Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) Worldwide has said it has concluded arrangements to create no fewer than 500,000 jobs in the agricultural sector revamping the old Farm Settlements built in the South East by the Former Premier of Old Eastern Region, late Dr Michael Okpara.

OYC also said it has initiated talks with unnamed Israeli Agricultural giant Company through an Abia Born Agric Expert and Consultant to establish a new mechanized Modern new Farm Settlement in line with National Livestock Transformation programme that will aid the creation of the 500,000 jobs for the igbo Youths across 95 LGAs in the Southeast.

OYC in a statement signed by the President General Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and the Secretary General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike applauded the Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu for the creation of 40,000 jobs for the youths in agriculture and his Ebonyi state counterpart, Dave Umahi for his agricultural model.

It also claimed to have secured the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari in the recent past, stating that it will engage South East Governors on the establishment of Regional Mechanized Farm Settlements, which will be a private-public business Venture, with expectations of a Green House and a dairy farm capable of producing 1.5m litres of Israeli cow milk annually.

It said the Abakiliki Rice under Umahi remains a household name in the Country, saying with the recent closure of Land Borders in Nigeria, millions Eboyians had been empowered through the Agricultural empowerment programmes of Ebonyi State Government and in Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had created 40,000 Jobs through Agricultural Youth empowerment programmes.

Read full release below

(1) Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide had initiated moves to Revamp the old Farm Settlements built in the South East by the Former Premier of Old Eastern Region, late Dr Michael Okpara and also initiated talks with Israeli Agricultural giant Company through an Abia Born Agric Expert and Consultant to establish a new mechanized Modern new Farm Settlement in line with National Livestock Transformation programme,that will create about 500,000 jobs for the igbo Youths across 95 Lgas of Southeast. OYC through her Partner had secured approval from President Muhammadu Buhari in the recent past but will engage South East Governors on the establishment of Regional Mechanized Farm Settlements,which will be a private-public business Venture, with expectations of a Green House and a dairy farm capable of producing 1.5m litres of Israeli cow milk annually. 

(2) OYC laud Governors Dave Umahi and Okezie Ikpeazu Agricultural Models in Ebonyi and Abia States, where Abakiliki Rice remains a household name in the Country with the recent closure of Land Borders in Nigeria, millions Eboyians had been empowered through the Agricultural empowerment programmes of Ebonyi State Government and in Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had created 40,000 Jobs through Agricultural Youth empowerment programmes, the Government trained about 4000 Youths in various Agricultural skills in partnership with National Roots Research Corp Institute Umudike, Ikwuano Abia and Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Government Also approved to pay the Counterpart Funds 50million which was passed into law by Abia State House of Assembly to Bank  of Agriculture for the assessment of soft loans of 250,000Naira capital investment for each Youth that participated in the Agricultural training,with Bank of Agriculture, OYC  had Confirmed that about 4000 Youths will benefit from the Agricultural soft loan from Bank of Agriculture. We expect that 4000 Youths will employ 10 Youths each which will create additional 40000 jobs, as We Urge the Government to do the needful ahead of April 2020 farming season. 

(3)OYC  insists that through Southeast Regional Mechanized Farm Settlements,it will not only make Southeast self sufficient and guarantee food Security, but it will end kidnapping, Yahoo business, quick wealth syndrome and other social vices, the Diary Section of the Proposed farm Settlement, but will end the nefarious activities of fulani herdsmen which uses cattle conveyance by foot to wreak havoc on our farms,encourage homegrown species of igbo cattle for our patronage. 

The ongoing construction work on the Lagos-Ibadan rail project has been put on hold due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the Federal Government declared on Thursday.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed this during a live television programme on African Independent Television monitored in Abuja.

The minister said the employees of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, the contractor handling the project, were still in China on the orders of the government of the Asian nation.

He said, “If not for coronavirus we would have finished the Lagos-Ibadan rail, although the project is nearly completed. The CCECC workers are still in China.”

The Federal Government had announced on several occasions that the rail project would be officially opened for commercial activities in April.

Some soldiers involved in the ongoing onslaught against Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State have sent a Save- Our- Soul (SOS) to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai over alleged embezzlement by one of their top officials.

But the Army Headquarters has assured the allegations would be investigated despite stating the aggrieved soldiers went about their complaints wrongly.

According to the petition, the top official allegedly siphoned their welfare and allowances and refused to pay cigarette allowances since January despite a signal from the Nigerian Army (NA), notifying them of the introduction of N200 monthly cigarette allowance.

The aggrieved soldiers alleged that instead of N24, 000 welfare allowance, including N12, 000 given them by the COAS, the official only paid them N12, 000.

“The only money he paid is the N12000 welfare given to us by COAS. Other battalions under the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole have already paid their soldiers N24, 000 including the N12000 of COAS,” they said.

The soldiers also alleged that the official exposes them to danger by refusing to send vehicles and escorts to Maiduguri to bring back soldiers who went on pass, a tradition, they said previous COs upheld.

Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has said the Igbo nation has suffered marginalization from the Nigerian state and called for measures to be adopted to reverse the trend.

He said this in Abuja during a debate for National Unity entitled: “Federal Character, Restructuring and Rotation of Presidential Power in Nigeria”, organized by Igbo Leadership Development Foundation.

The Wartime Head of state said Nigeria was sufficiently large enough to accommodate everyone irrespective of tribal leaning.

He said a constitutional debate on restructuring must look into issues of imbalances that has hunted the nation to correct it and promote equity.

“I believe that a lot of injustice have been done to the Igbo’s and the constitutional debate on restructuring must address all imbalances”

“Nigeria is big enough for all of us and I believe that the Ndigbo, Middle belt and the Yoruba’s are the true Nigerians because if you look round our borders, people came from abroad and are still coming but Ndigbo’s have always been there, middle belt have always been there, even Yoruba’s have always been there”

“People who came in yesterday who have a duty of respect are now the ones talking”

“Going forward we must create a federal democracy that will respond positively to all the aspirations of our people not about East-West but all about working together in equality, bringing in the youths, the women together to build a new Nigeria.”

The former head of state said he believed that without Nigeria remains incomplete with Ndigbo pointing out that if the nation sufficiently harness the intelligence and hard work of the Igbo man Nigeria would have been better.

The former head of state was represented at the event by former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Dr. Obadiah Mailafia.

Gowon said God did not make a mistake by putting Igbo in Nigeria and democracy which the nation practice demands fairness, justice and transperacy in the leadership and governance of the country.

He maintained that while restructuring was critical to national advancement, it must be carried out in an atmosphere of tolerance and love for one other.

He noted: “I am not a friend of hate speech, bitterness but a friend of patrotism because Nigeria is dear to my heart and I believes in bright future of Nigeria and Igbo and that together, we can make our country great.”

Founder of Gregory University, Uturu, Prof. Gregory Ibe, who also addressed participant to the debate said in his keynote address that Nigeria’s unitary system and federal structure were only in name.

Gregory regretted that the present system was a clear departure from the federal system bequeathed to the country by its founding fathers and Britain.

According to I’ve: “Most of the powers that will engender real growth and development are tied in the exclusive list.

Solid minerals, electricity, railway, ports, security, etc. are all tied to the federal exclusive list to be executed only by the federal government.

He pointed out that the Federal government has not been able to live up to the expectations of Nigerians in harnessing her God-given resource both natural and human to make the black race proud.

He maintained that restructuring was all about restoring to the States what the military took away from regions.