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Tag: Nigerian Newspaper

  • 2019/2020: Quadiri, 17 others listed for CAF/FIFA competitions

    In a bid to have Nigerian Referees listed for the 2019/2020 CAF/ FIFA competitions, the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) has picked 24 FIFA-badged referees after its FIFA fitness test conducted in Abuja.

    Six centre referees, and eight assistants referees were selected for male, while three centre and threeassistants referees made it in the female category.

    Disclosing this in Abuja, the NRA President Tade Azeez said the exercise became necessary to ensure Nigerians are listed to handle matches in CAF/FIFA competitions.

    The male centre referees listed are Quadiri Adebimpe, Udoh Ferdinand, Basheer Salihu, Abdullahi Shaibu, Abdullahi Abubakar and Nurudeen Abubakar, while the Assistant Referees are Usman Isah, Usman Abdulmajid, Abel Baba, Igudia Efosa, Peter Ogwu, Digbori Tejiri and Samuel Pwadutakan.

    The female centre referees who scaled through are Foluso Ayayi, Hannah Elaigwu and Madu Patience Ndidi while Bpsede Momoh, Mimisen Iyorhe and Nkwocha Hulda were listed as assistant referees. He said that the referees listed were those who completed minimum of 10 and maximum of 12 laps.

  • Tribunal affirms Tambuwal’s victory

    The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Sokoto State on Wednesday in Abuja affirmed the election of Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

    The three-man tribunal dismissed the petition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Ahmed Aliyu, for lacking in merit.

    Delivering judgment, tribunal Chairman Justice Abbas Bawale said the petitioners had failed to establish their claims to non- compliance with the Electoral Act and the issue of over voting.

    He said the evidence of the petitioners’ witnesses, especially witness number 10, amounted to hearsay which could not prove any of the allegations.

    Read Also: Wild Jubilation in Kano as Ganduje floors Abba at Tribunal

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Aliyu had gone to the tribunal seeking to upturn the victory of Tambuwal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 governorship election.

    he poll, held on March 9, was declared inconclusive following cancellation of 75, 403 votes, which were higher than the 3, 413 votes margin between the leading candidates.

    A rerun was conducted on March 23, which led to the victory of Tambuwal, who won with a slim margin of 342 votes.

    Dissatisfied with the outcome, Aliyu approached the tribunal challenging the return of Tambuwal as the governor-elect, on the grounds that the election was marred by irregularities.

    Tambuwal and PDP had objected to the petition, which the tribunal unanimously dismissed, saying it disclosed substantial cause of action and was properly signed by the petitioners.

    In addition, the tribunal ruled that the petitioners duly paid the filling fees.

    It further held that the non-joinder of the running mate to the petitioners is not enough to render the petition incompetent.

    The Justice Bawale-led tribunal held that the application lacked merit and constituted a waste of judicial time.

  • Senate moves to check illegal mining

    The Senate on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to develop a legal framework to checkmate illegal artisanal mining across the country.

    This call followed a motion titled: “The need to check Illegal Mining Activities in the Country,” sponsored by Sen Ya’u Sahabi, representing Zamfara North, at plenary.

    The Senate further urged the Federal Government to clean up the areas affected by lead poisoning in Zamfara State, rehabilitate the victims and environmental degradation in the state.

    In his lead debate, Sen. Sahabi, noted that Nigeria is rich in over 40 types of minerals, with the solid minerals sector proving to be a potential source of economic development and diversification of the economy.

    He said the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the country dated back to 1902 with the production of tin, coal and considerable ton of gold yearly.

    He acknowledged that the objective of the National Policy on Solid Minerals is to ensure orderly development of mineral resources in the country.

    Read Also: Telecoms firms to battle Senate over 9 per cent tax bill

    He said the Senate is “saddened that over the years, illegal mining activities has continued to increase across the country, especially in Niger, Plateau, Zamfara, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo states respectively, where it thrives without check.”

    He lamented that illegal mining sites not only breed criminality, but also exacerbates terrorism and insurgency as witnessed in states where mining activities are being done, “especially, Zamfara State, where the state of insecurity could be traced to these illegal mining sites.”

    He said the  Senate is aware that an online platform reported in August, 2018, that over two million people depend on illegal mining for their livelihood in the country.

    He said illegal artisanal mining accounts for over 80 per cent of mining and “this is largely informal activity, without any revenue accruals to the government.”

    He expressed worry that due to illegal mining, “the solid mineral sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country dipped over time, showing that while Nigeria gets less from the sector, other African countries enjoy significant contribution from the sector to their GDP.

    For example, the sector contributes over 40per cent to the GDP of Botswana; and in Congo and South Africa, it is about 25per cent and 18per cent respectively.

    He insisted that despite derailing the attainment of the nation’s targeted GDP, the affected states, especially Zamfara is greatly short-changed economically.

    He further expressed concern that the “occupational health and environmental impact on the country is incalculable as witnessed in the tragic lead poisoning that claimed several lives in Zamfara State not too long ago.”

    Senator in the contributions bemoaned lack of a comprehensive legal framework for mining in the country and called for urgent action to redress the anomaly.

  • Three Ghanaians among suspects held for ‘illegal’ fishing

    The Central Naval Command (CNC) of the Nigerian Navy (NN) has nabbed three Ghanaians and 49 others for ‘illegal’ fishing activities on Brass River, Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

    The suspects including four fishing trawlers were on Wednesday transferred to the Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (FDFA) for further investigations and prosecution.

    The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base (FOB) FORMOSO, Capt. Suleiman Ibrahim, handed over the four vessels christened, Star Shrimpers 3, Cosmos 1, Trade Wind and ORC VII and the crew members to officials of FDFA in Brass.

    Ibrahim said the feat was an indication that the partnership involving the Navy, which is under the Federal Ministry of Defence, the FDFA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was yielding positive results.

    He recalled that a few days ago two vessels with crew members were also handed over for trespassing the restricted zones.

    He noted that the law stipulated clearly that fishing trawlers were not allowed to fish within the five nautical miles at the restricted zone.

    He said, “The Navy detected the illegal activities of these four fishing vessels with the use of maritime domain awareness equipment trawling within the five nautical miles restricted zones, and we thereafter deployed our operatives to intercept them.

    Read Also: 15 suspects paraded in Enugu

    “Precisely on the 24th of this month, we handed over two fishing trawlers for fishing within the 5 nautical miles restricted zone. The same scenario is happening again, four fishing trawlers were also arrested for the same offense and we tracked intercepted them.

    “I believe with this existing collaboration and partnership with other government agencies, we will be able to educate the companies more on the need to stay away from the restricted areas to avoid crisis with local fishermen”.

    Speaking on the development, the Assistant Director and Head of Monitoring Control and Surveillance, FDFA, Popoola Babatunde, said said his interactions with the suspects revealed that the impounded vessels, dropped within the non- trawling zones meant for canoe fishermen.

    He noted that if found culpable, the suspects and their firms would be punished accordingly.

    Captain of one of the vessels, Emilola Tebiti said their raider and GPRS while trawling showed they were not within the restricted areas.

  • Urbanisation, others driving Lafarge products

    Lafarge Africa on Wednesday said the demand for its materials and solutions are driven by global population growth, urbanisation, improved living standards and sustainable construction.

    It also said leveraging innovative expertise has helped to provide value-added products and  solutions in the building and construction industry in the country.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Michel Puchercos who spoke during the re-launch of Lafarge Africa’s  improved Elephant Supaset Cement in Lagos, said the demand for LafargeHolcim materials and solutions are driven by global population growth, urbanisation, improved living standards and sustainable construction. Around 75,000 people work for the company in around 80 countries.

    ‘The introduction of this improved formulation – Supaset is in line with the ‘Growth’ pillar of Lafarge Africa’s Strategy 2022 – Building for Growth – which aims to drive profitable growth and accelerate our performance in key areas. Providing such a product for our customers is in keeping with our commitment to excellence. This is a remarkable moment and great achievement that we all are proud of.

    turing sector. Our global presence and Research Centre in Lyon, France provides a unique opportunity for us to deliver in line with best practices and create innovative products and solutions that deliver more value to our customers.’

    ‘The new Supaset is a solution to the long yearnings of our customers, especially block makers who have lost investments as a result of cement products that do not guarantee the strength needed for construction of buildings and other strong high concrete construction works.” he said.

    Commercial Director of Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Gbenga Onimowo said the new product is in response to customer needs and in line with global industry standards.

    ‘We launched Supaset because we have a unique understanding of the needs of our customers and our end users. With our access to global best practices, innovative solutions from the LafargeHolcim group, we were able to identify and introduce Supaset to take the lead and provide real solutions in construction. We understand the huge losses that people have to deal with due to the lack of cement formulation that guarantees fast setting and superior quality.’ he said.

    “Supaset, just like the name rightly suggests, is a rapid-setting cement that enables blocks dry and set fast, while retaining its quality and ensuring no cracks and breakages thus making it the only cement with such capabilities in the market today. The desire to further secure and grow our market share within this segment took us back to the drawing board and the result is what we are experiencing today, the re-launch of an improved Supaset. Supaset has superior value, sets fast and enables the production of ready to use blocks within 24 hours.

    “This improved formulation has been tried, tested and is trusted by all our customers, including block makers. The brands unique value propositions of Supa strong, Supa quality & Supa Value guarantees that Supaset is the ideal choice for high strength concrete for advanced construction works. Lafarge Africa continues to lead in innovation and creativity, we are equally proud to present this newly improved product in horizontal cement bags, the first-of –its-kind in Nigeria.’’

    In addition to launching the new look bag and an improved product performance; Lafarge Africa is also rolling out a new Marketing Communications campaign across conventional and new media channels.

  • Customs collects N9.2b in one day from border closure

    The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), on Wednesday said the agency collected  N9.2billion in one day as a result of ongoing partial border closure exercise by the Federal Government.

    Answering questions from members of the joint National Assembly Committee on Finance, in Abuja, he said the agency now maintains an average revenue collection of between N5billion and N6billion daily.

    Ali was at the National Assembly on the invitation of the National Assembly joint committee on Finance presently considering the 2020 – 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) submitted to both chambers by President Muhammadu Buhari, last week.

    He said most cargoes that used to berth in Benin Republic and later smuggle their goods into the country are now using Nigerian ports.

    He said the agency’s revenue which had dropped has now increased as the a result of the closure.

    Ali said: “When we closed the border my fear was that our revenue is going to drop. To be honest our revenue kept increasing.

    “There was a day in September that we collected N9.2billion in one day. It has never happened before. This is after the closure of the border and since then, we have maintained an average of about N4.7billion and N5.8 billion on a daily basis which is far more than we used to collect.

    “What we have discovered is that most of those cargoes that used to go to Benin (Republic), shipped to Benin, continue and then discharged and smuggled into Nigeria, now that we have closed the border, they are forced to bring their goods to either Apapa or Tin Can Island and we have to collect duty on them.

    “If that would continue to us it is a welcome situation. As a matter of fact, to answer your question, our revenue has not reduced; it is increasing as a result of closing the border.”

    Ali also said there has been a significant reduction in the amount of fuel supposedly consumed daily in Nigeria since the exercise began.

    “About 10.2million litres of fuel has now been cut down from what we have been assuming to have been consuming. This 10.2million litres of fuel is always going across the border.

    “The issue here is that there is incentive because there is price differential. And that is why our people keep pushing this fuel. If you go to Ilaro today, the filling stations that are there…in Idiroko, there are over 50 to 60 filling stations in one place and they are close to the border.

    “And what we have discovered is that they bring in fuel in the afternoon and in the night they siphon it. They do that everyday and this is why we keep saying we are consuming so many litres of fuel everyday,” Ali said.

    Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Wednesday summoned the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, to appear before its joint committee tomorrow by 9am tomorrow (today).

    This was sequel to the fact that despite having been invited by the Committee, the CBN governor neither sent a representative nor a letter to explain his absence.

    Babandede also did not heed the Committee’s invitation on Wednesday.

  • Ohanaeze youths to Customs: stop extorting traders

    The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has raised the alarm over the worsening cases of extortion of Igbo traders by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on highways in the country.

    Addressing journalists in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Wednesday, the president of the OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka said the series of extortion of Igbo traders and businessmen in the country, especially in Lagos State, by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service had reached an alarming stage.

    According to him, the officials no longer hide “their inclination and pleasure in extorting money from Igbo traders doing legitimate business in Nigeria”.

    He said, “Verified complaints reaching the OYC has confirmed that customs officials have continued to request undue and illegal ‘customs duties and levies’ from Igbo importers as a condition to clear their goods. They also stop Igbo traders on the roads to extort from them. They employ the use of coercion, threats, closure of shops and seizure of goods worth billions of naira to unlawfully obtain money from their victims.

    Read Also: Ohanaeze youths warn Ihedioha over ‘arrest Okorocha order’

    “Recently, some of the officials from the custom office in Ikeja, without court order, stormed Igbo shops at Maryland, Coscharis, Ikorodu and other areas in Lagos and carted away their goods and locked their shops over products that have already been cleared by the same custom officials when it entered Nigerian borders.”

    Reacting to the allegations, the NCS spokesman, Joseph Attah, a deputy controller of Customs, admitted that there was an ongoing  clampdown on smuggled goods especially vehicles, but  denied that the action was targeted on any ethnic group in the country.

    “My brother, why are you bringing in ethnic sentiment to an official action? There is nothing tribal about it because whatever is going on in Lagos is going on in Kaduna, Kano, even Port Harcourt and other parts of the country. As I’m talking to you, I’m in Kaduna to sensitise the people on the ongoing partial border closure and some of the people there  were asking this same question. They are not Igbos. So, there is nothing tribal about it. Those people telling you this have to know that Igbos are not the only ones selling cars,” Attah told The Nation on the  telephone.

    Reminded of the allegation that appropriate duties have been paid on some of the seized vehicles, Attah said, appropriate actions would be taken after investigations.

  • NPA, BUA concession row threatens over 1000 jobs

    The festering dispute between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and BUA Ports  and Terminals Limited, a subsidiary of BUA Group over the status of its Concession in the Port Harcourt Ports area, may scuttle the coming to fruition of the $400million investment by the conglomerate that could provide over 1000 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs in haulage, loading, stacking, sales, among others, in the Group’s manufacturing value chain.

    The General Manager, BUA Ports and Terminals Limited, Mohammed Lile Ibrahim, who spoke with the media on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, said when BUA got the concession in 2006, it engaged Julius Berger at a contract of 22.6 Euros for the Engineering, Procurement and Commissioning (EPC) of the area in accordance with the concession agreement.

    He said Julius Berger worked on the concession area quay for about 12 months from March 2014 to July 2015 and had to leave when its request for cost variation arising from expanded scope of work was delayed by NPA.

    Ibrahim said the concession which is for 20 years in the first instance and subject to renewal has subsisted for only 13 years, saying that the step contemplated by the Managing Director of NPA, Ms. Hadiza  Bala-Usman announcing the decommissioning of the whole concession arrangement, was capable of undermining the NPA concessioning agreements and against internationally acceptable judicial/dispute resolution procedures.

    He said NPA’s argument that the reason for the decommissioning of BUA Jetty was a result of the unsafe operational environment of the jetty which needed urgent repairs and reconstruction is not tenable since BUA Group had on different occasions written the NPA seeking approval to perform remedial works on the terminal, wondering why NPA refused to grant approval but rather  hurriedly decommissioned the terminal despite the repair works required for the part of the Jetty in question not requiring a decommissioning or closure of the entire Terminal.

    Ibrahim said NPA failed to meet with its obligations regarding the lease agreement and of disregarding a ruling of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division injunction restraining NPA from terminating or giving effect to the Notice of Termination pending the referral of the issues in dispute to arbitration as provided under the lease Agreement, pointing out that NPA will jettisoned the pending arbitral processes of the Court of Arbitration of International  Chamber of Commerce in Paris and took laws into its hands by taking physical possession of the Terminal.

    He said BUA Group was unshaken by the actions of NPA, vowing that the company will defend its rights as provided under the Agreement both in court and the arbitration proceedings whilst remaining committed to the terms of the agreement.

    He said the closure is costing BUA Group a monthly revenue loss of between $500,000 and $600,000, and by extension, the Federal Government, which the NPA ought to collect on throughput charges which range from $85,000 to $105,000 monthly, depending on the volume of cargoes discharged.

    Ibrahim said: “This is affecting the economy because when you keep a vessel out for  one month without berth, money is going, somebody is losing. The tank farm that is close to us is losing. Crown Flour Mills take their product from BUA Terminal, we have so many customers that bring in fish through our terminal, all of them now are in big problem because the four berths available can only take four ships at a time and when one berthes cargo vessel, the one you saw has being at the port terminal for more than 10 days, which means that that berth  cannot take any other ship until this one leaves.”

    He said under the agreement between the parties, NPA has an obligation, among others, to dredge the port and repair the quay apron of the Terminal which responsibility it has failed to perform till date.

    The Lease Agreement provides for mutual rights and obligations and makes provision for dispute resolution mechanism which explicitly states that dispute shall be resolved by arbitration.

    “To our surprise and utter bewilderment and in clear breach of the contractual provisions , NPA by a letter dated 11th November, 2016 terminated the Lease Agreement. BUA Ports and Terminals as a law abiding corporate citizen approached the Federal High Court, Lagos Division in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/633/17 between BUA Ports and Terminal Ltd v. NPA contesting the purported termination of the Lease and obtained an order of injunction restraining NPA from terminating or giving effect to the Notice of Termination pending the referral of the issues in dispute to arbitration as provided under the Agreement. The Order granting injunction is dated 18th January, 2018.

    “By the terms of the Agreement, the parties are enjoined to continue with the observance of the terms and performance of their respective obligations under the Agreement even while disputes are being resolved by either court or arbitration.

    “As a result of the injunction and the terms of the contract, BUA Ports and Terminals continues to carry out its obligations under the contract pending the resolution of the dispute. It is important to state that subsequent to the order of injunction, BUA Ports and Terminals wrote several letters and made overtures to the management of NPA for an amicable resolution of the dispute. NPA did not respond to the request for amicable settlement or the overtures made as the management of NPA appears bent and determined to give effect to the Notice of Termination by several measures including but not limited to decommissioning the Terminal.

    He said in accordance with the terms of the agreement, “BUA wrote a letter dated  16th May, 2019 to notify the NPA of the state of the jetty and the need for immediate remedial works. BUA Ports and Terminals specifically in that letter requested the approval of NPA for it to carry out the necessary repairs and reconstruction to avert imminent collapse and danger to human lives.  However, NPA instead of giving the requisite approval as requested in our letter and consistent with the terms of the Agreement, in its determination to give effect to the purported Notice of Termination took laws into its hand by directing the decommissioning of the jetty and immediate closure of the Terminal.

    “It should be stated that the repairs required was as a result of the nefarious activities of hoodlums and vandals who had over a period of time cut the pipes and steel beam of the berths thereby affecting their stability, among others. The activities of these hoodlums and vandals were at various times reported to the NPA who had the responsibility and obligation under the Agreement to provide security for the Ports. The NPA did nothing. Indeed BUA in its determined effort to tackle these issues caused some arrests to be made and some of the suspects prosecuted, but NPA as owners of the Ports showed little or no interest in the prosecution and the case was lost. Obviously if the NPA had been alive to its responsibilities and provided the required security, the activities of the vandals would have been prevented,” he said.

    “It is important to stress that the repair and reconstruction required for the part of the Jetty in question does not require a decommissioning or closure of the entire Terminal. The carrying out of the remedial works if approved by the management of NPA would have remedied the defects stated in our letter to NPA and averted any risk of loss of property and lives.  It is apparent that NPA is using the said letter by BUA Ports and Terminals as a subterfuge for an effective termination and closure of the Terminal in violation of the order of the court restraining NPA from carrying into effect the purported Notice of Termination.

    Ibrahim said contrary to the impression being created by NPA that BUA Ports and Terminals refused or neglected to reconstruct the berths it is imperative to point out that BUA Ports and Terminals Limited awarded the contract for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the berths to Julius Berger Nigeria Limited  (arguably the best civil construction company in Nigeria) and made a payment of Four Million Seven Hundred Thousand Euros as part-payment for the contract which was frustrated by the deliberate refusal of NPA to fulfil part of their obligations stated above. The contract is however still subsisting,” adding that a copy of the letter from JBN acknowledging advance payment also exists.

  • Buhari, others mourn NSCIA Deputy President General Babalola

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday mourned the passing away of the Deputy President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sakariyahu Babalola, is dead.

    He was 87.

    The late Babalola, who was also the President General of the Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN), was a philanthropist.

    He died yesterday in his Lagos home.

    He was the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Telemobile Nigeria Limited.

    Popularly known as S.O.B, the late Babalola was buried yesterday at the Ikoyi Cemetery in accordance with the Islamic injunction.

    Read Also: Buhari mourns former SGF, Ufot Ekaette

    The janazah (prayer for the deceased) took place at the Lagos Central Mosque in Idumota, Lafrgos Island.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President prayed Almighty Allah to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest and comfort all who mourn.

    He extended condolences to the family and firends of the departed.

    Chief Imam of Lagos State, Sheikh Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abou-Nolla, led the janazah.

    Former Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule prayed to Allah to forgive the soul of the departed and admit him into Al-Jannah Firdaus.

    Dr Adebule said the Muslim Ummah had lost a passionate and committed leader in the cause of Islam.

    Sheikh Abou-Nolla described the late Babalola as a committed Muslim and a great philanthropist.

    According to the Chief Imam of Lagos, the late Babalola contributed immensely to the growth of Islam in the state, the Southwest and other parts of Nigeria.

    “May Allah forgive his shortcomings and admit him into paradise,” he said.

    Mufti of the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO) Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafi’I said the late Babalola would be remembered for his numerous good deeds.

    Sheikh Shafi’I said Muslims in Nigeria have lost a great man.

    He prayed to Allah to bless his soul and grant his family and the Ummah the fortitude to bear the loss.

  • Fed Govt to build 10-lane, cash-less toll plazas on highways

    The Federal Government on Wednesday said it plans to reintroduce toll plazas on its roads across the country.

    To reduce travel delays, cash transactions will be minimised at the toll plazas, which will be built on at least 10 lanes, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola (SAN), said on Wednesday.

    He said more land will be acquired for the larger tolls gates.

    Fashola said no law prohibits tolling in Nigeria, adding that the new toll plazas will be built on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved additional N15.765 billion for Suleja-Minna-Lambata road and Ibadan-Lagere-Ilesa bypass.

    Read Also: P&ID: UK judgment saved Nigeria’s assets, says Fed Govt

    Fashola, accompanied by Information, Culture and Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The former Lagos State Governor said the Council approved the upward review of the road contracts from the initial rates.

    On the 101-kilometre Suleja-Minna-Lambata road, the minister said FEC approved additional N12.6 billion; it granted additional N3.165 billion for the Ibadan-Lagere-Ilesa bypass.

    He said: “The first one is the Ibadan-Ilesa bypass 22-kilometre road. The contract was awarded in 2010, but there was no budgetary provision. The rates have become obsolete and the contractor wants a new rate.

    “So, that has necessitated a revision of the rates by N3.165 billion. That means the old contract price of N6.7 billion has now moved to N9.8 billion.

    “The same is true of the Suleja/Minna/Lambata Road. The entire road is 101 kilometres and it was awarded in two phases.

    “The first phase was awarded in 2010 for 40 kilometres. The second phase, covering Kilometre 40 to 101, was awarded in March 2015, but they used the 2010 rates.

    “The contractor is at a point where he says those rates are not sustainable. He can’t continue and we have recommended that the revised rates are considered and the Council approved them. It’s a revision by addition of N12.6 billion. So, the contract price moves from N23.6 billion N36.2 billion.

    “It is important to emphasise that all of these are in keeping first with the desire and determination to focus on projects that can be completed rather than just starting new projects.

    “Also, it is consistent with the realities of economic rates, market price indices for road inputs like cement, iron rods, diesel, petrol, lubricant and the changes that have taken place in the national economic stage between 2010 and now.”

    Stressing that no law opposes toll plazas in the country, Fashola said the Federal Government was working on modalities for reintroducing of cashless toll plazas.

    He said: “Let me just clarify this impression about toll gates. There is no reason why we cannot toll motorists; there is no reason. There was a policy of the government to abolish tolls, or as it were, dismantle toll plazas. But no law prohibits tolling in Nigeria today.

    “We expect to return toll plazas. We have concluded the designs of what they will look like, what materials they will be rebuilt with and what new considerations must go into them.

    “What we are looking out for now and trying to conclude is how the backend runs. And that is important because we want to limit significantly, if not eliminate, cash at the plazas while ensuring that electronic devices that are being used do not impede rapid movement.”

    Speaking on other logistics, Fashola said: “We are also now faced with the need to acquire more land to establish the width of the toll plazas because I believe we are looking at 10-lane plazas so that there can be more outlets.

    “So, we need to acquire more land. That is the work that is currently being done.

    “But let me also say that the expectation that the collection of tolls will then produce the replacement cost of the road is perhaps not accurate. This is because the traffic toll count that we have done on major highways does not suggest that there is enough vehicular traffic across all roads.

    “The two or three heavy routes are Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kano and Abuja-Lokoja. Now, on the Lagos–Ibadan route, the heaviest traffic you will find is between Lagos and Sagamu in Ogun State. It is about 40,000 vehicles. After Sagamu, heading to Ibadan drops to about 20,000.

    “So, most of it has gone eastwards, going towards Ondo and Ore. By the time you get to Benin, the number significantly drops.

    “It goes up again at the confluence where they are heading towards the Niger. So, you can see that it is not a static 50,000 all the way; the same thing with Abuja, Kano and Zaria. After Kaduna, the traffic significantly drops.

    “It is about 40,000 there too but after Kaduna, it begins to drop by the time you get to Zaria.

    “If you have driven to that road before, by the time you are driving between Zaria and Kaduna, you see how thin the recurring number of vehicles you meet is and as you begin to head closer between Kaduna and Abuja, the number of vehicles begins to increase.

    “So, I think it is important to have that at the back of your mind, not all roads have those traffic counts,” he stated

    He noted that what the government was doing was not accidental but a deliberate and methodical action.

    On Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Fashola said: “Let me refer you to the Executive Order 7 that the President signed on a tax credit for infrastructure.

    “Essentially, that is another PPP initiative where companies are supposed to invest their money in infrastructure and then recover it from their tax payments.

    “What people may not understand is, first of all, the company has to make a profit before it can be taxed.

    “So, when you have to build N50 billion highway, how many Nigerian companies are even doing a turnover of N50 billion in the private sector? How many are declaring profits of N50 billion? The tax that you apply on N50 billion profit is 30 per cent. So if you do that, it will be about N15 billion.

    “Look at it that way. So, how many companies are in that? A few banks maybe and perhaps Aliko (Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group) and it is no surprise therefore that the Dangote Group is the one building the Apapa/Oworonsoki Expressway using the tax credit.”

    It was also disclosed that there would be an extra-ordinary FEC meeting at the State House on Saturday by 11 am to delibrate on the 2020 Budget.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opposed plans to return toll gates.

    The party lamented that the “insensitive idea”, coming in amid economic hardship and high cost of living “occasioned by the… policies of the Buhari administration”.

    The party’s spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan said at best, the idea amounted to “executive bullying”.

    The statement said: “Only recently, President Buhari approved the increase of Value Added Tax (VAT) from five per cent to 7.2 per cent.

    The PDP said instead of putting more pressure on already impoverished Nigerians by introducing toll gates at this point in time, President Buhari should exert himself, seek ways of creating wealth out of the abundant resources at the disposal of his administration or make haste to surrender the reign of governance to more competent hands.