₦airaland Forum

The Senate has received and adopted the report from its Security Summit.

The summit which held from February 8 to 12 in Abuja was organised by the National Assembly with the aim to proffer solutions to the growing rate of insecurity in the country.

The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North) presented the report to the upper chamber after over four months.

The report, which has 20 recommendations, called on the federal government to make more recruitments in to the various security agencies in the country as the current personnel are overstretched.

In the report, the Senate also called for low-interest rate loans for herders to develop ranching businesses in the country as well as integrate the Almajiri system with the formal educational system.


Read the full recommendations below:

20 Recommendations from the Report of the Nigerian Senate’s Security Summit Nigerian Senate’s Security Summit

1. The nation’s basic security infrastructure must be comprehensively reviewed and strengthened. The Nigerian political structure must be a major factor in the review of the nation’s security apparatus.

2. The security challenges of the nation must be isolated from political partisanship, and ethno-religious sentiments. Political activities must not fuel the further deterioration of the nation’s national security.

3. The national security structure of the nation must be revised by the Presidency to address the gaps in coordination, collaboration and synergy. Additionally clear lines of authority and responsibility for national security issues must be identified and adopted.

4. In order to increase the capacity of the Nigerian police, military and other para-military agencies (who are currently overstretched) to respond to national security issues, the federal government must ensure that there is further recruitment in these organisations.

5. Ensure that the collaboration between federal security and law and order agencies must be reviewed in order to reduce the exposure of citizens to extra-legal influences.

6. Investments by the federal government must be made in order to incorporate technology into the core of Nigeria’s national security architecture and management.

7. Nigeria must reduce its dependence on importing its basic security equipment and must immediately develop its internal research and development capacities in order to meet our basic national security needs.

8. The Nigerian judiciary must operate with the highest standards of justice in order to ensure that citizens have confidence in our judicial system’s ability to freely and fairly dispense of justice.

9. The nation must examine options other than the use of force in its response to national security issues. The nation must develop strategies to improve the chances of resolving conflicts without resorting to the use of force.

10. The nation must immediately develop a strategy to limit the proliferation of firearms and other light weapons amongst the citizens.

11. Nigeria must assert its sovereignty amongst its neighbours, particular in the areas of arms control, drugs, terrorism, transhumance and economic sabotage. Additionally, all international commitment that impact our domestic national security must be reviewed.

12. The international commute has demonstrated its willingness to support Nigeria in the fight against violent groups. In this regard, the nation must improve in areas that inhibit its support from the international community — particularly in the areas of human rights, accountability and transparency.

13. The presence of millions of IDPs in the North-East and millions of other who have had no education or strong social links presents a potent threat the present and future security of the nation. The nation must immediately develop careful policies and initiatives that are aimed at addressing the reconstruction, rehabilitation, and development of the North-East and the development of the uneducated members of our society.

14. The national growing population may become a major threat to its future, unless substantial and sustained investments are made in the areas of human capital development, particularly education and health. In this regard, a visionary strategy must be developed for the national economy that is aimed at providing quality education, skills development and employment for our nation’s young people.

15. Corruption and waster are threats to our national security. In this regard, a strong political will, effective policies and improvements must be made to ensure the efficiency of institutions.

16. The entire focus of governments across all levels must target poverty reduction, as poverty is a threat to national security. All current policies must be re-evaluated to ensure that they are effective.

17. The nation must develop its knowledge and skills in managing its extensive forest reserves in order to turn them into assets. This is because the nation’s demographic indices indicate shifts in our population size, composition, land use and impact of the environment on human economic activities.

18. There is a need to generate the strong political will to improve the policy, legislation, regulatory and enforcement capacities to reduce the damage of the production, importation and consumption of illicit drugs in the nation — which represent a major threat to national security.

19. The Federal and State governments should work out a strategy to integrate the Almajiri system with the formal western educational system.

20. The Federal Government should provide low-interest rate loans for herders to develop ranching businesses in the country.

Abuja – The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has debunked rumours that its officers in Kogi had arrested about 200 foreigners heading for Ekiti.

Immigration boss, Muhammad Babandede Spokesman of the agency, Mr Sunday James, dismissed the speculation in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

James said although some travelers were intercepted by men of the Kogi Command of the service on routine assignment, none of them was found to be a foreigner.

“The Comptroller of Immigration, Kogi Command, under whose jurisdiction the travelers were intercepted, confirmed with records that they were all Nigerians.

“No single Nigerien (citizen of neighbouring Republic of Niger) was found among the people apprehended.

“The command profiled them to ascertain their true nationality and contrary to reports making rounds, they are all Nigerian citizens traveling to Lagos for their legitimate businesses,” he said.

Voters in Ekiti will go to the polls on July 14 for the state governorship election that would produce a successor to outgoing Gov. Ayodele Fayose.

(NAN)

LaudableXX:
$4 billion USD? Or what am I reading here? How many locomotives are being tracked, sef? Are they up to 500 locomotives? Can't they devise a workaround or scale it down, without compromising effectiveness? Isn't it possible to use a remote vehicle tracking system riding on the backbone of a locally-designed software or app, to actually track these locomotives and decode their locations on a central computer?Just asking!

The N500 million Safe Train Control (STC) project of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), which is almost completed, seems to have been abandoned, reports ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation’s Safe Train Control System (STCS) is rotting away at its headquarters in Lagos.

The corporation’s Managing Director  (MD), Mr Fidet Okhiria, and other top managers are not willing to  speak on.

When it was unveiled by NRC’s former MD Oluseyi Sijuwade, the system was said to be a critical component of the NRC Master plan  aimed at synchronising operations of the narrow gauge and ensuring that trains on its entire network can travel safely.

The project, said to be about 50 percent completed, about five years  ago, reportedly cost the Goodluck Jonathan administration N500 million. It was financed by the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), the special vehicle instrument used by the former administration to address the nation’s infrastructure deficit in critical sectors.

Under the SURE-P, created following the partial removal of fuel subsidy, the Federal Government diverted its share of the re-investible funds into critical programmes, chief among which, was railway modernisation.

The STCS was part of the projects  executed under the Railway Project Implementation Unit (RPIU) of SURE-P for which over N30 billion was released.

At its unveiling, all functional locomotives on the Western line, which runs the lucrative Lagos-Kano-Lagos shuttle, had been covered. What remains, it was learnt, was the connection of Eastern Line Port Harcourt to Maiduguri to the system. The latter, it was learnt, was stalled by the insecurity in Borno, though the government had been able to secure and launched train operations from Port-Harcourt through Enugu and up to Gombe, connecting the trains on that line to the computerised system was said to be captured only in the second phase. Even then, the exact figure of the contract was shrouded in mystery.

The STC, which functions like a Control Tracking Centre, was to become the operational base of the  train network. From the centre, at NRC’s Ebute-Metta headquarters, Lagos, it was easy to monitor by colour coding train movements across the entire network from its Iddo office, to Ijoko, Dagbolu, Abeokuta, Ewekoro, to Ibadan, down to Kafanchan and Kano. Same would ultimately be done on the Eastern line once the insecurity abates.

With the assistance of electronic gadgets already installed on the locomotives, trains can be controlled and monitored. It eases and obliterated human errors in manual direction of the trains. From the centre, onboard communication becomes easier with the drivers, thereby reducing the infrastructural challenges of network failure as a result of communication via the global satellite system.

Much more, the speed of any locomotive can be regulated from the centre, in case the affected driver failed to heed to code directive to decelerate.

The project, which was part of the railway’s modernisation effort, started in 2013. It took about 10 months to achieve the 50 percent completion.

New deal

On August 6, 2015, Sijuwade, unveiled the STC installed and manned by a South African consortium, Ansaldo Gear Group and A3&O Limited.

Sijuwade explained to reporters then that at the touch of a button in the control room, the corporation could monitor real-time, movements of all trains on its tracks, with the aid of the On Board Computers (OBC) installed on its locomotives.

He said: “Before now, we relied on GSM phones to communicate with our drivers. If there is any breakdown or any accident or any other challenge, our drivers would usually communicate with the engineers via phone. We were never able to monitor all our operations at a glance. This has always come with its own drawbacks as our response time to emergencies had always been negatively affected. You would appreciate it more if you realise that most of our rail assets are in remote inaccessible locations across the country. We have been coping with this challenge for almost a century, since railway started in Nigeria. This will stop with the deployment of this equipment.

“Among other features, the equipment enables us to monitor and control train speed, to avoid derailment and collision, and also enhance fuel economy. It promotes efficiency and ensures adherence to journey time by drivers; minimises damage to tracks and other infrastructure. It has the capacity to increase frequency of train movement, with consequent increase in revenue,” he added.

When it was unveiled, the Control Room was not fully completed, but the corporation had engaged some engineers to be trained for the technology transfer when the project was completed.

In February 2016, the Joint National Assembly Committees on Land Transport, led by Senator Gbenga Ashafa and Senator Shehu Sani, inspected the NRC Control Room. Okhiria and the the corporation’s Director of Operations, Mr. Niyi Ali, explained the project to the lawmakers.

Okhiria, speaking on the project yesterday, assured that the project has not been abandoned. He however disclosed that lack of funds had stalled its implementation.

He disclosed that NRC would need $4 billion to complete the project, adding that the Federal Government had approved $1 billion last year and that the contractor would be returning to site soon to resume work.

“Before they left, they had installed the on-board computers connected with 17 locomotives, but the completion and duration is driven by availability of funds. We have received 80 per cent of the equipment needed and they would soon be returning,” he said.

Checks revealed that the centre was last opened shortly after the Senators’ visit.

Not only had all the expatriates returned to their countries, other workers recruited from across the NRC crop of workers have returned to their former departments. The hitherto-busy centre remained desolate, with the Satellite installation with which its operations were hooked to its broad rail network vandalised.

Commenting in the development, the Managing Director of First Rit Nigeria Limited, Transport and Logistics firm, Mr Eric Umezurike said the STC was the first time the Federal Government’s corporation would  demonstrate its commitment to safety on the rail are captured real time.

“It was gratifying that the government attempted to modernise train services by controlling the movement and other activities on the aging locomotive engines,” Umezurike said.

Another logistics expert Morayo Daniels said there were fears that the cost of the completion of the project might have spiralled as a result of inflationary trend over the past five years. He wondered why the government would abandoned a project that aimed at improving on the safety of all locomotives on its tracks across all the two networks.

Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment Mr. C Don Adinuba has said that the Ebonyi State House of Assembly has no jurisdiction to give ultimatum to another state not under it.

The commissioner was reacting to the seven days ultimatum issued to the Anambra State Government to rescind her decision over the renaming of Abakaliki Street in Awka,  the state capital or have all the Ebonyi institutions, streets and monuments named after Anambra indigenes scrapped.

The Anambra Information Commissioner said the House was acting without facts. He said that Anambra State does not intend to enter into a into press war with any of her sister states pointing out that it is not necessary. He Said the two states are brothers and sisters.

Adinuba, however, explained that the Governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano removed the name of Ebonyi from a place that are inhabited by all manners of people like commercial sex workers and people doing menial jobs. He said the former Abakiliki Street was a dungeon, a slum with shanties and illegal structures.

The governor moved the street to a more decent and strategic, longer street, that stretched from the Parktonia Hotels located along the Enugu – Onitsha Expressway and linked the old Abakiliki Street now Club Street.

the commissioner said, adding that further investigation into the current ownership of the tanker and other related details were progressing.

The Lagos State Government has announced parts of its preliminary findings into fatal accident in the state on Thursday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the accident caused by a petrol tanker which led to the death of nine people. Over 50 cars were also burnt in the accident.

While addressing journalists on Sunday, a Lagos commissioner said interim findings show the petrol tanker was carrying far above its appropriate weight.

“From this preliminary investigation, the truck should not have been loaded to the weight of 30 tonnes, which is twice its pulling capacity,” the state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Ladi Lawanson, said.

The text of the press conference was sent to PREMIUM TIMES by Habib Haruna, the chief press secretary to the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Read the full statement by Mr Aruna below.

Following the tragic tanker explosion on Otedola Bridge inward Ojodu Berger along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which claimed lives and property, the Lagos State Government on Sunday restricted movement of fuel tankers to designated trailer route going forward.

The government also said it was now mandatory for all articulated trucks coming into Lagos to obtain the Ministry of Transportation’s Road Worthiness Certificate at any of the designated centres within the next 30 days.

Addressing a joint press briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa after meeting with all the relevant stakeholders including Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), National Association of Transport Operators (NATO), Container Truck Owners Association of Nigeria, among others, the state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Ladi Lawanson, said the decision became necessary following preliminary investigations into the incident which revealed a combination of vehicular defect and human errors.

Mr Lawanson said: “As an immediate response to the latest incident, the Lagos State Government hereby announces the following measures: fuel tankers are hereby directed to ply the designated trailer route, that is, Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway via Ogudu to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“All tankers and containers coming into Lagos State from henceforth are directed to obtain the Ministry of Transportation Certificate of Road Worthiness at any of or centres within the next 30 days, while new centres along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be established to quickly to cope with the expected demand for this service.”

He listed the 10 centres currently available to process the applications to include Berger, Ojodu; Odogunyan, Ikorodu; Agric/Ishawo Road, Ikorodu; Worksyard, PWD, Shogunle; NCI, Gbagada; VIS Yard, Oko-Afo, Badagry; VIS Yard, Ayobo-Ipaja; Test Centre, Badagry; VIS Yard, Epe; and VIS Yard, Oko-Oba Abattoir.

Mr Lawanson, who addressed the briefing alongside heads of government agencies and the stakeholders, said preliminary investigation revealed that the affected tanker which exploded was registered in Nasarawa Local Government, Kano State, with registration number NSR 888 YC, and had changed ownership 13 times since purchase.

“It (the tanker) was manufactured in 1999 by Mack Trucks Inc at its assembly plant in Winnsboro, United States. This truck was designed as a 14,959kg (approximately 15 ton) drilling rig with low bed, but it was converted in Nigeria from a drilling rig to fuel tank carrier to carry 30 tonnes.

“From this preliminary investigation, the truck should not have been loaded to the weight of 30 tonnes, which is twice its pulling capacity,” the commissioner said, adding that further investigation into the current ownership of the tanker and other related details were progressing.

On suggestion of restriction of operation of tankers to certain hours, the commissioner said having critically examined the issue especially considering the fact that imported petroleum products are pumped from import jetties at Atlas Cove through pipelines to Ejigbo Depots in Lagos, Mosimi (Ogun), Ibadan (Oyo), Ilorin (Kwara) and Ore (Ondo), and due to pipeline vandalism, any restriction of such would undermine supplies and threaten the wellbeing of the Nigerian economy since there is high demand for petroleum products across the country.

“This position has also been canvassed by the authorities in charge of the distribution of petroleum products in the consultations which followed the incident and at a time of great expectations for our economy to fully bounce back from recession, we believe that ensuring unhindered supply of petroleum products is indeed a patriotic contribution by Lagos State to the nation’s economic survival,” Mr Lawanson said.

He, however, disclosed that the state government was already exploring alternative modes of transportation of petroleum products to separate passenger traffic from cargo movements within the metropolis in the interest of the public safety and order.

He also said that government, in partnership with all the stakeholders, would set up joint-enforcement of the operating laws, while barriers would be installed on bridges in Lagos to prevent articulated trucks including Ojuelegba, Mobolaji Bank Anthony, Ekodeso, Abule-Egba, Lekki-Ajah, among others.

Giving update on the accident, Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Seye Oladejo said out of the four injured persons that were taken away from the scene, one unfortunately died while government is taking full responsibility for the treatment of others.

He particularly denied allegations that some victims were rejected by the General Hospital in Surulere, saying that the victims were only taken to LASUTH, Ikeja and Burns and Trauma Centre in Gbagada.

“When you have such incident of that magnitude, as part of our training as emergency responders, we need to be very careful the way we handle our communication so that we don’t raise unnecessary alarm. It is important for members of the public to remain calm while we get all our acts together, otherwise we would also be asking for another emergency.

“Altogether, nine people passed on at the incident and they were all burnt beyond recognition. We have set up a helpline at LASEMA to try and open a communication channel with members of the public and with family members of the victims. It is important that DNA is conducted otherwise we would end up giving the wrong bodies to some families to go and inter and that would become another issue entirely.

“This kind of situation really calls for patience and understanding on the part of members of the public and most especially families of victim. As much as we sympathise and commiserate, things still have to be done professionally. As a government, we are alive to our responsibility and the major business we have is to ensure safety of lives and property and we are committed to that. We have signed up on that, you are also aware of the massive investment of the state government on issues bothering on emergency and response,” Mr Oladejo said.

Besides, the commissioner dismissed insinuation alleging that the integrity of Otedola Bridge had been compromised following the incident, saying there was no iota of truth in such, while government would soon fix the damaged section of the road.

He said that most part of the N5.4 trillion had been with the banks for five years before AMCON bought them over, adding that after 7 years of the companies operations, the obligors were yet to pay.

“But we have realised that more than 80 per cent of AMCON’s recoveries are as a result of either forfeiture or taking over of businesses or outright cash payment.

The Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) has said that there will be no more room for negotiation with obligors as the company is now set for a new stage which is complete assets take-over.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, who disclosed in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, said that the N5.4 trillion debt had lingered for too long.

Mr Kuru had said on Thursday that only 350 Nigerians are responsible for more than 80 per cent of the N5.4 trillion debt portfolio of the company.

On Sunday, he said AMCON had gotten tired of obligors (debtors), coming to their office and telling lies about wanting to embark on a staggered payment which they ended up never complying.

He said that most part of the N5.4 trillion had been with the banks for five years before AMCON bought them over, adding that after 7 years of the companies operations, the obligors were yet to pay.

“Resolutions through staggered plans have never worked. Let us not forget that before those loans were transferred to AMCON they have been with the banks for over five years.

“Now, AMCON is almost seven years, so the facility has been running bad for 12 years. It is not easy to recover those kinds of facilities.

“So now we have changed our strategy from sitting down and drinking tea and the obligors telling us lies and we pretend that we don’t know you are telling us lies.

“There is no more time for lies because we have a sunset period. So now our focus is on recovery. We do not want to hear anything, you cannot come and tell me you are going to pay me in the next six years, I do not have that time.

“If you cannot pay me the money now then give me my assets because the assets belong to AMCON so that we can sell it.”

Mr Kuku added that in the case where the registered assets of a company that is in debt is not enough to clear their obligation, then AMCON would also go after the directors and their private companies.

He said that as part of the new strategy of AMCON, directors of companies would now be sought after so that they would be forced to take part in repaying the loans.

“We are training our people more to see that they become more efficient.

“Most fundamentally we have changed our strategy. Before our strategy had been only resolution: you come, you give us a payment plan and we respect it.

“But we have realised that more than 80 per cent of AMCON’s recoveries are as a result of either forfeiture or taking over of businesses or outright cash payment.

“My law allows me to not only go after the assets that are served as collateral but I can also go after the directors of companies. I can go after the assets that have not been served as collateral.

“This is where we are now heading to because the law had anticipated this situation that we are now in,” he said.

Speaking further on the way forward for AMCON, Kuru said that there was need for some sections of the law to be amended, adding that the company was working with the National Assembly to amend relevant laws.

For him, the National Assembly had been very good so far and had been working hard to close the gaps.

(NAN)

hush15:
That would be a disaster should LGAs not have their autonomy.

When LGAs have their autonomy and like other executive public post that is determined by the people and not the state or federal influence

zaragal:
Eyaaaaa..... I can't read all that it's too much . Somebody pls summarise. In other news

engrjacuzzi:
I'd rather buy newspaper and read this epistle. the write-up is too long, please anyone who has read it should help us summarize it

olas24u:
Its possible because they did not specify the periods, he was a one time senator,he was there for only one term ,he was formally in the house representatives.so How could he have done all these in few years ,its a lie

Mr Solomon served as the senator representing the Lagos West Senatorial District twice: first between 2007 and 2011 and later between 2011 and 2015.

He had earlier served as a member of the House of Representatives representing Mushin Federal Constituency 1 between 2003 and 2007 and as chairman of Mushin Local Government in 1999 up till 2003.

GavelSlam:
Tell me how a sick child in Ikorodu cares about this?

Because he has detractors shouldn't that be enough motivation to complete constituency projects?

I'm not interested in the politics.

If it was left to me, he'll be thrown out.

“It is also imperative to state that even after commercial discovery of hydrocarbons, it is pertinent that pronouncements be made only after due validation of claims by the Industry Regulator - the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR),” Dr. Baru advised.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has said that the speculations that oil has been found in commercial quantity in the Bida Basin should be discountenanced, stressing that the search for oil in the basin is still ongoing.

Dr. Baru made this submission while delivering his acceptance speech during his conferment with the fellowship award by the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) University, Lapai on Saturday.

Speaking on the topic: “The Role of Inland Basins in Unlocking the Socio-Economic Benefits of a New Nigeria”, he posited that NNPC was desirous of discovery of oil and gas in the frontier basins, stressing however that the corporation was currently at the fourth, out of ten intensive stages, of determining if hydrocarbon has been generated in the basin.

The NNPC helmsman averred that upon completion of determination of hydrocarbon generated, the corporation would initiate another six stages of integration of the studies to identify positive hydrocarbon anomalies, acquisition of 2D seismic data over anomalies, acquisition of 3D seismic data to validate identified structures, drilling of exploration wells, drilling of appraisal wells and evaluation of the engineering and economic parameters required. 

He emphasized that NNPC recognised that the Bida basin exploration was in the fourth stage of these activities, adding that it is important to state that efforts have not advanced to the level of declaring discoveries, talk-less of claiming that the oil and gas present is in commercial quantities. 

“It is also imperative to state that even after commercial discovery of hydrocarbons, it is pertinent that pronouncements be made only after due validation of claims by the Industry Regulator - the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR),” Dr. Baru advised.

He expressed the hope that with the clarity provided, all claims and counter claims in respect of the Bida basin hydrocarbon discoveries would be given the befitting rest they deserve, advising that until the conclusion of the current NNPC-led efforts or any other ones in that respect, all claims should be discountenanced.

Dr. Baru maintained that the corporation’s foray into the inland basins was to expand its exploration footprint with a view to improving the nation’s oil and gas reserves, increase oil and gas production and spinoff socio-economic activities across the country.

According to him, NNPC through its relevant subsidiaries is currently engaged in aggressive exploration campaign at most inland basins with a view to discovering new oil and gas reserves that will boost oil and gas production and the extended economic benefits to the people within those basins and the nation at large.

Dr. Baru maintained that NNPC, as the concessionaire of all the blocks in these basins, is committed to working with all stakeholders around the Bida basin and beyond to advance the current efforts to fruition and thereafter follow all the laid down regulations for reporting such discoveries.

“It is our utmost desire that the success of the ongoing exploration campaign in the Inland Basins will usher in a new Nigeria. A new Nigeria with balanced resources distribution; diverse economic activities and sustained energy security as we move towards the industrialised economy we all desire,” the GMD said.

Dr. Baru applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for giving the corporation the mandate and all the necessary support and encouragement to lead a renewed search for oil in the inland basins, adding that the Niger State Government has been very helpful towards the cause of securing Nigeria’s energy future as exemplified by its support for the NNPC exploration activities in the Bida basin.

He also commended the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University with respect to the studies carried out on the characterisation of the Bida basin, stressing that the studies would help NNPC in the ongoing exploration activities in the basin.

According to him, the corporation would from time-to-time engage the University for further support in areas relating to the ongoing exploration in Bida basin. “Ours is a symbiotic collaborative relationship with this ivory tower,” he concluded.

The State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Yahaya Bello, expressed gratitude to the NNPC for engaging the University on the basin exploration, saying that the GMD deserves the recognition bestowed on him by the university.

On his part, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Dr. Mohammed Santuraki, gave kudos to Dr. Baru on the efficient way he runs NNPC thereby impacting the lives of Nigerians positively.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Muhammad Nasirudeen Maiturare, thanked Dr. Baru and the NNPC for partnering with the University in the Bida basin exploratory activities, assuring that the University would continue to contribute its quota to the oil search in the basin.

Prof. Maiturare averred that the GMD of NNPC was deserving of the fellowship award, given the corporation’s quest to grow the nation’s reserves base and spread the oil exploration map across the country.

Ndu Ughamadu

Group General Manager

Group Public Affairs Division,

NNPC, Abuja.

30th June, 2018

Lagos East

While Mr Solomon’s projects in Lagos West are largely uncompleted and abandoned, other constituency projects investigated by this newspaper in other senatorial districts were largely completed and functional. Many of such projects are located in Lagos East senatorial district. Gbenga Ashafa is the Senator representing the constituency.

At the Ishawo Secondary School in Ikorodu, a motorized borehole constructed at N13.2 million was still functioning when PREMIUM TIMES visited. A guard who refused to be named told our correspondent that the facility had to be repaired a number of times but it still serves the school.

Similarly, a N5.6 million 300KVA transformer provided at Agiliti Phase II Community of Mile 12 was functioning. Diitto two other facilities of same value provided for residents of Isawo, IfeOluwa CDA in Ketu and the people of Gunwa Garage in Ikosi-Isheri Ketu area of Kosofe Local Government.

Another 500KVA transformer provided for residents of Taike Street, Off Love All Street, Ikosi Isheri at N7.5 million was delivered and is still functioning.

At Ewu Balogun in Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that a N5.6 million 300KVA transformer was also delivered to the community.

Lagos Central

At the Popo Aguda area of Lagos Island, a N10 million community low cost housing scheme comprising of 12 Units in a block of three floors was billed to be constructed. But Veronica Munis, a community leader, said she had not seen any community low cost housing.

“Since I was at Popo Aguda for over 40 years I have never seen anything like that (community low cost housing scheme comprising of 12 units in a block of 3 floors),” she said.

“I only know about our House of Representative member, Hon. Yakubu Balogun that at campus road, for the first time, gave some of our people here motorcycle and grinding machines.”

Another resident, who identified himself simply as Jamiu, told our reporter there was no such project in the area. “Nothing of such in this constituency,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.

But Yakub Balogun, the member representing Lagos Island II at the House of Representatives, told PREMIUM TIMES that the projects were never constructed because despite his efforts to get funds released for the projects, the Works ministry did not help facilitate the release of the funds.

In Olodeokuta Street, Surulere, 15 solar street lights installed at N7.5 million have stopped working after they were installed. The Senator representing the constituency, Oluremi Tinubu, said she knew nothing about the project. The lawmaker at Federal House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the same thing.

But an aide to Mr. Gbajabiamila, Olanrewaju Smart, said the trend they noticed in the area was that hoodlums often cart away the panel of the power facilities, thus damaging the street lights. He also said the constituency office of the lawmaker was trying to liaise with community heads and youth leaders to help facilitate the safety and maintenance of street lights in the area henceforth.

A N2.5 million 27.5 KVA Mikano generator set allocated to chief imam in council at a Lagos Island mosque was however delivered, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed.

In Ajah, the proposed rehabilitation of the 5-Km Salu Obodo road in Okeira Nla with drainage facility was not executed. The road, which leads to Okeira, was in terrible state when PREMIUM TIMES visited in 2017. Ahmed Ajao, an Okada rider told PREMIUM TIMES that resident and businesses suffer because of the terrible state of the road.

“This road is terrible… economic activities here are always affected because people find it frustrating to ply this road, especially during rainy season,” he explained.

The project was captured under the ministry of works projects in 2015.

According to documents seen by our reporter, the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Road Maintenance Agency got a total allocation of N4,767,096, 490 for zonal intervention projects in 2015 – with both agencies receiving the sum of N4, 570,912,220 and N196, 184,270, respectively. Details of specific allocations for projects were however not stated.

The member representing Eti-Osa federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Akinloye Babajide, told PREMIUM TIMES that he knew nothing about the road project, adding that it might have been injected into the list of projects by some influential people from the constituency. He, however, added that the people had complained to him about the state of the road and he would investigate more about the project and seek solution.

On October 7, 2014, Ganiyu Solomon, then minority whip of the Nigerian Senate, gathered local chiefs, his constituents, and party members at the Ikorodu Town Hall in Ikorodu, Lagos State. Amidst pomp and party sloganeering, artisans, party chieftains and other appendages of power danced, sang and hailed Mr Solomon to high heavens.

The occasion was the official declaration of Mr Solomon’s intention to contest the 2015 governorship election in Lagos State as a candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The declaration also coincided with the inauguration of his campaign office in Ikorodu.

Speaking at the venue of the declaration, Mr Solomon boasted that he offered to serve the people of Lagos due to his track record, the status of the state as the economic capital of the nation, and because ‘’Lagos (therefore) needs constant improvement and regeneration of infrastructural facilities and the people deserve the best possible.”

As a confirmation of his competence to rule, the lawmaker reeled out the numerous programmes he had executed while occupying different positions.

But the lawmaker cleverly ignored the projects he did not complete even when funds were released for their completion. A few kilometres away from the venue of the gathering is one of such projects, a decrepit building, which was supposed to be the only health centre serving the people of Ewu-Abiye community of Ikorodu––some of whom were gathered at the venue.

The building, which is now abandoned and overgrown with grasses, is one of numerous community health centres midwifed by the legislator and spread across the state––many of them abandoned for many years and left to decay despite huge budgetary allocations for their construction.

Mr Solomon did not secure his party ticket to run for the governorship seat, as the APC chose in his stead Akinwunmi Ambode who was later elected governor of the state. The senator did not also return to the senate.

These developments apparently ensured that the projects were permanently abandoned, while affected communities continue to suffer in silence due to poor health service.

Huge allocation, abandoned structures

For more than nine months, PREMIUM TIMES tracked several ‘constituency projects’ midwifed by lawmakers in Lagos state with results showing that millions of naira had gone into the projects that were either abandoned or never saw the light of the day.

The issue of constituency project execution has been a subject of intense criticism in Nigeria, largely due to the abuse it is always subjected to by lawmakers.

This investigation focused on the Lagos lawmakers’ projects between 2014 and 2015, across the three senatorial districts.

While most of the projects had been abandoned, a few were either completed or totally non-existent.

Ewu-Abiye: the rough road to quality healthcare

The road to Ewu-Abiye community in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu is as poor and dilapidated as the abandoned building that was supposed to be the health centre proposed for residents in the community. For more than 45 minutes on the first day of visit, PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter rode on motorcycle from Ikorodu main bus terminus to the community, navigating sharp bends, huge potholes, erosion-ravaged culverts and muddy road.

On about three occasions, the reporter walked past the location of the health centre building without realising it was the site of project as the proposed N33 million primary healthcare centre had been abandoned, amid thick bushes and long grasses, making the building invisible to passersby.

“For many years, the building was there and is now abandoned. Ewu-Abiye has no single health facility; we go to faraway Ikorodu town for every little health concern,” a community resident who identified himself simply as Jacob, told our reporter on a second visit in the first quarter of 2018. Mr Jacob explained that they received no attention by government officials ever since.

Although the Ewu-Abiye community of Igbogbo in Ikorodu is under Gbenga Ashafa, the senator representing the Lagos East Senatorial District, a former senator representing Lagos West, Ganiyu Solomon, requested for a space for the project, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

When PREMIUM TIMES first visited the site in 2017, Olajide Animasaun, whose elder brother is the Baale (local chief) of Ewu Abiye, said they were overjoyed when they heard a primary healthcare centre was coming to their community.

“In fact, I was part of those that searched this place for them when they (Senator Ganiyu Solomon) asked the family; we were the ones that took them there,” said Mr. Animasaun, who is the assistant secretary of the Ayan-gade chieftaincy family, in Ewu Abiye.

“Senator Ganiyu Solomon is the one that influenced it (the health centre) here. It might be his constituency project then, I may not know, but they were looking for space and we were able to provide, when they brought the idea to us, it is a good thing, it is something that can boost our community, so we agreed to bring them in.

“This year we haven’t seen them on the site at all. The other thing they said they would do is solar borehole, they were building it simultaneously with the health centre but it never worked since it wasn’t completed, in fact they did not work there throughout 2016.”

Upon another visit to the site in January 2018, the entire space had been taken over by grasses. A woman who took our correspondent round the project and identified herself simply as Shade said the community was in dire need of the health centre.

“We don’t have road and the health centre that we felt would be a dividend of democracy too has been abandoned. It is pathetic,” she told PREMIUM TIMES in Yoruba. “Our children are dying, the aged are falling sick; nowhere to treat them.”

Officials of Igbogbo local council, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak about the projects, also corroborated her claims.

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES’ resolve to contact the contractor handling the project was thwarted as the signboard containing details of the project had been washed off, its location taken over by thick grasses.

Abandoned, non-existent projects across senatorial districts

Apart from the abandoned Ewu-Abiye health centre, PREMIUM TIMES investigation also revealed that there are numerous other primary health centres across Lagos West district midwifed by the senator, which had all been abandoned.

At the Amuwo Odofin Commercial Scheme, there is another primary healthcare centre billed to be constructed at a cost of N35 million by Mr Solomon, but the project had been abandoned. The uncompleted building, situated at the entrance into Peace Estate at Maria Road, had a fence being erected around it when PREMIUM TIMES first visited late 2017.

A construction worker seen around the site, who declined to be interviewed on the record, said the building had been there since 2007.

“There are many of these types of uncompleted projects around,” said the construction worker, who craved anonymity for the fear of being victimised.

Mr Solomon served as the senator representing the Lagos West Senatorial District twice: first between 2007 and 2011 and later between 2011 and 2015.

He had earlier served as a member of the House of Representatives representing Mushin Federal Constituency 1 between 2003 and 2007 and as chairman of Mushin Local Government in 1999 up till 2003.

When our reporter re-visited the proposed Amuwo-Odofin healthcare site in January 2018, the fenced building had been taken over by the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA). The abandoned, now decrepit building meant for the health centre, however, stood by the side of another one-storey building built by the agency.


A security guard who craved anonymity told PREMIUM TIMES that the agency “borrowed” the site for its own use.

A resident, Theophilus Joe, said the health centre building had been abandoned for long, although residents would have been glad if it had been completed.

“It’s been more than six years this building was erected. Sometimes people from Abuja come around and go but nothing has been done ever since then,” he explained.

“Many of us don’t even remember there is a facility here again. Infact, many people in the area may not know about it if you ask them because it’s been long the building was abandoned. And many people continue to suffer due to the negligence of the government.”

Similarly, in Oke-Ira Nla area of Ajah, another N34 million health centre proposed by Mr Solomon to serve the community remained abandoned despite that it had been fenced. Painted in blue, the expansive building had been overtaken by thick grasses.

Joseph Adams, a resident of the area who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, said the project was abandoned shortly after the 2015 general elections.

“After the 2015 elections, we just didn’t see anybody here again; the contractors, the workers, the politicians… all of them,” he said.

“And our community needs the project, we always have to go to Ajah for basic health care and it is terrible. You can see our bad road too; no road, no hospital, no school, nothing. We need this project,” he cried.

Another resident who declined to be named said the security guards placed at the abandoned building left the building when their monthly stipend stopped coming. He called on government at all levels to help them complete the project and commission it for use because the people are suffering and are in need of health facility.

A resident who identified himself simply as Baba Aremu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the community was deprived of many basic facilities. He also called on the government to investigate why the building was abandoned after it had been completed from the outside and was left to rot away.

“People are dying because of little, little ailments in this community. Many don’t have resources to go to private clinics. When they started, we felt an end has come to our health issues but now, since the last election, they have abandoned the place,” he explained.

In what is perhaps a flagrant abuse of procurement procedures, there is no visible signboard indicating details of the project as required by law. It is unclear if the signpost had been destroyed or was never constructed.

In Ifoshi area of Ejigbo in Oshodi-Isolo Local government area, another primary health centre proposed for N30 million was never constructed. A member of the Community Development Association, CDA, in the area who declined to be named said there was no project of such in the area, saying the community carried out their projects themselves.

Another resident, Jaiye Alabi, claimed he overheard some local politicians saying that the foundation of an abandoned project was done in the area before the last general elections but the location was unknown. He spoke not-too-well of the former senator who represented the constituency, Mr Solomon, describing him as “Ghost Senator” whose impact wasn’t felt by many people in the area.

“Ghost”, he told PREMIUM TIMES, was the peoples’ corrupt version of Mr Solomon’s initials that also served as his nickname when he was in office: Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, G.O.S.

When PREMIUM visited the Ejigbo Local Government Council for details of the Ifoshi healthcare project, many of the officials declined to be interviewed due to what they described as fear of their lives and security. A staff, who spoke under strict condition of anonymity, however, said there was no such facility in the area, adding that other health centres in the council were built by council chairmen.

Also in Bucknor, another health centre had been abandoned without commissioning. Officials at the Ejigbo council could also not give reasons why it was yet to be commissioned for use by the community.

“The problem is that we are just left to suffer. We need these facilities and people are dying everyday; but we don’t have them,” explained Mr Alabi, a resident.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the former senator, Mr. Solomon, in January, he gladly told our reporter that he was on his way to the mosque and would be willing to respond to this newspaper’s request sometime later.

The next day, PREMIUM TIMES sent the former senator text messages and revealed details of this newspaper’s findings at the various sites of the abandoned projects he facilitated while in office. This newspaper, however, received no response from the senator nor any message for details of a possible interview. When calls were subsequently placed to his lines, the telephone rang endlessly and the senator declined to speak afterwards. For weeks, he declined to pick subsequent telephone calls from the reporter.

For more than a month between February and March, several follow-up calls and text messages were sent to his known telephone numbers without any response.

Mute Supervising Agencies

Several months efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to confirm what went wrong from the supervising agencies in charge of the projects were futile as they all refused to disclose details surrounding the near-decrepit state of most of the projects.

The supervising agency in charge of primary health centres which was listed as the supervising agency for all the projects in documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), supplied no responses to PREMIUM TIMES enquiries.

In October 2017, PREMIUM TIMES wrote a series of Freedom of Information, FOI, request letters to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and the Ministry of Health. But our reporter was referred to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF. Earlier in November 2017, following an FOI request letter on this matter, the Bureau of Public Procurement referred this newspaper to the affected ministries.

Block Allocations

But documents made available to PREMIUM TIMES by the OAGF revealed the block allocations released to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies for the 2015 zonal intervention/constituency projects.

According to details of the document, the NPHCDA received a total of N1,723, 004,942 for the 2015 zonal intervention projects under which Mr Solomon’s primary healthcare projects appeared. Details of specific allocations to each projects were not captured in the document.

The document showed that in the first quarter of 2015, the NPHCDA received the sum of N233, 021, 807; it got N233, 021, 807 in the second quarter; and in the third and final quarter of the year, it received N466, 043, 614.

Also captured in the 2015 allocation for NPHCDA is a balance of N197,729,428 received for the fourth quarter of 2014;the sum of N197,729,428 also as balance of the second quarter of 2014; and N395,458, 856 for the third and fourth quarter of 2014. All of the allocations, the document revealed, were cash-backed.

It is therefore not clear who pocketed the released money between the NPHCDA and Mr Solomon.

The Niger state government, Tuesday, declared its intentions to establish a mining city within the state making it the first of its kind in Nigeria.

The state governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello, while giving his speech at the second edition of the international conference on lead poisoning in Abuja, said the state’s plan to establish a mining city is near completion.

Niger state in 2015 was the second state to be plagued by lead poisoning in Nigeria as a result of unsafe mining practices. The poisoning first occurred in Zamfara state.

More than 2500 community members were exposed to the plaque and about 30 children died in Niger state. Within the state, two villages were remediated and treatment is still ongoing.

Mr. Sani-Bello also announced that the state has commenced the strengthening of its special purpose vehicle, Zuma Mineral Development Company, to meet global standards to facilitate the rapid development of the solid mineral sector of the State.

“The solid minerals sector is one key source of economic growth towards diversification of our sources of revenue earnings. The recently approved Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Fiscal Paper (FSP) by the Federal Government emphasizes the place of solid minerals in the economic growth strategy of the country.

“This is why we have commenced the strengthening of the State’s special purpose vehicle, to meet global standards to facilitate the rapid development of the solid mineral sector of the State,” the Niger state governor said.

On the mining city, he said, “our plan to establish a mining city within the State is near completion, it will be the first of its kind in Nigeria. The city will be a comprehensive turn-keys solution that will include a processing centre, on site laboratory, trade and investment center, training center and mining supply store.

“The city will also be equipped to carry out exploratory services that will include geophysics services, geochemical sampling, resource estimation, reserve calculations, data interpretation and target generation”.

Other facilities he highlighted which would be in the city include a data room on the mineral deposits in the State, and a ready market for processed minerals.

He added that development would promote safer mining methods in the mineral sector.

While speaking on the development of preventive governance framework that would ensure safe mining practices in Nigeria, he said “it is important that we reinforce our determination to change the behavioural pattern of artisanal gold miners to understand the avoidable risks they put themselves and their families into using the unsafe mining practices”.

To prevent the outbreak of lead in any other part of the country, and develop steps that are proven to be strategic in saving the lives of people in mining communities, he shared his experience battling the plague in Niger state.

“The April 2015 severe lead poisoning outbreak in Unguwan Kawo and Unguwan Magiro of Shikira community in Rafi Local Government of Niger State was devastating and it taught us many lessons.

“Children and pregnant women were mostly affected because of their vulnerability. Since then, we have been working with partners in Niger State to ensure there is no recurrence of sum ugly tide.

“As a state richly endowed with an array of solid mineral deposits, we are aware of an exponentially increased risks associated with artisanal mining and processing of mineral resources in the State, therefore we will be delighted to share our experiences and learn new lesson in this conference.

“We understand that it will be impossible to stop artisanal gold mining altogether, considering the manpower shortage in the industry, it is only proper that we engage miners by showing them how they can benefit more by getting registered and using safer mining methods.

“Niger Sate has continuously engaged in enlightenment campaigns on mining. We have also ensured the training and retraining of miners and staff from the ministries of mineral resources, environment and health on a safer mining practices; and we have strengthened our resolve to always take steps that will check the threats to human life while maximizing the potential of this strategic sector to our economy

“The steps we took then paid off and today we are working closely with MSF on the sustainability of the successes we have recorded in containing the outbreak of mining related diseases in Niger state,” he said.

He added that the state was able to train staff on laboratory analysis and management of lead poisoning through the combined supports of different international agencies, including the Medecins San Frontires (Doctors Without Borders), the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, World health Organization, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program.

“We increased the number of staff at Magiro Health post in Rafi Local Government to support those on ground in containing the outbreak; and Kagara General Hospital in the local Government was integrated to serve as a treatment center for lead poisoning victims,” he said.

gidgiddy:
Which surety?

phase1:
You are a dolt and I'll prove it. Justice Binta is not the pinnacle of the judiciary, if she has refused to look at circumstantial evidence (news publications, videos and pictures of the invasion into kanu's home) which is even in the public domain because of her prejudice and bias, then she is preparing a veritable and solid ground for an appeal and even a smear on her judicial integrity.

If she orders that the sureties be put in jail, it will be challenged all the way to the supreme court, I'm sure all the judges won't be mad at the same time to dismiss the publicly known evidence and circumstantial evidence that shows kanu's how invaded with spent bullet all over his compound
.

gidgiddy:
So who is this Frank Chude?

Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow Senator Eyinaya Abaribe access to his lawyers.

The order was as a result of an oral application made on his behalf by his lawyer, Chukwuma Ume (SAN), praying the court to order the release of Abaribe, who was picked up by the DSS last Friday over undisclosed reasons.

Abaribe is one of the sureties who guaranteed the bail of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

However, the whereabouts of Kanu has remained a mystery following his disappearance since the military invaded his home in Abia State last October, prompting the prosecution to ask the court to revoke Kanu’s bail, and that the sureties forfeit their bail bond or be remanded in prison custody until they produce the defendant.

When the matter came up Tuesday before Justice Nyako, Abaribe’s counsel, Ume, told the court that his client who was arrested last weekend over his role in the IPOB matter, was brought to court in chains by the DSS.

While stating that Abaribe since his arrest has been held incommunicado by the security agency without been charged to court, Ume said Abaribe’s arrest is capable of jeopardising the trial.

He therefore urged the court to order the release of Abaribe from DSS custody.

Responding, the trial judge stated that since the arrest of Abaribe was not a matter before him, their is nothing the court could do, adding that in situation such as this, Abaribe’s counsel ought to know the next step to take.

However, following much pleading by Abaribe’s counsel, Justice Nyako ordered the DSS official who brought Abaribe to court that he be allowed access to his lawyers.

“Allow him have access to his counsel. You cannot hold him incommunicado. No matter what reason he is been arrested, allow him access to his lawyers,” the court ordered.

Earlier, Ume and counsel to the second surety, Aloy Ejimakor, informed the court of a motion they both filed challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter on the grounds that the order served on their clients to show cause why they should not forfeit their bail bond for Kanu or be remanded in prison custody did not comply with the law.

They therefore urged the court to set aside the order for want of jurisdiction.

However, counsel to the third surety, Frank Chude, informed the court of an application he filed on the 25th of June, asking the court to order for the arrest of Kanu.

Details later…

However, counsel to the third surety, Frank Chude, informed the court of an application he filed on the 25th of June, asking the court to order for the arrest of Kanu.

Source

phase1:
If you have a working brain, you'd have asked the Court to order the army to produce Kanu, since they were the ones who were last seen illegally invading his compound, the pictorial evidence are there. It is called 'Circumstantial evidence' in the evidence act.

The judiciary which is supposed to be neutral and independent is now an offshoot of the tyrannical executive bent on executing the common man prejudicially and extrajudicially.

MIKOLOWISKA:
which asset