[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he President General of the Ibusa Community Youth Association, Comrade Ifeanyi Asiodu, has blamed the prevailing security challenge in the community on the activities of land grabbers parading themselves as donees of Power of Attorney.

The Youth Leader, who is also the Alum of Ibusa, noted with dismay the flagrant disrespect for Court Orders by the donees concerned and the unwarranted protection being given to them by the police.

Comrade Asiodu, who is also a community leader, wondered why the police should allow themselves to be used to oppress, intimidate and illegally acquire people’s lands, saying that the donee of the Umuisaba Power of Attorney had always boasted that no one had the power to stop him.

He said he had chosen to pursue his case in Court, believing that some day he would get justice, even as he revealed that over 200 plots of land he genuinely acquired had been illegally sold and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

The Ibusa Youth PG commended the efforts of the Oshimili North local government at checking land grabbing, especially in Ibusa and Okpanam, but called for strict enforcement of the by-law prohibiting illegal land sales and grabbing.

Comrade Asiodu also appealed to the State Governor, Hon Sheriff Oborevwori and the relevant authorities to intervene in the matter, insisting that no individual should be seen to be above the law.

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] foremost Real Estate guru, Elder Acho Nonyalim, Chairman Junic Group of Companies has called on its members across the state to observe 2 minutes of prayer everyday for the State Governor, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori.

Deltans have also been urged to join in praying for the Governor.

A statement by Elder Nonyalim, on behalf of the Junic Group of Companies, says the prayer is to seek God’s intervention in the pending Supreme Court judgement of the Governor.

“No doubt our Governor will come out victorious and stronger, however we must commit the peace of our dear state into the hands of God almighty through prayers”, the statement added .

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he newly constituted Board of the Delta State Waste Management Board has said it will intensify efforts at ensuring that all parts of the state are clean. The Chairman of the Board, Hon Emma Chinye, who stated this in a chat with this medium in Asaba, noted that though some level of cleanliness had been achieved in the past, Deltans deserved a cleaner environment.

Hon Chinye said refuse generation was a daily affair, which required a sustainable approach to control, pointing out that the Board would work in line with the MORE agenda of the Oborevwori administration to make the state one of the cleanest in the country.

The Board Chairman said the issue of dump site in the State Capital Territory had been addressed, with more pilot zones in offing, while work was in progress at Agbarho, Ughelli, Sapele and Abraka to ensure a seamless disposal of waste by the Private Sector Participants (PSPs).

He called on the PSPs to ensure that their trucks were in good shape, as no excuse would be accepted for failure on their part to perform.

Hon Chinye explained that the Board was working in synergy with the Ministry of Environment, the Local Government Councils, the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency and the State Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation, in a bid to holistically achieve the common goal of keeping the state clean.

He thanked the State Governor, Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, for the opportunity given to him and other members of the Board to serve and promised that they would not fail.

[dropcap]R[/dropcap]ice consumption in the country has been on a steady rise, beyond the reach of local supply, leading to a supply gap of about two million metric tonnes annually, a new report has disclosed.

This has led to an over 37 per cent increase in the price of the commodity so far in 2023. This was revealed in ‘AFEX Wet Season Crop Production Report for 2023.

The firm said, “Rice consumption in Nigeria has been steadily increasing, aligning with the consistent growth of the rice market, nearly matching the annual population growth projection of 2.6 per cent at two per cent. This has led to a supply gap of about 2 million metric tonnes annually.”

Globally, rice prices reached their highest point in nearly 12 years in 2023, primarily due to India’s ban on rice exports and the potential impact of El Nino on production in key regions. These factors, along with rain-induced disruptions and variations in quality during Vietnam’s summer-autumn harvest have further contributed to the price surge.

It, however, expects an increase in production of rice by approximately 4 per cent, and a further increase in the price of paddy rice by up to around 32 per cent.

The firm declared that the production of milled paddy rice has seen a remarkable increase of over 35 per cent in the country, reaching an estimated output of 5.4 million metric tonnes in 2022, up from 3.9 million metric tonnes in 2015. While rice is cultivated across all of Nigeria’s agro-ecological zones, the Northwest region accounts for 72 per cent of the total rice production in the country.
Punch