‘We’ve done lots of work on women to know their duties’

 NaijaAgroNet

 

 Apostle Henry  Iwuchukwu, Founder/Caretaker,Ark of Jesus Covenant Church International (aka Jesus is the Answer) has revealed that his church has transformed the women in the  ministry to be able to carry out their duties at home as wives, NaijaAgroNet  reports.

He made this known to NaijaAgroNe tduring the One Year Anniversary cum Mothers’ day of Women of Ark of Jesus Covenant Church in Lagos, stressing that it’s not just coming out to shine in public but also to know their duties as women and also wives.

“Today they can testify to the goodness of God that the virtuous woman as theme of the one year anniversary is most appropriate.,” Iwuchukwu said, pointed out that every woman has a responsibility which must start from the home, promising that in the next edition he will nominate a woman among themselves to speak to them and not from outside as was witnessed this year.

Pastor Mrs. Vivian Anyiam, the Women leader, had earlier confided in NaijaAgroNet that she has made sure that the women respect their husbands, take care of their children and homes. She also stated that between January and middle of April there has been fifteen naming ceremonies in the church, that the Lord is actually using the man of God to do a lot of miracle in the church.

She also said they teach them humility, even as she is building a standard in them, to take care of the less privilege, be obedient and humble themselves before God.

Equally speaking with NaijaAgroNet, the guest pastor, Pastor Mrs.Evangelist Favour Igbokwe outlined the characteristics of a virtuous woman to include trustworthiness, positive influence,  being a planner, hardworking, investing for the home, she helps her husband to become successful.

She stressed that a woman should not change overnight because the husband has noting doing again. She also confided in NaijaAgroNet that one can become rich while doing the work of God but must first of all have passion for the kingdom. She said that in a sinful and immoral society, to become a virtuous woman the church should regularly organize programmes such as witnessed today and that men and women of God should dwell on the truth and not to be afraid that raw truth would scare members away

Pastor Mrs. Iwuchukwu also spoke to NaijaAgroNet on how she has been of help in assisting the husband to take adequate care of members. According to her, she regularly calls them together for counselling.

Yet for another member, Mrs. Grace Michael, the Treasurer of Ark of God Women, being itsthe day of mothers, they are working in one accord, that is why everybody is in a beautiful andcolourful to the glory of God.

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Sky Bank nurtures over 200 SMEs for growth

 NaijaAgroNet

 

More than 200 customers and business partners in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) recently attended the Southeast edition of the Skye Bank’s SME seminar at Onitsha, Anambra State, NaijaAgroNet reports.

According to a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet , this year’s edition with the theme,“Nurturing Businesses for Growth,” the bank  explained, was part of its contributions towards developing the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector of the Nigerian economy.

While delivering his remark, the bank’s Regional Director, South East I, Dr. Charles Udogu said MSME remains an important growth driver in any economy, warning key economic players in the nation’s polity not to neglect the sector NaijaAgroNet learnt.

Dr. Udogu said, “Having identified the gap in the SME sector, Skye Bank organized this seminar to bridge this gap through the Bank’s business seminar series.”

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that among those who spoke in the same vein, was Mrs. Ayo Olojede, Head, Small Business Group, Skye Bank, who disclosed that the Bank was coming up with solutions that would help to minimize the cost of doing businesses for small business owners.

Also, the Managing Director, Dilimson Holdings Limited, Mr. George Umobi, charged participants to confront challenges faced in the course of growing their businesses and charged them to seize the opportunity Skye Bank presented to them and make the best of it, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

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Taking healthcare delivery to another level through ICT

 NaijaAgroNet

The African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) – a pan African initiative hosted by the United Nations in Addis Ababa recently highlighted Nigerian example in containment of Ebola and emphasized the role of technology in transforming health care delivery and Ebola research and development, NaijaAgroNet reports

Executive Director of ANDI, Dr. Solomon Nwaka said that the meeting recommended that the Nigerian approach to Ebola outbreak be written and publicized broadly, as a model for future outbreaks or emergent infections.

The establishment of a properly resourced Ebola emergency operation centre by the Nigerian government under the Nigerian Center for Disease Control of the ministry of health as well as a strong coordination of efforts with functional public and private diagnostic laboratories, NaijaAgroNet gathered, was important to this success.

“Ongoing development of diagnostics and surveillance tools for Ebola in Nigeria and Uganda as well as the pioneering work of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Abuja on the development of NIPRISAN from local traditional medicines for the management of Sickle Cell Anaemia, were examples of technologies discussed at the ANDI event, Nwaka stated.

According to information made available to NaijaAgroNet, experts agreed that the containment of Ebola is one of the most noted public health crackdowns in the largest African country and this serves as a model for the rest of the world.

NaijaAgroNet further learnt that recognizing Nigeria’s successful response to Ebola, according to the health professionals, is an indication that with same commitments and adequate preparations, the clamour for functional health and innovation system is attainable.

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Food, nutrition security, climate change dominate FAO-EU talks

  NaijaAgroNet

 

  Food and nutrition security, climate change and soils are among the key issues slated for discussion in the coming months between Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the European Union (EU), NaijaAgroNet learnt.

According to a press release made available to NaijaAgroNet on Thursday, this follows series of meetings involving FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and EU high-level representatives that were held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels.

Graziano da Silva, NajaAgroNet further learnt, met EU Commissioner of Agriculture, Phil Hogan, EU Director-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), Fernando Frutuoso de Melo, and the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz.

NaijaAgroNet reports that both parties highlighted the alignment between the EU initiatives and FAO's strategic objectives, and expressed satisfaction on the strategic partnership and high-level political dialogue taking place on common key challenges.

They reiterated that food and nutrition security will remain at the heart of their respective programming cycles.

FAO and the EU have also stressed the joint role they will be playing within some of the main conferences and events to take place in 2015, reports NaijaAgroNet.

 
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O’Keeffe elevated to President, Diageo Africa as Lauridsen takes over

NaijaAgroNet:

Current Managing Director/CEO Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. John O’Keeffe, has been elevated to the position of a President, Diageo Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet, just as Mr. Soren Lauridsen has been named to replace O’Keeffe as new MD/CEO.

With this, NaijaAgroNet reports that Mr. O’Keeffe has joined the Diageo Executive Committee and will be reporting to Dr. Nick Blazquez, the President Africa and Asia, recalling that Guinness Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, whereas the new appointment of Mr. O’Keeffe will take effect from Wednesday, 1st July 2015. 

Mr. John promises to bring an insight of his experience in marketing and general management to the Executive team. Alongside with his Nigeria role, led Diageo’s Global Innovation, Beer and Baileys categories, served as Managing Director for the Russia and Eastern Europe business and undertaken senior marketing roles across multiple European markets and Jamaica. The Managing Directors of Diageo’s 4 African markets (Nigeria, South Africa, East Africa and African Regional Markets – rest of Africa), as well the Regional Finance Director, Africa, will report to John.

Since his assumption of office as the Managing Director/CEO of Guinness Nigeria in November 2014, Mr. O’Keeffe has been engaged primarily with sustaining the recovery of the business, building a fit for purpose commercial organisation and improving employee morale and engagement. Growing and broadening our innovation portfolio has also been a key area of focus for Mr. O’Keeffe. With his managerial experience/approach, the improvement in the performance of the business has appreciated NaijaAgroNet gathered.

Mr. O’Keeffe will continue to be part of Guinness Nigeria as a Non-Executive Director and as the Diageo executive responsible for Diageo’s African business, will continue to stay involved with the 
Nigerian business.

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CJN blasts lawyers, says too many of them are fake

   NaijaAgroNet

 

 Justice Mahmud Mohammed, The Chief Justice of Nigeria, ‎CJN, Wednesday in Abuja blasts the legal profession over the rising number of “fake” lawyers in the country, NaijaAgroNet reports.

‎
NaijaAgroNet further learnt that The CJN made this disclosure during the official launch of “Stamp for Lawyers”, ‎which was produced by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, bemoaned that the prevalence of fake lawyers negatively affects the integrity of the legal profession and casts a shadow of disrepute on the judiciary as an arm of government in the country.

He insisted that one of the major challenges facing Judges today, NaijaAgroNet gathered “is how to differentiate between a “real” and “fake” legal practitioner”.

 “Of even greater concern is the fact that members of the public are often left in a quandary over who they can place their trust, property and even lives in.

“We must not forget that the credibility of the Bar has a direct impact on respect for the Rule of Law and the independence of the Courts.

‎

”I believe that the stamp can, if properly deployed, become a hallmark of a firm’s work and a way for prospective clients to better identify their counsel- a veritable means to “Know Your Counsel,” he said.

 
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10.6 million Yemenis face food insecurity as conflict escalates

NaijaAgroNet 

    

About 10.6 million Yemenis are now severely food insecure, of which 4.8 million are facing "emergency" conditions, suffering from severe lack of food access, very high and increasing malnutrition, and irreversible destruction of livelihoods, NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNET also gathered that escalating conflict at a crucial time in the country’s cropping season, almost 11 million people in Yemen are severely food insecure and millions more are at risk of not meeting their basic food needs, FAO said today, 15^th March, 2015.

According to FAO Representative for Yemen, Salah Hajj Hassan “We are entering a crucial period for crop production in Yemen and now, more than ever, agriculture cannot be an afterthought if we want to prevent more people from becoming food insecure amidst this crisis,”

NaijaAgroNet was also reliably informed that in the organization's latest assessment, increasing conflict in nearly all major towns across the country is disrupting markets and trade, driving up local food prices and hampering agricultural production, including land preparation and planting for the 2015 maize and sorghum harvests.

More than half of Yemen’s population – some 16 million out of a total of 26 million— is in need of some form of humanitarian aid and has no access to safe water.

The latest escalation of conflicts is expected to further increase food insecurity in the poverty-stricken country. Paradoxically, some 2.5 million food producers, including farmers, pastoralists, fishermen and agricultural wage labourers, are among those identified as food insecure, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

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Bill on mechanised agriculture for youth empowerment on the way--Rep-elect

 NaijaAgroNet

  

 A Bill that will enable the federal government to attract unemployed youths into mechanized agriculture is being planned, NaijaAgroNet reports.

According to information gathered by NaijaAgroNet, Alhaji Abdulsamat Dasuki, member-elect of the House of Representatives (APC-Sokoto) on Sunday promised to initiate a bill that would attract unemployed youths into mechanised agriculture.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto which was monitored by NaijaAgroNet, Dasuki stated that such legislation would ensure the availability of modern farming inputs at government controlled rates across the country.

He  further disclosed that the youth would be actively engaged in the system to enable them to contribute towards the nation’s socio-economic and political growth.

Dasuki, who will be representing Tambuwal/Kebbe Federal Constituency, said that federal and state governments will be encouraged to set up colleges of agriculture to train the youth and women in mechanised farming.

He said that the introduction of mechanised agriculture NaijaAgroNet learnt, will guarantee food security and  discourage food importation.

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Police shuns cooler of rice to allow campaign poster at polling booth

NaijaAgroNet

 

An attempt to sneak campaign poster into one of the polling booths in Lagos was on Saturday thwarted by the police during the accreditation exercise for the Governorship and State Assembly elections, NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNet crew was there as the drama unfolded. It happened that a woman desperate to win votes for her candidate, made an attempt to sneak a campaign poster of one of the top contending parties’  into the polling booth at Ile Film Junction on Mosafejo Road in Ifelodun Area Council of Lagos but the policeman in charge of security there prevented her from doing so.

 It was however surprising to the onlookers when the same woman whom the police had earlier warned and educated on the security and constitutional implication of her action returned to the polling booth this time with a cooler of rice and the same campaign poster originally disallowed by the police, all these with the intention to bribe the policeman to allow her carry out her nefarious act.

The crowd was jolted when the policeman continued to shout “I don’t want, I say I don’t want”

The crowd booed and jeered at her as she left the place in shame with her cooler of rice and campaign poster.  In keeping with the peaceful election mood, no arrest was made, NaijaAgroNet reports.

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Pix: Suleiman Abba, IGP.