Embrace Backyard Farming To Boost Food Production,Oyo Tells Residents

 

 

 

         Mohammed Shosanya

 

 

The Oyo State Government,through the ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Sunday, has called on residents to embrace Backyard Farming to boost food production in the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Barr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye, stated this at a special service programme to celebrate, World Food Day with the theme ” Right to Foods for Better life, and a Better Future” held at St. Peter’s Cathedral.

 

 

 

He explained that a better future can only be visible if everybody embraces farming, adding that starting with backyard farming, we can ensure food security and mitigate the impact of climate change on our food systems.

 

 

 

He maintained that oyo state government under the leadership of Engr Makinde will continue to support farmers and encourage individuals to contribute to food security.

 

 

He emphasized that collective action is necessary to address hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.

 

 

 

 

Speaking on various ways in which the government had provided support to farmers, Olaleye explained that about
5,160 acres of farm land have been ploughed under 50% Tractorisation subsidy.

 

 

 

He added that farmers have received inputs in various capacity from Oyo state government, such as free distribution of maize to poultry farmers, arable farmers and many more.

 

 

 

He hinted that going by the support received by the farmers in the state coupled with this year’s World Food Day, there is a need for us as government and farmers to give thanks to God and offer prayers to farmers, government, most especially our dear nation.

 

 

 

Unfolding the programme slated for this year World Food Day, the Commissioner revealed that the long week programme started with Jumat service on Friday 11th October, while today being Day 2 Special church Service, Monday 13th October, there will be Agbeloba fitness walk which all farmers will participate from the state secretariat to Oje market back to Secretariat, while Tuesday 15th, inauguration of Oyo State Seed Coordinating Committee- OYSSCC at House of Chiefs, Secretariat.

 

 

He added that on 16th October there will be a grand finale in which a paper presentation and official opening of exhibition of agricultural products by the Governor.

 

 

 

He urged farmers across the state to participate actively in the global event.

 

NDDC Commences Repairs Of Warri-Benin Sections Of East West Road

 

Mohammed Shosanya

 

 

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has commenced emergency repairs of the failed sections of the East West-Road between Warri in Delta State and Benin in Edo State, especially the dilapidated sections along Ibadulume, Amukpe round-about, Mosoga and Ologbo.

 

 

 

The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, inspected the on-going repairs at the failed sections of the road in the company of the Executive Director, Projects, Sir Victor Antai and other directors of the Commission.

 

 

 

 

This was contained in a statement signed by Seledi Thompson-Wakama, Director, Corporate Affairs on Sunday.

 

 

 

Dr. Ogbuku expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving the directive for the urgent restoration of the failed sections of the strategic road traversing the Niger Delta region.

 

 

 

He said:”Following a presidential directive to urgently intervene to restore the dilapidated sections of the East-West Road, the NDDC has quickly mobilised a civil engineering firm to carry out remedial works to ensure that the people do not suffer unnecessary pains and gridlock while construction work by the main contractor is going on.”

 

 

 

He commended the Federal Government for promptly acting on media reports and outcries of the people to re-award the contract for the road project which had long been abandoned. He expressed confidence that when completed, the road project, being supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works, would stand the test of time.

 

 

 

Ogboku enjoined members of the various communities and commuters to show understanding during the period of construction, as the government was prepared to complete the project as quickly as possible.

 

 

 

 

He noted: “Before we came for this inspection, we have mobilised our contractors and also brought in the necessary equipment for the work. I want members of the communities to be patient and give maximum cooperation to the contractors as they undertake the assignment. I am assuring everyone that the bad sections will be fixed in a very short time. The contractor has promised to complete the job in two weeks.”

 

 

 

Briefing the NDDC inspection team, the Managing Director of the construction firm handling the project, Mr. Adara Opeoluwa, said the three-kilometer portions to be repaired included those in Ibadulume, Amukpe round-about, Mosoga and Ologbo.

Nigeria Not Ignored During UN Human Rights Council Polls–Presidency

 

 

Mohammed Shosanya

 

 

 

The presidency has faulted critics who alleged that Nigeria lost out in the recent United Nations Human Rights Council Elections.

 

 

 

 

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga took the gauntlet on Sunday to explain the controversies surrounding the recent elections.

 

 

 

He said on October 9, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly elected 18 members to the Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term.

 

 

 

 

Explaining further he said the members elected to the Council were Benin, Bolivia, Colombia, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Iceland, Kenya, Marshall Islands, Mexico, North Macedonia, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand.

 

 

 

According to the presidential spokesman the Council is an intergovernmental body within the UN system consisting of 47 States tasked with promoting and protecting human rights globally.

 

 

“The election, conducted via secret ballot, determined which nations would fill three-year terms beginning on January 1, 2025, replacing members whose terms expire on December 31, 2024.

 

 

 

“Among the outgoing members are Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, United Arab Emirates and the United States,” he noted.

 

 

Onanuga also stated that a report on the meeting published by the UN, Argentina, Cameroon, Eritrea, India and Somalia, which had served two consecutive terms, were ineligible for immediate re-election.

 

 

Also, Albania, Algeria, Brazil, China, Ghana, Japan, and South Africa will continue serving on the Council.

 

 

He noted that in the African regional group, the endorsed candidates—Benin, Gambia, Kenya, DRC, and Ethiopia—successfully secured all five available seats.

 

 

 

According to him, there was no competition in the African regional group, as the continent fielded the same number of candidates as available seats.

 

 

He said contrary to information circulating, Nigeria was not snubbed in this election, as some reports have falsely claimed.

 

 

 

“The country did not stand as a candidate for this cycle of elections, just like it did not stand for election in 2023 when a Nigerian medium sensationally reported that the country earned three votes.

 

 

 

 

“The same lie was rehashed in the erroneous report in circulation. Again, we restate that Nigeria was not on the ballot in the election held on 9 October. Whatever vote was recorded for our country must have been cast in error in the secret balloting by some countries which thought Nigeria was on the ballot.

 

 

 

“For those conversant with elections into international organisations, especially to prestigious bodies like the Human Rights Council, countries vying for positions usually receive regional endorsements.

 

 

 

“The regional bloc endorsed Benin and Gambia, both members of ECOWAS, for the 2025-2027 term.Given Nigeria’s continued leadership in fostering African unity, the nation focused on supporting the endorsed candidates to promote collective African representation.

 

 

 

 

“This has been the hallmark of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership on the continent. This strategic approach aligns with Nigeria’s long-standing diplomatic efforts to ensure Africa speaks with a united voice on the global stage.

 

 

“The media should cross-check their information before rushing to press. There was no sign this was done with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or our country’s mission in New York.

Group To NNPCL:Remove Hidden Levies On Dangote Fuel Prices

 

Mohammed Shosanya

 

 

 

Dr. Jonathan Amande,
Executive Director,Coalition for Energy Reforms and Good Governance Advocacy, has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company LTD (NNPCL) to remove hidden levies and charges on Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) locally sourced from Dangote Petroleum Refinery as a first step towards making the product affordable for Nigerians and ending the worsening misery of citizens.

 

 

 

Its position was against the backdrop of recent increase in the pump prices of petrol, which has caused widespread outrage among Nigerians, who are questioning the increasing cost of the product when it is being locally refined.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Amande in a statement on Sunday, noted that “removing hidden levies on petrol sourced from Dangote Refinery has become imperative, alleging that certain persons have now resorted to making money through secret levies on petrol, with the active collusion of NNPCL.

 

 

 

 

The group called on NNPCL to urgently eliminate hidden charges on fuel prices from the Dangote Refinery, stating that these levies have been added to the premium, inspection fee, and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority fee that were publicly declared.

 

 

 

“These invisible government levies, including those from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), are unjustified and inflate the cost of locally produced fuel, Dr. Amande stated.

 

 

 

He added that these levies, which have no place in the local production and sale of petroleum products, prevent the Dangote Refinery from selling fuel at more affordable prices.

 

 

 

“Without these additional charges, some of which are layered on the crude supply, local refineries could potentially sell fuel at prices as low as ₦400 per litre,” the Coalition asserted.

 

 

 

The group called for a comprehensive review of all levies imposed on locally refined petroleum products along the entire value chain, while urging the Federal Government to reveal the true impact of these levies to Nigerians.

 

 

 

The Coalition stressed that removing them would significantly reduce fuel prices and alleviate the financial burden on the masses.

 

 

 

 

 

The group also noted that transparency and fairness in fuel pricing are crucial for the country’s economic well-being.

Who Is This Israel?

 

 

 

By Femi Fani-Kayode

 

 

“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not but do lie — behold, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet and to know that I have loved thee” – Revelations 3:9.

 

 

 

There can be no doubt that the scripture above is referring to the Zionists and fake Jews who currently make up the State of Israel.

 

 

 

 

Worse still in John 8:44 Jesus actually referred to these fake Jews as “the children of the devil”.

 

 

 

The Book of Revelations says that they are of “the Synagogue of Satan” and that “they claim to be Jews but are not”.

 

 

 

 

Jeremiah 23:3-8 compounds the point by telling us that when Jesus returns He Himself will gather the real Israelites back to Israel.

 

 

 

 

 

Despite what people believe this great event has not yet taken place and the so-called establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 was not the one sanctioned or envisaged by God and the Holy Bible.

 

 

 

 

This begs the question, if the Israel of today is not the one envisioned and promised by the Holy Bible then who and what exactly is it and for whose purpose was it established, God’s or satan’s?

 

 

 

 

Who and what is this boastful, vain, calamitous and fatherless monstrosity that boastfully flies the Star of David and that has brought so much havoc to the world?

 

 

 

 

Who and what is this strange, arrogant, cantankerous, overbearing and belligerent entity that falsely lays claim to being a divine resurrection of the Biblical Promise Land but is instead a torment to its neighbours and an ugly scar to the world?

 

 

 

 

These are questions for another day but what can be said for now and hardly disputed is the following.

 

 

 

 

 

In view of its racist laws and disposition and the monumental carnage and horror that it has visited on the innocent and defenceless women and children of Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon over the last one year and given the heinous crimes that it has subjected the Palestinians to over the last 76 years, the Israel of today can best be described as a vicious, bestial and callous ethno-supremacist, fascist, apartheid state that has no right to exist.

 

 

 

 

It is also a citadel of religious bigotry and extremism and a repugnant and repulsive repository and sewer of the most insidious and vicious form of Zionist propaganda and Jewish proselysation.

 

 

 

 

It is an evil and genocidal entity whose intention is to eliminate and eradicate every single Arab man, woman and child in the Arab Gulf and all the nations and territories that exist between Egypt and Iran and forcefully occupy their land.

 

 

 

 

 

If Nazi Germany forfeited the right to exist as a consequence of the Holocaust perpetuated against the Jews before and during World War 11 why should Israel not forfeit the same right for doing precisely the same thing to the Palestinians 80 years later?

 

 

 

 

For those who dispute the fact that apartheid is alive and well in Israel I urge them to consider the words of Gideon Levi, a highly celebrated and respected Israeli journalist, who said the following at the Oxford Union a few years ago.

 

 

 

 

“I am an Israeli. I was born in Israel. I am even perceived to be an Israeli patriot. I care about Israel. I belong to Israel and I am attached to Israel. Don’t speak about symmetry because there is no symmetry.

 

 

 

 

I would even suggest there is no conflict. Was there a French-Algerian conflict?

 

 

 

 

There was a brutal French occupation in Algeria which came to its end. There is no Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There is a brutal Israeli occupation which must come to an end one way or the other. In our dark backyard there is a regime that today is by far one of the most cruel brutal, tyrannies on earth. Not less than this.

 

 

 

I know what I say because I covered it for 40 years and this regime cannot but be defined as apartheid. Two peoples live in one piece of land and one people has all the rights in the world and

 

 

 

 

I am talking only of the occupied territories. Two people share one piece of land there. One people has all the rights in the world, the other people has no rights whatsoever. It looks like apartheid, it talks like apartheid and it is apartheid. Nobody can contradict it: nobody who has been there and nobody who is fair enough to look.

 

 

 

 

Go to the Jordan valley, see their prosperity in the settlements and then go and see the Palestinians who live there with no electricity, without water, without any rights and then tell me if it’s apartheid or you might invent it another title.

 

 

 

 

When I steal your car I am not in a position to put conditions in returning the car. First of all return the car and the only way to return the car is by giving EQUAL RIGHTS TO THE PALESTINIANS”.

 

 

 

 

If there are still any righteous and God-fearing men left in Israel, Gideon Levy, who is a regular contributor on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict on CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera, is one of them. It takes courage to swim against the tide and speak truth to power when you are a Jew that still lives in Tel Aviv. Kudos to him.

 

 

 

 

Many talk about the frightful and horrific events of October 7th when the Al Qassam Brigade, the armed wing of the Palestinian resistance movement known as Hamas, struck a devastating retaliatory blow against their oppressors, killed over 1000 Jews including women and children and abducted over 200 others yet they conveniently forget that Israel struck the first blow in 1948 by killing over 700,000 innocent and defenceless Palestinians, including women and children, and displacing over one million and taking over their homes during the infamous Nakba!

 

 

 

 

Worst still ever since that time and for the last 76 years hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank have been murdered by Israeli security forces and armed right wing militant settlers, tens of thousands of Palestinian men, women and children have been illegally detained in Israeli prisons whilst Gaza, a tiny strip of land of over 2.5 million Palestinians sandwiched between Israel and the sea was turned into the world’s largest and most degrading concentration camp second only to Auschwitz by the Zionists!

 

 

 

 

 

As if that were not harrowing enough let us consider the fact that well over 60,000 civilians, most of whom are still buried below the rubble and three quarters of whom are women and children, have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Force in the last one year alone !

 

 

 

 

 

85,000 tons of explosives have been dropped on Gaza by the Israeli Defence Force in the same period and 75% of buildings and infrastructures have been blown up and flattened.

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to that ALL of the universities and 95% of schools have been destroyed together with all but one of the thirteen hospitals. Simply put there is no Gaza left!

 

 

 

 

 

Women,children, infants, babies, students, aid workers, refugees, nurses, doctors, teachers, lecturers, UN officials, hospitals, university campuses, churches, mosques, refugee camps and virtually every other structure and living thing in the strip have not been spared.

 

 

A few days ago CNN reported the following:

 

 

“According to the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders at least 128 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war, nearly all of them Palestinian media workers in Gaza killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes. Some of the journalists died while wearing protective gear identifying them as members of the press. Multiple news organizations and free press groups have accused the Israeli military of deliberately targeting journalists.”

 

 

 

 

One would have thought that the mass slaughter of their colleagues alone if nothing else would have moved the Western media agencies to report the events in Gaza and now Lebanon in a more factual, balanced and objective manner but they have refused to do so and instead continue to cover up the heinous war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is indulging in with such impunity.

 

 

 

Those that applaud the barbaric, inhuman and callous actions of the Zionists in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran forget that after the Zionists have finished killing everyone in the Middle East and establishing their ‘Greater Israel’ at the expense of Arab, Muslim and Christian lives, they will seek to subjugate, destroy and bend the rest of the global South to their will.

 

 

 

 

This is a challenge that we must prepare for and now is the time to build the necessary global, military and regional alliances to resist and thwart it whenever it comes.

 

 

 

 

 

Yet the establishment of a ‘Greater Israel’ is not enough for the Zionists: what they really aspire to achieve is the total and complete capitulation and domination of the entire world, the eradication of all of the great faiths including Islam and Christianity and the enthronement of world Jewry.

 

 

 

 

 

For them this quest borders on an obsession. It is their ultimate and long term objective and those that doubt it should read the Talmud and the Torah.

 

 

 

 

 

They should also read a major literary work known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion which, contrary to the lie that many Jewish and Western historical revisionists have been peddling and propagating for years in an attempt to cover up what is clearly an evil intent, was NOT a fake document.

 

 

 

 

Quite apart from that the unspeakable atrocities that have been committed by the rogue Zionist state over the last one year confirms the assertion that the greatest mistake that the world ever made was to allow the State of Israel to be re-established in 1948.

 

 

 

 

What was essentially an act of charity and kindness borne out of pity and guilt on the part of the Allied Powers after World War 11 may well be the catalyst to World War 111 today and could lead to the utter destruction of humanity.

 

This is indeed food for thought.

 

 

 

Going forward many are beginning to question the right of Israel to exist let alone defend herself.

 

 

 

 

Does an alien invader, an occupier of other people’s land, an ethnic cleanser and a murderous hegemon have the right to continue to rob, subjugate, oppress, butcher and slaughter the indegenous landowners?

 

 

 

 

Does having white skin and European origins confer on the Ashkazi Jews the right to wreak havoc on the Palestinians, the Arabs and the entire Middle East?

 

 

 

 

Are the Jews really a master race that are above all others, that are above international law and that can do no wrong?

 

 

 

 

Was President Emmanuel Macron of France not right when he said that the West should stop supplying arms and lethal weapons to Israel?

 

 

 

 

Is it not time for the United States of America, who are clearly complicit in Israel’s genocide, to regain its sovereignty and independence from AIPAC, the State of Israel and the Jewish lobby in their country?

 

 

 

 

Is it not time for them to review their rabidly pro-Israel policy and join the rest of the civilised world?

 

 

 

 

These are pertinent questions which must be answered at the soonest.

 

 

 

 

 

This is especially so given the fact that 80% of Israelis have rejected the idea of a two state solution and believe that the Palestinians are sub-human creatures that deserve to continue to live in subjugation and bondage.

 

 

 

 

In case we are in any doubt about just how perverse, depraved and out of touch with reality most Americans are when it comes to Israel we should consider the words of Gov. Tim Walz who is the running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming American presidential

election.

 

 

 

 

During the Vice Presidential debate with Senator J. D. Vance last week he said,”The expansion of Israel is an absolute necessity for the United States”.

 

 

 

 

Whilst the civilised world is calling for restraint, a ceasefire, a cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the crisis many in America are calling for an expansion of Israel’s borders and the establishment of Netanyahu’s dream of a Greater Israel! That can hardly be the way forward.

 

 

 

 

Those that still doubt the Zionist quest for a Greater Israel would do well to consider the words of Bezalel Smoritch, the Israeli Finance Minister, who said the following,“I openly declare that we want a Jewish state that includes Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon”.

 

 

 

 

They should also consider the words of Israeli Heritage Minister Amichi Eliyahu who suggested that a nuclear bomb be dropped on Gaza and that the few Palestinians that may survive it should be driven into the Sinai desert!

 

 

 

 

 

Again they should reflect on the words of Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamer Ben Givr, who has been convicted by the Israeli courts on terrorism charges on several occasions and who said,“My right, my wife’s, my children’s, to roam the roads of Judea and Samaria (meaning the West Bank) are more important than the right of movement of the Arabs. This is the reality and that’s the truth. My right for life comes before their right to movement.”

 

 

 

 

On other occasions Ben Givr has said even more outrageous things like calling for the storming and destruction of the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem which happens to be Islam’s second most sacred and most famous mosque in order to make way for the building of a Jewish temple on the same spot and he has also called for the summary execution of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons in order to make space for others!.

 

 

 

 

On Gaza he said the following,“We cannot withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Not only do I not rule out Jewish settlement there, I believe it is also an important thing. The war presents an opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza. In my view such a policy is correct, just, moral and humane solution”.

 

 

 

 

He went on to say that of the 2.5 million Palestinians that live in Gaza, 25,000 each should be dispersed and deported to 100 different countries all over the world and any that are left should be thrown into the sea!.

 

 

One wonders what type of heartless creature this individual is.

 

 

 

Finally,the skeptics and naysayers should also ponder on the fact that Israeli military snipers openly and consistently target Palestinian children and babies for elimination in Gaza and they should consider the words of Meirav Ben-Ari, a female Member of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) who said “the children of Gaza brought this upon themselves” and asserted that they “deserve what they were getting”.

 

 

 

 

 

I could list many more examples of the mindless and callous words and disposition of the Zionist leaders which clearly illustrate their desire to wipe out not just the Palestinians but all the Arabs in order to make way for the Greater Israel but for the purposes of this contribution the few that I have cited will suffice.

 

 

 

 

Needless to say,given their collective mindset, I have no doubt that Oliver Stone, the great American film producer, was absolutely right when he said that having met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on one occassion he had come to the conclusion that he was totally and completely insane.

 

 

 

 

 

I have little doubt that we can safely arrive at the same conclusion when we consider the mental and psychological disposition of Smotrich, Ben Givr, Eliyahu, Ben-Ari and virtually every other member of Netanyahu’s cabinet and leading military commanders.

 

 

 

 

They are all blood-crazed, blood- thirsty psychopaths who are as mad as a hatter and who deserve to be confined to a mental institution!.

 

 

 

 

 

At this juncture permit me to express my complete and utter disgust at the way in which Israel has conducted itself over the last one year and I make bold to proclaim that a nation of ethnic cleansers, child killers and genocidal maniacs cannot possibly be victorious in any conflict.

 

 

It is only a matter of time before they are brought to their knees.

 

 

 

 

In this respect the words of a BBC reporter reporting from Tel Aviv just a few days ago are instructive. He said,“No one has hope for the future here. Many professionals are leaving Israel and many residents are going bankrupt. The war is expanding every day and its continuation increases the despair of the Israelis day by day.”

 

 

 

 

 

Equally enlightening are the words of leading Israeli political commentators and media houses themselves who have evidently seen the handwriting on the wall and who are living in trepidation of the future and the consequences of the horrendous blood-drenched path that their Prime Minister has chosen to tread.

 

 

Three examples will suffice.

 

A few days ago Sher Hever, a leading political economist who grew up in Israel, said the following:

 

 

 

“Israel’s genocide in Gaza also threatens its own survival. Any regime that commits genocide also commits suicide.There is no coming back from it and this is what Israelis are seeing for themselves”.

 

 

 

His insight is commendable and second to none.

 

 

 

 

On their part,Haarezt, which is one of the leading and most influential newspaper houses in Israel wrote the following in its editorial.

 

 

 

 

“Netanyahu led Israel into the worst year and the worst war in its history. And it’s not even over. History will not judge Benjamin Netanyahu as a righteous crusader leading the West in a holy war against Islamofascism, as he sees himself. Instead it will regard him as the inept politician who blindly led Israel to October 7th and all the debacles that folllowed”.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally,in an article titled ‘Israel Takes Its Last Breath’ written a few days ago for Haarezt by Ari Shavit, a famous Zionist columnist, the author penned the following:

 

 

“It seems we have passed the point of no return and Israel may no longer be able to end the occupation, stop the colonization, and achieve peace. It seems that it is no longer possible to reform Zionism, save democracy, or unite the people in this country”.

 

 

He goes on:

 

 

“There’s no point in living in this country anymore. There’s no point in writing in Haarezt. There’s no point in reading Haarezt. We must do what Rogel Alpher suggested two years ago which is to leave the country. If ‘Israelism’ and Judaism are no longer vital parts of one’s identity and if every Israeli citizen holds a foreign passport not only in a technical sense but also psychologically, it’s over. It’s time to say goodbye to friends and move to San Francisco, Berlin, or Paris”.

 

 

He goes further by saying:

 

“We must step back and watch the democratic Jewish state sink. Maybe the issue hasn’t been resolved yet. Maybe we haven’t yet passed the point of no return. Maybe there’s still a chance to end the occupation, stop colonization, reform Zionism, save democracy, and divide the land”.

 

 

He concludes by saying:

 

“It appears that we are dealing with one of the toughest people in history and the only solution is to give them their rights and end the occupation”.

 

 

Sher Hever,the Editorial Board of Haarezt and Ari Shavid reflect the thinking and share the fears of millions in Israel today and have said it all.

 

 

 

 

With sentiments like this being voiced in the apartheid state there may well be hope after all and the darkness that Benjamin Netanyahu represents may well be swept away from power from within.

 

 

 

 

Let us hope that this is the case because the alternative is a grave one for the State of Israel and may result in her being wiped off the face of the earth.

 

 

 

 

The truth is that if anyone represents an existential threat to Israel it is not Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Arabs, Iran or the Palestinians but rather it is Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet of delusional and psychotic right wing fanatics who are hell bent on provoking a regional war which their nation cannot possibly survive let alone win.

 

 

 

Permit me to conclude with the following.

 

 

 

Giorgus Mitralias, a Greek journalist, a founding member of the Greek Committee Against Debt and a member of the CADTM network wrote the following in an essay titled ‘When Israel’s accomplices accustoms us to a monstrous, heartless and inhuman world’.

 

 

 

He said:“Almost a year ago we wrote that one of the aims of Netanyahu and his acolytes was to accustom us to a world that increasingly resembles a jungle where only the law of the strongest reigns and where the worst atrocities against the weakest are permitted!.

 

 

 

 

“Today, after twelve months of atrocities and crimes that often surpass the imagination, we can say that the Zionist state is accustoming us to something much more serious: perversity, mass sadism and indiscriminate, unrestrained violence against civilians, which are tolerated, recognized and even accepted as “normal” behavior by those above! This bestialises not only those who commit these unspeakable crimes but also all those who tolerate and encourage them, pretending not to see!”

 

 

 

Giorgus has spoken the bitter truth: the world has indeed lost its compassion and humanity.

 

 May God deliver us all.

 

 

 

All On Electrifies Balyesa Community With New Solar Mini-Grid

          Mohammed Shosanya

 

 

A new 80kWp solar mini-grid developed by Ceesolar Energy Limited,has been commissioned in the Oweikorogha community in Bayelsa State .

 

 

 

The project,financed by All On through the Niger Delta Electrification Programme, aims to bridge the energy gap in underserved and unserved communities in the Niger Delta region.

 

 

The Oweikorogha mini-grid,with its 80kWp capacity, 60kW inverter system, and 120kWh energy storage, is designed to provide reliable and sustainable electricity to approximately 2,000 people.

 

 

 

The project will directly benefit 430 new connections, including 380 residential households, 39 commercial enterprises, 5 micro-industrial facilities, and 6 public institutions.

 

 

 

 

By using solar energy, the mini-grid not only powers the community but also significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to environmental sustainability.

 

 

 

All On’s Niger Delta Electrification Programme is designed to address the ongoing electricity challenges in the region by funding innovative renewable energy solutions. This initiative seeks to close the energy gap by supporting indigenous developers like Ceesolar Energy in deploying mini-grids across underserved communities.

 

 

 

The Oweikorogha mini-grid is the first project under this programme and serves as a pilot to showcase how clean energy can drive productivity and improve the quality of life for rural communities.

 

 

 

By delivering affordable, reliable electricity, this project opens up opportunities for economic development and provides critical support to local businesses, public institutions, and residents.

 

 

 

 

Speaking on the completion of the project, Osagie Okunbor, Chairman of the Board at All On,said:“This mini-grid is more than just a power solution; it represents a new chapter for the Oweikorogha community and a step toward a more electrified and prosperous Niger Delta. We are proud to partner with Ceesolar Energy, whose commitment to bridging the energy gap aligns with our vision of sustainable energy for all.”

 

 

 

 

As an indigenous renewable energy company, Ceesolar Energy is dedicated to providing sustainable energy solutions that drive productivity in rural and urban communities alike.

 

 

 

Their work in Oweikorogha is a testament to their expertise and dedication to improving energy access in some of the most underserved areas of Nigeria.

 

 

 

Ceesolar Energy CEO, Chibueze Ekeh, said:“We are excited to have completed the Oweikorogha mini-grid project and are confident that the community will see immediate and long-lasting benefits from reliable, clean energy. This is just the beginning of what we can achieve together to close the energy access gap in Nigeria.”

 

 

 

 

The Oweikorogha mini-grid project is the first of many that will be implemented under the Niger Delta Electrification Programme.

 

 

 

All On remains committed to supporting the development of sustainable energy infrastructure across the region, with the aim of powering economic growth, improving livelihoods, and reducing the environmental impact of energy consumption.

 

 

 

 

 

Licensing Round:NUPRC Unveils Opportunities For Investors

   Mohammed Shosanya
The Nigerian Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Commission,NUPRC, says it has created a favorable environment for investors wishing to take part in the country’s oil and gas sector through the 2024 licensing round.
The Commission’s Chief Executive (CCE), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe disclosed this to stakeholders at the Africa Oil Week Conference,which ended in Cape Town,South Africa during the week.
Mrs. Olaide Shonola, the Head, Public Affairs and Corporate Communication,NUPRC,quoted her boss in a statement,as saying that the 2024 licensing round offers investors a significant opportunity to contribute to and benefit from Nigeria’s long-term energy growth.
Nigeria,Komolafe said,boasts of vast untapped potential, including 209.26 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of Natural Gas reserves, 37.5 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, and an oil production capacity of 2.4 million barrels per day (bopd).
He said that the licensing round features more than 31 oil blocks and is supported by a strong regulatory framework under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). 
In keeping with the provisions of the PIA, Komolafe said the  Commission introduced comprehensive reforms and developed a regulatory framework aimed at modernising the licensing processes, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and ensuring environmental sustainability.
“We have issued a licensing round guideline and published a licensing round plan for the blocks on offer.
“The licensing round features several blocks selected across varied geological terrains — from the promising onshore basins to the lucrative continental shelves and the unexploited depths of our deep offshore basins”, he added.
He stated that in order to facilitate a smooth licensing process,NUPRC has outlined a clear roadmap for interested investors which includes prequalification process where companies had to demonstrate technical and financial capabilities, Technical and Commercial Bid Submission, Evaluation of Bids and Bid Conference, Award of Licenses or Leases and periodic assessments of Awardees – post-award. 
According to him,it was pertinent to note that registration and submission of pre-qualification documents have been concluded, a pre-bid conference has been held, and evaluation of submissions and notification of the pre-qualified have also been carried out. 
All these,he explained,were done in accordance with the stipulated schedule further buttressing the commission’s transparency mantra,adding that the next stage is the submission of technical and commercial bids.
He observed that despite its wealth,the country currently has only active rigs, a figure the Commission aims to increase as it offers access to new blocks and modernises the regulatory framework,
He pointed to key geographical advantages that facilitate oil and gas production and export, like the country’s population which stands at approximately 207 million, with 853 km of coastline.
 With 49 producing companies,251 fields in production, 2,717 Oil-producing strings and 125 gas wells already operational, the sector is primed for expansion, Engr. Komolafe added.
He highlighted that Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector remains active and full of opportunities, as six additional refineries with a combined capacity of more than 650,000 barrels per day are expected to support increased domestic refining activities, reducing reliance on imported petroleum products.
He spoke on the Presidential Executive Orders and industry reforms,noting that significant reforms have been introduced to enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global oil and gas industry.
These include Executive Order No. 40, which provides a range of tax incentives, exemptions and remissions to encourage investments, particularly in deep-water oil and gas projects; Executive Order No. 41, which focuses on strengthening local content compliance while ensuring that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010 is balanced to attract foreign direct investment without hindering development; and Executive Order No. 42, which aims to reduce contracting costs and streamline timelines, making it easier for investors to enter and operate in the Nigerian market.
The NUPRC boss described the PIA as the cornerstone of the 2024 Licensing Round as it introduces a host of attractive fiscal regimes designed to spur investment. 
These include tax credits for greenfield natural gas (NAG) developments, capital allowances for midstream and gas utilization projects, and incentives for deep-water oil and gas projects to unlock vast potential in Nigeria’s offshore fields.
The PIA also emphasised the harmonious relationship between oil companies and host communities, ensuring sustainable prosperity through Host Community Development Trusts.
On the 2024 Licensing Round,Engr. Komolafe revealed that 31 blocks will be available, including seven deep offshore assets from the ongoing mini-bid round and 24 acreages for bidding this year. 
These blocks are spread across key terrains such as the continental shelf and the Niger Delta, with notable offerings such as PPL 300-CS and PPL 301-CS in the Benin Basin, as well as various Niger Delta deep-water assets like PPL 3017, which already have existing discoveries.
He stated further that the Nigerian Licensing Round comes with entry fees and bonuses that are competitive on the global stage. 
He said signature bonuses for blocks in the Middle East and North Africa can reach US$10 million, while Southeast Asia’s signature bonuses typically range from US$1 to US$3 million. Nigeria’s incentives and reduced front-loaded fees are expected to attract a broad range of investors.
Nigeria’s oil and gas future is also tied to the development of key matured fields, which offer substantial opportunities for growth. These include OML 145 – Nsiko Field, OML 118 – Bonga Southwest/Aparo Field, and OML 130 – Egina South Field,he said.
These fields,alongside others in development, form a critical part of Nigeria’s long-term strategy to increase production capacity and maximise its reserves.
He implored investors to take advantage of the 2024 Licensing Round and invest in a nation with a population of over 217 million people and proven reserves. 
He added:”Nigeria is home to some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves.It offers benefits such as regulatory certainty, attractive fiscal regimes, ease of doing business and reduced entry barriers.

 

Lagos FPSO Facility To Increase Nigeria’s Crude Oil Output By 40,000bpd-Lokpobiri

         Mohammed Shosanya
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil),Senator Heineken Lokpobiri,says the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility in Lagos, a joint venture between NNPC Limited and Century Nigeria Limited,will
boost Nigeria’s crude oil production by an additional 40,000 barrels per day (bpd).
He lauded the progress of work on the project,which is being executed in partnership with WAEP and ENSERV.
In a statement, Nneamaka Okafor, Special Assistant, Media and Communication to the  Minister, noted that during an inspection visit to the site, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the strides made on the project.
The FPSO project is one of the measures arising from the Minister’s engagement with NNPC Limited, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for increased production, and it is strategically designed to enhance local capacity and drive further investments into the nation’s oil sector,the statement said.
The Minister commended the collaboration between NNPC, Century Group, and other partners, identifying the project as a critical element in Nigeria’s efforts to significantly increase crude production and meet global demand.
“The work being done here is a reflection of the kind of investments we want in the oil sector. With projects like this, we are not only building local capacity but also expanding our crude production beyond current quotas. This facility alone will contribute an additional 40,000 bpd, which is a step in the right direction for our economy,” the Minister stated.
He further emphasized the importance of increasing Nigeria’s oil output, highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting partnerships that aim to revitalize the sector.
“Our goal is to see Nigeria produce well above its current quota, and this project exemplifies the kind of investments that will help us achieve that,” Senator Lokpobiri added.
Speaking on behalf of Century Group, Mr. Ken Edward Etete, the Group Chairman,gave insights into the progress and upcoming milestones for the project. “We have several upgrades ongoing at the FPSO facility, and we are setting targets for various stages of the work. We are on track to complete everything within the first quarter of next year,” Mr. Etete said.
He said that these upgrades would not only enhance operational efficiency but also position the facility as a key contributor to Nigeria’s energy sector.
He commended the management team for their dedication to ensuring the project’s timely delivery and urged them to maintain their commitment. He further reaffirmed the government’s readiness to support similar initiatives aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s oil production capacity.