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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2012 · THI SD AY
BUSINESSWORLD
NEWS
'Involve Citizens inBudget Process' Amby Uneze InOv.rerrl
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Excluded and Disempowered (SOREX-Nigena) has c:haq;ed governments at all levels to involve her citizens during
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~ ~ of budget proposals as such parbopattlfy actiVIty would leave no one in doubt overlis unplementation. RSng fn:m a thrre-day WIXk,shop 01\ Gf1l5SfOOts Capacity BuiIdJng /Xl ~ Pnx:e.<Il tdd at An.mI near Owerri. hno 5tRe fer partq'JiriS m.n lmo Nmh ~ Zme. it was reoived that government at all Ieo.-els should alWllYS oommunicate to the citizens regarding the amount 01 resowtES available for the mtplementabon cl ~~ Dl the budget as well as lca.tion and time frurne £or protect completion. In II two-page ccmmunique reaci'ej at the mel ci the worl..shop, pattJc:pan1S agreed thai ~ should endeevour 10 make the contents 01 the budgets public and as soon as they are passed by tPe various 1egislature and accentl.'d to by the ~ and make mpies available to the public. They observed that it was tM ri\'k rights of the citizens to participate in the budget process ranging from preparation,. authorisabon. imp1ementabon.. nv.:ritonng and evaluaoon. adding that
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equal cbaR:r d pam:ipaticrl1O all interest groups irrespective ol age. 5e). and pI.iKP d cngan.
Earle. the Exerutive Direc10£ of SOREX-Nigma. Mr. OUbundu Mmuazobot" sau:I the ag;nusam was CD'1"IlUiEd 10 increasmg the capacity of stakeholders to participate in the ~ ptOCl'$ in thesr country and states. Accordmg to hun. citizens' voices. and choices have not been given adequate atlention due to lack of an appropriate fonun for engagement; lad; d knowledge.
THE ~~~/tfESS
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HONOURED
l--R: Managing Director. ABN Group, Robert.J Naidoo; Chief Exeartive Officer, Main One Cable Company. Funke Opeke; and Founder and Vice Chairman. ABN Group, Rakesh Wahl at the 2012 (NBC All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) held at the Vodadome in Midrand, South Africa ... recently
Food Security: Coalition Advocates Greater Pubfic-private Collaboration Abimbol. Akosile
1h!- public and private st."Ctor.> have been urged to rolIaborall.' II1Clre to promoIe tr.mspm.'nCy and accow"Itability in the distribubOn of fertiliser and other agricultural products In the country. to eJ1SUn' food security. Governments at aU levels have also been en,oined 10 ensure that adequate mira· structure is in pla!;r 10 IID'Ca'le the marketing. processing and value addition of farm producr and curtill rural / urban rrugJ3tion Ul It'r oountry. These calls funned part of a commuruque ISSUed at a oneday capacity buildmg sesslon for chi! society organisations
Chika Amanu-Nwachuku
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The
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has been called upon to help dlSCOlltUlue the poadung of highly ski1Ied N~ work·
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TIlE'mmmurique was jointly
SIgned by Executive Oin-ctor
ofC5LAC, Auwal nnruNm
Musa
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~ble Gtuenship and Human Devclopmenl lnitiabve (RECHDf). Combe, Dudu Manuga; State Coordinator.
1Nomen Rights AdVIlJlC.'ell'lenI f'rotedim A11e:n;stiw" Game. Aluta Dogo, and Prot,'TolJlUl'le Cro-dinata; G..-nder AWiIIUESS and ~.Association,. Gombe, Abubak.tr Hassan. Alter exhaustive delibentDens on the isJes. It.- forum observed that rec\.lJTmt polity somersault and political interference in the areas of
agricultural mputs are major hindrances to aduevmg food security in the nation. and especially in Combe Stale. To them, then.- is a lack of political will by the relevant government Ministries. Departments and Agenoes and limited engagement by CDs and COCls in thoroughly inlt'r'rogat:lng the i:9sul:s to bring
about the desired change. The G:mi:Jto stale goverrmI51t was urged 10 msure arrtinuity in poIk:i:s and mr It'r dJStribu. tim ci agricultural inputs from inll:rl~ by JXIliticians and used for political patronage the state. while CSOs /CBOs in Combe State were enJOined to reach out to the LcgisI.atms and all relevant govemmenl MDAs towards ensuring a holistic approoch to food Sl.'CUflty roncems in It.- Stale. "CSOs and CBOs In Gtxnbe &"te should engage Policy fnunework thai is backed by law must as a , rentable way to pursue programmes that deal with food secunty"', the forum recommended The National Seed Council
and the Agricultural Transfor· mation Committee Wen' also urged to smsitiSf' tre people ct !heir ~ticn> as a chanrd u auttiling dmlets ct rXiulterat£d seeds l seedlings. "'Stakeholders should facilitate adequate fac:ilit}· (funcbng) 5Upport 10 sma1l !Gte farmers without collateral to stn!rrgit'ftl and scaJe up furttHinterest in agriculture and bocr;t agriculhHal prudUCbOn "Tlw. couJd be through the ban1. ('W" cooperative group5lOe govemmenl should invest more in the employment of women and youth m the Agricultural sector as ttus IS COl'ISJdered germane to d("V(!iopmentW the forum add~
EATECH Wants Foreign Poaching of Nigerian Workers Ended
G.aup a...w-£ditcw Kunle AdennoIr.un
JDhnIwori
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lions 00 policy iInd legislative advocacy fa- food security held in Gombe. TIle session was organised by ~ Ovil Society Legislamoe Advocacy Centre (ClSLAq. with support hom Oxfam GB. lOe training drew 28 participants {rom the State House of Assembly. NGOs. 0Kls, FOO. IT1f'Iiia and Glmn
Federal
Government
from IOcllgt.-'flOU5 firms by foreign oil and gas a:mparues.. 1\1anagmg Director of Engineering Autom.ilhon T"""""sl """tal (EA1EOi). Mr. Emmanuel Okan., .who made the call at the fifth year annwersary of the company in Lagos.. R:IU'd thai the trend was mimical 10 ~t ef'IOm lo bcosI the apadty d indigft10us a.apanies in Iirr ..-iIh ttr b:aI. ~ Ja" Slid Ibr speedy ildct. cntica , d dr fOOer.II p-unmmt ,,-as re::essat}' bect~ when poaching is added to the problem of O'l'dJt aunct. fuced 1')- Io::aI firD\s. the ers
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by I'omgn firm. EATECH had 10 inaugurall:' an award (that SOt'S with N1CX1,OCX) gift) for ttY best graduatmg student of EIectricaJ and Electronic
rclationship
in
providing
guaranll'ei fer.ilCn'$ to prqect SpecifK fUlarlCeS especially to
State Polytechnic. located m Ikot ~ HI:' however applauded the local IDltent policy of the &.deral goyerrmenl. SlaIil'1; that ,I had enabled his romp;my 10 established fivl:' years ago. 10 undertake pl'OJl'CIs U"i an industry hitherto n!5Cfved for foreign mullinational. 0kmJ s&ided the ~ far-
indigenous =panICS whose are listed 01 !\.'JPEX. llusopbm. he roted. would pro.ide aJtematiw or add!to-!al 00I1"Ifi:at 10 banks wl-ot! gen.ure rogenous romparues cannot provide additional col\.ltcral in add.bon 10 doniciliabon. EATEOi began !operation in NoYoember"1ff1i WIth Sl'\en staff ;md Satpem Contrachng Nigeria Limu\.>d .b P'OI'lei!f ~ The a::mp.:a1}·"whdt ~ ~ t:iOj 9OO1:2!XB
irdusttf ~ k~
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o..--partmtm of thcAl..-v.-a Ilnn
st.'f\'ices
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b! ~aiiJ companie.
menl Scrric:e.~, tile
anduding l.i.:!eIIlI$taIt5Iarp.c.npany. ~lobi1 ~ -.d T(ltaI ~, IS wdI as Delattre ~ Linuted;
J..oo,I ~ ..ton..t:onng.--:1 Dcvclopmcrrt 8oo:rd and the Ol-partmenl of Petmleum
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Ktll'l§l1)u! -,ditNUJI blparlJ~ . YWeon ~~ ~-,gena.