The Nation Newspaper

Tag: concession

  • 22 concessionaires to begin waste collection

    inister of State for Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, has disclosed that 22 concessionaires have been certified to begin waste collection in area councils and satellite towns in the FCT.

    Akinjide, who made this known at a meeting with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress, FCT Council, said the administration has delineated the area councils and satellite towns into 22 lots for the purpose of daily waste collection from households in the six area councils.

    The move is aimed at ensuring a clean environment in these areas.

    The minister said: “The selection process for the licensees has been done in line with the National Procurement Act. The Administration has shortlisted 22 concessionaires and award letters have been issued for them to start as soon as possible.”

    She disclosed that the administration through the Satellite Towns Development Agency (STDA) would acquire heavy equipment and trucks as part of measures to ensure effect waste management in the area councils and satellite towns.

    “The STDA is already providing infrastructure in the area councils and also supporting the councils in the area of capacity building in line with Mr. President’s Transformation Agenda,” she added.

    She assured residents of the territory that more high capacity buses would be provided by the FCT Administration to enhance the transportation system.

    “The FCT Administration carried along stakeholders in the transport sector in the implementation of the new transport policy. More high capacity buses are to be provided to support existing ones,” she explained.

    The FCTA had on June 3 commenced the new transport policy in the territory which restricted mini-buses to the area councils and satellite towns. There are over 300 high capacity buses and 160 Abuja taxis currently operating

    Earlier in his address, the Chairman of TUC FCT Council, Comrade Aliyu Musa, had expressed the labour union’s support for the new transport policy, saying that it was for the overall interest of residents and visitors to the federal capital city.

    Musa praised the FCT Administration for being proactive in the management of the transport system in the nation’s capital.

    “We, however, will advise that the administration should provide more high capacity buses as well as enforce the use of designated bus-stops by commuters.

    “Buses should no longer be allowed to stop at irregular places. The new transport policy is necessary for the security of the residents,” the TUC chairman stated.

     

  • Govt to review Trade Fair Complex concession

    The concessioning of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex (LITFC) to Aulic Nigeria Limited, will be reviewed, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Invstment, Mr Samuel Ortom has said.

    In a statement in Abuja at a meeting with a committee raised to resolve the dispute among operators at the complex,Ortom said the review was recommended by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) at its meeting in January.

    Ortom is the Chairman of the committee set up by the NCP to implement its recommendations on the LITFC concession.

    Among the NCP’s 15-point recommendations was renegotiation of the contract between the Ministry of Trade and LITFC Management Board by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

    According to him, the NCP recommendations are based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by parties to the dispute.

    He said the MoU was brokered by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on activities of the BPE from 1999 to date.

    The NCP also recommended that the area of the complex occupied by the traders associations should be removed from the total area of the concession to the concessionaire.

    Ortom assured representatives of the aggrieved traders associations that they would be taken away from the concession contract.

    “We are also going to undertake a facility and financial audit and verification of your own portion of the complex to ascertain who the operators are and their status.

    “At the end, we will eventually find a Special Purpose Vehicle or concessionaire that will manage its own area of the complex.’’

    The minister pledged the commitment of the committee toward amicable resolution of the dispute to pave way for the development of the complex to international standard.

    Ortom urged the stakeholders to quickly correct the committee where they thought it was going wrong, saying that he had no personal interest in the dispute.

    It was reported recently that the concession won by Aulic Nigeria Ltd. in 2008, had been halted by protracted dispute between LITFC Forum of Stakeholders and BPE.

    The stakeholders had petitioned the National Assembly describing the concessioning as a breach of subsisting lease agreements between them and the management of the complex.

  • National Theatre: House subpoena minister over concession

    National Theatre: House subpoena minister over concession

    •House angry with Minister for shunning committee

    The House of Representatives Committee on Culture and Tourism has subpoenaed the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Mr. Edem Duke, over the alleged concession of the National Theatre land.

    The Minister has today to appear before the committee or risk sanctions.

    The summons was contained in a letter to the Minister by the House Committee against the backdrop of the controversy trailing the alleged plans to concede National Theatre to a hotel investor.

    The letter, signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman Abdul-Malik D. Usman, reads in part: “You would recall that, the Committee on the 5th of April, 2013 invited you for an interface scheduled for 18th April, 2013 but your Permanent Secretary requested for a shift in date via the letter dated 15th April, 2013”Your request was granted and in our letter dated 17th April, 2013 the meeting was rescheduled to 25th April, 2013.

    “To the surprise and embarrassment of the Committee, neither you nor any one from your office was present on the day and the documents requested of you concerning the Concessioning of the said Land were also not made available.”Pursuant to this, the Committee hereby resolved at its meeting of 25th April, 2013 in accordance to Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended to compel your attendance in order to ensure that the work of the Committee on behalf of the people of Nigeria is not hindered.

    ”You are hereby by this subpoena requested to appear before it on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 in Meeting Room 244 by 1.00pm to brief it on the Concessioning of the National Theatre Land, Lagos.”Again, you are to produce 40 copies of documents related to or in relation with the subject matter as requested in our letter dated 5th April, 2013.”Worried by the controversy over National Theatre, the House had earlier asked the Minister to stay further action on the matter.The theatre was inaugurated on September 30, 1976 by the then Military Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo.

    It was opened five months before the hosting of the 2nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77) in January/February 1977.

    A brief from Wikipedia on the National Arts Theatre reads: “Acknowledged as an architectural masterpiece and a cultural landmark, the complex covers an area of about 23,000 square meters and standing well over 31meters tall.

    “The multipurpose National Theatre was established for the preservation, presentation and promotion of arts and culture in Nigeria. Although, the idea for a National Theatre was initiated by the Gowon Administration, hosting the World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture in 1977 (FESTAC ’77) was the catalyst for the birth of the monument.

    The concrete arrangements for its establishment started in 1973 when the Federal Government appointed a 29-member.

    Theatre Consultative Committee to advise on the concept and organizational structure of a theatre.

    “The committee proposed the establishment of a National Theatre which should also be the home of a National Troupe.

    The design for the monument was taken from the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varma, Bulgaria. The contract for its construction was signed on April 24, 1973, with the Bulgarian construction company called Technoexportsroy, the main contractors for the building of the complex.”

     

  • NPA workers protest BPE’s planned concession of marine service

    Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) workers have risen against the planned concession of the firm marine services by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

    The Senior Staff Association (SSA) said the service was the only thing left for NPA after its concession in 2006.

    Speaking with The Nation in Lagos, the association’s President, Comrade Umar Omeiza Jimoh, said the BPE’s decision as contained in a letter addressed to NPA Managing Director on Janaury 18, would amount to re-concessioning of concessioned services under public-private partnership (PPP).

    NPA, he said, was healthy and carrying out the services beneficially for the nation, adding that there is no need for BPE to concession the service.

    He said: “The move of BPE to snatch marine/harbours ancillary services from NPA has no legal backing and the port activities enable NPA to involve PPP in all its service. BPE should remember that the terminals concesioned by BPE, NPA and other government agencies was done under the Port Act of 1999. Based on the above premise, we believe BPE is suffering from reactive declining syndrome.

    “NPA is healthy and we are on top of maritime business. BPE should flash its touch light on areas it has not performed well like NITEL, PHCN and others not NPA,” he said.

    Jimoh described BPE as an agent of some cabal in the government working to take over NPA and give it to their children.

    He said the concession, carried out, would lead to security threat, loss of government revenue, high cost of services, mass sack and denial of common user facilities in the ports.

    Jimoh urged the National Assembly to stop BPE from going ahead with the plan

    He said: “The country has witnessed enough insecurity in the recent past. With her marine and harbours in the hand of private operators, one can imagine the chaos this will trigger security-wise.Gideon Okar’s coup issue should be remembered.

    “Today, the government is earning revenue in its totality from services of marine/harbours and its ancillary services to the port users, if given to private hands, revenue coming to government will reduce tremendously while the cabals will be smiling to the bank and government will be strangulated. NPA has been effectively performing her responsibility in rendering money to Federal Government account as when required,” he said.