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Tag: Atiku Abubakar

  • Atiku warns Nigerians against fake online empowerment scheme

    Atiku warns Nigerians against fake online empowerment scheme

    Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has cautioned Nigerians about an online empowerment scheme falsely using his name and claiming sponsorship by the federal government.

    In a statement titled “Empowerment scheme using Atiku’s name and promising N65,000 to Nigerians is a scam,” Atiku’s media office in Abuja warned the public and urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind the fraudulent scheme.

    The statement, signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, stressed that neither Atiku nor his aides had any involvement or prior knowledge of the scam, which has been aggressively promoted online.

    “It has come to our notice that a group claiming to be “Travelling Abroad Opportunities” has been advertising a so-called “Atiku Grant by FG” on social media. 

    “The purported empowerment scheme is promising to hand out N65,000 to successful applicants after they must have filled out an application form and provided their name, account number, and bank.

    Read Also: Atiku: South doesn’t deserve to be in power after 2027

    “For the avoidance of doubt, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (2023) is not currently running an empowerment scheme that purports to give N65,000 to successful applicants. Also, there is no organisation related to, connected with, and associated with the former Vice President that is running an empowerment scheme by whatever shape or form.

    “The so-called Atiku Grant by FG is a scam, which objective is to fleece unsuspecting Nigerians of their hard-earned money; this is to alert Nigerians not to participate in what is obviously a fraudulent scheme that seeks to hoodwink unsuspecting citizens into thinking that it is a scheme by Atiku Abubakar.

    “Even if the Waziri Adamawa was going to embark on such a scheme, he would do so directly and not through a third party that is unknown to Nigerians,” the  Atiku Media Office stated.”

  • Atiku’s league of democrats

    Atiku’s league of democrats

    Atiku Abubakar is not having peace in PDP, what with the Damagum conundrum. So, he has turned elsewhere for succour: The so-called League of Northern Democrats. If you go through the list of its mainstays, you will know it is the voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau. It is not a league, but a smokescreen for one man: Atiku Abubakar. He has thrown up his façade of followers to give the impression of a new outfit. It’s an old toga dyed anew. It is better named the League of Atiku Democrats. More appropriately, the Smokescreen of Atiku Abubakar. The leader is an Atiku man. His name, Ibrahim Shekarau. He is the man who played coquette in the last election and decided to dump Kwakwanso for Atiku and PDP. His disgrace in Kano still rings through Kofar Mata. Who is the convener? One Dr. Umar Ardo, a historian, who served Atiku as an aide when he was vice president. They have quite a few others, including Namadi Sambo, who pitched his tent with the Adamawa chieftain.

    Read Also: Oyo REDAN partners government to drive urbanisation

    LND is the sort of name Atiku would like because it irradiates his irridentist mantra. We cannot forget his bluster in the last election campaigns when he posed as the northern star and asked Arewa to vote its own in a language of vile hegemony. As proprietary northerner, he said the other candidates should not be considered because they are southerners. LND also has some renegades who are bitter that they have been left out of the APC fruit bowl, like one Emmanuel Jime, a failed gubernatorial candidate who was removed as head of the Shippers Council after half a dozen years in the saddle.

    You don’t turn bitterness into a cause. That is becoming a fashion. LND and Atiku are trying to deploy ethnic hubris to pursue personal ambition. Pity.

  • Tinubu celebrates Atiku Abubakar at 78

    Tinubu celebrates Atiku Abubakar at 78

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended warm felicitations to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on his 78th birthday, acknowledging his contributions to Nigeria’s democratic process and public service.

    In a statement issued by his special adviser on media and communications, Sunday Dare, President Tinubu highlighted Atiku’s active role in shaping Nigeria’s democracy since the return to civilian governance in 1999.

    The president also reflected on their shared experiences as founding members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where they worked toward a common vision of a better future for the nation, as well as their spirited rivalry during the 2023 presidential election.

    President Tinubu commended Atiku’s enduring dedication to public service and his philanthropic efforts, which have positively impacted the lives of many Nigerians.

    The President prayed for Almighty Allah to grant the former Vice President continued good health and happiness in the years ahead, underscoring the importance of mutual respect and goodwill among Nigeria’s leaders in fostering national unity.

    “President Bola Tinubu extends his best wishes to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the occasion of his 78th birthday.

    Read Also: Tinubu embarks on state visit to France to strengthen ties

    “The former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election has been an active player in Nigeria’s democratic process since the return to civilian rule in 1999.

    “The President recalls many special moments shared with Wazirin Adamawa as founding members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), united in the mission to build a better future for Nigerians, as well as their engagement as political opponents in the last presidential election.

    “President Tinubu recognises Atiku’s commitment to public service and philanthropy, and prays Almighty Allah to continue to grant him health and happiness in the years ahead”, the statement said.

  • Atiku’s economic analysis out of tune with realities, says Presidency

    Atiku’s economic analysis out of tune with realities, says Presidency

    • Ex-VP knocked for peddling ‘illusions and fantasies’

    The Presidency yesterday fired back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his unsavoury critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies and administration.

    It said the former Vice President was out of touch with current realities in the country and was only engaging in “grand illusions and fantasies”.

    Last week in a lengthy statement he titled: “What we would have done differently,” Atiku did a scathing critique of President Tinubu’s programmes and policies targeted at revamping the economy, claiming that they were not well thought out.

    But in a statement yesterday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency noted that the former Vice President had “shown more interest in undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu than in addressing his party’s implosion”.

    It accused him of envying President Tinubu.

    The Presidency underscored the Tinubu administration’s defence of its reform agenda, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies, which it said has helped avert a looming fiscal crisis.

    Read Also: ‘Lakurawa’

    “In 2024 alone, the removal of the fuel subsidy is projected to save Nigeria N5.4 trillion. These funds, which would otherwise have been wasted, are being channeled into critical infrastructure development and social intervention programmes that will benefit all tiers of government and improve the lives of Nigerians,” it said.

    Atiku, who lost the 2023 presidential election to Tinubu, suggested that he would have taken a more consultative approach to tackle Nigeria’s economic challenges.

    But the Presidency dismissed his proposals as unrealistic and out of touch, saying the former Vice President “failed to reckon with the decades of mismanagement” the Tinubu administration inherited from previous governments.

    “It is perplexing that he would elevate his untested, hypothetical proposals, which Nigerians soundly rejected during the 2023 presidential election, and seek to present them as superior to the multi-faceted reform programmes implemented by the Tinubu administration.

    “If his plan lacked popular appeal then, he must acknowledge that repackaging it now will not resolve the social and economic challenges his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bequeathed after 16 years in power,” the statement said.

    The Presidency explained that the subsidy removal, widely regarded as a politically risky move, had laid the groundwork for a more sustainable fiscal environment.

    It said: “As of mid-2023, the landing cost of fuel was between N500 and N600, while it was sold nationwide at an average of N200. The 2023 budget allocated N3.36 trillion for fuel subsidies until June, against a projected N2.23 trillion in oil revenue for the year. The Nigerian state was on life support.”

    The Presidency faulted Atiku for his “hypothetical and fabled presidency” and criticised his proposed “consultation period” for lacking a sense of urgency the situation required.

    “What reforms would Atiku propose at the onset of his hypothetical presidency? While he suggests a consultation period upon assuming office, the reality is that the Nigerian economy requires immediate and decisive action. A leader must be prepared to tackle challenges from Day One, as President Tinubu has done, the statement said.”

    The Presidency listed several areas where the Tinubu administration has made significant progress, including improvements in revenue generation and social welfare programmes.

    It credited the current administration’s reform policies with nearly doubling revenue from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in the first half of this year, compared to what obtained in 2023, and highlighted wage increases in several states as evidence of the administration’s impact on the economy.

    “We expect Atiku to commend what the Tinubu administration has done concerning revenue generation for the federation.

    “Without factoring in oil sales, revenue proceeds generated by the Federal Inland Revenue Service almost doubled in the first half of 2024, compared with the level Tinubu met in 2023. The states and councils are more prosperous because of it, as many states have increased the minimum wage for their workers to between N70,000 and N85,000,” the statement said.

    Besides, the Presidency dismissed Atiku’s suggestion that the nation’s four government-owned refineries be privatised, calling it “unoriginal” and inadequate to meet the country’s fuel needs.

    The statement contrasted Atiku’s approach to President Tinubu’s plan, which focuses on revitalising the nation’s refining capacity through private sector management while retaining government ownership.

    “The model of farming the completely rehabilitated refineries to private sector managers at an agreed-upon rate of return to the government is more practical and value-laden than selling our national patrimony to private interests that are not technically capable of operating the refineries,” the statement stressed.

    The Presidency dissected Atiku’s record as Vice President, particularly his role in the privatisation of public assets, alleging that assets sold under his supervision have been stripped and turned into “dead assets”.

    In contrast, it said, the Tinubu administration remained focused on retaining and developing assets for long-term growth.

    “Today, most public enterprises Atiku sold have been stripped and become dead assets,” the statement said, adding that President Tinubu’s model was intended to stabilise domestic production and retail prices while reducing foreign exchange challenges.

    This approach, the statement argued, “will guarantee domestic production and stabilise retail prices by reducing foreign exchange challenges. It includes selling crude oil to the refineries in naira, enabling potential cost reductions that could reflect in retail prices”.

    The Presidency also criticised Atiku’s proposals around foreign exchange management, labeling his preference for a “managed float” exchange rate as outdated and problematic.

    “Atiku’s managed float proposal, another gradualist approach, is still the same as the old fixed exchange rate system, which stagnated the national economy by subsidising forex up to $1.5 billion monthly to a privileged few.

    “Atiku should remember that a managed float is also known as a dirty float because of its inherent flaws. The system combines elements of fixed and floating exchange rates with access not guaranteed to all,” it said.

    According to the Presidency, Atiku’s allegations of corruption within the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were unfounded.

    It argued that the subsidy had historically been a significant enabler of corruption.

    The President also faulted Atiku’s allegations of corruption against the Tinubu administration.

    It said: “During his eight-year tenure as Vice President, Atiku and his boss had an opportunity to address this issue but failed to make any significant reforms in the oil sector,” it said, adding: “Is it not ironic that an Atiku, who was entangled in corruption allegations, including one in which his wife was indicted and his business associate, former U.S Congressman William Jefferson, was jailed for 13 years, is now talking about corruption matters?”

    The Presidency urged Atiku to abandon what it called “the petty, derisive politics of a sore loser” and focus on a constructive approach to tackling Nigeria’s challenges.

    “President Tinubu remains focused on leading Nigeria toward a prosperous future and addressing our nation’s real challenges. Atiku Abubakar should abandon his politics of distraction and fantasies and focus on constructive discourse,” the statement added.

  • Nigeria has moved beyond you, group slams Atiku

    Nigeria has moved beyond you, group slams Atiku

    The Proactive Coalition of Nigerians (PROCON) has condemned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s persistent interference in  democratic process. 

    According to PROCON, Atiku’s recent policy advice to President Bola Tinubu is a desperate attempt to revive his failed campaign.

    In a statement by its national president David Onuh, PROCON criticised Atiku’s outdated ideas, advocating for subsidy removal without addressing structural issues, and prioritizing profits over people. 

    He said Nigerians rejected Atiku’s leadership style in the 2023 elections, recognising its incompatibility with national progress.

    The coalition praised President Tinubu’s vision for social advancement, inclusivity, regional unity, and economic diversification. 

    PROCON urged Atiku to respect the democratic process and allow the current government to implement its vision.

    “The choice of Asiwaju over Atiku was a collective effort by Nigeria populace which is evident to the fact that Atiku’s brand of leadership was not only unfit for Nigeria’s present challenges, but it also carried many risks of selfish interests over the  national good,” the statement said.  

    “Atiku who had previously held the second-highest office in this country, had his tenure so much left to be desired. It was one that spiraled from many controversies over policy decisions, and to questionable alliances, making his legacy looking contentious. 

    “This his blatant attempts to reassert himself into the national dialogue with claims that the government should adopt his manifesto exposes a disconnect between his selfish priorities and the needs of the citizens. 

    Read Also: 2024 US elections: Reasons Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris

    “We are sorry to tell him that, Nigerians moved past his vision for a reason, and his latest appeals will not resonate with a public that has already weighed his leadership style and found it lacking, let alone to be considered.

    “Nigeria is obviously better off without Atiku if one of its most seasoned elders and past presidents ever declined to support him at any point in time.

    “Atiku’s drive for privatization is a risky venture which is believed to prioritize profits over people. Being known for who he his, it is evident that Our natural resources would be privatized to Atiku’ himself through proxy means, and others would be in the hands of his allies, in a deceitful presentation as a route to efficiency and Advancement which would end in no fruition. 

    “We all know that a sale of national resources frequently concentrates them in the hands of a few number of people, which disadvantages affect regular Nigerians. Atiku stance on selling Nigeria’s refineries and other infrastructures would have obviously converted public resources into private assets, leaving the populace at the expense of a full private manipulation. 

    “With this knowledge that his manifesto and track record are heavily focused on privatization, notably of Nigeria’s refineries and other national assets, the majority swiftly rejected his Presidential aspiration in 2023. With this decision, Nigerian unanimously avoided creating a nation that would surely become more divided and resentful.

    “Having a leader with so much obsession with oil as the foundation of Nigeria economy is a catastrophic flaw in any strategy. In an era where every economies are already diversifying and shifting to sustainable industries, technology, and renewable energy, Atiku’s focus is one which betrays a lack of understanding on the full potential Nigeria’s economy has. 

    “No one is moved by the manipulative political tactics by Atiku Abubakar any longer. Nigerians already made it clear at the polling units that they don’t agree with his views and ideals, and wouldn’t want him on the presidential seat. 

    “Firmly based on an antiquated form government, it is obvious that his strategy is incompatible with the goals of a country aiming for economic innovation, equity, national relevance, and growth. Nigerians no longer desire leaders who still uphold outdated ideas of power in the present changed political trajectory. Atiku’s action embodies an era where political elites profiting was prioritized over  the growth and advancement of National populace.

    “The Proactive Coalition of Nigerians is convinced that there are valid worries that Nigeria might have returned to a course of nepotism and cronyism if Atiku had been elected by Nigerians. With the climate of suspicion surrounding Atiku’s political ambitions because of his troubled past and dubious ties, he is to be distrusted rather than trusted, and therefore needs to be ignored by Nigerians and the Presidency.

    “Understanding these dangers of having a choice of Atiku, Nigerians already made the prudent decision to back Tinubu’s presidency in order to prevent them. It would have been brutal and detrimental to Nigeria to have a president whose goals are not in line with those of the people, but it’s a blessing that Tinubu is far more suited to lead the country than Atiku because he possesses the vision, accountability, and sincere dedication in leading the country right despite the inherited problems and challenges being faced.

    “Now under Asiwaju leadership, things have changed from how it used to be. The president has demonstrated an awareness of the necessity in making investments related to Nigeria’s future, one which is in contrast to Atiku’s thought and actions. 

    “President Tinubu has reflected a vision which encompassed  social advancement, inclusivity, regional unity, and economic diversification. In a wise comparison, while Tinubu’s ideas stand to benefit the present and future generations, Atiku’s proposals are focused on short-term advantages that frequently benefit a small number of elites, and not even sustainable for the present generation.

    “It is important to note that, the 2023 decision Nigerians made was motivated by their desire for a leader who is honest, accept responsibility for his actions, and is dedicated to the development of the country. Atiku Abubakar must understand that Nigerians have already moved on from his rejected outmoded ideologies and self-serving ambition. 

    “Hence, demanding  that the government embrace his platform is very disrespectful of the people’s choice, and he needs to sit down in Dubai quietly till his next routine of Presidential campaign. We are focused on the future, not the past, and Atiku’s political style is just obsolete.

    “The days of profit-driven governance and self-serving agendas are finished. Nigerians demand leaders who are willing to strive for the common good, who prioritize the country’s interests before their own, and who welcome economic diversity. In these difficult times, Nigeria needs this dedication to a resilient and egalitarian economy.”

  • What I would have done as President, by Atiku

    What I would have done as President, by Atiku

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has posted what he called a list of achievements he would had recorded if he had won the 2023 poll.
    In a lengthy statement titled: ‘What we would have done differently’, Atiku who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, said: “I’ve been inundated with inquiries of what I would have done differently if I were at the helm of affairs of our country… I hope Tinubu and members of his administration are humble enough to borrow one or two things from our ideas in the interest of the Nigerian people; I would now go ahead and articulate some of our ideas that would have had the potential to transform our beloved country.

    “We would have planned better and more robustly and my journey of reforms would have benefited from more adequate preparations; more sufficient diagnostic assessment of the country’s conditions; more consultations with key stakeholders; and better ideas for the final destination.

    “We would have been guided by my robust reform agenda as encapsulated in ‘My Covenant With Nigerians’, my policy document that sought to, among others, protect our fragile economy against much deeper crisis by preventing business collapse; our document had spelt out policies that were consistent and coherent.

    Read Also: FG distributes relief materials to Niger Delta flood victims

    “We would have sequenced my reforms to achieve fiscal and monetary congruence,” he stated, adding that his reforms would have offered better results and pragmatism for a people-focused programme.

    “I (and members of my team) would not have lived in luxury while the citizens wallow in misery; we would have communicated more effectively with the people, with civility, tact, and diplomacy,” he added, stressing that his administration’s consultations with stakeholders would be offering greater opportunities for learning, negotiation, adaptation and modification of policy goals.

    He said his administration would have launched an Economic Stimulus Fund (ESF), with an initial investment capacity of approximately US$10 billion to support MSMEs across all economic sectors, adding that his approach would have been people-centric, with the restructuring of key sectors.
    He added that his specific governance strategies would have prioritised accountability by ensuring thorough reviews of public sector spending and practices while a commitment to transparency in managing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) would have facilitated a situation where only viable enterprises would continue to receive fiscal support.

    He added he would have initiated a series of financial and operational audits aimed at reducing wastage and maximizing efficiency in government operations and procurement processes would undergo significant reform to minimize corruption, and a dedicated team would be tasked with monitoring and enhancing public financial management practices.
    Acknowledging the contentious nature of subsidy removal, Abubakar expressed his conviction that it should be managed in a phased manner to cushion its impact on the most vulnerable and that under his leadership, Nigeria would have embarked on a “gradualist” subsidy removal process, in contrast to sudden eliminations that risk destabilizing the economy and citizens’ well-being.

    He also spoke about what he would have implemented as foreign exchange reforms.

    “Specifically, there was a commitment to eliminate multiple exchange rate windows; the system only served to enrich opportunists, rent-seekers, middlemen, arbitrageurs, and fraudsters.

    “What would I have done? A fixed exchange rate system was out of the question because it would not be in line with our philosophy of running an open, private sector friendly economy; on the other hand, given Nigeria’s underlying economic conditions, adopting a floating exchange rate system would be an overkill.

    “We would have encouraged our Central Bank to adopt a gradualist approach to FX management; a managed-floating system would have been a preferred option,” he stated.

  • Scooping of petrol from fallen tankers suicidal – Atiku

    Scooping of petrol from fallen tankers suicidal – Atiku

    Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerians to avoid scooping petrol from fallen tankers because it poses suicidal risks.

    The former presidential candidate made this call while reacting to the news of a viral video which showed dozens of Cross Rivers residents scooping fuel from a fallen tanker in Akamkpa Local government area.

    In a viral video on Thursday, residents of Akamkpa LGA in Cross River were seen scooping petrol from a fallen tanker.

    Some of them carried buckets while others were with kegs, taking petrol from the tanker.

    Over 180 residents were killed and several others seriously injured in Jigawa on October 16 after a tanker laden with petrol exploded at Majiya town, along the Kano-Hadejia expressway, in Taura LGA of the state.

    Read Also: 181 died in Jigawa tanker explosion, says governor

    Many of the victims were said to be scooping petrol after the tanker tipped off the road.

    Reacting, Atiku wrote: “I know that the times are tough for Nigerians. However, your lives are the most precious things that should never be mortgaged. 

    “This is why it is pertinent that the concerned government MDAs should commence a robust campaign to educate citizens on the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen petroleum tankers.

    “Your lives matter to you and your loved ones. Scooping petrol, a highly flammable liquid from a fallen tanker, is a suicide that no one should undertake.

    “We’ve experienced too many tragedies from incidents such as the latest one in Cross River State, and everything must be done to avert another. -AA”

  • Atiku Abubakar, Panama Papers and Lagos-Calabar superhighway

    Atiku Abubakar, Panama Papers and Lagos-Calabar superhighway

    By Niyi Akinsiju Cifian

    In a criminal court in Panama, the trial of the first batch of 27 individuals accused of money laundering related to the global “Panama Papers” revelations began on Monday, the 8th of April, 2024.

    The owners of the Mossack-Fonseca legal business, which was central to the major document leak in 2016, are among those on trial.

    A compilation of 11 million confidential financial records from the Panama Papers shows how some of the wealthiest people on the planet conceal their wealth.

    The revelations had far-reaching effects, leading to the resignation of Iceland’s prime minister and heightened international scrutiny of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese legislators, and the governments of Argentina and Ukraine.

     At number 68 on the list of exposed former top government officials in the Panama Papers is Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria. Mossack Fonseca is accused by US federal prosecutors of plotting to break US laws to protect its clients’ riches and hide taxes that should have been paid to the IRS.

    They claimed that the plan, which began around 2000, featured shell corporations and fictitious foundations in the British Virgin Islands, Panama, and Hong Kong.

    Interestingly, while investigations are reportedly ongoing on the next batch of individuals listed in the Panama Papers which may include the Waziri Adamawa, the two-time presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is waging his own war of attrition, demanding transparency in the procurement process of the economically strategic Lagos-Calabar coastal road.

     We have observed the back and forth between Waziri Abubakar and the Federal Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, in this curious public activism initiated by the former Vice-President.

    Our concern, however, is the deliberate obfuscation that is unfortunately being clothed as grounds to traduce the economic and social basis of the commencement of the coastal road. 

    We consider this an unhealthy, diversionary, and deliberate manoeuvre to discredit the whole essence of the Lagos-Calabar coastal project. 

    Read Also; Tinubu’s economic reforms yielding results, says Alake

    Without a doubt, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, as it is also called, is a grand project. It is designed to connect nine states and regions at both the national and international levels, serving as a vital link between South West, South East, South-South, and other regions of the country. It will also integrate with existing federal roads, promoting economic and social development across the country in addition to the integration at the national level for Southwest, Southeast, and South-South, including the Niger Delta region.

    It will connect with Federal Roads going from Badagry in Lagos to Sokoto. From Warri to Kaduna, from Port Harcourt to Kano/Maiduguri, and from Calabar to Maiduguri. Starting at Victoria Island near Eko Atlantic City, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will pass through the Lekki Coastal Road, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and the Dangote Refinery, connecting Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, and reaching Calabar.

    The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is a 700km highway that would be constructed in phases, with the completed sections being opened for use and toll collection. The project, described as ambitious, will connect the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Fourth Mainland Bridge, Lekki Deep Sea Port Road, and various points in Northern Nigeria through the Ogoja-Ikom axis.

    It is expected to stimulate tourism and include industrial clusters, such as hotels, factories, housing estates, and other amenities, including rail lines running in the middle of the main carriageways.

     According to Umahi, the road is to be built with 11 inch thick concrete and  20-millimetre reinforcement. The innovative use of concrete and steel reinforcement will improve local cement manufacturing and boost steel production from Ajaokuta. It will also take advantage of Nigeria’s abundant bitumen resources.  It is acknowledged that a combination of construction methods, including pile-supported decks, sand filling, and retaining walls, will be employed to overcome the challenges of such project since it will cut through mangroves, mashy land, flood plains, and various soil types.

    Indeed, we agree with analysts and pundits who had submitted that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a groundbreaking project and ranked as the first of its kind in Africa.

    However, Waziri Abubakar holds a huge grudge against this project in spite of immense benefits of the project. He has continued to express his grouses, taking advantage of the mass media through press statements.

    We have reviewed each of these statements and the various responses to them by the Minister of Works. Coming from this, we note that the statements are manifestations of errors of judgment, deliberate misrepresentation and a lack of contextual understanding of due processes. We clearly discern obvious confusion with issues pertaining to the eras of former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari on the Coastal Rail, which was misrepresented as those of the Coastal Highway. There obviously has been a clear indication of not paying attention to details of the project as presently conceived.

    Be that as it may, because we subscribe to the totality of the social and economic essence of the Coastal Road and Rail projects, and desire to interrogate any form of obscuration by any of the parties involved in the public spat as it had turned out, with intent at resolving the contentious issues being bandied about, we decided to review real issues and sentiments around the project that is being controverted by Waziri Abubakar.

    Starting with the statements issued in the name of Waziri Abubakar Atiku, we distilled his expressed resentments into three broad spectra. First is that the award of the contract for the construction of the Coastal Road did not go through the required public procurement processes as outlined in the Public Procurement Act 2007 and, his insistence to the effect that the essence of a competitive bidding will ensure that Nigerians can get the best value for money.

    According to the Waziri: “It is so that you can compare prices and pick the company that can afford …the project.” The Waziri has a point here. But apparently, because of a lack of attention to details, he overlooked the implication of the preamble to Part IV of the Act in Section 16 (1) which asserts that: “Subject to any exemption allowed by this Act, all public procurement shall be conducted by open competitive bidding; in a manner which is transparent, timely, equitable for ensuring accountability and conformity with the Act and regulation deriving there from.” Waziri Abubakar decidedly ignored the implication of Section 16 (1) and determinedly made Section 16 (c) and (d) the substance of his argument to score his point. Undeniably, the Act provides for two broad exemptions, one as stated in Section 40 (1a) which notes that: “Subject to the approval by the Bureau, a procuring entity may for reasons of economy and efficiency engage in procurement by means of restricted tendering if: The goods, works or services are available only from a limited number of suppliers or contractors.     

    The Federal Ministry of Work, which is the procuring entity, depended on this sub section to award the contract to Hitech Construction Company, Nigeria. His attention must have been eventually directed to Section 40 (2a),  which states that: “Where a procurement entity engages in restricted tendering on the basis that the goods, works and services are available only from a limited number of suppliers of contractors, it shall invite tender from all the suppliers and contractors who can provide the goods, works, or service. If there was only one capable contractor to deliver on the work.”

    In averting his mind to it in a subsequent press release he issued in response to the Minister of Works reference to the section, he would, rather, the bid was opened to companies outside the country as he insists that: “It is wrong for him (Minister of Works) to have concluded that only Hitech could handle this project when such a project has been done by other reputable firms in the United States, China and South Africa.” To this extent, Waziri Abubakar did not also reckon with Section 34 (1) of the same Act which concludes that: “A procuring entity may grant a margin of preference in the evaluation of tender, when comparing tenders from domestic bidders with those from foreign bidders or when comparing tenders from domestic suppliers offering goods manufactured locally with those offering goods manufactured abroad.”

    This should be taken together with Section 34 (2) which asserts that: “Where a procuring entity intends to allow domestic preferences, the biding documents shall clearly indicate any preference to be granted to domestic suppliers and contractors and the information required to establish the eligibility of a bid for such preference.” The implication of this subsection, speaks, ab-initio, to the Federal Government’s preference for awarding contracts to qualified domestic companies.

    Though Waziri Abubakar had raged in his press statements that the only reason Hitech got the job was because of its owner, Gilbert Chagoury’s relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this, in our consideration, is rather pedestrian. Our checks show that Chagoury, who is a Nigerian by birth, has friends in very high places including Waziri Abubakar himself who was one of his guests on 7th of July, 2007, when he had a wedding organized in Monaco.

    The Chagoury wedding attracted former military Heads of State, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abubakar Abdulsalami, head of the interim government, and late Chief Ernest Shonekan

    Also in attendance were the then former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar  himself, who reportedly flew in from Dubai. Former Governor of Delta State James Ibori was also in attendance.

    With this array of friends, if the rule is not to award Federal Government contracts to an individual because of his link to people of influence, it will translate to Chagoury going hungry because of the nature of his coterie of friends.

    We do not think the Public Procurement Act harbours such intention.

    To establish Hitech’s fit into the capabilities to deliver on the coastal road contract, we made both discreet and open enquiries on the company’s credentials and contracts portfolio and records. We can assert, based on evidence garnered, that Hitech may pass as the only Nigerian company able to construct the coastal road as conceived. The only other company that may claim near capacity is the construction behemoth, Julius Berger Plc. But over the years, Hitech has shown a specialization in shoreline and coastal roads construction than Julius Berger. A typical reference in this regard was the Bar Beach shoreline contract awarded to the two companies at different times and how they performed therein.

    In June 2003, approval was given by President Olusegun Obasanjo for a permanent solution to the menace of the Atlantic Ocean, which threatened at that time to engulf major parts of Victoria Island, Lagos. Funds were released to Julius Berger and other contractors to put in place a permanent structure to stop the sea’s advance, which had  ebbed major portions of the Ahmadu Bello Way. Three years later, by April 2006, the evaluation of the work done by Julius Berger showed that nothing had changed at Bar Beach. Analysts, at that time, submitted that: “Unless the ongoing restoration of the shore line of the depleted Bar Beach in Victoria Island, Lagos is quickly completed, the likelihood of stopping what may be another Tsunami disaster, akin to the one that occurred in Asia in a not too long ago, is very slim.”

    In addition, the analysts averred that already, the ocean had claimed one lane of the ever busy Ahmadu Bello Way, forcing motorists from both sides to make do with the single lane, which was also not spared of threats by the ocean.

    In 2009, the contract for the Bar Beach beach line management was awarded to Hitech Construction Company. Construction experts have since submitted that handing over the project to Hitech became a strategic move for Nigeria because not only did the company stopped the flooding along the axis, it also reclaimed a lot of land and has turned the area into another Dubai in the name of our own, Atlantic City. Besides, Hitech has a strong presence in countries of the West African region. In Togo, the company is responsible for the rehabilitation of the National Route NR 14 – from Sokodé to the Benin border, that country’s 85 kilometres coastal road. In Benin Republic, Hitech is constructing the 12.5 kilometres Cotonou Fisheries Road Development Project, another coastal road.

    As to the accusation concerning how the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is shrouded in secrecy, our independent investigation shows that before the contract was eventually awarded to Hitech by the Federal Ministry of Works, officials of the company met with the Ministry’s management team at various times. One of such meetings was held on 25th September, 2023, when Hitech engineers met with the Minister of Works and engineers in the Ministry to review designs. At another meeting in October 2023, the construction agreement was ratified.

    The second issue  that Waziri Abubakar had raged about, has to do with the cost of the project. The former Vice President, had variously controverted possible cost of constructing what the Minister of Works had insisted is a 10-lane express road which would start from Victoria Island near Eko Atlantic City and go through Lekki Coastal Road, Lekki Free Trade Zone, Dangote Refinery, and then link Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo states up to Calabar,Cross Rivers state.

    According to Umahi, the highway will be delivered at a cost of N4.329 billion per kilometre of standard gauge reinforced concrete across 10 lanes, with a lifespan of between 50 – 100 years. In response to the cost as announced by Umahi, Waziri Abubakar declared that the tentative total cost of N14trillion was the equivalent of the total budget of all the 36 states which is about N15.91 trillion and that it was outrageous.

    Waziri Abubakar, despite his apparent show of outrage over the cost as announced by Umahi, is yet to offer a possible real cost of the project which he has sensationally described as “highway to fraud and waste.” But is the costing truly a reflection of fraud? Our international comparative analysis of average road construction cost per kilometre shows otherwise.

    We are of the opinion that Waziri Abubakar merely desires to scapegoat the project and eventually discredit the positive public image accruable to President Tinubu from the implementation of the project.

    We note that there is no unified standard pricing template for the cost of building a kilometre of road anywhere in the world. The realities of road building have much to do with a number of variables: location, terrain, type of construction, number of lanes, lane width, surface durability, and the number of bridges, to name a few. Yet, for the purpose of engagement, we reviewed some cost estimates in some other countries to establish the context of fraud or otherwise that Waziri Abubakar is trying to throw up. To build a 2-lane road of 12 metres wide of each lane with no bridges in states of North Eastern United States of America is $3.34m per km (when converted to Naira using the N1200/$ adopted by Umahi, it comes to N4.08bn per km) while same 2-lane road in South Eastern USA with no bridges is $3.78m per km (N4.53bn per km).  According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the average cost of building a concrete road in rural areas is around $2.5m per mile, while in urban areas it can cost upwards of $5m per mile.

    In California, the estimated cost of building a concrete road ranges from $3m to $6m per mile, depending on location and other factors.

    In Australia, average road project costs were around $5.1m (N6.12bn) per lane kilometre in 2017. But in Bangladesh, according to the World Bank, the estimated cost of construction is $6.6m (N7.92bn) per kilometre for the Rangpur-Hatikumrul highway, $7m (N8.4bn) per kilometre for Dhaka-Sylhet highway, $11.9m (N14.28 bn) per kilometre for Dhaka-Mawa highway. This underscores cost differentials in road construction because of peculiarities in terrains.

    These figures are far higher than the N4.329bn per kilometre of 10 lanes of Coastal Road with very peculiar terrains that Umahi says Hitech has commenced construction of.

    For clarity, a technical analysis of the features of the road will suffice: The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is designed to have 10 lanes with a total pavement of 59.2 metres with 100 metres corridor. Of this corridor, there will be five lanes on the right and five lanes on the left. This comes with a 25-metre train track. It is also commendable that the Works Minister prudently reduced the cost of the legacy design of the four-lane Lagos-Calabar highway of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from N8.52bn/km to N4.329bn/km.

    On appropriation, we note that the former Vice President referenced the N500m captured in the name of the project in the 2024 budget but finds fault with the approval of N1.06 trn by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the take-off of the project. Again, we believe that Waziri Abubakar deliberately chose to ignore the convention of anticipatory approval by which FEC can increase funds allocated to a budgetary item for exigency purpose with intent at submitting same to the legislative arm for consideration and approval.

    Our general submission is that Waziri Abubakar’s vaunted interrogation of the award process of the Coastal Road to Hitech Construction Company lacks substance and rational logic. It smacks of public exhibitionism to showcase his personal alternative reality.

    We commend President Tinubu and his Works Minister for their prudence in reducing the cost outlay for the construction of the Coastal Road.  We are also impressed with the speed and pace of construction since the Federal Government awarded the contract to Hitech Construction Company Limited, which has so far completed 1.3 kilometres of the required filling.

    • Cifian is chairman, Independent Media and Policy Initiative

  • Mister SPV

    Mister SPV

    Atiku Abubakar is sitting in his Dubai home and throwing tantrums across the desert. He was so glib about a contract he did not understand. He was so moral from a soul tainted with hypocrisy. He lacked geography integrity so much so that he accused a region of something his part of the country was benefiting from.

    He made himself a business and could not distinguish a business decision because he articulated it through the blinkers of bias.

    All of this was explained by works minister Dave Umahi, who put on the caps of an  engineer, accountant, bureaucrat and politician as he made the media rounds to make mincemeat of Atiku’s tirades against the Lagos-Calabar project.

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    Atiku should upbraid his media aides and sundry advisers from embarrassing him in public. But out of a desperation to wear the baroque dress of opposition leader, he shoots from the hip and, consequently, shoots himself in the foot. He speaks like an overexcited kid who wants to get a candy. So, since Minister Umahi has laid the issue of bids to bed, who is Atiku to play priest in contract awards?  He who cannot explain how he sold one of Nigeria’s jewels, Delta Steel Complex for $30 million when it was worth $1.5 billion. Who did he sell it to? He planned to sell our refineries. He is the same fellow who still has a case to answer in the U.S. over his dealings with congressman Jefferson. He will have the moral reason to speak on such matters if he can explain why his wife went to jail and he, the business man, was sipping orange juice in his Abuja mansion.

    He failed in his mathematical calculation of the contract because he did not know that this is a different contract. Is it not the same Atiku who introduced SPV(Special Purpose Vehicle) into Nigerian political speak? The man who justified the back-door approach to public money?

    This Atiku man continues to have nightmares of the president, and I wonder if he ever sleeps a wink in his hysteria to flay the man in Aso Rock. On the figures, he stumbled. Again, he wants the project to start in Calabar because it is starting in Lagos. If it was starting in Calabar, he would have accused the president of trying to forage the region for their ports contract and extend his business reach to Calabar. He would have suggested to begin its work in Lagos and Lekki region which is the fastest growing and richest business district in all of West Africa. What is wrong with the Adamawa chieftain these days?

    I advise him to consult better before consorting with ignorance.

  • Prodigal father

    Prodigal father

    Atiku Abubakar’s plea to foment an opposition is like an old man who just woke up to realise he had children. A macho model who should have known he was a model macho. He is also like the fisherman in Jesus’ miracle who spent all day on the wrong end of the river. Although at the end, the fellow had a mammoth harvest, Atiku is the pathetic character in Hemmingway’s novel The Old Man and Sea whose tumbles on high waves only brought home a fish skeleton.

    The Adamawa chieftain is trying to rally the brood home to roost after the doom. Atiku’s chronicle in 2023 is the big, fat prodigal in Nigeria’s electoral history. He saw a blessing but embraced a curse. To borrow from Achebe’s A Man of The People, a sweet morsel was thrust in his mouth but he spat it out.

    Why did he not do this in 2022? His PDP did not need a coalition. It was a proteus, a behemoth as big as the APC. It had only to pluck victory like a plum.

    Labour Party was not in the equation until Peter Obi, or Pitobi as some call him out of worship or scorn. This man was his deputy not long ago, and his party had a big haul of the southeast and south-south. If it was Kano, the man Kwankwanso was with him until he was against him. Ganduje was a part of a tripod, while the other two parts were within PDP’s grasp. He let it go by clutching Ibrahim Shekarau’s apron strings. Within PDP’s rump, another trio of Wike, Ortom and Makinde formed another splinter with two southeast governors in their shadow. Rather than make peace, Atiku sacrificed them on Ayu’s altar.

    Now, he wants them all back. If they come, will they be legitimate children? We know of the story of the prodigal son, but who was prodigal here? Was it not Atiku, who overturned a bible story? Is he not the prodigal who laid waste a boon?

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    The story of illegitimate sons also has a northern part. His name is Bayajidda, the eponymous ancestor of the Hausa. His seed gave the north Hausa Bakwai and Banza Bakwai, that is legitimate and illegitimate sons. Even if Bayajidda returns today, will he recognise the cities of his seed, including Kano, Daura and Katsina? Uthman Dan Fodio transformed the cities after his own faith. They worship a different God, wed differently, profit differently and diet on new meals. When Jesus was on earth, he asked, when the son of man cometh, shall he find faith among men? If the parts return, shall they find faith in Atiku?

    Is it the case of the prodigal son or prodigal father? Indeed, Wike called him prodigal father during the campaigns. But he never anticipated father Atiku would be begging his sons for pardon after he ran riot with all his blessings. He is under the spell of half of Bayajidda’s ghost. The man had seven legitimate and seven illegitimate sons. All Atiku sons are now illegitimate. Or is it Atiku that is illegitimate for being a prodigal father?

    Atiku is too proud to beg. With his billionaire carriage, a patrician air and ramrod stare, he would make his call for a reinvigorated opposition look like a novel and inspired idea. He will not descend to the other parties. He will condescend. That’s what patricians do. But they would all know he is a mendicant at the table, a Lazarus with an ulcerous sore waiting to join the dinner with his disaffected sons. Obi thinks himself a movement. Kwankwaso feels too hurt to bow even as the Supreme Court looms with a verdict. Wike is a lost cause for him.

    Atiku may deceive himself as a magnanimous man. Aristotle uses that phrase for morally lofty personages. The Greek philosopher means it in a noble sense, although his sense of magnanimous is akin to Plato who thinks such a being must be above the crowd. But Aristotle’s definition does not fit Atiku because Atiku lacks the cultivation and depth that the philosopher extols.

    As Babatunde Fashola (SAN) noted during the hustings, Atiku and his PDP miscalculated. Their math was of subtraction, when the foe was making additions. Even those loud whispers did not coo PDP’s ears. He had Okowa as deputy and believed he would draw the Igbo vote. He was so naïve about the politics of the Igbo in Delta State. They leaned on their Anambra son. Okowa was not Igbo enough. Or he was Igbo lite.

    He is like the father in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel, The Brothers Karamazov, who presides over a dysfunctional family. Here is how the author describes him. “A profligate and vicious father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, mocks everything noble and engages in unseemly buffoonery at every opportunity. When his sons were infants, he neglected them not out of malice but simply because he “forgot” them.” Sounds familiar!

    It must be his strategy to throw a bait. After certificate and drug fiascoes in Chicago and Supreme Court, his new song is one-party state. His followers are biting. They believe that we are heading there. Was he not part of the party that boasted they would govern for 60 years. They did not even make the next six. What did they mean by totalitarian? Do they know the definition of the word? It is the sort of liberty with precepts that George Orwell skewers in his Politics and the English Language. Today, we use fascism, Bonapartism, tyranny at will, just to demonise.

    How many states did APC get before the elections? How many do they have now? Is it because of Plateau? This essayist warned both on TVC and on this page of the danger awaiting the PDP because of the duels of generals. Both Jonah Jang and Jerry Useni split their party like army divisions and went to war while APC watched gloatingly. Now, the harvest comes and they are wailing dictatorship. In Kano, the claim that 165k votes were annulled is stunning on the surface. But an invalid vote is an invalid vote. If it is not signed, how can you validate it? If it is upheld as valid, an open-ended definition of valid votes will result.  It can get absurd like the Ondo State of the Agagu era when the pictures of Mike Tyson and even yours truly were counted as valid votes until they were exposed in court. Pray, where were the eyes of NNPP and PDP agents? Why did NNPP votes suffer this misadventure. I leave the issue of clerical error to the Supreme Court. Democracy is nothing without rules. That is what separates it from anarchy. Or mob rule.