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Dangote Cement Rehabilitates Educational Facilities in Lagos
By David Torough, Abuja
As part of part its Educational Support programme under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Dangote Cement Plc, at the weekend commissioned and handed over several multi-million naira rehabilitated educational infrastructure in Lagos Island, Lagos State.
The projects, expected to benefit over 2,500 pupils, included installed 5kva Solar Power source to power the ICT centers at Kuramo Junior College, Victoria Island; Victoria Island Senior school, Victoria Island, and Girl’s Senior Secondary School, Obalende, Lagos, while the Cement company also rehabilitated and equipped with furniture, the school library of Girls Junior Secondary School, Obalende.
It also renovated and equipped with furniture and bookshelves the staff room of Kuramo Senior college, Victoria Island.Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement, Mr Arvind Pathak speaking at the commissioning said the projects were part of the company’s Social Investment Program designed to contribute to society’s well-being in the areas of Education, Health, Economic empowerment, and Infrastructural development.
Pathak who was represented by Pan Africa Regional Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Marie Christiane Kaul, said the interventions were targeted at some selected projects, especially schools within the neighborhood of the Dangote Cement Plc Head Office, Ikoyi Lagos.
She said, “the choice of these projects was arrived at on need basis through a participatory process of engagement with the schools. Each of the schools identified the most pressing need which were then jointly scoped for execution. We especially thank the TG/PS for granting our request to execute these interventions in the six schools that are all under her authority.”
She explained that as a responsible corporate citizen, Dangote Cement, ensures that every year, its cement plants in Nigeria and across Africa executes various developmental projects and programs to improve the quality of life of neighboring and host communities.
“As a company, we believe that the onerous task of providing quality education to our teaming youths cannot be over emphasize and should not be left to government alone. As education is the bedrock of any meaningful development, as a going concern, we believe in partnership with the government to deliver quality education to our teeming youths. We shall therefore continue to complement the efforts of the various levels of government to improve the quality of life of our people in the four thematic areas earlier identified, she added.
She noted the projects are expected to benefit more than 2,500 students currently studying at these schools while adding that the interventions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development (SDG) Goal number 4, which is aimed at ensuring an inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The provision of sustainable energy is also aligned with SDG Goal 7 which is aimed at the provision of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and clean energy for all.
The Dangote Cement boss said, “as a responsible organization, we shall continue to compliment efforts of the government in creating a conducive learning environment for students and a good teaching environment for staff. I call on the beneficiaries of these projects to make the best use of the facilities and protect them so that they can serve the purpose for which they are provided for a reasonable length of time.”
Tutor General and Permanent Secretary, Education District 3, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Dr. Idowu Olufunke Oyetola, in her remark thanked the management of Dangote Cement for company’s intervention in the provision of educational infrastructure. She said that Dangote Cement’s gesture aligns with Lagos State Government’s policy of leveraging Public Private Partnerships in the upgrade and provision of educational infrastructure. She charged the teachers and students to make good use of the facilities.
In his own response, the Principal, Kuramo Senior College, Lawal Babatunde, thanked the management of Dangote Cement for selecting his school as one of the beneficiaries of the intervention. He said the gesture has helped to create a more comfortable staff room for the teachers.
Also speaking in an interview, Group Head, Social Performance, Wakeel Olayiwola described the project as critical and that other projects are under construction for various educational institutions across the country as the company is committed to lifting communities withing which it operates.
He explained that the Company usually go into Community Development Agreement (CDA) with its host communities, which spans every five years spelling out projects and interventions to be made in the communities on need basis because government alone cannot provide all the needs of the people, so we compliment government efforts by intervening with provision of infrastructure.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) has shutdown Oracle Business Ltd, belonging to former Governor Samuel Ortom for allegedly owing taxes to the tune of N93.5m.
The premises of Jagshu and Ubgechi Filling Stations were also shutdown over alleged N2.
1m and N2.1m tax defaults respectively in Makurdi.The tax defaulters operation was carried out at the weekend by the Acting Executive Chairman of Benue Internal Revenue Service, Sunday Odagba in company of the Board’s Secretary/Legal Adviser, Ushahemba Dekaa
The action followed an order from a State High Court sitting in Makurdi which mandated the Board to enforce the consequences of the default.
The BIRS Legal Adviser, Ushahemba Dekaa told journalists after sealing the premises of Oracle Business Ltd that the company defaulted in its obligations for payment of taxes for six years, hence the clamp down.
According to him, the board has been monitoring the tax of the company all these while and the company keep on going back and forth in relation to payment which they failed to do.
He said the board equally organized several meetings and engagements with the companies, yet no compliance even when BIRS were using soft approach to ensure that they paid their taxes and levies but all to no avail.
On his part, the Group Managing Director of Oracle Business, Chris Omiyi argued that the company got letters of tax evaluation totalling N138m. “We sent our tax consultant to them and the liability dropped to N38million.
“Even that amount was spurious but because we are peace-loving we agreed to pay the N38million. But there is still a dispute of N15million which we are to resolve in the office. They fixed a date for the resolution, we got there the people we deal with were not on seat.
“The issue is that you said a company owes tax and we have started paying what you said we owe. Whatever that is in dispute we bring it forward and if it is overruled then we pay that which is in dispute because we have paid all others.”
In his remark the BIRS Acting Chairman, Sunday Odangba stated Oracle Business and other affected companies failed in their obligations.
He explained that the board on several occasions served them demand notices which they did not object and they did not pay.
The Management of the University of Jos has commenced the construction of a 10-lane Olympic Size Swimming Pool ahead of the upcoming National Universities Games Association (NUGA).
Prof. Tanko Ishaya, the Vice Chancellor of the University disclosed this on Monday while handing over the project site to Kaplan Consults Ltd.
and Caniyota Ltd. , the firms handling the project.The NUGA games, to be hosted by the university, is scheduled to hold between April and May 2025.
Ishaya, who explained that the project was being funded with Internally Generated Revenue, said that the swimming pool is one of the key facilities needed toward a successful NUGA games.
“Once this project is completed, all the necessary sporting facilities required for us to host the best NUGA games will be in place.
“I am calling on the contractors to carry out this job within the 16-week specified period; we need a quality job as well.
“We will expect briefing on weekly basis on the progress of work because we want this facility to be ready at least three months before the competition,” he said.
Earlier, Mrs Halima Auta, the university’s Director of Physical Facilities, explained that the swimming pool, a view pavilion and changing rooms would be handled by Kaplan Consult Ltd., while the training pool, all procurement and installations would be done by Caniyota Ltd.
Responding on behalf of the Contractors, Mr Kinsley Nathaniel of Kaplan Consults Ltd., promised to deploy the expertise needed to execute the project to an international standard. (NAN)
Several commercial transport operators in Ilorin on Thursday stormed some major streets in the metropolis to protest the new hike in petrol pump price.
During the protest, they expressed their displeasure with the sudden price hike, with the action leading to untold hardship for thousands of commuters.
The protests which commenced on Thursday morning significantly disrupted the movement of commercial vehicles across the city.
This forced passengers to resolve to trekking to their destinations.
The protest was spearheaded by some operators of commercial tricycles and commercial motorcycle riders who blocked several major roads in the city.
The road blocks occurred at Taiwo Isale, Coca-Cola road Junction, Maraba, Gambari Road and Offa Garage, bringing traffic to a standstill for several hours.
Consequently, commuters faced severe delays as the protesters restricted vehicular movements, demanding immediate action to address the situation.
Jimoh Abubakar, a commercial tricycle operator who spoke with newsmen at Maraba, revealed that the protest was because of the sudden hike in fuel pump price.
Abubakar said the increase was unfair, adding that transporters hardly made profit due to money spent on fuel.
“In fact, when we were charging N50 per drop, it was more profitable than now. The hardship is too much, the government should help us,” he said.
Another tricycle rider, Yusuf Issa, also called on government to reduce fuel pump price, saying tricycle riders now spend all their income on fuel.
“They (government) should reduce it totally. It is becoming very difficult to make any profit, not to talk of taking care of the family from what we do for a living,” he said.
The focal points of the protest, such as Maraba and Murtala Mohammed Way Junction, witnessed aggrieved transporters chanting “(We say) ‘No’ to consistent price hike”.
Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigerian Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were deployed to key areas in the metropolis to ease the tension and ensure orderliness.
The presence of security agents helped to prevent any escalation into violence and ensured that the protest remained largely peaceful in spite of the significant disruptions to daily activities.
The protest caused widespread disruption as residents who relied on public transport as they were stranded and could not go for their daily activities.
Many of them later resolved to trekking to their various destinations.
Report says that most independent petroleum marketers in Kwara now sell at different prices ranging from N950 to N1200 per litre.(NAN)
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