COVER
2nd Niger Bridge Ready for Commissioning – FG
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
The Federal Government has said that the construction of Second Niger Bridge is completed and now ready for commissioning before May 29, 2023.
The government also assured that the epileptic power supply witnessed in recent times in different parts of the country would soon be a thing of the past, saying that power generation and distribution will improve despite the rains that have come in now.
Speaking with State House correspondents on Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC), meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said.
The minister explained that the contractor handling the Second Niger Bridge will be handed over on May 20.
Mohammed, who stood in for the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said that the Second Niger Bridge will be commissioned soon.
He said, “The Second Niger Bridge is ready for commissioning. The contractor will hand it over on 20th of this month, it will be commissioned soon after.”
Also briefing, the Minister of State for Power, Prince Jeddy Agba said, Council approved two memos for his ministry.
He said the first memo was the approval for the award of contract for the procurement of 25 numbers of 33 KV circuit breakers and 120 numbers of surge arrestors for systems use for Transition Company of Nigeria.
Prince Agba said the contract value is in the neighborhood of N140 million as argumentation for that.
According to him,“The contract has been awarded before they are ongoing, but we asked for approval for revaluation due to price escalation and additional works. We’re building new sub stations in one of the places.”
He said Council also approved the variation due to price escalation on the construction of the Dukanbo Shonga 132 KV double circuit transmission line.
Agba said: “Shonga is in Kwara State and that line has been down for several years. So with this procurement, we should be able to revemp the station and you know is an agro based area that’s the area which service the Bacita farm.
“The shunga farms limited and the whole of that area has been in darkness for a long time. With this procurement we hope that in two months, we should have full power supply to those areas and restore farming and processing activities in that area. The cost is N1.5 billion.”
Asked what is the reason behind the decline in power supply, he said, “You’ll agree with me that of late, we’ve had problems with gas supplies for generational companies. We just negotiated with the gas supply companies, NNPC limited to augment gas supplies to distributors at the going local rate.
“Gas was sold to them at export rate, whose price differs and they collection is made on domestic rates. So there was a differential and the argument, however, we had an agreement with the NNPCL and and natural gas company to supply gas to GENCOs commencing from last week, and they are buying at local price not at the export price.
“So, with that we hope in the very near future in a week or two should have improved generation and supply. Distribution is going to be done by DISCOs which is why we are doing everything possible for transmission company to have all the equipment necessary for effective transmission.
“We hope and I assure you that power generation and distribution as well as will improve despite the rains that have come in now..”
FEC which considered 30 memos, approved the concessioning of the Nnamdi Azikiwe international Airport, Abuja and the Mallam Aminu Kano international airport in Kano.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who briefed alongside his colleagues at the end of the marathon meeting, said the Abuja airport will be concessioned for 20 years while that of Kano will be concessioned for 30 years.
The aviation minister further said that the council also approved the ministry’s change of name from Federal Ministry of Aviation to Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace of Nigeria.
Sirika said Council also approved the draft National Civil Aviation policy which he said is geared towards the strengthening of the civil aviation.
Minister of State, Transportation Ademola Adegoroye said the council approved the Development of Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, Expansion and Development of Snake Island Sea Port, Lagos and the Expansion and Development of Burutu Sea Port, Delta State, through a Public Private Partnership agreement worth $4,713,841,477.
Adegoroye explained that the Ondo port will cost the private developers the sum of $1,480,465,253 and would be concessioned for a period of 50 years with the accruals to the concessionaire and the federal government expected to be $50 billion and $2.6billion, respectively.
He said the Burutu port will cost $1,285,005,818; concessioned for 40 years with the concessionaire and the federal government expected to reap $125billion $9 billion, respectively.
The Snake Island Port will gulp $974,185,203 and concessioned for 45 years with the concessionaire and the federal government receiving $18billion and $5.23billion respectively in accruals within the period.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja Federal Government says it will consider using private sector funds through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a funding option for certain key projects in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.This was disclosed when the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji.
The meeting which was at the instance of the ICRC DG, sought partnership between the two government bodies to harness PPPs to advance critical projects that can boost the economic and technological growth of the nation. Speaking during the meeting, Dr Ewalefoh said that science and technology, if properly deployed, can serve as a key driver of the economic growth and progress of Nigeria.“Many countries around the world have used Science and Technology to drive the economic growth and prosperity of their country and people.“We are here to brainstorm with you and find ways by which we can deepen the usage of science and technology for the advancement of our country.“Over the last two decades, countries and businesses have harnessed technology and innovation for upscaling their economy and improve the efficiency in their service delivery.“That is where we want our country to go, and we believe that is the vision you are championing under the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.“It is, therefore, my aspiration that your ministry will partner with the ICRC to see areas where we can champion private sector funding through Public Private Partnership to develop some of the projects specific to the ministry,” he said.The DG informed the Minister that there was already a collaboration with an agency under its purview but stressed that there were other key areas where PPP could be harnessed to deliver laudable projects in the Ministry.He added that the commission has streamlined its processes to accelerate PPP project delivery and deliver important services to the Nigerian people, pointing out that some key private sector operators have already verbalised their desire to work with the Ministry in a PPP arrangement.In his remarks, the Minister expressed his excitement at the appointment of Dr Ewalefoh as the DG of ICRC, saying that the DG’s wealth of experience will revolutionise the PPP sphere in Nigeria, adding that, indeed, a square peg has been placed in a square hole.The Minister emphasised that the Ministry served as a key enabler of economic growth and has had the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu demonstrated through major approvals granted the Ministry.He said that the President had given approval for methanol production, saying that although the implementation process were still being finalised, foreign direct investments for the project has reached over $1.5 billion.“We want to go into beneficiation of raw materials and we have the presidential executive order number 5 to back it, such that we don’t have to export our raw materials, but process it to a level before exporting. We are looking at doing green hydrogen, too,” he said.He stressed that Nigeria could make a lot more from cassava export than it was currently making if the raw cassava was processed before export.“We believe that with ICRC, we will partner in doing things right and enabling us to forge a better outlook for most of these projects.“In methanol, we are going to involve ICRC more closely to see the way forward and how it can benefit the country better.“I am happy that you are here; coming here shows that you know what you are doing. You are taking services to those that need it,” he said.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani armed militia, on Wednesday night, reportedly invaded Anyiin town in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Multiple reports indicated that no fewer than 15 persons were killed in the attack, leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries while yet to be ascertained number were missing.
The attack, which was said to have been launched at about 6:30pm by the well-armed Fulani herders, caught the community unawares as the invaders reportedly emerged from different locations shooting at everyone in sight.
The attackers, who were said to be numbering about 200, were reported to be wielding AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons, operated for about three hours.
An eyewitness and community leader in Anyiin town, Chief Joseph Anawah, said the armed herders overwhelmed security operatives stationed in the town because of their large numbers.
He said it was a coordinated operation, stating that the alleged Fulani terrorists took residents of the town unawares, surrounded the town and shot sporadically.
Anawah said some of the villagers who ran for their dear lives were caught in an ambush laid by the invaders.
He listed some of the victims to include: Mr Orihundu Ati, a retired primary school supervisor and the son of a kindred head.
Also killed was a son to a Chief of Staff to a former Logo council chairman, Tordoo Suswam and a relation of a late District head of Ukemberagya, Zaki John Chembe.
Anawah listed Ukemberagya, Tswarev, Mbawar, Gov, Mbainange, and Tombo among neighbouring communities earlier displaced by the invaders and whose residents were taking refuge in Anyiin before the latest attack.
The community leaders appealed to the federal government and the Benue state government to revive an abandoned Mobile Police barracks project along Akwana-Anyiin-Wukari road to secure the lives and property in the communities.
They lamented that farmers in the affected communities could not harvest their crops because they were being killed and abducted on their farms by the armed invaders.
According to them, communities along the Benue-Taraba border are the worst hit by the marauders’ incessant attacks.”This is the second attack in one month by the Fulani terrorists. On Oct. 9, they attacked Ayilamo town, the headquarters of Tombo Council Ward and killed scores of people. As I speak, people are deserting Anyiin town for fear of the unknown”, Chief Anawah said.
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas yesterday described growing malnutrition and food insecurity as great threat to Nigeria’s economic stability and public health.
Inaugurating the Local Organizing Committee for the National Assembly summit on nutrition and food security in Abuja, the Speaker reiterated the urgent need for legislative action to restore the country’s productivity and public health.
Abbas who was represented by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu noted that Nigeria’s rate of malnutrition is among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
He noted that malnutrition, especially among children, stunts physical and cognitive development, impacting long-term educational and economic potential and contributing to broader societal challenges.
The Speaker assured the lawmakers’ full support for the committee’s initiatives, urging collaboration with State Houses of Assembly to create a unified approach to combating food insecurity.
He said, “The need for this National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security has never been more urgent.
“This organizing committee’s mission is to foster collaboration across ministries, engage both public and private sectors, and create a platform for lawmakers, experts, and community leaders to address the root causes of food security challenges.”
The chairman of the committee, Chike Okafor said there is malnutrition across Nigeria, particularly in the north spiking by 51 percent among children.
He described the situation as a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by recent floods in Adamawa, Maiduguri, and Jigawa, which have disrupted food supplies nationwide.
According to him, the summit will help to in the formulation of policies to tackle food insecurity.
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