BIRS SHUTS DOWN UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE OVER 2.3BILLION UNREMMITTED TAXES.

The Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), on Wednesday,  sealed the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM) over unremitted Personal Income Tax (PIT) to the tune of over N2.3 billion.

This was even as the institution’s chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has described the move as fraudulent and an attempt to commence another round of illegal deductions on the salaries of its members and instigate crisis in the university.

BIRS Chairman, Mrs. Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, who led an enforcement team to the University, personally sealed off the Vice Chancellor’s office and the office of the Registrar as well as the Bursar’s office.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the exercise, Mrs. Adzape-Orubibi said the BIRS had to take that step after the institution failed to honour several letters written to it to pay up the outstanding Personal Income Tax from 2007 to 2011.

She explained that the BIRS got an interim order to distrain FUAM because it failed to deduct PAYE tax in some cases or deducted less in other cases adding that the institution would now have to pay almost N3 billion inclusive of penalties and interest.

While noting that the state government under the leadership of Governor Samuel Ortom is very concerned about education, she however posited that the decision to picket the institution became necessary owing to the continued evasion of tax by the school authority.

But in a swift reaction, acting Chairman of ASUU, Comrade Bemgba Anjembe who insisted that PAYE was deducted monthly from staff salary suspected a connivance between BIRS and the university authority to remit taxes already deducted from staff, this denying them to get tax clearance.
“On August 27, 2014 BIRS wrote a letter to the VC in which it informed that the university is owing BIRS tax liability due to the failure to deduct PAYE tax to the tune of over N2billion. That is their claim but we don’t agree to that figure. How did BIRS arrive at that value? The University is not a business outfit but a social service. This is fraud.”

Meanwhile, students of FUAM besieged the BIRS office located on Gboko Road, Makurdi yesterday to protest the closure of their institution and after dialogue with the BIRS Chairman, it was agreed that the seal would be removed as a result of their negotiation.
When contacted, the University’s management which spoke through its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Joseph Fanafa said it was maintaining a dignified silence on the matter until the outcome of a meeting with BIRS scheduled for tomorrow (Friday). BY BENUE.COM.NG

DONT SIGN ANTI-OPEN GRAZING BILL, FULANI HERDSMEN WARN ORTOM.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) yesterday cautioned Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State against signing the bill outlawing open rearing and grazing of animals which was last week passed by the Benue State Assembly.

North Central Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Danladi Chiroma, said the bill was intended to sack all Fulani herders including those indigenous to the state, adding that, “there is already panic among the Fulani in Makurdi and we have been trying to calm them. Most of them have lived their whole lives in Makurdi and now the House of Assembly is telling them to leave the state when the Nigerian constitution gives every individual the right to live and practice his occupation in every part of this country.”

Chiroma, who visited Daily Trust office in Jos, described Governor Ortom as a man of peace but said when signed into law, the bill intends to cause chaos in Makurdi and pitch the herders in nearby states against their Tiv brothers, who live outside Benue State.

“Right now if you go to Keana, Obi, Doma and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa State, you will find heavy presence of Tiv community living peacefully with their Fulani brothers and sisters and so when you sack the Fulani from Benue state, they will have nowhere to go but any of the four local government areas which will likely create another form of tension,” he said. BY BENUE.COM.NG

CAN SUPPORTS BAN ON OPEN GRAZING OF CATTLE IN BENUE.

National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev (Dr) Olasupo Ayokunle, has expressed delight that the anti grazing bill has been passed by the Benue State House of Assembly.

Ayokunle who paid a courtesy call on Governor Samuel Ortom today at Benue people’s House, said the bill would put an end to unwarranted killing and destruction of property, land and crops.

Ayokunle called on other states to emulate Benue and disclosed that he had visited Southern Kaduna.
He condemned incessant attacks on Benue communities by herdsmen and announced the donation of N7 million worth of relief materials to those affected.

The CAN President commended Governor Samuel Ortom for championing the campaign on ranching and explained that he came to the state to commiserate with the governor and the people.

He said he would also be visiting Enugu to identify with victims of herdsmen attacks and stressed the need for justice, fair play and respect for all the ethnic groups so hat peace would reign in Nigeria.
Responding, Governor Ortom thanked the CAN president for identifying with Benue people at the time the anti grazing bill was being passed by the lawmaking body and asked for support of the Body of Christ.

He said he would soon sign the bill into law and appealed to security agencies to make its implementation a success.

Ortom explained that the House of Assembly subjected the bill to public hearing and added that it was the entire people that took a decision that open grazing should be outlawed so as to bring about peace.

He wondered why cattle should be allowed to move freely in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory and asked those insisting on grazing to have a rethink as only the modern practice of ranching would be suitable for Nigeria which now has a population of over 180 million.

He recalled that in the 50s, the country had a population of  about 40 million and maintained that the 93,000 square kilometers Nigeria had has decreased because of the ceding of Bakassi.

Highlight of the visit during which prayers were offered for the state, was the dressing of Ayokunle in Benue unity attire by Governor Ortom. BY BENUE.COM.NG

SA STUD BOOKS LAUDS 2017s BEST BREEDERS.

The awards are presented annually based on performance recordings and require breeders to play close attention to factors including records of matings and births, as well as production measurements.

In addition, animals must meet relevant breeding value requirements. All animals recorded on SA Stud Book’s Logix system are eligible for the awards.

One of the highlights was the announcement of Farmer’s Weekly SA Stud book Mentor Breeder of the Year. This year the award went to inspirational Free State farmer, breeder and value-chain role player Nick Sernick of the Sernick Group.

The group also focuses on training and farmer development. Manager of the emerging farmer development programme, Patrick Sekwatlakwatla, was on hand to receive the award for Sernick, which was presented by Annelie Coleman on behalf of Farmer’s Weekly.

The Unistel SA Studbook Elite 2017 Developing Breeder of the Year Award went to Eastern Cape Nguni stud breeder Zolani Tyali, whose son Mandange was on hand to receive the award.
Tyali operates his Tshezi Nguni Stud on the 202ha Brooklyn Farm in Morgan’s Bay (Komga), about 76km from East London. Tiyali purchased the farm privately in 2004 and his son assists him with managing the day-to-day operations.

The South Devon Bull Nieubaden Bismark owned by Tielman Nieuwoudt was winner of the Vleissentraal Elite Bull Growth Test Class. BY SABRINA DEAN.

BULID BETTER GARDEN SOIL WITH ORGANIC FERTILIZERS.

As more and more people recognize the many benefits of organic gardening methods, a fresh crop of organic fertilizers are sprouting on store shelves. Many are overpriced, and some are stunning rip-offs that reputable stores and catalogs should be ashamed to sell. The really amazing thing is that two of the best organic fertilizers are easily available to most of us absolutely free!  It’s definitely a buyer-beware world out there. If you’re not careful, you could pay five, 10 or 4,000 times more than necessary to get the nitrogen and other nutrients you need. Here's what we found when we evaluated the pricing for 21 fertilizers:

The Best Free Fertilizers

All products labeled as “fertilizer” must be labeled with their content of the three major plant nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (N-P-K). Most organic fertilizers are bulkier than synthetic chemical products, so their N-P-K percentages are typically lower than synthetic products, and their application rates are higher.

Also, because organic products are biologically active, their N-P-K numbers may change somewhat from batch to batch and over time. Because of this, it can be hard for producers to comply with the labeling laws. As a result, some excellent organic fertilizer options, such as compost, often are not even labeled as a “fertilizer.” One of the best free fertilizers, grass clippings, break down so quickly that they can’t be bagged and sold.

But make no mistake, compost and grass clippings do what fertilizers are supposed to do: They enrich the garden soil with nutrients that plants and microscopic soil life-forms are eager to use. In most areas, you can easily collect grass clippings from your neighborhood, bagged and set out ready to bring home. And many communities make yardwaste compost (made mainly from grass clippings and leaves) available for free.

So, if you can get free clippings or compost, how much should you use? Here are guidelines prepared with help from soil scientists at Woods End Laboratory in Maine.

Grass Clippings: Just Half an Inch Will Do!

Grass clippings are one of the best organic fertilizers. Not only because it’s easy to find free local sources, but also because the clippings do double duty preventing weeds and conserving garden soil moisture when used as mulch — two things other fertilizers cannot do. Nitrogen content of clippings will vary, with fresh grass collected in spring from fertilized lawns topping 5 percent nitrogen, while clippings from later in the year or from unfertilized lawns will likely contain around 2 percent nitrogen. (Be sure to avoid clippings from those “perfect” lawns that have been treated with herbicides.) BY CHERYL LONG AND BARBARA PLEASANT.