NEWS
FCTA Assures of More Land Reforms
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday said Abuja residents should expect more land reforms.The Chief of Staff to FCT Minister, Chidi Amadi revealed this at the end of the Executive meeting that was presided over by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike in Abuja.
He assured that the reforms are for the benefits and development of the capital city. He said the Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, would be in a better position to brief but he was out on official duties.He said, “Unfortunately the Director of Land is not here. The Director of Land will make a presentation on very critical policies surrounding the changes, the renovations, and the overview of the land procedure here in FCT. I am sure that there’s going to be a designated press interview for this because it’s very key”.He added that the policies relate to land acquisition, the processes, and all that it takes.”I won’t be competent enough to give you the breakdown of what is contained here. Once he’s out of a specific assignment, I will meet him hopefully on or before the end of this week. Definitely, he will have a press briefing on this matter”, he said.Speaking on other memos that were approved by the executives at the 14th meeting he said, 13 memos were presented. Out of the 19 memos, three were stepped down for some technical reasons, probably to be represented later, while 19 memos were critically examined, and approved.He said the 19 memos are memos intended to continue to deepen the infrastructural development and the upgrade Abuja.Felix Obuah, Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), while briefing journalists said his agency got approval for the ratification and award of contracts for the operation and maintenance of Apo steel Erector and extension of service contracts for the operation and maintenance of Wupa Basic Sewage Treatment Plant.And got approval for the extension of service contracts for the provision of solid waste collection and management services for 40 related derelated in FCT, for a period of two months.He said, “All these three approvals put together gave us almost a total of about N2.6 billion Naira”.Acting Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Dr. Ruqqaya Wamakko, said his agency presented about seven memoranda to the FCT EXCO, which practically all were approved.These include, “the upgrading and support of obsolete street lights on the Nnamdi-Azikwe Expressway, that is the Ring Road 1. It’s a 14-kilometer, 10-lane expressway starting from Maitama all through toGudu-Garki. If you pass there in the night, you will realize that most of it is in darkness. The street lights there have been there for close to 15 years now. The project was completed around 2005 or 2006 and the lights have become obsolete. They are no brighter and new technology has come for street lighting. So the hybrid system is going to be deployed there to brighten the place and make it more secure and more motorable in the night, and that memo was passed for implementation.”Another memo was for the construction of one block of magistrate courts at Maitama, which was replaced with Jabi.”The third one is the provision of pedestrian access control at interchanges. We already have about eight lots of such going on. It includes fencing out with mesh wire, the interchanges, the green areas in the interchanges and loops, and those as well as providing walkways at the interchanges.”Another memo presented was for the construction of access roads and drainages and culverts in Durumi district around the Apostolic Church and that was also approved. It involves construction of roads, several roads within part of the district of Durumi and total about 1.7 kilometers all of them. The project was approved for implementation.”Another memo was for provision of access roads and infrastructure to parts of Mabushi district, particularly the Kez Udezue Street, and other few roads around Mabushi district in that area.”Another memo presented was for complete renovation and furnishing as well as technical installations at the Department of State Security headquarters. That was also approved.”The last of the memo approved from FCDA was an emergency contraction for erosion menace of a major pipeline from Lower Usman Dam through Kubwa, through airport, and goes down to Gwagwalada. Erosion had taken place on the major pipeline feeding the various tanks up to Gwagwalada”.NEWS
They Planted Juju in my Jacket at Davido’s House – Peruzzi
Singer Peruzzi has narrated how a charm was planted in his jacket during his stay at Davido’s house.
Peruzzi was signed to Davido’s record label, DMW, in 2017.
Davido dissolved the label in April 2024.
However, discussing his experience during his stay at Davido’s house, Peruzzi narrated how a charm was planted in his jacket.
Speaking in a video interview online, he said, “I took a shower one evening, like at 6 pm. Just a shower and then went to go and meet them back downstairs because I was chilling there before I went upstairs in David house when I was still living there.
“And then I was done taking the shower. I go to my wardrobe to get my clothes, and then one of my jackets is just telling me, ‘Pull me, wear me, wear me, wear me.’ I don’t know how to explain it, but I was just having the urge to wear it.”So, I carry am (the jacket), and something just dropped inside, and when I looked, it was jaz, better juju inside my room. A jacket that just came from the laundry.”
NEWS
AFSNET Business Conference Kicks off in Calabar
From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
The 6th African sub – sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference has started in Calabar the cross river state capital as Afreximbank opens a $2 billion tap for Cross River State and other African sub-sovereign governments for the financing of bankable projects that can turn around their economies.
Making the disclosure in Calabar in a press briefing, The Director, Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Afreximbank, Dr.
Gainmore Zanamwe, said the 6th African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference (AfSNET 2026) is going to be a three day event, running from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th November, 2026.Dr Zanamwe stated that, the Bank has the facility ready to finance. According to him, “Some people say funding is a problem. From Africa we say no. The $2 billion is there,” Zanamwe said. “Go and tell your people. You people in the media, go and tell people that money is there,” stressing that the bank is fully prepared to spend the next three days, November 12, 13 and 14, in Calabar enlightening states on how to access the fund. “How do you then access the funding? He asked.
“That is what we’ll be telling everybody in the course of the next three days. We’ll be showing you how you can tap into the $2 billion to do your projects. We’ll make it very simple.” He maintained.
Zanamwe stated that only states that present properly packaged, bankable projects will benefit. “We’ll start tomorrow with a training on how to identify projects in your states. Some normally start by saying there’s a project in this, they then run to the investors. It doesn’t work that way. We’ll be breaking it down,” he said.
“We would like, under the leadership of your Governor, to be able to start from the vision and say this is the vision in terms of promoting trade investment in your states. Once you start from that big vision, you cannot do everything. You need to focus. Identify two or three sectors that you really need to focus on and promote,” he added.
He explained that capital can be raised in two ways: by preparing a project and making it bankable for financial institutions like Afreximbank, or by preparing a pitch deck to generate interest from potential investors.
He also promoted Africa Direct Investment, saying an investor from Lagos or South Africa can as well enjoy the same privileges and incentives given to an investor from America.
He stressed that governors will pitch their projects on November 13 and 14, adding that in the last five years, the initiative has facilitated opportunities worth more than $3 billion, trained over 2,000 people, and worked with 21 African countries.
Also speaking on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, welcomed investors to the state.
“With Cross River State’s agrarian economy being rejuvenated by this administration, for the first time a very deliberate attempt is being taken to be able to make sure that our diverse products are being properly processed to meet international standards,” Cobham said.
NEWS
RMAFC Advocates Fair Share of 13 Per Cent Revenue Derivation Among Oil Producing States
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has advocated a fair distribution of the 13 per cent derivation revenue among states that produce oil and gas.
The Chairman of the commission, Mohammed Shehu, made the appeal on Thursday in Owerri during the inauguration of an oil and gas wells verification exercise.
Shehu explained that the commission’s constitutional responsibilities under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, include monitoring revenue generated into and disbursed from the Federation Account, including funds allocated under the 13 per cent derivation arrangement.
He said the exercise would focus on identifying and confirming the geographical coordinates of disputed oil and gas wells, alongside newly drilled wells between 2017 and 2026.
According to him, an Inter-Agency Technical Committee established for the assignment would carry out physical inspections of the affected wells, verify their locations and ensure that their coordinates were accurately recorded using officially approved maps.
He added that the committee would also take relevant court judgments into consideration when addressing disputes involving oil and gas well locations.
Shehu said the committee would forward its technical findings directly to the commission for review, ratification and eventual adoption.
He described the verification exercise as essential to ensuring that revenue allocations from the Federation Account are accurate and fairly distributed, explaining that the geographical positions of oil and gas wells determine the financial entitlements of producing states.
“This exercise represents a crucial phase in establishing statutory accuracy, technical fidelity, and fiscal equity within the Federation Account allocation framework,” he said.
He further explained that the precise coordinates and geographical positions of oil and gas wells have direct implications for the legal and financial rights of the respective states.
The RMAFC chairman urged officials participating in the exercise to adhere strictly to professional surveying procedures, recognised maps and relevant legal requirements in carrying out their assignments.
He reiterated that the technical committee’s report would be submitted solely to the commission for administrative review and formal approval.


