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
Board Sanctions 118 Immigration, Civil Defence Officers
The Board of NSCDC, Fire Service, Correctional, and Immigration Service, has approved the sanction of 118 personnel for various offences.
The Board Chairman, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known at the end of their meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo, who is also the Minister of Interior, told newsmen through the board Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Ja’afaru, that the erring officers were punished after facing disciplinary panels for various offences.
“These offences range from misconduct, negligence of duty and outright absence from duty posts.
“In the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOs), there were 48 cases of offences, in the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), there were 21 cases.
“Also, in the Federal Fire Service (FFS) there were 12 cases while in the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), there were 37 cases,“the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo added that the board has reviewed and approved new guidelines for appointments, promotions, discipline and general purpose in the services.
He said that the board also considered and approved the timeline for the conduct of the 2024 promotion exercise in the four services.
“The board considered and approved the review timeline for the conduct of the 2023/2024 fire service recruitment.
“As for the ongoing recruitment in the fire service, we hope to publish the names of the successful applicants latest by June 15. That is where we are for now.
“We also want to use this medium to warn the general public to ignore whatever they have been seeing or hearing in the social media space as they did not emanate from the board.
“This is because, we have come to realise that the social media world had been awashed with fake news telling applicants to come for screening exercise or pay certain amount of money.
“Let me put it emphatically that the board is not asking anyone to pay money for recruitment.“
He urged applicants to be patient, saying successful candidates will be notified to come for further screening through their emails and mobile lines. (NAN)
NEWS
NSCDC Inaugurates Female Strike Force to Secure FCT Schools
The FCT Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Olusola Odumosu, has inaugurated the corps Female Strike Force to protect schools in the territory.
A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Idoko, on Thursday in Abuja, said the inauguration followed the completion of a three day training for the personnel.
Odumosu said that the primary responsibility of the strike force was to ensure the safety of all schools in the territory.
He said that the training had equipped them with the needed skills and capabilities to carry out their duties.
According to him, the training is a follow up to the recent meeting of all FSF Unit Commanders with the Commandant General, Ahmed Audi.
Audi had charged them to be up and doing in view of the reported cases of kidnapping in some parts of the country.
“The training is imperative to ensure compliance with the CG’s directive on the mandate of securing schools for the safety of students and staff.
“Cases of abduction in schools must come to an end, that is the primary purpose of this training.
“We need to restore the confidence of the people in our ability to secure schools in the FCT,” the commandant said.
He therefore called on schools in the FCT to register with the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre, so that they could be added to the ecosystem.
Odumosu explained that the registration was free and meant to ensure better coordination and make responses to emergencies more quicker and efficient.
Odumosu assured that the training and retraining of the personnel would be held regularly to ensure prompt response to any security threat.
“We must make schools safe haven once again for children,” he added.
He charged the female strike force to conduct routine patrol and surveillance of schools to prevent threats and attacks.
He also enjoined the strike force to hold periodic security awareness and enlightenment talks for student and teachers.
Odumosu also directed the operatives to abide by the corps’ Standard Operational Procedure in discharging their duties and avoid over zealousness in the use of force or fire arms.(NAN)
NEWS
Tinubu Appoints Bello as new Chairman of CCB
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Abdullahi Usman Bello as the new Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), pending confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.
This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Thursday in Abuja.
Ngelale said that Bello was a consummate professional with more than 25 years of work experience in consulting, banking, law enforcement, financial services and academia.
He said that the President anticipated the new Chairman would lead the Bureau with utmost integrity toward the realization of its mandate of maintaining high standards of public morality in the conduct of government business.
Ngelale said Tinubu expected the new appointee to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standards of morality and accountability.(NAN)