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Tag: Mohammed Bello

  • FEC approves over N173. 45 billion for roads, power, other projects 

    FEC approves over N173. 45 billion for roads, power, other projects 

    After over six hours meeting, the Federal Executive Council ( FEC ) meeting on Wednesday approved over N 173.45 billion for projects covering roads, power, education, water, health among other projects.

    The Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu and FCT, Mohammed Bello briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The projects approved include N38.69 billion power projects in nine universities and one teaching hospital, N5.6 billion for completion of Adada Dam project in Enugu State, N6. 5 billion for Galma Dam in Kaduna State.

    Read Also:  FEC okays N1.712 billion for FCT water pipeline contractor 

    Others include N6. 9 billion for textbooks distribution in schools, N62.06 billion road projects in Enugu State, N3.1 billion seaport vehicles, N3.9 Gulf of Guinea project.

    Also approved on Wednesday are N3.8 billion for Goodluck Jonathan expressway in Abuja and N26 billion for infrastructural development of WASA settlement site in Abuja.

    The Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed that the FEC which will continue on Thursday has gone half way in the over 40 memos for consideration.

  • Adamawa pays N20m counterpart fund to scale up FADAMA project

    Adamawa pays N20m counterpart fund to scale up FADAMA project

    The Adamawa Government has paid N20 million counterpart fund for the implementation of the FADAMA III Second Additional Financing (AFII) programme to fast-track efforts to restore people’s livelihoods in the state.

    Mr Mohammed Bello, the State Project Coordinator of FADAMA, made this known on Friday in Yola, while presenting a report to the FADAMA mission team led by Dr Ben Herbert.

    Bello said that the FADAMA III (AFII) project, also known as North East Security and Livelihood Emergency Support Project, was initiated to respond to the food and livelihood needs of families who were hitherto displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    He noted that the feats recorded in the project encouraged the state government to pay the counterpart fund.

    “The scope and scale up of Fadama III (AFII) project activities in the six northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the project.

    “Adamawa is one of the participating states and it is expected that over 4,000 households in the state would have been supported by the end of the project.

    “FADAMA III (AFII) project covers all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

    “From the 4,000 supported households, 2,240 persons were returnees and 1,760 persons were from the host communities, while the project also engaged 20 facilitators across the state,’’ he said.

    He said that the FADAMA III (AFII) project had built the capacity of the beneficiaries and provided advisory services for them.

    “With regard to crop production, 2,331 households were supported under the project, which also supported fisheries.

    “The inputs distribution pattern showed that 12,950 kilogrammes of rice varieties like Faro 44 variety were distributed, while 207 hectares of rice farmlands were cultivated.

    “Other crops that were distributed include maize, sorghum, groundnut and onion, while fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides, among other inputs, were also dispensed.

    “Advisory services were given to 4,000 household beneficiaries across the state, with 2,331 beneficiaries in the crop sub-sector and 1,669 in the livestock sub-sector,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • FEC approves N2.65bn for FCT road, sewage projects

    FEC approves N2.65bn for FCT road, sewage projects

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N2.659 billion for road and sewage projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT.

    The Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The approval, he said, included the award of a N159 million contract for the final engineering design of a sewage line to capture Katampe, Gwarimpa, Kado, and other districts of the FCT.

    The minister said the Council also approved the release of N2.5 billion for the completion of Kabusa road.

    The project, he said, would be completed in 12 months.

    The Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, said the Council approved 2017/2020 Strategy and Implementation Plan for the transformation of the Federal Civil Service.

    According to her, the strategy is expected to strengthen service delivery in line with the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

  • Man jailed two years over illegal possession of firearms

    Man jailed two years over illegal possession of firearms

    A Jos Upper Area Court on Wednesday sentenced a 32-year-old man, Mohammed Bello, to a two-year prison term over illegal possession of firearms.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bello was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to the charge of being in possession of a locally fabricated gun and 30 rounds of ammunition.

    The magistrate, however, gave Bello a fine option of N5,000.

    The prosecutor, Yakubu Tambaya, had told the court that Bello was arrested by a police officer, Insp. Dalyop Davou, on April 7, 2017 during a road search.

    “The accused was arrested during a stop and search operation along NNPC filling station, Zaria Road, Jos.

    “The policeman stopped a vehicle for a routine search and found a locally made revolver and 30 rounds of cartridges owned by the accused. He was arrested when the officer confirmed that he had no legal tittle to the items,” he said.

    He said that the offence was contrary to section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms Act.

    The accused promptly pleaded guilty and begged for leniency, while promising to change his ways.

  • Courts restrains Gov. El-Rufai from demolishing Kasuwar Barchi market

    Courts restrains Gov. El-Rufai from demolishing Kasuwar Barchi market

    A Kaduna High Court presided over by Justice Mohammed Bello, has issued a restraining order on Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i not to demolish the Kasuwar Barchi market in Kaduna until the determination of the case before the court.
    Bello ordered that all respondents to the case should stop “entering into and demolishing Kasuwar Barchi, pending the hearing and determination of the case.”
    The case was instituted by 16 persons, on behalf of stall owners and traders in Kasuwar Barchi, seeking to stop the governor from demolishing the market.
    Joined in the suit are the Attorney-General of Kaduna State and Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency as second and third respondents.
    The plaintiffs include Auwalu Hussain, Kabiru Usman, Aminu Ahmed, Bawa Ahmed, Josia Sunday, Ndubueze Egbo-Ogu, Augustine Sunday.
    Others are, Ali Abdulhamid, Maryam Abubakar, Rabiatu Musa, Latifah Yusuf, Amina Abdulrauf, Aishatu Ibrahim, Hafsat Uba, Sa’adiya Ahmed and Wasilat Ahmed.
    Counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr Elisha Kurah, SAN, had prayed the court to restrain the defendants from going ahead with the demolishing of the market.
    He also prayed the court to determine whether the establishment, maintenance and regulations of markets is vested on the governor.
    The counsel hinged his prayer on Section 7(1) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, together with item 1(e) of the 4th Schedule to the Constitution.
    He also cited Section 20(a) and 21(2) of the Local Government Administration Law of Kaduna State 2012 as amended.
    Kurah said the court should determine whether the governor has power to issue notice to legal occupants of a market in the state for the purpose of establishment, maintenance, regulation or conversion of the said market.
    He said that if the above questions are resolved in their favour, the court should declare that the state government lacked the legal right to make any law to derogate from the function of local governments as specified by law.
    The plaintiffs also want the court to make a declaration that the state government have no constitutional power to take over Kasuwar Barchi market from Kaduna South Local Government and hand it over to private developer.
    They also prayed the court to declare that the establishment, maintenance and regulation of markets is a function constitutionally conferred on local governments, as such the state government has no legal right to hand over such functions to private developer.
    The traders said the court should declare that the threat by the defendants to demolish the market, including shops of the plaintiffs, is invalid, improper, blatant display of raw executive power, illegal, unconstitutional and null and void.
    The case has been adjourned till June 5, for hearing.

  • 1,500-seat conference centre in Sokoto will be ready in June – contractor

    A 1,500 seat  international conference centre being built by Sokoto State will be ready in June, the contractor said.

    The centre is being built for more than N428 million

    Alhaji Mohammed Bello, the Managing Director of Diamond Global Energy Investment Ltd, the contractor, disclosed this when journalists visited the site on Friday.

    “The contract was awarded in late 2014, but the actual work commenced in the first quarter of 2015.

    “The work was to have been delivered in 12 months, but there was a delay due to the transition in 2015.

    “The first phase of the project, which comprises of an administrative block, VIP lounge and an Internet Cafe, among others, has so far reached about 90 per cent completion.

    “This phase of the project will be delivered in the next 20 days.

    “But, the second phase that comprises of the auditorium, has now reached 80 per cent completion stage and it will be delivered in the next 30 days.”

    Bello commended Gov. Aminu Tambuwal for according top priority to the project and promised to deliver a “world- class structure”.

    He also promised not to compromise on the specifications and quality of the project.

    “We will never fail the state government or the people of the state in this direction,” Bello said.

  • Buhari absent again in FEC meeting

    Buhari absent again in FEC meeting

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday presided over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House Abuja.

    Wednesday’s meeting started around 11.a.m. few minutes after he arrived the Council Chamber.

    It was is the third time Osinbajo will be presiding over FEC meeting since President Muhammadu Buhari returned from medical vacation in the United Kingdom on the 10th of March.

    As part of reasons why Buhari did not attend last Wednesday meeting, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had told reporters last Wednesday that Buhari was resting and working at home.

    Unlike last week, many Ministers were in attendance during opening session of the meeting. The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, was also in attendance.

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, offered the Muslim and Christian prayers, respectively.

     

  • FEC approves $470m for FCT water projects

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of $470 million and N186 million for water projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    He was with the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, at the briefing.

    Mohammed said the approvals were given after FEC considered three memos from his ministry.

    He said: “During FEC meeting, we discussed three very important memoranda from FCT. The first one is the approval of the contract for the construction of greater Abuja water supply project at the total cost of $470 million.

    “This is a very important project for the residents of city because it aims to provide portable water to the greater part of the city and it intends to leverage on the facility that we have in the city, that is lower Osuma Dam as well as the Water treatment plant for the city which is reputed to be one of the largest on the African continent.

    “As you know, water supply to the city based on the master plan has not been able to extend to other phases of the city and the intention of this project which is being funded by the China-Nexim bank is to provide water to what we called loops 1, 2, 5 and 6.”

     

  • Man in court over stealing of car worth N2.5m

    A 27-year-old man, Mohammed Bello, was on Wednesday arraigned in a Gudu Upper Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing a car worth N2.5million.

    Bello, a civil servant, is facing trial on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and theft.

    He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The judge, Mr Umar Kagarko, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2.5 million and one surety in like sum and adjourned the matter till May 9 for hearing.

    The prosecutor, Mr John Ijagbemi, had told the court that one Ogunsode Gbade reported the matter at Wuse Police Station on Jan.13.

    He said that the complainant alleged that he parked his RAV 4 SUV jeep with reg. No. ABJ 268 AG, valued at N2.5 million, at Orange Garden, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja.

    “When he was about to leave, he discovered that his vehicle had been stolen,’’ Ijagbemi said.

    The prosecutor said that the vehicle contained one ipad phone, valued at N180, 000; one hair drier, valued at N35,000, and one HP laptop, valued at N130, 000.

    According to John, during police investigations, it was discovered that the defendant had criminally conspired with one Awalu, now at large, to steal the said vehicle.

    He said that the ipad was recovered from the defendant, while investigation is ongoing to recover the stolen vehicle and other items from where he sold them.

    He said the offence was contrary to Sections 97 and 287 of the Penal Code.