The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • From ‘certainty’ to ‘uncertainty’

    During Wednesday last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, seven ministers indicated their intention to quit the cabinet in order to vie for governorship positions in their states during the 2015 general elections.

    Their intentions, as at Wednesday last week, were not expressed in writing as none of them was yet to submit a formal letter announcing his resignation from the cabinet.

    They, however, had until yesterday to formally resign from the cabinet if they have not changed their minds.

    The seven ministers are Minister of Information, Labaran Maku (Nasarawa), Minister of Health, Prof. Onyeabuchi Chukwu (Ebonyi), Minister of  State for Education, Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortum (Benue), Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos), Minister of  State for Niger Delta Affairs, Dairus Ishiaku (Taraba) and Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu (Abia).

    While some of the ministers will slug it out with the incumbents in their states who will seek second term in office, others will contend with other powerful and influential aspirants.

    The Prof. Chukwu, who was busy fighting Ebola and managing Nigeria’s health system, could be said to have the brightest chance among the lot as the Ebonyi people and the incumbent outgoing governor, Martin Elechi had called on him to vie for the number one job in the state in 2015.

    Chukwu, who was said to have shown no interest in the Ebonyi governorship election before the endorsement, could be likened to David, the shepherd boy in the Holy Bible, who was chosen from the house of Jesse and anointed as the next King of Israel while he was busy tending his sheep in the bush. He was never one of those considered to succeed King Saul.

    The case of those resigning, who have enjoyed juicy portfolios as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the past few years, could be likened to somebody leaving an atmosphere of certainty to a situation surrounded by uncertainties.

    If they continue as ministers, their salaries, allowances and other benefits from their exalted offices will be guaranteed while this is not so if they resign to run for governorship elections in their states.

    It is not even certain whether they will get the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) ticket to run for the elections in their states, let alone winning the governorship elections in 2015.

    The former Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, who resigned from the cabinet earlier for governorship election in Ekiti State, lost the ticket to Ayo Fayose.

    This, among other factors, might have made some ministers shelve their governorship  ambitions as many of them who had earlier nursed the idea of resigning their ministerial jobs to contest in their states were not among the seven names announced by President Jonathan during the FEC meeting.

    This write-up is not to say that it is wrong to be adventurous or to confront uncontrollable risks head on, since taking risks is said to be the spice of life.

    On this note, I wish all those ministers who have resigned and are ready to face the uncertainties ahead, the best of luck.

  • Fresh initiative in public school management

    Fresh initiative in public school management

    The difficulties experienced in accessing and authenticating principals, teachers, students, school records and activities in online admissions may  soon be over as the Federal Capital Territory Universal Basic Education Board (FCT-UBEB) has begun integrating junior secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory into its newly-developed Central Portal System called the Electronic School System (ESS).

    The initial data collection of students has been completed in the first phase of the initiative in the public school system.

    To kick-start this project, FCT-UBEB is running the admission process for the 2014/2015 academic year on its newly developed portal on http://www.fctubeb.gov.ng

    The ESS by the board will engender effective and efficient management and supervision of about 150 junior secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory with a student population of over 100,000.

    The ESS is a revolutionary, web-based school management platform that was developed by Plovtech Solutions, a major player in electronic school management system, with offices in Nigeria, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

    According to the Managing Director of Plovtech Solution, Mr. Jones Ajayi, ESS will assist the school board to “securely” manage, query, report, archive all student records and all general schools’ activities for effective and efficient operations and service provision.

    ESS will enable schools to, among other benefits, electronically store and manage records and documents, including students’ admission records, all internal examination results and grades, teachers’ remarks and any other relevant information at present and in the future. In the process, it will provide secure access for document owners and management team.

    The system comes with an international standard web platform for each school on the project with their own personalised domain name which enables the school to publish all its information online, such as its history, school activities, sporting achievements, students’ projects, videos and photographs.

    It also provides the school with an online document authentication system that allows for storage of examination records, certificates, testimonials and other security documents online, verification on the school website or FCT-UBEB. The portal will enable the school authorities to efficiently administer the school as well as teach and stimulate interests of students in computer and information technology.

    A critical value of ESS is the leverage it gives the school to regularly interface with old students who will be able to register on the school portal and thus have a platform to interact and provide direct assistance when the school is in need of such assistance.

    The FCT-UBEB considers the ESS a very important tool to manage schools in the Federal Capital Territory in the current globalised environment of the 21st Africa, if the schools are not to be left behind. The FCT-UBEB, which controls about 150 junior secondary schools with over 100,000 students, is fully committed to the project.

    Plovtech Solutions, as the service provider, is well equipped with manpower and technical resources to provide training and technical support for the systems. After the conclusion of the project, FCT-UBEB will have under its control, a central Web Portal Platform and 150 unique web domains for each public school.

    The solution and the platform were presented to all the principals of junior secondary schools on September 23, this year at Abuja.

    The principals praised the effort of the school board which aimed at reducing the work load and burden involved in manually managing schools’ records.

    The Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Umaru Barau Ningi, was represented by Mr Benjamin S. Ogbara, Board Member 1 of FCT-UBEB, who urged all the principals to join the IT revolution, even as he urged them to make good use of the tool in order to run their schools effectively. He also advised them to use the internal integrated messaging system in the solution for direct communication with the board.

  • Jonathan and the barrage of awards

    On Wednesday last week, President Goodluck Jonathan received three awards in quick succession before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting.

    or being the first Nigerian President to declare to run for election and campaign on his Facebook Account, President Goodluck Jonathan was declared the first digital President of Nigeria and bestowed with the award of Grand Commander of ICT Promoters in Nigeria.

    The award, which was received on his behalf on October 7 by the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, was also given due to Jonathan’s recognition of the import of ICT to the Nigerian economy and the creation of the Ministry of Communication Technology.

    The award, which came from ITT Media Centre for Awards, also praised Jonathan for establishing the first national broadband on ICT roadmap and putting in place good policies that have enhanced the development of the country’s ICT sector.

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Steve Oru, also presented the award he received on behalf of President Jonathan from Niger Delta youths who were trained on ICT, handsets, smart phones assembly, repairs and maintenance in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    The award was followed by the Lifetime African Leadership Achievement Prize Award received on behalf of Mr. President by Vice-President, Namadi Sambo in Uyo Akwa-Ibom State.

  • Court remands driver for alleged murder 

    The police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arraigned a 35-year-old truck driver in the employ of Dangote Group, Zaradeen Idris, at a Kuje Area Council Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly knocking down two pedestrians. He was accused of driving dangerously.

    Idris, a driver with Dangote Cement Company Obajana in Kogi State, was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Azubike Okeagwu.

    The prosecutor, Corporal Ocheche Samuel, told the court that the accused committed the offence in August.

    Samuel said the matter was reported at the Kuje Police Station, Abuja on September 29, by parents of the deceased who live at Gosa Airport Road.

    The prosecutor further said the accused drove dangerously along Gosa Airport Road and caused the death of Bello Habib and Olumakinde Kazeem.

    He said the accused also caused damage to a Peugeot 406 car with registration number Lagos AAA 437 BZ, an offence which he said contravened the provisions of sections 27 cap 548 of Road Traffic Violation (RTV).

    Idris pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him.

    Magistrate Okeagwu adjourned the case to today for further hearing.

  • Maku’s last special FEC briefing

    The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who normally led ministers to brief journalists at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings on the decisions taken by the government, had his last forum with journalists on Wednesday last week.

    Maku is among the seven ministers who had indicated interest in contesting for the governorship election in his state and therefore will not attend FEC meetings from tomorrow.

    The briefing, last week, was held in a special way different from previous ones.

    The briefing, which started few minutes after 2:00 p.m. at the normal venue with the ministers and journalists seated in the hall, was abruptly stopped midway.

    The Chief of Staff (COS), Brig.-General Jones Arogbofa (rtd) had informed Maku and his team before the briefing begun that the President was scheduled to hold a meeting with his Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and other key aides at the venue by 2:00 p.m.

    Noticing that the briefing was taking too long, the COS who stood behind the television cameramen gestured to Maku more than three times to round off the briefing.

    But Maku, who was busy highlighting the major outcomes of the FEC meeting, appeared not to have seen the COS’s gestures.

    To prevent a situation where Mr. President is ushered into the hall when it was not ready for him, the COS had to jump in front of the cameras and stopped the briefing, saying, “Hon. Ministers, we have to stop this now. Mr. President will soon be here.”

    Maku, his team and the journalists had no option than to stay at the corridor outside the hall to continue the briefing.

     

  • Light Rail project gets 2015 completion date

    Light Rail project gets 2015 completion date

    The ongoing Lots 1A and 3 of the Abuja Light Rail project, traversing the Central Business District-Idu Industrial Zone-Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and Kubwa, will be completed in October, next year.

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senator Bala Mohammed said this while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CCECC on the Addendum II of the Abuja Light Rail project.

    Senator Mohammed said the Addendum II consists of final design and construction of Lot 1B of the Abuja Light Rail project, which is expected to cover Garki I District, Wuse I and II Districts, Utako and some districts in Phases II and III of the Federal Capital City.

    The minister further said the ongoing Lots IA and three will cover a distance of 45.245 kilometers, while Lot 1B is about 31 kilometers, crisscrossing the city of Abuja.

    According to him, the Lot 1B is expected to cost 792 million US Dollars, even though the process has not been completed as it has not been vetted by the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) and the Federal Executive Council.

    He stated that the ongoing Lots 1A and three has reached 60 per cent completion, which informed the October 2015 completion date as being feasible.

    The minister reiterated that the achievements are recorded as a result of the foresight and pragmatism of the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, which seems to have truly accelerated the physical development of the Federal Capital Territory.

    Speaking earlier, the FCT Transportation Secretary, Mr. Jonathan Ivoke Achara praised the FCT minister for being able to push all the projects despite scarcity of funds.

    He said the project was very significant to the overall development of the Federal Capital Territory because every modern city needs an effective transportation network.

    Responding, the Vice-President of CCECC, Mr. Cao Bao Gang, said he has been in Nigeria for over 10 years and in Abuja for over eight years; noting that the pace of development of Abuja under Senator Bala Mohammed is unprecedented.

    Gang assured that his company will not fail in delivering the Lots 1A and three of the ongoing Abuja Light Rail by October 2015, adding that the remaining phases would be treated with all the seriousness they deserve.

    He emphasised that his company cherished the existing partnership and collaboration with the FCT Administration, saying it is committed and determined to take the city to greater heights.

  • 2015: Anioma people endorse Jonathan

    Following the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by all organs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its sole candidate for the 2015 Presidential election, one of the first ethnic groups that have thrown its weight behind him is the Anioma people of Delta State.

    Although in the months leading to the PDP’s endorsement, some other ethnic groups, organisations and associations had expressed their support for the President.

    The Anioma people met with Jonathan behind closed doors for about one hour at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday last week after the Federal Executive Council meeting.

    Leader of the delegation, the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chika Edoziem said: “As regards the endorsement of the President, we are very much in support of Mr. President.

    “We are here to confer with Mr. President on national issues such as insecurity that is affecting the country and the coming elections.”

    While Anioma people are the early callers to the Villa after the PDP endorsement, the State House will, no doubt, receive more of such visits as the 2015 general elections approach.

  • Traders, motorcyclists clash

    There was pandemonium at the popular Dei-dei Timber Shade at Deidei community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), when Igbo timber traders clashed with commercial motorcycle operators.

    According to eyewitnesses, the death of one of the timber traders sparked the crisis.

    One of the eyewitnesses, Mr. Painter Ganiu, told our correspondent that the crisis occurred when a female food vendor who was crossing to the other side of the road was hit by an okada rider.

    His words: “As the woman tried to grip the okada rider to make him pay for her food, he attempted to run away, but was immediately accosted by an unidentified trader who prevented him from escaping, insisting that he must pay for the food.

    “Out of desperation to escape, the okada rider immediately brought out a dagger and stabbed the trader, who screamed and fell on the ground. Noticing that a colleague of theirs had been stabbed, other traders rushed to prvent the okada rider from escaping, even as they tried to save the life of their stabbed colleague by taking him to the hospital.

    “But, before they could take him to the hospital, the young man died. When they noticed that the young man was dead, the traders pounced on the okada rider and started beating him mercilessly. As he was shouting, other okada riders left their bikes and attacked the traders.

    “When the security personnel came to calm the situation, all the bike riders ran into the bush, while the traders ran to their sheds. I cannot really say what happened to the man that stabbed the trader, because all of them took to their heels on sighting the security personnel.”

    Another eye witness, Alhassan Mohammed said the crisis extended from Dei-dei Timber Shade to Dei-dei and Tomatoes junctions, where Hausa men attacked the Igbo traders, beating and injuring any one they could lay their hands on.

  • Jonathan’s over N332.25 million largesse for athletes

    On Wednesday last week, another feather was added in the cap of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    The occasion was the reception held in honour of the over 350 athletes and officials who had won various medals and laurels for Nigeria at various international and continental championships in the past seven months.

    Before the programme began, President Jonathan, who is spending his fourth year in office, had been claimed to have surpassed all his predecessors, including those who spent eight years in office, in many sectors of the economy.

    Apart from taking credit for making the Nigerian economy the largest growing economy in the continent and 22nd largest economy globally, Jonathan’s transformation agenda is said to have achieved unprecedented reforms in many sectors including agriculture, power, education, railway and aviation.

    Many critics have, however, punctured and disagreed with many of the claims.

    The Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo did not fail to add another feather in the bowler cap of President Jonathan at the reception for the athletes and officials that day.

    According to him, Jonathan’s administration has witnessed the highest haul of sporting medals in the annals of Nigeria’s history.

    He attributed the medals harvest to the legendary love, moral and financial support and the calm and calculated approach adopted in the sports sector by President Jonathan.

    Blessing Okagbare, who won gold medals in the 100m and 200m event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, 100m gold at the African Senior Athletic Championship and 4×100m gold at the African Senior Athletics Championship this year, presented a plaque at the reception on behalf of all the athletes to President Jonathan for his unprecedented support to the sports sector.

    Despite the Ebola Virus Disease threat, Jonathan, at the reception, shook hands with all the over 350 athletes besides awarding some of them with national honours a week earlier.

    The female athletes, who filed out for the handshake and group photographs with the President at the reception, wore white lace and green headgear while the male athletes wore white safari suit and green bowler hat.

    President Jonathan went beyond the Presidential handshakes some of the past leaders were known for by announcing total cash reward of over N332.25 million to the victorious athletes and officials.

    Announcing the cash reward, President Jonathan said: “I have the honour, on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria to announce the following token donations. African Senior Wrestling Championship: We have four gold, two silver, four bronze medals, two coaches and two team officials.

    For the Gold, you will get N1 million each, Silver N750, 000 each, Bronze N500, 000 each. Coaches to get N1 million each while team officials get N250, 000 each.

    “For African Junior Wrestling Championship we have one gold, one silver and six bronze medals, two coaches and three team officials. The gold medalists will get N750, 000, each, Silver N500, 000, each and Bronze N250, 000 each. Coaches to get N750, 000 each and team officials will get N250, 000 each.

    “For World Power Lifting Championship in Dubai, we have five gold, one silver and one bronze medals, two coaches, two Secretaries of medal officials and five team officials. The Gold medalists will get N2.5 million each, Silver N1.5 million each and bronze N1 million each. The coaches will receive N1 million each, the Secretaries of medal officials N500, 000 each and team officials N250, 000 each.

    “For Commonwealth Games, we have 11 gold, 21 silver and 18 bronze medals. They were handled by 16 coaches, 27 team officials, seven further team officials and six helpers. The gold medalists will receive N2.5 million each, silver N1.5 million each and bronze N1 million each. Coaches will get N1 million each, main team officials N750, 000 each and supporting team officials N500,000 each, helpers and loaders N250,000 each.

    “For the World Team Athletic Championship in the United States, we had one silver medal and one coach and three team officials handled the person. The silver medalist will get N1 million, the coach N750, 000 and team officials N250, 000 each.

    “For African Team Athletic Championship in Morocco, we have 17 gold, 12 silver, seven bronze and six medals. The team was handled by coaches, one assistant coach and five team officials. The gold medalists will get N1 million each, silver medalists will receive N750, 000 each, bronze medalists will get N500,000 each, the coaches N1 million each, assistant coaches N500, 000 each and team officials N250,000 each.

    “For FIFA Under 20 team, the Falconets, we won silver and each player will get N1 million each, Head Coach will get N750,000, two assistant coaches will get N500,000 each and team officials N500,000 each and the curator, N250,000.

    “For African Youth Games in Botswana, we had 42 gold, 13 silver and 19 bronze medals. 17 coaches handled them, five assistant coaches and 30 team officials. Each gold medalist will get N1 million each, silver N750, 000 each and bronze N500, 000 each. The coaches will get N1 million each, assistant coaches N500, 000 each and team officials will get N500, 000 each.

    “For those who participated at international handball competition in Sweden, we have gold by 12 players. Two coaches and five team officials handled them. The gold medalists will receive N500, 000 each, the coaches N500, 000 each and team officials N250, 000 each.

    “For our able team that went to China but were discriminated against, each of them will get a consolation prize of N500, 000 each.”

    He promised that the reward for the athletes would be doubled if they win medals at the forthcoming 2015 All African Games and 2016 Olympic games.

     

     

  • Gridlock: FCTA installs security devices

    Gridlock: FCTA installs security devices

    TO enhance traffic management and security of commuters in the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Administration has begun the installation of Control Room project.

    Its Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed disclosed this after meeting with some senior officials of the FCT Transportation Secretariat.

    Senator Mohammed said the project, which is in line with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Transportation Master Plan of the FCT, is 65 per cent completed.

    The minister reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the right things are done to tackle head on traffic problems in the Federal Capital City.

    He revealed that the FCT Administration has upgraded 28 of the 74 traffic light installations of the old technology of incandescent light to Light Emitting Diode (LED) with solar back-up to drastically reduce traffic light problems associated with those powered by conventional electricity supply.

    According to a statement issued by the Assistant Director/Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Sule, Senator Mohammed said the 20 additional intersections have been voted for traffic light installation before the end of the year; while 1,200 additional road traffic signs of various types and sizes have been installed.

    He further said more roads have been marked in the city and they include Tafawa Balewa Way; Lome Crescent Street; F.O.Williams Street; Babangida Aliyu Street; Nouchott Street; Kashim Ibrahim Way; Sabo Ago Way; Deji Omotade Street; Wada Aliyu Street as well as Ahmadu Bello Way.

    Senator Mohammed noted that due to biometric data capture of drivers earlier embarked upon by his administration, issues of identification, safety and security is better addressed nowadays.

    The minister expressed the commitment of his administration to provide sufficient number of high capacity buses for scheduled bus transit services in and around the 8,000 square kilometers of the Federal Capital Territory.

    He emphasised that, under its Operators’ Licence Scheme, his administration has so far granted licenses to seven companies namely AUMTCO, FABREM, AUTOSTAR, NURTW, RTEIN, SECDA, TUC; while PAT and PRINTFIELD are yet to be licensed.

    The companies under the Operators’ Licence Scheme deploy an average of 216 high capacity buses and 4,250 taxis on daily basis, Senator Mohammed said.