Plant Called Monkey Orchid - Wonderful God's Creation

Nature doesn’t need an audience. These wonderful orchids come from the south-eastern Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forests from elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters and as such not many people throughout history got to see them. However, thanks to intrepid collectors we do get to see this wonderful Monkey Orchid. Someone didn’t need much imagination to name it though, let’s face it. Its scientific name is Dracula simia, the last part nodding towards the fact that this remarkable orchid bears more than a passing resemblance to a monkey’s face – although we won’t go as far as to be species specific on this one. The Dracula (genus) part of its name refers to the strange characteristic of the two long spurs of the sepals, reminiscent of the fangs of a certain Transylvanian count of film and fiction fame. The orchid was only named in 1978 by the botanist Luer but is in a family containing over 120 species mostly found in Ecuador. Up in the cloud mountains the monkey orchid can flower at any time – it is not season specific. It scent resembles that of a ripe orange. The examples seen here are all cultivated – though it remains very rare in ‘captivity’. For that reason don’t make a dash down to your local horticulturalist. Yet for those lucky enough to have one, if kept quite cool and in partial shade and it can thrive and flower. Like all orchids, however, it needs a lot of care and patience – so you may want to consider a cactus instead! If you don't quite see why this orchid gets its name, then do one thing. Move back from your screen a few feet and take another look. Close up the similarity is good, from a distance it is astounding.

Fayose Performs Groundbreaking Ceremony of Elegberun Market in Ikere Ekiti

By Bola Agboola

The Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Dr. Olusola Kolapo, The Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Adebiyi Adu, top government functionaries and the good people of Ikere-Ekiti at the ground breaking ceremony of Elegberun market in Ikere-Ekiti earlier today. Fayose in his address to the mammoth crowd who witnessed the occasion thanked the people of Ikere for always being there for him. The governor who described the event as a fulfilment of part of his electoral promises assured the community that the ultramodern market which will comprise 52 lock up shops will be ready for use within the next 3 months. The governor told the gathering that he's yet to commence work on Ikere/Ado dualisation due to the financial mess in which the state found itself. Promising to commence the dualisation project as soon as the economy improves, the governor promised to as a matter of urgency make sure roads within Ikere becomes motorable. Reacting to the Governor's speech on behalf of the good people of Ikere, The Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Adejimi Adu thanked governor Fayose for the love showered on the town. The Ogoga who described the governor as a promise keeper commended him for the ongoing water project, appointment of sons and daughters of Ikere into political offices as well as the manner with which the tussle for the stool was handled. The monarch who congratulated Ikere for having a governor with her development at heart assured Mr. Fayose of the community's 100 percent support.

Buhari's anti-corruption mere noise-making, diversionary, witch-hunting – Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has taken a swipe on the Federal Government anti-corruption stance, describing it as mere noise-making, witch-hunt and diversionary tactic to hoodwink the public into overlooking the seeming failure of the government to deliver on its electoral promises.

The governor said; “If President Mohammadu Buhari knows exactly where the stolen funds are kept and who looted the funds, he does not need all these public announcements. Rather, he should make public names of the looters and bring back the purported stolen funds, location of which he has identified. It is when he is able to bring back the money that he should make announcements of recovered funds.”

Governor Fayose who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said; “You don't announce a process to the public. Rather, you announce the results because that is what is of interest to the people. It is like you are announcing that you know where armed robbers reside, won't they change their location?”

Speaking further, the governor said; “What the All Progressives Congress (APC) spin-doctors and their collaborators in the Presidency are doing is simple. It is such that when there is nothing to tell the people as per the rising Boko Haram attacks, Dollar and other foreign currencies exchange rates, petrol pump price and other seeming failed promises of the APC federal government, they will accuse former President Goodluck Jonathan and his men of corruption, insult Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and make noise about fighting corruption.

“President Buhari and his men should however know that Nigeria of today is different from that of 1983 and the system under which they are operating now is also different. Nigerians are watching and unlike 1983, nothing can prevent them from asking questions, which they are already asking.”

While challenging President Buhari to start the anti-corruption fight from his party, Governor Fayose said Nigerians know those who sponsored President Buhari’s election and are waiting for the President to reveal their sources of income.

“Some of those who sponsored the President’s election have not done any other jobs apart from holding public offices. Yet, they provided private jets and funds with which the President campaigned across the length and breadth of Nigeria. He should let Nigerians know where they got money to buy private jets and the several billions of naira spent on his election.

“Mr President and his men should know that these planned efforts to brand PDP as a party of corrupt people and supress the giant strides of the Jonathan administration won’t work because Nigerians know that APC is peopled with more corrupt people and the President must treat the issue of corruption without looking at political parties.

“No one sits with corruption to fight corruption because as it is today, President Buhari is sitting among corrupt people and he must first extricate himself from the comity of corruption that he is before his anti-corruption stance can be accorded respect.”

EKSG Trains Hausa Community On Safe and Responsible Use of Agro Chemicals For Stored Grains

In recent times, farmers, traders, and general public apply pesticides on farm/stored food etc, without adequate knowledge on the application techniques, safe/minimum level of pesticide intake allowed for human intake. Pesticides are misuse in different ways. The misuse is done ignorantly among farmers, traders, and the general public due to insufficient training and advice.

In the light of this, the Ekiti State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency Dr. Peter Ayodele Fayose has commenced training of farmers, and traders in Shasha Market Ikere Ekiti, on how to regulate the use of pesticides to ensure the safety of farm produces that will be consumed by the public. The combined efforts of the State Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Fountain Agricultural Marketing Agency (FAMA), Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) Crop Life have been pulled together to train the famers and traders in an effort to sanitize the use of agrochemicals on stored farm products.

Declaring the training open, the Hon Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon Kehinde Odebunmi highlighted some of the harmful effects of  misuse of agrochemicals to include carcinogenic, teratogenity, mutagenicity, loss of goodwill between traders, consumers and traders or between importers and exporters.

Odebunmi said; "the situation if not properly addressed now, could be a serious matter in future marketing of farm produce. The misuse of agrochemicals and resultant problems is a result of inadequate knowledge among farmers/traders and consumers due to insufficient training and advice.

"Consequently, the State Government has linked up with necessary stakeholders regulating use of agrochemicals to provide strong advocate in the fight to sanitize the farm produce storage and preservation sector, particularly in beans and other grains.

"In view of the foregoing development, coupled with how harmful it can be to our health, the training programme is being organized to bridge the gap between what the grain dealer knew and what they should know on the above subject matter.

"It is my belief that this training will go a long way in alleviating the various health hazards incurred by wrong application of insecticides on stored."

The Hon Commissioner said Shasha market was selected as the venue because it is the primary distribution center for grains to every other marketing outlet in Ekiti State.

While thanking the State Government for choosing Shasha Market as the point of training, the Sheikh of the Market said he has spent 40 years in Ekiti, and he has never seen any administration that has the love of Hausa Community at heart like this administration. He said no commissioner, in the history of the Hausas in Ekiti has ever visited the community. He said the community is happy to have the Commissioner in their midst.

Reacting to the remarks of the Sheikh, Hon Kehinde Odebunmi said his role is defined by His Excellency, Gov Fayose who had tasked all political appointees in the state to be alive to anything that happens within their jurisdictions.

"What we are correcting here today in Ekiti affects the whole nation, but the correction starts from Ekiti. Ekiti is known to be pace setter, that was why Mr. Governor gave this programme express approval when I sought it. Be rest assured that if you have not gotten any agricultural inputs from the state government in the past, you will start getting it now," Odebunmi said.

The ministry of health was on ground to provide free health services to the community.

Ekiti: Labour Eulogises Fayose Over Regular Salary Payment

The organised labour in Ekiti State has appreciated Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose for his love for workers in Ekiti State.

In a press statement jointly signed by the NLC Secretary, Com Olayemi Oluropo, TUC secretary, Com Adebayo Adebisi and JNC Secretary, Comrade Oladele Blessing, the organised labour commended the governor for bringing smiles to the faces of workers.

The statement reads "it is no gainsaying the fact that the present times are hard economically all over the country but we thank God that the  incumbent Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Ayodele Fayose has always been bringing smiles to the faces of Ekiti workers by paying their gross salaries regularly despite the meagre allocation that comes to the state every  month."

The organised labour also thanked the governor for "involving the organised labour in taking decisions that bother on the welfare of workers in the state," urging him to allow the gesture to continue in order to take the state to the promised land.

The leadership of the Unions equally appreciated the governor  for accepting the liabilities and assets of the previous administration most especially, the outstanding salaries and salary deductions of July and August and subvention to subvented institutions, as well as September 2014 salary to all state workers.

They prayed God to assist the governor to carry out the payment of all outstanding as promised and fulfilment of all good desires he has for the states.
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Ekiti Youth Commercial Agriculture Development Meet Agric Commissioner

The cooperators of the Youth in Commercial Agriculture Development (YCAD) Cooperative paid a courtesy visit on the Honorable commissioner in his office, to wish him a successful tenure.

The Executive of the Cooperators on behalf of the 83 registered members came to the office of the commissioner w

ith a present to identify with him.

Speaking on behalf of the YCAD cooperators, the Secretary, Mr Olusanya Fabiyi, who stood in for the President, thanked the Governor for the choice he made in choosing Hon Kehinde Odebunmi as the commissioner of the ministry. He described the appointment as a round peg in a round hole.

Mr. Olusanya also used the medium to highlight the achievements and the success stories of the YCAD Operators.

The Permanent Secretary Engr Abegunde, who introduced the young farmers to the commissioners said the programme really helped in creating employments, and generating wealth for the youths.

Engr Abegunde said; "in the interest of sustainability of Youth in Agriculture, the present administration equally embrace empowerment of the youths, because of inherent advantages of employment generation,  checkmating youth restiveness, curbing social vices, and all the deviant attitude amongst our youth  aside wealth generation that would lead to social economic development of our youth".

Reacting to the remarks of the secretary of the group, the commissioner thanked the cooperators for their kind gesture, and urged them to be good examples for the Nigerian youths.

The commissioner further stated that Bank Of Agriculture (BOA) is partnering with this administration  to make funds available for the young farmers, and the prospective farmers. He later assured the YCAD operators that the programme would be given more boost.

The cooperators later had  group pictures with the Honorable Commissioner and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.

Ekiti Government plans to boost Rice Production in the state.

In his bid to increase rice production in Ekiti state, the Hon Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Honorable Kehinde Odebunmi has met with Rice Growers and Rice Processors, to discuss ways of helping the Farmers to increase rice production, and expand the rice business in the state.

The State Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development provided fund to empower the farmers from Commercial Agric Scheme Fund (CACS Fund).

In his address to the Famers and Processors present at the meeting, the Hon commissioner said, the state governor, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose is determined to make Ekiti the food basket of the nation, and one of the best ways of doing this is by empowering farmers in the state with loan and subsidized agricultural inputs.

The commissioner further stressed that, In 2014, the state government disbursed N17Million to some farmers to grow and Expand their businesses, but up till this moment nothing has been refunded to the state coffer.

Odebunmi said the state government is more than ready to help the farmers, only if they are ready to help the state by paying up loans gotten from government. He said the non-repayment of loan is a major impediment to the sustainability of the programme. He further stated that the fund was a revolving one, and not a share of a supposedly 'National Cake'.

The commissioner has therefore directed Fountain Agricultural Marketing Agency (FAMA) an Agency in the Ministry of Agriculture to put up a strategy on how to totally recover the debt owed by the debtors in order to ensure the sustainability of the programme.

The Agency has swung into action, and is presently collaborating with a Private Loan Repayment Firm through Public Private Partnership (PPP) to recover from the debtors (Farmers and Processors) debt they are owing the government.

The Agency provides marketing platform to the farmers through provision of fertilizer to the farmers, recovering of loan from farmers and making the funds available in the next cropping season.