Last week started on a very sad note as the country grappled with the killings in Jaji. As if that was not enough, the incident was followed by attack on the Abuja office of the most dreaded arm of the Nigerian Police Force, the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) the following day. The security situation, no doubt, is a setback to whatever achievement the government might have made. Nobody or group has claimed responsibilities for the attacks.
But whichever group carried out the attacks, it has sent a message that it has no respect for anybody and that it can beat any security network.
The Presidency has been silent on both attacks, making people feel that the government was probably overwhelmed. But the Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati was quick to refute this, noting that rather than talking as usual, the Presidency swung into action.
Besides, he said the Federal Government was committed to ensuring safety of life and property.
“Immediately they occurred, the CDS and the IGP briefed the President. Action was taken immediately those two incidents occurred. The CDS has since set up a panel of enquiry after visiting the scenes of incidents.
“On the Abuja incident, the IGP has been there, even the Minister of the FCT, after briefing the President, also convened a security council meeting at the level of the FCT.
“What needs to be reiterated is that this government is committed to ensuring the security of life and property. Yes, there are challenges, but as these challenges surface, the government remains determined to focus on the objective of ensuring the overall well-being of all Nigerians,” Abati said.
While the Presidency came under sharp criticism over the killings, it also received commendations for the sack of the Director-General of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Ms. Bolanle Onagoruwa.
Just like the way she came in, she was also shown the exit door after over two years in the saddle; selling government properties. Her sack came almost one year after the Senate demanded she be fired.
Though Presidency was on why she was sacked, it was however gathered that Onagoruwa’s sack might not be unconnected with her handling of the $23.6m Transmission Company of Nigeria contract awarded to Canadian firm Manitoba Hydro International which caused the country some sorts of embarrassment as the Canadian government registered their displeasure over the incident.
While the Presidency is doing all possible to make the country move forward, there were rumours of crack in the President’s team over the N1.3trillion oil subsidy payment.
The rumour was milled around the two main players in the cabinet, namely, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Minister of Petroleum Resources Deziani Allison-Madueke.
Those speculating the purported rift also came up with an alleged open disagreement between two ministers.
According to the report, a delegation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation led by Allison-Madueke was said to have warned President Jonathan of an imminent fuel scarcity in the country if government failed to pay the debt after attempt to make the finance minister settle the bills failed.
But Dr. Reuben Abati was quick to dispel this rumpus as he said: “I am not aware of any disagreement between the two ministers. I read those stories too but those stories are usually speculative. They are not based on any substance and I think we should refrain from this attempt to set one individual up against the other.
The cabinet over which Mr. President presides over works as a team at all times. What he emphasises is team spirit. I am not aware of any open disagreement between the two ministers.”
The Presidency has denied the possibility of any form of crack in the cabinet. It went further to say that all the ministers are on the same page on the transformation programme of President Goodluck Jonathan who is the chief driver of the economy.
However, the talk about disputes in the cabinet has refused to abate. Beside, the issue of unpaid petroleum subsidy claims, there is that of none release of funds to the country’s missions abroad. The situation was so terrible that most of the missions could no longer operate. It took the intervention of President Jonathan before the Minister of Finance could agree to offset the debt of the missions.
What’s wrong if the Presidency desires a new banquet hall or event centre? Are those in the Presidency forbidden to unwind?
According to FCT Minister Bala Muhammed, the banquet hall will cost N2.2b. The construction of the new 150-seater banquet hall is awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc “for security reasons.”
The week also witnessed the Presidency in contract frenzy. It approved the contract for the purchase of two sets of five-car Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs), each with a capacity for 540 passengers and an additional six 60-seater air conditioned passenger coaches to be used for intra-city mass transit services. The contract costs N4.3b, with a completion period of 13 months. The Lagos-Kano track, which will be ready for use before Christmas, is to be revived.
The Presidency also took another look at the idea of creating a national identity card after some failed attempts. It has budgeted the sum of N6.3b for the take-off of the scheme.
The sum is for the importation of 13 million smartcards to be used in registering Nigerians under the National Identity Management scheme.
The scheme, according to the Minister of Communications Technology, Omobola Johnson, is expected to kick off this December.
A similar attempt to create a national identity card was made in 2001 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo in which a $214m contract was awarded to SAGEM; a French firm.
Besides, the Presidency approved N30.066b for a Unified Identity Management System.
Nigerians from age 18 up are to be captured in a data system.
The implementation of the first phase of the project will begin immediately and ends in 2013.
