confessed to orchestrating the Kuje Custodial centre jailbreak following his transfer from Kabba Custodial Centre in June 2022.
According to the sources, after over three years of being on the run, DSS operatives in a, well-oiled intelligence operation recaptured Obadaki aka Bomboy, on Friday morning.
This arrest comes barely two months after the secret police arraigned five suspects linked to the 2022 Catholic Church attack in Owo, Ondo State.
During the February 2022 daylight bank robberies in Uromi, Edo State, which instilled widespread fear across the region, several policemen and bank customers were killed, while hundreds of millions of Naira was reportedly carted away.
The secret police has, of recent, been recording a chain of successes in the capture of terrorists and criminal elements across the nation, with its new leadership fast-tracking the trial of the arrested suspects.
Owo church Massacre: DSS recaptures Ansaru Terrorists Mastermind of deeper life church shootings
Wheat Production: Zulum Flags Off FG’s Agricultural Inputs Distribution
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has flagged off the distribution of critical agricultural inputs for the 2025/2026 dry season wheat farming.
The distributed inputs include high-yielding wheat seeds, blended fertilisers, tractors, and pesticides.
The event, held on Saturday at the Jere Bowl in Dusuman, Jere Local Government, marked the commencement of the Federal Government’s intervention programme for wheat cultivation in Nigeria.
The initiative is being implemented under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP), a flagship programme of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security designed to empower farmers and reduce the country’s reliance on food imports.
Governor Zulum, while addressing beneficiaries and stakeholders, noted that the programme aligns with his administration’s commitment to revitalising the agricultural sector.
He said, “Here in Borno State, wheat cultivation is not just a programme; it is a transformative initiative. Through targeted investments in irrigation, mechanisation, quality inputs, and extension services, we are equipping farmers to achieve higher yields, enhance productivity, and contribute meaningfully to national output.”
He further stated, “Borno State has achieved remarkable milestones under our people-centred agricultural vision. Our input support programmes have reached tens of thousands of smallholder farmers, resettled households, women, and youth, providing improved seeds, agrochemicals, and agronomic guidance.”
Zulum commended President Tinubu’s food security initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He stated, “Let me begin by acknowledging the steadfast leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, whose Renewed Hope Agenda has continued to champion transformative investments in agriculture across Nigeria.”
Zulum also said, “Mr President’s commitment to food security and national productivity provides the foundation upon which programmes like this are built.”
The governor expressed gratitude to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, noting, “I also express profound appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, under the leadership of the Honourable Minister, His Excellency Senator Abubakar Kyari, for sustaining this national programme and for selecting Borno State as one of the priority locations for scaled wheat production.”
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, noted that 16 states will benefit from the NAGS-AP wheat component of the 2025/2026 season.
“Today, the wheat component of the NAG-AP programme covers 16 wheat-producing states of the federation. These are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara,” Sen Kyari said.
According to the minister, “for the current 2025/2026 season, the programme is targeting 80,000 registered farmers with an expected output value of approximately N160b.”
He added, “Out of the 40,000 hectares earmarked for wheat production, the 2025/2026 dry season, 3,000 hectares have been allocated to Borno State, representing 6,000 wheat farmers. This support will be followed by the second phase of the programme, which will promote the cultivation of other priority top value chains across the state.”
Delivering the welcome address, Borno’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Engr Bawu Musami, enumerated the achievements of the Zulum administration in the agricultural sector.
The commissioner stated that an ambitious South Sudan irrigation scheme and Baga Folders projects have been activated, with thousands of farmers cultivating a variety of produce.
The occasion was attended by the senator representating Borno Central, Kaka Shehu Lawan; Member Representing Maiduguri at the House of Representatives, Abdulkadir Rahis; that of Marte, Monguno and Nganzai, Engr Bukar Talba.
Other dignitaries include the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi; the Deputy Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Engr Abdullahi Askira; the Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe; and other senior government officials.
Wheat Production: Zulum Flags Off FG’s Agricultural Inputs Distribution
Zulum Launches Agricultural Input Distribution Under NAG-SP Dry Season Wheat Programme
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has launched the distribution of agricultural inputs under the Nigeria Agricultural Growth and Sustainable Productivity (NAG-SP) Dry Season Wheat Production Programme in Indusuman, Jere Local Government Area, marking another milestone in the state’s pursuit of food security and year-round farming.
Speaking at the event, Governor Zulum applauded the Federal Government for its continuous support toward irrigation development. He noted that Borno State, with its vast arable and irrigable land, especially within the Lake Chad basin, remains one of Nigeria’s most promising agricultural frontiers.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining all-season farming through the provision of essential infrastructure, logistics, modern machinery, improved seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals, and other inputs required to boost productivity and support farmers across the state.
Also speaking, the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to transform agricultural and food security policies. He emphasized that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration places agriculture at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda, with deliberate actions aimed at cutting down food imports and strengthening local production.
Senator Kyari described the rollout of the NAG-SP dry season wheat programme in Borno as a strategic intervention to revive the long-standing irrigation culture across the Lake Chad basin and other farming communities. He added that the distributed inputs would enhance farmers’ resilience and reinforce local food systems.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Food Security, Engr. Bawu Musami, commended the Federal Government for supporting initiatives that boost national food systems. He noted that the expansion of large-scale irrigation farming to complement the rainy season has already improved productivity, enabling farmers in Borno to cultivate and harvest all year.
Musami highlighted Borno’s natural comparative advantage in agriculture, citing its fertile soil and extensive irrigation potential, particularly around the Lake Chad region. He said the state government is actively restoring and upgrading irrigation schemes in communities that previously relied on year-round farming before insurgency-related disrupt
Zulum Launches Agricultural Input Distribution Under NAG-SP Dry Season Wheat Programme
Owo church Massacre: DSS recaptures Ansaru Terrorists Mastermind of deeper life church shootings
Wheat Production: Zulum Flags Off FG’s Agricultural Inputs Distribution
Zulum Launches Agricultural Input Distribution Under NAG-SP Dry Season Wheat Programme
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