How Nigerian agency mismanaged N1.3 billion on ghost contracts, poorly executed projects, others – Audit Report
premiumtimesng.com Monday, August 06, 2018 07:21

Ajinapa water supply scheme
A Nigerian agency mismanaged N1.3 billion by making payments without evidence of such, overpaying for some (abandoned) projects, and not getting value for money on many others, an audit report shows.

About N1.33 billion was mismanaged by the Ogun Osun River Basin Development Agency (OORBDA) in 2016, according to the audit report by the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

A PREMIUM TIMES’ analysis of the report shows how the agency haphazardly spent public funds on poorly executed projects while leaving others to lay in ruins in flagrant abuse of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The ‘2016 audit report’ is the latest one from the office of the Auditor-General.

Most of the funds were reportedly siphoned through ghost contracts, overpayment of mobilisation fees, poorly executed/abandoned project and unprized provision in Bill of Quantity, the report revealed.

In other instances, contractors were overpaid for work not completed or haphazardly done. Many payments made were without receipts and many unprized items were discovered in the bill of quantity and contracts documents while many projects were abandoned contrary to extant financial regulation.

During the audit evaluation of how public funds were spent at the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA), Abeokuta, the following was revealed.


Contractors Overpaid For Abandoned Projects

A number of the projects were abandoned, according to the report of the AUGF. Despite the abandonment of the projects, the authority still went ahead to overpay the contractors.

For instance, according to the report, a contract for the construction of water supply structures at Agbado – Isoye in Ogun State was awarded for N565 million in 2008. The auditor’s visit to the site revealed the project has been abandoned despite N404 million payment for 71 per cent work done while the projects status report of OORBDA revealed only 52 per cent of work valued at N294 million was actually done.

Also, the contractor was reportedly overpaid N111 million.

“The Managing Director was however, requested to recover and refund to treasury, the sum of N111 million outrageously overpaid on an abandoned project,” the report noted.

Another contract, the construction of an earth dam at Ilobi–Irinja Ogun State was awarded for N293 million and contractor was paid a mobilisation fee of about N44 million.

According to the AUGF report, it was discovered the project site was only handed over to the contractor four years after contract award.

It was discovered that despite the payment, the contractor didn’t mobilise to site and also failed to refund the mobilisation fee. The project has since been abandoned.

“The Managing Director was asked to enforce the recovery of the mobilisation fee paid to the contractor against the backdrop of non-performance since 2011, blacklist the contractor and report him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution, in line with Financial Regulation 3104 and refund to treasury, the recovered sum of N44 M paid to the contractor,” the report noted.

More Sleaze Uncovered

At Ajinapa, Orire LGA of Oyo State, a contract for the construction of mini–water scheme was awarded to a company at a contract sum of N449.7 million in October 2012.

The project was completed with N449 million paid to the contractor. It was however observed that another contract was awarded and tagged Phase 2 of the construction of the Ajinapa Water Supply Scheme at a N250 million out of which N187 million was paid in September 2014, even when the first contract had not been completed.

A visit to the site by the auditor revealed that there was no evidence of work done on the ‘second phase’ of the project despite the payment.

PREMIUM TIMES and UDEME in January tracked the said water supply scheme and reported how residents suffer over dearth of water and the difficulties the dry season has subjected them to.

“Whenever there is no water, we usually pay ‘bikemen’ to fetch for us at the dam. If we give them three jerry cans (25 litres kegs), we pay like N300. Sometimes we put alum in the water but most times, we drink the water like that. I usually send my small children to fetch most times because I don’t have the strength to carry it (the water). Instead of that water project they wasted money on, they should give us more boreholes,” a resident had lamented when the project was inspected in January.


A contract for the construction of a small earth dam at Asa in Surulere LGA of Oyo State was awarded for N521 million in November, 2010. The audit report revealed that despite payment of 30.5 per cent of the contract sum to the contractor, the project had been abandoned.

Interestingly, according to OORBDA management records, the status of the project is 19.21 per cent level of execution despite 30.5 per cent payment to the contractor indicated in report.

The report also indicates an overpayment of N58.7 million despite the abandoned state of the project.

“The contractor must be compelled to carry out the outstanding works or recover and refund sum of N59m overpaid for work not done on the site,” the auditor-general said.

No Evidence For Payments Made

Contract for the construction of Ibara–Onikoko water supply scheme in Abeokuta was awarded for N391 million in 2011.

As at the time of audit in 2016, documents reviewed indicated a 54 per cent level of job completion, while payment to the contractor as at December 2013, stood at N139 million.

The management of OORBDA reportedly failed to produce payment records and due to their intransigence, the auditor was not able to inspect the project site.

Contract for the construction of mini-water supply at Ife-Odan Osun State, was awarded at a contract sum of N538 million in 2012. The contractor was certified to have achieved 98 per cent completion valued at N528 million as at December 22, 2015.

However, audit scrutiny of the payment profile revealed that the contractor was paid N568 million, an overpayment of N40 million in violation of extant regulations.

The audit report also revealed there were no evidence by way of bills, receipts and invoices for the expenditure of N6.5 million paid for project vehicle, N10 million provided for capacity building, N5 million and N2.5 million provided for supervision works during construction and project management respectively.

Contract for the construction of water treatment plant at Oko Township, Surulere LGA, Oyo State, was awarded to a company at a contract sum of N244 million in September 2014. As at the time of audit, N221 million has been paid to the contractor. But contrary to extant regulations, there were no evidence of receipts/invoices to support alleged expenditure of N25 million for supervision works during construction, project management, monitoring and evaluation and capacity building.

Also, payment of N11 million out of the N25 million provided for contingencies was made with no evidence of approval for variation or additional works to justify payment.

“The above expenditure of N25,553,467 without valid proof as required by Financial Regulation cannot be accepted as a legitimate charge against public funds,” the report noted.

It urged the Managing Director to recover and refund N25 million to treasury and forward recovery particulars for verification.

Other Revelations

Improvement of the Olode water supply scheme in Ife South LGA of Osun State was awarded in 2009 for N200 million.

According to the audit report, documents revealed that the contract was 95 per cent completed after a total of N192 million was certified paid to the contractor. Further examination of documents revealed that the concrete work done was damaged and the river bank was eroded beyond normal level. The audit report revealed that another contract was awarded at N40 million in September 2014.

“As at the time of audit in April 2016, it was observed that the project has been abandoned despite receiving payment of N17 million on the new contract since 2015, hence value for money was not derived from the entire project,” the AUGF noted.

Also captured in the audit report was contract for the drilling of 15 solar powered boreholes in Lagos State which was awarded at a contract sum of N118 million in November, 2010.

Documents showed that only 10 out of the 15 boreholes were drilled and put to use leaving a balance of N40 million for five boreholes not drilled, but which the contractor was paid for.

Contract for the construction of Igbojaiye earth dam for N154 million was awarded in 2010. A visit to the site confirmed the project had been completed.

Further checks revealed that another contract termed “Phase 2” for earth works, spillway and protective works was awarded to the same contractor in 2013 for the sum of N211 million and the sum of N164 million was paid to the contractor.

While reasons for awarding the second contract were not disclosed, it was noted that the embankment of the dam was haphazardly done and authorities of the OORBDA said 78 per cent job completion has been achieved.

“There was no value derived for the money spent on the project since desired result was not achieved, despite the huge amount expended and payments to the contractor are not in line with milestone achievements and thus cannot be accepted as legitimate charges against public funds,” the auditor said.

Contract for the construction of Panseke – Onikolobo water supply scheme in Abeokuta South LGA of Ogun State, was awarded to a company for N383 million in December 2012 and as at 2013, N204 million had been paid to the contractor.

However, during the physical inspection of the project in 2016, the project had been abandoned and most aspects of work claimed to have been executed had deteriorated. Also, some items and equipment had been vandalised, a development that suggests that no value for money was derived from the project, the report added.

A contract for the construction of water supply scheme at Asa Dam in Oyo State was awarded for N618 million in 2011. A review of documents, according to the audit report, revealed that N308 million had been paid to the contractor.

However, physical inspection carried out at the project site revealed that the project has been abandoned and most of the works certified to have been done were not executed, an indication that “the financial commitment far outweighs actual work done,” the report said.

Agency Keeps Mum

The Public Relations Officer of the OORBDA, Saliu Niyi, when contacted declined comments. He directed this reporter to the head of audit of the OORBDA.

However, the head of audit, one Mr Asore, did not pick calls and did not reply to text messages sent to his phone when PREMIUM TIMES tried to reach him for a response to the report.

Meanwhile, the 743-page audit report also revealed that many ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have refused to submit their accounts for review since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015.

The poor compliance of MDAs to Nigerian laws on submission of accounts was reported to be worse in Mr Buhari’s first two years in office, than any previous year since Nigeria returned to democracy from military dictatorship in 1999.

Civil Society Group Reacts

The situation at the OORBDA was condemned by the Executive Director, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative, Olusegun Elemo.

“Government agencies cannot just take public funds and decide to spend it the way they like without adequate value for the money spent.

“It is important for citizens to pay attention to this kind of report so they can use such to push for accountability and ensure that justice is done on money spent on projects. Meanwhile, anti-corruption agencies also have work to do on their hands,” he said in reaction to the report.

“In most rural communities, where these projects have been abandoned, residents don’t have access to any decent water, some of them are getting water from the stream and then when you have votes coming from the budget to provide water for these communities and somebody embezzles the money or a contractor gets a particular fund and he doesn’t utilise the fund judiciously in that value for money spent were not derived, these are the issues the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent and Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) need to look at.

“The EFCC and ICPC must ensure that they take a look into it and investigate the matter and bring the contractors, where they have defaulted to book. Some of the staff of MDAs who are caught in diverting public funds should also be penalised and sanctioned appropriately according to the codes that govern their works,” he added.

By Wole Mosadomi
Minna-Ahead of the 2019 Presidential election, a
new women group has emerged in Niger state
and set to embark on a house to house campaign
for the success of Buhari/Osinbanjo success at
the polls.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President,
Yemi Osinbajo
The group named Noble Women Movement For
Buhari / Osinbajo Support group has already
mobilized 274,000 across the state and has kick
started its campaign for the presidential ticket of
president Muhammadu Buhari and Osinbajo with
a mass rally in Minna over the weekend.
Coordinator of the group in the state Hajia Zaynab
Abubakar said similar women groups are also
being floated in all the 36 States and the Federal
Capital Territory with the same mission of
“selling” President Buhari and his Vice, Professor
Osinbanjo to the electorate for next year’s
election.
The coordinator disclosed that the group has also
embarked on the mobilization and sensitization of
the women across the country on the need to be
registered ahead of the general adding that the
assignment had been a success story.
” Our first assignment is to ensure that virtually
all women of voting age obtain their voter’s card
because It is only with the Voters Cards that we
can reelect President Muhammadu Buhari, so if
you don’t have voter’s card you cannot be a
member of this group”.
“Besides the mobilization for the reelection and
sensitisation of women to obtain their voter’s
cards, another agenda the group would pursue is
getting women elected into public offices because
women are more dependable and are not as
greedy as our men who are daily defecting from
the party that made them politically”, she
remarked.
She decried the spate of defection from the APC
to the PDP but added that rather than have any
negative impact on APC, it will only energize the
Party towards winning next year’s general
elections with less stress.
“Defection will not affect us in 2019, those
defecting are thieves because they were used to
getting free money, but Buhari is a man of
integrity and financially disciplined and cannot
change because of them,” she declared.
Hajiya Abubakar therefore called on those that
have just defected to come back to the fold,
(APC) before it is not too late so as to see to the
reelection of President Buhari and his Vice Professor Osinbanjo for a better Nigeria.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/2019-women-embark-on-house-to-house-campaign-for-buhari-osinbanjo/

Get set for life by imvesting in agriculture

The 3050 megawatts (MW) Mambilla hydropower
project which has long been on the drawing board
was stirred in November 2017 when the Federal
Government and Chinese contractors signed a N2.1
trillion (about $5.792 billion) contract deal in Abuja
to execute it. Daily Trust dissects the expected
breakthrough it could record this year.
In June 2017, the Minister of Power, Works and
Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, announced that he
obtained a ‘No Objection’ clearance certificate from
the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and was
working on raising a memo to present the project at
the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The FEC then approved the project award on August
30, 2017, two months after the procurement terms
were certified by the BPP while the contract was
signed about two months after.
The federal government eventually signed the
contract in November 2017, marking the beginning
of greater expectations of the biggest single power
generation project in the country.
The project had its first contract awarded in 2007
under President Olusegun Obasanjo government but
was cancelled by a different administration.
The signing ceremony which was supervised by the
minister is said to be a new dawn for Nigeria’s
power sector as the project has lingered for about
40 years, since its idea was conceived.
After the signing ceremony, Fashola hinted that after
the contract signing, the Minister of Finance, Mrs
Kemi Adeosun took over the financial negotiations
with the Chinese financier - The Chinese Export
Import (EXIM) Bank.
Speaking to newsmen at an educative forum for the
Power Sector Reform Programme (PSRP), Fashola
said once the negotiations are completed, he will be
consulted and then government can prepare to flag
it off for construction.
He also said signing the Mambilla contract shows
that the present government was committed to
reforming the power sector adding that, “There are
problems but there is a very clear plan” and
working with the World Bank to implement the
PSRP.”
How it fared earlier
Prior to the 2017 achievement of signing the project
contract for the second time since it was
conceived, yearly budgetary allocation at the Budget
Office since 2010 shows that over N1.8bn was
earmarked on doing certain studies and
consultancies for the project.
In 2010, about N934.9m was allocated to the project
for the geotechnical/geodetic surveys, orthophoto
mapping of the site, the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA), land acquisition, resettlement
and compensation of inhabitants at the site. Another
N69.7m was pegged to review the feasibility study
and other spending.
In 2013, the project management and consultancy
services got N200m. It got another N300m in 2014
for consultants to do a detailed Engineering Design
and Project Management Supervision of the project.
The annual report of the ministry for 2014 also
indicates that the detailed engineering design was
completed but another N15.1m was allocated to the
same item in 2015. For Year 2018, the same item
which was said to be completed three years ago will
get N512m, budgetary figures indicate.
An annual report for 2012 showed that the federal
government and the states will be responsible for
the cost of resettlement and project management
estimated at about $310m of which the federal
government had already spent 49.5m as at
December 2012.
In 2016 under President Muhammadu Buhari N407m
was allocated to the project with a vigorous revival.
With incessant attacks on gas pipelines and the
continuous blackout due to over dependence on
gas-based power stations, government pushed to
go beyond the thermal generation and raise the
hydropower capacity to the national grid.
FG to spend N9.82bn in 2018 budget
Already, the federal government has made
provisions for its financing in the 2018 budget
appropriation, the Daily Trust record shows. From
the N434bn budget the ministry is getting for capital
projects in 2018, the sum of N9.82bn has been
pegged on the Mambilla project.
The expenditure breakdown shows that consultancy
services will gulp N1.3bn including a N610m peg on
consultancy works for the valuation and
compensation of the affected communities. There is
a N200m allocation for the Federal government and
Taraba state project implementation team while
another N512m will be spent on the engineering
design, management and supervision of the project.
Government will also spend N8.5bn as part of the
15 per cent counterpart funding for the project.
Completion to take 6yrs, ready by 2023
The $5.79bn project is expected to be completed in
six years from now which is by Year 2023. The
funding consists of $4.92bn from the Chinese Exim
Bank and other Chinese lenders which is 85 per
cent of the contract sum while the Federal
Government will provide the 15 per cent amounting
to $868.87 million.
A breakdown of the contract works obtained by the
Daily Trust show that the project will cover four
large dams which are Nya, Sumsum, Nghu and Api
Weir, and two underground power house of 12 units
of 250mw each all around the Mambilla plateau in
Taraba state.
The other project components include two units of
330 kilo volt (kv) of 700 kilometre (km)
transmission lines to Makurdi in Benue state and
Jalingo. There will about 120km of access roads
connecting the project site and nearby communities
and the resettlement of an estimated 100,000
impacted persons.
The three Chinese firms to handle the project are
China Gezhouba Corporation, Sinohydro Corporation
Ltd and CGOC Group Ltd. l
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/what-to-expect-for-3050mw-mambilla-hydropower-in-2018.html

selling

Buy now

Karlovich:
may ogun punish el dullarddo and a great thunder paralyze him, useless jihadist. thunder should also scatter fashola's mouth. bunch of stupid evil politicians

You know something, when curse other people and they happen to not deserve it then the curses come back to you, so think well and be sure in your heart before you curse or insult people

Nigerians see your life!

By Owei Lakemfa
Rwanda is a small landlocked African country with
a 24,670 square kilometer, a population of 11.9
million and a GDP of $8.9 Billion. It is with this
country, the United States, US, the world's largest
economy with a $20.412 Trillion GDP, a 9,147,420
square kilometre and a population of 326,920,253,
has picked a trade war.
Yet, this trade war tiny Rwanda is fighting, is on
behalf of Africa following US' insistence that
Africans must wear clothes already used by
Americans .
The steps that led to the war began in March 2016
when the Heads of State of Uganda, Kenya,
Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan who
constitute the East African Community, EAC,
decided to ban the importation of used clothes by
2019 as part of the EAC Vision 2050. They sought
to grow the manufacturing sector from 8.7 percent
to 25 percent by 2032.
They also agreed to increase import duties on used
clothing to discourage its use and promote local
production. As part of this decision, Uganda for
example increased the environmental levy on used
clothes from 15 percent to 20 percent while
Rwanda increased the import duty on used
American clothes from $0.25 to $2.50 per
kilogramme. Tanzania increased its own tariffs
from 0.2 to 0.4 US dollars per kilogramme.
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT
The US was livid; how can Africans decide to shun
clothes discarded by Americans? If Africans,
regarded as the poor of the earth would not buy
used American clothes, who will? How will
American second hand clothe traders unionised
under the Secondary Materials and Recycled
Textiles Association, SMART, continue in
business?
In 2017, it sent a warning to the African countries
to either accept the used American clothes, or be
punished. But the African countries refused to be
intimidated. President Kagame in response to the
American threats, said in 2017: "This is the choice
we find that we have to make. As far as I am
concerned, making the choice is simple, we might
suffer consequences.Even when confronted with
difficult choices, there is always a way."
Uganda's Minister for Finance, Planning and
Economic Development, Matia Kasaija declared:
"We are not going to back away from our plans to
ban used clothes in this country because few
business people in the US or Uganda are
interested in the business... Why should our people
continue wearing 'dead people's clothes' when we
grow cotton and have got our own factories? Is it
fair? It is not. We can trade in many other things
but not in used clothes."
Journalist, Isaac Khisa quoted the research by
trade lawyer and policy analyst, Esther Katende-
Magezis which revealed that 'cotton produced in
the EAC is spun and woven in Asia, converted into
apparels and shipped to USA and EU to be worn for
2-3 years and shipped back to Africa, EAC, as used
clothing, to clothe up to 70% of African population.'
When the East African leaders met to review
progress on their development-oriented decision,
the Head of Economic and Regional Affairs at the
Africa Bureau of the US State Department, Harry
Sullivan issued a directive: "The leaders of
Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda are going to meet
on this issue, so I wish I was privy to what they
might decide. They might not have come to
consensus yet, I'm really not sure, but we are
asking those three countries to do two things. One
is to decrease their tariffs to their pre-2016 levels,
and the second thing we're asking is to commit
that aside from health or sanitary reasons, not to
phase out the export of used clothing."
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT
President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya buckled under,
accepted the dictation of the US. But Rwandan
President Paul Kagame, refused. For this, the US
suspended Rwanda from the African Growth and
Opportunity Act, AGOA, which allows Sub-Saharan
African countries to export to the United States
without facing tariffs.
Rather than be cowed and be apprehensive of
other punitive actions by America, the Rwandese
Government issued a statement saying: "AGOA is
a commendable unilateral gesture to African
countries, including Rwanda, meant to promote
trade and development through exports. The
withdrawal of AGOA benefits is at the discretion of
the United States."
The importation of used clothes, the unrestricted
inflow of cheap clothes and smuggling of textiles
into Africa, has practically killed the textile industry
leading to the loss of millions of jobs. In Nigeria for
instance, the textile sector which was the largest
private sector employer, is virtually dead with over
half a million jobs lost. Yet, it is a country of 180
million people needing clothes with a
corresponding pair of legs that need shoes. The
footwear industry, subjected to similar treatment
like the textile sector, suffered a worse state; it is
dead.
The imposition of used clothes on Africa reminds
me of the British imposition of opium on China in
the 19th Century. The Chinese had rejected trade in
opium, but Britain insisted that under free trade, no
country can stop the importation of any item
including opium. Over this, it invaded China twice,
seized Hong Kong and turned millions of Chinese
into drug addicts.
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT
Aside issues of trade, dependency and local
manufacturing, used clothes have health hazards
including skin diseases, ringworm and body lice.
As the Ghanaians who refer to the clothes as
Obroni Wawu (Dead white men's clothes) indicate,
such clothes could have been worn by anybody
before being discarded. Used clothes can also be
used for biological warfare. When the White
settlers in America decided to exterminate the
indigenous Indians 500 years ago, they simply
infected blankets with small pox and handed them
over to the Indians. That way, some 90 percent of
the Indians were exterminated.
The issue of dumping second-hand clothes and
used shoes on Africa, is not merely an economic or
trade matter, it is also a socio-political one. The
imposition of used clothing on African countries
especially by America and Europe is a prolongation
of neo-colonial domination, perpetuation of a
programme of dependency and a continuous play
of a racist stereotype that sees Africans as inferior
human beings not fit to wear new clothes like other
people.
This is why a country like America that claims to
be the universal champion of human rights, cannot
accept the right of Africans to wear what they
want, especially new clothes. So when a country
like Rwanda insist on the dignity of its people by
rejecting used clothes, it is regarded as an affront;
an act of insolence, disobedience and revolt, which
must be punished to dissuade other African
countries. This is why Rwanda should not be left
alone like a David confronting the American
Goliath; other African countries need to rally round
and build a united front.
https://allafrica.com/stories/201807270137.html?utm_campaign=allafrica%3Aeditor&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=promote%3Aaans%3Aablfpu

get yours now

Never rely on what Nairalanders say, 99% of the time it is fake news, just imagine the fake news they put out to the fact that the logo was designed by a foreign company, Chai, Nairalanders can lie for the world

……..Says, airline incorporated as
wholly government company
…..To make certificate public when
full equity structure pre-financial
close is finalized
….National Assembly to enact Fly
Nigeria Act
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on Monday
offered clarification on the controversies trailing the
national carrier- Nigeria Air saying the airline is
currently incorporated as a wholly government
company with the Corporate Affairs Commission
using nominal directors who are directors of the
Ministry of Aviation.
A souce close to the NCAA, who pleaded not to be
named said the certificate of incorporation of the
airline will be made public very soon on conclusion
of the public private partnership procurement
process; which will spelt out when full equity
structure pre financial close is finalized.
The official said Nigeria Air Limited as a legal entity
already has a domain name: www.flynigeriaair.ng,
which has been reserved and will be made active
very soon as part of the project evaluation and
marketing process.
The NCAA official confided that the ownership of the
national carrier in terms of international convention
must be beneficial to majority of Nigerians with the
accruing privileges to national carriers.
As part of efforts to make airlines viable in Nigeria,
the ministry, he said is making moves to have the
National Assembly pass a fly Nigeria act. This act
will require that anybody travelling on a ticket
bought with public funds must travel on a Nigerian
carrier unless the route is not served by a Nigerian
carrier. However, with your private funds you can
do as you like. Many countries including America
has such as Act.
He said the current logo of the national carrier is a
prerequisite for the issuance of Air Transport
License and Air Operators Certficate by the NCAA.
He said: “The logo is requirements for an ATL and
AOC required for NCAA to license an airline. In any
case the name and logo can be amended it the
strategic equity partners feel it’s not right for the
business. We must recall that the airline name and
logo was the result of an open national competition.
However, this airline line is going to represents our
Nation, the Name, logo and color should be in line
with what was done with the public.”
He also spared a thought for the structure of the
airline saying: “At start up government will own
majority equity in Nigeria Air Limited Joint Venture
Company. A Joint Venture Company that would be
very similar to Nigeria LNG Limited. Nigeria LNG
Limited is a huge JV success that is private sector
managed so will Nigeria Air Limited. After one year
of operations, government will through an IPO divest
her equity for purchase by Nigerians subject to
approval of the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Government will then retain only five
per cent equity. The rest of 95 per cent equity of
Nigeria Air Limited will then be owned by the
strategic equity investor and the general public.
“Majority ownership must however remain with
Nigerians so that the national carrier can benefit
from BASA and other bilateral agreements which
require local beneficial ownership as a condition
precedent. Management of the national carrier will
be concessional to the strategic equity investor with
no step in rights and management control by
government. Signed up acceptance and approval of
the management concession agreement will be a
condition precedent for the IPO.”
He said the project is not shrouded in any secrecy
affirming “There is no secrecy. The entire process
is guided by the infrastructure concession
regulatory commission guidelines/regulations.
Because it’s a PPP, it has three stages – the
project development stage, procurement stage and
implementation stage. The project development
stage was just concluded with the approval of the
Outline Business Case, which the ICRC issued a
certificate of compliance. Once the process gets to
the PPP procurement stage, there will be an RFQ,
Information Memorandum and RFP bidding process
which will be made public, competitive and
transparent. It is only after the PPP procurement
process that the strategic equity investor will be
known. At that stage the JV partners will be
government and the strategic equity partner.
Government’s equity share held in trust for
Nigerians will be devolved to Nigerians via an IPO.
The government will retain only 5% equity, the list of
shareholders then will be available to SEC and the
Nigerian Stock Exchange. At that point Nigeria Air
Ltd becomes a public company subject to SEC, NSE
and relevant CAMA rules for public companies. All
PPP procurement and ownership moves will be
made public. Signed up acceptance and approval of
the management concession agreement will be a
condition precedent for the IPO.”
He clarified that government is not entirely funding
the airline.
His words “The Government is not funding the
entire project. It’s just providing startup capital in
the form of an Upfront Grant/Viability Gap Funding.
Once the strategic equity investor is in place, they
will be expected to build on the initial investment
made.
Read Also: Nigeria Air: A National
Carrier of controversy
The OBC made it clear that the strategic equity
investors will not start the national carrier;
government has to start it in order to attract
credible investors.
$8m represents startup capital for offices required
for takeoff. But $300m is the entire airline cash flow
funding requirements (aircraft, operations and
working capital) for three years (2018, 2019 and
2020).
“This funding can be in the form of equity or debt.
The financial model estimates cash flow
requirements as follows 2018 ($55m – $8 million is
included here), 2019 ($100m) and 2020 ($145m). In
order to ensure take of the airline in 2018
government will provide US $55 Million upfront
grant/viability gap funding to finance startup capital
and pay commitment fees for aircraft to be leased
for initial operations and deposit for new aircrafts
whose delivery will begin in 2021.
“The remaining financial injection by government
will be determined by the quantum of equity that the
strategic equity partner will bring as a result of the
PPP competitive bidding process. This explanation
clearly debunks the claim in the social media that
government is paying $300 million for a five per
cent equity share. Furthermore, with ongoing
discussions the cash flow requirement may be
lower than $300 million; furthermore, the cash flow
estimates contains a 20 per cent buffer that is put in
on the assumption that the airline may suffer an
operating loss in year 1 due to competition and
needto build a brand. As mentioned earlier
governments contribution to equity will be in the
form of an upfront grant/VGF. Government’s upfront
grant/VGF contribution to equity will be funded
through either a supplementary budgetary allocation
or development financial institutions like AFREXIM
bank, AFBD, ISDB etc, who have indicated keen
interest in funding the national carrier project
because of its bankability and profitability profile.”
On how government intends to procure the aircraft,
the NCAA official said: ” As you may be aware it’s
almost impossible for you to pay for and get a new
aircraft immediately because it is not an off the
shelf item like indomie noodles. However, as part of
discussions with major Aircraft Manufacturers, the
Government will pay deposits for brand new
aircrafts and the manufacturers will support Nigeria
Air in getting very good dry lease aircrafts coming
directly from c checks and certified by the original
manufacturers. These aircraft lease period will be
for an initial period of fiver years with an early
termination option after 4 years. By the time the
new aircraft are ready, they will be replacing the
leased aircrafts. Till all the aircraft are owned by
the airline. This is how Emirates Airlines started
with two leased aircraft from Pakistan Airlines until
it was able to buy her own aircrafts. According to
the manufacturers, the new aircrafts will start
coming through from 2021. http://thenationonlineng.net/government-clears-air-on-controversies-over-national-carrier/

The Nigerian U20 have overaged players in it, I have only seen the pics of Aremu and the captain but both are clearly overaged. Lets shout to the authorities to stop this deceit, we are Nigerians we know true 20 year olds when we see them. If there will be exceptions then they will be few.

call me

eyeview:
One thing i couldn't help but notice with GEJ's former appointees is that since leaving office, most of them have been soaring to greater heights on the international scene. Thats competence.
In all honesty, which of Buhari's appointees can we boast of securing international job offers and recognition on leaving office? Is it the ones with questionable certificates or is it Buhari himself who has only primary school FSLC but occupying an office constituionally made for waec holders(minimum), a criminal offence worthy of jail time.

They waited for them to leave office but they couldn't wait for Amina Mohammed to complete her term before she was appointed as deputy secretary General of the UN, so go figure

100 Acres of land for sale at Akinlade Village Ijebu Igbo Ogun state. The Land is direct from the Village Head(Baale). Land documents available are Land receipt, Agreement and Title Deeds. Contact me on whatsapp 08098557290

UMUAHIA—SUCCOUR has come the way of erosion ravaged Amachara community, Umuahia South Council of Abia State, as the Federal Government, last week, commissioned a N400 million flood erosion control project built to check the menace of rampaging erosion problem in the community. The massive erosion project was attracted by the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Chief Sam Onuigbo through the Ecological Fund Office and handled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. According to Onuigbo: “There are still over 40 massive erosion sites within Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency that need urgent attention. The topography of our place is such that one of the greatest ecological challenges is erosion and this has continued to affect farming, development projects and even led to displacement of people from time to time.” While commending the Federal Government for allocating two projects that cost the Federal Government over N700 million, the Federal lawmaker called for more assistance to rescue his constituents. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, explained that the project was one of the 26 projects approved by the President in the first quarter of 2017,as part of the intervention initiated by the Federal Government to check flood and erosion in the community. “The president gave approvals based on availability of funds to tackle some of the ecological problems, but this time, in 2017, amongst the 1000 ecological problems we had across the country, Abia was the only state that had two. “These ecological funds projects are very important, these are the only projects that the President personally approves which means that the problems in Umuahia South were specifically brought to the attention of the President and he decided to solve them by giving approval”, Lokpobiri said. He expressed joy at the conception and timely completion of the project, saying it is in line with the promise of this administration not to neglect any part of the country regardless of its geographical location or party affiliation. He promised that the Federal Government would ensure that other erosion site projects across the country are completed for the benefit of our people as the projects would enhance the living standard of the people of these communities and environs. “It will also check the risk to life and property associated with erosion and persistent flooding; the socio-economic outlook and general well- being of the people will also be enhanced by this intervention. “It is on this note that I urge you to cherish this laudable project by preventing indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drainage and take responsibility to own and maintain the project by ensuring its sustainability”, the Minister urged. In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Mrs. Georgina Ehuriah, who represented the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, noted that the commissioning and handover of the project to the benefiting community was expected to achieve a dual purpose of enabling the host community to take over and exercise ownership over the project, to ensure its care and sustainability and to ensure that the resources the Federal Government committed to this project are not allowed to waste. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/05/fg-rescues-abia-community-erosion-menace/

This is the dividend of the reatriction of foreign exchange to 41 items implenented by the govt in the early part of 2016, a policy in the best interest of the Nation. It maybe painful at first but if we stay the course we will emerge the better for it insha Allah

Mr President no wan slow even as election approaches

The Federal Executive Council has approved the sum of N185.276 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of 14 road projects in different parts of the country. Mr Femi Adesina, Buhari’s spokesman, on Wednesday made this known to correspondents Federal Exexcutive Cancunle meeting in Abuja. One of the ongoing road projects in Edo State The Roads are 1. Gwoza – Damboa – Goniri – Ngamdu Road in Yobe/Borno States by Hajaig Construction Nigeria Ltd. at the cost of N34.608 billion 2. Mayo Belwa – Jada – Ganye – Torngo Road in Adamawa by Messrs Triacta Nigeria Ltd. at the rate of N22.699bn. 3. Ado – Ifaki – Otun – Kwara State border in Ekiti State at the rate of N6.002 billion. 4. Repair Makurdi bridge in Benue State by Messrs AG Visio Construction Ltd.N4.617 billion. 5. Ihugi – Korinya -Wuse -Ankor in Benue State Datum Construction Ltd N15.641 billion 6. Gbagi – Apa – Owode in Badagry Lagos State by Messrs Smithcrown Nigeria Ltd.at NN4.366 billion. 7. Construction Ijebu Igbo – Ita Egba Owonowen in Ogun and Oyo States to Messrs DC EngineeringN9.833 billion. 8. Dualisation of Jattu – Fugar – Agenebode in Edo Phase II by Mothercat at N7.506 billion. 9. Makurdi – Gboko – Wannune – Yander Section 1 in Benue State to Messrs Rockbridge Construction Ltd. at the rate of N18.669 billion. 10. Old – Enugu – Poth Harcourt Road at Agbogugu – Abia border Spur by Messrs Setraco Ltd. at N13.933 billion. 11. Rehabilitation of Umulungbe – Umoka road at N6.249 billion. 12. Amokwu – Ikedimkpe – Egede – Opeyi Awhum Road in Enugu State to Messrs IDC Construction N21.729 billion. 13. Rehabilitation of Nkwu Inyi – Akpugoeze in Anambra State by Anbeez Services at N2.595 billion 14. Construction of Sabon Birnin – Tsululu – Kuya – Maradi Junction road in Sokoto by Messrs China Zhonghao Nigeria Ltd N4.354 billion https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/06/14-road-projects-fg-spending-n185bn/

selling

Thousands of jobs loading

Fantastic! This is the way to grow an economy, you don't have a proper economic growth without assets like this and National Airline and a host of other national assets that will provide jobs and services and bring in foreign exchange

By Favour Nnabugwu
THE Federal Government is targeting banks and
insurance companies to finance the national
shipping carrier, following the withdrawal of a
Singaporean liner, Pacific International Lines
(PIL), from the initiative.
File: insurance
The Singaporean shipping company, with over a
hundred ships in its fleet world-wide, had said
that it would not be able to cope with the shipping
policies in the country as government was
reluctant to amend the loopholes in the Maritime
Act.
However, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian
Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hassan Bello, said that
new options will be explored by government to
involve the banks, insurance companies, the flag
administration and nautical colleges to establish a
befitting national fleet flying Nigerian flag.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Bello said
that the country will change from its current
terms of trade, Free on Board (FoB) to Cost,
Insurance and Freight (CIF).
Bello stated: “We have to involve the banks,
insurance, the flag administration, nautical
colleges, policies as well as laws that can make
the country change from Free on Board (FoB) to
Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) and others.”
Bello explained that despite the withdrawal of PIL,
there were still many options opened to bidders.
He noted that the ministerial fleet implementation
committee constituted by the Minister of
Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, will ensure
the refloating of the Nigerian National Shipping
Line to meet its mandate.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/06/fg-targets-insurance-firms-others-fund-national-shipping-fleet/

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Fantastic, a neglected giant on the rise again, 16 years of neglect! what a waste we will surely get to the heights we are supposed to reach as a nation insha Allah

Viepoint IN BRIEF: Home grown solution to postal challenges By Abiodun Komolafe Dilapidated buildings! Rickety vehicles! Out of date, out-of-tune equipment! Unmotivated staff! Disproportionate salary structures! The past in the life of NIPOST was replete with woes! But perhaps the greatest challenge to an organization that renders such immense, sensitive and very essential postal services here as in the rest of Africa as to the developed world is that it still operates under The Stamp Duties Act Cap S8 LFN 2004 of 1939. Determined to disentangle NIPOST from the conflictal contradictions of development and the accoutrements of democracy, President Muhammadu Buhari opted for a better future for the once “transmission-of-letters-and-postal- materials-only”. A new management, under the headship of Bisi Adegbuyi, was saddled with the onerous responsibility of repositioning the outfit with a view to making it compete favourably in the comity of world’s postal systems. For a fact, the lawyer-turned-Post-Master General’s immense contributions to the development of the organization’s universality as well as the creation of an efficient, effective and a technology-driven, market-led government agency have surpassed expectations. As one of the largest postal industries in Africa with over-1000 major Post Offices and close to 4,000 Postal Agencies, spread across Nigeria’s 36 states and Abuja, the Adegbuyi-led management has within a short period of 2 years transformed the state-owned government monopoly into an awards-winning outfit. For instance, while equally-challenged outfits elsewhere were lamenting their predicament, NIPOST simply chose to think out of the box. Its ‘NIPOST Vision 2002’ strategic roadmap, especially, the creation of a lean headquarters and empowered Business Units and Zones led to an unprecedented N700 million increase in revenue and a 40% reduction in expenditure in 2017. In other to meet the yearning demands of a globalized world where competitive advantage is now the order of the day, NIPOST rolled out 12 new, game-changing products and services. They are: IPS Track and Trace, E-Stamp; Address Verification System (AVS); Whats3Words; E-Money Order; and NIPOST/ Bank of Agriculture Agency Banking. Others include E-Commerce; E-Insurance; International Money Order (now an appetizer for global players like Jumia, Konga, DHL and FEDEX in the discharge of their duties); and Card Services. Last but not the least is the NIPOST Youth Engagement Scheme (N-YES), designed to discover and productively engage the ingenuity of the Nigerian youth. I am also aware of plans to unbundle NIPOST into five companies: Banking and Insurance; Property and Development; Transport; E-Commerce; and E-Government. Incontestably, this will go a long way in improving the quality of its products and services, in addition to increase in its revenue base. But one other area of innovative opportunities which Nigerians explore is partnering with professional bodies and examination boards like the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and National Examinations Commission (NECO) in the area of provision of security documents for professional examinations. While the roles of NIPOST in creating an inclusive society and making greater contributions to the nation’s socio-economic development cannot be underestimated, the shared vision and determination to make a difference which has created a vision for every member of staff towards seeing that the organization moves with the time cannot be overemphasized either. Apart from the recruitment of new hands, christened ‘The Innovation Team’, to shore up its operations,NIPOST deserves a pat on the back for the Postal Proceeds Bill which was recently passed into law by the National Assembly! Give it to the organization that the Act is coming at a time Nigeria is looking for alternative means of generating funds outside of oil which is no longer sustainable as a means of keeping the nation’s economy afloat. With many countries stepping up efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the postal sector in Nigeria remains an enabler of inclusive development and an essential component of the global economy. A simple example is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NIPOST and BoA for the distribution of the Bank’s farm produce and implements to farmers through the Post Offices. At a time the Buhari administration is doing all it can to revamp Nigeria’s ailing economy and place it on a path to sustainable growth, trusting NIPOST as a highly qualified and competitive communications brand couldn’t have come at a more auspicious time. But, in a country where programme rigmarole and policy somersault have established a prima facie case against developmental strides in this part of the globe, how far it can go in taking advantages of modern science and global markets to provide home- grown solutions to Nigeria’s multifaceted postal challenges will be a matter of interest to Nigerians. •Komolafe is resident at 020, Okenisa Street, Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk) https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/06/new-nipost-possible/

selling

selling

…as 2-day SeedConnect Conference Africa 2018
kicks off
By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA- THE Federal Government, Tuesday,
disclosed that the Jonathan-led administration
initiated agricultural programme, Growth
Enhancement Scheme, GES, will soon be replaced
with Agricultural Inputs and Mechanisation
Services, AIMS, for effective service delivery of
farm inputs to farmers across the country.
Ogbeh
This was made known by the Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu
Ogbeh, in his speech at the opening ceremony of
a 2-day SeedConnect Conference Africa 2018 in
Abuja.
The conference with theme, ‘The Nigerian Seed
Industry: Evaluating the Seed Sector and
Developing a Sustainable Framework to Bolster
the Growth of the Seed Industry’ has over 300
participants from Ghana, Niger Republic, Cote
D’Ivoire, Switzerland, and others, with over 26
companies showcasing their seeds.
Ogbeh said the essence of AIMS was to cut huge
cost involved in GES, which the Jonathan
administration left a debt of N67 billion owed
agro-dealers, and it has been a huge burden on
the shoulders of the present government,
although agro-dealers under GES are being paid
their money.
According to him while explaining about AIMS,
said will at the beginning have three trained
distributors of farm inputs in each of the 774 local
government areas, where farmers would access
farm inputs including fertilizers, hybrid seeds and
mechanization service.
He added that with AIMS fake seeds dealers
could be traced and dealt with according to law.
However, he acknowledged that the negative
effects of fake seeds have frustrated many
investors in the sector.
He said: “We are going to create a programme
called Agricultural Inputs and Mechanisation
Services, AIMS, we will name distributors in the
local government areas.
“The good seed companies we know will use
those distributors to sell those seeds to farmers
depending on the crops they are growing, if it is
rice, maize, sorghum or millet including soya
beans or beans.
“If the seeds fail on the farm the farmer will come
back to the distributor and also complain to us
then the Ministry will take the distributor up on
the matter. By that way we will know who is what
and who is doing what. The farmer does not lose
money.
“Lots of young people women, professionals are
going into agric and we don’t want people to go
spend and lose their money and go away
regretting, and that is the problem we have with
agric now, and I have had that bitter experience
after planting seed nothing grows. We hope that
Nigerians will cooperate.
“The distributors will be trained, they will have the
phone numbers of those producing the seeds,
addresses, and we too will know who they are
and what they are distributing and where so that
and there will be no question of buying stuff and
running away.”
According to the Minister adverts will be placed
on newspapers and people will apply as
distributors, and directors of agriculture at the
states, even local government chairmen will
know who is where, and there will be no question
of running away. He said they will be supported
by the Bank of Agriculture to enable them lend,
hire machines out, give seeds and give general
support, then government will train extension
workers to teach farmers on how to plant their
seeds.
In his remarks the Governor of Kebbi State,
Abubakar Bagudu, said the government should do
more to protect local seed companies with
favourable trade policies, and also task local seed
companies to partner with bigger and foreign
seed companies for a win-win situation.
“Seed companies should partner with bigger and
foreign seed companies for a win-win situation”,
Bagudu stated.
While speaking on the essence of the conference
the Director General, National Agricultural Seed
Council, NASC, Dr Philip Ojo, said the council has
done well and has been the leader in Africa and
pointed out that with Nigeria supplying 70 per cent
of hybrid seeds in Africa, a lot needs to be done to
boost it up.
Ojo said the seed industry in Nigeria has a lot of
challenges, therefore needs more attention which
include combating fake seed dealers, fund
constraints, capacity building, improved
infrastructure, quality control, inadequate
logistics, low quality seeds from some research
institutes, poor handling of breeder seeds,
inadequate personnel, inadequate seed testing
facilities, poor feedback from stakeholders,
inadequate training of seed producers, and
others. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/06/fg-to-replace-ges-with-aims-for-effective-farm-inputs-delivery/

The Army is testing and prototyping self-generating
“Ironman-like” soldier exoskeletons, designed to
massively change combat missions by supporting
soldier movement, generating electricity, powering
weapons systems and substantially lowering the
weight burden of what troops carry in war.
Energy-harvesting technology can extend mission
life for small units or dismounted soldiers on-patrol.
The emerging concept, described by Army
developers as a technical breakthrough is
engineered, not so much for the near-term, but 10
to 20 years down the road.
“The design is for an energy-harvesting
exoskeleton to address the needs of dismounted
soldiers. The system can derive energy from the
motion of the soldier as they are moving around,”
Dr. Nathan Sharps, mechanical engineer, Army
Communications-Electronics Research,
Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) told
Warrior Maven in an interview.
The implications of this kind of technology are
significant. While exoskeletons have been in
development for several years now, the technology
consistently confronts the challenge of finding ways
to sustain mobile power sources to support and
sustain its functionality.
Furthermore, current use of batteries brings
significant combat challenges due to difficulty
recharging and the massive amount of weight
involved in hauling them through combat.
For instance, should a soldier carry a portable 35-
pound generator, water, ammunition, weapons and
communications equipment, mission duration and
soldier effectiveness is greatly impacted. The Army
has been pursuing various efforts to “lighten the
load” for soldiers for many years now.
“The technologies we are developing can produce
electricity, which can be stored and used to power
batteries. This increases the longevity of a mission,
decreases the need for resupply and reduces the
logistics trail,” Sharps explained.
Sharps further elaborated that during intense
combat engagement, casualties often occur during
logistics resupply missions.
An added advantage is that, while the technology
harvests energy from the motion of soldiers, it also
simultaneously eases the strain on their joints and
muscles due to its apparatus.
“This decreases the chance of muscular-skeletal
injury. We look at the soldier as an individual
ecosystem. We’re not just looking at what they
cannot do right now, but also at what challenges
they are going to face 20 years from now,” Sharps
said.
The emerging system, currently in the early phases
of exploration, calls upon a collaborative effort
between CERDEC, the Army Research Laboratory
and the Army’s Natick Soldier Center.
The scientists explain that added electrical energy
decreases the number of calories a soldier has to
burn.
“When you move, you bounce up and down, and the
gait motion is an inverted pendulum. If you lift every
step thousands of times, it is a whole lot of energy
you are expending,” said Juliane Douglas,
mechanical engineer, CERDEC, told Warrior Maven.
The Army is currently exploring various
configurations for the exoskeleton, some of which
include a suspended backpack, which can slide up
and down on a spring, having little or no weight
impact on the soldier.
“In mechanical engineering terms, if you have
masses moving together, there is a kinetic energy
difference between the two. We have mechanisms
which can convert that linear motion into
electricity,” explained Douglas.
This technical advantage will impact a wide array of
emerging systems now being built into
exoskeletons. Not surprisingly, many of these rely
upon mobile power to operate.
For example, helmets with high-resolution thermal
sensors, wearable computers, various kinds of
conformal body armor and even many weapons
systems are now being built into a range of
Ironman-like exoskeletons.
U.S. Special Operations Command’s current TALOS
effort is working with a wide sphere of industry,
military and academic experts on plans to build
initial exoskeleton prototypes within the next year or
two. This longer-term CERDEC effort is the kind of
thing which could easily merge with, or integrate
into, some of these exoskeletons now being built.
The project, formally called Tactical Light Operator
Suit, or TALOS, is aimed at providing special
operators, such as Navy SEALs and Special Forces,
with enhanced mobility and protection technologies,
a Special Operations Command, or SOCOM,
statement said.
The technologies currently being developed include
body suit-type exoskeletons, strength and power-
increasing systems and additional protection. A
SOCOM statement said some of the potential
technologies planned for TALOS research and
development include advanced armor, command
and control computers, power generators, and
enhanced mobility exoskeletons. -- To Read Warrior
Maven's TALOS story CLICK HERE ---
Also, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology are developing a next-generation kind
of armor called “liquid body armor.”
It “transforms from liquid to solid in milliseconds
when a magnetic field or electrical current is
applied,” the Army's website said.
TALOS will have a physiological subsystem that lies
against the skin that is embedded with sensors to
monitor core body temperature, skin temperature,
heart rate, body position and hydration levels, an
Army statement also said.
Army evaluators have also been assessing a
Lockheed-built FORTIS knee-stress-release-
device exoskeleton with soldiers at Fort A.P. Hill as
part of a focus on fielding new performance
enhancing soldier technologies.
Using independent actuators, motors and
lightweight conformal structures, lithium ion battery
powered FORTIS allows soldiers to carry 180
pounds up five flights of stairs while expending less
energy.
FORTIS is built with a conformal upper structure
that works on a belt attached to the waist. The belt
connects with flexible hip sensors throughout the
systems. These sensors tell the computer where
the soldier is in space along with the speed and
velocity of the movements.
CERDEC developers say their effort is observing
and working closely with many of these efforts
looking to find exoskeleton technologies able to
better protect and enable soldiers in combat.
“What we are doing is designing the conversion
technologies to make many of these technologies
more effective by storing the energy. We are testing
prototypes, and we are able to leverage current
exoskeleton work and use it as a platform for our
systems,” Douglas said.
This story originally appeared on Warrior Maven . http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/06/06/army-prototypes-new-self-powering-iron-man-soldier-suits.html

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