The Nation Newspaper

Tag: infrastructure

  • Brewery boosts school infrastructure

    A good of illustrious people have passed through it, one of them being the late Justice Daddy Onyeama, the first Nigerian to be appointed a judge at the World Court at the Hague. But its fame has not insulated it against the worm of decay.

    Central Primary School Eke, Udi Local Government of Enugu State was founded in 1910. It started with a class of six pupils. Among them was the grandfather of retired footballer, Nwankwo Kanu’s wife, the late Mazi Joseph Onyeador.

    The school was founded by Catholic missionaries with the approval of the legendary Chief Onyeama n’Eke. Onyeama, whose influence stretched all over Wawa land, being a strong and dreaded ruler, welcomed the idea of establishing the school as the white man convinced that Western education was good. That was why the school was established.

    It metamorphosed from a private missionary school managed by the Catholic Church to a public institution after the takeover by the government in 1970. Before its takeover, it had actually produced men of substance from Eke and environs. The takeover by the government, however, turned to be a curse as the infrastructures in the school started decaying. The buildings became decrepit while pupils studied under trees. The school and the community begged for assistance, but there was none coming.

    But mother luck recently smiled on them. The Nigerian Breweries PLC, which has its factory in the neighbouring community of Amaeke Ngwo heard their cry. The breweries after consultations with leaders of the community, through their community relations programmes, came to the rescue of the old school.

    The NB Plc built an ultra-modern block of six classrooms and a library for the school. The facilities have been commissioned and handed over to the school. Functional conveniences were provided for each of the classes in the block, furnished with tables and chairs for teachers and pupils. The library section has work stations and relevant books stocked.

    The managing director and chief executive of the the Nigerian Breweries PLC, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde at the handing over of the block, noted that the building took enormous resources and “it is our expectation that the teachers, pupils and the community will assist to protect and maintain it for sustainable use.”

    Verlverde turned to the pupils and admonished: “My dear children, it is our hope that this facility will improve your comfort and enhance your learning ability. As you learn in this complex, and acquire the desired knowledge for growth, you should always think of the right ideals for you to better Nigerians. You must shun violence and other vices  militating our economic development and nation building.

    The MD told the audience it was obvious the government alone cannot carry the entire burden of education, “hence this donation to our good people of Eke.”

    He further expressed appreciation of the “positive effort of the state governor, Barrister Sullivan Chime in the development of education in the state.”

    He said: “Education is the greatest legacy to be bequeathed to any child and remains very paramount to our existence and sustainable development. As a world class company, we have continued to support education in various aspects all over Nigeria in line with our ‘winning with Nigeria’ philosophy.

    The President of Eke Town Union, Nze Anthony Enu commended and thanked the NB PLC for rescuing the one of the oldest primary schools in Udi area. He wished the company “many more fruitful years of  business and mega expansion in their brewery industry and commerce which in a short while will translate into another and bigger dividends to Eke community.”

    Enu said: “ You will agree with me that today is quite unique because a promise made in February 2014, commenced in April 2014, completed and equipped in September 2014, is today in October 2014 being commissioned and handed over in grand style and fashion to Eke community for onward use to further promote education which will confer knowledge and power to our emerging youths.”

    Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Angela Aguji in her remark said the school and the community were “singing praises to the excellent, wonderful and marvelous work of the Nigerian Breweries PLC.”

    “The children are making you a promise to achieve success in their studies and be future hopes of Nigerian breweries workers.”

    The commissioning and cutting of the tape was done by the Enugu state commissioner for education, Prof. Chris Okolo who represented Governor Sullivan Chime.

     

  • Labour praises Amosun on infrastructure

    Labour praises Amosun on infrastructure

    Organised Labour   has praised Senator Ibikunle Amosun for what it described as a giant stride in the area of infrastructure in Ogun State.

    The National President of the Chemical and Non Metallic Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN), Comrade Abdul Gafar Mohammed at the opening of the union’s 19th Annual National Management / Industrial Relations seminar in Abeokuta said the governor has turned the fortune of the state around within the shortest time he took over the mantle of leadership in the state.

    “As an organised labour, we do not have any political affinity, but we aligned with leaders who are performing. I have been living in Ogun State for the past 20 to 22 years, and people living in the state know that the governor is performing”, he said.

    He noted that but for Governor Amosun’s road construction in Ota, a local government headquarter in the state, he would have sold his property and relocated.

    He said: “But now due to the governor’s infrastructure development, I ride home safe and sound without any stress.

    “I actually do not understand the kind of politics we practise in this country, when you see people that have ruled and now condemning the governor who is performing,  the landmark is feasible for all to see.”

  • Use pension funds to address infrastructure, Oteh urges

    The National Pension Commission (PenCom), should avail the Federal Government of its  N4.5 trillion pension fund  to  end the current infrastructural deficit estimated at $2.9 trillion (N485 trillion), Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arunma Oteh, has urged.

    Oteh,who described the country’s infrastructure  deficit as a national emergency, spoke at the just concluded PenCom conference on Pension Reform Act 2014 in Lagos.

    She however stated that the country also needs a world class, stable and well regulated capital market to safeguard the funds.

    She said housing is critical to the nation’s development and the government needs 17 million housing units as against the 50, 000 people that have access to housing, noting that housing is not just about shelter, but creating jobs in the country.

    She urges the PenCom Director-General, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu to be creative about how to deploy the fund in the next 10 years so that it is not business as usual.

    She said: “Nigeria’s current challenge include huge infrastructure deficit, homing and jobs. I believe infrastructure is a national emergency for us and we can learn from countries like Ireland, Canada and Australia which have modeled their pension fund on nation’s growth.

    “Business owners consistently rack in  inadequate infrastructure and that is why fixing infrastructure will spur economic growth. The Federal Government recognises this and recently put together the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) which estimate that we need US$2.9 (N485 trillion) over the next 30 years”.

    The SEC boss said this showed that there is a lot of work to be done, noting that this makes a strong case for what the DG PenCom can do.

    “I am not saying we should put the entire fund on infrastructure and others but I am saying let us put our money where our mouth and if we do it in a safe and sustainable manner, it will impact on nation’s growth, she said.

  • Infrastructure deficit hampers investment

    Power outages and  lack of motorable roads, including the absence of  railways, are   stifling  growth and  foreign investment in the  agriculture sector, the  Director Africa, Cassava Adding  Value to Africa(CAVA), Dr Kola  Adebayo,  has said.

    Speaking with The Nation, Adebayo observed that while there was enormous scope for raising the productivity, doubling crop yields and farm incomes, the absence of reliable rural transport and energy infrastructure are making investment in agriculture difficult and less rewarding.

    Infrastructure shortcomings, he explained,   is shown by weak linkages between crop production, processing and marketing.

    Although the  government  is  working  to    achieve significant growth through  the  Agricultural  Transformation  Agenda, he  maintained  that  this  will  not be  achieved     without   upgrading  infrastructure.

    He  stressed it was important  the government  improve  rural  connection  as  it  could   led  to higher productivity,  consequently, increasing   demand for farm and non-farm products and services.

    Farmers’ concern, he   empha-sised, is a ready market for the crops that are produced. He   said they can achieve this, if the  government  is  able to provide infrastructure  to link crop production with huge untapped markets and specific agro-industries.

    Canvassing improved   budgetary allocation towards infrastructure upgrade, he urged the government to make efforts at boosting infrastructure funds.

    He said the farming sector requires a range of government interventions to further growth.

    These include measures to protect the local industries and strengthen   regulations to ensure farmers and investors benefit from trade and investment, among others.

    He explained   that  less attention has been given to strategies for promoting rapid expansion and job creation in the rural sectors.

    The commitment of the   government to address employment generation, he maintained, would require revamping the agric sector to   generate   full employment.

  • Senator provides infrastructure for constituents

    As the 2015 general elections draw closer, a major factor which would ensure the return of most politicians in elective positions is how much of development they had brought to their respective communities.

    The people of Ebonyi South Senatorial District have every cause to be grateful to God and Senator Sonni Ogbuoji for his quality representation of his people at the National Assembly.

    Investigation revealed that the Senator’s provision of democratic dividends for his people had exceeded their expectations.

    He embarked on construction and rehabilitation of federal roads in the zone and provided other infrastructural facilities such as the 35-room guest house, established plastic industry at Ebunwana and built the Assemblies of God Church Jerusalem Assembly, among others.

    Among the roads which the Senator facilitated their construction is the Ebunwana Erei federal road linking Ebonyi and Cross River states, Ohafia-Nguzu Oso Edda federal road linking Ebonyi and Abia states and other roads within the zone which include Okpoghoro Road Ebunwana, Igbara Ebunwana Road and Ndi Agwu Road Igbara.

    The Ohafia-Nguzu-Oso Edda federal road is significant because until recently, it was a 20km stretch of dilapidated asphalt road at the Abia State axis and a jagged earth road at the Edda axis, which had never witnessed any form of construction activity.

    From the First Republic when Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dr. Michael Okpara (all late) visited Edda and promised that government would consider its construction, the road had remained an object of political campaigns, one of the examples of failed promises and a proof of government’s insensitivity to people at the grassroots.

    Successive administrations had awarded contract for the construction of the road for several times after which it would be abandoned.

    This was the situation till 2012 when Senator Ogbuoji brought the gully-ridden road to the attention of the Federal Government. Convinced that the road is vital for effective inter and intra-state commercial activities, Senator Ogbuoji was committed to the construction of the road so much so that budgetary provision was made for it.

    The contract, which was in category B, lot 11 of the Federal Government official Gazette was awarded to Uniglobe Construction Company Limited at the sum of 2,293,965,030, with 18 months completion period.

    The member representing Afikpo South West State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Eni Uduma Chima said the Senator had effectively utilised his presence at the Senate to bring benefits of democracy to the people of the zone, adding that the roads he (Senator) constructed had made it possible for the people to interrelate with their neighbouring communities in both Abia and Cross River states.

    Communities such as Nguzu Edda, Ekoli Edda, Ebunwana Edda, Itim Edda, Ogbu Edda, Owutu Edda, Amangwu Edda and Oso Edda, among others had expressed their gratitude to Senator Ogbuoji for his commitment to infrastructural development and empowerment schemes.

    “We are happy with our Senator; we wish other Senators could emulate his leadership style. Going to the Senate is not for you to enrich yourself and forget about the people that gave you their mandate. He did not discriminate among all the local government areas that make up the zone. We are happy with him and satisfied with his representation at the National Assembly,” they said.

  • In support of stomach infrastructure

    SIR: The so-called concept of the stomach infrastructure has gradually crept into the Nigerian political lexicon, especially after the shock victory of PDP’s Ayodele Peter Fayose over the then-incumbent APC’s Kayode Fayemi in the 2014 Ekiti state gubernatorial elections. He was accused of utilizing the “stomach infrastructure” to entice the electorate. This, to me, is highly misplaced.

    The concept of the stomach infrastructure might be new in Nigeria’s political lexicon, but it’s not an entirely new phenomenon. It has always been there with us, dating back to the days of the pre-independence regional elections across the country. Politicians who appealed to the conscience of the masses via their stomach always had the upper hand against those who tried to use other measures. From then till now, almost all the elections that have been conducted in the country irrespective of the level have been won and lost courtesy of the stomach infrastructure.

    Nutrition is a priority. It is indubitably sine qua non. It is the fundamental responsibility of the government of a country to ensure that the physiological and safety needs of its citizens are met. Food, as part of the physiological needs, is the most basic in man’s hierarchy of needs, according to psychologist Abraham Maslow. It is only a well-fed man that makes use of the physical and social infrastructures that are built for him. Before one is able to work, he must first of all eat. A hungry farmer cannot muster the strength to till the ground. A hungry father cannot send his wards and children to school – except when the education is free, which is not the case in most parts of Nigeria. Only a well-fed voter will be able to withstand the torture of queuing up under the scorching African sun for several hours at a polling unit in a bid to exercise his constitutional right. A hungry voter will either collapse or go home to eat.

    All over the world, food is deemed more important than everything else. It is a precursor to good health. You’ll recall that when giving prescriptions, the doctor always tells you to “take this drug three times a day after food” or something similar. Food is good and so is investment into the stomach infrastructure. Anyone that thinks or says otherwise should go hungry for sometime and pass through what millions of poor Nigerians go through on a daily basis. The reality remains that many Nigerians are hungry with little or nothing to eat and any politician that looks after their nutritional well-being is an astute statesman, a humanitarian and a shrewd politician.

    However, in the midst of it all, we should not be carried away and turn a blind eye to other things that really matter. Investment in stomach infrastructure, however good, must be a short-term measure and not a long term policy. It should be in pari passu with strategic investments in physical and social infrastructures. Food only meets an immediate, basic and pressing need, while adequate physical and social infrastructures as well as stable institutions increase the possibility that those pressing needs will always be met in the future. Neither of these measures should be neglected, ridiculed, castigated or cast aside. One way or the other, they contribute to the sustained improved well-being and upliftment of the masses.

     

    • Oscar Chinedu George,

    oscargeorgechinedu@gmail.com

     

  • ‘Infrastructure virtualisation crucial for service delivery’

    The virtualisation of infrastructure will translate into improved data management and ultimately facilitate cost savings and more efficient use of service delivery networks in Nigeria’s public sector. Manager, Systems Engineers at EMC, Mr. Travers Nicholas, said a major step towards attaining this goal is by migrating public services and infrastructure from legacy technology investments to more cloud-centric operations.

    At the workshop on ICT-enabled Public Services Solutions held in Dubai (in partnership with Galaxy Backbone Limited and other solution providers) to create awareness and buy-in for cloud solutions among stakeholders in government, Nicholas highlighted the various challenges associated with the delivery of public services in different countries, using detailed case studies. He also described how these challenges were successfully overcome by deploying EMC’s three pillars of opportunities – Big Data, Cloud Computing and Trust.

    According to the EMC, these solutions not only deliver the necessary scalability as more public services are integrated, they also provide a base for the computing of the future.

    “EMC is working extensively to bring advanced solutions to governments across the world and Nigeria’s position as a leading emerging market makes it a prime candidate to benefit from the gains of the most modern technology available. The increasing mobile internet penetration also presents a platform for government agencies to provide citizen services via mobile applications,” Nicholas said.

    By having a dedicated focus on shared services platform across the whole of government, EMC and Galaxy Backbone Limited are positioned to provide Nigerian government agencies with solutions for more efficient service delivery systems.

    Galaxy Backbone Limited was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2006 based on the need for government to pursue a streamlined approach to information and communications technology acquisition, operation and use in the public sector. The main focus of the establishment is to provide IT infrastructure and support to government ministries, departments and agencies via investment in shared infrastructure and technology solutions, towards enhancing economies of scale, improving interoperability of systems and strengthening government’s capacity to deliver electronic services.

  • ‘Infrastructure to deliver 70% GDP by 2043’

    ‘Infrastructure to deliver 70% GDP by 2043’

    The Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, has said the Federal Government is targeting a growth of about 70 per cent in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the current 20 to 25 per cent through the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan by 2043.

    The minister spoke at a meeting with Commissioners for Economic Planning and chief executives of planning agencies across the country.

    He noted that for the master plan to be successfully implemented, state and Federal governments must establish delivery units within their ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to drive implementation.

    Sulaiman stressed that “the very essence of this meeting is aimed at strategising on the implementation of the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) and the development of the States Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (SIIMP) as endorsed by the National Economic Council (NEC) and approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC)”.

  • …I ’ll appoint aides on ‘stomach infrastructure’ for 16 Ekiti councils, says new governor

    …I ’ll appoint aides on ‘stomach infrastructure’ for 16 Ekiti councils, says new governor

    Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, yesterday expressed his intention to appoint Assistants on ‘Stomach Infrastructure’ for all the 16 councils of the state.

    The new governor, who addressed a congregation after a Jumat Service at Central Mosque in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said the council aides would support him to achieve his goal on the empowerment of the people.

    Fayose, in a response to  an appeal by the Chief Imam of the state, Alhaji Jamiu Keulere, not to reverse the  appointments of eight permanent secretaries made by ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi, maintained the reversal was in the best interest of the state.

    According to him, the appointments in the last days of the Fayemis administration could not be justified, given the existing 32 permanent secretaries.

    Fayose also warned civil servants in the state not to engage in partisan politics, saying: “Your allegiance must be to the government of the day. Any civil servant who plays politics will be shown the way out.”

    Expressing gratitude to God for what he considered a rare privilege to have a second chance to rule Ekiti, Fayose said: “Among all favours, the best is the one done to man to have a second chance. God rarely does that. No one could say it two or three years ago that Fayose can come back. But when death has not come, hope is not lost. God Himself has said He is the one in charge. God has given me the opportunty to rise from the dead. The person pursued from the throne and called all sorts of unprintable names is one being welcomed back with drums and dancing.

    “The concept of my Stomach Infrastructure which has given me fame and acceptability with the people of Ekiti State remains an integral part of this administration. Physical infrastructure and urban renewal will continue to play its own role in the development of any nation. It is only the living who are hale and hearty that can enjoy such infrastructure.

    “Every policy of any administration that cannot put food on the table of the people is irrelevant. Stomach infrastructure is not about food alone, it is also about the welfare of the people.

    “Welfare of the people is also about health, provision of drugs, eradication of diseases, clothing and housing. All these are the basic essentials of life without which physical infrastructure will be meaningless,” the governor said.

    Fayose also pledged to appoint Muslims into his cabinet, adding “I will be open to control. I was the first person to appoint a Muslim the LG Chair in Ado.”

    The Chief Imam had urged him to be fair to people, irrespective of party or religion as God had done him a rare favour. Do well with those who supported you. It only pleased God to support your emergence.

    Alhaji Keulere also urged Fayose to give imprtance to security among the citizenry, saying: “Please ensure security of lives and property”.

    His words: “Whatever you want to do, do it with a clean  mind. Whatever you do today, you will account for tomorrow. The money you spend, contracts signed, whatever you do, God will surely call you to account.

    “There are many who receive favours from you, but will never acknowledge same when they return to their communities. Whoever you give money to among your commissioners should come back home to do well for people as well. Senators, House of Representatives members and lawmakers in the state must partner you in bringing comfort to the people.”

    The Chief Imam advised would-be aides of the new governor to partner him in delivering good governance to the people, adding: “Don’t be rebellious. Everyone has his appointed time.”

  • Fed Govt to spend N3b on fixing infrastructure

    The Federal Government has earmarked $3.0 billion to fix infrastructure, the Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Suleiman, has said.

    He said about two weeks ago, Federal Government approved the national integrated master plan to fix infrastructure.

    Suleiman told reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital that “to achieve this target, we are expecting 48 per cent of this investment from the private sector and 52 per cent from the public sector. In the framing of this plan, government has observed that fixing infrastructure has been lopsided and haphazard. Therefore government has prioritised the sectors and projected certain investment cost for each sector.

    “The level we are now in the area of infrastructure in the country is between 20 and 25 per cent and for us to be one of the leading countries in the world in 2020, we must get to at least 70 per cent. We have made projection by breaking the master plan into phases. For instance, between 2014 and 2018, we are expected to have spent $1.6 billion to fix infrastructure so that in the next 30 years, Nigeria will boast of being a developed country.”

    He said although only 120,000 Kwara indigenes of the 1.5 million people in the Northcentral participated in the collection of the signatures on President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid, “that is not the issue.”

    About 400, 000 Kwara indigenes registered as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the last registration exercise conducted by the party, it was learnt.

    The minister said: “It is about the high poverty rate in the state. It is about how do we take Kwara away from the capital flow to the state?”

    He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had mapped out strategies on how to wrest power from the APC during the coming general elections in the state.

    Suleiman decried what he termed as ‘high poverty rate’ in the state, saying the situation had remained the same.

    He alleged that funds accruing to it were being siphoned.

    The minister stressed that the Federal Government was working to diversify the economy, which, according to him, informed the attention given to the agricultural sector in the last few years.