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Tag: Projects

  • Buhari delivers three projects that defy solutions for decades – Fashola

    Buhari delivers three projects that defy solutions for decades – Fashola

    The Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola says the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has delivered three critical infrastructure projects that defy solutions for decades.

    The minister said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 21st edition of Town Hall Meeting focusing on the achievements of the Federal Government in Infrastructure Development.

    The town hall meeting was organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

    In a presentation, Fashola said that Apapa-Oworonshoki road in Lagos state which was notorious for gridlock and in bad shape for decades was one of the difficult projects.

    He said the road built in 1970 had failed intermittently and seemed to have defied solution in the history of the country.

    Fashola said Buhari found solution to the critical infrastructure with the construction of a new 37 km road from Apapa Port to the Toll Gate which would last for at least 50 years after completion.

    The minister also identified Bodo-Bonny Bridge in Rivers which was the only access to the site of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas.

    “For decades, this place is only accessible by air and when there is bad weather which are a usual occurrence people cannot get there for days.

    “Three attempts had been made by the previous administrations to construct the bridge but all failed,’’ he said.

    Fashola said the Buhari administration succeeded in constructing the first road and bridge linking Bonny Island in highly challenging environment and soil condition

    The third project according to Fashola is the Second Niger Bridge which he said would be delivered and inaugurated before the end of the year.

    The minister said the second Niger Bridge had always come up as an election statement by past administrations and nothing happened until Buhari broke the jinx.

    The minister said the administration awarded 1,019 infrastructure contracts covering 859 projects across the country and no state was left out without benefitting from the projects.

    He said the administration also took an initiative to fix roads inside federal tertiary institutions and the impact had really worth the efforts.

    “We are in 76 federal tertiary institutions we have completed and commission 29 and starting a round of 22 last year before the ASUU strike.

    “Our promise of change as a party and government is manifesting in the area of road transport infrastructure

    “The money we borrowed is being invested in all part of Nigeria and it is driving growth,’’ he said.

  • JUST IN: Multiple explosions rock Maiduguri as Buhari visits to commission projects

    JUST IN: Multiple explosions rock Maiduguri as Buhari visits to commission projects

    President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, where he will be commissioning various projects.

    There were doubts on Thursday that Buhari will still visit the state, as three explosions rocked the city just a few hours before the president’s arrival.

    The Commander-In-Chief who will now carry on with his schedule as planned will begin with the commissioning of an edifice donated by Mohammed Indimi to the University of Maiduguri.

    Afterward, he will proceed to commission some projects executed by the Borno State Government including a 10km dual carriageway, a flyover, and a mega secondary school.

    Meanwhile, the explosions which some feared might have made the president cancel his Maiduguri trip, claimed the lives of at least four persons.
    Eight other individuals were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries.

    Three different locations experienced blasts but while casualties were reported in Ayaje and Bulumkutu, there were no concrete reports from Ajilari.
    Official statements regarding the development are expected within the hour.

  • Buhari orders Niger Delta Ministry, NDDC to complete ongoing projects

    Buhari orders Niger Delta Ministry, NDDC to complete ongoing projects

    President Muhammadu Buhari has given the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) a matching order to complete all ongoing projects in the Niger Delta.

    The directive, according to the NDDC Interim Administrator, Mike Akwa, was conveyed to the commission by the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akpabio.

    Akwa spoke when he visited the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Nyakudo Ndaeyo, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

    Akwa, in a statement yesterday by the Director, NDDC’s Corporate Affairs, Dr. Ibitoye Abosede, also said the 1,000-bed hostel at the permanent site of the UNIUYO would be completed and inaugurated in the next two weeks.

    He explained that the NDDC’s commitment to the completion of the hostel project was in line with the presidential directive.

    Akwa said: “The 1,000-bed students hostel being built will be a first of its kind in the region. It will have 500-bed spaces for male undergraduates and 500-bed spaces for female undergraduates and will include recreational spaces as well.”

    The NDDC boss observed that in an era of COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to assist universities to properly and comfortably accommodate students in order to ensure sufficient provision for social distancing in the hostels.

    He assured that NDDC would assist universities in the Niger Delta to ensure that their students had their studies in comfort.

    ”We are committed to doing whatever has to be done within our capacity to ensure that we add value to the educational system in the Niger Delta”, he said, adding that the project had reached 95 percent completion.

    In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIUYO, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, thanked the NDDC for assisting the university to ease the pressure of accommodation by building the hostel.

    He said: “We need to pull out our students from the surrounding villages where they currently reside and host them in a conducive environment fit for learning.”

  • £4.2m Ibori loot: Okowa writes Buhari again, lists six projects worth expending funds on in Delta

    £4.2m Ibori loot: Okowa writes Buhari again, lists six projects worth expending funds on in Delta

    The Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led Delta State Government has again written to President Muhammadu Buhari over the utmost release of the £4.2 million loot linked to a formal governor of the state, James Ibori.

    The state as earlier insisted said the £4.2 million Ibori-linked loot must be spent on projects in the Southsouth state.

    The state government suggested that the money can be used for the funding of important road projects in Warri, Agbor, Abraka, Sapele, Igheli, Effurum and Asaba, the Delta state capital.

    In its second letter requesting for the release of the £4,214,017.66 repatriated by the British Government to the Federal Government, the state maintained that the cash must come back to it.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the United Kingdom (UK) government recovered the loot from family members and associates of former Delta State Governor James Ibori.

    On May 18, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami, to whom the state directed its letter, said the Federal Government’s account was credited with the naira equivalent on May 10.

    TNG reports that Account General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris had last month said the Federal Government has returned the funds to the coffers of the Delta State Government, a claim which was swiftly denied by the state.

    In the letter, the state said it will be a negation of precedent, should the Federal government carry out its plans to deploy the money on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Abuja-Kaduna Highway and the Second Niger Brigde.

    The state reminded the Federal Government that should it return the cash to it as it was done when such facilities were recovered from former Plateau and Bayelsa Governors Joshua Dariye and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

    The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Olisa Ifejika, who confirmed the second letter to the president said: “There have been precedents. When such funds were recovered for Plateau and Bayelsa, they were given to the two states. So, the same rule should apply in Delta’s case.

    “Now that it has been established that the money belongs to us, our Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice has written another letter to the AGF requesting that the money be spent on projects in Delta State.

    “If the Federal Government does not want to release the cash, they can deploy it on their own (federal) projects which they have abandoned in our state and on the completion of on-going state projects.

    ”We have identified for them the Asaba-Illah-Ibiaja Highway; the deplorable Benin-Warri section of the East-West Road and the Agbor-Abraka-Sapele Highway.

    “The on-going state projects are the dualisation of the Ugheli-Asaba Expressway; the Warri/Effurun Erosion Control and Warri/Uwvie Storm Water Control Erosion Road,” Ifejika explained.

  • Photos: Days after TNGCIJ Investigative report, Dangote, First Patriot Honour CDA; Resume Projects in Kogi, Ebonyi

    Photos: Days after TNGCIJ Investigative report, Dangote, First Patriot Honour CDA; Resume Projects in Kogi, Ebonyi

    By Emmanuel Bagudu

    Dangote Industries Limited mining Coal in Awo-Akpali, Ankpa Local goverment area of Kogi State and First Patriot Limited, a Salt mining company in Agalegu, Ikwo Local Goverment Area of Ebonyi State have resumed developmental projects in the various Communities where they exploit minerals.

    TheNewsGuru.com Centre for Investigative Journalism (TNGCIJ) during an investigation under the Natural Resources and Extractive Resources Project (NAREP), funded by ford foundation and supported by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, gathered that the two companies dishonoured the community development agreements they entered into with their Communities by abandoning and deliberately refusing to carry out projects in their host Communities.

    In Kogi, Awo-Akpali village where Dangote Industries Limited mines coal, residents reported that work has resumed in the health care centre and schools under construction which was early abandoned. TNGCIJ gathered that plans are also underway to complete abandoned bridge and unfinished graded roads.

    Honourable Markus Okigbo who is the chairman of the Awo-Akpali village, Ankpa LGA disclosed this to TNGCIJ in a Telephone call. “….. Work has resumed in the health care centre and the school which was earlier abandoned…. They plan to see us after the holidays to finalise how to complete other aspects of the CDA, thanks to your Investigations Sir……” Okigbo said.

    Tony Chiejina, spokesman of Dangote Industries Limited confirmed the development where he said “…. all differences with the host Community have been resolved….”

    In Agalegu, Ikwo LGA of Ebonyi State on the other hand, Ms Princes Emmanuel, a youth leader in the community told TNGCIJ that First Patriot LTD have started grading roads. According to her they are forced to do that due to the questions TNGCIJ keep asking them during the NAREP Investigations.

    Executive Director of First Patriot LTD who spoke to TNGCIJ via WhatsApp confirmed he has resumed grading of roads and promised to share pictures of the finished work soon.

  • See how Presidency is to spend newly repatriated $311m Abacha loot

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity has clarified those to benefit from the recently repatriated Sani Abacha loot.

    He said the loot would be used towards three of the Federal Government’s five priority projects, excluding the Mambilla power and East-West road projects.

    The statement read in part: ”In an earlier statement, I had mistakenly noted that the Mambilla was one of five priority projects to benefit from the $311 million Abacha loot under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). That error is regretted.

    ”Although the Mambilla and East-West expressway are regarded under the PIDF as priority projects, I have ascertained that they are exempted from the agreement signed between the Nigerian, United States and British territory of Jersey governments.

    ”According to the document, only the second Niger bridge, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway, and Lagos-Ibadan expressway will benefit from the repatriated funds. The funds are domiciled in the NSIA.”

    The presidential aide, therefore, enjoined all print and online media to take note of the correction and make the necessary adjustments to their previous publications on the issue.

  • FG slashes 2020 budget by N71.5b, approves N47.9b for projects

    FG slashes 2020 budget by N71.5b, approves N47.9b for projects

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a revision of the 2020 Budget from N10.594 trillion to N10.523 trillion, reflecting a N71.5billion downward review.

    Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, who stated this while briefing State House correspondents after the virtual FEC meeting at the State House yesterday, also said an amendment to the Medium Term Expenditure Framework(MTEF) for 2020-2022 was approved.

    President Muhammadu Buhari in December signed the N10.594 trillion Appropriation bill into law.

    The minister also explained that FEC also approved the recommendations with key parameters, including the price of crude oil pegged at $25 per barrel, crude oil production at 1.94 million barrels per day and an exchange rate of N360 to $1.

    She said: “This is because, as we cut down the size of the budget, we also have to bring in new expenditure previously not budgeted, to enable us adequately respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “The Federal Government in this budget will have direct revenue of funding the budget of N5.158 billion. “The deficit to this budget N5.365 trillion and this will be financed by both domestic as well as foreign borrowing.

    “The foreign borrowing we are doing for 2020 are all concessionary loans from the IMF which has already been approved and has crystallized, from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank as well as Afri- EXIM bank.

    “There will also be some drawdown of previously committed loans for major ongoing projects that we will be drawing from both existing facilities as well as some special accounts with the approval of Mr. President and the National Assembly. And also revenue that we are expecting to realize from privatisation.

    “So, the borrowing, the multilateral loans draw down coming from special accounts and coming from the privatization will fund the fiscal deficit of N5.365 trillion that we have in the proposed amendment of the 2020 budget.”

    She also said that the council approved the purchase of three locally-manufactured boats for the Nigeria Customs Service for its surveillance and anti-corruption activities on the maritime waters.

    Ahmed said that there was a push to patronize made in Nigeria goods because of the Coronavirus pandemic and also boost the economy.

    Her words: “On prioritization of made in Nigeria products, as you know the President(Muhammadu Buhari) has set up an economic stimulus committee chaired by the Vice President(Prof. Yemi Osibajo). The work of the committee is to develop 12 months economic stimulus plan and we are at the final stage of that work.

    “We have prioritised spending in that plan to use and consume made in Nigeria. For example some of the public works projects that will employ a lot of our youths is to be done using strictly our raw materials, so we don’t have to import bitumen for example to build our roads.

    “Some of the FEC memos that were taken given today have been in council waiting in the queue for a couple of months now. The one for transport is not new, it didn’t just come today and council felt it should go because it’s been there for a long time.

    “But, we have got approval from Mr. President that spending as much as possible should be made in Nigeria on goods and products that are produced in Nigeria, so that it saves our foreign exchange and also helps to grow the economy.”

    Also, the minister said the request of $80 million loan from the Islamic Development Bank on behalf of the Ebonyi State government was approved by FEC

    The Finance minister said that the money would be used to finance the construction of the Abakiliki ring road project.

    ”While the Federal Government is the one borrowing from the bank, Federal Government will be un-lending this loan to Ebonyi State government.

    “We have done our debts sustainability analysis that proves that Ebonyi state has the capacity to repay this loan which is provided on a basis of libel plus and also long tenure for repayment.

    ”This Ebonyi ring road connects 13 local government areas in the state as well as the neigbouring Cameroon Republic. It is a major road that will provide access to the citizens in the state, to farmers, markets and will enhance economic activities in the state. And the neigbouring states will also benefit from this project.”

    Also speaking at the briefing, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, said that FEC approved a loan facility of $1.2 billion to finance the mechanisation of agriculture in the country. .

    He said the planned mechanisation of agriculture would span across 632 local government areas.

    Nanono added: ”Today, we presented a joint memo with the Federal Ministry of Finance in which we seek the approval for a loan facility of about 950 million Euros translated probably to $1.2 billion .

    ”This loan is for the purpose of agricultural mechanisation in this country –that will cover about 632 local government areas plus 140 processing plants.

    ”This is going to be a major revolution in the agriculture sector, that we have never seen before.’’

  • Ondo declares public holiday as Buhari visits to commission projects tomorrow

    Ondo Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has approved the declaration of Tuesday February 25 as Public holiday.

    Akeredolu, while granting the approval said: “The Public Holiday is necessary for the State to welcome the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari who is expected to arrive the State to commission two key legacy projects, the Ore Industrial Hub and the Ore Inter-change.

    According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo ‘ the commissioning are part of activities marking the 3rd Anniversary of the administration.

    The Governor expressed appreciation to God for the journey thus far, urging all to take advantage of this period to participate fully in the series of activities lined up for the Anniversary celebrations.

  • Why I ordered probe of Oshiomhole’s projects as Edo governor

    Why I ordered probe of Oshiomhole’s projects as Edo governor

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has explained why he ordered probe of the new five star Bénin Specialist hospital.

    The five star Bénin Specialist hospital was built during the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole and commissioned by President Mohammadu Buhari in November, 2016.

    It took several protests before the hospital was opened last year but operated through a consultancy firm.

    Governor Obaseki had on Monday constituted a Commission of Inquiry headed by Hon. Justice J.U. Oyomire (rtd) to conduct a detailed inquiry into the process leading to the conceptualization, design, construction and equipping of the hospital.

    The commission would also determine if there was a breach of the Edo State Procurement Law and other extant laws and procedures.

    Other members of the Prof. Emmanuel E. Obaseiki-Ebor, Mrs. Elizabeth Uwaifo, Enemaku Hilary Igemoh Esq., as members. Mr. Anthony Izevbekhale Esq. is to serve as the commission’s secretary.

    Speaking in a chat with reporters, Governor Obaseki said he ordered the probe because he was beginning to see many things he didn’t understand about the hospital.

    His words, “We have opened that hospital. We had consultant there working. So much has been said about the hospital. I am beginning to see many things I don’t understand. Oshiomhole did a video that went viral.

    “It is only fair for Edo taxpayers to understand what happened and why they decided to build the hospital. How much was spent to build the hospital, the state of the hospital today. I cannot be held liable for something I didn’t do. I want to make sure that at the end of my tenure I can explain everything that has happened.”

    On the crisis rocking the Edo APC, Governor said President Buhari should be left out of the crisis.

    “It is party matter. We have a party chairman who has been suspended in his Ward. He has no legitimate business to act in the capacity. We will not accept any decisions from him.

    “This is the party, I have the 18 local government chairmen of the party behind me. The entire party structure in Edo is one. They are solidly behind the President and behind me as a governor.”

  • Reps to investigate abandoned projects from 1999 till date

    The House of Representatives has resolved to set up a committee to investigate abandoned projects of the Federal Government from 1999 till date.
    This followed a motion moved by Rep. Francis Uduyok during the plenary session presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Rep Idris Wase on Wednesday in Abuja.
    Leading the debate, Uduyok expressed dismay at the alarming number of abandoned projects awarded to contractors by different governments, ministries, departments, agencies, commissions and boards since 1999.
    The lawmaker said the projects awarded were estimated to be over 20,000 and payments of not less that 50 per cent amounting to billions of naira had been made in advance.
    He said the abandoned projects included important establishments like dams, hospitals, buildings, bridges, steel companies and roads.
    “Access roads like the Eastwest Road, awarded in 2006 and yet to be completed after more than a decade,” he said.
    The house expressed concern that the abandoned projects contributed to the poor economic health of the country due to inflationary rate obtained when the projects had to be revived.
    The house also said that the non-completion of projects had been a trend and there was an urgent need to change the trend.
    Furthermore, it expressed concern that some of the abandoned projects were currently being occupied by hoodlums and miscreants who use them as abodes to plan nefarious activities.
    The lower chamber said there was need to factor in future budgetary allowances to ensure completion of the projects in line with the current administration’s plan towards national development.
    Following this, it agreed to set up ad hoc committee to investigate abandoned projects from 1999 till date, the cost of award, period of award, the state of completion and constraints.
    The house gave the committee three months to complete its work and report to it for further legislative action.