Tuesday, M,a,.... ... ....,
Page 24, THISDAY, Vol. 17 No. 6182
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BusinessWOR. ~L=D=__________n_ ew _ s_
Irrn:N WorkerSNot Opp.o sed to Negotiation on Reform' OI'tcrs of the Pown Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) under the qis of the Natiuw Union of Electn...ir} ~ (NUEE) hal SUJed IhII they ,,~ not opposed III nepiaboo on ..,. me:aninj;fuJ ~ronn that could improve dcaricity supply ror the bent· fic ohU Niger;-. 1be worMn., howe\tt 6IIid they wmowowd IOwNllfIey dc:scnbed IS art fonn 0( pri. ~ IMl oouId lead 10 massive kJ5s of job$ in the
W
"""'. durin& • m:cnl
"...... Speaking
bridin&
on !he JWe of the power rdonn. me Cbaiman of Ih: 1....Jgos StIle Council of NUFE. Mr. Addckr Ibnhim. said it was 11(1: !rut thII. !be W1ion hat IiCUIlIcd rq:cW00n wich the govcmmenI (XI !be "'~. "Wc wish 10 s&R 1h.:U "e nr.-e and QMOI scunJe ntt;OllIlion on the power !'dorm; III we ISk for is dlllllbuur issues, ....flidJ is indusr"c of pcnJion and gnruiIy cl the wor'don:c shouJd be property hlrxllcd In order for us NIl 10 10 lhe WII)'S 0( NITEL...
NPA. Daily Tunes.
Nigerian Ab'v.1Iys and all thJt hliYe been hurriedly pm"3llJCd. We wish 10 uy dYI we ~ sal· isfled ""ich Ib:I5e "ho~'" us almectinp ....~alI blxu" mues. rdain&: 10 PHCN prj..
I
ENERGY
I
BJ Eftafor IIIih
...,.
VIlisbln an: discus.x:d." be
He abo said IhaI. thc unions in PHCN M:S e10pected Nlpians 10 rise up IIpinst the privIdsalioo d the power sec101' &5 they did apiml the n:moval of fud subsidy. Ibrnhim n<*d thai: time woukI vindicIIe !he position of the workers, IS all Nigerians woukIlalct" taIise dw. the pri,'aliSMiUJ pnlCIeU woukI oot Ixin« 1m)' benefit 10 the secu. He stilled Ihaa • Nigerians, the "men aJUJd not ~ Ihnl dtings were going on well in !he power !IOCIOr but added It. outrigm sale of the facililies aJUId 001 be the ICIIution 10 the problems confrunling the
go Ihe ..-.y of NTTEL and NPA WOlken. We <100" have anything personal tpinst !he ~ or the minislcr. WhIt we m saymS is that Ihey 5houId ICIlJe aU labour issues bc(ft; Ihey c:nDrk on privatisalm. The: Electric: ~'a' Sector Rdorm Act of 200S abo provides thai !be ~ mUSl .tdress aU WlS&aDding WJour issues UJd ... WlIDI .,
we ~ IJO( !be one, who wrote die Act;' be said. AdeIeke said the privatisa1m would no! affect only PHOl workers 001 al l Nigaians,ldding IhIt liE mal· Ia" has become: ., potiticised IhII; N"tgerians are conf\l5lCd 10 underscand liE position of !he
......... wn.e
size of !he c:ountl)"S IMdmas& thai is curn::dty doc--
Irified and ba lICCeSS 10 dectricity is ., small thIt !he ac:ICr Is IlOl maturt: for ~. Sinct Nigerians ~rduscd 10 fip apimt p-Mti.sation as they bJp againsllhc ranc:M.I of IUd subsidy. they JboukI &0
~:e~=
WIOOi." be added. He commendod the rccenI decision of !he Nigerian
Electricily
RegulaJOry
Commi.ssion (NERC)., derq. ubIe !he srxtor so IhIl SlD::5, local govcmments and communilies CI:lUkI gencn&e and disIrilue dccaici!y. AaxJrding 10 him. dcn:gulalion is the kind of rdmn thII: the wortas have always Mivoc.cd for It! one of the soIutioos 10 the P'Qbkms a1Jlictin& the
-.
SAVOURING' THE TASTE ...,
"'*". ''We
IR NlFrians and we arc equilly bordered about what happens 10 other Nigerians. We CIJ100I dose eyes and pmerd !hal we do nor. know Ih:M dUnp 1ft: nol alrigk inlhh~. Sinoelhe government said that " is only by privatisalion thai " wiD fix the 1Iedor,Ie( iI go ahc.d and pri..... Me bJt il should undI!ntand U. maD)' of the WOfbn ~ no longer anpIoyabk MId MJUJd
Urban Development Bank to Unveil New Identity
I DEvELoPMENT
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From Kwrk llkogrur
'Vitamin-A-enhanced Cassava to Save Nigeria $1 ,5bn Annually'
of ,;~. min A enhanced cassava could help Nigeria reduce economic: losses in Gross Domestic PrtxIOCI W I is eslinuued al aboul SI..5billion, the Directo.Genen.I of the International I~ilule or Tropical A&riculture (JlTA ). Dr. Nterallya Sang.inga, has said. "But more than economic savings. il will also improve the nutrition 0( women and children who are the mosI vulnerable," said Sanginga at tbepublic ~or~ vitamin A varieties by the Nigerian government in
Umudike recently.
T HISf)DAY The T3L~~ incssTBAM
Represented by the Coordinator, Cassava Enterprise Development ProjeCt, lITA, Dr. Gbwey TUlIwali, Sanginga com· mended the Nigeriu government ror taking the lead in bfo..fortilieation with !he release of the cas58.va varieties 10
fannen: .
He t:aI1vas.sed joinl efforts from partncn; and the private soctar 10 en5UR: that the provitamin A- rich wrieties gel to the hands of R!SQIlU"C'e-poor
r"""",. c
••
DHDUEZE_ htW.D0lAJ~
lHl<BO<E-.,
~~ B\'N.- ; : : : '
ERCMJ5B..EABIC(l.N /CItpIIII ~ E.JICFa:t ALICE fe.z.1 IN.a EME.XJ tN*ni CIrpbO ~aUt\b'llrlolldiiJ SAMADEGBE jAo:i.d:wf &a:rI
1bday we ha¥e w:rieties that have beta-carocene that could hel p tackie vitamin A JcfJcieoc:y, whal i. needed IllW is to get these varieties 10 ra:nnen with the support of all stakeholden:' be said. Bsewhere, in some devel· oping alunlries. vitamin A defICiency remams a major-
bonknccit: 10 uT1fJI"'V.a! ;;u:.~ lion
with
approlimately
I ~=-.! 2!iO.ooo to 500.000 malnourished children JOing bliod each year, and half of whom Ilk within a re- 0( bc:cominl blind. 11le prevalence of night blindness due 10 vitamin A defICiency is also high among pregnanl women in many deYdopinl c:ounlries. MVitamin A deficienc:y also ronuibuleS to maternal morwily and otha" poor outcomes in prqnaocy and lactation," said Nigeria's Minister of Agricu lture and Rural 1)eveIopment, Dr. Akinwumi Acbina. MAn nual ly, Nigeria 10$e$ SUi biUm in GOP 10 vitamin and nU.net.I dertCien·
oY'eI"
des as many supIe roods are ~
in c:ssentiaI micronutri-
enlS:'he~ .
Ades.ina saki that il was crucial thai Nigeria accelerates efforts and policy measures on improving health and nutrition of vulner.ble groups. especially women, infllllts and children, adding th.al sc:aIing up an rnic:rouurrient inlc:..-ventions wou ld coa less tIw1 $ 188 million per year. which
makes economic 1Cf1Se. To populariJe !be Pro Vitamin A cagava, be said peale:..- efforts would be needed to increase the nutrition capacity within the Ministries or Health and A,gric:uhure and
Kurai iieo.oeiopma.: improvt'"" inrant and)"OWll mild reeding
through effective education and counselling services: inamse ~ 0( vitamin A C&UaVII within the nWon. The: minister alJo pve the ~I'S support to the diDemination of the pro-vitamin A varieties by dim::ting the inclusion of Abia slale; oneo(the 36 staleS in Nigeria. On December 7, 20 II, the Nigeria government lIIloounced the release of the ~viwnin A cassava varieties, developed by lITA in putne:rship with the National Roou Crops Researt:h Instilute, Umudike (NRCRl), the project was funded by Harvestplw;. Tbe vitamin A eassava varieties are named by the National Variety Release Committee of NiJeria as Umueus 36, Um~w 37. and Umucau 38, and an: recognbed as JITA JeOOIYPeS TMSOIlI368. TMS 01114 12. Md TMS 0111371. '1bey have hllh beta c:arQ(ene (pro-vitamin A) and an: suitable ror food uses as prri, furu, and high quality cassava Ilour,M Aid the Acting Elecutive 1Jireeo", NRCRI, Dr. Thomas Exulike. The yellow rooc colour of the vitamin A-rid! varieties are products of over 20 years or bceeding etrons ror improved nutritional quality using lI1Iditiooal breeding methods in'odving hybridlsation and seloctioo of eassava seedling.!! rollO\Oo'ed by clonal propaption or the selected ~~p!~.!l.Drs, Peier KuJakoworOTA
and
Chigozie
Egesie
of
NRCRI Aid !he development of the varieties _ a major
tweakthroop
thai
would
change the nutrilklnal AaIW; of people Jivinl on cassaVllbased rood . Farmc:n who participated in the trials of the varieties ..:ross Nigeria loved the vari· eties for their hiah-yielding ability and resistance. 10 major diseases and pests. MJlenww1 rorthc::se varieties has ah.Jy SlIIJte:d, t:vc it will take some time berore we tulve enough quantities 10 give out;' said !he HarvestPlus Manlger for Nigeria, Paul
Ilona. 11le yellow cassava is aln:ady beinl multiplied throop stem cull In 2013. when sufficiem • stems will be "vaILaole. HarvestPIus and ilS partners will then distribute these 10
about 25.\XX) rarmina househokts initially. Farmers will be able to grow lhese new vitamin A
varielies and feed them to their fami lies They can also multiply and share cuninp with ochers in their eommuni· 1)'. amplifymg the nutritional benefits. After the mid-2014 huve51. more than 150.000 household members are upecced. lo be eati", vi tamin A·rich cassava, 0dJer partners in thiJ \JIUt UlClude the Inlemalional Centre for Tropical Agricultun: (CIAl) and the Bnu.ilian Agrieultun-I Rese~h Corporation (Em.....).