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| The news is a ploy to tarnish Buhari’s image, CPC says. |
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.
Osun State Government is to provide a free train service for its people during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, according to the Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperatives, Mr. Ismail Alagbada.
He said in a statement on Monday in Osogbo that the free service would be offered between Wednesday and October 28.
Alagbada said the train would by 9a.m convey people from Lagos to Osogbo on Wednesday and Thursday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The return journey to Lagos would start by 10a.m on October 27 and October 28, the commissioner added.
According to him, the gesture is aimed at facilitating stress-free homecoming for the people during the Muslim festival.
The state government had made similar arrangements for people of the state in 2011.
Gunmen have attacked a vessel belonging to Bobon International Oil Limited off the coast of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State abducting six Russians and another expatriate believed to be an Estonian.
Our correspondent gathered that the expatriates were abducted at a time the security sources described as “wee hours of Tuesday”
Though the identities of the attackers and their motives were not known, security sources described them as pirates.
The incident which had created tension and fear of resurgence of kidnapping of expatriates in the Niger Delta region occurred along the Pennington River.
Fifteen workers were said to be on board the vessel which was believed to be sailing from the Pennington Offshore Terminal situated 16 miles to the entrance of Fishtown River
when the incident happened.
While eight of the workers were said to have arrived Nigerian Port at Onne after escaping the attack, seven others were unlucky as they were captured by the bandits and taken to an unknown destination.
A source told our correspondent that communities close to the Coast of Pennington are host to Chevron’s oil platform in the area and belong to the company’s cluster known as the KEFFES communities.
Operatives of the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield and the Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy were said to be combing the creeks to locate the whereabouts of the foreigners.
Confirming the incident the Media Coordinator, JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, told our correspondent that operatives of the outfit had intensified search for the expatriates.
He said, “Some unknown gunmen attacked a vessel and abducted seven persons consisting of six Russians and one Estonian national. We have deployed our naval elements to comb the area and track down the kidnappers. We have also alerted all operational bases.”
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.
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.”
