The Ministry of Mines and Steel is clamping down on illegal mining activities, the minister said.

The Minister of Mines and Steel, Musa Sada , on Tuesday in Abuja said his ministry has created over 1.2 million jobs in rural areas.

Speaking at the ongoing ministerial platform, Mr. Sada said 1.254 million jobs were created from operations in 1710 quarries, 223 small scale mining operations, 195 mining leases and 2048 exploration licenses.

He stressed the need for professionalism in the industry and listed Ajaokuta Steel Company as one of the companies suffering effects of unprofessionalism in the country.

Mr. Sada said issues in the company range from infrastructures to privatization, legal issues to change of management and even technical competency.

The minister encouraged group mining activities which he said willhelp curb illegal mining in rural. He said the Mines and Steel ministry has commenced the education of people living in communities where illegal mining thrives so as to check the menace of illegal mining.

He said the education involves informing them to come together to do things in a better way rather than going solo. Mr. Sada said that communities must get legal advice before indulging into community development that involves exploration or mining activities.
Discovery of minerals

The minister stated that 11 additional mineral have been discovered in the country in the last one year bringing the number of minerals in the county to a total of 44.

He expressed the need for dissemination of information through the right sources to the right people that will get involved in wealth creation mostly from industrial mineral.

On the ministry’s initiative to clean up dormant mining titles in a “Use it or Lose it” exercise, Mr. Sada said over 10,000 dormant and inactive titles were mopped up into active and productive mineral rights while all non-performing titles were revoked; thus increasing revenue generation and activities by mineral titles owners.

“80 per cent of over 10,000 mineral licenses are held in drawers by people who don’t need it and are not using it; people who have the rights are really not interested in developing mineral while people who are interested are out there looking for these rights.” Mr. Sada said

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who gave the closing remark at the event, commended the achievements of the ministry.

Getting a bit political, he asked Nigerians to disregard condemnation by politicians on issues of development especially those interested in seeking election.

“When we politicians especially those of us interested in seeking 2015 elections condemn everything, please disregard us. It is obvious that Nigeria is leading intransparency and accountability in mineral exploration activities and this is attracting investors,” Mr. Maku said.

gbanikiti: HOLY MARY HUSBAND OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER!!! WHAT KIND OF WHITE LIE IS THIS? WHY DO THE GOVERNMENT RESORT TO CHEAP LIES? WHY! WHY!

gbanikiti: HOLY MARY HUSBAND OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER!!! WHAT KIND OF WHITE LIE IS THIS? WHY DO THE GOVERNMENT RESORT TO CHEAP LIES? WHY! WHY!

President Jonathan lied in Independence anniversary broadcast


President Goodluck Jonathan lied to the world in his Independence Day anniversary speech about gains his administration has made in the fight against corruption, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation has revealed.

In what appears to be a major credibility stunt, President Jonathan read a speech in which he scored his government high on all sides.

In order to make his good performance appear holistic, the president included in his speech that global corruption watchdog, Transparency International, has endorsed and praised his administration’s war against corruption.

Mr. Jonathan’s words: “…the fight against the scourge of corruption is a top priority of our administration.

“We are fighting corruption in all facets of our economy, and we are succeeding. We have put an end to several decades of endemic corruption associated with fertilizer and tractor procurement and distribution.  We have exposed decades of scam in the management of pensions and fuel subsidy, and ensured that the culprits are being brought to book,” he added.

To give his claims international credibility, the presidents then said: “In its latest report, Transparency International (TI) noted that Nigeria is the second most improved country in the effort to curb corruption.”

The lie

PREMIUM TIMES contacted Transparency International seeking a copy of its latest report which the President referred to in his speech.

The group replied promptly disowning Mr. Jonathan and saying it had no such report.

“Transparency International does not have a recent rating or report that places Nigeria as the second most improved country in the fight against corruption,” the group said in an email to this newspaper.

The group said its most recent indexing of Nigeria’s corruption activities was in the 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, which measured perceived level of public sector corruption in the country.

In that index, Nigeria scored 2.4 on a scale where 0 means highly corrupt and 10 means very clean. It was ranked 143 out of 183 countries.

That rating was actually a dip in performance for Nigeria as the country was rated 134 out of 183 countries the previous year, 2010.

The president’s spokesperson would not comment for this story. The Special Adviser on Media, Reuben Abati as well as the Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, did not answer or return calls.

They also did not reply text messages sent to their telephones.

Corruption cases Jonathan ignores

Since resuming office in 2010, President Jonathan is believed not to have shown vigour in the fight against corruption – including corruption involving past and current actors in his administration. The tipping point in the president’s profile, regarding reluctance in promoting transparency, came when, in his last media chat, he scoffed at a question on why he had not publicly declared his asset. On live television, the president snapped “I don’t give a damn!”

The petroleum minister, Diezani Madueke, a close ally of the president, has heaps of established corruption allegations against her, but none has been investigated by Mr. Jonathan’s administration; while she still remains in office as one of the favorite ministers.

In August 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan secretly ordered the payment of $155 million to Malabu oil, a firm owned by an ex-convict and former petroleum minister, Dan Etete. Not only was the payment done without the knowledge of the Finance Minister, as revealed by PREMIUM TIMES, Malabu transferred the money into dubious accounts including that owned by a man with links to Mr. Jonathan. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed to investigate the Malabu scandal.

Two members of the President’s cabinet, Godsday Orubebe and Stella Oduah, illegally registered an NGO, Neighbour to Neighbour, on whose board they sit, and which they then used in campaigning for the President’s election; in contravention of CAC registration guidelines and the CAMA Act. The presidency has kept mum on this.

Garri the 1st: Lying is their second nature... Bunch of tadpoles...



www.premiumtimesng.com/news/102095-president-jonathan-lied-in-independence-anniversary-broadcast.html

Omen100: This 1.2million mining jobs creature are obvious signs of endtime.

sheyie2007:
Dude, like seriously?

Omen100:



Yes oooooo bros or sists, the lies being told to Nigerians by president. Jonathan & his goons are enough to render one intellectual incapacitated.

Exposed: Abuja minister lied to Nigerians, promised fake, non-existent jobs



The perceived failure of the SURE-P to translate to jobs as promised, has touched off at all states and Abuja

An ambitious pledge by the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide, of “massive” recruitment before year ending, has turned out an elaborate deception, with just days away from December 31, 2012.

New slots of about 10,000 jobs were to be provided for Abuja under the federal government subsidy reinvestment programme, the minister had said.

But days to the year’s close, the openings are nowhere near reality. Neither the advertisement, registration, pre-selection calls, nor recruitment tests have taken place, PREMIUM TIMES has found.

Weeks of inquiries have proven the idea of preliminary registration for the jobs as Ms. Akinjide announced separately in August and November, to not only be a ruse, but a subject unknown to several officials of the FCT administration. One official said the selection had been concluded since March.

The contradictions come as the intervention programme, the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, faces mounting criticisms over its failure to deliver on proposed projects, with critics dismissing the initiative as a drain pipe that squanders badly needed funds, while unemployment, which it was partly meant to address nationwide, escalates.

If anything, the inconsistencies at the Abuja ministry point to the indifference authorities accord a pressing national need as jobs creation, which are often eagerly promised by officials, but hardly delivered.

Ms. Akinjide gave her promise as a passing remark while addressing two women groups in August and November.

“There will be massive employment before the end of this year and we have started registration of unemployed women and youth in the FCT,” the minister said in a remark to the National Council for Women Societies, Abuja chapter, who visited her office on November 13.

Applicants were to be “be employed into different fields and also vocation acquisition programmes,” of the SURE-P plan, the minister said.

To demonstrate seriousness, Ms. Akinjide advised interested women and youth to register with the FCT Social Development Secretariat as of November.

No registration

Repeated visits to the office and contacts to other arms of the FCT administration supposedly responsible for the “recruitment” since November have proven no such job drives exist, and officials have consistently denied knowledge of any job-related registration.

At various units of the FCT Secretariat at Garki, Abuja, a week after the minister’s promise, all key officials spoken to said they were unaware of the plans. PREMIUM TIMES also observed no registration took place.

“As you can see, there is nothing like that going on, maybe you could get further clarification from the minister’s office,” one official said on anonymity, fearing sanctions if he were identified.

Despite the apparent absence of the exercise, a spokesperson for the minister, Oluyinka Akintunde, insisted the plan was afoot.

Mr. Akintunde denied the minister had misled the unemployed by announcing a non-existent exercise, possibly as a passing political remark. He said as part of the SURE-P, the programme was being administered by a central presidential task team.

He also said the plan was targeted at the grassroots and the recruitment was meant to done on the basis of electoral Wards.

“There are provisions made for these things, and there are people working on them,” Mr. Akintunde insisted. “The minister did not lie.”

Yet, he provided no verifiable detail about where the listings were actually done, and no explanation was given as to why, if the registration existed elsewhere, Ms. Akinjide had given a different venue.

Again, the exercise existed nowhere, as PREMIUM TIMES found none ongoing within Abuja as the minister claimed

peckhamboi: Ngozi Okonjo Iweala Caught lying on Phone Tap

[flash=345,345]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aACh9l95nkA[/flash]

Reuben Abati lied on major issues, Jonathan implies


The president put a dent on Mr. Abati, his official spokesman’s credibility.

President Goodluck Jonathan, Sunday, contradicted presidential aides on three major issues that have affected the present administration.

During a media chat that lasted just under 2 hours, the president contradicted what his aides, particularly his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, said on the issue of power, the first lady’s health, and security.

Power

On Wednesday, November 14, Mr. Abati released a press statement to the media on behalf of the president in which he said the president cancelled the transmission contract given to Manitoba.

“Mr. President has cancelled the Manitoba power contract with immediate effect,” Mr. Abati said in the statement, a claim Mr. Jonathan has denied.

“Manitoba contract has not been revoked,” the president said, explaining that his administration observed that the company “did not follow the law strictly,” when it got the contract.

Manitoba Hydro, a Canadian state-owned firm, emerged the highest bidder, in April, to manage Nigeria’s transmission network, under the Transmission Company of Nigeria, for three years. The company was initially expected to resume in September.

Instead of resuming, Mr. Abati announced that the contract has been cancelled. Mr. Jonathan has, however, said the contract was not cancelled but is being regularized as due process was not fully followed in the award.

Security

After reports emerged that a man claiming to be a spokesman for the dreaded Boko Haram made a call stating the group’s willingness to negotiate with the Federal Government under some conditions, Mr. Abati again said the government was already having some form of discussion with the Boko Haram group.

On Sunday, August 26, Mr. Abati told State House correspondents that the government was in talks with the Boko Haram through “backroom channels.”

“When government says it is already talking to Boko Haram, the form of that dialogue must be properly understood.

“The form of the dialogue is that backroom channels are being used to reach across with the sole objective of understanding what exactly the grievances of these persons are,” Mr. Abati said.

Three months later, on Monday November 12, Mr. Abati again confirmed to Punch Newspapers that the government was in talks with the sect.

“I can confirm to you that talks are ongoing at the background. But the talks are not the kinds being envisaged by Nigerians,” Mr. Abati said. “The ongoing talk is a back channel one in which those who know members of the group are talking with them on behalf of the government.”

President Jonathan has dismissed Mr. Abati’s claims.

“There is no dialogue between the Boko Haram and government,” Mr. Jonathan said during the media chat.

“Boko Haram is still operating under cover, they wear masks, there is no face. They operate under cover. No dialogue that is going on anywhere,” Mr. Jonathan said.

Patience’s illness

The President also confirmed that the first lady, Patience Jonathan, was ill and treated abroad contrary to presidential aide’s claims that she only travelled abroad to rest.

Ayo Osinlu, a media aide to Mrs. Jonathan, told journalists on September 3 that the first lady was not sick but travelled out of the country to take a “moment’s rest.”

“If you look at her itinerary in August, you would be wondering how she was able to accomplish that. In the course of this week, she will be back home. But remember, it all depends on her plans,” Mr. Osinlu told Punch Newspapers.

Mr. Abati also denied the first lady’s illness describing it as a rumour.

“(illness story) was a rumour and there is nothing like that,” Mr. Abati said.

Mr. Jonathan has refuted the claims by both aides.

“She was ill, she received treatment,” Mr. Jonathan said of his wife’s trip to Germany.

“When she returned, she had to further recuperate,” the president said while explaining the first lady’s seeming absence from public glare since her arrival in the country on October 17

Reuben Abati lied on major issues, Jonathan implies


The president put a dent on Mr. Abati, his official spokesman’s credibility.

President Goodluck Jonathan, Sunday, contradicted presidential aides on three major issues that have affected the present administration.

During a media chat that lasted just under 2 hours, the president contradicted what his aides, particularly his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, said on the issue of power, the first lady’s health, and security.

Power

On Wednesday, November 14, Mr. Abati released a press statement to the media on behalf of the president in which he said the president cancelled the transmission contract given to Manitoba.

“Mr. President has cancelled the Manitoba power contract with immediate effect,” Mr. Abati said in the statement, a claim Mr. Jonathan has denied.

“Manitoba contract has not been revoked,” the president said, explaining that his administration observed that the company “did not follow the law strictly,” when it got the contract.

Manitoba Hydro, a Canadian state-owned firm, emerged the highest bidder, in April, to manage Nigeria’s transmission network, under the Transmission Company of Nigeria, for three years. The company was initially expected to resume in September.

Instead of resuming, Mr. Abati announced that the contract has been cancelled. Mr. Jonathan has, however, said the contract was not cancelled but is being regularized as due process was not fully followed in the award.

Security

After reports emerged that a man claiming to be a spokesman for the dreaded Boko Haram made a call stating the group’s willingness to negotiate with the Federal Government under some conditions, Mr. Abati again said the government was already having some form of discussion with the Boko Haram group.

On Sunday, August 26, Mr. Abati told State House correspondents that the government was in talks with the Boko Haram through “backroom channels.”

“When government says it is already talking to Boko Haram, the form of that dialogue must be properly understood.

“The form of the dialogue is that backroom channels are being used to reach across with the sole objective of understanding what exactly the grievances of these persons are,” Mr. Abati said.

Three months later, on Monday November 12, Mr. Abati again confirmed to Punch Newspapers that the government was in talks with the sect.

“I can confirm to you that talks are ongoing at the background. But the talks are not the kinds being envisaged by Nigerians,” Mr. Abati said. “The ongoing talk is a back channel one in which those who know members of the group are talking with them on behalf of the government.”

President Jonathan has dismissed Mr. Abati’s claims.

“There is no dialogue between the Boko Haram and government,” Mr. Jonathan said during the media chat.

“Boko Haram is still operating under cover, they wear masks, there is no face. They operate under cover. No dialogue that is going on anywhere,” Mr. Jonathan said.

Patience’s illness

The President also confirmed that the first lady, Patience Jonathan, was ill and treated abroad contrary to presidential aide’s claims that she only travelled abroad to rest.

Ayo Osinlu, a media aide to Mrs. Jonathan, told journalists on September 3 that the first lady was not sick but travelled out of the country to take a “moment’s rest.”

“If you look at her itinerary in August, you would be wondering how she was able to accomplish that. In the course of this week, she will be back home. But remember, it all depends on her plans,” Mr. Osinlu told Punch Newspapers.

Mr. Abati also denied the first lady’s illness describing it as a rumour.

“(illness story) was a rumour and there is nothing like that,” Mr. Abati said.

Mr. Jonathan has refuted the claims by both aides.

“She was ill, she received treatment,” Mr. Jonathan said of his wife’s trip to Germany.

“When she returned, she had to further recuperate,” the president said while explaining the first lady’s seeming absence from public glare since her arrival in the country on October 17

Sincere 9gerian: These worshippers at Tinubu's shrine are ridiculous creatures. When its positive report, it must be a lie but when its negative it must be true.

How can a people who know nothing about the mining sector write off this report as a lie? For the information of all, the raw materials used in local cement production does not fall from the moon. It all comes from the mining sector. Same applies to steel, ceramics, floor tiles,etc. As we speak, Nigeria no longer imports cement, because the local cement plants can now sufficiently meet local demands.

omenka: Such a pitiable fellow. You should go propagate such blatant lies to people living in Pluto.

A shameless caste of liars, kleptocrats, killers and paedophiles that's what this government and it's promoters are.

homesteady: But you guys believed when the minister of power for state said that 'about 50million Nigerians are without electricity' I'm not sure of the figures!!

Garri the 1st: He said 120 million and not 50, don't lie.

Thank you.

Don't mention.




120m Nigerians without electricity, says govt


Woos citizens to buy stake in power sector

MINISTER of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, alongside the Minister of State, Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, Wednesday described the power outage being experienced in the country as national embarrassment, but blamed it on systems collapse.

Nevertheless, Nebo said that steps had been taken to rectify the problem, adding that power was already being restored. According to the ministry, at least 120 million out of the estimated 160 million Nigerians are currently without electricity supply, leaving only an estimated 40 million Nigerians with electricity.

Nebo, who addressed State House Correspondents after briefing the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on the activities of his ministry in the last one last year, said that systems collapse affected some power installations in some parts of the country.

He cited the recent breakdown of power installations in Bayelsa and Kebbi states, which kept the two states in darkness for over three weeks, stating: “Bayelsa State was almost knocked out because a huge tree fell on the transmission tower and shattered it up to the foundation.

“Similar situation occurred in Kebbi, where heavy storms destroyed three transmission towers. These things are natural phenomena that are not caused by human beings.”

Aside systems collapse, the minister also fingered the activities of vandals as well as lack of funding last year for routine maintenance of electricity equipment. He noted: “I can use the word ‘nightmare’ to describe what we witnessed in the past three weeks, as far as power supply is concerned.”

Nebo said it was down to “systems collapse, which occurs at the beginning of every rainy season, or when the rainy season is about to take off robustly, with a lot of storm.”

 

Meanwhile, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsdey Orubebe, and his Minister of State, Darius Ishaku, told journalists that, “privatization is at its concluding stage. We need to focus on commercialisation of the power sector, considering where we are and the fact that only 40 million people have power supply.”

He expressed hope that the short-term mechanism being put in place, and additional fund being approved by government would raise power holding beyond the current 3200 megawatts.

Nebo, whose ministry presented its 2012 scorecard to FEC, said the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) has started a road show to make 10 different power plants available to interested investors, pointing out that once on stream, the 10 would add 4000 megawatts to the national grid.

For Kuchi, Nigerians would be better off owning great stakes in the power sector by availing themselves the opportunity in government’s commercialisation drive, as “the future of power in Nigeria is through IPPs and PPPs.”

Meanwhile, Orubebe said that funding has been the problem hampering the construction of the East-West Road. He noted, however, that the programme has made a lot of progress under SURE-P, as some bridges have been completed and key sectors of the road were being steadily delivered.

According to him, the ministry, in the post-amnesty period, has provided more skill acquisition centres to equip the youth and create jobs. Ishaku disclosed that the ministry spent N39 billion on the amnesty project in the past year.

According to him, the ministry was working hard to curb militancy, and though Julius Berger left the region because of militancy, the contract for the East-West Road was re-awarded and the new contractors were doing well despite the dearth of “real funding.”

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123757:120m-nigerians-without-electricity-says-govt&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

homesteady: But you guys believed when the minister of power for state said that 'about 50million Nigerians are without electricity' I'm not sure of the figures!!