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Tag: Minister of Niger Delta Affairs

  • UPDATED: Niger Delta Affairs ministry owes N50bn, says minister

    UPDATED: Niger Delta Affairs ministry owes N50bn, says minister

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Abubakar Momoh, on Thursday, December 14, said the ministry owed contractors over N50 billion for both executed, ongoing and abandoned projects in the region.

    The National Assembly Joint Committee on Niger Delta Affairs also stepped down the budget defence and summoned the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and his counterpart in the Budget and Economic Planning ministry, Atiku Bagudu to appear before it in respect of the budget the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

    The summon is sequel to the appearance of Momoh before the committee when a member of the committee, Senator Seriake Dickson raised a motion to adjourn the sitting indefinitely until both ministers of Finance and Budget and Economic Planning appear with the minister of Niger Delta Affairs to shed more light around the poor budgetary envelope for the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and fund releases for projects among others.

    According to Momoh, the budget of the ministry is meager, adding that so many things they are supposed to do are being performed by other agencies.

    Read Also; INEC yet to access N18 billion supplementary budget – Yakubu

    He noted that the amnesty programme which deals with disarmament is now carrying out programmes of development and empowerment.

    “There are alot of programmes going on in the Niger Delta which ordinarily

     should be done by the ministry,” Momoh said.

    He added that for the 2023 budget performance, the budget estimates was N14.5 billion but that even though N11 billion was later approved, only N4.2 billion was released which according to him, was too small to even embarked on a road project.

    “A total of 14.5 billion was the estimate including capital, recurrent and overheads but what came to the ministry was just N4.2 billion out of the N11 billion that was approved. The 2023 budget performance is put at 37 percent,” Momoh said.

    “The N14 billion budget estimate is meagre to meet the requirements of the ministry. How many kilometers of road can N4 billion construct?” Momoh queried.

    He added: “We have a lot of abandoned projects. We have a lot of completed projects. Those that have been awarded and have not been paid are worth over N50 billion,” Momoh said.

    “Since I took over, I’ve gotten over 2000 requests from people asking for training in the Niger Delta. If I have the required resources, be assured that I will do a lot,” Momoh said.

    He said he is not aware whether the President is aware of the N50 billion debt in his ministry because, according  to him, he has not had the opportunity of discussing the issue with the president but that the Ministry of Finance is aware of the debt.

    The chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Babajide Ipinsagba, said they must do everything to ensure that the people that are being owed are settled since most of them collected loans to do the projects.

    Ipinsagba blamed the situation on cash plan of the agency, saying “If a contractor completed his job, it is expected that once the Minister approves you should get your money in two weeks.

    “But you have to upload the approval and another person will determine if there is money to pay for the job done.”

    Also the House of Reps Committee Chairman on Niger Delta, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo, urged the minister to identify projects he can complete and commission and not embark on projects that will later be abandoned.

    Earlier, the Minister briefed the committee on the 2023 budget performance of the ministry and answered questions around project execution, project abandonment, fund releases and with a cumulative   debt portfolio of the ministry totalling over N50billion.

    Engr. Momoh said for the 2023 budgetary provision of N11billion only N4billion was released from the capital budget which represents about 37% which he described as merger and inadequate to meet the challenges of the region.

    He said: “This grossly inadequate budget has led to project abandonment and unpaid projects and so, this paucity of funds can lead to the derailment of the mission and vision of the ministry.”

    While answering questions on training and empowerment for women and youths in the region, the minister said there was nothing the ministry could do, if money is not released for training and empowerment and as such, the training and acquisition of knowledge has been slowed down.

    He said: “We have signed performance bond with the President but with paucity of funds there’s nothing we can do.

    “The purse of the nation is in your hands as lawmakers, we need you to empower the ministry to deliver. We do hope that with your approval, you will give us support for more and better funds release in the 2024 budget.”

    On whether Mr. President was aware of the situation in the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Minister said, “I cannot say he’s aware.  It would be pretty difficult for the president to know all the details of happenings in all the ministries.”

  • My suspension ‘ll fuel the crisis in Cross River APC – Uguru Usani

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, contested the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River state. But his contest generated several issues as the party in Cross River state became factionalised. One of the faction is accusing the Minister of working against the party and causing its massive defeat during the 2019 general elections. In this interview with Tony Akowe, Usani states his own side of the story, dismissing the allegations against him as well as his suspension from the party.

    STAKEHOLDERS of the APC in Cross River state led by the National Vice Chairman, South South, have accused you of working against the interest of the party during the recently concluded elections. How would you react to this?

    These allegations are not strange to me. You can cross check everything I am going to say because they are verifiable. From 1999 to 2015, I have had  reason to dine with the PDP. It was a political fallow season. You will probably be surprised to hear that when I contested for governorship in the opposition in 2003, there was an attempt in broad day light to assassinate me and I ran out of the country to return after two years. At that time I was asked to join the PDP and contest for the senate but I declined.

    In 2012, when I contested against the PDP candidate, offers were made to me and I declined. If you talk to Cross Riverians, they know us by character. So, when I had a political fallow season, I did not accept overture from them, what will now attract me now as Minister? If for 16 years, I declined everything that tended to be offered to me, now that I am minister, what do I intend to gain? Is it that if I support them, I will become President? This is crafted blackmail intended to decimate my reputation. Thank God as journalists, you have the capacity to verify what you get or the information you receive.

    The first person to suggest  that if APC is to win election, Usani Usani has to contest is Senator John Owa-Enoh. The person he said that to did not tell me until we were together with him and he said, “Senator, I want to deliver that message you gave me before.” That person is Godwin Asam Efa who was Vice Chairman of Ikom local government council. Please, you can verify these details I am giving you. But something happened. When a former governor of Cross River state felt that it was too risky for them to allow Usani come in, he told Owa-Enoh to go and fight for the ticket so that whether it goes the way of PDP or APC, he will be in charge.

    Meanwhile, that former governor was zonal coordinator for PDP presidential campaign. Suddenly, he started recruiting different interest. When the National Chairman came into office, they caused him to believe that I was supporting the former Chairman, Oyegun and I wonder what type of sense that made because Oyegun did not contest any election. So, even if somebody was supporting him, of what value would that support be?

    What would you say is responsible for this?

    Secondly, the National Vice Chairman, South South who is spreading these falsehood did same thing against me during Oyegun’s chairmanship and I wrote many letters to Oyegun, telling him about his character, but Oyegun decided to believe him. For more than two years, they peddled these falsehood against me before Oyegun and others realized, though too late, that these fellows were not the characters they thought they were. He continued the same thing with Oshiomhole. My silence for a while is because somebody worth occupying a public office should be able to recognise where rule and order should prevail.

    I have always been quiet on this issue because the constitution of the party says we should not go to the press. But when the managers of a system violate their own rules, then it means anarchy will not allow the institution to run. Then, you can see what the APC is today. The President’s image is what keeps APC standing as a party today. Otherwise, by conduct, we have lost every s in the initial concept that brought honour to our party. Now, I have decided to speak out because further silence in the face of falsehood will suggest that I am guilty.

    But why do you think they are accusing you of working for the PDP?

    To suggest that I worked for the PDP can only be authenticated by the indices we lay across. Find out if the National Vice Chairman South south won one polling unit in his own ward for the President. There are two wards in my community and the PDP did not win any unit. I accumulated over 4000 votes while the PDP got about 1000. Assuming I was working for the PDP, will I produce results against them? Who is more believable? They have held several meeting and I will tell you that they are trying to do everything to make me politically irrelevant. They know that my continuous prevalence in the system will expose them.

    These are people who mismanaged public funds and they have been scared abinitio that if the President comes back for a second term, and the anti corruption crusade goes on, they will be in the web. For them, instead of allowing sleeping dogs lie, they wants to shake the hornet’s nest. I can tell of contracts in my state they got and failed to accomplished. I can tell you company names they have forwarded even at the beehive of the dissolution of the NDDC board which they are still forwarding for payment. For them, the dissolution of the NDDC board is the foundation of their revengeful attitude towards me. You know how the place functioned for a while which is in public domain.

    We don’t have factional leadership in APC. Before the current chairman came, congresses had been concluded. He decided that they will dissolve the state executive whereas as soon as that was concluded, we were given certified true copies of the results of the congresses supervised by INEC as provided by law. One day, they just came and said they’ve dissolved it. We sought redress in court and up till now, the subsisting judgement  in that regard showed that Hon. Godwin Etim John is the chairman of the party. So, impostors are just buying their ways as a result  of favours that does not accrue from any due process.

    So, there are no factions in the party. Every action being taken in response to this situation by them is contemptuous. They have also gone ahead to write a petition to he President alleging these same things. Incidentally, I have given a response to that petition. These people have no interest in this party. They came to destroy the party and run back to PDP. Between a man who has stayed for 16 years without changing focus and those who today belong to one place and tomorrow, they are somewhere else, who is more likely to prevaricate in circumstances of pecuniary inducement?

    For the south south zonal chairman, he was the national coordinator for the current PDP presidential candidate during the APC national convention in Lagos to choose our presidential candidate. In spite of all the hard currency given to him to win votes for the man then, he failed woefully and took those who were not delegates to Lagos to collect the money and when the man discovered, they fell out and he felt that I was probably responsible for that and so, his antagonism started. I put it on record that in 2012, I sponsored him to be ACN chairman in the state.

    In 2014 when we were discussing  the zoning of positions in the south South, I proposed his name against the wishes of Cross River indigenes and they told me he will disappoint us. But I stood by him. I honour principles and preserve accords and so, I put his name. For some people who do not have secondary vocations, if politics falls out of place, they will be stranded. So, they pursue political ambitions with absolute temerity of desperation and so, we will not be surprised because we know them. But for me, if anybody says I worked for PDP, go and tell Cross Riverians and see if they will believe you.

    Go and ask Lyel Imoke about those he was paying in the opposition when he was governor. Go and ask Donald Duke those who go behind to collect money. Go and ask Ben Ayade  those he gives money in the secret rooms. If you were from Cross River, you will know exactly how we stand. For some of us, hunger and abundance makes little difference but honour is greater than every consideration.

    I don’t know if you are aware that in the last week of campaign, they sent thugs to disrupt the rallies I was holding for Mr. President and one of them was caught with arms and handed over to the police. Then they claimed in their petition that I was arresting APC supporters. These people have been moving from one party to the other. They are green pasture politicians and I am not. I stand on the conscience of honesty. If they tell you Usani is this or that, let us put forward our political credentials and let us know where we stand in terms of tenacity of character and conscience.

    You are yet to say anything about your suspension by the national leadership of the party. Do you think they have the power to do that?

    I started administration at a high level in 1992 and I know what administration entails. I know that administration is not done in the open market or village square, especially when you have rules guiding a particular system. If, for any reason, I am accused of committing an offense, the constitution provides how the procedure should go. I did not receive any invitation to answer to any query, neither did I receive ay correspondence suggesting that I am under punitive measure. So, I just presume that it is one of those media rumour and so, I didn’t need to apply myself to it.

    I saw a letter from my ward chairman saying I remain a bonafide member of the APC in the ward he controls and that I have not committed any offense to warrant a disciplinary measure. So, I remain a member in my ward and that is where I stand. The question is, why would anybody want to suspend me? All methods, legitimate and legal has failed them in a bid to stop me from my governorship ambition and so, they adopted a cowboy method thinking that pronouncing suspension on air will make meaning. It does not make any meaning.

    I was the first party chairman in the state, not because I vied for it but because they said that they needed a character that will not sell the party. So, when they say I have been suspended, I have not receive any correspondence to that effect and I don’t know what offense I have committed. Suspending me is very dangerous because we are very few in Cross River that can hold the party together. Let them show their results in the just concluded elections. It is not about noise. But unfortunately, in Nigeria, noise means strength. But for me success means strategy. I don’t need to talk, but to prove and I have proven.

    You said the image of President Buhari is what is keeping the party together. In view of that, what faith or future do you think the party has after Buhari|?

    The future of the party will not be determined by the projections of today because tomorrow may turn a new leaf. The determination of the strength of a party does not also lies in the internal melee, but the actions and reaction of contending forces. That can always change the fortunes of the party. At the end of the President’s second term, if Christ tarries, God will give us what befits us because my bible tells me that a leader emerges from the system and the nature of the people. So, whatever happens, it may be a stronger or weaker party, but there will still be a party. But I note again that Abuja residents who have the privilege of entering offices are not the owners of the party. The owners of the party are resident in the states. So, it is not for us to gather ourselves, come to Abuja and claim to be key stakeholders. Those who hold the ground for us to rest on are right there in the states.

    If you were choosen as the party candidate for the governorship election, do you think you would have made any impact.

    I want to tell you that it is true that the PDP rigged elections and it is not in any way a hidden secret that they rigged election in Cross River. The truth is that the University of Calabar where the returning officers were drawn from is managed by the Vice Chancellor who is from the local government of the governor and majority of the returning officers were drawn from that local government. There were instances where people who retired from the military became returning officers. In my ward, the presiding officers were speaking my language and no youth corp member serves in his local government. These are proofs that PDP rigged the election.

    Assuming I was a candidate, I wont assume I will be declared because the reasons for declarations are beyond the ordinary. Legitimate and legal processes shows that we are the real candidates of the party. You can verify that and will find out that the only record in INEC suggestive of a congress or primary puts me as candidate of the party. So, whatever makes INEC to keep publishing what we don’t understand is what we cannot unravel. As at today, even though there are cases at the appeal level, the subsisting judgement remain valid until an appellate decision is taken. The only valid judgement so far is in our favour.

    In the first instance, they felt too arrogant to sit in a discussion. For me, what matters in life is not money or position. When the bible said Herod exalted himself above the knowledge of God, it is this type of attitude. Who is who to determine the fate of another man? So, when they behave like that, I don’t care. God gives positions and I don’t need to depend on anybody to get positions. I got this one without lobby. God must have used people to promote me to this point. Go and find out when I served military administrators as commissioner. There were times when I said instead of this, I will resign.

    You heard what I said on the floor of the senate during my screening when it was insinuated that I had a parley with the PDP. If you cannot serve the devil, don’t eat his food. That is my philosophy. I wont put my hand behind and collect and then pretend. They were too arrogant to sit in discussion even though I know that I have greater political fortunes in the state than they have put together. My fortunes in politics is from the life I have lived with my people and they know me. It is not a matter of being ambitious, but recognising that we all can form a whole.

    Every leader has what it takes to resolve crisis in his domain. So, I have no doubt that the national chairman can resolve the crisis. As the national chairman, he should be able to. For me, I exercise the right and privileged of my membership within the limits of the provisions of the rules of the party. As a member of the cabinet of the President, you don’t expect me to be a dissident and if anybody does not regard his position as a pedestal of honor, you don’t expect me to follow him. If you think suspending me is managing the crisis, you are wrong because it is provoking more crisis. I know that I am not serving any suspension. Did I register in Abuja? We are all members of our ward.

  • Ribadu, Abe, others lose out as APC Appeals Panel submits report

    …party beat deadline for submission of list

     

    Former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Senator Representing Rivers East in the upper legislative chamber and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani may have emerged as some of the biggest losers in the nomination process for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The outcome of the Appeals Committee which considered complain from the aspirants for the various offices did not favour them as their Appeals were rejected by the panel while upholding the results of the primaries in the various states.

    Read Also:APC Primary: Appeal Panel upholds Nwosu’s election

    Those who also lost out in the governorship race in accordance with the committee report include brother to the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, Alhaji Mahmoud Halilu popularly known as Modi, President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Bala Bobboi Kaigama and Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun who lost the opportunity to have his choice candidate returned as the party flag bearer.

    However, there was palpable tension within and around the National headquarters of the party as aspirants for the Senate and House of Representatives battle to have knowledge of the outcome of the screening and probably the list of candidates sent to INEC by the party.

    The party’s Director of Organisation, Alhaji Abubakar Kari who led some officials of the party in a branded APC bus to submit the list to INEC was seen at about 2.00pm cuddling the list of candidates which has been kept secret.

    It was however gathered that many members of the party across the country who were not sure of whether the decision of the appeal panel were in their favour have been making frantic calls to the secretariat to know their fate.

    The Nation learnt that several of the petitions submitted to the Appeals Panel were either not entertained or dismissed for lacking in substance and this has not gone down well with many of those whose petitions were not entertained.

    The two petitions against the governorship primaries in Rivers by Senator Magnus Abe and Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs were not upheld, while the only petition from Delta written by Prof. Pat Utomi was dismissed and tagged “overtaken by event”.

    From Borno, there were four petitions against the conduct of the governorship primary, with the committee recommending that a consensus option b explored to be driven by the National Chairman in consultation with the President.

    It was also gathered that majority of the petitions against the conduct of the Senate and House of Representatives primaries were not upheld for various reasons ranging from lack of merit, lack of proof to lack of time for fresh primaries while no reasons were adduced for not upholding some others.

    Similarly, some petitions were upheld and some of the petitioners declared as candidates of the party either because they actually won the primaries and were substituted or for other reasons ranging from lack of clearance and others that were not adduced by the committee.

    For example, the Athanasisus Okon who runs the Buhari Friends Organisation Network who was excluded from the primary for Itu/Udom/Oboh-Akara federal constituency was upheld and declared candidate of the party by the committee for reason that he has a strong pedigree and has been a strong supporter of the President and the party.

    A summary of the report indicate that all petitions against the Senate and House of Representatives primaries were rejected by the panel, the same position with Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross Rivers state.

    In Delta, eight petitions were upheld for winning the primaries and having their names substituted, while seven were rejected, while the three petitions against the conduct of the governorship primary in Akwa Ibom state was rejected alongside eight House of Representatives seat, while five were upheld.

    From Kaduna, six petitions were treated for the Senatorial primaries with five of them rejected while one (Shehu Sani) was upheld, while nine of the ten petitions received for the House of Representatives were rejected.

    Two petitions each were received against the governorship primaries in Sokoto and Jigawa and rejected, while three House of Representatives and three Senatorial petitions were rejected from the two states.

    Petitions from Kebbi and Katsina states were also rejected while the two against the conduct of the governorship primary were referred to the National Working Committee for decision, while the petitions from Kano were either upheld or referred to the party national secretariat for action.

    From Taraba state, The Nation gathered that ten petitions were r covered against the conduct of the governorship primary, four against the Senate primary and nine against the House of Representatives primaries, with all petitions rejected, a similar situation with Adamawa and Bauchi states, with only one Senatorial and one House of Representatives seat in Bauchi upheld.
    The situation is not different from the south west zone with six petitions treated from Ekiti against the conduct of the National Assembly primaries and rejected, three House of Representatives petition from Osun were also rejected.

    From Ondo State, the panel upheld three petitions for senate, refers one to the NWC, rejects two and upheld the five petitions for House of Representatives, saying that they won the primary and were substituted.

    Of the two petitions received from Lagos, one was rejected for the senate, while the one for the House of Representatives was upheld.

    The panel also rejected two Senatorial petitions from Ogun and recommended that the third petitioner be adopted as the candidate saying stakeholder of the party in the areas agreed to adopt him as a sole candidate.

    However, aspirants whose petitions were not treated are protesting against the report of the Appeals Panel saying grave injustice has been done to them both in the conduct of the primaries and the outcome of the Appeals Panel.

    One of the aspirants Mr. Adaze Wilson Imafidon, who was seeking the party’s ticket to contest the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde House of Representatives Federal Constituency seat, submitted a petition to the appeals committee through his lawyers, describing the purported primary election held in the constituency as a sham.

    According to his legal representatives, Imafidon and Imafidon of Eghosa Chambers, their client resorted to writing the petition to the committee because of the injustice that was done to him and his supporters who are bonafide members of the party.

    The aspirant alleged that none of the accredited members of the APC committee sent to the area was present during the purported election in the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency except in Urhonigbe South where only the INEC went to observe.

    “Consequently, it is now beyond contention that the proposed primary election into the Federal House of Representatives in Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency, which was slated for Saturday 6th October 2018, and indeed all other APC primary elections throughout Edo State did not hold to the dismay of our client and his mammoth supporters.” The petition disclosed.
    They said any attempt to present any of the aspirants to INEC as the winner of the botched APC primary election of 6th October 2018 would be illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.

    “We, therefore, call on the National Working Committee (NWC) to appreciate the concerns raised above and to do justice as appropriate in the overall interest of the Party.”

    Another aspirant, Christopher Ariri, who is an aspirant for the Orhionmwon East State Constituency of Edo State,  said, “Some of the accredited members of the appropriate committee mandated by the party to supervise and conduct the primary election into the Edo state House of Assembly’s Orhionmwon East Constituency, totally hijacked the process when they noticed our huge support by deliberately declining to count votes cast for us so as to foist on us a situation of complete helplessness”.

    Meanwhile a group, on the platform of Benue South APC Justice and Equality Movement has taken a peaceful protest to the headquarters of the party, asking the NWC to call the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh to order for allegedly substituting the names of elected candidates with those who did not participate at the primary.

    The coordinator of the group, Mr. Akor Ikwuocha, told newsmen that they were surprised that after winners have emerged and names were submitted to the approximate authority by the electoral committee, “the Minister allegedly from overseas, called a meeting of few persons and announced to them that he is substituting names of most of the candidates because they were not his choice.

    “Today, there is no single campaign bill board of President Muhammadu Buhari in the whole of Benue South Senatorial district despite the fact that the Benue South has a cabinet member in person of Chief Audu Ogbe.”

    The protesters said the attempt to change the names of elected candidates across Benue South may further engender disenchantment among the APC members.

    They, however, appealed to the NWC to call the Minister to order and ensure that all those candidates that won the primary elections are allowed to go for the general election as party’s candidates.

     

     

     

     

  • Confusion as APC holds parallel primaries in Cross River

    Confusion trailed the conduct of the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State Monday as two factions of the party held two separate exercises to produce two governorship candidates.

    Although the faction that was recently inaugurated by National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, led by Dr Mathew Achigbe, had resumed office as the state executive council of the party, the other faction led by Mr. Godwin Etim-John had continued to insist they were the authentic one.

    Read Also:‘I will not quit APC, still loyal to party’

    So Monday, both factions had overseen the conduct of the two separate primaries. Both had adopted the direct primaries’ method.

    From the Etim-John faction, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani, emerged as the winner of the primaries scoring 47, 313 votes.

    Announcing the result at the collation centre of the party Secretariat of their own faction in Calabar, the Chairman of the gubernatorial election Committee, Emmanuel Annom, said the Minister having scored the highest number of lawful votes in the gubernatorial primaries is declared the winner and Governorship candidate of the party for the 2019 general elections in the state

    A breakdown of the result he read indicated other aspirants got as follows; Senator John Owan Enoh, 1, 486 votes; Eyo Etim Nyong, 1, 168 votes; John Upan Odey, 1099 votes; and Edem Duke, 1, 322 votes.

    Mr Etim John said the processes the party went through were turbulent and rigorous.

    “We thank all the aspirants. We have appeal panel, all those who feel aggrieved should follow the due process of our party constitution and accept the outcome,” he said.

    At press time yesterday the other primaries, which was conducted by Ali Magaji led committee, was yet to collate the results from the 196 wards in the 18 local government areas of the state.

    The governorship primaries of the Achigbe-led executive council, was shifted to Monday from Sunday by the National Vice-Chairman of the APC, South-South, Chief Hilliard Eta, following the late arrival of electoral materials.

    But a top party source cried foul, alleging that materials were not evenly distributed to the wards.

    However, when contacted Monday evening, Eta said that the election had been conducted in all the 196 wards, adding that collation would soon commence.

    Two governorship aspirants of the party, Chief Edem Duke and Prof. Etim Nyong, had on Sunday raised the alarm that the party structure was being hijacked by Eta to favour a governorship aspirant from the central senatorial district.

    Eta had described the allegation as false, saying the process would be free and fair.

  • Audio: FG orders audit of Dana airline 

    Audio: FG orders audit of Dana airline 

    The Federal Government on Wednesday ordered complete audit of Dana airline.

    The airline had recently been involved in non-fatal accidents in the country, with one of its plane over shooting the runway in Port Harcourt and another one had its door failing off while taxiing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja.

    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said the audit will cover the personnel and assets of Dana airline.

    He was with the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani.

    Garba Shehu said “A lot of quality time was spent discussing air safety. The government of Nigeria is very much concerned about safety and the life of Nigerians; this is following the recent air incidents.

    “Minor as they were because there were no fatalities, the government did feel concern and the Minister did the report to the Council on steps that were taken following the last incident in Port Harcourt, Dana aircraft overshooting the runaway. As soon as that happened, a few seconds, a rescue team was there on the ground and few moments thereafter every passenger on board was evacuated. There was no harm to persons and this is something that should be celebrated.

    “Within 24 hours an official investigation had commenced because investigators arrived in Port Harcourt and began work. One week after that a preliminary report was prepared and it was about this that the Council was briefed.

    “Consequently as announced by the aviation authorities, the engineer and pilot of that particular aircraft got their licences suspended and beyond that the government has ordered a complete audit of Dana airlines in terms of personnel, operations, and technical capacity,” he said.

    He also disclosed that the Council has approved the augmentation of the contract sum for the rehabilitation of Burnt Marina Bridge and the Maintenance of Eko (Apobgbon) and Iddo bridges in Lagos State, in Favour of Messrs. Buildwell Plant and Equipment Industries Limited, in the sum of N114, 424,225.05.

    The amount, he said, represented 12 percent of the original contract sum.

    https://soundcloud.com/thenationnewspaper/fg-orders-comprehensive-audit-of-dana-airline

    He said that the contract sum was reviewed from N957, 053,316.45 to N1, 071, 29,541.40 with additional completion period of six months.

    The Council, he said, also approved augmentation for Mangu Dam, in Plateau State to N7.66 billion from original cost of N5.66 billion increasing the total contract sum to N13.2 billion.

    Dan-Ali said that his Ministry presented to the Council the status of the implementation of approved capital projects and achievements of the Ministry of Defence from 2015 to 2017.

    The presentation, he said, covered the strategic policies of the Ministry, including to build and maintain flexible, compact and highly trained Armed forces capable of defending the territorial integrity of the nation.

    He said “The brief also covers the serviceability of the military platforms, operational readiness, future projections and the way forward. During the period under review the Ministry received a timely consideration and approval of its capital projects and the Armed Forces in general.

    “This no doubt resulted to the successes recorded so far in the fight against terrorists and other security challenges in the country. It is pertinent to state that prior to assumption of office by President Muhammadu Buhari, most of the military platforms and hardware were old, worn out, non-functional and obsolete.

    “However, it is gratifying to mention that this administration have made tremendous efforts in the provision of funds for the acquisition of modern military hardware to meet up with security challenges. High priority was also placed on renovation of existing barracks facilities to cater for the welfare of the members of the Armed Forces.

    “Some of the facilities renovated were neglected for over forty years. Between 2015-2017 a total of 18 rehabilitation works have been carried out in various barracks across the six geo political zones by the Ministry. Similarly Defence Headquarters also approved 36 capital projects within the period.

    “The Nigerian Army embarked on 68 approved projects. Nigerian Navy implemented 31 projects while a total number of 64 projects were also implemented by the Nigerian Air force,” he said.

    According to him, he also gave breakdown of capital projects implementation stage by other agencies of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

    “The Armed Forces Command and Staff College implemented 23 capital projects Similarly, the National Defence College got approval for 69 projects some of which were already completed while others are on-going. The Defence space Administration has so far implemented 32 capital projects from 2015-2017. Defence Intelligence Agency has 11 projects approved and most of them are already completed or at various stage of completion The Defence Industries Corporation in Kaduna got approval for 38 projects, some already completed while paucity of funds is affecting the completion of others The Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, oshodi had 38 capital projects approved, most of the projects are already completed It is worthy to mention that since independence no projects of such magnitude and number were achieved in less than 3 years,” he said.

    He also said that the presentation also proposed a way forward for the implementation of a comprehensive reform of the entire defence management system with a view of promoting effectiveness, transparency, accountability and self-reliance.

    According to him, the role of the Presidency/Armed Forces Council and the National Assembly were identified as paramount in the implementation of the defence sector reforms.

    He said that the Defence Headquarters will also improve on training of personnel, improvement on the serviceability rate of equipment by conducting regular audits of existing assets.

    Udoma said that he briefed the Council on the NBS recent report.

    He said “I presented a briefing to the Federal Executive Council today on the most recent Gross Domestic Product and other related economic performance numbers as released last week by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

    “You will recall that it indicated that in the last quarter of 2017 the economy had continued its positive growth trajectory by growing by 1.92%. This is higher than the previous quarter when it grew by 1.40%. And higher still from the 2nd Quarter, when it grew by 0.72%.

    “The numbers clearly show that the economy has fully exited recession. Council members were particularly pleased to note that this growth is very broad based with Agriculture growing at 4.23% up from 3.06% in the 3rd Quarter. Other sectors such as Transportation and storage, Electricity and gas production, Metal Ores, and Industry all grew, particularly noteworthy were the growth recorded in Trade (2.07% and Services (o.10%) after six quarters of negative growth.

    “Council members were also happy to note that overall the non-oil sector grew by 1.45%, it’s strongest since 2015. Inflation is also trending downwards moving down from 18.72% in January 2017 to 15.13% in January 2018. Council members were also happy to see the increasing private sector confidence in the ERGP, and other policies and programmes of the Buhari administration, as evidenced by the increasing capital inflows.

    “Capital inflows in 2017 were US$12,228 million, a growth of 138.6% over the total inflow in 2016 of US$5,124 million. This has been a factor in the build-up of our foreign reserves which have grown from US$23.81 billion in September 2016 to almost US$42 billion.

    “Council members however agreed that whilst these positive results are most encouraging, particularly in the light of where we were in the last few years, the current growth rate is still rather modest and we have to continue to work even harder to achieve the goals of the ERGP of diversifying the economy and achieving our growth targets of 3.5% this year, and 7% by 2020.

    “And, of course one of the ways we are intensifying implementation of the ERGP are the ERGP focus labs which will be launched next week Tuesday, 13th March, by Mr President,” he stated.

    Usani Uguru, said the Council approved the design of section five of East – West Road meant to link Oron in Akwa Ibom to Calabar in Cross River State.

    Read Also:AIB releases preliminary reports involving DANA, Delta , Nestor Oil aircraft

  • FG set to approve three modular refineries in Edo – Kachikwu

    FG set to approve three modular refineries in Edo – Kachikwu

    …As Alaghodaro Investment Summit kicks off Friday

    As business leaders storm Benin City, the Edo State capital, Friday, for the Alaghodaro Investment Summit, Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, on Thursday in Benin City said the Federal Government is already processing applications received for the establishment of seven modular refineries in the state.

    He said three of the applications have reached the approval stage.

    Kachikwu disclosed this during the Stakeholders’ Engagement and Enlightenment Campaign in Niger Delta states, organised by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in collaboration with the Edo State Government, held in Benin City.

    The event is part of a series of activities heralding the Alaghodaro Investment Summit, which kicks off at the Edo Hotel, Okada Avenue, Benin City, and will play host to the crème of the business community across the globe.

    Kachikwu said the Federal Government was working to bring development to the Niger Delta region through the Modular Refineries Initiative, Gas Flare Commercialisation programme and collaboration with oil-producing states, on the Amnesty programme.

    He said the establishment of modular refineries is driven by the private sector, adding that designs, analysis and engineering work for three of the refineries have been done.

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, said the meeting was to sensitise the people on Federal Government’s on-going initiatives in the region after earlier visits to the region.

    Usani said the Federal Government was reviewing the Amnesty programme to capture those who were not included earlier in the scheme.

    Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki said the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has not lived up to its duties, noting that the commission has failed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state on the reconstruction of the Benin-Abraka Express Road. 

    The governor called for a yearly stakeholders’ meeting to revive development by the federal government in the state.

    “Oil is located in 33 communities in three local government areas in the state, which include, Ovia North East, Orionmwon and Ikpoba Okha. We want to organise the oil-producing LGAs into clusters and work with federal government to help us with the physical planning and gap analysis to evaluate progress of development in the councils,” Obaseki said.

    Kachikwu announced the constitution of a committee to identify development needs within the state, comprising representatives of the Federal Government, State Government, NDDC and security agencies, which will be headed by the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq. 

    Also present at the stakeholders’ meeting were delegates from the three oil-producing local government areas in the state, who called for provisions of health care centres, modular refineries, good roads and the inclusion of their youths in the amnesty programme, among others. 

  • Niger Delta minister : giving roads to people, others not favours from govt

    Niger Delta minister : giving roads to people, others not favours from govt

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, in this interview with NICHOLAS KALU in Calabar, talks about how the Muhammadu Buhari administration is redefining the concept of development among other issues. Excerpts:

    What is your assessment of the development of the region?

    It is not a story to be told. It is what is to be seen and when you talk of development. What is your idea of development? There are certain things that are basic to life, which in the misconstruction of political mischief, people think is development, which is not. Making water available, giving roads to people, people going to school, providing health facilities are not development.

    They become development when people have been cheated enough to define those things as favours from government and so far you can understand our focus is to lift people from a no-level to the pedestal of development, which is to say providing these things and going beyond to get people to have capacities and skills to make choices for themselves, which is why emphasis is on human development, while infrastructural and physical development are rudimentary baselines for human survival.

    One, laying more than 30 per cent of budgetary provision to infrastructural development, which is a propelling foundation or platform, for other development issues to take place. Two, getting people involved, politics of inclusion. Today you hear we have a programme to get modular refineries, where communities would be shareholders.

    So ,they can decide their fate by the proceeds of what returns to them. So, if want to talk about development, vis-à-vis the administration of this era, you will realise that we are redefining development in the true perspective that affects humanity, and not by the deception of what people see as flashpoints, which vanish later and that has been the reason we never ever sustained any reasonable foreign reserves.

    We should also carry on what can sustain an economy for tomorrow. Are you not surprised to hear today that Nigeria’s yam is accredited for export? Are you not surprised that within two years, the LAKE Rice, which is a collaboration between Kebbi and Lagos states are providing millions of tons towards food security and self-sufficiency. Just few days back the Vice President had gone to commission fertiliser plants and today we have a minimum of 14 fertiliser plants within two years, revived.

    And we are embarking on a programme of linkage activities between the produce, the producing subsector and the manufacturing in the Niger Delta by an initiative that puts together all the funding establishments such as the development banks, private investors, state governments and the initiative drivers to be able to ensure that we revive the agric sector in the region and moribund industries as far as they meet the terms of our templates.

     

    The issue of abandoned projects in the region has been a recurring decimal. What is your plan towards this?

     

    The policy of government is to make sure that projects are completed and that is why when you hear mass capital estimates in the budget for various ministries, you find out that most of the money goes to what they call ongoing projects because we do not want them to be abandoned.

    Go to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Ministry of Water Resources, you find out that all these ministries are concentrating on projects that had been established long ago, but not completed yet. If we want to play politics with the development of our people, we will put on new things, so people will clap hands for us.

    But all will be at the same stage of stagnation in future. But this we are doing because we are sincere. People may not appreciate because it is their level of understanding, but we know that in time to come, we will appreciate what foundations we are putting in place.

     

    The Odukpani-Ikot Ekpene-Aba Road contract has been awarded, but so far it appears nothing is being done about it…

     

    First, remember that before November 2016, people slept on that road for two, three days. While awarding the contract for the dualisation of the road, the government took immediate action by putting on a remedial repair, which today at least enables people to flow.

    That tells you that our programmes, according to the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), define short term, medium term and long-term programmes. So, people would continue to enjoy progressive actions towards the final intended goods. That is one. Two, if you hear that a contract is signed, there are procedures in government for release of funds and so on.

    We have not done anything to deceive anybody and we are working very hard because of lack of funds to get many of these things funded by various programmes or financial acquisitions from concessioning to credits and so on and so forth.

    And these things are things that normally take negotiations for years, but we are able to fast track and get some within three months, six months and so on.

     

    Would defaulting contractors be punished?

     

    The intention is not to punish anybody because even if you put a man in prison, the project is not finished. The intention is to ensure that any money released to anybody receives value so that society can benefit.

     

    What is situation on the extension of  the East-West road to Calabar?

     

    Remember we became Ministers in November 2015, so effectively we have been Ministers for about 18 months or so. And if this period is long enough not to appreciate the action of government in correcting the misdeeds from design to contractual agreements and so on, then you should ask yourself, what 11 years mean when the project was started in 2006. And I can tell you why the segment of Oron to Calabar is delaying is that from the design to the contractual terms, suggests that project would never ever have been finished. One the design fell short of every social, economic and physical expectations of a sustainable project. Even when the environmental impact assessment showed that the design was faulty, they went ahead. Now we are a stage where we have corrected it and the Federal Executive Council has given approval, and the consultants are going to deliver within the next two months, the real design by which we can then go ahead to do the proper negotiation for the contractual agreement. It may interest you to know that the contract that was negotiated in naira was signed in dollars, which means if that project had been taken off the basis of that contract agreement, in an unstable exchange regime, forever there would be no value to that contract, and we must correct it.

     

     

     

  • Minister worried over security situation in Cross River

    Minister worried over security situation in Cross River

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, has expressed worry of the security situation in Cross River State.

    Speaking at the inauguration of the Cross River State executives of the Niger Delta Youth Network for Peace and Development in Calabar, Usani reasoned that it was surprising that the capital that has only a few gateways apart from the coastal line can have such incessant attempts of kidnaps in recent times.

    Usani lauded the youths for the initiative to promote peace and development, assuring them he will do his best to promote and propagate them.

    “Beginning from Cross River is the right action because if you do not have peace and experience it, you cannot export it elsewhere and that is why as a Cross Riverian and as a Minister, I will be proud enough to promote and propagate your interest at any level.

    “We are comfortable with the fact that young people can come together and decide that they want to propagate all issues concerning peace within the region. And starting from Cross River, it means we are already turning towards the journey to sustaining what we are used to be known for in the past,” he said.

    Chairman of the event, Prof Eyo Etim Nyong, also lauded the youths for the initiative, saying anything that affects the Niger Delta affects the entire country.

    Nyong posited requirements for any country to sustain peace include strengthening government institutions, an efficient justice system and respect for the constitution.

    National Chairman of the Youth Network, Mr. Sylvester Okpo, said it was his desire to impact positive values and aspirations to the youths and mostly to promote peace and harmony in the Niger Delta region.

  • Osinbajo, PANDEF meet in Aso Rock 

    Osinbajo, PANDEF meet in Aso Rock 

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday night met behind closed doors with members of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF).

    The meeting started around 7p.m at the Vice President’s conference room.

    Some of those attending the meeting included Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, elder statesman, Edwin Clarke and Alfred Diete-Spiff.

    Other are God knows Igali, Timi Alaibe, Obong Victor Atta, Graham Douglas, Dan Etete, Captain Idahosa Okunbo, Paul Ogbebor, and Senator Ndoma Egba.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

    Details Later…

     

  • EU water project: Bayelsa, Delta, Edo meet deadline

    EU water project: Bayelsa, Delta, Edo meet deadline

    Three states — Bayelsa, Delta and Edo, have fulfilled the required 30 per cent counterpart funding to access European Union (EU) N2.4 billion grant for the water project in the Niger Delta region.

    Mr Albert Achten, the Leader of the EU experts team, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

    Achten, however, said that two of the five states targeted in the region had yet to fulfil the requirement in order to enjoy the grant.

    “These states are Akwa Ibom and Rivers. If they fail to pay the required 30 per cent counterpart funding, they will lose the grant.

    “For instance, Bayelsa, Edo and  Delta states are right now at the procurement stage and in no time, they will be to access the grants.”

    According to him, the EU and UNICEF have signed a five-year contribution agreement to boost rural water and sanitation project in the Niger Delta region.

    Achten, therefore, appealed to the defaulting state governments, in the interest of their communities, to contribute their counterpart funds to enable them to access the EU fund.

    He said that this would enable them to provide water for their communities.

    He said the project was important as it was expected to contribute to conflict mitigation in the region by improving access to basic social services.

    “This project will support the state governments and the rural water sanitation institutions in the five states to develop and implement needed reforms in the sector.

    “It will also deliver sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene services within communities and schools.”

    Achten said the roles and responsibilities of partners under the programme were being worked out just as the cost-sharing arrangements and coordination mechanism.

    “The water and sanitation component of this programme are mainly to enhance access to safe, adequate and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services.

    “This component is already active in the five states and we are taking two local government areas per state.”

    He commended the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, for not only ensuring that the region utilised the fund but also for acting promptly on his earlier promise on the realisation of the project.

    NAN recalls that the initiative, under the aegis of the Niger Delta Support Programme (NDSP), had been ongoing for some time, but needed to be sustained.

    NDSP was designed to be implemented from 2013 to 2017 to mitigate the conflict in the region by addressing the main causes of unrest and violence.

    Those issues include bad governance, youth unemployment and poor delivery of basic services.