11 More Airports To Be Remodelled – Aviation Minister

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The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Odua, has said that the second set of 11 airports have been earmarked for remodelling.“The designated airports would receive government attention as soon as the first set of 11 airports currently undergoing remodeling are completed and commissioned by the end of the first quarter of 2013,’’ she said.

Odua, represented by Mr Rowland Ofubue, the Director, Cargo Development, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said this in Jos on Friday when she visited Gov. Jonah Jang.

She said the purpose of her visit to the state was to rub minds with the government on the commencement of Agro-cargo operation from Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos.

Press statement from Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah

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The Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah posted this message on her Facebook page yesterday. Some people are panicking...:-). See it below..

We have uncovered an advanced plot by a well-known hireling to blackmail, smear and tarnish the image and reputation of the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah with the sole aim of distracting her from consolidating the gains already recorded in the transformation of the Aviation sector in line with the Transformation Agenda of the Federal government.

Our very reliable sources indicate that the hireling, who has been paid huge sums of money running into several millions of naira to execute the hatchet job will employ a very familiar strategy of calling a Press Conference to carry out his mischief and peddle his falsehood.

N60 billion to be spent on cellphones for farmers not true - Minister of Agriculture

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Press statement from the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina

My attention has been drawn to the issue of 60 Billion Naira to be spent on phones for farmers, reported in some media sites and papers. The information is absolutely incorrect. My Permanent Secretary was totally misquoted out of context. There is no 60 Billion Naira for phones anywhere. As a responsible Minister, who takes public accountability and probity very seriously, there is absolutely no way in the world that I will even contemplate or approve such an expenditure. All our focus as Government is on creating jobs in Nigeria, not exporting jobs elsewhere.

Minister Allison Madueke Hospitalized For Cancer

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Nigeria’s controversial Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, has returned to a London hospital to continue treatment for an undisclosed ailment that is believed to be cancer. Sources say the woman, who has her name in most of the corruption revelation in the NNPC, made the journey last week, and began a daily therapy. Her one-week absence from Abuja has emboldened those Nigerians who have been calling for her removal to further pressure President Goodluck Jonathan to sack her as Minister of Petroleum Resources. But she's known to be a close friend of the President.

Ex-Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, jailed for tax fraud

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An Italian court on Friday sentenced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to four years in jail for tax fraud in connection with the purchase of broadcasting rights by his Mediaset television company.
Berlusconi has the right to appeal the ruling two more times before the sentence becomes definitive and will not be jailed unless the final appeal is upheld, Reuters reports.

Prosecutors had asked for a jail sentence of three years and eight months.
The court also ordered damages provisionally set at 10 million euros (8.05 million pounds) to be paid by Berlusconi and his co-defendants to tax authorities.

Ex-Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, jailed for tax fraud

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An Italian court on Friday sentenced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to four years in jail for tax fraud in connection with the purchase of broadcasting rights by his Mediaset television company.
Berlusconi has the right to appeal the ruling two more times before the sentence becomes definitive and will not be jailed unless the final appeal is upheld, Reuters reports.

2012 budget: FG releases N300bn for capital projects

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Coordinating Minister for the economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
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FG sacks consultant, hands over contractor to ICPC

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Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesome Wike, has ordered the sacking of the consultant supervising the construction of the Girl Child Secondary School in Ebonyi State.

He also ordered that the contractor handling the project be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for investigation

2013 budget is prudent, reasonable, says finance minister

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Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Thursday allayed fears about the workability of the ministry’s 2013 budget.
In a statement by her spokesman, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, the minister said the presentation of the national budget by President Goodluck Jonathan in October was the earliest in recent memory.
She also said criticisms of the ministry’s aspect of the budget were unwarranted.

Greek government in ‘basic agreement’ on cuts

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Greek finance minister Yannis Stournaras says the three parties in the country’s governing coalition have reached a “basic agreement” on the austerity package for 2013-14, British Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The measures are likely to be presented to Greece’s international lenders on Monday before going before parliament.

The cuts are necessary if Greece is to continue receiving bailout funds.

Earlier, Greece announced plans to sell most of its 34 per cent stake in the gaming monopoly Opap.

Stournaras said there were “very few details left to work out” on the austerity package.

The deal comes the day after 50,000 anti-austerity protesters took to the streets of Athens.

The spending cuts are reported to be worth at least ¤11.5bn ($14.8bn; £9.1bn) and are a condition for Greece to receive the next ¤31bn instalment of its international loans.

 

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Source : punchng[dot]com

Minister warns publishers against corruption

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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.”

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Source : punchng[dot]com