Court Quashes Suspension of Bauchi NNPP Secretary

By Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

A High Court sitting in Bauchi has nullified the suspension of the Bauchi State Secretary of New Nigeria Peoples Party.

The Secretary, Jibrin S. Jibrin, was earlier suspended by the National Chairman, Dr Bonnyface Anniebonam.

The party in a statement signed by Head of Legal Team, Malam A.S Idris, and Head of Protocol, Murtala I. Gwabba and made available to journalists, noted that the judgment is significant and would help in strengthening democracy not only in Bauchi State but the country.

“We believe it represents a watershed in the annals of democratic practice and party administration in not only Bauchi State but Nigeria as a whole especially,” the statement said.

Expert Wants Govts to Make Agriculture Attractive for Youth Participation

Okon Bassey in Uyo

An agriculturist, Prof. Richard King, has called on the federal, state and local governments to institute policies to attract youths and investors in the agricultural sector of the economy.

He said as a means to combating the growing food insecurity in the country, the youths must be engaged and encouraged to embrace agriculture as a practical alternative to gainful employment, wealth creation and poverty alleviation.

Speaking in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, King, said as the nation’s population keeps increasing, agriculture should been seen as a panacea to curbing food shortages, creating food sufficiency and directing the economy.

King who is a renowned professor of fisheries and aquaculture, argued that strategic intervention in the sector is quite necessary by the three tiers of government.

He said it was not enough creating rice revolution among other critical staples, but also by improving investments in cash crop production and outputs to attract critical foreign earnings through export.

King who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stressed that agriculture being a viable economic sector, requires adequate attention especially with the growing spate of dwindling resources to governments.

According to him, the sector remains a major sustainable and credible alternative to offering meaningful solutions to the challenging issues facing the nation such as rising youth unemployment, job and wealth creation, poverty reduction, improved nutrition, human resource development and capacity building etc.

He insisted that for such key economic programme to succeed, a well-designed agricultural policy should be put in place including requisite social infrastructure to effectively drive the programme

King also spoke on the need for governments to institute sustainable and relevant economic policies involving greater citizens’ participation through agricultural diversification, mechanization, capacity funding and awareness building, policy regulation.

He, however, lauded the zeal and commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to develop the agricultural sector to meet with greater productivity.