NEWS
FG Save N53bn from Contract Review – Minister
Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Hussein Adamu has said the federal government saved the sum of N53 billion from the review of some projects awarded by previous administrations.
He also said the Muhammadu Buhari administration had upped its game in the sector with about 32million Nigerians now having access to pipe borne water across the country.
Suleiman also said contrary to believe in some quarters ‘Nigeria is not water scarce but water economy scarce’
The minister stated this Monday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the PMB Scorecard (2015-2023) in the management of water resources.
At the briefing was Minister of Information Lai Mohammed and other top government functionaries from the two ministries.
Responding to questions from journalists on the abandoned contracts completed by the administration and cost of completion, he said: “There are quite a lot of them, I can’t really list them out now, I will request you reach out to us and we will give you the figures.”
Suleiman, who said there was contract review of the projects after some stringent processes involving professionals, said “this has saved us about N53 billion. And after further review by the Bureau for Public Procurement, I think we had additional N8billion or N9 billion.”
He said the saved fund was significant to the ministry as it further demonstrated the prudent management of resources, and high levels of transparency and accountability under the administration.
The minster also said the administration improved on the accessibility of pipe borne water for the citizenry, with 32million Nigerians currently being accommodated.
Asked of this was a pass mark, he answered in the affirmative, saying it was not the federal government’s responsibility to provide water, but that of the states.
Responding to the increasing number of boreholes across the country, he said this is one of the things the controversial water bill seeks to address.
He said if the states had been playing its part like the federal government, the citizens won’t have any problem with water, noting that “Nigeria is not water scarce, but water economy scarce.”
To achieve the right access to pipe borne water, Suleiman said the sector must be priviatised, citing the “poor Niger Republic where water is being priavtised and residents have quality access” to it.
NEWS
Akume, Ortom Plotting to Unseat Alia, APC Forum Alleges
The North-Central All Progressives Congress, APC, Forum, has expressed concern over the alleged move by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, to work in cahoots with the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, to unseat his successor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.
The forum chaired by Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga in a statement on Abuja on Monday remarked that it is worrisome that the SGF is hobnobbing with a leader of the opposition in Benue State in the person of Ortom. Zazzaga, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 election urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to keep a close tab on the SGF whose alleged plot against Governor Alia could destabilize the APC in the North-Central geopolitical zone.The forum noted that the unholy alliance between the duo showcased at the thanksgiving program organized in honour of Akume, at Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State during the weekend leaves no doubt about the depth of the conspiracy to unseat Governor Alia in the 2027 poll.Reiterating its loss of confidence in the SGF’s capacity to lead the APC in the zone, the forum, noted that the alliance with Ortom shows that he does not have the interest of the APC at heart and is only concerned about loyalty to his person, and “control of the resources” of Benue State.“If Senator Akume truly cares for Benue and the North-Central, he would not enter an alliance with Ortom, whose past actions have shown little regard for the dignity and welfare of the people,” the forum noted.“We are worried that the SGF, who should be the leader of the APC in the North-Central, will forge an alliance with disreputable opposition forces against an APC administration that is working hard to tackle the challenges in Benue State.“The agenda of the alliance between Senator Akume and Chief Ortom is not about development; it is about Akume’s desire to control the government and resources of Benue State. The North-Central APC Forum condemns this gang up in its entirety.”The APC Forum expressed shock that Akume could form an alliance with Ortom, who, during his time as governor, boasted that he had retired the SGF from politics.Noting that Ortom’s eight years as governor set Benue State back in terms of human and infrastructural development, the APC Forum wondered why the SGF, as a leader of the ruling party, should join forces with the PDP leader to destabilise an APC government.Ortom, who left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during his tenure as governor, was among the dignitaries at a thanksgiving event held at Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State over the weekend to honour the SGF.The event was also organised to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of Akume’s major loyalists, Dr. Matthias Byuan, an Executive Director at the Federal Housing Authority, FHA.Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, in a statement, criticised Ortom’s presence at the event, accusing him of poor leadership during his tenure as governor from 2015 to 2023.On his part, Ortom, through his spokesman, Terver Akase, accused the Alia administration of receiving higher federal allocations without matching the expectations of citizens in addressing security and developmental challenges.The Forum called on Tinubu and other leaders of the APC to act fast to forestall the destabilisation of the APC in the North-Central.NEWS
Journalists Condemn Attack on Colleague at PDP National Secretariat
Journalists covering Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have condemned an assault on the The Sun Newspaper Correspondent, Mr Ndubuisi Orji, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.The journalists, under the aegis of PDP Press Corps, in a statement on Monday in Abuja by the Chairman, Samuel Ogidan, described the attack, which occurred on Monday, as unacceptable.
Ogidan said that the attack was carried out by a PDP staff member attached to the office of the National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, who was recently removed by the court.He described the incident as a grave violation of press freedom and a direct assault on the rights of journalists.“As essential members of a functional democracy, journalists owe the society an obligation to carry out their duties without fear of violence or any form of intimidation.“This incident is not only a breach of Orji’s fundamental human rights but also undermines the core principles of free speech and media independence, a virtue which the PDP lays claim to,” he said.According to Ogidan, an eye witness accounts indicate that Orji was physically attacked by the PDP staffer after he had earlier prevented him from gaining access to the party secretariat.He said that as Orji made for his vehicle parked outside the vicinity of the secretariat, the official pounced on him with heavy slaps.This, Ogidan said, heralded other forms of physical assault on the journalist until the private security guards attached to the secretariat came to his rescue.“Orji’s mobile telephone was damaged during the attack.“In a fit of rage, Anyanwu’s aide threatened to deal with Orji, boasting that nothing would happen because he was acting on the instructions of his principal,” he said.Ogidan quoted the PDP staffer as claiming that he had the directive of his boss to bar journalists from entering the party secretariat by any means possible, including the use of physical force“This suggests that the assault may have been sanctioned by the former national secretary, raising serious concerns about the party’s position on press freedom,” he said.He said that the press corps was alarmed when it reached out to Anyanwu who confirmed that he gave instructions restricting movement into the secretariat “because the party is on break.“This, to say the least, confirms our fears of the clear and present danger to our democratically guaranteed rights to keep Nigerians well informed about happenings around them.“The right to information and the freedom to report are fundamental to ensuring transparency, accountability and good governance in any democracy.“This is even more so that the party has been embroiled in a leadership tussle, with a court order confirming Anyanwu’s removal from office,” he said.Ogidan said that the PDP press corps was deeply worried by the use of physical force against any human being, not just a journalist.“The media plays a crucial role in holding leaders accountable and fostering public debate.“Any action that hinders these rights, particularly by individuals within a political party, poses a dangerous threat to democratic processes.“While political differences are natural in any human organisation, journalists should not become victims of abuse of power by office holders,” he said.Ogidan said that the assault on Orji had been reported to the Wuse Division of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).He demanded that the person or persons involved in the ‘clear violation’ of Orji’s rights be brought to book as an evidence that violence had no place in Nigeria.Ogidan also implored PDP to take a firm stance against such actions.He called on the party leadership to address the incident, clarify the facts behind it and take drastic action against the personality involved to serve as deterrent to others. (NAN)NEWS
Police Arrest 25 Suspects Including Man who Allegedly Beheaded 80-year-old Woman in Ogun
The Police Command in Ogun on Monday paraded 27-year-old Afeez Ayeteru, who allegedly killed and beheaded an 80-year-old woman, Aduke in Ado Odo Ota in the state.The Commissioner of Police in the state, Lanre Ogunlowo, made the disclosure while parading the suspect alongside 24 other suspected criminals in Abeokuta on Monday.
The commissioner said the command received a distress call from the deceased’s neighbour and rushed to the scene where they arrested the suspect while he attempted to flee. Ogunlowo also paraded 45-year-old twin brothers, Taiwo and Kehinde Yemitan, who allegedly killed one Darasimi, female, dismembered her body parts for rituals.The police commissioner noted that the incident occurred at Lafenwa area of Abeokuta, saying that the suspects confessed to the crime.Speaking with newsmen, one of the twin brothers, Taiwo, confessed to the crime.He said the victim was his friend and she was the first person he killed as he used to sell human parts killed by other organ harvesters.The police commissioner said that the suspects would face charges in court once the investigations were completed.He said that other suspects were arrested for offences which included kidnapping, murder, cultism among others.He noted that all the arrest were achieved within the last three weeks.Ogunlowo urged the people of the state to continue providing timely information to aid the efforts of the police in preventing and addressing criminal activities.He issued a stem warning to criminals in the state, saying that the police in Ogun was ready to flush them out.“We will not hesitate to take action against those who refuse to comply,” he said.(NAN)