Lagos plays host again to Bird Flu

NaijaAgroNet:

 

Incidence of the deadly bird flu has been reported in Lagos state as an estimated 60, 000 birds have been infected.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that this figure was confirmed by the Executive Secretary of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Olugbenga Ogunsetan.
Report by News Agency of Nigeria revealed that a lot of poultry farms got affected by this disease in the Ikorodu area.

“Over 60,000 birds were lost in August after the avian influenza ravaged the farms.

“This has largely affected production of poultry products and leading to price hike in the area,” Ogunsetan said.

Efforts, NaijaAgroNet gathered, are being made by the state government alongside the Federal Government to compensate the farmers affected by this disease scourge. This move is being made to encourage other farmers, whose poultry stock may also be affected by this disease to voice out.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE
 
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Sanitation: Restriction of movement in Lagos is illegal says High Court

NaijaAgroNet:

A Federal High Court in Lagos State, Monday, March 16, 2015 declared the restriction of movement during the monthly sanitation exercise in Lagos State as illegal, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Delivering a judgment on a case brought before the court by Ebun-Olu Adegoroye, a lawyer and human right activist, presiding Justice Mohammed Idris held that restriction of movement, in the name of sanitation, amounted to a violation of the citizens’ right to personal liberty and freedom of movement as enshrined in sections 35 and 41 of the Nigerian constitution.

Justice Idris also held that the power of the Lagos State government to keep people indoors and its agent to arrest any citizen found moving between the hours of 7am and 10am every last Saturday of the month during the environmental sanitation exercise has no place in law.

He cited for instance, the 1999 Constitution, which grants freedom of movement to every citizen of Nigeria within its territory, maintained that freedom could not be taken away by executive declaration without any given law to that effect.

Justice Idris further said there was no regulation in force presently even in Lagos which authorised the restriction of movement of citizens on the last Saturdays of the month for the purpose of observing environmental sanitation, outside executive assertion.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that Adegoroye had taken the Lagos State government to court for restriction of movement whenever the exercise is to hold thereby confined citizens to their homes between 7am and 10am without any known legal basis.

In addition, he said it grossly violated Nigerians’ right of freedom of movement as guaranteed in the constitution.
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Fashola stops Nov. 29 sanitation exercise over distribution of PVC

NaijaAgroNet:

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has stopped the November 29, 2014 sanitation exercise, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday in Lagos and nationwide to afford Lagosians to collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) at various parts of the state, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This coming as NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rescheduled the distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in nine local governments in Lagos State and other states that were left out in the recently concluded third phase of the programme.

Others affected states include Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Rivers, where PVCs are yet to be distributed and the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise pending.

PVC distribution is slated to take place in Rivers, Nasarawa and nine other local governments in News Express reports that Lagos State from Friday, November 28 – Sunday, November 30, while CVR would take place from Wednesday December 3 – Monday December 8, 2014.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has cancelled this month’s sanitation exercise, which should have taken place tomorrow, to enable people go and collect their cards.

Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said in a statement in 

Abuja that the commission met with leaders of registered political parties to present a progress report on the production of PVCs and also to explain lingering challenges necessitating readjustments in the previously announced schedule.

 
Isaac Oyimah with additional report from NewsExpress.
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RedStar commits to ‘I Care’ project

NaijaAgroNet

RedStar Express plc, a leading logistics company in Nigeria has reiterated commitment to caring for the less privileged with a visit to the Red Cross Orphanage on Makoko Street and the Old peoples’ Home on Lancaster Road, both in Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Marketing Manager at RedStar Group, Ngozi Ochokwu disclosed to NaijaAgroNet that the visits saw officials of donating items, mostly food and kitchen appliances to improve the quality of life of the inmates.

She also told NaijaAgroNet that the company is executing this scheme as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative tagged ‘I-Care Project’ aimed at alleviating the plight of the less privileged in the community.

Ochokwu noted that every year, Red Star Group, uses the I-Care Project as a platform to reach out to communities with needs.

“It is the least we can do as a corporate organisation and we are committed to it. The project kicks off with a nationwide campaign in all our offices. Staff and customers are encouraged to drop items in the special I-Care boxes located in the offices over the collection period. These are then brought together and delivered to the selected homes. Our sincere desire is that our little gesture will help in no small measure in making life for the beneficiaries more comfortable” she said.

Responding, the Administrative Officer, Red Cross Orphanage Yaba, Gloria Chiekwe, appreciated the visit and commended RedStar for donating to humanity as some of the commodities given are used to assist unfortunate victims of natural disasters and accidents.

In her part, the Matron, Old Peoples’ Home, Feyisayo Olaore, commended RedStar for the donations, urging other corporate business organisations to emulate the gesture.

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Lagos allays fear over meat consumption

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The Lagos state government has debunked reports that meats from Oko-Oba abattoir are risky and unsafe for consumption due to unhygienic environment.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal a press release made available to NaijaAgro Net refuted the allegation that 4,000 cattle 10,000 sheep and goat, 500 pigs and 10 camels slaughtered daily across the state could lead to outbreak of diseases and epidemic in the state .

Lawal described the allegation as unfounded and capable of misinforming the general public as there are veterinary officers who are qualified Doctors and animal Health workers at the various slaughter slabs across the state who ensure  that the animals slaughtered are of good health and safe for consumption.

 He stated that the animal hospital at Oko-Oba is well equipped with necessary equipment and also serves a referral centre.

While reiterating government effort at ensuring that only the certified wholesome meat is allowed to be circulated, he enjoined residents to patronise only the approved slaughter slabs in the state.

NaijaAgroNet noted from Lawal that the ministry is prepared to clamp down on illegal abattoir  to avert incidence of diseased infested animals.

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CADP contributes 12% to Lagos agricultural GDP

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP)  Lagos State, has disclosed contributing about 12.75 per cent to the State Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012, through its intervention fund to the commercial farmers.

The State CADP coordinator, Mr Kehinde Ogunyinka confirmed this to NaijaAgroNet while speaking at the forum with the theme:”Media and the challenges of food security in Nigeria” organised for stakeholders in the industry, Wednesday, to showcase the results and impacts of CADP on small-medium commercial farmers in the State.

Ogunyinka also said that the project had supported 1,483 farmers under the aquaculture value chain with various inputs including collapsible fish tank, extruding technology; fish seed; solar submersible pumping machine smoking kiln; pen and cage culture system and tricycle and so on.

He listed other beneficences to include 1,284 farmers under the rice value chain, with 300 farmers in the estate with input in poultry from point of lay and cage, day old chicks’ hatchery and incubator, deflowering machine, blast freezer and cold room.

“The promotion of the use of fitted battery cage for poultry birds by the project beneficiaries has resulted in the reduction of mortality and disease transmission by over 15 per cent, increase in egg production 20 per cent, feed wastage by over 40 per cent,” he said.

NaijaAgroNet equally gathered that CADP has intervened in the area of infrastructure, constructing a total of 22.19Km rural roads in 10 locations which has impacted the travel time to the nearest market within the communities to reduce from 22 minutes before the intervention to 18.77 minutes.

The project coordinator also said it has intervened in the area of energy support to compliment Agro processing activities, supported 3,508 beneficences and indirectly influenced over 80,000 beneficences, created over 6,000 jobs and indirectly created over 12,000 jobs.

He explained that CADP has now opened a market information Kiosks (MIKs) known as CADP/CADA MIK at Agege Main Market, Ayetoro Market and Ayeangburen Market in Lagos to offer services to people looking for current and easy access to information on products and prices.

“I urge the farmers to ensure that they contribute their quota to the state as the state government  is prepared to increase the quality of food for the over 21 million. It is a herculean task because lands are used for housing, but the farmers should make proper use of the available land,’ he said.

Also speaking with NaijaAgroNet, a farmer and Media Consultant BridgeWorld Communications, Mr Gboyega Akosile said that the farmers are the real heros of the nation,  while food insecurity is a global crisis and urged the media to “access and disseminate information while acting as a link between the farmers, government, policy makers and donor agencies.”

Akosile said that the media should canvass that the National Assembly legislate that the Federal Government should implement the 10 per cent Africa Union Maputo Declaration that will assist farmers to develop the agricultural sector in the country.

NaijaAgroNet visit to the exhibition stands of the beneficiaries and their products, including Chileo Farms-Packaged Red Ofada rice, Obest Rice, Pedro Farm Limited-Packaged frozen chicken, Timmod Investment Limited- packaged Dry fish, Mts Ofada rice and Jiyo Super Eggs.

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