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Nigerian farmers union berate govt over Ukraine food aid

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A farmers’ union under the auspices of Nigeria Farmers Group and Cooperative Society (NFGCS) has berated the federal government over a recent donation of 25,000 tonnes of wheat to the country by war-torn Ukraine.

The union, which raised its concern over the donation and the glee with which government officials greeted the donation, said it was out of place for the government to celebrate since Nigeria had all it took to produce enough food for its citizens.

The Farmers’ union also joined voices with many prominent Nigerians who have roundly criticised emergency food assistance to Nigeria, and accused the federal government of “not doing enough to ensure food security in the country despite enjoying relative peace when compared to Ukraine which has been at war with Russia for close to two years.”

Managing Partner of the NFGCS, Retson Tedheke, who voiced the farmers’ frustration at briefing briefing in Abuja on Saturday, lamented the free fall of the naira which he says was as a result of the failure of government to adopt advanced farming technologies and invest strategically in agriculture.

According to Tedheke, a government intervention programme known as the Anchor Borrower’s Scheme which was set up by former President Muhammadu Buhari to give agriculture loans to farmers, failed to yield the desired result because the billions of naira spent on the programme was channeled to contractors instead of those in the industry who have the requisite experience.

He explained that government should have allowed the commercial banks play the role of monitoring, evaluation, and progress reporting of the programme rather than the current practice where they are pressured and over burdened to give loans to farmers.

Tedheke stated that the group has decided to come up with a technology driven farming investment programme called “agbadovision” towards rescuing the nation from from the imminent food crisis should the government fail to take proactive steps towards tackling various challenges that could lead to food shortage.

To achieve its aim, the group said it has developed an app called “Agbatoken” which is aimed at revolutionising agricultural finance through tokenization.

“We have learned that we can utilize technology to put the vast land in Nigeria and people to good use. So today, a great day in the next one month we’re going to call all of you to the launch.”

Explaining the usefulness of the app, Tedheke said:

“Within a month, not just 1 million, or 2 million, or 3 million or 5 million, but about $10 million is going to be on the table based on blockchain technology tokenizing NFGCS Farm Estate driving agriculture revolution for the greater good of our people, for the stability of our country, for national security, for social stability and a foundation that is impossible to be broken because food is life.”

He noted that with a current valuation of $10 million, the token will overcome funding constraints, facilitate postal expansion, and incentivize sustainable agricultural practices.

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Zambia: APP leader lampoons PF over pledge to reverse forfeited properties

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Leader of one of Zambia’s opposition parties, Advocates for People’s Prosperity (APP), Mwenye Musenge, has criticised the Patriotic Front (PF) over its promise to reverse forfeited properties if the party won the 2026 presidential election.

Musenge, who was reacting to a statement credited to the PF Member of Parliament (MP) for Lukashya Province, George Chisanga, described the PF’s promise as a betrayal, saying the declaration had exposed the party’s disregard for accountability and justice.

The APP leader, who spoke to Zambia Monitor in a telephone interview from Kitwe, expressed shock that Chisanga, a former Law Association of Zambia president, would endorse what he termed a “regressive agenda,” accusing the PF of prioritising the protection of corrupt individuals over the welfare of citizens.

“This declaration reveals the PF’s true intentions, returning to power not to serve Zambians, but to shield their corrupt network and restore stolen assets,” Musenge said.

He alleged that former President Edgar Lungu’s consistent calls to protect his family, who he claimed cannot explain their amassed wealth, further demonstrate the party’s self-serving mission.

Musenge further described the PF as “a political carcass animated by greed and nostalgia for its days of unchecked looting,” and accused its leaders of leaving Zambia impoverished while enriching themselves.

“Allowing them near power again would be akin to handing a butcher’s knife to a thief already drenched in the blood of the nation’s resources.

“The PF represents everything wrong with Zambian politics—a relic of the past clinging to survival through recycled lies and corrupt agendas,” he added.

Musenge went on to call for the party to be permanently eradicated, saying it had no vision, morality, or credibility to serve Zambians.

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Nigerian Senate confirms influx of terrorists from Mali, Burkina Faso into the country 

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The Nigerian Senate has raised the alarm over the influx of terrorists from Mali and Burkina Faso who operate in the name of Lakurawa, into Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger States in the northern parts of the country.

The Upper Chamber, which raised the alarm during plenary on Wednesday, called on the military to set up early warning mechanisms to forestall further incursions by terrorist groups as well as maintain presence and vigilance in the affected communities to halt the activities of the terror group from spreading further across the region.

The resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion titled, “Urgent need for the federal government to take stringent measures to stop the infiltration of a group of violent terrorists, known as Lakurawa, from entrenching themselves in some northwest states of Sokoto and Kebbi,” and was sponsored by the senator representing Kebbi North, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, and co- sponsored by Senators Adamu Aliero, from Kebbi Central, and Garba Musa Maidoki, representing Kebbi South.

While presenting the motion, Senator Abdullahi said:

“The Senate is aware that a group of terrorists from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, known as Lakurawa, has infiltrated the country through the Nigeria-Niger border, at Illela, Tangaza and Silame Local Government Areas of Sokoto and are from there, attacking communities in Augie and Arewa LGAs in Kebbi State.

“Recall that this violent gang of terrorists had raided and dispossessed these communities, prior to the large-scale invasion of Mera, a village in Augie Local Government, on November 8, 2024, killing more than 20 people and fleeing with their livestock, amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.

“Senate is aware that Kebbi State government promptly responded by sending a delegation with relief materials to the affected villages and assistance to the families of the deceased.

“Aware that Senator Yahaya A. Abdullahi (Kebbi North) and Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi North Central) and Senator Garba Musa Maidoki (Kebbi South), along with some members of the House of Representatives from Kebbi State, have been to those areas, to commiserate with victims of the attacks on behalf of the National Assembly.

“Aware that if timely, adequate and decisive measures are not taken, this group can spread its reign of terror to other northern parts of the country and beyond.

“Notes the prompt response of the ministry of defence and the armed forces who despatched a well-armed military response squad that was able to dislodge the terrorists and secured the release of herds of cattle and other livestock stolen by the terrorists. These foreigners have invaded the country.

“We need to nip the situation in the bud, they have international connections, heavily armed with very dangerous weapons, the federal government should take the matter very seriously.

‘These terrorists are well armed with highly sophisticated weapons, this is a very serious matter on national security, they control the whole of Northern Mali and now attacking Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Niger, and others. The time to act is now, we have to take action on how to tame terrorism.”

He said the Senate should revisit past resolutions on terrorism and send them to the Presidency for immediate action.

”I want us to recall what happened in the 8th and 9th Senates. We discussed extensively how we can stem the tide of banditry and terrorism. We made far-reaching recommendations, and we asked the Executive arm of government to implement those resolutions.

“It is still relevant for us to insist that those resolutions should be implemented, if we do so, it will reduce the incidences of banditry and insurgency in the country. We can reduce it to the barest minimum.”

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