TheNewsGuru

Tag: FCT

  • Greater Abuja water supply project targets 1.5m FCT residents–Official

    Greater Abuja water supply project targets 1.5m FCT residents–Official

    The Greater Abuja Water Supply Project will provide potable water to 50 Districts of the FCT, covering about 1.5 million residents, an official revealed.

    Mohammed Sule, FCT’s Director of Information and Communication disclosed this to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

    Sule said that the project was targeting the residents of 50 residents who were hitherto, depending on other sources of water that may not be hygienic.

    ”This administration’s desire to complete work on the Greater Abuja Water Supply Project to provide clean and safe drinking water to FCT residents isn’t in doubt.

    ”By embarking on the Greater Abuja Water Supply Project, government intends to tackle the perennial shortage of potable water supply in some parts of the 250 square kilometres of the FCC, Abuja,” he said.

    Sule added that the project would specifically supply water to about 50 estates and mass housing schemes around the phases III & IV of the city.

    On health, Sule said that the FCT Administration was making efforts to resuscitate the abandoned 240-bed Utako District hospital; while the Administration has introduced Automated Registration of Private Healthcare facilities.

    This, he said, was to check incidences of quackery, adding, ”the Zuba Cottage Hospital has been rehabilitated and upgraded to the status of a General Hospital”.

    On education, the FCT spokesperson said that the major problem the nation was facing was the safety of pupils and students in some public schools.

    ”The FCT Administration has taken measure to install security gadgets in all its public schools.The Administration had built modern state-of-the art Library complex at the College of Education, Zuba, a City Library in Abuja.

    ”This is apart from building several classrooms for primary and secondary schools scattered around the Territory,” Sule said.

    He added that Stand-alone Solar powered Streetlights had been
    deployed to lit up Abuja, especially at night, saying that this was in the bid to bolster the security of lives and properties.

    ”The Administration has also improved security surveillance with the procurement of modern security gadgets and operational equipment for security agencies in the FCT,” Sule said.

    According to him, the Directorate of Road Traffic Services had
    introduced an electronic device for tracking traffic rules violations, which was expected to bring sanity to roads in the FCT.

  • Why fuel scarcity in Abuja may persist longer than expected

    Why fuel scarcity in Abuja may persist longer than expected

    Indications have emerged that the ongoing fuel scarcity being experienced in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT), may persist longer than expected.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the current fuel scarcity in the FCT is caused by flooding at Koton Karfe in Kogi State.

    Koton Karfe is a community between the FCT and Lokoja where floods had been wreaking havoc lately. The floods in the area have submerged a greater part of Koton Karfe and Lokoja and have also grounded vehicular movement.

    Alternative roads to get to the FCT are damaged and ridden with potholes making it difficult to get to the federal capital, the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) has disclosed.

    The Association described the situation as frustrating, stressing that the solution was to hasten the reconstruction of the damaged Lambata-Lapai-Agaie-Bida Road in Niger which serves as an alternative route.

    President of ADITOP, Alhaji Lawan Dan-Zaki, speaking in Abuja on Saturday said the failed roads, which posed difficulties for truck drivers to ply, would have served as alternative routes for use by petroleum products transporters.

    “Many of our trucks are loaded with petroleum products but cannot go through the flood area freely, while the empty ones cannot return to load products.

    “We have two big rivers in Nigeria – River Niger which links Northwest and Southwest Nigeria and River Benue, which affects Lokoja and Eastern parts of the country.

    “The bad roads are a challenge to the Federal Ministry of Works, so we appeal to the Federal Government to hasten work on alternative roads.

    “This is imperative because our truck drivers spend 10 days while going through the damaged Lapai-Agai-Bida Road and another 10 days while returning to depots,” he said.

    Dan-Zaki also lamented the frustration faced by truck drivers hauling petroleum products across the country.

    “Lapai-Agai-Bida Road linking the southern part of the country to take products from Lagos is completely damaged. Lokoja Road which we have been managing to transport products from the eastern parts is submerged by flood.

    “It is also difficult to take the eastern road carrying products from Calabar-Oghara-Port Harcourt-Warri because the road is bad and truck drivers spend more than a week in trucks queues,” he said.

    Dan-Zaki also said that truck drivers usually avoided Mokwa Road through Kaduna because of insecurity, adding that drivers were being kidnapped on that route.

    He urged the Ministry of Works and Housing and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to fix the damaged roads

    “We are appealing to the Federal Government to ensure that the ministry and FERMA do the needful to avoid recurrence of fuel scarcity,’’ he stressed.

    The ADITOP president said the NNPC Ltd. had discharged its function by importing sufficient petroleum, but damaged and poor road network and flooding had made it difficult for trucks to distribute the products.

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has said measures were being put in place to truck petroleum products via alternative routes to mitigate the fuel scarcity.

    Reacting to the development, Mr Moshood Samotu, Controller, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in Niger, said work was ongoing on the Lambata-Lapai-Agaie-Bida Road.

    He said the contractor had been ordered to begin palliative work on soft sections.

    He explained that torrential rains had been hindering the movement of articulated vehicles through the soft sections, thereby causing gridlock between Agaie and to Badegi towns.

    He said 51 per cent of reconstruction work on the Lambata-Lapai-Agaie-Bida Road had been achieved as of September.

    He added that the restriction of articulated vehicles from using Bida–Minna Road by the Niger government diverted all Lagos and Abuja-bound articulated vehicles to the Lambata-Lapai-Bida Road.

    Samotu said the high traffic volume hampered smooth operations at the construction site, causing slow progress of work.

    “The Lokoja-Abuja Road is under gridlock, a development that diverted vehicles to Lambata-Lapai Road.

    “The Lambata-Lapai section has been completed to an appreciable level, but the Bida-Agaie-Lapai section of the road is still under reconstruction,” Samotu said.

  • Alleged N3bn fraud: ICPC arraigns NDDC director, FCT official

    Alleged N3bn fraud: ICPC arraigns NDDC director, FCT official

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), on Tuesday, arraigned a director with Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Solomon Okpa Ita for alleged diversion of N45 million.

    The ICPC also arraigned Gabriel  Nathaniel, a staff in the Accounts  Department of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) over allegations bordering on diversion of about N3 billion from his office.

    They were arraigned separately before Justice Zainab Abubakar of a Federal High Court, Abuja, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

    Ita, a director in the Department of Community and Rural Development of NDDC, was arraigned on a four-count charge while Nathaniel was arraigned on a 14-count charge.

    In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/110/2022, filed by the ICPC, through its lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimsingha, Ita was said to have diverted part of the funds paid for a contract awarded to a group, Radiant Women Association.

    In count one, Ita was accused to have, sometime in September, 2018 or thereabout, indirectly took possession of the sum of N22,400,000. 00. through his First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Account Number: 0542393012, received from the Zenith Bank account of one Solomon Eyarebe & Ebikebina,.

    The money was said to form part of the payment of the N45,000,000. 00 made to Radiant Women Association for a purported contract to wit: “Workshop for Youth Restiveness in Cross River State” awarded by NDDC through the Department of Community & Rural Development was made.

    In the count, he was alleged to have committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2)(d) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).

    Also in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/CR/168/2022 filed against Nathaniel, he was accused of committing the alleged offence between 2015 and 2019.

    After their not guilty plea, Justice Abubakar granted N50million bail to Ita with one surety who must own a property within Abuja.

    The judge ruled that the certificate of occupancy of the property, which should be verified by the registrar, would be deposited at the court registry.

    Abubakar ordered that Ita be remanded in the custody of the ICPC pending when he meets the bail condition and adjourned the matter until Oct. 25 for trial.

    However, the judge fixed hearing of Nathaniel’s bail plea for Wednesday and ordered him to be remanded at the commission’s custody.

  • Jail break: NCoS begins joint interagency stimulation training

    Jail break: NCoS begins joint interagency stimulation training

    The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), FCT Command, has begun a joint interagency stimulation training to secure all custodial centres in the territory.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, Mr Chukwuedo Humphrey said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

    Humphrey said that the maiden joint interagency simulation training was conducted at the Kuje custodial centre.

    He said that the stimulation training involved the Correctional Service armed squad, Military, Police, Civil Defence and Immigration service personnel.

    According to him, the simulation training was one of the strategies adopted during the last meeting of security heads in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    “This is to evaluate the security situation in Kuje Custodial Centre and put adequate measures to avoid a repeat of the unfortunate July 5, 2022 jail attack,” he said.

    Humphrey quoted the NCoS Controller, FCT command, Mr Ahmed Musa as encouraging the team to work together and make the custodial centres impenetrable.

    The CG advised people living around the custodial centre not to panic because of sound of gunshots during the simulation exercise, which will be done periodically to boost the alertness of personnel.

  • FCT residents warned to respect flood alerts

    FCT residents warned to respect flood alerts

    The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Friday in Abuja warned Abuja residents against ignoring early flood warnings from the weather forecast agencies.

    The Director-General of FEMA, Alhaji Abba Idriss, issued the warning at the 2022 FEMA Annual Review and Preparedness Meeting with over 250 Local Divers, Community Vanguards, Flood Rescue Teams and 50 Town Criers.

    He said that the meeting was coming at a time when flood warnings from the weather forecast agencies, especially Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), are issuing serious flood alerts almost on a daily basis.

    Idriss said the rising water levels in the nation’s major rivers in the country – especially River Niger and River Benue – couple with the threats coming from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon are issues of great concern.

    Idriss emphasised the need for residents to abide and obey the early warning and would be issued out to them from time to time through the conventional and social media.

    According to him, as soon as the agency get flood early warning it will disseminate the information so that people will take advantage of that.

    He therefore urged residents to ensure that they get information about the way they will pass through before leaving their homes, offices and markets.

    “The reason why we call for this meeting is first to alert our local divers, volunteers, vanguards and town criers on the likelihood of flooding.

    “Secondly, is to call on the residents of the Federal Capital Territory to be on their alert as well that all is not well yet. We have to be watchful, we have to keep observing those environmental laws and we also have to abide by the building code.

    “FCT residents must also ensure that they don’t block drainages, avoid building on the waterways and also avoid driving on a running water. People shouldn’t undermine water they see on the road to think that they have high capacity vehicle that move on running water.”

    Earlier, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, the Director, Forecasting Response Mitigation of FEMA, explained that the event was organised to review with stakeholders especially the local divers, volunteers, vanguards, local emergency committee and town criers.

    Wenegieme expressed optimism that the meeting would help the agency to save lives and properties in the nation’s capital.

    “We call them three or four times annually to review all the activities; to reactivate them, to know that they should always be on standby because we want all hands to be on deck to mitigate flood and other disasters in the territory.

    “We have almost 600 volunteers, local divers, town criers. We are doing the meeting by representation, we call over 200 today and next meeting we will call another set of 200 persons again to make sure that we create the needed awareness in them.

    “We are training them on how to use use modern rescue equipment when somebody get drown in the river or in the wall,” she said.

    Also, the Director-General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr Clement Nze, reiterated the resolve of the agency to deepen partnership with FEMA in coordinating issues around water and flooding.

    “I will say that we are aware of most of the activities of State Emergency Management Agency and out of all of them FEMA is on top in terms of being relevant on community development

    “We are delighted to associate ourselves with FEMA based on what we see on ground being done by the DG.

    “I want to urge the divers and vanguards, local emergency committee, town criers and flood rescue team to see their role as very important in tackling flood in FCT.”

    Similarly, the Director-General, NiMet, Prof. Mansur Matazu, also expressed willingness of the agency to deepen partnership with FEMA, adding that the agency has been very cooperative in emergency management.

    Represented by Mr Kamorudeen Alao, the Assistant General Manager, Hydro, Matazu said the partnership which was beyond the issue of downscaling would continue to grow stronger.

    On his part, the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said the meeting was very critical to mitigating flood and other disasters in the FCT.

    Represented by Mr Agbor Etim, NEMA’s Principal Search and Rescue Officer, Ahmed said disaster management was all encompassing, adding that everybody need to be on board to help ensure effective disaster management.

  • 2023 elections: LP inaugurates LG, ward executives in Kuje

    2023 elections: LP inaugurates LG, ward executives in Kuje

    The newly-elected executives of Kuje chapter of Labour Party (LP) have been inaugurated at the party secretariat in Kuje Area Council, FCT.

    The inaugurated Chairman of the Kuje Labour Party, Hyginus John, was sworn-in alongside five other members of the party executives in the area.

    Those sworn-in are Mr loveday Uwka-Aju, as Vice Chairman, Mr Fanimi Oluwabusayo, as Auditor, Mr Tony Silas, as Central Ward chairman, Mr Abu Tanko, as Secretary, Mr Godwin Onmonya, as PRO.

    Mr Clement Ojotene, a lawyer, who administered the oath of office on the new executives at Kuje Labour Party secretariat, charged them to carry out the duty assigned to them diligently.

    Mr Hyginus John, the Kuje Labour Party Chairman, in a remark, said that the executives were saddled with the responsibility of uniting the party and ensuring they deliver Kuje come 2023 general elections.

    According to him, Labour Party commands huge number of supporters in the country and is battle -eady to clinch power at the presidential and local government levels come 2023.

    “In order to have effective and successful party, we must have competent field workers who can execute any work assigned to them.

    “I am urging every electorate in Kuje Area Council to remain focused and canvass votes for Labour Party at the presidential and local government level.

    “We should be resolute and remain law abiding for peaceful coexistence; Labour is a united movement in Kuje,” he assured.

    He congratulated other officials and called on the party supporters to continue to be law abiding and be focused toward achieving the desired targets in 2023.

  • NCWS condoles with FCT Minister of State over mother’s death

    NCWS condoles with FCT Minister of State over mother’s death

    The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), has condoled with the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, over the passing of her mother Hajiya Zainab Ali.

    The national president of NCWS, Hajiya Lami Lau, in a condolence message on Thursday in Abuja, commiserated with the family, friends and associates of the late matriarch.

    Lau said that Ali was a woman who devoted her life to charity and service to humanity.

    The NCWS national president said that the good life Zainab, popularly called “Gogo” lived reflected in her wisdom while counseling young people.

    She said that Ali’s diligence in business and pervasive love for her children, orphans, neighbours and the community was exemplary life.

    Lau prayed that the Almighty God would remember her profound love for people while on earth and grant her eternal rest.

    She also prayed that the Almighty God would grant the entire families the fortitude to bear the loss.

  • Judge withdraws from suit against Cecil Osakwe, writes CJ

    Judge withdraws from suit against Cecil Osakwe, writes CJ

    Justice Mohammed Idris of the FCT High Court has withdrawn from the alleged fraud brought against a property developer, Cecil Osakwe, citing external pressure.

    Justice Idris, on Monday, remitted the case file, which was brought by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, to the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court for advice.

    The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) had filed the two-count charges against Osakwe following a petition by Asabe Waziri claiming that his company, Abeh Signature Apartments collected the sum of N130 million without delivering possession to her.

    But in a letter to the Malami by counsel to Osakwe, Victor Giwa, the company adviced him not to allow his “highly regarded” office to be used to defame his client who is an honest businessman.

    Giwa explained that the repossession of the two units of the 2-bedroom apartment at Mekong Close, Maitama, Abuja, priced at N130 million each, totalling N260 million, for which the staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was granted possession after a part payment of N140 million, was due to her “violation of the covenants of the apartment.

    He said, “Based on various breaches and her mode of payment, our client approached Asabe Waziri to terminate the transaction and offered to refund her money, an offer Asabe bluntly refused, prompting our client to approach the FCT High Court.”

    A copy of the enrolled order of the FCT High Court presided by Justice Musa Othman showed that the court had on February 17, 2022, upheld Osakwe’s application terminating the contract, refunding and repossessing the apartments in suit no: FCT/BW/CV/2435/2021 that the mode of payments employed for the purchase violated the money laundering laws.

    “That in view of the termination of the contract for the purchase of the two flats of Abeh Court by the claimant, the defendant (Waziri) can no longer claim or exercise ownership over the said two flats,” the judge ruled.

    “Consequently, the court orders the claimant (Abeh Signatures) to immediately refund the entire monies paid to it by the defendant (Waziri), (including the legal and agency fees) and further orders the defendant to immediately hand over possession of the two flats, being flats 3C and 38 of Abeh Court to the claimant,” he added.

  • SAD: 19 killed, many injured in FCT auto crash

    SAD: 19 killed, many injured in FCT auto crash

    Nineteen persons have been confirmed killed while eight others were injured in a Sunday auto crash at Yangoji-Gwagwalada Road in the federal capital territory (FCT).

    Mr Dauda Biu, Acting Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who confirmed the figures when he visited the accident scene, said the crash which occurred minutes into Sunday involved three vehicles – two Toyota Hiace buses with registration numbers MUB- 30 LG and DWR-985 XJ and an articulated vehicle.

    Biu said 31 persons were involved in the accident comprising 11 males, one female and 19 others who were charred beyond recognition.

    “Out of the 31 victims, eight persons comprising of seven males and one female sustained various degrees of injuries, while 19 others were burnt beyond recognition.

    “Investigation showed that the main causes of the crash were speed limit violation and wrongful overtaking which eventually resulted in loss of control,” Biu said.

    According to him, the Toyota Hiace bus with Registration Number MUB- 30 LG, crashed into the Citroen articulated vehicle and burst into flames, killing everyone on board.

    “The second bus hit the first bus from behind and also caught fire. Fire melted the second bus with Bauchi State number plate.

    “It was coming from Takai, Kano State while heading to Benin. The Citroen vehicle loaded chicken feeds from Zaria in Kaduna State and was heading to Akwa Ibom.

    “The nineteen corpses were trapped but extricated by rescue operatives,’’ Biu said.

    He added that police had taken over the investigation and met with relevant authorities for the mass burial of 18 of the mutilated corpses.

    The bodies could not be preserved for identification as they were burnt beyond recognition, he said.

    “Clearing of obstructions for free flow of traffic is still on-going as you can see and we will do our best to ensure we have a crash-free society,” Biu said.

    “Injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital in Kwali in the FCT and one identified male corpse was deposited at the mortuary at Kwali General Hospital,’’ he said.

    Biu cautioned road users to always avoid excessive speeding, wrongful overtaking and other bad driving behaviours.

    He also admonished commuters to always plan their trips to fall within day time and avoid night trips because of hazards associated with dark hours.

    He also re-emphasised that the Corps would step up both sensitisation of the motoring public and enhance its patrol activities to deter traffic violators.

    He admonished the public to always call the FRSC toll free line 122 and the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM which were always available for all road users to report emergencies at any given time.

    The Acting Corps Marshal was accompanied by the management team and other rescue operatives.

  • Abuja woman drags ex-SDGs financial director, deputy to court for accusing her of leaking classified documents to EFCC

    A federal civil servant working at the Sustainable Development Goals Office, Mrs Aisha Al-Amin, has filed a defamation suit at the Upper Area Court, Gudu, Abuja, against a retired Director of Finance and Account, Mr Sani Muhammad.

     

    Mrs Aisha Al-Amin also dragged the retired deputy director, Mr Ayeni Richard, to court for alleged criminal defamation and intimidation, saying the duo alleged that she leaked some classified documents to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to indict them.

     

    It was gathered that Mrs Al-Amin also filed a civil defamation suit at the FCT High Court, against Muhammad who retired a few months ago, and Richard who just retired from service last Wednesday, September 7, 2022.

     

    She said, “These men have been victimizing me, and they’ve instigated people to victimize me. They alleged that I leaked some classified documents to the EFCC, and despite letting them know that I did nothing of such, they never believed me. I have been traumatized, and I can’t just help it, that was why I had to sue.”

     

    Amin’s lawyer, Danshitta Shittu, who also spoke noted that it was left for the court, through the penal code, to do justice to the defamation suit.

     

    He said, “We have filed a Direct Criminal Complaint for criminal defamation at the Upper Area Court at Gudu, and if they’re found guilty, they’ll be looking at about two years in jail. We also filed a civil defamation suit against them at the FCT High Court, and if they’re found guilty they’d have to pay monetary compensation to my client.

     

    “Our client’s reputation has been damaged, and we have witnesses to prove that it is not the first or second time these defendants have moved to damage her hard-earned reputation. The allegations they are peddling around to damage her reputation are false.

     

    “In April, when she was suddenly posted out of the office, their boss in the SDGs’ office and a Senior Special Assistant to the President, Mrs Adejoke Adefilure, invited one of them, the second defendant, to explain to the circumstances that led to her posting out of the office.

     

    “They raised the same allegations against the claimants that she had been releasing official documents to the EFCC but when the SSA asked for the evidence, they could not produce any evidence. That was when the SSA invited the claimant to disregard the posting and continue with her work.”