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Rural women’s Day: Its time to urbanise rural communities, says AUDA-NEPAD/APRM Boss

As the world celebrates Rural Women’s Day, development stakeholders should work together and urbanise rural communities, says Princess Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator, Chief Executive Officer, African Union Development Agency- New Partnership for Africa’s Development/ African Peer Review Mechanism ( AUDA-NEPAD/APRM),Nigeria.

This contained in statement signed by Abolade Ogundimu, media Assistant to C.E.O of AUDANEPAD/APRM Nigeria, made available to the media.

October 15 has been set aside by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate and call for better attention on rural women across the globe since 2008.

This edition has the theme ‘Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resilience ‘.

According to the C.E.O, entire human world used to be in rustic state but civilisation and concentration of activities have greatly transformed many places to urban communities.

“Some areas have only got little or no development hence,they remain rural communities.
“Most of the food crops being consumed by the entire nation come from rural areas, we have more women and children living there.

“Therefore, our rural areas should be preserved with their people, not to be considered as places of despondency by their inhabitants and urban dwellers alike,” she said.

Akobundu noted that global statistics showed that one out of every three women in global workforce engages in agriculture, saying advocacy for better living and farming in the rural areas needed to be improved.

“The menial ways of farming and crop processing in many rural areas prevent most women and girls that take part in them from having huge turnover but with greenhouse farming and technology, they will be able to record better harvest.

“It is high time we urbanised our rural communities, focusing on women and other vulnerable groups to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030) and AU Agenda 2063.

“Governments cannot do it alone, there are investment opportunities in provision of basic infrastructures to teeming rural populace in Nigeria and beyond.

“Our rural areas host most of the nation’s mineral resources but lack or difficulties in getting certain infrastructures contribute gravely to high population density in the cities and urban centres,” she noted.

The National Coordinator urged all stakeholders in the chain of human community development including, technology innovators within and outside Nigeria to do more in enhancing better living for rural women and entire rural dwellers.

“Stakeholders should start coming up with solutions to daily arduous tasks of rural dwellers especially, women.

“Their inventions should focus more on how to further simplify processes like: sweeping, fetching water, cooking, accessing internet for easy learning and many more.

“Such solutions will not only help women and girls in rural communities but the nation by harnessing our landmass for greater development and reverse overpopulation in the city centres,” she said.

Akobundu reiterated the need for domestic and foreign investors to complement governments efforts in providing potable water, electricity, security roads and education to rural dwellers for the world to be a better place to live in.

“In the global context, serenity and human density indicates if an area or community is rural or urban but level of infrastructural development determines that in Africa and Asia.

“Rural community exists in every nation but availability of certain indices of development makes the difference.

“In some parts of Nigeria and other African nations, lack of basic needs like electricity, pipe borne water, motorable roads, health and educational facilities among others, prevent many populated areas from being called cities.

“In line with the mandates of AUDA-NEPAD/APRM,Nigeria, we will continue to support and accelerate empowerment of women and youths in the rural and urban parts of the country,” she concluded.

 

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Shareholders of Dangote Flour Mills Plc (DFM), unanimously on Monday approved the acquisition of the company by Crown Flour Mills Limited, the Nigerian subsidiary of global food and agri-business conglomerate, Olam International Limited after a whopping payment of N120 billion to the shareholders.

 

Olam International has made an offer for the acquisition of 100 per cent equity in Dangote Flour Mills Plc for a consideration of N24.00 per share. The acquisition was carried out through a Scheme of Arrangement. 

 

Most of the shareholders who spoke at the meeting lauded the company’s Management for the noble decision, describing it as one, in the best interest of the shareholders.

Nona Awoh, a notable financial analyst and one of the shareholders of the company thanked the Management on the offer of N24 per share and reminded other shareholders that the last time the share price of the company increased significantly to N20 per share was in the year 2010.

 

Another leader of the shareholders group, Mr. Boniface Solomon, described the deal as a very good one for the shareholders. He said the stock has really been struggling in view of the current realities in the nation’s economy, stating that the N24 per share is indeed a good price for his members.

 

Managing Director of Crown Flour Mills Limited, Anurag Shukia said his company intends to maintain and expand DFM’s business as well as provide enhanced manufacturing capacity and create synergies to deliver improved products to customers across the country.

 

With the acquisition, the entire 4,994,886,771 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each in DFM held by the scheme shareholders of the company will be transferred to Crown Flour. The N24 per share that will be given to the shareholders for 50 kobo shares held represents a 124 per cent premium on the share price of DFM as at the close of April 18, 2019 being the last business day prior to the date the proposal was received and announced on the floor of the Exchange; and a 145 per cent premium on the three-month weighted average share price of the company as at 18 April, 2019

 

Benefits to the shareholders include but not limited to: opportunities for shareholders of DFM, other than Crown Flour, to enhance the value of their investment in the company and exit at an attractive pricing; in addition, the Scheme is expected to create valuable synergies between the operations of Crown Flour and DFM, to ensure improved revenue generation capacity, reduced operational costs, and enhance profit.

 

It will also enable Olam focus on the flour business, to provide the necessary financial and technical support required to maintain and expand the business.

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The family of an 18-year-old Nigerian student of the Kennesaw State University, who was shot dead on Sunday, believe it was because of an argument on Friday night, over loud music.

Oluwafemi Oyerinde and two other people were shot at Stadium Village Apartments on Sunday morning. The two others survived.

They were on their way out when the suspect opened fire on them. Cobb County police said that they believe they know who they’re looking for.

Femi was a freshman at the university. He was studying mechanical engineering and had dreams of joining the military.

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Aisha, has given a rare insight into the power struggles at the State House, with details of how husband’s relatives physically confronted her.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Mrs Buhari confirmed the authenticity of a video that circulated online last week, saying she was the woman seen speaking angrily in the footage.

The incident, however, did not happen now, she said.

Mrs Buhari has spoken of a “cabal” that has controlled her husband, a description understood to mean a shadowy but powerful kitchen cabinet led by Mr Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura.

A new video surfaced last week showing a woman speaking angrily at a location believed to be the presidential villa.

Speaking in Hausa in the new interview, Mrs Buhari said she was the person in the video and that she reacted after being denied access to parts of the villa by Mr Daura and his family.

The video was recorded by Mr Daura’s daughter, Fatima.

“I was the one in that video and this person you see standing at my back are my security personnel,” the first lady said.

“It was Fatima, the daughter of Mamman Daura that shot the video in front of my security and everybody there. She was actually recording the whole thing right in front of me and was laughing and mocking me.

“They did that because my husband sacked them from the house. He told them to get all their belongings and leave the house for my son (Yusuf) to occupy.

“I left them and wanted to get to one of the rooms but they prevented me from getting through, I left them and took another way yet I met the store locked,” she said.

Down the memory lane, on some occasions, former governor of Anambra state , Mr Peter Obi launched many fire fighting vehicles in the state.

The present government in the state inherited them but never has been used since the inception of the present government of Willie Obiano.

Findings by News9naija revealed that the Delta State Fire service has on 3 different occasions come to rescue lives from horrible fire incidents in Anambra State.

Could it be that the fire fighting trucks donated by Peter Obi are no longer in use as a result of poor maintenance?

Share your opinions in the comment section below.

 

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The National Identity Management Commission, says the renewal of the National Identity Card will cost five thousand naira (N5,000) payable through remita.

This was disclosed by its tweeter handle (@nimc_ng) monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday, and confirmed by a staff of the Corporate Department of the NIMC.

NIMC also said that applicants who wish to renew their card can visit any NIMC office with the required documents to obtain their card.

” The requirements include a written application with attached proof of payment receipt made through remita, bank teller, NIN slip and submit it at our office.

” Card renewal costs N5,000 payable through remita.” NIMC tweeted.

The tweet also explained that the main focus of the commission was to ensure that all Nigerians are enrolled.

” Our main focus is ensuring that all Nigerians are enrolled and issued their NIN and Your NIN is the most important token of your enrollment.

According to the commission, Nigerians can authenticate their National Identity Number through the NIMC verification portal.

”Your NIN can be authenticated through our verification portal without your card” NIMC tweeted.

” You will be issued your cards when funds permit, Please bear with us and Your NIN is generated immediately for you upon successful completion of your enrolment.”

AUDA-NEPAD Boss dedicates honour to less privileged

Princess Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator/ Chief Executive Officer , African Union Development Agency- New Partnership for Africa’s Development /African Peer Review Mechanism ( AUDA-NEPAD/APRM),Nigeria has dedicated award of Outstanding Public Service being given to her to the less privileged people in the society.

This is contained in a statement signed on Sunday by Abolade Ogundimu, Media Assistant to Akobundu.

Akobundu made the dedication in her reaction to the honour being bestowed on her during the 2019 Imo/Abia Day Celebration of Holy Trinity Catholic Parish, Maitama, Abuja on Sunday.

According to the National Coordinator and illustrious daughter of Ibeme-Ugiri Constituency, Isiala- Mbano LGA, Imo state, welfare of less privileged is very dear to her.

“For me, God first, the people second. My ministry, my life has been humanity. Whatever makes grassroots people happy, makes me happy.

“As a Princess from a well pronounced community,I’m a grassroots woman, I belong to the people, I know what it is to be down there.

So, I live with the grassroots people and I dedicate the award to them.

“I believe someday, someone from there will be the president of this country, ” she said.

Akobundu urged those in better position to always show some kindness to the less privileged so that they too could be able to live a better life.

She commended St. Dominic (Imo-Abia) Catholic Community and the entire parishioners of Holy Trinity, Maitama for considering her worthy of the honour.

In her remark, Dame Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs, also an awardee described Akobundu as a supporter of the masses and a patriot.

Similarly, Rev. (Dr.) Sally William- Chidubem, who accompanied Akobundu to the event said “it’s a spiritual work, as long as it is a spiritual work, I am happy with it.

We have to continue to encourage spiritual work”.

Princess Akobundu was also accompanied by some staff of the agency and other well wishers including Mr. Emmanuel Abang, a Special Adviser to Akobundu and other aides.

Under the stewardship of Akobundu, AUDA-NEPAD/APRM Nigeria among other achievements, recently organised high-level side line event at the 74th United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S where President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders told the world to reject Illicit Financial Flows especially from Africa.

During the UNGA event jointly organised by AUDA-NEPAD/APRM and EFCC Nigeria, President Buhari told the world that over 157 billion dollars had been illicitly taken out of Nigeria to other continents between 2003 and 2012, calling for repatriation of such funds so that Nigeria could meet up with 2030 target on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).