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Fire guts over 50 acres of palm tree farm worth N150m in Osun

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By Jeleel Olawale

About N150 million palm tree and pineapple farm has been gutted by fire at the Royal Farms on Friday at Akeredolu Village in Atakunmosa West Local Government Area, Osu, Osun State.

The inferno was said to have been caused by suspected hunters from neighbourhood farm.

Mr Rufus Jegede made this known while speaking to journalists at a press conference on Sunday.

He noted that the inferno was suspected to have been caused by some individuals who put fire on the farm with a clandestine motive known to them.

Rufus, who is the Director and founder of Royal Farms, said he came to Akeredolu in 2015 to establish the farm, noting that he retired as a Chartered and Forensic Accountant as well as Tax expert.

He explained that the fire razed about 40,000 palm tree, 5 acres of land of pineapple

“On Friday, we suddenly discovered that the farm had been gutted by fire. We discovered that the vast majority of the farm had been burnt down. About 40,000 palm trees were lost with 5 acres of land of pineapple. The neighbours did nothing to stop the fire incident but stopped the fire from entering their farms.

“This suggests that some people conspired to put fire on the farm. The action is intentional and deliberate to put fire on our farm. This is the third term fire outbreak would happen in the farm. The fire occurred at the extreme end of the farm and extended to the whole farm.

“More than 50 acres of the farm was burned down, estimated about N150 million. This will affect this year’s harvest because it affected the palm tree and all the pineapples were totally destroyed,” Rufus said.

He said one suspect identified as Sunday has been arrested by the police, Osu division in Atakunmosa West Local Government.

He added that the man arrested had been terrorising the environment for long, stealing farm produce in the farm.

“He has been trespassing here, and he lives in Ololude village. Everybody knows him as a monster in this area.”

Speaking on the contribution of agriculture to food sufficiency in Nigeria, Rufus said agriculture played a significant role in the nation’s food sufficiency, adding that the level of people’s involvement in agriculture is not encouraging which caused the present food crisis the nation is experiencing.

He said that the farm generated employment of about 30 workers.

“We have contributed in terms of reducing unemployment in the country to reduce food insufficiency in the country.

“The farm is involved in animal husbandry, pig rearing, palm oil production, pineapple, cattle rearing among other farm produce,” he declared.

Speaking further, he said the youths are not interested in farming but wanted to get rich overnight without doing any job. This is not good for the nation’s economy. “They are not interested in farming jobs. The youths are not ready to do any job but want to cut corners.”

Rufus added that the government needs to review its policy on agriculture.

“The government policy on agriculture only existed in the media. There are no more agriculture settlements and trade centres in the country. So, agriculture in this country is on radio and television. People are not investing in agriculture,” he said.

“No government agency came here to ask for what is happening here. Government does not invest in agriculture and every farmer needs government support. Therefore, the government needs to support farmers in order to free them from the food crisis facing the country.”

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How Palmpay overcame trust deficit in 12 months- MD Nwosu

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Nigerians’ trust in Palmpay, a Central Bank of Nigeria’s fintech licensed bank, has grown tremendously in the last 12 months.

The Managing Director of Palmpay Nigeria, Chika Nwosu, disclosed this recently when he appeared on  Channels TV Business Roundtable.

Recall that the CBN recently restricted Palmpay and four fintech banks from onboarding new customers.

However, Nwosu gave insights into regulatory concerns surrounding the FinTech ecosystem and said that Palmpay has come to stay within Nigeria’s banking sector.

“Whatever happens with regulation is for the good of the FinTech space in Nigeria. Initially, when we started, there was an issue of trust. However, I can tell you now that the last 1 year after the cashless policy has seen the trust start to grow”.

The Managing Director emphasized PalmPay’s unwavering support for regulators in regulating the FinTech ecosystem, underscoring that regulators want to improve the services of strong players in the FinTech space, such as PalmPay.

On the ease of doing business and how it affects PalmPay, he said:

“Doing business in Nigeria for us is difficult, but Nigerians are embracing our App and digital payment”.

When asked about the problem of failed transfers, he stressed,

“Every institution has its business strategy and infrastructure. For us and most fintechs, we have a structure that makes transactions seamless”.

Regarding the regulator’s recent onboarding policy, he stated that PalmPay agreed with the regulators on some grey areas that must be addressed.

Reassuring customers that there was no issue with using PalmPay, he emphasized, “If PalmPay completes their own today, we will start onboarding today”.

On the issue of trust and the security of the PalmPay app, he said,

“There is no day you won’t see on our app boldly written that we are licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and our deposits are insured by the Nigeria Deposits Insurance Corporation (NDIC). PalmPay is here to stay”.

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Mushin LG Chairman flags off construction of Yusuf Street road, promises solar lighting

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The Mushin Local Government Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Bamigboye on Wednesday flagged off the construction of Yusuf Street road in Papa Ajao.

The project is expected to bring relief to residents and traders in the area and is set to be completed within six months.

According to Bamigboye, the project is a fulfillment of his campaign promise to the people of Mushin, and he expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity to execute the project.

He urged residents to cooperate with the contractor and the local government to ensure the successful completion of the project.

The councillor representing the ward, Ayomide Abioye, expressed his joy and appreciation for the project, stating that it is the longest street in Papa Ajao and will bring immense benefit to the community.

Also, the Baba Oloja of Ladipo International Market, Eze Monday, also commended the Executive Chairman for the project, stating that it will make a significant impact on the development of the area.

The project includes the construction of the road and the installation of solar lighting, which is expected to enhance security and facilitate economic activities in the area.

Residents and traders in the area have been warned not to disturb the contractor or disrupt the project in any way.

Meanwhile, the traders applauded Hon. Bamigboye for demonstrating its commitment to infrastructural development and the welfare of its citizens.

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Giving back to community — Prof Oyedokun speaks on motives

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Lead Facilitator Professor of Accounting & Financial Development Founder OGE, Prof. Godwin Emmanuel Oyedokun, has disclosed that giving back to society community is his motive for pursuing his career.

He made the disclosure in an article titled “My motive for running a free professional diploma course in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation is of several folds.”

He said, “Running a free professional diploma course in forensic accounting and fraud investigation is also motivated by my desire to give back to the community.

“By sharing my expertise and knowledge without any financial barriers, I am helping individuals from diverse backgrounds and financial situations to acquire valuable skills and advance their careers.”

The academic reiterated that the motive for running a free professional diploma course in forensic accounting and fraud investigation is centred around education, skill development, community service, and professional growth.

It is a way to contribute to the accounting profession, address a skill gap, and empower individuals in their pursuit of knowledge and career advancement.

According to him, “Promoting Education and Professional Development to contribute to the growth and development of the accounting profession by providing individuals with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills in the specialised field of forensic accounting and fraud investigation.

“By offering this free course, i am enabling aspiring professionals to access valuable education that might otherwise be costly or inaccessible.”

The Don addressing the need for expertise in Forensic Accounting said, “In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for professionals skilled in forensic accounting and fraud investigation due to the rise in financial crimes and fraudulent activities. By offering this free course, I am helping to address this skill gap and aiding in the fight against financial fraud.”

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