The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Acting President

  • Osinbajo lauds Ayade’s industrial drive

    Osinbajo lauds Ayade’s industrial drive

    The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, commended, Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River for his effort to industrialise the State.

    Osinbajo said this while performing the ground-breaking ceremony of Ayade Industrial Park Calabar as part of his two-day working visit to the state.

    He described the park as an industrial hub in Nigeria and Africa.

    “It tells us of what the future holds for the people of this state. It is really going to be a major industrial hub in Africa, ‘’ he said.

    The acting president later performed the ground-breaking ceremony of Cross River Rice City Project and inaugurated the Calabar Garment Factory, all situated inside the park.

    Speaking, Gov. Ayade said his vision was to make the state the destination for investments in Africa.

    He solicited the support of the Federal Government in his quest to develop the state through numerous on-going projects.

    The acting President had earlier on arrival, visited the Palace of Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo-Abasi Otu, where he called for peaceful co-existence among different ethnic nationalities in the country.

    He said that for Nigeria to progress, there was a need for unity among Nigerians adding that Nigeria is better and strong when they are united.

    He said: “Unity is very important. All of us should show love to one another: this will make us stronger.’’
    Responding, Obong, thanked the acting president for finding time to visit his palace and described the visit as historic.

    He called on Nigerian Leaders to always prioritize the welfare of the people, irrespective of their political affiliations.

    The Obong advocated the involvement of the Traditional Institutions in the governance of the country due to their closeness to the people at the grassroots.

    “The traditional institutions are closer to the people and they know better what the people need; therefore, I suggest that the traditional institutions should be more involved in government, ‘’ he said.

    The Acting President was later given a chieftaincy title in Efik tradition “Ada-idaha ke Efik Eburutu (a chief in Obong’s Council).

  • NDDC MD escapes death in Calabar-Itu road accident

    NDDC MD escapes death in Calabar-Itu road accident

    The Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere has escaped death following a ghastly motor accident on his convoy Thursday.

    The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday along the Calabar-Itu high way when a trailer rammed into the pilot vehicle carrying policemen attached to the NDDC Managing Director.

    Mr. Ekere and others were on their way to Calabar, Cross River capital to receive Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who is on a working visit to the state.

    During the accident, a policeman in the pilot vehicle, whose identity could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report died while several others sustained different degrees of injuries.

    It was learnt that the body of the deceased police officer has been deposited in the hospital morgue while those that sustained injuries were rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Uyo, the state capital.

    A statement which was released shortly after the road accident by the NDDC’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Toye Abosede said: “the convoy of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima.Ekere, has been involved in a road mishap.

    “The incident, along the Calabar-Itu Road, occurred when a trailer ran into the pilot vehicle carrying policemen attached to the NDDC Managing Director who was on his way to Calabar to receive the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

    “The victims were immediately taken to a nearby hospital where they are receiving urgent medical attention for injuries. Unfortunately, one of the policemen could not be saved. Members of the entourage in other vehicles were unhurt in the unfortunate incident.”

     

  • We’re set for Acting President’ s visit, says Ayade

    We’re set for Acting President’ s visit, says Ayade

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade yesterday said the stage was set to receive Acting President  Yemi Osinbajo.

    Ayade spoke in Calabar yesterday, while fielding questions from reporters on the planned visit of Osinbajo today.

    “We are working day and night to ensure that the Acting President takes a guided tour around the pharmaceutical industry and the Ayade industrial park, Calabar International Convention Centre, Monorail and Power plant among others to see all we have accomplished within two years and the galaxy of our achievements within the limits of what we have,” the governor said.

    Continuing, Ayade said: “As we are running up and down in preparation of the visit, it gives us an opportunity to calibrate our efforts and look at what we have done and see where we need structural changes and certain framework that we need to institute, while we prepare for his reception.”

    He added that his administration would continue to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the state.

    Ayade also said: “We can’t be tourism service suppliers, we want to be tourists ourselves in our state. That means we must commoditise government to bring money as well as add value,” pointing out that, “we must bring in areas of core needs of the Ayadesian theory, not just putting food on your table, but putting a hoe in your hands.”

    He appreciated God for sparing the nation and keeping it together as an indivisible entity as Nigeria marks 18 years of uninterrupted democracy. Ayade enjoined those in governance to do all they can to gain economic democracy.

     

  • Obasanjo, Osinbajo to speak on 50 years after Biafra

    Obasanjo, Osinbajo to speak on 50 years after Biafra

    Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and seven other leaders will on Thursday speak at a conference on the Memory and Nation Building – Biafra: 50 Years After.

    At the one-day conference, which will hold at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja by 9am, Osinbajo is expected to deliver a keynote address.

    A statement by the Foundation listed other speakers as a former Permanent Secretary Information, Education & Industry, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, and Professor John Stremlau of the University of Witwatersrand will serve as lead speakers. Honourable Chudi Offodile and Honourable Nkoyo Toyo will chair panel discussions and Professor Pat Utomi will serve as the Conference Moderator.

    The statement said: “The 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Biafra in 1967 offers an opportunity for sober reflection on a number of issues including lessons learned that may be useful in dealing with contemporary challenges confronting Nigeria.

    A Cultural Night will feature performance poetry and a screening of Afia Attack – the untold “survival stories of women during the civil war.

    “The Yar’Adua Foundation was established to honour the legacy of one of Nigeria’s foremost leaders.

    “The Foundation’s mission is to promote national unity, good governance and social justice by creating platforms to engage citizens, policy makers and stakeholders in national conversations that foster an inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.”

  • Osinbajo, IBB, Sultan, others save Emir of Kano from Assembly probe

    Osinbajo, IBB, Sultan, others save Emir of Kano from Assembly probe

    The Kano State House of Assembly on Monday stopped further probe of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, following a letter received from Government House and signed by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, urging the House to halt the probe due to appeals from notable Nigerians who pleaded on behalf of the Emir.

    The Nation gathered that Ganduje who recognized the principles of separation of powers stated that his letter to that effect did not intend to threaten the independence of the House.

    According to the Speaker of the Kano state House of Assembly who read the Governor’s letter yesterday afternoon, Hon. Kabiru Alhasan Rurum, the decision to suspend the probe was prompted by a letter written by Kano state governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje requesting the House to halt further actions against the Royal Father.

    The letter from the Governor appealed to the state legislative arm to halt proceedings into the eight count charge against the Emir of Kano, citing mediation by prominent Nigerians, including the Governors’ Forum, Acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, Sultan of Sokoto, Alh Sahaad Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, Aminu Dantata and Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

    Ganduje in the letter to the House buttressed his appeal for the cancellation of further investigation of the charges against the Kano monarch positing that the Emir had shown remorse during a reconciliation session organized by Northern Governors’ forum in Kaduna.

    The House after an extensive deliberation session passed a unanimous verdict approving the termination of the probe into the alleged illicit activities of the Emir.

    The Nation learned that the House before now had planned to allegedly create additional Emirates in the state.

    However, a lawmaker who spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity expressed dissatisfaction over the abrupt intervention by prominent Nigerians.

    According to him, “I am not happy at all because we are set to make the records straight before this sudden intervention by prominent personalities in the country.”

    The Nation reports that Emir Sanusi has been in controversy lately with the allegation of financial misappropriation and alleged misconduct.

    Apart from the probe initiated by the Kano state anti-corruption agency, Emir Sanusi recently entered the black book of the state Assembly as it set up an eight-man committee to investigate the Emir.

    A member representing Nasarawa Local Government Area, Alhaji Ibrahim Gama last week raised a motion of urgent public importance.

    Gama frowned at the recent comments credited to the Emir over the proposed Kano light rail project which will soon be executed by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

    The Chairman of the House committee on Works insisted that, “the statement from the Emir is capable of tarnishing his image, the Government and that of the assembly.

    “The Emir during his speech in Kaduna alleged that the Kano State Governor and his entourage, including me as the Chairman of the House committee on Works wasted one month in China seeking for a loan to construct rail.”

    “The Emir’s statement was not true, we spent only four days in China, and our visit was to find out the capability of the company to handle the rail project.

    “His utterances have caused a lot of insult to me, the state government and also the house of assembly by the general public in the state, and outside the state.”

    He took a swipe at Emir Sanusi for sending his daughter to represent in one of the functions organized by Bring Back Our Girls group in Abuja, describing it as inimical to the tradition of the Emirate Council.

    “There are many responsible Emirate Council members who can represent him at the Programme. This is the first time we are seeing such in the historical traditional home,” he added.

    According to Gama, the mode of dressing by the Emir’s daughter during the Programme, was an embarrassment to the emirate council and the tradition of Kano people.

    He also accused Sanusi for introducing religious issues that are contrary to the teachings of Islam, saying such things are capable of disgracing the religion.

    Gama further accused Emir Sanusi of involvement in political issues, misappropriation of emirate Council’s fund, and making statements against President Muhammad Buhari.

  • SERAP to Osinbajo: Reject wasteful spendings by NASS

    SERAP to Osinbajo: Reject wasteful spendings by NASS

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to put pressure on the leadership of the National Assembly to cut its proposed budget for 2017.

    It described the proposed spending of NASS on the number of expensive official vehicles, legislative aides, travels and transportation, souvenirs, and photocopiers as “wasteful and unnecessary “.

    The organisation urged the acting President to “assent to the budget only if it truly reflects national development priorities, and not serve as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of our lawmakers.

    “To allow public funds to be spent as proposed by the National Assembly would disproportionately affect the socially and economically vulnerable and push them deeper into poverty and deprivation”, it stated.

    It said in its letter dated May 15, 2017, and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni and addressed to the acting President, “In a country where many of our general hospitals cannot provide emergency treatment, and at a time public funds are needed to improve these facilities, it is retrogressive to spend these funds to provide exotic cars for our lawmakers or fund needless travels.

    “Such funds ought to be meaningfully spent to provide clean water, build classrooms, provide materials, train teachers and pay outstanding workers’ salaries.”

    SERAP in the letter copied to Professor Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights stated further, “the more public funds that are spent to buy expensive vehicles for our lawmakers rather than servicing the new vehicles bought last year the less resources that will be available to make sure that Nigerians enjoy the right to an adequate standard of living and the rights to health, housing, food and education.”

    The letter reads in part: “When read together, the obligations under the Covenant to take steps to achieve economic and social rights progressively according to the country’s national resources implicitly forbid spending on such apparently wasteful projects. We are concerned that of the N125 billion proposed by the National Assembly in the 2017 budget, N6.4bn is to purchase official vehicles; N1.6bn to insure the vehicles; N777m to buy photocopiers; N55.623m to buy souvenirs; N807m to fuel generators; N11bn for travels and transportation; N9bn to pay legislative aides, and N750m for medical supplies.

    SERAP believes that the presidency now has the chance to show that the 2017 budget would not prioritise wasteful spending by the National Assembly over and above urgent national development priorities, and the need to improve Nigerians’ access to basic necessities such as interrupted electricity supply, quality education, affordable healthcare, clean water, good roads, as well as pay outstanding workers’ salaries across the country.

    “SERAP urges you and the presidency to require the National Assembly to justify the wave of fresh spending on several of the items purchased last year, and many of which will presumably remain in good condition.

    “SERAP also urges you to persuade the leadership of the National Assembly to henceforth adopt and use human rights budgeting as a tool of tracking Nigeria’s accountability toward economic, social and cultural rights. SERAP believes that a budget is a fundamental government tool for national development priorities and should not be a shopping list to satisfy the taste of high-ranking public officials and parliamentarians.

    “SERAP believes that the proposed spending of public funds by the National Assembly suggests that the leadership does not conceive of national budget as a blueprint for social and economic policy priorities.

    “SERAP believes that by cutting the proposed spending by the National Assembly, the presidency would be working to address and mitigate the negative effects of economic recession and crisis in the country on Nigerians living in poverty in particular and the socially and economically vulnerable in general.

    “SERAP notes that Nigeria is a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Covenant guarantees to all Nigerians legally enforceable economic, social and cultural rights such as the rights to food, health, and education. The enjoyment of these rights requires a major commitment of resources from key branches of government particularly the executive and legislature for example through the instrumentality of the budget.

    “When interpreted as prescribed by Article 31 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the Covenant will impose clear duties on your government to make national budgets comply with realising these economic, social and cultural rights. Therefore, international human rights law requires the government to use the country’s economic resources to fulfil economic, social and cultural rights. Clearly, economic resources of Nigeria are managed by fiscal policies, thus providing a direct link with the national budget.”

    “The lack of enjoyment of these human rights would increase poverty and hunger, which in turn would threaten the right to life and health of many socially and economically vulnerable, including women and children. These groups of people are bearing the brunt and feeling the impacts of the economic crisis on their standards of living, their jobs and their homes,” it added.

  • Malabu oil scam: Probe Obasanjo, Ijaws charge Osinbajo

    Malabu oil scam: Probe Obasanjo, Ijaws charge Osinbajo

    An Ijaw socio-political group, the Ijaw Union, has challenged the Acting President to probe former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s links with the intractable Malabu Oil & Gas oil bloc to convince Nigerians of its readiness to fight corruption.

    They took a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the denial of his involvement in the ongoing investigations on the Malabu/OPL 245 saga. The group said the former leader cannot exonerate or absolve himself of guilt in the mess because he, as the President and Minister for Petroleum Resources had ordered the revocation of the oil block 245 from Malabu Oil and Gas in 2001.

    In a statement signed by Ebitari Dombraye and Wilson Awengidappa on behalf of the Ijaw Union, the group decried resort to “unnecessary sensationalism” by the former statesman and called on the Federal Government to conduct a thorough investigation into the Malabu oilgate if indeed it is committed to fighting corruption in the country.

    They alleged that even despite the clean bill of health given by the Christopher Kolade Commission which reviewed all previously awarded oil blocks in the country; President Obsanjo went ahead with revocation.

    “Let us recall that in 2001, the Obasanjo government revoked the award to Malabu Oil & Gas even after the Christopher Kolade commission set up to review previously awarded oil blocks in the country, found nothing untoward in the award to Malabu Oil & Gas. This revocation did not follow due process or indeed the Petroleum Act and what was even more curious; no reason whatsoever was given for the revocation.”

    The group said after withdrawing the block from Malabu by an “obnoxious fiat,” the former President awarded same to Shell even though Shell which until the revocation was the technical partner to Malabu on the same oil block.

    “The former President did this in blatant disregard of the Petroleum Act and Indigenisation policy, a major consideration for the award.

    Despite revoking the block, the ex-President also went ahead to negotiate directly with Shell where they extracted a $210 million from Shell as against $20 million earlier awsarded to Malabu with plans to appoint a crony to take ownership of the asset with Shell.

    The group said the former President had to reinstate the Malabu licence after protracted court cases and a national assembly resolution to lay the asset to waste even as the approval was validated by the two successive governments.

    “Former President Obasanjo’s government reinstated the asset to Malabu with Chief Obasanjo as Petroleum Minister and Bayo Ojo (SAN), as Attorney General, the Yar’Adua government validated it with Odein Ajumogobia (SAN) as Petroleum Minister and Michael Aoondaka as Attorney General and finally the Goodluck Johnathan administration with Diezani Madueke as minister and Mohammed Adoke (SAN) as Attorney General. If Chief Obasanjo’s claim has any currency, are we saying none of these individuals and ministries and the plethora of egg-heads that populate them including officials of Shell and ENI the other counter parties, could not have pointed out the fact that the 2006 approval to return the block to Malabu was done without the knowledge or consent of the President or Minister of Petroleum who were one and the same person?”

    The group said rather than being seen as another Niger Delta trouble makers, their agitation is to stoutly pre-empt any attempt to sacrifice an indigene of the Niger Delta as the fall guy for a transaction that has gathered notoriety in the public domain, whilst others who have no stake in the Niger Delta or its people, emerge from the shadows to benefit from the demise of one of our people.

    According to them, it is an aberration that the minorities who bear the brunt of the nation’s economic prosperity would be precluded from it. “Is it such an aberration to the Nigerian state that the minorities who live and suffer under the consequences of oil production and environmental degradation should not ever have any say or right over their own God given resources? Must all those who benefit in any shape or form come from outside the region? What is our stake in Nigeria? What is our standing?”

    They charged the Federal Government to conduct a fresh investigation into the Halliburton scandal where huge sums have been traced to the former President’s political cronies; the Ajaokuta Steel Company debacle, and the Abacha loot recovered from the Abacha family during the Obasanjo administration and “relooted”.

    Also worthy of being probed, according the group is the administration reckless and irresponsible sale of Nigeria’s strategic oil interests to cronies.

    The group said successive administration’s giveaways of the nation’s oil wells have reduced Nigeria to little more than a tax collecting nation with no regard for investment in His administration’s giveaway of these oil blocks reduced Nigeria to little more than a tax collecting nation with no regard for investment in the state-owned oil company, NNPC and its many subsidiaries.

     

  • Osinbajo to visit Sokoto Thursday

    Osinbajo to visit Sokoto Thursday

    Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will pay an official visit to Sokoto on Thursday.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Sokoto by Imam Imam, Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs to Gov. Aminu Tambuwal.

    It said, “while in the Seat of the Caliphate, the Acting President will take part in a two-day nationwide clinic organised for micro,small and medium enterprises (MSME), which is being hosted by the Sokoto State Government.

    “During the events, the Acting President will hold interactive sessions with government agencies, financial institutions, operators and stakeholders in the MSME’s sub-sector.”

    The statement added that Osinbajo would also inspect sample of works by small and medium scale enterpreneurs from across the federation.

    It added that the Acting President would pay homage to the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad-Abubakar III, at his palace in Kanwuri, Sokoto.

  • Osinbajo inaugurates Lagos railway modernisation project

    Osinbajo inaugurates Lagos railway modernisation project

    Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday, performed the ground breaking ceremony of the Lagos Railway Modernization project.

    According to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode noted that one of the direct benefits of the railway modernization is that containers and goods from the Apapa Port will now be transported by rail.

    “This will reduce the number of trailers and other heavy duty vehicles on our roads & the productive hours wasted,” he said.

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  • Southern Kaduna Crisis: Osinbajo meets stakeholders

    Southern Kaduna Crisis: Osinbajo meets stakeholders

    Nigeria’s Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo on Friday met stakeholders on the Southern Kaduna killings, saying that the crisis in the region cannot be put to an end in a hurry, because people have developed hate and anger out of the crisis.

    The Acting President was in Kaduna to assess the level of progress at the Kaduna International Airport ahead of the proposed diversion of flights from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja to Kaduna.

    However, the meeting he had directed the State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai to convene had in attendance, representatives of the religious bodies, traditional institutions and ethnic groups as well representatives of Fulani community.

    He said a quick fix solution would not be apt as the crisis has a long history which he is studying through previous reports of commissions on inquiry, briefing from security agencies and other reports.

    According to him, “I will like to begin a discussion on the very terrible crisis that has gone on for a while in Southern Kaduna. Let me say first that there is no question at all that many have suffered, families have lost loved ones, a lot of bloodletting has taken place in Southern Kaduna in the past few weeks and I want to express my sincere condolence to all of those who have lost families and friends and who have been traumatized by the terrible things that have been going on in Southern Kaduna in the past few months.

    “But I must say there’s no question whatsoever that violence would never stop any of the problems we are experiencing today, there’s no way we will resolve it that way. On this matter I have read documents; quite a few of the reports, as a matter of fact,  I have tried very hard to study the crisis in Southern Kaduna, personally, I have read quite a few documents including reports of past crises, recently I have taken briefings from the service chiefs a couple of days ago  on what is going and since I got in today, I am also taking briefing form some of the senior officials of the armed forces and state security.

    And I want to say that I don’t want us to be in a hurry, I am certainly not in a hurry because I don’t believe that a crisis where there is so much blood letting and hatred over the years can be resolved by a couple of meetings, no, I don’t believe that is possible.

    “I have talked to his Excellency the governor, that what I would like to achieve is not a quick fix but I want us to begin a process and I want to be a part of that process that will listen to each group separately and then get everyone together.

    And I want us to respect those who have lost their lives that we are not trying to fix something quick, we are not trying to resolve it now however it is resolved and pretend all is well. We will take our time and as I said, to sift through whatever is required so we can find a proper and lasting solution.

    Professor Osinbajo, who told the stakeholders that he had taken enough security briefing on the Southern Kaduna crisis, however noted that, violence, enmity and hate cannot solve the problem, but process of peace building must commence to gradually face out the crisis.

    According to him, “I have been briefed by security Chiefs about the crisis in Southern Kaduna, even as I arrived here today, the security Chiefs here have also briefed me. Local government Chairmen has briefed me. But, the crisis in Southern Kaduna cannot be ended in a hurry, because there is hate and anger.

    “But, how many more lives do we want to lose before we stop this crisis? We must therefore strive to put an end to this, otherwise it will consume everybody.

    “Violence, enmity and hate cannot solve the problem we are going through. We must therefore begin a process of peace building”, he said.

    Osinbajo however promised to convene meetings with representatives of CAN, JNI, MACBAN and other stakeholders separately.

    Governor El-Rufai in his opening remarks swore to God that, his administration will fish out and prosecute those who have participated in the killings or instigated killings in Kaduna State in the last 37 years.

    “Ladies and gentlemen that we invited here, I will like to say that you are here on the invitation of the vice president. There are some who were not invited for the reasons that they know, because, we suspect they are behind some of these problems and we do not intend as state government to give legitimacy to anyone under investigation for being behind some of these problems.

    He said, his government has identified bringing culprits to book, deployment of security and commencement of peace building efforts as panacea to permanently ending the Southern Kaduna crisis.

    El-Rufai however commended the Acting President for his usual assistance to the state government in its efforts to establish military formations in the troubled zone and securing the state at large.

    Meanwhile stakeholders who spoke at the meeting, like the CAN Chairman  Bishop George Dodo, Agwan Atakad, representative of the JNI, Alhaji Sanusi Maikudi and National Assistant Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Ibrahim Abdullahi traced the crisis to 2011 post-election violence and suggested ways out.

    CAN chairman, Rev. George Dodo thanked the acting president and the state governor for their intervention in finding lasting peace in Southern Kaduna and prayed that those behind the violence would be apprehended and brought to book

    Representative of JNI in Kaduna State, Alhaji Sanusi Maikudi blamed the crisis on the inability of the previous government to fish out those behind the crisis and failure to act on the recommendations of commissions of inquiry.

    He said the night attacks on communities started in Jaba local government of the state as result of the fallout of the 2011 post-election violence where he said a report documented that 80 percent of the persons killed were from Southern Kaduna and 35, Muslims were displaced in 18 communities and that only 5 percent have been able to return.

    Earlier, while fielding questions from journalists shortly after inspecting Kaduna International Airport ahead of flights diversion from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Acting President Osinbajo told journalists that international communities have been
    sensitized to endure the temporary arrangement.

    This was just as he said that all contractors handling various works
    regarding the Kaduna Airport have been given matching order to ensure speedy conclusion of works as scheduled.

    He said, “We are here to inspect the progress of work at Kaduna Airport because we deserve the temporal substitute for Abuja airport for both local and international flights.

    “We are looking at the state of readiness considering that this is always a local airport and for that, alot of  work need to be done to bring it to the kind of standard that will be required .

    “The Work has made considerable progress, honestly the work has made
    considerable progress, but there is quite a bit to do.

    “It is going to be completed over this weekend like the ceiling, air conditioning and all that, security facilities. So we think that, it may not be in a complete state of readiness by Wednesday. I expect that within a very short period of time the airport will be very usable and comfortable state.

    “We asked people working on the airport to quickly speed up or to double the number of people who are working on the ceiling and some other facilities, they certainly need to work much faster and much more diligently to be able to deliver on scheduled.

    “One thing that is very clear is that not all foreign airlines declined. Some airlines are willing to come to Kaduna CAN chairman, Rev. George Dodo thanked the acting president and the state governor for their intervention in finding lasting peace in Southern Kaduna and prayed that those behind the violence would be apprehended and brought to o book.

    “I think that, foreign airlines will, but what we need to tell them is that obviously this is a temporary arrangement and they should really work with us on the temporary arrangement.

    “We are concerned about safety and comfort as they are. They are here also to see for themselves, and I am sure you have seen some of them. So, we will be happy if they work with us, and if they see this as temporary, they should be able to cope with the flights inconveniences here and there. So we are persuading them that this is a good temporary arrangement”.