₦airaland Forum

One of the buildings at Eyika-Adagu, Okehi Local Government Area, in which bombs are said to be manufactured. Photo: Yekini Jimoh.
THE Kogi State police command has arrested two suicide bombers in a Luxury bus at Muhammed Murtala

Bridge, Jamata, Lokoja, on their way from one of the northern states of the country.

Similarly, another two bomb factories had been discovered at two local government councils in Kogi Central.

One of the bomb factories is located in an estate, which also houses a factory of Limit Nigeria Ltd, makers of electricity poles at Check Point in Okene, while the other one was discovered at Eyika-Adagu, in Okehi Local Government Area.

Items recovered included three rocket launchers, police bullet-proof jackets, bomb making accessories and AK 47 rifle.

The Kogi State police commissioner, Mr Muhammed Katsina, who led his team and newsmen to the bomb factories on Tuesday, said the two suicide bombers were arrested through the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operation, Mr Zanna Muhammed Ibrahim.

According to him, the two suspects were those who killed worshippers at the Deeper Life Bible Church at Eyika-Adagu some weeks back, adding that during the arrest, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from them.

He said that after the attack, they left the state to reinforce for another attack when they were arrested.

According to him, the suspected gang leader was arrested at a farm settlement at Ulowo in Owo, Ondo State after the exchange of gunfire, where he sustained serious injuries, adding that " he was discovered hiding behind banana leaves while combing the bush," he said.

He declared that the gang had planned to launch a massive attack on Sunday which coincided with Eid- el-Fitri celebrations before the arrest, adding that those who killed Christian worshippers and two soldiers have been arrested and that one of them died due to injuries he sustained during exchange of gunfire.

"They planned the two attacks on the same day. Three persons each were detailed to attack the church and the soldiers respectively. The pastor was the target of the attack but because of confusion, as they entered the church, they were shooting sporadically to make sure they hit their target.”

He confirmed that guns belonging to the two soldiers that were stationed at Okene Central Mosque had been recovered.

The police boss promised that all those behind the killings of innocent people in Ebiraland would surely be arrested.

Those arrested are Abdulmamman Obadaki, principal suspect of Deeper Life Bible Church attack; Anthony Abdul Ojeba, Kabiru Abubakar Obadaki; Mohammed Jamui Obadaki, Jimoh Bello, Suleiman Sanni Tijani, Yekini Isa (deceased) and Mallam Yusu (deceased).





http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/lead-stories/46358-2-bomb-factories-found-in-kogi-again-2-suicide-bombers-arrested

By Ejiofor Alike and Linda Eroke in Lagos and Onyebuchi Ezigbo

After leading a strike in January against the removal of the subsidy on petrol and being at the forefront for the probe of the wide-scale fraud and mismanagement of the subsidy scheme, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) shockingly reversed itself yesterday by supporting the threat by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to embark on a nationwide strike over the non-payment of subsidy claims to indicted oil marketers.

NUPENG had issued an ultimate to the Federal Government on Monday, threatening to go on strike by Friday if the government fails to pay outstanding subsidy claims to oil marketing and trading companies (OM&Ts).

The union’s refusal to lift petrol from depots has resulted in crippling fuel scarcity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the last one week.

But NUPENG’s threat is believed to have been influenced by a core of oil marketers indicted by the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede presidential committee and wants to tie the hands of government to avoid prosecution, as canvassed by civil society groups and labour during the fuel subsidy strike.

Labour’s new position is a blatant turnaround, said analysts last nights, who fear that a crippling nationwide strike could pave the way for the indicted oil marketers to escape prosecution.

However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has distanced itself from the NUPENG ultimatum to embark on the strike, stating that NUPENG cannot speak on its behalf.

The NLC’s position is also coming against the backdrop of a letter written by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, to President Goodluck Jonathan clarifying that 25 oil marketing firms were actually indicted by his committee that verified the payments and arrears of the 2011 subsidy claims and not 21 companies.

The NLC, which had clamoured for the probe of the subsidy scheme, expressed support for NUPENG's action, which presidency sources have described as an open endorsement of oil subsidy fraudsters.

The NLC said NUPENG is fighting a genuine course, adding that it would not interfere in its quest to protect the interest of workers in the oil and gas industry.

NLC Acting General Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot, said the congress was in total support of NUPENG’s demand for transparency in the payment of subsidy claims to oil marketers.

He said the union had briefed the NLC leadership on the steps taken so far to address the issue, adding that the only way to resolve the crisis is for government to ensure transparency in the importation of petroleum products.
He called on government to meet the union’s demands in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.

“Our affiliate has briefed us on the current issue in the sector and has issued a strike notice. We cannot tell them not to go on strike because they have the right to embark on an industrial action and we respect that right.

“We can only appeal to government to embrace dialogue as the only option to resolve the issues of subsidy claims in the sector,” he said.

In a bid to stave off the strike, the president had directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to relocate to Lagos during the Eid-el-Fir break to hold meetings with oil marketers to resolve outstanding issues delaying the payment of subsidy claims.
As part of the efforts to prevent the strike, the Federal Government will also meet today with the NUPENG leadership over their threat.

The meeting, scheduled to hold in Abuja, will be chaired by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu.

Acting General Secretary of NUPENG, Comrade Isaac Aberare, who confirmed today’s meeting, said the outcome of the meeting would be communicated to Nigerians.

He said there was no meeting with Okonjo-Iweala or oil marketers yesterday on the strike notice issued by the union.

NUPENG President, Comrade Igwe Achese, while announcing the union’s determination to go on strike if the marketers with outstanding claims are not paid by Friday, expressed displeasure over the failure by the Federal Government to implement its own part of the collective bargaining agreement on the payment of subsidy claims.

He said: “It is against this backdrop that we call on the Minister of Finance to pay all outstanding payments to NNPC and the private depot owners, who are being asked by the same government to import fuel.

“We state that failure of the minister to meet the NNPC and marketers’ payment obligations is a ploy to create hardship for Nigerians.”

However, NNPC has distanced itself from Achese’s statement, saying that NUPENG was not speaking on its behalf.

Speaking to THISDAY last night, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, said the NUPENG chapter of NNPC never sanctioned the threat and ultimatum by the national union.

He said NUPENG had no right to speak on behalf of NNPC and that the corporation’s members had no intention of embarking on strike.

But the threat of a nationwide strike by NUPENG has prompted the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to call on the Federal Government and oil workers to find a common ground in a bid to end the crisis to save Nigerians needless agony.

The ANPP and CPC in separate statements yesterday expressed concern that with the looming threat of a nationwide strike by NUPENG and the electricity workers backed by the NLC, the country may be in for more difficult times if nothing is done to arrest the situation.

CPC National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said the Federal Government and the agitating marketers should find a more amicable way to settle their differences rather than cause further hardship for innocent Nigerians.

“It is like payback time for the Federal Government and the marketers. The oil marketers had connived with government officials in ripping off the country of billions of naira,” he said.

ANPP's National Publicity Secretary, Chief Emma Eneukwu, also expressed the party's concern over the perceived indifference by both parties to the dispute.

He said what was more worrisome was the threat by NUPENG to further extend the strike nationwide should the Federal Government fail to effect payments of outstanding subsidy monies to fuel importers and depot owners.

Meanwhile, Aig-Imoukhuede has written to the president clarifying that 25 oil marketing companies were actually indicted by his committee that verified the payments and arrears of the 2011 subsidy claims and not 21 companies.

Confirming the error last night, the finance minister’s Special Adviser, Media, Paul Nwabuikwu, said that the Aig-Imoukhuede presidential committee had indicted 25 oil marketers for grievous infractions and recommended them for investigation by the law enforcement agencies, and not 21 companies.

The letter, which was written through Okonjo-Iweala, has confirmed THISDAY’s exclusive report on Friday, July 27 that 25 companies were recommended for criminal investigation by the Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Subsidy Payments and not 21 as announced earlier.

The committee, which was headed by Aig-Imoukhuede, had during the submission of its report on Tuesday, July 24, erroneously announced that 21 companies were indicted in the report.
But THISDAY’s investigation revealed that the number of companies indicted and classified as “likely fraudulent cases for criminal investigation” was actually 25.

However, the Federal Ministry of Finance in an advertorial published in some newspapers on Friday, August 17, as well as a press statement the next day, again inadvertently listed 21 companies as having been indicted, a development that prompted Aig-Imoukhuede’s letter to the president.

Titled: “Clarification on Number of OM&Ts Recommended for Criminal Investigation”, Aig-Imoukhuede’s letter to the president, which was obtained exclusively by THISDAY from presidency sources, listed 25 companies as reported by THISDAY last month.

“We write to clarify that the number of likely fraudulent cases for criminal investigations contained in the Presidential Committee report on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payment identified 25 OM&Ts and not 21 as inadvertently stated in the summing up of the infractions.

“Please find below the extract of the report detailing the cases against the Twenty-Five (25) OM&Ts,” the letter reads.

President Goodluck Jonathan had set up the verification and reconciliation committee last July to verify and reconcile the report of the technical committee, also headed by Aig-Imoukhuede, which was set up by the Federal Ministry of Finance in May to verify all claims and payments made to marketers in 2011.

In the report of the technical committee, scores of marketers and importers were alleged to have committed 17 infractions that cost the country N422,542,937,668.59 in overpayments.

However, after the N422 billion was subjected to reconciliation and verification by the presidential committee, N18 billion was found to have been duplicated, while N21 billion was cleared from the report of the technical committee, bringing down the overpayments to N382,018,250,982.52.

The 25 indicted companies whose identities were made known exclusively to THISDAY by presidency sources before the committee’s report was made public, would be investigated for their alleged involvement in the N62,501,511,789.24 fraudulently obtained through the subsidy scheme out of the N382 billion comprising other minor infractions committed by marketers.

The indicted companies include Alminnur Resources Limited, Brila Energy Limited; Caades Oil and Gas Limited, Capital Oil and Gas Industry Limited and Capital Oil Plc. It is suspected that Capital Oil and Gas Industry Limited and Capital Oil Plc are one and same company.

Others are Ceoti Limited, Conoil Plc, Downstream Energy Source Limited, Eterna Oil Plc, Eurafic Oil and Gas Limited, Heyden Petroleum, Lumen Skies Limited, Majope Investment Limited, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, Matrix Energy Limited, Menol Oil and Gas Limited, MOB International Services Limited and MRS Oil and Gas Plc.

Also, Nasaman Oil Services Limited, Naticel Petroleum Limited, Ocean Energy Trading and Services Limited, Pinnacle Contractors Limited, Sifax Oil and Gas Limited, Tonique Oil Services Limited and Top Oil and Gas Development Company Limited were included in the list of 25 marketers.




http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/in-a-u-turn-on-subsidy-fraud-nlc-backs-nupeng-strike/122915/

An Ondo State High Court has ordered the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the forthcoming governorship election, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), to pay the sum of N4.3million to the Registrar of the Court being payment for his numerous billboards erected all over the State.

Mr. Akeredolu had filed a suit at the court in Akure, challenging, amongst other things, the constitutionality or otherwise of the Ondo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OSSAA) Law, 2011.

He had also filed a Motion for Interlocutory Injunction restraining OSSAA from carrying out its duties as empowered by the Law pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The matter had been adjourned by the Presiding Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola to Thursday, August 16, 2012 for the hearing of the Motion for Interlocutory Injunction.

However, before the hearing date, Akeredolu had gone ahead to erect billboards all over the state for his election campaign, a development which made OSSAA to issue Demand Notice for the payment of the sum of N4.3million being amount payable on the said billboards.

On Thursday however, counsel to the Defendants, Adebayo Ogunsuyi informed the court that plaintiff’s counsel had just served him with a court process wherein weighty allegations were made against the defendants which would warrant a response.

He then applied for an adjournment stressing that since the Ondo State Signage and Advertisement Law, 2011 was an existing Law, the Court was empowered by the Rule to order that the plaintiff to pay the sum of N4.3 million being the amount on the Demand Notice to the Registrar of the Court.

In his response, counsel to the defendant, Adekola Olawoye had objected to the defendants’ application that the money be paid to the court stressing that if OSSAA impounds any of their billboards or branded vehicles, they would meet fire for fire.

But Justice Odusola, having listened to submission of both counsels ordered that Akeredolu, the plaintiff pays the sum of N4.3million being the amount on the Demand Notice to the Registrar of the court pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

He subsequently adjourned the case to October 11, 2012.

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/08/16/court-orders-akeredolu-to-pay-n4-3m-for-campaign-billboards/

ABUJA —The Federal Ministry of Finance has released the third quarter capital vote of N300 billion with a view to boosting the 2012 budget implementation.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who disclosed this at a briefing, yesterday, also revealed that salaries of Federal Government workers were being paid between yesterday and today, to enable them enjoy the Eid- Id-Fitr holiday.

On the capital budget, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said N704 billion has been released to date, while utilisation of the earlier N404 billion in first and second quarters stood at 65.4 per cent as at the end of July.


Vehicles queuing for fuel at the central area of Abuja on Thursday NAN Photos
According to her, the N704 billion so far released represents 53 per cent of the N1. 36 trillion capital budget for 2012 and that her team was “pressing on to make funds available for a successful implementation of the 2012 budget”.

Her words, “we are here to announce the release of the third quarter capital budget of N300 billion. This demonstrates government’s commitment to realising a significant level of implementation of the capital budget this year.

“In percentage term, with this release, we have released N704 billion. If you recall, we had earlier released N404 billion and with this additional N300 billion, it brings us to N704 billion, which is about 53 per cent of the annual capital budget of Ni1.36 trillion.

“We should note that based on what we had released before, which was N404 billion, the last time we spoke to you we said utilization of that had gone up to 56 per cent and that was as at the end of June, and we are now happy to tell you that as at the end of July, utilization of the previous N404 billion is now at 65.4 per cent and on top of that we are now releasing this additional N300 billion for the third quarter”.

Some marketers blackmail FG

Answering questions on emerging fuel queues in Abuja and other parts of the country occasioned by subsidy payment between the Federal Government and some fuel marketers, the minister said government has been paying verified claims and that there are no disagreements whatsoever with honest marketers.

Her words, “we have resumed payment to the marketers. “As you know these payments come in batches and since April we have been receiving these batches and paying.

“Recall that we had a period that we had to verify all the payments that were being made. Nigerians have said why is it that we keep paying these marketers when we believe there is non-transparency in the way that subsidy is going.

“We set up a committee headed by Mr Aig Imoukhuede which has now become a presidential committee. The president has formally inaugurated them and was asked to verify all the payments that were being made. So for a period of time these investigations were going on, so that the Ministry of Finance will be sure of the people who really deserved to be paid.

“As the verification was rounding off in April, we resumed payment to marketers and I’m happy to say that between April and August we have been paying in respect of 2012 claims. We paid about N42.66 billion to marketers and the number of marketers that were paid was 31”.

According to her, fuel marketers who have questions to answer are the ones who paid unionists to blackmail the Federal Government with a view to stampeding President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration into paying claims without verifying them.

“Of course we said we will not pay those who have query as to whether the subsidy payment they were paying were really due to them. Those under investigation or have question mark from committee were not paid”, she said.

She insisted that the administration will not accept such an arrangement as Nigerians have continued to call for a transparent subsidy administration and that no association is bigger than the nation.

She added that, “What is happening is that those who have been told that they have a case to answer have organized and decided to hold the nation to ransom. Nigerians have said we must do the right thing and we have decided to do the right thing and we are trying to do the right thing.

Some of them (marketers) not all of them have decided to embark on what we consider as cheap blackmail of the government to have this hold on the nation by saying they are not importing fuel and they are not going to sell. But we are not going to give in to that”, she insisted.

FG open to dialogue

The minister said what her team will do is to look into the cases of those who are not participating in this (blackmail) and who may have a slight infraction and talk to them, saying, “we are open to dialogue.”

Before the briefing ended, some marketers arrived the ministry for talks with the minister, particularly to reconcile their books, as according to Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, there would be a netting out between the Federal Government and the marketers with a view to ironing out all differences. Companies that came for the meeting included Oando, Falowiyo Energy, Sahara Energy and NIPCO




http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/fg-releases-n300bn-capital-vote-as-okonjo-iweala-meets-fuel-marketers/

Federal Government yesterday said the 25 per cent demand by workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in the computation of their severance benefits and pensions is not feasible.

Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, who stated this at an interactive session with the media in Lagos, said government will require a total of N443 billion representing an additional N299 billion from the N144 billion budgeted to offset the severance and pensions of workers in the power sector.

Nnaji, who described the amount as outrageous and unachievable wondered where government would raise such amount to pay severance benefits and pensions of workers in only one sector of the economy.

He explained that the unions are demanding for the payment of their gratuity up to 30 June, 2012 using the old benefit scheme under their underfunded Superannuation Fund, noting that this would amount to clear breach of the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2004.

He insisted that government will only implement the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2004 regardless of the union’s agitation.

The minister, who spoke extensively on the efforts by the government to ensure effective power supply through the privatisation agenda and the on-going reform process, said the privatisation must be concluded while the reforms must go on.

He maintained that government will not condone any act of lawlessness from any quarter, noting that President Goodluck Jonathan has also directed that the law of the country must be followed because Nigeria is a nation governed by rule of law.

“The issue of gratuity/pension constituted the crux of the negotiations with unions. Two major positions emerged. The unions maintain that Chapter 13, Retirement and Pension, of the PHCN March 5, 2010 Conditions of Service remain in effect regardless of their direct with conflict with the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2004 which abolished all underfunded schemes in the country, and prescribed specific steps to transition to a contributory pension scheme.

“The unions are demanding the generous gratuity provisions of Chapter 13, and retiring employees as at June 30, 2012 continue to receive these payments in cash upon retirement, in spite of the illegality of the payment by the PHCN management,” Nnaji said.

On the claim by the PHCN workers that they have been contributing 25 per cent of their salaries to the PHCN Superannuation Fund towards meeting their gratuity and pension obligations, Nnaji said the PHCN is operating an illegal scheme, noting that the power ministry has set up a Committee headed by a former auditor general of the federation to look into the issue.

He said the committee was given one month time-line and will conclude its investigation in two weeks.

“Any retirement conducted by PHCN post 1 July, 2007 is illegal unless forbearance is sought from PENCOM for such categories of retirees, and government has not sought for this.”

“We are determined to cut off all these sources of corruption in the system. We are going to stop it. When the report comes out, we will see the recommendations and act promptly on it,” Nnaji added.

Speaking also on the issue, Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Dr. Koripamo-Agary explained that the claim by the unions that 25 per cent is being deducted from their salaries towards the payment of their pensions and gratuities is untrue stressing that no deduction is being effected from the workers’ salaries.




http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/25-severance-package-demand-by-phcn-workers-not-feasible-says-fg/122580/

fg explaining how they have spent their share of the subsidy savings and how much they have received.
my questions is: why has our state governors not come out to tell us how much they have collected and what they have done with the fund same question goes to the local goverments?.

Federal Government has expended a cumulative sum of N105 billion for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) over the period of seven months.

The programme was set up as an intervention fund charged with the responsibility of overseeing and ensuring the effective and timely implementation of projects to be funded with savings accruing from the partial removal of subsidy on petrol.

However, the nationwide public mass transit buses, which government bandied as one of the measures adopted to mitigate the high cost of transport fares has not been purchased contrary to the widely held belief that some of the new buses commissioned in various states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are part of the subsidy reinvestment regime.

The Chairman of SURE-P Committee, Dr. Christopher Kolade, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja while answering questions from journalist on the activities of the body to actualise the projects promised by the Federal Government as the benefits of fuel subsidy removal policy.

Kolade explained that the Federal Government, as can be verified by the monthly media publications of the Ministry of Finance, releases the sum of N15 billion monthly as funds to be utilised for various projects within the scope of the SURE-P.
He further stated that the total sum of N180 billion is expected to be approved for the programme before the end of the year but explained that not all the funds being granted for the scheme has been released.

“If you are careful to look at the media publications by the Federal Ministry of Finance, you can see that N15 billion is being approved monthly by the Federal Government and if you do the calculation it amounts to N105 in Seven months excluding August but in the spending the payments will not be approved until projects have been verified”, he said.

He also revealed that progress are being made at various ongoing works being handled by the six sub-committees of SURE-P including maternal and child health, community service, women and youth employment, infrastructural development, public works and vocational training.

The committee chairman however noted that while they are poised to ensure that the promises of Federal Government are achieved for the benefit of the public, which he said is visible in the number of projects they have been able to commence but payment will not be made until they are satisfied with the work being done.

He said: “The projects have to reach a certain extent and be verified and certified by the team from our various sub-committees before we can commit the funds.
“I think there is no doubt in our ability to commit funds, and I know we can commit N180 billion before the end of the year.”

“We are gradually making progress and that’s the message we have for Nigerians. In the four key component areas of our interventions a measurable progress is being achieved. The areas include: social safety net, infrastructure development, water and agriculture project and petroleum/NNPC project. Due to the present budget structure, we are delivering in the social safety net and infrastructure components areas in 2012”, he added.

It could be recalled that following the protests that trailed fuel subsidy removal in the new year, the Federal Government introduced SURE-P and inaugurated a committee headed by Kolade on February 13, 2012 with a mandate to spend the funds on impactful areas such as transport, health and roads to help mitigate the sufferings that might be incurred by the citizens.

Meanwhile, the heads of various sub-committees including Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Comrade Peter Eselle, and Mr. Audu Maikori amongst others gave a break-down of their budgets and various works-in-progress.

They explained that the programme, which is effectively operational in six out of the 14 pilot states have gulped N3.9 billion for youth empowerment, while mass transit scheme have the sum N8.9 billion allotted to it resting at the Bank of Infrastructure while N5 billion is being expended on various rail projects in the country.

Speaking on the rail project, the Head of the Sub-Committee, Mr. Chike Okogwu, explained that the sum of N2.3 billion for the Abuja-Kaduna rail line modernisation project, which is being handled by the CECC, while the N2.2 billion Port Harcourt-Markudi rehabilitation project is being carried out by ESSA West Africa Limited; and works at the N383 million worth Jebba-Kano project is being done by Costain West Africa Limited.
Okogwu also explained that contrary to some various media reports and government posturing, no bus has been bought and released under the SURE-P committee.

“I can assure you that our buses are not yet running as the money is still domiciled at the Bank of Infrastructure,” he said.

Explaining further, the Secretary of the Committee and as well as the Special Adviser to the President on Technical Matters, Nze Akachukwu Nwankwo, said the buses purported to have been from the SURE-P are various intervention projects adopted by state governments probably in line with the subsidy scheme.

Nwankwo said that the plan for the mass transit buses are very much on as money has been released to the Bank of Infrastructure, which will in-turn disburse it to competent hands to purchase the buses for the purpose it was meant for.

He said: “SURE-P has released N8.9 billion into the infrastructural bank who now releases it to buy buses. There is no movement of money for a bus (driver) in the street but there is a release of fund to bank, which now releases the funds to competent hands and operators.”








http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/subsidy-re-investment-programme-gulps-n105bn-in-seven-months/122576/

the ministries have their website you can get the projects being embarked on their.

The Federal Government is set to sign Performance Agreement Contract with all ministers to enhance the quality of service delivery to Nigerians.

In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, made this known while signing the Performance Agreement Contract with the chief executives of agencies and parastatals under the ministry.

According to him: “The initiative of the President is to ensure that, henceforth, governance is judged by the quality of service delivery and not by financial input.”

He stated that the National Planning Commission (NPC) had developed Key Performance Indicators for Ministries, Departments and Agencies, which will serve as guide in measuring their performance and output.

“In furtherance of this, all Ministers are equally directed by the President to sign Performance Agreement Contracts with their directors and chief executives of agencies and parastatals under them in order to deliver on the target set out for them,” he said.

This is even as he urged the chief executives to ensure that workers under them live up to their responsibilities through enhanced performances.

Maku also revealed that the Ministry of Information would increase the tempo in the fight against piracy and the standardisation of Nigerian Films for them to get to their peak in the industry.

He hinted that he hoped to realise the Key Performance Indicators for the Ministry through human capacity development, diligence and better management of financial resources





http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/32763/2012/08/17/fg_sign_performance_contracts_ministries.html

let the haters continue with their propoganda while nigeria move forward.but they should know that YOU CANT BRING A GOOD MAN DOWN!.THIS ADMINISTRATIONS ACHIEVEMENT WOULD SPEAK FOR ITSELF no matter how much they criticize it

i no trust police.not until i hear from the sss

Well said! The SE has always and would always support GEJ.let those who think otherwise read and comprehend.come 2015 is GEJ all the way for the people of south east so cpc and acn can continue their marger good luck to them.

Critics take note of how much your LG and governors collected and hold them to account.

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) Wednesday deducted $1 billion (about N155 billion) from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and shared it among the three tiers of government.

Also, a total of N520 billion was distributed among the tiers of government for July, bringing the total amount shared to about N675 billion.

Briefing journalists yesterday at the end of the monthly meeting of the committee in Abuja, Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Yerima Ngama, said the ECA now stood at about $7.5 billion.

The minister said the committee had targeted to grow the ECA to about $10 billion by December, adding that the target was no longer far-fetched.

Ngama said gross revenue to the federation increased by N61.843 billion to stand at N825.396 billion for the month compared to N763.553 billion in the previous month.

The appreciation in revenue generated during the month was tied to the increased volume of crude oil exports as well as the lifting of deposit payments and receipt of NLNG sales (current and arrears) during the period.

According to the minister, N7.617 billion refund by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was also distributed to the three tiers of government yesterday, as well as N35.549 billion proposed for sharing under the Subsidy Re-Investment Programme (SURE-P).
He said after transferring N60.276 billion into the Non-oil Excess Revenue, distributable statutory revenue for the month stood at N467.007 billion.

The minister added that the current position of the ECA would eventually offer relief in the event of a fiscal crisis, adding that it could even pay the states for three months in the event of any shortfall in future revenue.

He said the $1 billion deducted from the ECA was to support developmental programmes in the states.

Ngama had recently announced that the committee was suspending further deductions from the ECA to allow it accumulate prior to further withdrawals.
Giving a rundown of the statutory allocations, the minister said the Federal Government got N217.770 billion, while the states shared N110.456 billion. 

The local governments, on the other hand, shared N85.157 billion, while N45.287 billion was allocated to the oil and gas-producing states under the derivation principle.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/faac-withdraws-1bn-as-excess-crude-account-rises-to-7-5bn/122499/

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) Wednesday deducted $1 billion (about N155 billion) from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and shared it among the three tiers of government.

Also, a total of N520 billion was distributed among the tiers of government for July, bringing the total amount shared to about N675 billion.

Briefing journalists yesterday at the end of the monthly meeting of the committee in Abuja, Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Yerima Ngama, said the ECA now stood at about $7.5 billion.

The minister said the committee had targeted to grow the ECA to about $10 billion by December, adding that the target was no longer far-fetched.

Ngama said gross revenue to the federation increased by N61.843 billion to stand at N825.396 billion for the month compared to N763.553 billion in the previous month.

The appreciation in revenue generated during the month was tied to the increased volume of crude oil exports as well as the lifting of deposit payments and receipt of NLNG sales (current and arrears) during the period.

According to the minister, N7.617 billion refund by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was also distributed to the three tiers of government yesterday, as well as N35.549 billion proposed for sharing under the Subsidy Re-Investment Programme (SURE-P).
He said after transferring N60.276 billion into the Non-oil Excess Revenue, distributable statutory revenue for the month stood at N467.007 billion.

The minister added that the current position of the ECA would eventually offer relief in the event of a fiscal crisis, adding that it could even pay the states for three months in the event of any shortfall in future revenue.

He said the $1 billion deducted from the ECA was to support developmental programmes in the states.

Ngama had recently announced that the committee was suspending further deductions from the ECA to allow it accumulate prior to further withdrawals.
Giving a rundown of the statutory allocations, the minister said the Federal Government got N217.770 billion, while the states shared N110.456 billion. 

The local governments, on the other hand, shared N85.157 billion, while N45.287 billion was allocated to the oil and gas-producing states under the derivation principle.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/faac-withdraws-1bn-as-excess-crude-account-rises-to-7-5bn/122499/

The North-east chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has dissociated itself from the call by the northern leadership of the association to President Goodluck Jonathan to resign for his inability to address the endemic security challenges posed by the Boko Haram sect in the country.

Speaking yesterday in an interview in Bauchi, the North-east CAN Chairman. Rev. Shuaibu Byal, said the zonal leadership of the association was shocked over the development because “we have never met or been consulted by anybody on the issue.

So the North -ast Christians are not parts of the request for the president to resign over the Boko Haram insurgency.’’  Byal, who lamented that though christians in the region are worried over the spate of killings and attacks on innocent people by the sect, they will keep on praying rather than making such comments that can over heat the polity in this critical period.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/jonathan-should-not-resign/122486/

I don't blame akume,is farida waziri that signed surety for him win he was arrested by efcc that I blame.is only in nigeria that a criminals that should be hiding his head in shame would be walking free and pointing fingers at those that have not been convicted in any court of law as criminal.I trust okupe he would take him to the cleaners with his reply.okupe has come to stay no matter what ACN hypocrites think or say.it is clear that they are scared of him

billante: I can comfortably beat my chest now with strong belief to say that these guys have finally gotten it right! The power problem have been solved...once d labour issue is sorted out,its eldorado all d way!

my broda that is why I don't want to waste my Time again on nairaland arguing with paid critics and those bitter folk who sees nothing Good in GEJ's govt.if they can deliver improvement in electricity to nigerians,come 2015 people like me and millions of nigerians would answer them at the polling booth

When sss paraded the suspect his party the ACN called sss all sorts of name that they recyled suspect to shield the real culprit !.I L♥√ع the way oshiomole Has been exposing the ACN and lie mohammed's hypocracy. First after his election he praised GEJ,when pdp said they're. Not going to challenge his election victory in court he also praised party then this.

When sss paraded the suspect his party the ACN called sss all sorts of name that they recyled suspect to shield the real culprit !.I L♥√ع the way oshiomole Has been exposing the ACN and lie mohammed's hypocracy. First after his election he praised GEJ,when pdp said they're. Not going to challenge his election victory in court he also praised party then this.

Kano State police command has recovered and detonated 963 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) of different kinds and in different locations in the state in the last eight months.

The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ibrahim Idris said: “From August 1, the command was able to detonated a bomb at FCE Kano, 10 undetonated explosives at Rijiyar Zaki along Jambulo Estate and four IEDs recovered and detonated at the same Rijiyar Zaki on August 6 and another one at BUK.”

Idris said out of the 963 bombs detonated, two were suicide primed car bombs, adding that all the IEDs were successfully detonated from January 20 to date. He also said the detonated bombs causes no any injury or damage.

Addressing reporters on Tuesday at the Police Officers Mess, the police commissioner disclosed that items recovered by the command within the two weeks include, 26 IEDs, 10 round of ammunition, two pistols, one pump action shot gun, one air rifle and nine double barrel shot guns.

Idris said other items recovered were two AK 47, one AK 47 riffle, 226 cartridges, 12 knives,  11 stolen vehicles were recovered and 45round of ammunitions, stressing that the command is always ready to ensure its role of ensuring the security of people and their properties.

“We are always combat ready in the state and we are always appealing to the public to report any suspicious persons or movement to the nearest security outfit for proper action."

The commissioner also explained that 108 persons suspected to be criminals were arrested at different hideouts of the state, while 92 of them have been charged to court for different offences ranging from being in possession of Indian hemp, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

He said the command had a strategy to ensure a safe Eid Fitr celebration in the state.





http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/police-detonate-963-ied-s-in-kano/122380/

Critics take note your governors has collected their share.as Ʊ ask the FG what they did withe subsidy removal money also ask your governors!.even those that claimed they are not in support of subsidy removal that kept quiet during the occupie nigeria collected their share.pls nigerian take note

sheyguy: See how the north is using Divide 'n Conquer on the south with so much success or how do i explain what i am seeing in this thread. The civil war was to prevent oil region from breaking away under biafra and the one looming will be to keep the loot. All the talk of our brother this and that from the east is fake.

don't let what Ʊ read on nairaland deceive Ʊ the igbos and the other tribes in the old south east of nigeria has never been more united the way they are presently and mark my word if any war breaks out now the ss and se will stand together this Time the younger generation of these regionshave learnt from their forefathers mistake.

mpumalanga: we may hate yorubas but they are never our enemy despite the fact they betrayed us
this so called ss people hate igbos with passion than the yorubas
infact if they havevthere way to wipe igbos or to collaborate with aboki again they will do it



AWO betrayed, some yorubas acted and protested but some of our neighbors were playing
the music of 'THEY DESERVE IT'.Nevertheless,revenge is not in our best interest.

but a ss man was ojukwu's second in command!.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has pledged its commitment to abide by provisions of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act as it seeks to entrench sustainable culture of probity and accountability in all its operations.

While inducting about 595 new employees in Abuja, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the corporation, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, stated that NNPC had before the signing into law of the FoI Act by President Goodluck Jonathan, taken bold measures in opening up its operations to public scrutiny.

Yakubu maintained that the NNPC has kept an open door policy in its operations without the FoI Act, adding that it volunteered information to its various publics through press releases, advertorials and presentations at different fora including hearings at the National Assembly.

He disclosed in a statement from the corporation’s acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs yesterday in Abuja that the management had swiftly established a task force with the goal of examining the content of the Act and advising it on how best to comply with its provisions when it became law in 2011.

“We have since internalised the contents of that report and as a corporation, we are ready to ensure that our actions and processes live up to public scrutiny. Under my watch as GMD, I intend to abide by this principle,” Yakubu stated.

Also, the GMD described the processes leading to its employment of 595 new staff as the most painstaking and transparent recruitment ever conducted in the history of the corporation.

According to him, the exercise which began with the placement of advertisement in some national newspapers and the NNPC website in November 2010 was designed at the onset to provide equal opportunity to Nigerians to aspire for available vacancies in the services of the corporation.

The GMD also noted that in line with the requirements of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), the corporation engaged the commission for vetting of the recruitment exercise, thus, issuing it a certificate of compliance and bringing the exercise to a successful close after a series of interface.

Yakubu explained that: “Subsequently, a record 269,376 applications were received and from that figure 44,239 candidates were shortlisted for aptitude test. On March 26, 2011, a simultaneous test exercise was conducted across nine Nigerian cities for 36,479 candidates representing 72 percent of shortlisted candidates.

Of this number, 18 percent of the shortlisted candidates did not show up for the test. Further breakdown of the shortlisted 269,376 applications indicate that 4,173 or 1.5 percent were for contract employment while the rest applied for permanent position.”


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nnpc-employs-595-to-abide-by-foi-act/122255/

PointB: So Igbos should stay away from a civil war going on in our backyard? And when the 'federal forces' defeats a 'breakaway Niger Delta' republic, and force 'them' back into this unproductive union, we will emerge from our side of the fence 50 year later, trade places with the Ijaw, and start singing 'had I known.'

My guy, the reason history serves as a guide is so that we don't repeat the same mistake. Standing aside, and watching, aboki slaughter people in our backyard, in the name of some sweet revenge, is the worst that can ever happen to us.

The sad thing is that you are not reading the signs of the time - middle belt, and bulk of Yorubas' will not fight the next Nigeria civil war, if there must be one. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Ijaws is enough to stare down the rampaging 'jihadist.' We need to bury the 'differences' with Ijaws caused the civil war. Now is the time! Igbos silence at this tiime, should not be interpreted as sign of acquiescence to the shenanigans happening around us. When the push turn to a shove, our backyard shall not be a theater of war. If it does, we shall not stand aside, or count on any concession aboki will offer us in exchange to betray our cousin. I just read 'Awolowo was promised "Presidency" how come all I heard he got was 'poison'?

y broda your so on point more over it was not all the ss or ijaw people that supported the nigerian army,some of them fought for biafra and lost there lifes in the struggle and any war that involves the ss will affect the se because we have our brothers and sistas there as well! This is the Time to put our diffrences and revenge aside and confront our common enemy if we let them have their way we would forever remain a 3rd class citizen this is an oppotunity to free ourself from this poo called nigeria

Billyonaire: Grabbing popcorn while waiting for Okupe to fireback at the Tinubu's Cartel.

trust him to lambast them.the lagos state house of assembly speaker also has a case with efcc in court.as at today his still the speaker of the state house of assembly and has not been impeached or suspended talk about hypocracy

Of the N47.4 billion released to the Federal Ministry of Works so far for the first and second quarters of the 2012 fiscal year, N44.073 billion has been spent on road projects alone, according to the minister, Mr. Mike Onolememen.

He said the fund utilised from the fund released represents 93 per cent.
However, the released amount is only 31 per cent of the N143.5 billion appropriated in the ministry’s annual budget.

Onolememen gave these figures during his presentation on “Matters Arising” from the 2012 budget briefing at the weekend.

According to the minister, 156 projects are in their various stages of completion while 28 highway projects are under the process of procurement for design and construction with four others already awarded during the 2012 budgetary year.

He said the ministry was focusing greater attention on funding and completion of ongoing road projects to attain the goals of the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

According to him, the thrust of the 2013 budget is to “concentrate on funding some major ongoing road projects that are critical to the socio-economic well being of the country in line with Key Performance Indicators” like reduction of road accidents induced by bad roads nationwide and the need to reduce travel times for Nigerians by 30 per cent.

He, however, lamented  that inadequate funding of road projects, which accounts for delayed implementation of road projects, the heavy reliance on road transportation in Nigeria, abuse of road infrastructure and others were some of the challenges confronting the ministry.

Commending the activities of his ministry in the past two quarters in the year 2012, Onolememen noted that “the future is very bright for Nigerian roads as the foundation for a world class road infrastructure is currently being laid.”


Onolememen stated that the Federal Executive Council has already approved the appointment of transactions advisers for both projects.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/works-ministry-attains-93-budget-implementation/122257/

Another pension scam is brewing in connection with an alleged N88 billion said to have accrued from deductions of 25 per cent monthly salaries of workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), under an “in-house defined pension scheme’’ the company had been operating prior to June 2004 and continued to operate eight years after the Pension Reform Act (PRA) came into being.

While the PHCN workers refer to the alleged N88 billion as the accumulated sum of the 25 per cent deduction from their salaries, the minister of power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, issued a statement yesterday emphatically saying “no PHCN employee contributed his or her salary to the pension scheme or any account at all to the scheme up to June 30, 2004, when the PHCN was allowed by law to operate an in-house defined pension scheme.’’

The minister, who expressed regret that the PHCN despite being a government agency was yet to comply with the pension law, eight years after it took effect, declared ‘’if there were contributions to the pension scheme by any PHCN personnel at all, they are not reflected or bank accounts of the pension scheme.’’

Rather he said, what the PHCN management had been doing is to set aside N3 billion every year from internally-generated revenue to pay retiring staff members on the basis of 25 per cent purportedly taken from their salary in flagrant violation of the pension of the PFA.

In a statement issued by his special assistant, C Don Adinuba, the minister said the trustees of the PHCN pension scheme are officials of the trade unions in the power sector and the PHCN management. He said the federal government has never been involved in the management of the PHCN pension scheme.

‘’In order words, if there is any case of fraud or misappropriation of funds, the workers should know those to be held responsible,” he said.

The statement also noted that the PHCN management was able to pay staff severance benefits for a couple of employees retiring annually ‘’which led workers to assume that there were enough funds to settle their disengagement benefit,’’ but with the mass retirement occasioned by privatisation, ‘’it has become crystal clear that there were virtually no funds to pay the retirement benefits of the almost 50,000-strong workforce.”

Nnaji described the PHCN trade unionist claim that there was a total sum of N88 billion in the pension account as ‘’far from the truth,’’ adding that the account has never had more than N3 billion, and he invited the civil society organisations to verify the claim.

The minister said, to prevent a situation where several thousands of PHCN staff members would retire without much in their name years after service to the nation, the federal government decided to pay the workers 15 per cent of their salary covering contributions by the employees and their employer from July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2012, as part of a severance package.

The offer has, however, been rejected by the workers who insist on 25 per cent of their salary which they have contributed, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the National Assembly and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to urgently investigate the missing pension fund.

Deputy president of the Congress Comrade Joe Ajaero, who spoke to LEADERSHIP yesterday, said a public hearing should be conducted to find the actual culprits in the suspected fraud.

Comrade Ajaero, who is also the general secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), said such investigation would expose what money was deducted from the workers’ wages as well as who manages the fund.

“What we are saying is that the National Assembly should call for a public hearing with a view to unravelling the rots in the power sector. This is because we don’t manage the fund and we don’t know how much is in the account but we are aware that government deducted 25 per cent from our salary and so they cannot pay us just 15 per cent.

“The EFCC can also come in to investigate whether it is the union leaders that manage the money deducted from the workers’ salaries because if we know about it we will go and collect it; so the minister of power should stop playing politics with the matter,’’ Ajaero said.

He added that “the managing director of PHCN, Hussein Labo, is now working with the minister of power and should tell Nigerians the truth about the workers’ pension money”.

However, between 2004 and now, the PHCN has had two substantive managing directors – Joe Makoju and Hussein Labo.

When LEADERSHIP contacted Labo, who is the current managing director of PHCN and an active player with the minister of power in the privatisation process, to comment on the state of the fund, an SMS from him simply said: “The minister has set up a panel of investigation; they can go and give evidence with proof.’’

NLC said that its leadership will not attend the meeting called by the federal government through the minister of labour and productivity, Emeka Wogu, over its intention to embark on strike, scheduled to hold Wednesday.

Deputy president of the NLC, Comrade Promise Adewusi, told LEADERSHIP that the congress at its NEC meeting in Benin, Edo State, capital said it will “shun every gathering concerning the minister because of the way he handled the PHCN labour Issues.

According to Adewusi, “We said during our National Executive Council (NEC) in Benin that the minister did not handle the Labour issues in the ongoing privatisation exercise in the power sector well, which is resulting into government forcing workers to collect their severance package when the matter is yet to be resolved between FG and the workers.”

The labour leader also told LEADERSHIP that the group is doing everything possible to ensure that peace return to Nigeria in view of recent developments.

He also said that what is happening in the oil sector is alarming and urged the president to address it or the congress will pull out their members involved in oil production.

He said, “NEC acknowledges that illicit activities in the form of occasional illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism have been familiar features of oil production in the Niger Delta, but wishes to reiterate that the same cannot be said to be the situation at the moment as nearly 50 per cent of Nigeria’s crude is stolen by the high and the mighty.

“NEC is outraged by this heinous crime and calls on Mr. President to speedily take the necessary action(s) to stop this show of shame.

“NEC warns that in the event Mr. President fails to act within a reasonable time, it will take all the steps necessary, including mobilising its members to stop oil production.”

He also said that the Congress would meet today (Monday) to look at the letter addressed to them by the labour minister to know what the invitation is all about.

what do you expect from a bigot

FG to Raise Power Output to 9,000MW
13 Aug 2012
Font Size: a / A

Minister of Power, Bart Nnaji


By Chuks Okocha  and Onyebuchi Ezigbo 

The Federal Government Sunday raised hopes of improvement in power supply as it announced plans to raise electricity output from the current 4,300 megawatts (mw) to a record 9,000mw in “the next few months”.

A statement from the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, which detailed the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan since his inauguration in May 2011, said government would attain the new output when it completed the 10 projects under the National Integrated Power Plants (NIPP).

The statement was in response to the criticism by former Federal Capital Territory Minister and chieftain of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who accused the presidency of “seeking to outsource governance”. 

It said on assumption of office, Jonathan inherited 10 abandoned projects under the NIPP and had since then revitalised the projects.

The projects, which on completion, will add additional 4960mw to the national grid are: Ihovbor in Edo State (451mw), Omotosho in Ondo State (451mw), Olorunsogo in Ogun State  (750mw), Sapele in Delta State (451mw), Geregu in Kogi State (434mw), Egbema in Imo State (338mw), Gbarain in Bayelsa (225mw), Omoku in Rivers State (225mw), Calabar in Cross River State (561mw) and Alaoji in Abia State (1074mw).

“This administration met 10 abandoned NIPP projects and has successfully revitalised all. More importantly, they are all within the range of 95-100 per cent completion stage and are awaiting gas supply, which government has taken very concrete steps to address.

“Government has improved power generation from under 3,000mw in 2011 to 4,300mw by August 2012. Therefore, when the 10 NIPP projects are fully on stream, which will be within the next few months, the total national generation capacity will not be less than 9000mw, a 200 per cent increase in generating capacity as compared with the figures for 2011 and the highest ever by any administration since independence,” the Federal Government said in the statement signed by the Media Director in the office, Mr. Olusanya Awosan.

On transportation, the statement said the government had rehabilitated 3,000 kilometres out of 3,505 kilometres of existing narrow gauge rail lines, while the Lagos-Kano corridor would be completed this year and that of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri corridor would be ready next year.

The government said the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri modern standard gauge rail line was nearing completion with the entire track 100 per cent laid, while the contract for a second similar standard modern gauge line between Lagos and Ibadan had been awarded.

The statement also brandished the government’s achievements in agriculture to include elevating the living standards and income of farmers and rural dwellers through the free distribution of millions of improved seedlings including cotton, sorghum, rice and cassava.

The government, which plans to double cocoa production from its present 250,000 metric tonnes to 500,000 metric tonnes per annum by 2015, is also working assiduously to leverage on Nigeria’s status as the world’s largest producer of cassava to make it the largest exporter of the product globally.
According to the statement, flour millers who initially resisted government’s directive for three per cent local substitution with cassava, have on their own increased the substitution ratio to 20 per cent.

It cited the popular sausage roll, gala, a snack manufactured by UAC Nigeria Plc, which has a substitution ratio of 20 per cent cassava mix, adding that this has resulted in considerable foreign exchange savings and increased income for farmers and agro-allied processors.

“Besides, the government, through the public private partnership (PPP) initiative, has attracted $40 million foreign investment to rice production and milling in Taraba State,” the statement added.

The investment will produce 300,000 metric tonnes of rice, which accounts for 15 per cent of national rice imports and create 15,000 jobs.

“This administration is facilitating the establishment of the largest high quality rice processing mills with an overall installed processing capacity of two million tonnes per annum which will also be the largest installed milling capacity in Africa. It will be private sector driven and established in rice producing states,” it said.

It added that three new rice-processing mills in Ebonyi, Niger and Kebbi States with combined 90,000 metric tonnes of milled rice per annum had been completed.

The presidency listed infrastructure projects to be completed to include 180 kilometres of rural roads and 77 kilometres of feeder roads completed within the last 12 months as well as the establishment of 10 export crop preservation and conditioning centres in Kebbi, Kaduna, Cross River, Nasarawa, Gombe and Enugu States.

The government has also established eight agro-processing centres, completed 10 additional silo complexes with total capacity of 550,000 metric tonnes, 100,000 metric tonne capacity silos located in FCT, Borno, Zamfara and Kebbi States, as well as the 25,000-metric-ton capacity located in Taraba, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Katsina and Sokoto States.

On the provision of water supply, the statement said the government had completed water supply projects in Northern Ishan, Edo State with a plant capacity of nine million litres per day to serve communities of Uromi, Ubiaja, Ugengu, Ugboha and Igueben, with a total projected population of 500,000 by 2012 at a cost of N2.5 billion.

It also listed the 10 million litres per day Mangu water treatment plant in Plateau State at the cost of over N1 billion.

“With these few highlighted developmental efforts and activities of the government, all the fallacies, deceits, misinformation and disinformation about incompetence and non-performance of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration are unfounded not supported by facts on the ground and are therefore are outright falsehood,” the statement stressed.

Meanwhile, CPC has accused the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin  Okupe, of unwarranted attacks on two of its leaders, Pastor Tunde Bakare and el-Rufai, for their opposing views.

Both Bakare and el-Rufai came under fire last week following their calls for the president’s resignation.

Okupe had described the CPC leaders as political opportunists and power-hungry politicians who were desperate for political office and not sincere in their criticism of the government.

However, CPC in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said Okupe's disparaging remark was not in consonance with decent, diplomatic comportment.

Fashakin said the party could not understand why Okupe choose to cast aspersions on Bakare’s pastoral calling because of his political activism.


He said the party was dismayed at the desperate attempt by Okupe to justify his appointment and invariably satisfy his employers in unleashing unwarranted attacks on Bakare and el-Rufai.