Mr. Femi Falana
Coordinating Minister for the economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-IwealaThe Federal Government has released N300 billion for capital projects under the 2012 budget to Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The fund, which was released on Thursday, is for quarter four and raises capital votes released so far under the budget to N1.01 trillion.
The latest release was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant (Communications) to the Finance Minister, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu.
Federal Road Safety Corps on Thursday morning warned travellers on Abuja-Gwagwalada Road to expect some delay as a result of the unruly behaviour of some truck drivers.
In a post on Facebook at 6.35a.m, FRSC said two trailer drivers intentionally blocked the entire expressway with their trucks, causing a traffic jam on the busy road.
It advised road users, especially those travelling home from Abuja for the Sallah holiday, to use Kuje exit to Gwagwalada.
The alert reads: “Sallah travelers -Abuja Exit Traffic Alert! Between Giri junction and towards Gwagwalada is blocked presently due to two trailers who refuse to abide by (the) rules.
“They intentionally used their trailers to cross the road. If you are still in Abuja, you are advised to use Kuje exit to Gwagwalada! FRSC officers and other law enforcers are there to restore traffic flow on the road.”
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has warned travellers and visitors to be cautious when boarding airport taxis in Abuja in view of the new wave of security threat posed by some illegal taxi drivers.
FAAN’s Regional General Manager at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mr. Chris Bature, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said, however, that security measures put in place by FAAN and other security agencies at the airport had reduced the activities of fraudsters and touts at the airport.
Bature said that FAAN’s security operatives had discovered that fraudsters had devised a new system known as “one-chance,” where a taxi driver would carry passengers from the airport and rob them on the way.
The FAAN official advised travellers to make use of registered taxi drivers or official car-hire taxis with evidence of registration or FAAN identification cards upon arrival and when departing the airport.
Bature said that the rate of crimes at the airport had drastically reduced, due to the activities of security agents, following the measures initiated by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, to make Nigeria’s airports safe and secure for travellers.
“The frequency of suspects arrested at the airport has dropped because we are working tirelessly in conjunction with the Air Force, Police and other security officials to apprehend criminals day and night to secure the airport.
“Presently, the security challenge at the airport is that of ‘one-chance,’ where illegal taxis carry passengers and along the way, they will push out the passengers and do away with their belongings.
“We are advising member of the public to use the official airport taxis if they must use commercial vehicles from the airport to avoid ugly incidents,” Bature said.
A document given to NAN by the FAAN Crime and Investigation Bureau, showed that 180 suspects were arrested between June and October this year for offences ranging from drug peddling, illegal car hire operation, stealing, touting and ticket-racketing.
Four suspects, Kenechukwu Eze, Mohamadu Abdulkadir, Keneth Udo and Emmanuel Igwe, were arrested on Wednesday for illegal car hire operation and were handed over to the police for prosecution.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Commander at the airport, Mr. Lawal Hamisu, also revealed that the number of drug traffickers arrested at the airport had reduced by half in comparison with 2011.
He told NAN that the number decreased, following the installation of modern scanners at the airport between January and June.
Hamisu had said that only five suspected drug peddlers were arrested at the airport as against the average of 10 monthly in 2011 before the installation of the screening equipment.
“We arrested a minimum of 10 drug barons monthly in previous years but since the beginning of this year, it has gone so low that in a month, there may not even be an arrest,” he said.
Chairman of the Labour Party in the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Adejobi Peter, has called on INEC to be transparent in the discharge of its functions as preparations for the Ondo State governorship election gather momentum.
Peter made the call in Abuja on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
He told INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to transfer the INEC National Commissioner in Ondo State, Prof. Lai Olurode, “because of his partisanship.”
The chairman emphasised the need for the electoral body to ensure that the contest was free and fair.
“When a particular party is saying that it does not want a particular person to represent us, I believe INEC ought to have complied, at least for the sake of peace,” he said.
He urged INEC to make the political environment neutral by bringing in a neutral person to supervise the election to ensure fairness and justice.
Peter alleged that there were strategies which opposition parties in the state had adopted to discredit Labour Party during the election.
“The oppositions are trying to use the party’s logos on T-shirts and caps on the day of election to look as if Labour Party is campaigning.
“It is against the rules of INEC for any party to engage in electioneering campaign 24 hours to the election.
“The security agencies should be on the alert for this, so that our party will not be accused wrongly.
Peter also urged security agencies to keep the entry points into Ondo State secured, to prevent hoodlums from neighbouring states, causing chaos in the state.
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday denied a motion ex-parte filed on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd., Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, and four others, seeking their release on bail.
Mr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), counsel to the applicants, in the bail application, argued that the action of the police Special Fraud Unit in detaining his clients since October 9 was a violation of their fundamental rights.
According to him, the action of the respondents is reprehensible, barbaric and a clear contravention of Section 36 (4) (5) (a) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Uba, Nsika Usoro, Godfrey Okorie, Chibuzor Ogbuokiri, and Joseph Orji,, were on October 11 arraigned by the SFU over an alleged N43.29 billion fuel subsidy fraud.
The SFU had accused the men of economic sabotage, obtaining money by false pretences, stealing of N43.291 billion, property of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, money laundering and forgery.
The four other defendants are employees of Capital Oil and Gas.
The defendants, who appeared before Magistrate Martins Owumi of a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, were ordered to be remanded in SFU custody for 14 days.
In his ruling, Justice Okon Abang declared that the order sought by the defendants was not possible in law.
According to him, it will be just to hear the respondents before taking any decision on the issue of bail.
Citing Order 26 Rule 10 of the Federal High Court Procedure Rules, Abang also converted the ex-parte application to a Motion on Notice, and ordered that hearing notices be served on the respondents.
Abang also ruled that the respondents were at liberty to file their responses to the converted motion on or before 12 noon Oct. 16, and that the application would be argued without fail on that date.
The case was adjourned to October 16 for continuation of hearing.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria on Monday urged the Federal Government to stop casualisation in the petroleum sector.
PENGASSAN National Industrial Relations Officer, Chika Onuegbu, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt.
GUNMEN on a motocycle on Wednesday shot dead two officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission in Kano, Kano State.
The killers were suspected to be members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
One other FRSC official sustained bullet wounds.
The killing occurred at about 1pm around Madobi Road, near Sani Abacha Youth Centre, in Panshekera, a suburb of Kano metropolis.
The incident came barely 24 hours after two policemen were shot dead by suspected gunmen in the city.
A policeman close to the scene of the incident, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that, “A Federal Road Safety Commission patrol vehicle was attacked by gunmen on a motorbike, killing two officers and wounding one.”
Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kano State Command, Zaaki Alkali confirmed the incident to journalists.
He said his men were four in the vehicle when the attackers opened fire on them.
“Two officers died instantly, while one sustained bullet wounds, but the fourth person survived the attack unhurt. It is a very sad incident”, Alkali explained.
Federal Government is planning to give grants to states affected by floods.
Our correspondent learnt that the grants would form part of the support promised the affected states by President Goodluck Jonathan in his 52nd Independence anniversary address on Monday.
Jonathan said, “I have received the interim report of the presidential team that I set up to assess the flooding situation across the country. The Federal Government has taken measures to assist the affected states, while considering long term measures to check reccurrence.”
Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, told our correspondent on Wednesday that the move was aimed at assisting the affected states in rehabilitation the victims.
However, he did not disclose how much the grants would cost the government.
He said, “The speech of the President showed concrete steps being taken by the government on the issue of flooding.
“Although it is a global issue, the government considers it important to assist the affected states.
“The government is going to provide grants to support the states in rehabilitating the victims.
“It will also help in putting in place preventive measures in the states where flood may likely be recorded.
“The Federal Government and the states are already discussing and working out the modalities of the grants being planned.”
A government source told our correspondent that sending a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to cater for the intervention might not be ruled out.
The House of Representatives last week Wednesday passed a resolution asking Jonathan to send a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to address the flooding.
Meanwhile, Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa, has asked scientists and technologists to adopt measures to reduce the impact of climate change in the country, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Ewa, who was represented by Prof. Comfort Ekpo, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, made the call on Wednesday in Uyo at the First World Conference on Applied Science and Technology.
He urged scientists and technologists to find out how fossil fuel, said to be the principal cause of ozone layer depletion, could be made more friendly.
He noted that the change in weather conditions which had caused floods in many parts of the world, including Nigeria, was an indication that man’s activities could ruin entire mankind, if not checked.
Ewa said the floods were a wake-up call that climate change could render man’s developmental efforts useless, if concrete steps in research were not taken to alleviate the menace.
He said, “I want to say that recent events of extreme weather conditions and flooding across the world, including Nigeria, are a wake-up call to us.”
The Federal Government will engage 1,500 workers through the Integrated Irrigation Dam Project in Eyekonrin-Araromi, Kwara, an official has said.
Managing Director of the Lower Niger River Basin Authority, Ilorin, Kwara State, Alhaji Abubakar Aduagba, announced this in Eyekonrin, Asa Local Government Area during the National Good Governance Tour to the project on Tuesday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Aduagba explained that the construction of the dam started in 2009 as constituency project of a member of House of Representatives, Mr. Ayo Adeseun, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
According to him, the 1.3 cubic metre dam will also provide 5,000 gallons of water per day for the people living in the area.
He also said that the National Directorate of Employment took advantage of the project to build structure in the area to train graduates in farming and fishing.
“The dam, which was built by a local contractor, is now 100 per cent completed and the full irrigation processes will start next year.
“The NDE is also taking the advantage of the project to build their structure in this area to train people in farming, fishing among others,” he said.
He, however, noted that the dam would not be operated by the Federal Government but by individual farmers who would be formed into cooperative groups.
Aduagba told the inspection team led by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, that the project cost was N630 million.
In another development, the Director-General of Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies, Ilorin, Dr. John Olanrewaju, said the Federal Government would spend N550 million on the construction of the institute.
Taking the team round the ongoing project in the institute during the tour, the director-general said N148 million had so far been spent on the construction of auditorium and road network.
Olanrewaju explained that the construction work in the institute would require N350 million while furniture and other facilities would take the rest amount.
He appreciated the Federal Government for accelerating development in the institute, saying that the institute, established in 1983, had suffered neglect in the past.
The director-general explained that the institute had now become a regional centre as labour unions across the West Africa were coming to the centre for trainings.
He commended the Federal Government for the support and lauded the state government for donating two blocks of hostel to the institute.
In his remarks, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, said that the accelerated effort given to the institute was more than contribution from the previous government.
He added that the effort had made the institute a foremost trade union centre in Africa.
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Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has warned publishers against conniving with schools to sabotage Federal Government’s efforts at improving the quality of education.
He gave the warning in Abuja on Friday in a meeting with publishers awarded the contract to produce free instructional materials for the Universal Basic Education programme.
“I summon this meeting just to let you know how serious we are and that it is no longer going to be business as usual. Every effort being made by Federal Government to improve quality of education at the basic level is being sabotaged by various people,” he said.
The minister explained that the meeting became necessary as the government had awarded contract for the purchase of materials for core subjects for public primary and junior secondary schools.
Wike pointed out that government was aware that publishers colluded with State Universal Basic Education Boards to sabotage government efforts through corrupt practices. He added that most times, the usual number of books that were supposed to be supplied were not supplied, saying, “Instead, cash is being exchanged,” he said.
He warned the publishers to refrain from such act, as the government had set up monitoring teams that would supervise the supply of the books in the states.
“This will also check what the Universal Basic Education Commission is doing; we want to actually know if the commission is part of the sabotage.”
The Federal Road Safety Commission on Friday reopened the Lokoja-Abuja highway, six days after temporarily closing it to traffic due to flooding from the nearby River Niger.
The Federal Government had ordered the road reopened by Friday (today) after the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, gave the assurance that access was being restored by some construction firms.
FRSC said in a statement by Corps Education Officer, Jonas Agwu, that road users were expected to be orderly.
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday discharged its order barring the Lagos State Government from proceeding with a Coroner’s inquest into the June 3, 2012 crash of an MD83 Dana Air plane in Lagos.
Justice Okon Abang had granted the order stopping the inquest based on an application by the airline.
The aircraft, which was on a scheduled Abuja-Lagos flight crashed into four buildings in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, killing all 153 passengers and crew and four persons on the ground.
More details later.
