₦airaland Forum

FEC approves over N173. 45 billion for roads, power, other projects
Posted By: Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

December 20, 2017
After over six hours meeting, the Federal Executive Council ( FEC ) meeting on Wednesday approved over N 173.45 billion for projects covering roads, power, education, water, health among other projects.

The Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu and FCT, Mohammed Bello briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The projects approved include N38.69 billion power projects in nine universities and one teaching hospital, N5.6 billion for completion of Adada Dam project in Enugu State, N6. 5 billion for Galma Dam in Kaduna State.



Others include N6. 9 billion for textbooks distribution in schools, N62.06 billion road projects in Enugu State, N3.1 billion seaport vehicles, N3.9 Gulf of Guinea project.



Also approved on Wednesday are N3.8 billion for Goodluck Jonathan expressway in Abuja and N26 billion for infrastructural development of WASA settlement site in Abuja.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed that the FEC which will continue on Thursday has gone half way in the over 40 memos for consideration.

http://thenationonlineng.net/fec-approves-n173-45-billion-roads-power-projects/

Nigerian Govt. releases N750 billion 2017 capital budget – Adeosun
December 20, 2017

Bassey Udo

The Federal Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday it had started the release of N750 billion capital appropriation in the 2017 budget to ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs.
The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who disclosed this while appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance as part of the 2018 Budget Defence, said most accounts of the MDAs were already being credited with their approved allocations.
“The accounts of the MDAs are being credited as I speak,” the Minister told the lawmakers. “If the MDAs check their bank balances, they will have balances different from what they were before.”
While reviewing the performance of the 2017 budget when he presented analysis of the 2018 Budget proposal, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, said out of the capital projects appropriation of about N2.174 trillion, only N450 billion was actually spent as at October 31.
He said priority attention was paid to critical ongoing infrastructural projects, such as power, roads, rail, and agriculture.
At the Senate briefing, Mrs. Adeosun said ongoing capital projects from the 2017 budget would be rolled over under the 2018 approved appropriation of N2.43 trillion.
The minister told the senators that she was optimistic that with the release of capital budget, Nigerians should expect that many of the ongoing projects by the MDAs would be completed as planned.
Mrs. Adeosun, who used the opportunity to thank the leadership and members of the National Assembly for their support in approving the issuance of Eurobond, said some of the funds were being deployed in the execution of the 2017 budget, while the balance was being used to refinance the country’s existing debt.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/253073-nigerian-govt-releases-n750-billion-2017-capital-budget-adeosun.html

Pussitto:
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, threw the Senate into a coarse session when he announced that the operatives of EFCC slapped the wife of Mr. Chukwuma.

“Another incident happened in his house. The wife asked a question; why are you arresting my husband? What has happened and they slapped her.”

According to this video Innoson's wife narrates how EFCC slapped her for addressing them with Igbo language as senator abaribe wades in to the story.
Watch video below,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHdaZcsgGho

http://chikasom..com/2017/12/efcc-officials-slapped-innoson.html?m=1

The man resisted arrest. That is unlawful. Where do you do that and get away with it? Innosson is not above the law. The woman and Innosson are lucky that they were not shot.

chi2054real:
The national coordinator for WHY IT MUST BE PDP IN 2019(WIMBPDP2019) Chinedu Eya, has revealed why Tinubu will Be ashamed to Come back to PDP. According to him, Tinubu will be ashamed to come back to PDP because of Pride but i am very much convinced that he is disrespected/unsatisfied with his APC.



Recall that Tinubu's commanding role in 2015 election that brought Buhari and his APC group of looters to power was obvious but recent events in the government of APC left most Nigerians in no doubt as to whether Tinubu is being schemed out of things or not. Below are the excerpts as to how Tinubu has been and is being badly marginalized by the HAUSA'S who erroneously believe they are the owners of Nigeria.

*Points* *By* *Tinubus* *faction* *of* *APC*
1). Asiwaju has been left out and marginalised, he has been somehow taken out of the caucus of the party and its leadership. And we believe it should not be so, having considered the tremendous contributions he made to the success of the APC in the last elections.

2). After the 2015 elections, the leadership of the party should have been able to implement the reason why we emerged, having spent time, money and energy to ensure victory. Unfortunately, when our cause was realised, decisions were taken behind him. As a result of this, those who did not even partake in the struggle are now the beneficiaries. This is the major problem and we feel it is wrong.In case if anyone is if being deceived to believe that the above points are nothing but falsehood.Being aware of the above scenario playing out in APC under Buhari's watch,the wife of the president said clearly that this thing could be settled.
Maybe Mr.President did not realise it, but somebody who is his flesh and bone is now pointing out to him that things are not going right. If the president had not think about it, then somebody has now come out boldly and truthfully to tell him the truth. For the First time someone is speaking out and saying the truth.
The above statements came from APC MEMBERS but Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not see fault in them because he in one part constituted APC.
It's good to be a very good party man but in circumstances like the above I think you should consider how well you spent your past without APC and how disjointed you have spent and is spending it with APC.


It is an undeniable fact that Tinubu have great and transformation loaded ideas before joining APC.Tinubu's ideas and contributions made lagos state a great and the number one state in the country during his regime as the governor of the state and his achievements are still unmatched which means that his intention for the APC Government was better than what it turned out to be.This is a case of bright star instead of getting brighter gets dim by the emergence of cloud.APC is an evil cloud seeking to dim the bright star(Tinubu)whose intention joining APC was to shine brighter.

It is a known and an obvious fact that Tinubu is a father that makes the poor around him rich but his APC Government has become opposite of him as the rich are now poor and the poor are now poorer.It is high time you consider the interest of the Nation over and above the interest of a party that her interest is to ensure the nation's collective woe.It is time for you to say bye to those whose agenda is evil and embrace the people of goodwill in PDP and have your light beam to the peak.It is time for you to make peace with God and mankind again and save your Conscience from torment.It is time to detach yourself from All Promises Cancelled (APC) gang of criminals who milk the nation dry without qualm of Conscience to Power the People(PDP)again and enjoin the bliss that follows.
I will not say much but I want you to consider your age and consciously LEAVE APC SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE PEACE WITH GOD WHEN YOU ARE FACED WITH HIM IN YOUR TIME.
PDP IS HOME AND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN AMEND THE WRONGS THAT YOUR CREATION CURSED.

What should matter to you now is to make peace with NIGERIANS and GOD.

Click To Read More http://www.nigeriandailies.com.ng/2017/12/why-bola-tinubu-will-be-ashamed-to-join.html#more

Eboes crying more than the bereaved. Neglecting their own "No status" in the Nigeria politics and be focusing on a Tinubu that presented a Vice President, nominated Igbo son for DG of Budget, among others is the height of hypocrisy from these cave men

Keneking:
Mister, can you give a snapshot of this type of visa?

Snapshot? What part of 3 months to see how the program is run that you do not understand? So you do not understand or know that Nigeria issues visas to foreign nationals or to Nigerians with no valid Nigerian passport?

Keneking:
Picture of biometric visa or adonbelivit

They have just started with the program. Give it time (at least 3 months) for people to provide feedback. You are too pessimistic. You don't see anything good in your country or yourself.. The low self esteem and self hate is mind boggling.

Nigeria commences 48-hr visa issuance at New York Consulate
: December 20, 2017

The Nigerian Consulate in New York has said that applicants for the Nigeria visa can now get it in 48 hours with the introduction of the issuance of the biometric visa.

The acting Consul-General, Tanko Suleiman, who disclosed this at the commencement of the biometric visa processing in New York, said the new process had simplified the issuance of Nigerian visa.

Tanko said with the commencement of the biometric visa issuance, no applicant should spend more than 25 minutes to complete his or her enrollment.

Mr Tanko Suleiman, Nigeria’s Acting Consul-General in New York stressing a point to Nigerians living in U.S. and some Consulate officials at the commencement of the biometric visa in New York



The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government on Monday commenced the biometric visa issuance, becoming the first country in Africa to achieve that feat.

The Nigerian envoy said the Federal Government has appointed Online Integrated Solutions Limited (OIS) as the company to handle the biometric visa project.

Suleiman appealed to applicants in the U.S. to be courteous and orderly as the new system would finally address any frustrations in obtaining the Nigerian visa.

“If you are given an appointment for 1 p.m., your appointment will last for only one hour maximum for that day; you can cancel the appointment if you know you can’t make it.

A Nigerian visa applicant going through the biometric process

“However, if you come here an hour after, your appointment is completely cancelled. Therefore, you have to reapply because you are not the only applicant, there are other people.



“So once you cannot come within that one hour, you will now have to apply for another time,” Suleiman explained.

The Managing Director of OIS, Mr Abdul Momodu, said with the biometric system, there would be fairness in the visa application process as every applicant would now be approved on a case management system.

“That case management system can be reviewed in 10 years and it would be tied to the individual application as many times as he applies in the future.

Some Nigerians at the flag-off keenly watching the biometric visa application process at New York

“This further puts integrity into the system of applying for the Nigerian visa; there were two things that we put into play when we were developing this solution.”

According to him, one of the advantages of the new system is to simplify the visa application process and make it less cumbersome.

“First of all we want to keep people informed from their point of application to the point of collection.

“This is so that at every point in time, they are informed through emails and text messages of the status of their application.

“So once the application leaves our office to the Consulate, the applicant would receive a text message and email.



“Then once decision is made on the application, he or she will receive a notification and once it is back in our office and ready for collection, there will also be a notification.

“Be that as it may, we still have a tracking system on our website, in case for any reason, you have no access to your email.

“In this case, you can go on our website, put your passport number and your reference number and it will also be able to tell you the status of your application,” he said. (NAN)

http://thenationonlineng.net/nigeria-commences-48-hr-visa-issuance-at-new-york-consulate/

caremaster:
The national coordinator for WHY IT MUST BE PDP IN 2019(WIMBPDP2019) Chinedu Eya, has revealed why Tinubu will Be ashamed to Come back to PDP. According to him, Tinubu will be ashamed to come back to PDP because of Pride but i am very much convinced that he is disrespected/unsatisfied with his APC.


Recall that Tinubu's commanding role in 2015 election that brought Buhari and his APC group of looters to power was obvious but recent events in the government of APC left most Nigerians in no doubt as to whether Tinubu is being schemed out of things or not. Below are the excerpts as to how Tinubu has been and is being badly marginalized by the HAUSA'S who erroneously believe they are the owners of Nigeria.

*Points* *By* *Tinubus* *faction* *of* *APC*
1). Asiwaju has been left out and marginalised, he has been somehow taken out of the caucus of the party and its leadership. And we believe it should not be so, having considered the tremendous contributions he made to the success of the APC in the last elections.

2). After the 2015 elections, the leadership of the party should have been able to implement the reason why we emerged, having spent time, money and energy to ensure victory. Unfortunately, when our cause was realised, decisions were taken behind him. As a result of this, those who did not even partake in the struggle are now the beneficiaries. This is the major problem and we feel it is wrong.In case if anyone is if being deceived to believe that the above points are nothing but falsehood.Being aware of the above scenario playing out in APC under Buhari's watch,the wife of the president said clearly that this thing could be settled.
Maybe Mr.President did not realise it, but somebody who is his flesh and bone is now pointing out to him that things are not going right. If the president had not think about it, then somebody has now come out boldly and truthfully to tell him the truth. For the First time someone is speaking out and saying the truth.
The above statements came from APC MEMBERS but Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not see fault in them because he in one part constituted APC.
It's good to be a very good party man but in circumstances like the above I think you should consider how well you spent your past without APC and how disjointed you have spent and is spending it with APC.

It is an undeniable fact that Tinubu have great and transformation loaded ideas before joining APC.Tinubu's ideas and contributions made lagos state a great and the number one state in the country during his regime as the governor of the state and his achievements are still unmatched which means that his intention for the APC Government was better than what it turned out to be.This is a case of bright star instead of getting brighter gets dim by the emergence of cloud.APC is an evil cloud seeking to dim the bright star(Tinubu)whose intention joining APC was to shine brighter.

It is a known and an obvious fact that Tinubu is a father that makes the poor around him rich but his APC Government has become opposite of him as the rich are now poor and the poor are now poorer.It is high time you consider the interest of the Nation over and above the interest of a party that her interest is to ensure the nation's collective woe.It is time for you to say bye to those whose agenda is evil and embrace the people of goodwill in PDP and have your light beam to the peak.It is time for you to make peace with God and mankind again and save your Conscience from torment.It is time to detach yourself from All Promises Cancelled (APC) gang of criminals who milk the nation dry without qualm of Conscience to Power the People(PDP)again and enjoin the bliss that follows.
I will not say much but I want you to consider your age and consciously LEAVE APC SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE PEACE WITH GOD WHEN YOU ARE FACED WITH HIM IN YOUR TIME.
PDP IS HOME AND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN AMEND THE WRONGS THAT YOUR CREATION CURSED.

What should matter to you now is to make peace with NIGERIANS and GOD.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/12/why-bola-tinubu-will-be-ashamed-to-join.html

Eboes crying more than the bereaved. Neglecting their own "No status" in the Nigeria politics and be focusing on a Tinubu that presented a Vice President, nominated their son as DG of Budget among others is the height of hypocrisy among these cave men

itsdumebi:
@POLITICSNGR

A man identified as Chukwudi Iwuchukwu has allegedly shut down his bank account with Guaranty trust bank following the recent issue the bank has with Innoson motors boss, Chief Innocent Chukwuma.

It will be recalled that Chukwuma was arrested by the Economic and financial crimes commission, EFCC, in Enugu on Tuesday morning. He accused GTB of being behind his ordeal because of a debt the bank owed him.

Iwuchukwu took to Facebook to announce his decision;

This morning, I walked into the nearest GTB branch and requested for a form to close our company account with them.

The gorgeous lady who attended to me wanted to know why I was closing the account and moving the funds to Zenith bank.

I told her is very simple! I’m taking this action as a form of protest to the bank for the way they handled the Innoson saga and most importantly, for victimizing the man simply because of business transaction that went wrong.

Not only this, I have been on the phone since morning talking to 2 of my friends who are billionaires and who have billions of their company’s fund with the bank to move it as well.

Thank God they have done that, one authorized his accountant to move the funds from GTB to first bank, the other one from GTB to Zenith bank

The lady was dazed and I think it is very important the management of GTB get this memo.

I’m not a tribalist, I avoid tribal sentiments 
but you see there is a limit to what you see and observe happening to your people without taking action to protest.

What Innoson is going through in the hands of GTB is corporate wickedness and witchcraft.

I call on young And older entrepreneurs who have their business funds in that bank should move it today, not tomorrow but today in solidarity with our brother, jewel and one of our brightest son who slept in EFCC custody last night because of GTB.

We need to boycott GTB for being a useless bank and boycott them for good.

They are not the only bank in Nigeria.

Nonsense!

https://politicsngr.com/2017/12/20/man-closes-account-gt-bank-innoson-saga/

For every account you close with GTB, 10 will be closed in Diamond bank and other banks that has any connection with Eboes. Let us see who will suffer the most. Short sighted Mgbeke's.
Useless bigots...

SouthEastFacts:
What the Igbos achieved before the war and what they achieved after everything might have been destroyed after the war, the Yorubas can never match it.

Your states can donate their shares to fight BH that had been defeated, but we are not. People don't trust Buhari to use the fund well.

Go and sit down. This is how you go about beating hollow chest all over the place. No lefelendum no erection. Dont waste my time with garbage. I have no time for losers.

Adekdammy:
So apc folks are saints abi no be the same guys wey dey control apc now dey PDP before?
You must be kidding sir, from maina to Lawal to budget padding. .....apc is doing better in corruption than pfp currently.

How can APC do better in terms of corruption when PDP actually made about 3 times income from oil than APC? PDP was owing workers, states were going bankrupt etc? You are a PDP supporter and you assume that others must be stealing like your PDP. Common sense based on events and how much the counyry earns vis a vis Govt expenditure on recurrent and capital projects does not support that. PDP are rogues we all know that.

erunz:
I see it more as a Corporate Social Responsibility from Dangote. This have nothing to Buhari.

Because you dislike Buhari does not take away his contribution towards this. If it is that easy, past admin would have done it through Dangote or anybody else.

anonimi:
Na me send you to support a dullard barawo and his recession breeding bandits


www.nairaland.com/attachments/3480755_facebook20150908124224_png05dc0be9f19c297c50e3e1942b89eade


www.nairaland.com/attachments/6398065_img20170913002915_jpeg0f7b04a2e44a4dd7f53bb1f017888866

There is no end in sight to your wailing. You are hurting and I understand your plight. This is a self inflicted pain that you have put yourself in

anonimi:
Is that what you tell your fellow Association of ProgreTHIEF Criminals, APC zombies? Obama blaming Bush until 2016 when he left office? Are you kidding
Interesting fact that those with nothing worthwhile in their heads will naturally follow an illiterate who confessed with his own mouth that he is clueless about the economics of making money as confirmed by Ebola Owu and their Asiwaju Asiwere national leader who packaged him as our saviour.




www.nairaland.com/attachments/6432793_screenshot20171219094227_jpege074d484d588f157559d133a2d470290


www.nairaland.com/attachments/5017269_picsart091907_33_38_jpeg8a6ff0508c519e28ba0bd28de77b7c6f

I understand your frustration. The loss of your IB hero must be painful. I know you are hurting and you will wail for a long time to come as there is no end in sight to your pain.

anonimi:
No proper handover? Since 2015? Three years after?
Wow, that is a new one.
Just when I thought the blames and excuses of the All Poverty Congress, APC zombies had been exhausted.
BTW, who asked vision-less illiterate old soldier to merge three ministries? Was it you, misitah financial budgetary expert?


www.nairaland.com/attachments/3403303_bruce_pngac5e04247d6bc83591bbe237085cb4b8


www.nairaland.com/attachments/3386584_img20160209151617_jpeged2361e0101fcbb510a35c3f0f40701e


www.nairaland.com/attachments/6396604_1572451813814797352576887111381811889998107o_jpeg0ccad78b32103b0966750eee901eb7bf

I am sure that apart from calling yourself a zombie, there is nothing worthwhile in your head. So Ministers has not been appointed for the past 3 years? For how long will you continue to mourn your loss of 2015 election? 2019 is almost here, are you prepared to wail till 2023 and beyond? The choice is yours wailing zombie. Obama blamed George Bush until his last year in office.

The looting party did not provide a proper handover to the new Govt. Moreover, ministries were merged like the case of power, works and housing.

sarrki:
We need more people like you to tackle the emergency enemies of state turned financial experts

They are here already giving fake analysis

Those ones are only bellyaching for the loss of their beloved Jonothing and PDP. But no amount of their bucket of tears will bring back their IB hero and PDP

The correlation is in the % of performance. Where have you seen that all Ministries must perform at the same rate? The useless Sinators are looking for money from constituency projects through the MDA's. They are not asking for Budget performance for your sake but for their selfish reasons. Go figure.

Sirjamo:
Brilliant minister, I just love this lady, she discharge her duty perfectly, despite the unnecessary criticism by some people.

Abi o. The Sinators expect 100% budget implementation on a budget that was passed in June 2017, by December 2017. Did the President not make it clear that the rest of the 2017 budget will be rolled over into 2018, for the New budget year to start in January 2018?
Imagine the level of knowledge and understating of the rogues representing us in NASS

Somebody's mother.. Na wa o. Another man will come and marry this one....

Senate tackles Adeosun over FG’s plan to pass 2018 budget in January

December 19, 2017

The Senate on Tuesday challenged the Minister of Finance kemi Adeosun, on Federal Government’s insistence on passing the 2018 Budget in January when less than 50 per cent of the 2017 budget was only implemented.

The upper chamber also queried why the 2017 Budget had no correlation to the 2018 Budget, insisting the implementation, if passed by January, would be poor because of the size of Nigeria.

Chairman Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. John Eno, made the position known during the budget defence of the ministry.

Eno asked to know how the ministry achieved 64 per cent budget performance in 2017 when other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were nearly scratching below 40 per cent.



Responding, Adeosun said the ministry was working to raise all the MDAs to 50 per cent performance before the end of the year.

On leakages in Federal Government earnings, she said the ministry would look into other agencies, outside the Federal Inland Revenue Service, that could augment earnings as pointed out.

“We have taken on board some of key reform initiatives. A total of N306 billion is expected from privatisation and N5 billion from sale of other government’s property to finance the deficit.“

She said oil revenue would contribute 37 per cent of the total revenue of N6.6 trillion.

Others, according to her, are recovered looted funds, 7.8 per cent; tax amnesty, 1.3 per cent; signature bonus, 1.7 per cent; joint venture equity restructuring, 10.7 per cent; grants and donors funding, three per cent and others, 5.5 per cent.

The minister said the revenue targeted for 2017 was largely achieved, with a record of 64 per cent performance.(NAN)

http://thenationonlineng.net/senate-tackles-adeosun-fgs-plan-pass-2018-budget-january/

MrHistorian:
Are you slow??

Because he owns an indigenous car producing factory now. . . He should be absolved of any criminal case?

Your ignorance is beyond human remedy.

Innoson...Go and service your debt!!!!!!!!

I am sure that Innosson is not giving out his China parts assemblage for free... So, he should pay back his debt

SouthEastFacts:
If you can't read, most of us can. Check your messiah's budget from 2016 and you will cry for your poor soul.
How can people that claim to love this country, appropriate money for the same item in every budget? The senate rejected that budget of yam called 2018 budget because it was infested with corruption.

You are biased as someone from SE. Remember how your messiah looted all the money for your roads and the Niger bridge? If you cannot use your senses, some of us can. Equating budget with fund release is a confirmation that you have no idea what you write about. As it is typical of people from your enclave, name calling and use of abusive language remains your only contribution after failure.

What will make you cry is if you are able to come to terms with the humongous amount of oil revenue wasted by your drunkard hero while he was the President. But the hypocrisy in you will prevent you from going that far..

Kiakia:
An afterthought. Osinbajo should just quit politics. Too many lies and more lies to cover up one misdeed or another in government is not good for him. $1 billion is for nothing else other than campaign fund for the Presidency. Period! PDP is a trailblazer in this regard. APC is also populated by PDP decampees. Put two and two together and you will know.

With Boko Haram, insurgencies and other security challengers, it appears that Nigeria is at war. The US has been in Afghanistan since how many years now? Any idea how much the US is spending on equipping and maintaining her army in Afghanistan? The fact that PDP stole money meant for security is not a justification that APC is doing the same. Buhari is not Jonathan.. With the victories recorded over Boko Haram and the fighter jets and other equipment on display by the Military, you can be rest assured that money is being spent on what it is meant for

Krossbow123:
just in this December, NNPC N50b + $1b = 2019

The PDP way....

Your imagination running wild....

erunz:
http://www.pulse.ng/news/local/dangote-to-extend-construction-of-apapa-wharf-road-fashola-id7321090.html


http://leadership.ng/2017/06/19/fg-dangote-fmn-sign-mou-repair-apapa-wharf-road/

This road is being constructed by Dangote and not Buhari.

Govt provides the enabling environment for private businesses like that of Dangote and Flour Mills (the big users of the road) to thrive.
Moreover, FG provided the cost for the design, estimate and supervision for the project.
If the FG input on these projects were that easy to figure out and achieve, I believe that the previous vision less and wasteful Govt might have achieved the same feet.
Give honour to whom its due. Buhari is providing the right kind of leadership that is leading to the delivery of project like this...

serverconnect:
CHANGE KO CHANGE NIL

What do you call a road that was abandoned for 16 years but now getting repaired? I understand that to you, change means the sharing of money among few PDP party faithfuls and crumb catchers.
Wake up and smell the coffee. Change is here..

ProWalker:
Successive govt have left Apapa to rot away, until the Buhari govt and AG Dangote (one of the culprits) decided to do something.
God punish PDP, they messed up and abandoned Apapa, but thank God that the state government did the Central-North Avenue-Maybin alternative road.

16 wasted years under PDP. Thank God for Change!

PDP and their supporters assume that everyone is a thief like them. The way they stole money meant for security under Jonaloot is how they assume that the Buhari Govt is going to steal like them.

Apapa-Wharf Road reconstruction only 10% completed

Posted By: Agency Reporter On: December 19, 2017


The Apapa-Wharf Road reconstruction in Lagos State has achieved only 10 per cent completion, an official of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing ( FMPWH ), has said.

Mrs Olukorede Keisha, an FMPWH engineer supervising the project, said on Tuesday at the project site that presence of gas pipes and other public utilities in the road’s Right of Way ( RoW ) delayed the project execution.

The engineer said that the contractors handling the project had, however, resolved the problem.

Keisha said that 200 metres of concrete road and 230 metres of drains had been constructed on section one of the project.



“The project is about 10 per cent completed; we finished 230 metres of drain and 200 metres of concrete road on section one.

“We have about four layers of road to make the pavement rigid; the road thickness is 600mm,’’ she said.

She said that the project had four sections.

Keisha told NAN that a design alteration was done to take care of the gas pipelines in the RoW of the road so as to meet the completion date of June 2018.

“There is no need to relocate the pipelines again; the pipes are encased. We had to redesign in order to safeguard the pipes for work to continue.

“It is a shift in alignment, we shifted it forward,’’ she said.



She said that the redesign gave the opportunity for deep excavation to lay a solid foundation for a durable concrete road.

On potholes on some portions of the highway, Keisha said that rehabilitation work had begun on the bad portions.

According to Keisha, the ministry will use the Christmas holiday to take care of the most critical portions on the reconstruction zone and other roads in Apapa.

NAN reports that some rolling machines were being used to compact construction materials on about 500 metres stretch of the road on the Ijora/CMS Carriageway.

The machines were compacting soil-based materials to connect to a concrete section of the road.


Meanwhile, some of the road users have appealed for speedy completion of the project.

A food vendor, Mrs Kaka Kolo, appealed to the Federal Government to increase funding for road repair in Apapa.

“Trailers are the ones spoiling the road always. The best thing is for government to give contractors more money to repair roads.

“Government should not wait for potholes to get big and trailers start falling before it does something,’’ she said.

Also, Mallam Awal Usman, a truck driver, called for repair of all bad roads on the axis.

He urged collaboration of all government agencies to end gridlock in Apapa.

Usman, however, praised traffic managers for checking traffic offences compounding gridlock on the axis.

Another truck driver, Mr Odu Nwoye, told NAN that the efforts of traffic managers had reduced accidents caused by bad roads and reckless driving on the axis.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on June 17 signed a N4.34 billion Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) with AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd. and some other stakeholders for the reconstruction of the four-kilometre Apapa-Wharf Road.

The project is being funded by AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, the Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA ) and Flour Mills of Nigeria.

http://thenationonlineng.net/apapa-wharf-road-reconstruction-10-completed/

[BREAKING] $1bn not for anti-Boko Haram war alone, Osinbajo says
Published December 19, 2017


Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

VIce-President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday said the much-criticised $1bn that state governors asked the Federal Government to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account was not meant for the fight against insurgency alone.



He said the sum was meant for all security challenges being experienced in all the states of the federation.


Osinbajo gave the clarification at the opening of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Secretaries to State Governments’ retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

It will be recalled that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari, had, at a meeting of the National Economic Council last Wednesday, announced that the governors had asked the Federal Government to withdraw $1bn from the ECA to fight insurgency.

The decision had attracted criticisms from groups and individuals, including the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose; and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

But Osinbajo explained that the governors resolved to approve the money for national security after a national security summit organised by the National Executive Council about two months ago.

He said the summit considered various security challenges across the country, including kidnapping, small arms trafficking, terrorist activities of Boko Haram in the North East, clashes between herdsmen and farmers, as well as cattle rustling.

The Vice-President said, “It was on account of the security summit that the governors at the Governors’ Forum subsequently decided that they would vote a certain sum of money, which has become somewhat controversial, the $1bn, to assist the security architecture of the country.



“It was to assist all of the issues in the states, including policing in the states, community policing, all of the different security challenges that we have.

“It was after the security summit that the Governors’ Forum met across party lines –again, I must add — in order to approve and to accept that this is what needed to be done to shore up our security architecture.”

Osinbajo’s explanation was, however, in contrast with the statement made by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, while addressing State House correspondents at the end of the NEC’s meeting.

Obaseki was clear in his presentation that the $1bn was approved for the fight against insurgency.

He had said, “Pleased with the achievements that have been made till date in the fight against insurgency, particularly in the North East, the governors of Nigeria through their chairman announced at the NEC meeting that the governors have given permission to the Federal Government to spend the sum of $1bn on the fight of insurgency.

“This money is supposed to be taken from the Excess Crude Account.

“As you know, the issue of security, particularly with regard to the North East, is a very comprehensive response by federal forces.

“So, we expect that the contribution of the states to these efforts will cover the whole array of activities required to secure the country and counter insurgency.

“We expect that the amount will include but not limited to purchase of equipment, procuring intelligence and logistics and all what is required to ensure that we finally put an end to the scourge of insurgence.”

http://punchng.com/breaking-1bn-not-for-anti-boko-haram-war-alone-osinbajo-says/