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FG commences sensitization on implementation of Bio-ethanol project in Northwest

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The Federal Government on Tuesday in Kano commenced sensitisation of cassava stakeholders in Northwest on strategic implementation of the bio-ethanol project.

In his address, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr Nebolisa Anako, said that the aspiration of the federal government was to bring about higher GDP growth and to significantly reduce unemployment by creating meaningful opportunities for the youth.

Represented by the Director, Finance and Accounts, Alhaji Muhammed Kabir, he said that the Bio-economy Policy aimed at promoting sustainable economic growth and development by creating a Bio-based economy that would contribute to job creation, poverty reduction, and increased access to food and energy.

According to him, this will be achieved through the development of cassava Bio-economy, as well as other Bio-resources.

The Permanent Secretary lauded the efforts of Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies for their collaboration and enduring partnership in developing the Bio-economy Policy, adding that, it was a Ministerial deliverable, that was captured in the National Development Plan of 2021 – 2025.

He said that the framework would employ a Triple-Helix Knowledge Transfer Partnership in its implementation.

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“This includes the Academia, Research and Development Institutes, farmers, the Private Sector and Government MDAs, as well as Civil Society, Development Partners and Development Finance Institutions.

“It is pertinent to look at the Bio-economy response and how it can contribute to the deceleration of the rising food insecurity.

”The country, at this time, needs an approach that will increase food production, youth employment, and increased growth through the provision of industrial feedstock and exportable products to boost our economy.

“To achieve this, one strategic pathway is to develop the Cassava Bio-ethanol Value Chain. This becomes even more imperative, given the recent removal of subsidy on Petroleum products, re-evaluation of the Naira through the merging of official and non-official exchange windows,” he said.

According to him, the objective of the Cassava Bio-ethanol Value Chain is to demonstrate the efficacy of private sector-led approach in promoting investment in renewable Biomass, create wealth, provide jobs, reduce poverty and improve food security.

The State Commissioner for finance, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibrin, who represented Gov. Abba Kabir-Yusuf, restated the state government’s commitment to develop the project.

He said that a program of this nature, would benefit a large population of the state.

The consultant of the project, Prof. Ken Ife, said that the workshop would highlight the inaugural focus on the Cassava bio-ethanol value chain, which would stimulate industrial growth, and enhance food production and availability, across the nation.

He underscored the need to engage universities with a view to producing young bio-entrepreneurs and extension service agents, for the country to boost agricultural productivity.

Ife said that there was an urgent need to create new initiatives, aimed at addressing youth unemployment in the country.

Mr Felix Okonkwo, Director of Macro Economic Analysis of the Ministry, said that the objective behind the initiative was to reinforce government’s commitment to achieving key national goals.

He said that the objectives included, enhancing food nutrition, promoting agriculture, ensuring food security, and working towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Some of the participants who spoke to our correspondent commended the federal government for the project and promised to share the knowledge with orders.

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Breaking:Former VP Atiku Abubakar Resigns From PDP

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Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially resigned from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s resignation was contained in a letter addressed to the chairman of his ward in the following tone .

 

Ref.
July 14, 2025
The Chairman
Atilku Abubakar,
PDP, Jada 1 Ward
Jada LGA
Adamawa State
Dear Chairman,
Federal Republic 0f Nigeria
Vice President (1999-2007)
Sincerely,
LETTER OF RESIGNATION OF MEMBERSHIP
I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) with immediate effect.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the
opportunities I have been given by the Party. Serving two full terms as Vice President
of Nigeria and being a Presidential candidate twice has been one of the most
significant chapters of my life. As a founding father of this esteemed Party, it is
indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.
However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Party has
taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. it is
with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have
emerged.
Waziri Adamawa
GCON
I wish the Party and its leadership all the best in the future. Thank you once again for
the opportunities and support.
Atiku Abubakar, GCON
Vice President of Nigeria (1999- 2007)
Received
Hancodma AbuLakoy
Office: Plot 120, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse ll, Abuja, Nigeria

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The copy of the letter is as follows

Atiku's letter of resignation

Atiku’s letter of resignation

 

 

 

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Former President Muhammadu Buhari Buried in His Hometown of Daura with Full Military Honours

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By Abbas Yushau Yusuf

Former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was laid to rest in his hometown of Daura amidst tears and tributes.

The burial was attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

He was lowered into his grave at exactly 5:50 p.m.

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The late President Muhammadu Buhari died on July 13 at a London clinic after a brief illness.

The Governor of Katsina State, Dr. Umar Dikko Radda, was visibly emotional, with tears seen flowing down his cheeks.

Former President Buhari was given a state burial by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Before the final interment, gun salutes were fired by members of the Armed Forces to honor their three-time Commander-in-Chief.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff and highest-ranking military officer, General Christopher Musa, read the citation of the former president.

The late Buhari served as Nigeria’s Military Head of State from January 1, 1984, to August 26, 1985, before being overthrown in a military palace coup by his then Chief of Army Staff, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

Upon the return to democratic rule, he contested for the presidency three times in 2003, 2007, and 2011 before winning on his fourth attempt in 2015. He was re-elected in 2019.

President Muhammadu Buhari handed over power to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023, after completing two terms in office.

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Dr. Gwaram Distorts Facts, We Sponsored Ourselves — Cry PhD Holders at FCAPT, Kano

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In a dramatic twist to the narrative being peddled by the embattled Provost of the Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology (FCAPT), Kano, Dr. Muhammad Yusha’u Gwaram, several academic staff have come forward to debunk his recent claims of having increased the number of PhD holders in the institution from 3 to 13 within five years.

The claim, published in several media outlets, has been described by multiple sources within the institution as “a desperate attempt to score cheap popularity” and “a clear distortion of facts aimed at bolstering his failed bid for tenure extension.”

In a series of interviews conducted with several PhD holders at FCAPT, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, a clearer picture has emerged. Contrary to Dr. Gwaram’s assertion, the College currently has only nine PhD holders, not thirteen as he claimed. Of these, three, including Dr. Gwaram himself, already held doctoral degrees prior to his assumption of office in 2020.

Of the remaining six, four were already enrolled in PhD programs before he took office, with no institutional support whatsoever from the College. “To be very clear, no single lecturer has received financial support, not even for tuition, from the College under Dr. Gwaram’s leadership,” said one of the sources. There was an active and highly intelligent lecturer who got a PhD admission in India, despite using his meagre salary to finance his travels and other academic costs, this lecturer had to abandon his study due to lack of support from the College. “If Gwaram ever supported only one PhD student, we challenge him to publish the evidence. We are enlightened and educated. Nobody can take us for a ride”, said one of the angry PhD. holders.

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More concerning is the active obstruction Dr. Gwaram has allegedly meted out to staff pursuing postgraduate studies. For example, three of the College’s promising lecturers, all of whom secured competitive, fully funded PhD scholarships abroad, had their study leave applications denied, and their salaries suspended for about three consecutive years. These scholars, now based in the USA, Japan, and Thailand, represent the kind of global exposure and academic excellence any serious institution should be proud of. Yet, in what many described as a retaliatory stance, Dr. Gwaram refused to reinstate their salaries despite a directive from the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), which unequivocally instructed him to settle the outstanding payments.

As for the so-called Research and Development (R&D) support, the truth is equally disappointing. The College, under Dr. Gwaram, provides a measly ₦150,000 (approx. $100) per staff member and only to a small circle of favorites, once annually. These monies come from the budgets of the Federal Government not the internally generated revenue as he falsely claimed. No PhD candidate has ever received this ₦150,000 naira support more than once. “How can ₦150,000 cover tuition, research logistics, transportation, and publication costs in today’s economy, let alone abroad?” one of the lecturers queried. “The claim that this is a meaningful support is not only misleading but also insulting to the intelligence of Nigerians.”

Insiders suggest that Dr. Gwaram’s recent media campaign is part of a calculated strategy to position himself for an illegal extension of his tenure, which is due to end on August 20, 2025. “If Dr. Gwaram truly believes in the capacity of the PhD holders he is celebrating in the press, why not step aside and support one of them to succeed him as Provost? That would be a genuine legacy,” another source pointed out.

Instead, the atmosphere at FCAPT has become one of distrust, intimidation, and political maneuvering, with staff demoralized and students left as collateral damage in the Provost’s quest for personal aggrandizement.

We therefore call on well-meaning Nigerians, particularly stakeholders in the agricultural education and research sector, to disregard the embellished narratives being circulated by Dr. Gwaram. FCAPT is in dire need of visionary, fair-minded, and transparent leadership, not one rooted in propaganda and the suppression of merit. Prayed one of the academic staff union leaders.

He added, “the true heroes of the College’s academic advancement are the resilient lecturers who struggled and triumphed against all odds on their own dime and determination.

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