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FG blames governors for high poverty rate, says they focus on unnecessary infrastructure

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The Federal Government has put the blames for the high rate of poverty in the country on state governors.

Clem Agba, minister of state for budget and national planning, accused state governors of giving more thought to flyovers and airports than to improving conditions in rural areas.

He said this on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing state house correspondents on the outcome of the meeting of the federal executive council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Agba said 72 percent of Nigeria’s poor citizens are found in the rural areas which have been abandoned by the governors.

He said governors prefer to function in the state capitals rather than build roads that will aid farmers in the rural communities to easily take their farm produce to the city.

According to the minister, the federal government’s social investment programmes have not been as successful as expected because of the lack of cooperation from the state governors.

“The governors are basically only functioning in their state capitals. And democracy that we preach about is delivering the greatest goods to the greatest number of people,” Agba said.

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“And from our demographic, it shows that the greatest number of our people live in rural areas, but the governors are not working in the rural areas.

“Right now, 70 percent of our people live in rural areas. They produce 90 percent of what we eat and unfortunately 60 percent of what they produce does not get to the market due to post-harvest losses.

“When we talk about food prices, like I mentioned right now as driving inflation, prices of food at the farm gates are low. But when you now take it to the urban areas, you find out that the prices are high due to supply chain disruptions, lack of infrastructure to take them there.

“I think from the federal government side, we are doing our best. But we need to push that rather than governors continuing to compete to take loans to build airports that are not necessary where they have other airports so close to them.

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“Or governors now competing to build flyovers all over the place and we applaud them, they should concentrate on building rural roads so that the farmer can at least get their products to the market.

“And you find that if they do that and with the new policy in the national development plan that talks about taking power to the rural areas, especially of out-grid power that can easily be put, you begin to attract industries to those areas for value-addition.”

Citing findings from the recently released multidimensional poverty report, Agba said Sokoto state has the highest number of poor people in Nigeria, followed by Bayelsa.

“The result clearly shows that 72 percent of poverty is in the rural areas. It also showed clearly, that Sokoto state is leading in poverty with 91 percent,” he said.

“But the surprising thing is Bayelsa being the second in terms of poverty rating in the country. So, you see the issue is not about availability of money. But it has to do with the application of money.”

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Agba further said states were in charge of land for agriculture but failed to invest in them for the desired effect on their rural citizens.

He advised state governors not to concentrate on building infrastructure that does not impact the common man, but rather focus on initiatives that can pull the majority of the people out of poverty.

“Like I always say, if you look at Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he says you have to take care of the basic needs of individuals first before you begin to talk about self-actualisation,” Agba added.

“So we need to take care of the issues of food, nutrition, housing and clothing for our people.

“Before we begin to think of how to go to the moon and begin to build flyovers and airports in the state capital, that is the missing link which we need to push so that we’ll be able to catalyse growth.”

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VIDEO: Prince Harry visits Kaduna, pledges support for wounded soldiers

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The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry has visited Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State as well as soldiers who were wounded in action as part of his activities while in Nigeria.

The prince who arrived at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna on Friday afternoon was accompanied by some aides and top nigerian military officers.

 

While welcoming the prince, Governor Sani commended him for identifying with the Nigerian Armed Forces and supporting soldiers who were wounded in action.

The governor noted that such visits would go a long way in lifting the spirits of the brave and resilient officers and soldiers.

According to him, Prince Harry’s visit is evidence of his commitment to inspiring recovery, supporting rehabilitation, and broadening respect for the Nigerian soldiers.

On his part, Prince Harry said he is in Nigeria to use the Invictus Games which he founded 10 years ago to put smiles on the faces of wounded Nigerian soldiers and their families.

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In line with traditional hospitality, Governor Sani presented some gift items to Prince Harry and also decorated him in a traditional Hausa attire.


From the Kaduna State Government House, Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

 

Journalists were not allowed into the hospital wards, but the Director of Defence Information Brigadier General Tukur Gusau explained that the visit would impact on the lives of the wounded soldiers and their families.

 

Nigeria is the first African country to join in the Invictus Games held in Germany last year with ten participants from the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.

 

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Tinubu receives Egyptian, Pakistan envoys, seeks collaboration to end violent extremism

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President Bola Tinubu on Friday received ambassadors from Pakistan, Greece, and Egypt posted to Nigeria.

 

While accepting their letters of credence at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu also sought the collaboration of the envoys with the Nigerian government to stop terrorism.

 

Speaking with Sohail Khan, the high commissioner of Pakistan, the president said there is a need for global cooperation in combating terrorism and violent extremism.

 

“We must do more to stop extremists. We need to enhance our collaboration and exchange of ideas and knowledge in these areas,” Tinubu told Khan, who is also a retired major-general.

 

“As a government, we will keep an open-door policy with countries and development partners on enhancing cooperation in security, economy, education, and the information and communication technology sector, where the minister is doing very well. How can we improve our bilateral relationship? We must do more.”

 

Tinubu discussed the security situation in the Sahel with Mohamed Ahmed, the Egyptian ambassador.

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The president acknowledged Egypt’s efforts in attempting to broker a truce in Gaza and stressed the importance of stability in the region.

 

Tinubu said Nigeria and Egypt have collaborated on key international priorities, including promoting regional peace, security, and stability, since establishing diplomatic relations in 1961 and expressed optimism for stronger bilateral relations.

In a separate meeting with Athanasios Kotsionis, ambassador of Greece, Tinubu sought firmer economic ties with the European country.

 

“The economic situation in Africa and Europe is still very unbalanced. We should build on the opportunities from our challenges and strengthen relations between the two countries,” Tinubu said.

 

“What I expect is an improvement in the relationship between both countries, and I look forward to us working on that.”

 

The president said his administration is about renewed hope, adding that the country will continue to play its role as a stabiliser on the continent.

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JAMB 2024: 174 Deeper Life school students score above 300

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The management of Deeper Life High School have taken to social media to celebrate the exploits of 174 of their students who scored 300 marks and above in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

 

The students scored between 300 and 362 marks out of possible 400.

 

The feat was disclosed in a Facebook post by the school on Friday, May 10, 2024.

 

Despite JAMB’s announcement that only around 0.5% of candidates nationwide scored 300 and above in the 2024 UTME, an astounding one hundred and seventy-four (174) students of DLHS exceeded expectations with flying colours by scoring 300 and above,” the school said in the post.

 

In another post, the school shared a video with the caption, “Behold the DLHS 2024 UTME heroes and heroines; one hundred and seventy four (174) students who scored 300 and above! Congratulations to the Champions.”

According to information from the school’s Facebook page, this year’s highest scorer, Ayeyemi Godsgift Ibukunoluwa, achieved a total score of 362 out of a possible 400 marks.

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Recall that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, on Monday, April 29, released the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results.

 

The board announced that 1,402,490 candidates out of 1,842,464 failed to score 200 out of 400 marks.

 

It also announced the decision not to disclose the names of the highest-scoring candidates in the just-concluded UTME.

 

The statement partly reads, “It is common knowledge that the Board has, at various fora, restated its unwillingness to publish the names of its best-performing candidates, as it considers its UTME as only a ranking examination on account of the other parameters that would constitute what would later be considered the minimum admissible score for candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions.

 

“Similarly, because of the different variables adopted by respective institutions, it might be downright impossible to arrive at a single or all-encompassing set of parameters for generating a list of candidates with the highest admissible score, as gaining admission remains the ultimate goal.

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Hence, it might be unrealistic or presumptive to say a particular candidate is the highest scorer given the fact that such a candidate may, in the final analysis, not even be admitted.”

 

 

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