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Jul 11th, 2008 - 12:50:20 |
Henry Ekwuruke
Niger Delta summit will achieve clear results, VP Jonathan pledges
The Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has said that the Steering Committee that would pilot the Niger – Delta Summit will be inaugurated by early July 2008. The committee, amongst other things, is expected to harmonize logistics and reach out to all ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta region towards a date for the planned Summit.
Dr. Jonathan stated this at the State House Abuja on Saturday June 28, when he received a delegation of Six US Congressmen led by Representative Howard Berman, Chairman, US House Committee on Foreign Relations.
He said “government is trying to ensure that most of the problems that led to the crisis in the Niger-Delta is resolved,” adding, “the Niger Delta Summit will achieve clear results. President Umar Yar’Adua is totally committed to bringing lasting peace to the region, hence, there will be a commitment on the part of the Federal Government and all recommendations at the Summit will be carried out to the letter.”
Dr. Jonathan acknowledged the genuine grievances of the people of the Niger – Delta spanning over a long period. He however noted that some criminals have however seized the opportunities of these genuine agitations to continually perpetuate criminal acts. He therefore called on the International community to assist the country “in stopping the illegal acts of gunrunning and oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.”
According to him, “majority of those involved in bunkering and arms trade in the region are not from the Niger Delta, and they are the ones instigating the youths of the region. It will therefore be welcomed if the US government will assist Nigeria in curbing the criminalities within the area, since the US government has its security installations in the Gulf of Guinea, protecting its investment situated there.”
Expressing confidence in the US – Nigeria relations, the Vice President commended the efforts of the US government in its assistance to both industrialized and developing nations all over the World saying, “it is hoped that Nigeria will also be assisted considerably, especially in the area of power and rail transport networks.”
He assured the delegation that, “Nigeria will continue to play key roles in peace keeping missions, both in Africa and in other parts of the world.” He however noted the enormous challenge in its sustainability, coupled with the challenges of providing basic infrastructures, at home, noting, “Nigeria needs a lot of resources to be able to effectively carry out these peace missions.” He therefore called for assistance from the US government, in the area of the upkeep of Nigerian Military Personnel’s on peace missions abroad.
Earlier, Congressman Berman commended the administration’s steady progress, especially this years’ economic growth rate of 7.8%. He offered his condolences in respect of the tragic death of 46 Nigerian soldiers that died in a ghastly road accident, in May 2008, on their return to the country, after meritorious national service in Darfur Sudan.
While acknowledging the importance of Nigeria to the United States, Mr. Berman commended the country for its peace roles in Africa and beyond, and called on the federal government not to relent in this regard.
May 22nd, 2008 - 15:09:45 |
Henry Ekwuruke
In a scene on a popular Benin TV series, a farmer named Codjo puts his wife out on the streets because she kept asking him for more and more money to buy groceries. But then, when he goes shopping by himself, Codjo discovers that prices have indeed doubled.
He laments having driven away his wife.
This fictional sketch is being played out in reality with the rapid rise in prices of basic foods in the capital Cotonou and other towns in Benin over the last six months.
"Compared to November 2007, prices are between 20 and 50 percent higher," said Claude Allagbe, director of commerce at the ministry of the interior.
IRIN found vendors in Cotonou selling a kilogramme of salt for 450 CFA francs, up from 250 CFA francs in November. Rice was selling at 450 CFA francs per kilo compared to 300 CFA francs and palm oil had leapt to 900 CFA francs from the earlier price of 500 CFA francs.
The psychological impact these price rises have had on families is palpable.
In Attogon, a village near Cotonou, market sellers are saying that it is now common to see men accompany their wives to market to check and compare prices.
At Glodjigbem, another village 35 km from Cotonou, elders said they recently had to calm the local mechanic who had flown into a rage at his wife's requests for more money.
Everyone suffers
The price rises are adding pressures at many levels of society. "The price of some products have increased even beyond the reach of people who work," said Anselme Amoussou, a teacher.
For Etienne Badou, a member of the Consumers Defence League in Benin (LDCB),
"the fissures within families and the society are more apparent in urban than rural areas but in fact they are much worse in rural areas where people are poorer".
The highest rates of nutritional deficiencies in Benin are in the rural north in the districts of Malamville and Karimama. But in total some 33 of the country's 77 districts are "at risk of food insecurity" according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
WFP says that 23 percent of Beninois children under five show signs of moderate stunting and 11 percent of children suffer from severe malnutrition.
Tax solutions
On 30 April Benin's government announced that it would undertake a series of measures to alleviate the price rises.
On 1 May, the tax levied on domestic and imported products to pay for social services called TVA (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée) was suspended for rice, flour and other staples.
However the measure does not appear to have worked. "There were some problems with applying the policy change," Allagbe, the director of commerce, said.
The problem, says Beninois economist Rhetice Dagba, is that there is no way for the government to ensure that traders pass on their tax savings to consumers. "To apply this policy it would be necessary to go to every market and rigorously inspect the price of every good," Dagba said.
Self-sufficiency
Another measure to alleviate high food prices that Benin's government is pushing is food self-sufficiency which agriculture minister Roger Dovonou said would require the more than doubling of current production levels.
As in others African countries, Benin's agricultural policy for the past three decades "was "to encourage cash crops for export to the detriment of food production," according to Dagba, the economist.
The new policy of food self-sufficiency will take time to implement, she added.
Cereal reserves
Another shorter-term solution is dumping food reserves. "Cereals the government keep in reserve have been released onto the market," the director of the food reserve, Irene Bio Aboudou said.
Her hope is that as supplies increase prices will go down.
But the measure is costing the state more than 35 billion CFA francs (US$83 million), according to government statistics. And so far prices have kept rising, one housewife told IRIN spoke while she was shopping in the market.
"My family are finding it harder to live on what we can afford," she said. "They make me feel that I am at fault. That I am doing something wrong."
Aug 11th, 2006 - 20:56:49 |
Henry Ekwuruke
Putting TakingITGlobal First
The TIG Press Club will work
to exhibit the great businesses, products, people, sports, culture and cities in TIG to the world. It will also showcase and buttress TIG’s pivotal role in youth development.
Internal reorientation programme for TIG Members, Tackling of TIG brand visions, Promotion of TIG’s brand assets, Knowledge based and training promotion, Investment attraction, Promotion of TIG’s pivotal role in young peoples’ development
Aug 11th, 2006 - 20:31:22 |
Henry Ekwuruke
The TIG Press Club is to be functional very soon with the introduction of a little daily news service and updates on happenings around TIG and youth developments programmes.
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