FG budgets N30bn for completion of 2nd Niger Bridge

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Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, yesterday, disclosed that the Federal Government has earmarked a total of N30 billion for the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge.

Also, weigh bridges are to be deployed across the country as part of measures to ascertain the weight of goods and materials that are conveyed on roads.

These were part of the disclosures that were made during the presentation of the Ministry of Works’ performance report to the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by Onolememen and the Minister of State, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the minister, even as he described ministers as “representing a very important link between the government and the governed.

FG Uncovers Fresh ₦3.2tr Abacha Loot

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Billions of dollars stashed away in foreign bank accounts by the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, may far exceed the already established $5 billion, as a Special Investigation Panel (SIP), tracing what has now become ‘Abacha loot,’ has stumbled on fresh clues indicating that the stolen funds still trapped in offshore accounts stand at over 

 ₦3.2 trillion.

A competent source close to the panel, whose office is in the presidency told Saturday Sun that about four different meetings between the SIP team headed by a retired senior military officer and a Switzerland-based lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, hired by the Federal Government to assist in the recovery of the Abacha loot in foreign jurisdictions, had taken place outside the country in the last eight months.

FG raises inter-ministerial panel on flooding

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In its bid to prevent the kind of flood recorded in most parts of the country last year and its adverse loss, the Federal Government on Friday inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee saddled with the responsibility of producing a national framework for the application of climate services.

The committee headed  by the Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamshudeen Usman, has  Ministers of Aviation; Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Water Resources, Health, Works, Science and Technology as well as Transport as members, while the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation will provide the secretariat.

While inaugurating the committee on behalf of the government, Vice President Namadi Sambo said the panel was constituted by President Goodluck Jonathan based on the early weather warning memorandum premised on last year’s rainy season’s flood disaster that has caused great losses to the nation as presented to the President by  the Minister of Aviation, Stella, Oduah.

Nigeria: FG Resuscitates Open Heart Surgery

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A decade after the federal government suspended the operations of open heart surgeries in the country, the open heart surgery unit at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, has been resuscitated to avail Nigerians the opportunity of getting the service at a subsidised rate of N500,000.

The unit was suspended a decade ago following the movement of the UNTH from the old site within the Enugu metropolis to its permanent site at Ituku-Ozala.

Briefing journalists at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said his Ministry of Health counterpart, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, briefed the council on the issue, indicating that with the development, Nigerians now have the chance to have the operation within the country without having to travel abroad.

Just last month, Chukwu inaugurated the heart surgery unit at the UNTH, noting that it was in line with the transformation programme of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

According to him, the resuscitation became necessary in order to forestall the current trend whereby "Nigerians are flown abroad for medical missions which is not the best for us."

We won’t extradite Alamieyeseigha –FG

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The Federal Government on Friday toldSUNDAY PUNCH that it would  not extradite a former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to the United Kingdom to face money laundering charges.

 While reacting to a statement by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Pocock, the FG accused the envoy of challenging the sovereignty of the country.

The President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration stated that it was not willing to extradite Alamieyeseigha because the British government did not go through ‘appropriate channels.’

An highly-placed government official who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said, “The UK cannot dictate to us. The government is not willing to extradite the former governor because of what they (UK) are saying on the pages of newspapers.”

Also, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the UK request to extradite Alamieyeseigha predated President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Britain Writes FG, Requests Ex-Convict Alamieyeseigha’s Extradition To London

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The United Kingdom has said that it has not given up on its efforts to extradite former Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, back to Britain to face trial.

The UK said it had already contacted the Federal Government requesting Mr. Alamieyeseigha’s extradition, and was awaiting a response to the request. The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Pocock, told the paper in an exclusive interview that the former governor, who recently got state pardon from his criminal conviction in Nigeria, still has an outstanding case of money laundering to answer to in the UK and that the UK government will not give up until Mr. Alamieyeseigha is brought to justice.

FG Working Hard To Restore Peace – Vice President, Sambo

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The Federal Government will continue to work tirelessly to ensure safety of lives and property in all parts of the country, Vice President Namadi Sambo made the promise on Sunday when he paid a visit to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero.

The Emir recently returned to the country after a medical sojourn abroad following an attack on his convoy by gunmen in Kano.

Sambo’s promise came barely 24 hours after members of an Islamic sect, Ansaru, reportedly killed the seven foreigners they had earlier taken hostage from a construction site in Bauchi Stage.

Nigeria: FG Generated 195,534 Jobs in 2012 - Only?

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A total of 195,534 jobs were generated last year by the Federal Government via several  contracts awarded by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, disclosed this to journalists at the end of the weekly FEC meeting Wednesday.

Maku, alongside the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Muhammed, attributed the source of the figure to the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, who briefed council on the performance and challenges of his ministry in the preceding year.

FG Set To Clamp Down On Satellite Campuses – Education Minister

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Education Minister, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, has said that the Federal Government would take serious action against the activities of Nigerians operating satellite campuses.

Speaking in Kaduna, on Monday, at the consultative meeting between the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education and Rectors of Polytechnics and Provost of Colleges of Education in the country, Rufai noted that the government would soon clamp down on those operating the satellite campuses and outreach centres.

Accreditation Crisis: FG To Transfer UNIABUJA Engineering Students To Other Varsities

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Indications have emerged that the Federal Government is making moves to relocate Engineering students of the University of Abuja to other universities.

The Faculty of Engineering is among the University’s programmes that are yet to get accreditation from the Nigeria Universities Commission and its students have been embroiled in several protests in recent times, aimed at drawing attention to their plight.

SHAMELESS: Nigerians Generate 518MW More Electricity Than FG’s Power Stations – UNILAG VC

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The embarrassing state of electricity generation and supply in the country was again brought to the front burner when the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, UNILAG, Professor Rahaman Bello revealed that Nigerians are currently generating far more electricity through the use of generators in their homes, corporate offices and industrial places than what the Federal Government is producing through its power stations across the country.

“An estimated 6000 MW is generated via individual and corporate outfits to meet their minimum demands for electricity,” Bello disclosed yesterday, at the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, inaugural ‘Nigeria: Arise and Shine’ annual lecture.

Agriculture Receives Boost As FG Approves N15 Billion For The Recapitalization Of Bank Of Agriculture

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In its attempt at modernising agriculture and ensuring that farmers are real beneficiaries of its policies, the Federal Government has made moves towards bringing agricultural inputs closer to the farmers. This is through the implementation of Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES).

In the same vein, the FG has approved that N15 billion be provided to recapitalise the Bank of Agriculture.

FG’s report on Bellview crash doctored –Airline

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Bellview Airlines on Sunday said the report of the October 2005 crash of its plane, which was released by the Federal Government through the Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday, was doctored.

The airline also said the report contradicted the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United Nations agency which regulates the aviation sector globally.

The Federal Government had on Saturday released the crash reports of six airlines, including Bellview and Aviation Development Company.

Power: Labour, FG set for fresh showdown over privatisation

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THERE are strong indications that a fresh crisis is brewing between organized labour and the Federal Government over the planned privatization of the assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.

Already, both parties are singing discordant tunes that have begun to heat up the system and threatened industrial peace in the Power sector that appeared to have been restored after the Federal Government and labour reached agreement late last year on the contentious terminal benefits for workers ahead of the privatization of PHCN’s assets.

Ikeja Police College: Falana Threatens To Sue FG If Commandant Is Sacked

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As the fate of the Commandant of the Ikeja Police College, Mr. Irimiya Yerima, hangs in the balance over what the Presidency described as negative image given to Nigeria by the exposure of the rot in the college to the world, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, yesterday threatened to tackle the Presidency if Yerima was dismissed over no fault of his.Information Nigeria gathers that the feeling within the Presidency is that it was the commandant that gave unrestricted access to ChannelsTV to record the footage and beam it to the world so as to embarrass the Federal Government – this much the president revealed during his unscheduled visit to the college last Friday.

FG In New $3bn Agriculture Financing Agreement With USAID

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In the latest of its moves at receiving foreign aids, the Federal Government yesterday agreed on a $3bn agriculture financing with United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The agreement was for USAID to extend its financing role to the agricultural sector, in order to boost the activities of the sector.

During the agreement, the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, signed on behalf of the Federal Government, while the USAID Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah, signed for the Agency.

Kalu Wants FG To Recognise Ex-Biafran Soldiers

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Former Abia State Governor, Dr.Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to recognise those who fought and died on the Biafran side at this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

Kalu said: “Since we all agree it was a war of unity, I would like those who died fighting for Biafra to also be remembered. I know of the great poet, Major Chris Ifekandu Okigbo,Lt.Tom Bigger ,Chief Emeka Ojukwu’s half-brother,Col. Chude Sokei, Head of the Biafra Air Force, Major Hannibal Okpani Nkama, one of Nigeria’s best cadets and Corporal Nwafor, the gunner.

FG, states, LGs shared N6.16tn in 2012 – Report

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A whopping sum of N6.16tn was withdrawn from the Federation Account and shared among the three tiers of government in the 2012 financial year, investigations have revealed. The figure is the total amount allocated under various distribution sub-heads, as approved by the legal framework upon which the account is being managed.

They are statutory allocation, which is shared in the following manner: Federal Government, 52.68 per cent; states, 26.72 per cent; and local governments 20.60 per cent; Value Added Tax (Federal Government, 15 per cent; states, 50 per cent; and LGs, 35 per cent); and extra allocation given to oil producing states based on the 13 per cent principle of derivation.

FG To Distribute 10m Mobile Phones To Farmers

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The Federal Government on Wednesday said that no fewer than 10 million cell phones would be  distributed to farmers to boost agricultural production in  the country.Mrs Ibukun Odusote, the Permanent Secretary in the  Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this at a sensitisation programme for farmers at Igan-Ipabi in Ijebu-East Local Government Area of Ogun.

Bombings: MTN, Others To Seek Compensation From FG

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Mobile network operators have  concluded plans to seek compensation from the Federal Government for losses incurred from terrorist attacks on their installations. The Executive Secretary, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Mr. Gbolahan Awonuga, confirmed to our correspondent on Tuesday that MTN, Globacom, Airtel, Etisalat, and the CDMA operators had concluded plans to seek  compensation from the Federal Government.