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Tag: kwara

  • Invest oil money on infrastructure, poly urges FG

    Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara state, Dr Lateef Olatunji has urged the Federal Government to inject revenues from oil into infrastructure development of the country.

    Dr Olatunji, who is also a chartered accountant, added that a diversification of the economy would prevent economic crises caused by overdependence on oil and gas money.

    The rector said this in Offa during the 5th national conference organized by the polytechnic School of Business and Management Studies.

    The theme of the conference is ‘Management of the Nigerian economy for sustainable development in 21st century and beyond.’ Said he: “While oil and gas have continued to remain the mainstay of Nigerian economy, there is the need for the re-investment of oil revenues through diversification to prevent economic crises resulting from overdependence on the product.

    “The lesson is that, while oil and gas will continue to be critical to our revenue bases and national economy, Nigeria must diversify its economy away from overdependence on oil.

    Read Also: Plateau massacre: NANS condemns incessant killings, demands justice

    We must invest the revenues accrued from oil and gas into the infrastructure and human capital that will underpin future economic growth and development.

    We must keep in mind that oil and gas guarantee only today’s resources.”

    Dr Olatunji tasked academics to start proffering solutions the country’s economic challenges for the sake of the less privileged and
    downtrodden.

    “I wish to give a clarion call to our academics here present to start doing something to guarantee a sustainable economy.

    The nation requires your professional skills and expertise in the development of our society.

    “I therefore urge you to use this medium to brainstorm on practical and realistic ways of getting Nigeria out of its economic conundrums,” he added.

    Earlier, Dean of School of Business and Management Studies, Dr Nafiu Abdulrazaq said that other sectors of the Nigerian economy have continued to witness slow growth and development.

    He said: “The external current account deficit is widening as exports still remain slow, while imports of capital goods and energy have increased. Foreign reserves vulnerabilities are threatening as our fiscal consolidation has slowed, while deficit targets remain elusive.

    “Although the business and financial inclusion reforms have continued, financial losses of ailing public sector enterprises weigh on scarce resources, which are likely to be under pressure given the growing external risks.

    “Judging by the core objective of sustainable development particularly, that of eradicating poverty in all its forms, Nigeria has a complex and long journey to improve the lives of the over 180 million of its people most of who live in poverty conditions.”

  • Kwara spends over N11b on infrastructure

    The Kwara State government spent over N11 billion on infrastructure between December 2016 and last year, it was learnt yesterday.

    Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed’s media aide, Muideen Akorede, who addressed reporters after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Wednesday, said the money was spent under the special funding window tagged Kwara Infrastructure Development Fund (IF-K).

    Akorede said N4.97 billion was spent on existing projects and N6.07 billion on new projects.

    He explained that projects captured under Kwara Public and Private Partnership Bureau included the branding and repositioning of Kwara Hotels.

    The hotel, he said, would be benchmarked against best practice, saying NOVOTEL and IBIS would handle the project under Accorde Hotel Group.

    He said: “The government would retain the ownership of the hotel but will offer Kwarans the opportunity to be part owners through crowd funding arrangement.

    “This arrangement will be 100 per cent local content, and is expected to create over 1,500 indirect local jobs for artisans, 500 jobs for professionals and 182 direct jobs after completion.”

    Commissioner for Information and Communications Ishiak Sabi said the council also considered experts’ requests  on the upward review of the Diamond Split Underpass, Kulende-UITH-Oke-Ose and Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara road contracts.

    According to him, the council, after deliberations,  approved the upward review of Split Diamond Underpass from N2,930,847,252.06 billion to N3,639,444,659.04 billion, making a difference of N708,597,407.33 million.

    He added that Kunlende/UITH/Oke-Ose road project was reviewed upward from N2,385,217,963.01 billion to N3,47,86,789.16 billion and the Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara road was increased from N2,156,953,404.88 billion to N2,361,904,549.71 billion.

    The upward review, Sabi said, would cater for unforeseen circumstances.

  • $322m Abacha loot: Cash transfers to poor homes begin in July

    The Federal Government says it will commence disbursement of the recovered 322 million dollars Abacha loot through Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) to 302,000 poor households in 19 states in July.

    Mr Tukur Rumar, of the National Cash Transfer Office (NTCO), said this at a roundtable on assets recovery organised by the Swiss Embassy on Thursday, in Abuja.

    The event was organised to intimate citizens and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the efforts both nations were making on asset recovery after the Post-Global Forum on Assets Recovery (GFAR) held in Washington D.C. in Dec. 2017.

    At the forum, Nigeria made commendable commitments on beneficial ownership, tax transparency, asset recovery, transparency management of recovered funds and payments to victims of corruption.

    The states are: Niger, Kogi, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Cross River, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarrawa, Anambra and Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) in Borno.

    According to Rumar, the benefiting households will receive N5,000 monthly and are derived from the National Social Register (NSR) that the 19 states are already on.

    He said the programme was designed to also train beneficiaries on livelihood skills, social skills and other programmes that would change their lives completely.

    Rumar, however, said that NCTO had been making payments to the 46,000 poor and vulnerable households across the 19 states since Dec. 2016, adding that the number had increased to 290,000.

    Mr Iorwa Apera, the National Coordinator, National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), said 503,055 households were already on the NSR register from the 19 states, adding that by July, there would be a social register for all the states of the federation.

    He said that of the Abacha loot, about 302,000 poor homes across the 19 states would be mined by the NCTO to begin to receive the Abacha loot.

    Apera told the participants that the Federal Government would begin with those states, because they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NASSCO to put in place certain infrastructure to empower the national register.

    “Some of the states delayed, but the other ones were quick enough to set up infrastructure that allowed us to start work there, but all the states are now on board as they have set up their state operating offices and donated office equipment to us.

    “As states come on board, we enroll and so they extend to the beneficiary register, and presently we are generating data in all the states now,’’ he said.

    Read Also: EFCC launches probe as $500m Abacha loot goes missing

    Mrs Linda Ekeator of the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment said the Abacha loot was invested in the social investment programme, because it was a programme that was already supported by the World Bank.

    She said that before the money was returned to Nigeria, there was an agreement with the Swiss government that it should be used for alleviating poverty and this was to be done with the supervision of the World Bank.

    The Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Eric Mayoraz said the 722 million dollars of the Abacha family money that was hidden in Switzerland was fully repatriated in 2005.

    He also said that the 322 million dollars that was repatriated in Dec. 2017, was money that was frozen by the Swiss Attorney-General, but was not domiciled in Switzerland, but in other countries, mainly Luxembourg.

    He, however, said measures had been put in place to ensure that Swiss banks were not used to hide stolen funds from other countries.

    “For possible new cases, the Swiss legislation has fundamentally changed.

    “The law in Switzerland does not allow bank secrecy anymore, and all banks and financial institutions have a due diligence duty to ask everyone coming with money where it is coming from.

    “That does not mean that there are no illegal or stolen assets now in Switzerland, but then there is another instrument I signed myself with the Nigerian Ministry of Justice and Switzerland two years ago on mutual legal assistance and this is for new cases.

    “Now, this agreement with our own Ministry of Justice and Nigeria is that there will be direct communication and exchange on mutual legal request and we are really collaborating with EFCC and other agencies in Nigeria,’’ Mayoraz.

    The Executive Director, ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, said for Nigerian citizens to not keep spreading rumours about the whereabouts of recovered loots, the government must be transparent in all the processes.

    He also said that CSOs should be given access to the social register to enable it monitor properly whether or not the beneficiaries received what was due to them.

  • Estate surveyors seek Kwara Govt’s patronage

    Estate Surveyors and Valuers under the umbrella of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Kwara branch, have called on the state government to patronise local firms in order to boost economic activities in the state.

    The state Chairman of the association, Mr Lanre Hassan, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin on Monday.

    Hassan decried the institution’s non-patronage by the State government, adding that this had been one of its major challenges.

    “Our major challenge operating in Kwara is that the state government does not patronise us.

    “They prefer to patronise the charlatans and quacks who will under-value the properties and at the end of the day, such properties are not able to stand the test of time.

    “In our profession, we have statutory jobs and non-statutory jobs; one of the things we do in our statutory duties is to bring the government to our confines but there has been some resistance.

    Read Also: Estate surveyors boost practice with resource centre

    “Look at the tenement rate, the law says you should value the property before collecting tax, but the government is not acting in line with the law.

    “As law-abiding professionals, we do not want to be confrontational but this is posing a big challenge to our operations.

    “We want government patronage so that we can contribute our human resources to both the physical and economic development of the state,’’ he said.

    The chairman warned quacks in the profession to desist from valuation of property, adding that anyone caught would be made to face the wrath of the law.

    NAN

     

  • Ban on political campaign still in force; INEC tells politicians

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has warned politicians in Kwara to stop erecting campaign billboards and posters as ban on political campaign is still in force.

    INEC Administrative Secretary in Kwara, Mr Paul Atser gave the warning in a statement on Tuesday in Ilorin.

    “The attention of INEC has been drawn to the emergence of campaign bill boards, posters and campaigns on the electronic media.

    “The Commission wish to reiterate that campaign either through bill boards, posters and on electronic media by aspirants and political parties now is ill-timed,” Atser said.

    According to the administrative secretary, political campaigns cannot start until 90 days to the day of election.

    Also read : Buhari to Nigerians: there’ll be prosperity

    “Campaign in any form at this point contravenes Section 99 (I) of the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended) which provides 90 days before polling day for the commencement of campaigns in public by every political party,” he added.

    Atser said that there was time slotted for each political activity for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    “It must be pointed out that with the release of the time table and schedule of activities for the 2019 General Elections, there is a time-line for every activity leading to the election and this should be strictly followed,” he said.

    He advised political parties and their aspirants to desist from pasting posters and erecting bill boards, adding that failure to comply with the guidelines would attract sanctions.

    Atser appealed to eligible voters to register and ensure they collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to enable them vote in the forthcoming general elections.

  • Offa Robbery: Youth group demands whereabouts of gang leader

    Kwara state youths under the auspices of Concerned Kwara Youth Movement have asked the police to beam the search light of its investigation on the dismissed Police personnel, Micheal Adikwu who allegedly supplied arms for the Offa robbery attack, rather than ‘politicising’ the case.
    The youth group which queried the rationale behind not parading Adikwu alongside other gang leaders said, the soul of 33 people including pregnant woman and nine police officers must not be used to play politics hence the demand that  the suspects of the Offa robbery be treated as armed robbers and not political thugs.
    Concerned Kwara Youth Movement in a statement by its Coordinator, Salaudeen Lukman said, the police must stop politics and face the investigation with all honesty.
    According to the youth group, “our leadership once again sympathize with the victims of the ugly incident of April 5 in Offa Kwara state as well commend the state government and Nigeria police for their swift response in reinforcing the security network in Offa and Kwara state at large
    “The Nigeria police force is greatly commended for their rapid action in apprehending the suspect of April 5 deadly bank robbery in Offa Kwara state while calling on the force to ignore any form of tricks to politicize the case.
    “It is obvious that the suspect mentioning the senate president as their political god father in an attempt to draw political coloration to escape or extend their judgment day which the police must not fall for the trick as we want immediate prosecution and not media trial of innocent personality.
    “The linkage of Sen Saraki to the case is nothing but deliberate attempt to ridicule, malign and tarnish the hard earn image of the no 3 citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria the person of Sen Abubakar Bukola Saraki, an action considered as revenge mission by IGP in retaliation to The Senate declaration of his personality unfit to hold any public office and Enemy of Democracy following his open rejection of senate invitation to answer questions regarding killings around the country and trick to divert attention from his recent poor presentation of speech leaked to media with caption ‘Transmission Transmission’.
    “We condemn in strong term the attempt to use the soul of 33 people including pregnant woman and 9 police officers to play politics on the alter of political vendetta hence demand the suspect be treated as armed robbers and not political thugs which invariably linking the senate president since they are all arrested in connection to ROBBERY and not POLITICAL THUGGERY.
    “We openly challenge the Nigeria police to give reason why the SUSPECT, fire arm supplier by name Micheal Adikwu, a dismissed police officer among the arrested suspects whom one of the gang leader mentioned as major supplier of ammunition is not publicly paraded and interrogated by journalist to give the details as to the source of the guns for the robbery which is key and imperative to get to the root of this evil in our society.
    “Nigeria police must stop the politics and face the investigation with all honesty except the suspicion of complexity is intact.
    “Senate President is a reputable citizen of kwara, two term governor, serving senator and the no 3 citizen of the country hence this allegation is obviously a politically motivated one to embarrass his Excellency which is not noble of Nigeria police force,” the group stated.

  • Offa robbery: group urges police not to politicise case

    A youth group, the Concern Kwara Youth Movement has called on the Nigeria Police Force not to politicise the April 5, Offa robbery case.

    A statement signed by the coordinator of the group Mr Salahudeen Lukman and made available to our reporter in Abuja on Friday, called for proper investigation into allegations made against Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki.

    Lukman said the group sympathised with the victims of the ugly incident and commended the State Government and the Nigeria Police Force for their swift response in reinforcing security in the area.

    “Silence in the face of injustice is sin against humanity; hence the leadership of this group has deemed it necessary to make its position known on the investigation of the case.

    “The Nigeria Police Force is greatly commended for the rapid action in apprehending the suspects, but we are also calling on the police to ignore any form of tricks to politicise the case.

    “We condemn in strong term the attempt to use the souls of 33 people including a pregnant woman and nine police officers to play politics on the altar of political vendetta.

    “We demand that the suspects be treated as armed robbers and not political thugs since they were all arrested in connection to robbery and not as political thugs,’’ he said.

    Lukman urged the police not to give the incident a political name yet, but face the investigation with all honesty to clear the suspicion of the people.

    “It is obvious that the mention of Saraki as their political god father is an attempt to draw political coloration to escape or extend the judgment.

    “We urge the police not fall for the trick but immediately investigate to get the real culprits and prosecute them,’’ he said.

    Lukman said that the mention of the Senate President in the case was nothing but a deliberate attempt to ridicule and tarnish his image and asked that the issue be handled with caution to avoid unintended damage to his personality.

  • Saraki has questions to answer, Police insist

    The Nigeria Police Force said it had not withdrawn its invitation to President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki to report to its office over alleged criminal indictment by five suspected gang leaders involved in the recent Offa bank robbery.

    The newsmen reports that the police on Sunday, June  3, invited Saraki for questioning over alleged criminal indictment by five suspected gang leaders alleging to be his political thugs.

    Saraki had twitted on his Twitter handle that the police had withdrawn the invitation for him to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office in Guzape, Abuja.

    He also said that the police had asked him to respond to the questions in writing.

    The Force Spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen on the update on the alleged indictment of Saraki on Wednesday in Abuja.

    “The Senate president is still under investigation in connection to the Offa bank robbery and the police will do everything possible to ensure that justice is done in this case,” he said.

    The spokesman said that there was no deadline for Saraki to report to the police. Moshood was also evasive from the possible action the police would take if Saraki failed to report to the police.

    He said that the force would not be cowed or succumb to intimidation from any quarter in carrying out discreet investigation on the matter.

    Moshood said that two out of the three more suspected thugs working for Saraki, mentioned by the overall gang leader of the Offa bank robbery have been arrested.

    The suspects are: Alhaji Kehinde Gobiri, 47, a.k.a. Captain and Oba Shuaib Olododo, 57, a.k.a Jawando, from Ilorin East and South Local Government Areas respectively.

    Read Also: Two more Offa robbery suspects implicated Saraki – Police

    He said that the suspects, who have admitted to the various crimes they have committed, are currently in police custody in Ilorin, Kwara.

    “They are currently under investigation and will be charged to court on completion of investigation,” he said.

    Moshood said that the arrest of the two suspects followed further confessions of the five gang leaders earlier arrested by the police.

    The five suspects are: Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran. Moshood said that the two suspects were also arrested with firearms in the custody of the police in Ilorin, Kwara.

    The newsmen reports that Saraki recently alleged a plot by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to implicate him in a criminal case.

    NAN

  • Ahmed denies sponsoring political thugs

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has refuted police allegations of sponsoring, funding, arming or otherwise supporting political  thuggery in the state.
    The police high command had accused Governor Ahmed and Senate President Bukola Saraki of sponsoring political thugs allegedly linked to the Offa armed robbery incident.
    The governor in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications Dr. Muyideen Akorede described the allegations as false and rejected his alleged indictment by the Nigeria police or the armed robbery suspects in their custody.
    Governor Ahmed affirmed that while the state government has empowered several youth groups under its acclaimed Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) scheme neither he nor the statement government can be held liable for how beneficiaries utilize the credit. He therefore urged the police to complete their investigations and charge the suspects to court soon in line with the dictates of the rule of law.
    The statement reads: “To set the records straight, the Kwara state government has a well known empowerment scheme under the Small And Medium Enterprises platform which is used to move women and youths groups into entrepreneurship.
    “Consequently, several youth and women groups have benefitted from the scheme to date. However, at no point did the Kwara state government directly provide funds to any group known as Good Boys for any purpose.
    “Similarly, if any of the beneficiaries chose to use the SME credit secured from the government to purchase a vehicle which was then alleged to have been used for an act of criminality, the Kwara State Governor and indeed the state government cannot be held liable for such actions since neither had prior knowledge of such intentions on beneficiaries’ part.
    “The governor also rejects the police allegation of arming and funding the suspects for political thuggery or for any other activity as false and unfounded as thuggery or any other form of criminality is neither encouraged nor supported by the  state government or its agents.”

  • Kwara spends N9.2b on infrastructure

    •Ahmed: we’ve fulfilled campaign promises

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has said his administration spent N9.2 billion on infrastructural development in seven years.

    He noted that despite lean resources, his administration has fulfilled its campaign promises to the people.

    According to him, about N3.5 billion was spent in Kwara Central; N3.2 billion in Kwara South and N2.9 billion in Kwara North since establishment of the Kwara Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS).

    He said KWIRS had raised the state’s revenue in the last three years, adding that the annual IGR improved from N7 billion to N17 billion.

    The governor spoke in Ilorin at an interactive session with reporters to mark his seventh year in office.

    According to him, he ran for office on the platform of ‘continuity’ and in line with this, his government has completed all projects inherited from the previous administration.

    The governor added that his administration also initiated and completed projects across sectors, noting that several others are ongoing.

    He listed these as Engineering Complex of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete; renovation of five General Hospitals; rehabilitation of Ejiba road, Ilorin; Oloro palace road, Oro; Rore-Ipetu-Arandun road; construction of Oko Bridge-Oro Ago; construction of Erin-Ile/Ilemona road; Ogbondoroko township road, and others.

    Some ongoing projects include Geri-Alimi Diamond underpass; dualisation of Sango-UITH road; ultra-modern modern Secretariat for workers; repositioning of state media houses, among others.

    Ahmed, who said the projects were funded by the State Infrastructure Development Fund (IF-K), promised that all projects will be completed before his tenure expired.