Daily Manna: “The Lord, He Is God”Monday 09, September 2013

TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 4:25-49

KEY VERSE: “Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him” (Deuteronomy 4:35).

Bishop Beveridge gave a wonderful illustration of one of the names by which God chose to call Himself, “I AM”. “He does not say, I am their light, their guide, their strength, or tower, but only “I AM”. “He sets, as it were, His hands to a blank, that His people may write under it what they pleased that is good to them. As if He should say: Are they weak? I am strength. Are they poor? I am riches. Are they in trouble? I am comfort. Are they sick? I am health. Are they dying? I am life. I am wisdom, power, justice, mercy, grace, goodness, glory, beauty, holiness, eminency, perfection, all-sufficiency, eternity. Jehovah, I am!”

In the previous passage, God warned the children of Israel against the sin of idolatry. God told them that He would not tolerate any rivalry from any god because He was a jealous God. But the Omniscient God foreknew the mischief and the unfaithfulness in their hearts. He forewarned them that when they must have settled down in the Promised Land, and decided to be unfaithful and forgetful, He also would punish their mischief and send them on exile to the land of their enemies.

Yet the mercy, love and compassion of God would not allow “any to perish, but that all should come to repentance”. He gave a solemn promise that if they realized their folly early, humbled themselves, and returned to the worship of God, He would gladly receive them back to His bossom.

Is it not the same promise He has given to us in the New Testament? Men are wont to describe certain sins as unpardonable, but with God, the only sin that is unpardonable is the refusal and reluctance to repent of one’s sin. There is no reason then to despair of any known sin. Go to the great “I Am” today in repentance, and He will receive, pardon and justify you.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God’s mercy is reserved for the penitent.

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Nigerian wins YARA prize for agriculture

Nigeria took center stage yesterday at the ongoing Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Maputo, Mozambique as a young Nigerian, Mr. Nnaemeka C. Ikegwuonu, founder of the Smallholders Foundation, was named one of the winners of the 2013 YARA prize award.

Ikegwuonu was awarded the prize for his entrepreneurial work of using radio as transmitter of sustainable agricultural development and environmental conservation beneficial to rural poor small farmers in the Imo State, Nigeria.

He was named winner alongside, Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda of South Africa, for the prize launched by YARA to recognize outstanding contributions to African agriculture.

The 2013 Yara Prize specifically focused on young women and men who made particular effort within agriculture paying particular attention to innovation and entrepreneurship.

Jorgen Ole Haslestad, YARA´s President, said the Yara Prize for a Green Revolution in Africa recognizes significant contributions to the reduction of hunger and poverty in Africa.

The Prize, according to him, honours endeavors that increase food productivity, security or availability through improvements in food systems, advancements in sustainable agriculture and development of local markets – and encourages innovation and entrepreneurship.

“The Yara Prize was awarded annually in the years 2005–2009 and reinstituted in 2012 in connection with the African Green Revolution Forum in Arusha, Tanzania. During the first five years the Yara Prize was awarded to eight individuals and one organization representing seven countries in total.

“The laureates represent a diverse range of African society engaged in the African Green Revolution: entrepreneurs and scientists, activists and organizers, businessmen and politicians.”

He explained that the Yara Prize Committee for this year selected two prominent African laureates for their work for African farmers and for the continent’s green revolution.

“The award recognizes their effective entrepreneurial work which has spread knowledge that has inspired smallholder farmers and youth to improve their lives, and their policy dialogue and advocacy which has enabled change in the African agricultural sector.

“Both laureates have, through personal commitment and special efforts, translated ideas on the development of African agriculture into impactful results in their respective areas of work. They are both examples of the can-do spirit and drive that is playing a vital role in transforming agriculture in Africa.

Receiving the award, Mr. Ikegwuonu said his Smallholders Foundation develops and broadcasts 10 hours of educational radio programs daily to 250,000 listeners. The radio programs are held in the local Igbo language.

While promising to dedicate the prize money to youth development through farming, he disclosed that since 2007, 65 percent of his radio program listeners have increased their agricultural yield by 50 percent and their household income by 45 percent.

Mr. Ikegwuonu said he has a goal of reaching 3.5 million farmers in almost 5000 villages in South East, adding that since 2008, 4500 students have been trained and 10 school gardens of Nigeria have been established.

Through the Future Farmers Program, Mr. Ikegwuonu imparts sustainable agricultural, environmental management, entrepreneurship and financial management skills to young people through the establishment of the School and Community Gardens in secondary schools and rural communities across Nigeria

Source : #‎Vanguard

FG receives machines for safer mining in Zamfara

The Federal Government has taken delivery of the Igoli and Wet Milling Machines (crushers) from South Africa for the Safer Mining Programme in Zamfara State.

According a statement received in Abuja last night, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Mohammed Sada, made the disclosure while declaring open a three-day training programme on safety, health and environmental issues in mining for artisanal and small scale cooperatives in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.

The training programme, the first in the series, mapped out for the Safer Mining Programme in Zamfara State, was organised by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

Sada disclosed that more training programmes and extension services would be provided for the artisanal and small scale mining cooperatives in the state.
Represented by the Director of Planning Policy Analysis and Monitoring in the ministry, Mr. John B.G. Mshelia, the minister said the machines would be installed very soon at three mineral processing centres in Anka, Bukkuyum and Maru Local Government Areas of the state for the processing of gold ores to prevent re-occurrence of lead poisoning.

He advised artisanal and small scale miners all over the country to form cooperatives in order to benefit from various training programmes and extension services offered by the ministry for sustainable mining in the country.

Sada advised the participants to take the training programme seriously in order to benefit from it, adding that they should imbibe and practice what they were taught at the event.

The statement said safety kits for mining operations were distributed to the artisanal and small scale miners at the training programme which was flagged off by the minister.

About 50 artisanal and small scale miners cooperatives in Zamfara State, non-governmental organisations, investors, stakeholders, the media; officials of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the Zamfara State Ministry of Environment and Solid Minerals Development attended the training programme.
The Zamfara State Commissioner for Environment and Solid Minerals Development, Mouktar Lugga, who was represented by a Director in the ministry, Kabiru Morai, thanked the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development for organising the training programme and assured them that the state would continue to support the federal government to ensure safer and sustainable mining activities in the state.

Speaking at the event, the Director of Artisanal and Small Scale Mining in the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Obiora Azubike, told the participants that there registration as Artisanal and Small Scale Mining Cooperatives enables them to access some privileges the ministry gives to cooperatives.

He, however, told them to note that the certificate of registration issued to them by the ministry is not a mineral title.
He added that if they want to mine without mineral titles, they have to enter into agreements with investors who have mineral titles in the areas they intend to mine.

Azubike advised that the cooperatives should apply for and acquire mineral titles if they want to mine any mineral in the state in accordance with Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.

The Director advised the beneficiaries of the safety kits to use them for mining and processing of minerals.

The papers presented at the training programme were on safety, health and environmental issues such as the safe ways of disposing tailings; the use of the wet milling process for Gold Ore with the use of the Igoli machines and crushers; better extraction process of gold ore; the need to engage mineral processing outside residential areas; appropriate dressing in mining and mineral processing activities; prevention of children from mineral processing areas; sustainable mining among others.

For better understanding and active participation at the training programme, the papers were delivered in Hausa language.

The Chairman of Lala Artisanal and Small Scale Mining Cooperative, one of the participants at the training programme and beneficiaries of the safety, health and environmental kits, Alhaji Lawal Garba, commended the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development for the training programme and the safety kits, adding that the knowledge they gained from the training would help them immensely towards safer, profitable and sustainable mining in Zamfara State.

The minister visited Jabaka mining site in the state as part of the training programme and distributed safety, health and environmental kits to artisanal and small scale miners.

He also appointed an Extension Service Officer in Bagega and presented a motor cycle and generator at the Bagega mining outpost.

Source : #‎ThisDay

NAFDAC alerts Nigerians on toxic substance in food

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Thursday warned Nigerians about the presence of mycotoxins, a toxic substance in foods and feeds.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, gave the warning at a workshop organised by the agency in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday for stakeholders in the South-West .

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the forum was organised in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan.

Represented by the agency’s Director of Laboratory Services, Mrs. Stella Denloye, Orhii said the substance could cause liver cancer.

He added that the need to create awareness was necessary in view of the dangers inherent in the consumption of the substance.

The DG said, “Records have shown that there are concerted efforts all over the world directed at the introduction of preventive strategies to reduce the risks associated with aflatoxin contamination.

“These efforts are seen from the backdrop of introduction of mitigation products and stringent monitoring and control measures of the quality of food products by national and international control authorities.”

Source : #‎Punch

Elumelu, FG, others sign MOU on National Warehouse Project for Farmers

African Exchange Holdings (AFEX), a pan-African holding company founded by Tony O. Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Nicolas Berggruen, Chairman of Berggruen Holdings, and Jendayi Frazer, President of 50 Ventures, to establish commodity exchanges across Africa, yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to create a pioneering warehouse receipt system that will enable Nigerian farmers and cooperatives to safely store their produce at accredited warehouses.

With this arrangement, Nigerian farmers will now use receipts for their produce as collateral for loans. This will control price volatility due to the availability of buffer stock, enabling farmers to sell produce at better price points.

The two-year pilot phase of the warehouse receipt system covers seven states, mostly in northern Nigeria, where agriculture is by far the largest economic sector – Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kwara, Gombe and Oyo, and will commence in October 2013.

According to the African Press Organization in a statement sent to our correspondent, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture will support the warehouse receipt system by creating the enabling environment that is essential for its successful delivery, and will also provide warehouse infrastructure.

Elumelu, the Chairman of AFEX Holdings, said at the signing in Abuja that: “We are pleased to be working with the Nigerian government on this project to deliver transformative, sustainable investment to the country’s agribusiness sector.

This initiative is a step towards financially empowering more farmers and ensuring that agriculture is not only commercially viable, but a strong positive contributor to the Nigerian economy.

This builds on the experience and success of our subsidiary – East Africa Exchange – in Rwanda which has become a critical player in agribusiness development across the continent.”

He continued: “My partners and I are greatly encouraged by the transformation of Nigeria's agriculture sector as driven by Dr Adesina and we want to support the federal government in its innovative approach.”

In his reactions, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture, said, “Strengthening agricultural markets is critical to diversifying Nigeria's economy.

Our partnership with AFEX will help to improve the access of farmers to markets, reduce post-harvest losses, stabilize prices and raise their incomes.

We are rapidly modernizing agriculture in Nigeria and the development of warehouse receipt systems will underpin the successful establishment of thriving agricultural commodities exchanges in Nigeria.”

Also, Mr. Nicolas Berggruen, the founder and president of Berggruen Holdings, said, “Agriculture in Africa is key to the prosperity of the continent. Specifically for Nigeria, we are investing in the infrastructure needed to ensure the flow of commodities from farms to the local, regional, and global marketplace.”

Jendayi Frazer, the former US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, who is the Managing Partner at AFEX, stated, “The warehouse receipt system will help improve food security across Nigeria.

It will not only give farmers and cooperatives better access to markets by linking their market produce to high-value buyers, but will also deliver higher profits for stakeholders.

AFEX believes our electronic warehouse receipt system and improved warehousing operations will be the stepping stone to establishing a vibrant commodities exchange in Nigeria.”

Africa Exchange Holdings (AFEX) is a holding company co-founded by Heirs Holdings, Berggruen Holdings and 50 Ventures, in partnership with The Tony Elumelu Foundation and the Berggruen Institute on Governance. Its objective is to develop a network of commodity exchanges across Africa to transform trade dynamics and ensure higher incomes for farmers.

Source : #‎Leadership

UEFA Best Women's Player in Europe Award.And the winner is?

Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer is the inaugural winner of the UEFA Best Women's Player in Europe Award for the season 2012/13 after topping the journalists' vote.The 34-year-old received a total of 10 votes, leaving in second place Vfl Wolfsburg and Germany midfielder Lena Goessling on 6. Sweden's Olympique Lyonnais striker Lotta Schelin was third with 2.

LIVE at #‎PressConferenceNG . Watch on NTA, TVC, www.fmi.gov.ng, www.livestreaming.com/fminigeria

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