24
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012 • T HIS DAY
5JSl r~ E S5 WORLD
NEWS
Nigeria Fanners to Earn $2bll from Rice Production (hinazw M!!gbo'u The FedenlGmemmml has projKted that fal'lJ\efS in the country wo uld earn abou t 52
billion by ybr 2()15 with stl'pS being tlkdl to !tnprove ri~ production: in the CUW1try. The Mini;ter cf Agriculture and Rw;J.1 pe,ve?opment. Mr.
Akinwumi ~na. 'Plained thai StE~ taken by ~e government to Improve nee prod~EhouId lead 10 the segment beC:cnnJ self 9JfIidfnI by 2015. Spea1dng recently in Ahuja. the minisb!f said this was possible as Nigma was rolling oul an)ambitiml$ reform prograrnrnr acroiS ils agrirul-
twaI~aimed
the coun
ill cutting
s dependency On """'" p. "'"
Iood '
generating economk: growth.
FOCUS ON THE ECONOMY
He tol:1lhe global publish· ing. ~ a.-x1 co:'lSultanc::y finn, Oxford BusirwSl! Group (CleG) Itut U~ m ::OSUIe>, whidl involve ~ pm~le secto£ pattidpi!-tioo and improving aJrllpetith~ wOl.lkl fonn a key part of Nigma's 11Wls to diversify the econom y away from oil ~Over tt£ next fl Ye years, we plan to add 20m \tiMeS of addltiooallixxl to thl! cianestic food ~ 10 O':llle 15 miIIiaI jOOs in the ~ aro 11:. repIar.r up to 40 per cent of wheat Hour import5 with high-quality
l-R: The 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureate US, Joseph Stiglitz and Argentine President Cristina Femandez de Kirchner during an
CJlSSilva Ilour," he sail.
To SIJCO!ed in the fJSht against: corruption in Nigeria. effU:t:i...e compliance with the Public Procurement Law (pPA 2OO'l) at the fuderaI and state 1e\1!ls has ~ descriled as~ nus was the outcome of a
Adesi.."la. highlighted the results tto.a l 5Onll! ol th!· key rel introduced wm> forms aheoi.iy bringing. such u tht! rnove to privatise
th~
pttt\mlTenl and
distribuoo\ of [e:rt>Jiier and
seed.. Ac:.D ding to r.un, HAs a result. ourprn-ate Sl('ct:x" firms are grow~; and ioruip1 direct investm'!J\l is.inae.llItng", ' He poin ted oul liul he is optimis6c thai Kigeia's banks were ""'ell-placed b) Jupport the elCpilll5i~ of the ruuntry's agricultural sector,
~my
AFP
seminar at Bicentenarlo museum In Boenos Aires, Argentlna
'Compliance with Procurement Law, Vital to Corruption Fight' Abimbola Akosne
ore-day 2n5itisation ""~
on the role of the Bureau ror I\hlid'nxureneu (BPI') in the campaign again.st WfTUption in the South<50uth zone of the country, which took place in Benin City, Edo State. In, ","""","",0 ...."" by Ih:! i..aJd Za.aI. G:udinara and Executive Direda ol the NJ8er 0;.. " " , _ _ c...p
iNIJEllUM<X). M< ~ Anthony, citizens were urged
to ramiliari5e themselves with Assistant to the Edo State also in alMldana!. Participants the conl3tts;md guidelines in Go\l\'mOr on NGOs, lo.1rs. .!II thepn:wamrre""1!reovt'l"an the PPA 1fXJl, in a bid to hold ' l<mIne Whyte. SpedaI M;istant The sensitisation was to their elected ~tatives to the Speaker of Delta Slate enlighten COJItractcx5, public a«ountable in governance, House cI Assembly. MsAngela servants, consultants, politiThe public sensitisation Onwaez.e, Assistant Inspector dan<.;. civil scriety crganisations, focusecI on the pp Act, which Gmera.I of PoIic:r (Ale) Zone 5 pn:lessicnll 00diIs and asscx:ir was signed mto law by then- Bmin ~ wl'O WolS repre;ml8:I Dons. together with the general President. Chief Olusegun by ACP AdeIeye Oyebade, South-South stakeholders 011 Obasanio, in 1J.YJ7, representative of the Niger the provisions of the Pubtil; The BIT. through its ap- Qelta Development Commis--Procurement Act, 7IX1J, , pointed £adlitItor~ tne '~siofy.(NDOC);- ~tc Ehimobo _. -n- wu 'an opportunity 10 fwrth phage p.blic sensitisa\im ' r o~o, the Commissioner interact v.tith the genera1 public on the Public Pnxurewa\t Act. , fo~ -Ec;unomK: Planning. Delta fnlIT!.the:an' en hoY.r tl'q' can The event was attended by the 4'!i!iLre, who was represented Px.c:: -:. takeiJ:wdmum advantage of 0iJed0r.GeneraI, Buteau or Mr.: Eineka Okonkwo, . the law It) rompete effectively I\ibIic Proauernent (BPI') who Six Seconchuy Schools, in naticnal pnxurements.. while was ~ by Mr. Ant\my Cootractors. Consultants, \-arious papm ~ presented Ikp« ~ Train- \oVomen Groups. Per.;ons The forum resoIYI!d. ~ ing ;md Strategic Planning of with Disabilities. NGOs. Youth others, that the sensitisation Groups and NYSC members, workshop is timely at this the Bureau), Others were the Special ttl? Medla. am:rsst ~ were point in the country's poUtical
evolution.
"Nigerians should acquaint themsel\'eS with the public procurement laws of the federa1 and respecth'e state govenunents,. to enable them engage government and ~ stakeholdeJS effectively, -n...re is need for citizens ol Edo stale in particu1ar and the SoutMoulh in general 10 play active role in ensuring effe::tive government compliance with the public procuremenl laws. "The rredia shruld Ii\~ up to its traditicnal role of wafdl.dog in iii demoa;q, while sensitisation workshops of this nature should be sustained and held rrore ~ especially iii! the grassroots-, the communique. ~d.
"Policy hnplementation, Key to Cashless Economy' ments; chequ! Irw'Dtion; ATM
Emma Okonjl
IT.!.ud prevention; migration 10 eIedrmic magnetic valve cards, and cstabISurBU r:J. pollr:y ard OYersighl office, but Insisted that these policy 'delines must be strictly to. if Nigeria must achieve the CBN initiati\'e on casn1e55 economy, Sanusi said ti)e Nigerian e(Xlnomy was too heolvUy cash-oriented in transactions of goods and services; which
aE:red
-.....
..... ~
hamper Nige,ia's ambition 10
Poinl
......... regula:;
Sille ~
&amework for mobile pay-
o( CBN's effort at prio.- and initiatives like the Nationa.l economic stabilisation. IO card project created some In a paper titled: 'Getting 'form of-mistrust among the Government Ooser 10 the people, (or lack or proper People Through Cashless implenentllion r:J. the pro;ect.Initiati1le', Director Pa\-ment lfudj berared the insufficienl Solutions and V.ilue Added ardlaw~ofE..f'ayment SeIVice (VAS) for IntersWib::h. Clwmels.t various service ' Mr, O\arles lfedi. said the points sudl as the hospitals. cunenl attempt by CBN to nUor parks. and other a!I'Ilres. entrench cash'J'ess transaction marother presentation titled: structure in the country was. '1GN ~)'tI'ft'otAdq:Jticn:The laudable Initiative that could Story so [ar", the Group Head. easily place Nigeria among Remita Services, SystemSpea. the 20 world economieo; on Umited. Mr. IJenda I~ or before the year 2mU, Wei the federal government He however warned thai the through the Office of the initiative might su£fer..setback Aa:ountant General 'of the if past..mistakes r:J. govemmmt Federation (OAtF) had 'were not adequatdy ackhesse::I , committed 10 implementing and correCted, AcCo rding to a TreasUry Single Account all him. Hseveral failed attempts ,pan of the economic re(onn at enttmd>i.... ~~I . programme, PDS M.tirte