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Tag: projects

  • Politics of NDDC projects in Akwa Ibom

    Politics of NDDC projects in Akwa Ibom

    Nkeneke Efo, an Uyo-based journalist, analyses the politics of the state of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) projects in Akwa Ibom State.

    Nsima Ekere is just one of few Akwa Ibom indigenes to have been privileged to serve in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) at the level of Chairman, Managing Director (MD) or Executive Director (ED).

    Others who served at some of these levels before him were Ambassador Sam Edem (Chairman); Barrister Bassey Dan-Abia (Acting Chairman/Managing Director); Udo Mbosoh (ED); Eshiett (ED); Engr. Thomas Ukott (ED), amongst others.

    But Ekere’s tenure, which is just about six months old, has seen the NDDC became a song on every lip in the state, owing, principally, to the new interest generated in the project of the commission.

    It all started when the Commission under Ekere, a former Deputy Governor of the State, barely two months in office, rolled out an advertisement for tender on contract jobs available for award. About 60 were for Akwa Ibom State only and covered the areas of the Commission’s mandate: Water, health, education, power and roads. Almost all local government areas had one or two of the projects listed. This, in addition to about 37 Emergency Roads Repair jobs that were also awarded by the commission, was enough to send signals to discerning citizens that the commission was going to be pro-active in its posture towards the state.

    The road projects, especially, were awarded on roads that had long been abandoned, neglected by past government and which were in different states of disrepair, always flooded and most times, impassable. Some of the roads are Ukana Offot Street, School Roads, Udo Eduok Street, Nelson Mandela, Federal Housing Estate, Uyo among other roads in Uyo, and several others across the state.

    Not many, especially in the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which produced the Governor  Udom Emmanuel, saw the move as being political. There are speculations that Ekere, who had previously ran for the office of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, will run again in 2019, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Emmanuel is interested in a second term.

    To the PDP, spotting Ekere early enough was fair. Sensing the direction of his Commission’s intervention in the development of the state was fairer. What to do? Politicise the intervention and set up a political ambush for the intention of the Commission in fulfilling its mandate to the people of the state, so far it stops Ekere from getting an associated boost for his perceived aspiration in 2019.

    The opportunity showed up when the state government, which had worked on one of the roads abandoned by the NDDC in Ikono Local Government Area, went to inaugurate the road. Commissioner for Works Akparawa Ephraim Inyang said the NDDC had turned the state to an abandoned project site, urging the Federal Government to probe the NDDC over the act. In quick succession, a group, Akwa Ibom Integrity Group, which many believe is funded by agents of the government, ran a 7-page advertorial in national and local newspapers calling  for the probe of the current management of the NDDC. Their petition listed 377 projects purportedly abandoned in the state.

    What the petitioners did not know was that they had stirred the hornet’s nest. Ekere, who was their subject, was not to be found in the nest as other groups joined the petitioners, but this time with a refrain demanding that the probe should rather be on  the contractors, who were mainly members of the then ruling PDP. The contractors listed in the petition were mostly ones awarded between 2007 and 2015 when the PDP held sway at the commission. The hunter thus became haunted.

    To date, outside the emergency road repair contracts, Ekere’s NDDC is yet to award contracts in the state. The process for awards is, however, on. The commissioner recanted, saying he was not calling on the government to probe the PDP contractors but for the NDDC to complete its abandoned projects.

    Some weeks after, another opportunity showed up. Minister of the Niger Delta Pastor Usani Usani was in the state to inspect projects under his ministry. The Commissioner for Works followed him round. The minister obviously irked by the quality of job by some contractors complained. The Works Commissioner’s media handlers went to town: ‘Minister berates NDDC for poor quality of jobs’, starting their stories with “the Managing Director of the NDDC, Nsima Ekere, has been berated by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani, for the poor quality of jobs by the NDDC.” It became an issue which led to the NDDC Director of Commercial and Industrial Development, Mr. Anietie Usen, a veteran journalist who served as the first Head of Corporate Affairs of the Commission, coming to Uyo to clear the misconceptions about the state, situation, quantity and quality of projects in the state.

    Inyang countered by appearing on the state owned AKBC-Radio to make further comments, including saying: “I want to appeal to the NDDC to direct their contractors working on Ewet Housing Estate roads to do a good job. They are currently putting red earth on unsuitable materials. This is below sub-standard. That road will collapse in three months. We want roads in Akwa Ibom but we want good quality roads that will last.”

    The attention of the Minister, Pastor Usani, was drawn into the crisis and he quickly sent out a release: “My attention is drawn to press posts which suggest that I hold the MD of NDDC, Nsima Ekere, responsible for poor projects delivery. Whereas I express grave disconnect for obvious observation of poor project execution, there is no wresting of attributing the case to the current management. I am conscious of the fact that my observation predates the current management which places no burden of liability on the Managing Director (Ekere).”

    Day after day, especially in local newspaper and on radio stations in the state, the debate on the NDDC projects prevail, mostly fuelled by the politics of 2019 and the political traducers of the MD, Ekere.

    My investigations to road project sites reveal that the NDDC has a very robust checkup system initiated by the current management.

    At the Federal Housing Estate, Abak Road, Uyo, where the NDDC has “cleaned up” the once desolate estate, the Managing Director of the firm handling the “clean up,” God’s Owned Projects Limited, Mr. Godwin Brownson, said “those who said NDDC does poor jobs, should come and see what we are doing. They also do not know the NDDC very well. There is a serious quality assurance scheme in the NDDC contract process. There is no way I can do any of the bits on the BEME (Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation) that NDDC project monitors and inspectors don’t come to see. Even if they were not to come, most of the contractors are conscious that they have to build a good name and therefore cannot afford to do shoddy jobs. Every NDDC contractor wants a new job and also wants to get paid. The payment process is strictly based on quality of delivery and other due process. So, no NDDC contractor can joke with the quality of work he is contracted to do.”

    “The job we are doing here is almost a complete new road, though the NDDC calls it emergency repairs. From excavating the old road surface, filling it with new laterite, stone basing, priming and asphalting, complete with new drains, it is a complete process of constructing a new road. The people of the state should be grateful to NDDC for this intervention,” Brownson added.

    Investigation shows the people are grateful. A few I spoke with said they have never had it so good with NDDC. Imaobong Effiong, who runs a restaurant in the estate, said her area was inaccessible because of the bad road and she had to close down her restaurant, but with NDDC interventions, more shops including her restaurant have reopened for business.

    To Otu Ita Toyo, former PDP State Chairman, “It is wrong to politicize the NDDC intervention. In a widely circulated piece he titled Where We There When The Vultures Gathered?, he stated: Now, if Akwa Ibom State Government draws attention to abandoned NDDC projects in the state in good faith, they are in order. Starting  from abandoned local and state projects, the state government has a duty to ensure the completion of project within her jurisdiction even when the project was instituted by United Nations. There is nothing amidst there. To our fortune, the NDDC is here doing what the agency could not begin to contemplate in the days we controlled the Presidency. Would it not be a source of joy to then complement the state government for a change. Both Governor Akpabio and Presidient Jonathan publicly acknowledged that during their time in office, the PDP Federal Government and NDDC did nothing for Akwa Ibom State. Must we encourage that situation to survive now that we have the good fortune of a son who remembers the situation back home? The unhealthy rivalry is senseless, rather there should be cooperation.

    Another former PDP chieftain, Chief Edet Mkpubre, former National Vice Chairman, Southouth, said: “All these stories of abandoned projects and blaming same on the present management of the Commission, boils down to the politics of 2019 in the state and that is regrettable. It is impossible to assess the Managing Director of NDDC in just five months.”

    Possibly conscious of this scheming against the leadership, the Commission has at every fora reiterated its commitment to ensure that projects are driven more by community needs than any other considerations and also ensure that contractors perform within the confines of best practices and quality delivery.

    In an address to the Akwa Ibom State Phase of the Stakeholders Consultative Enlightenment Programme in Uyo, Ekere had said that with the determination of the Commission’s leadership, it was incumbent on stakeholders to provide independent verification of project status within their communities, pointing out that the Commission recently launched a project monitoring and information portal that enables stakeholders to send pictures and updates of projects in progress.

    The commission has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FOSTER, one of its development partners, to strategically translate the Commission from a contract awarding institution to a development-based institution. The MoU will ensure the development of a communication strategy that has a mechanism that allows for feedback from key stakeholders that will ensure all key stakeholders are aware of NDDC activities as well as develop a robust monitoring and evaluation strategy that will ensure projects are impactful in the lives of the host communities.

  • N32m projects for CMS 158th Founder’s Day

    The Old Grammarians Society (OGS) CMS Grammar School, Lagos, has announced that projects valued at about N32 million will be inaugurated as part of activities marking the158th Founders’ Dayof their alma mater.

    The projects include the renovated ultra-modern school hall.

    According to the President of OGS Adedapo Fashanu,the theme for the anniversary that would end on July 9 is: ‘Grooming for Impact’.

    Fashanu, told The Nation in a briefing to herald the anniversary that activities would commence on Thursday next week with a colloquium titled: “158th year of secondary school education in Nigeria.’

    The lecture would be delivered by Prof. Clara Opara, who is of the University of Lagos’ Department of Arts and Social Science Education.

    “We dedicate projects every year to mark the Founders Day and this year will not be an exception,” Fashanu began.

    “The school that was built in 1859 will be wearing a new look and this has cost the OGS up to N27 million to ensure that we deliver a state-of-the-art and befitting hall in the school.

    “We are also spending close to 4.5 million for this year celebration.

    “The class of 1974, 1976 and the OGS in America, including contributions from our members in all part of the world, funded this project.

    “A staff quarters will also be dedicated to motivate teachers and bring them close to the students, the annual inter-house sports will also hold with free checkup for all,” he said.

    He noted that the takeover of the school by the government in 2001 retarded its growth for years before it was eventually returned to the Anglican Diocese.

    Fashanu said that what the body has done in the last 10 years is to give the school a facelift.

    “We set the pace while others follow because we are committed to ensuring that the school remains the best in Nigeria.

    “And if other alumni can follow suit, it will help to enhance education in Nigeria,” Fashanu said.

    Principal of the school Venerable Olaoluwa Adeyemi, said the aim of the yearly Founder’s Day was to celebrate the legacy of the school’s founding fathers.

    “We need new generations of people to impact on the society and change the country for good and that is what we are doing here.

    “We will not relent in our aim to take secondary school education to the next level,” the principal said.

    CMS Grammar School located on Lagos Island is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria. It was  founded on June 6, 1859 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) as a boarding school for boys.

  • Fed Govt’s capital projects releases hit N1.2tr in 2016, says minister

    Fed Govt’s capital projects releases hit N1.2tr in 2016, says minister

    The Federal Ministry of Finance said yesterday it released over N1.2 trillion for capital expenditure in the 2016 fiscal year.

    Details of the N1.2 trillion capital releases, the ministry said, are “in line with government’s increased focus on capital expenditure”.

    Power, Works  and  Housing received the largest allocation of N307,411,749,682,    followed by Defence and  Security, N171,900,597,013 and Transport and  Aviation, N143,121,925,241.

    Other sectors are Agriculture and Water Resources;  and Education and  Health.

    These sectors accounted for 62 per cent of the cash released.

    Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun said: “We have focused our capital spend on priority sectors to stimulate economic activities and job creation. Despite the challenges in 2016, the Federal Government was able to achieve fully cash-backed capital releases of N1.2 trillion, which is a reflection of our commitment to infrastructure development.”

    These capital releases exclude the capital element in releases to statutory agencies, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Judiciary.”

    The government, the minister said: “Intends to attract private capital to complement government spending in these key areas”.

  • ‘Lagos needs N60b for water projects’

    The Lagos State Government requires about N60 billion to execute its water projects, Commissioner for the Environment Dr Babatunde Adejare has said.

    He said: “Water production is not cheap. No one believes that our population will be over 20 million. We have so many people in Lagos. The state government is working hard daily to meet resident’s water need. We have a deficit of 500 million gallon daily. To construct the 70-million gallon water Adiyan 11 will cost the state N60 billion.’’

    Although the Adiyan 11 water project is about 70 per cent completed, Adejare said this facility can still not meet the water need of the state. “Igbo-nla water plant is still there and the projects will cost the state huge sums of money,” he lamented.

    Adejare said as part of its ongoing solid waste management reform, the state government was set to construct world-class Engineered Sanitary/Engineered Hazardous Landfills and Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) sites in various locations across the state.

    The Commissioner revealed that the Engineered Sanitary/Engineered Hazardous Landfills will be constructed under the Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer model to provide an efficient and effective final disposal for all waste generated in the state.

    “These new facilities would ensure the protection of public health and the local environment, the global environment as well as provide an efficient and effective final disposal option for all waste generated in the state through design and operations that mitigate water, odour, and noise pollutions”, he said.

    Adejare said the approved Sanitary landfill site would be designed with technology that mitigate water, odour and noise pollution as well as control vermin, wind-blown litters, and dust, including also maximising, capturing and using landfill gas emissions, while providing land-fill based opportunities for material recovery.

  • ‘Ganduje ‘ll complete Kwankwaso’s projects’

    ‘Ganduje ‘ll complete Kwankwaso’s projects’

    Mohammed Garba is the Commissioner for Information, Home Affairs and Culture in Kano State. In this interview with TONY AKOWE, the former National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) speaks on the achievements of the Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration in the last two years.

    The Ganduje administration is almost two years in office. How has the journey been?

    The governor has been consistent in assuring the people of Kano that he will continue with the projects and programmes which he inherited from the last administration, not necessarily the immediate past administration, but even the ones before it. He promised to carry on with any project that will add value to the lives of the people and also fine-tune them to tally with the existing realities. If you are following events in Kano, you will agree with me that the governor has kept his promise.

    In specific terms, what has the government done in fulfillment of its campaign promises?

    There are two abandoned farm projects that the governor is passionate about reviving, because of their importance to agricultural development. They were initiated by the government of the late Alhaji Audu Bako who made a name promoting agriculture in Kano State. These centres have been revived and restructured. These are the Kadawa and Dambatta farm centres and they are now fully operational. The government is also doing a lot in terms of road network in the state. If you look at them administration if Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, there is this Dakarta-Baila road project he initiated. It is a long road covering an area with a very large population, but was abandoned by the immediate past administration, but when the present governor came into office, he started work on the project and right now, we have completed the first phase.

    In the area of health, there are also two hospitals abandoned by the past administration. One is at Kikiyu in Nasarawa Local Government and the other at Zoo Road. The first hospital has about 250-bed capacity, while the other has about 300-bed space. When the governor came into office, these projects were about 35 per cent completed. The governor is conscious of the fact that some of our hospitals like Murtala Mohammed Hospital usually have patients from a neighbouring country and states, because of the personnel there. In view of that, there is always the problem of congestion. Usually, one would find patients on the floor, because of lack of bed-space. So, there is a plan to expand some of these hospitals and right now.

    What happened to the projects inherited from the last administration?

    Yes, we inherited quite a number of projects from the immediate past administration. Even a day to the inauguration of this government, new projects were being flagged off and don’t forget that the governor was part of that administration. You know that it is not possible to inherit such a large number of project and say that you will complete them within two years. What we did was select quite a number of these projects and we are working on them. For instance, there is bridge stretching from Triumph roundabout and runs through Sabongari. It is one of the tallest bridges in Kano. When we came in, it was just 20 per cent completed. In view of the importance of that bridge, it is now about 60 per cent completed. We may not be able to complete it this year, but I want to assure you that before the end of next year, it will be completed. There is also the controversial five five-kilometer roads initiated by the past administration. The concept was that the local government will contribute 90 per cent of the funding, while the state government will contribute 10 per cent. When we came in, none of the local governments had made funds available for the project. Unfortunately, when we came in, the local government had no money, because of the situation on ground then. So, the state government has had to provide additional money to these local governments before they can pay salaries. We have been doing that for over 15 months till recently, when there was improvement in their revenue.

    Why did the government cancel the policy of sending students abroad for training?

    We have over 500 students studying abroad and this has also generated some comment. We continued with that project, but right now some students are complaining of not receiving his tuition and allowances. No student has been sent back to Nigeria, because of inability to pay despite our reservation that majority of them could have easily been trained in Nigerian universities. It is not wrong to send somebody to study abroad, but we believe that they can also be accommodated in Nigerian universities. We are looking at it from the economic point of view. For every student studying outside, the government is spending over N2 million. We have quite a number of students outside studying Mass Communication, History, Computer Science, Nursing etc.

    What is the government doing to reduce the housing deficit in the state?

    In terms of housing,  Kwankwaso built a number of houses. We have the Kwankwasiyya and Amana city. These were houses built with pension fund and about N4 billion was sunk into the project. The concept was for the houses to be an investment instead of keeping the money in the bank. The unfortunate thing about that project is that the houses are too expensive. Right now, we are looking for buyers. Also, some of the contractors have not been paid and these are some of the challenges we inherited. The governor has initiated affordable housing and we are building an additional 2,000 housing units under the scheme. We are building two-bedroom flats adjacent the Kwankwasiyya and Amana City. We have been able to build about 400 so far. The houses will cost less than N3 million each and if you are a civil servant, you will be required to make a deposit of N1 million and within two years, you will be able to pay the balance. We are also going to partner the NLC for an additional 500 houses and the contract has been awarded and the Minister for Labour will do the formal foundation laying ceremony.

    The government appears to have achieved much within this period. Where is the money coming from?

    To achieve all these, we need money and the governor said we should not rely solely on federal allocation, because what we get is not enough to even pay salaries. We have the highest number of civil servants in Nigeria. So, we reorganized the state Board of Internal Revenue. We changed the leadership, hired consultants and went to the state House of Assembly to have a look at the law, to make the board independent. When we came on board, we were generating about N700 million monthly, with the highest being about N1.1 billion. With the reorganisation, we now get up to N3 billion and they were able to employ over 2,000 youths. These youths are paid by the consultants and not from the state coffers and they have come up with quite a number of revenue sources. The policy is for the rich to pay more taxes.

    Why is it so difficult for the governor and his predecessor to reconcile?

    It is not difficult. If you look at their history; it is only those who don’t know them that are talking along that line. Normally, problems are unavoidable in politics. But, I assure you that my governor is ready for peace.

    Why is the proposed law on marriage generating so much controversy?

    Normally, people are bound to have different opinions about it and I know that the concept is still at the conception stage; it has not been formally presented to government. It is an initiation by a number of people who are concerned about the growing rate of divorce. We believe that it is still subject to discussion. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice will look at the law when it is brought forward, because whoever is initiating it has not brought it before government. I think that it is something that the Emir and a few others felt should be looked into.

  • ‘NDDC’s allocation of 375 projects a time bomb’

    ‘NDDC’s allocation of 375 projects a time bomb’

    The member representing Warri Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Daniel Reyenieju, has called for the decentralisation of the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Reyenieju said the alleged injustice arising from the neglect of some beneficiaries of NDDC’s projects, such as the Itsekiri, in the list of the 375 projects it released recently, could plunge the region into a fresh crisis and unrest.

    The lawmaker said the decentralisation of the commission could avert recurring crises and abuse of power by some NDDC board members.

    Itsekiri protesters, last week, stormed the office of the Federal Government intervention agency in Warri, Delta State, to express displeasure over zero allocation for road projects to their communities.

    They noted that the area produced a large chunk of the nation’s oil and gas resources and housed key oil installations and assets, including the tank farm belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited and others.

    Reacting to the protest, Reyenieju said: “The present leadership of the NDDC, a Federal Government development agency, comprises those who lack knowledge about the principle of fairness and the capacity to preside over such developmental agency within a complex region like the Niger Delta.”

    In a telephone chat with our reporter, Reyenieju said the NDDC management was aware that after the Ijaw, the Itsekiri occupied the second position among the ethnic nationalities in oil production areas.

    He said: “For such ethnic group to be excluded in the siting of projects is not only preposterous but a clear display of ethnocidal proclivity and wickedness with the sole aim of causing inter-ethnic dissention, rivalry and acrimony in the area.”

    The lawmaker urged the Federal Government to decentralise the agency and save the weak ethnic groups in the region from what he called “the evil machination of sectional jingoists, which the present management of the commission epitomises”.

    He added: “Such decentralisation has become imperative in view of the relegation of the quantum of oil production as the major determinant factor in the consideration of areas to benefit in siting projects for political considerations.

    “…The present arrangement, whereby the same individuals, especially members of the NDDC board, take custody of the funds released to the commission by the Federal Government and oil companies and at the same time award contracts and make payments, is a recipe for self-aggrandisement, privatisation of state resources, corruption, nepotism and inefficiency.”

  • FEC okays N102.08billion, $1.79b for roads, rail, other projects

    FEC okays N102.08billion, $1.79b for roads, rail, other projects

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved N102.077 billion and $1.79 billion for roads projects across the country and rail project in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola and Minister of FCT, Bello Mohammad, spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    With them at the briefing was Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    Fashola said N80 billion was approved for 12 roads and bridges in various states including Taraba, Adamawa, Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Plateau, Osun, Kwara, Kano, Oyo, Enugu, and Kaduna.

    He also said that there was approval of N150.84 million for the engineering and Consultancy design for access road 1 and 2 ?to link Asaba in Delta State and Onitsha in Anambra State to link the Second Niger Bridge project.

    “Subsequent to the award of further works of the Second Niger Bridge we have started work now by this approval on the design of the link road that will connect the two states to the bridge.

    “The design is expected to be completed in six months and we will start procurement and as the bridge advances, we can then connect the two states.” he added

    Fashola said there were also approvals for power projects?, relating to the extension of the consultancy and project management contract for the Katsina Wind Energy Farm project.

    He said: “It was awarded in 2010 and should have been completed in 2013. The expatriate who were implementing it were kidnapped and when he was eventually rescued he never came back and that delayed the project.

    “But we have revived the project, a new contracting team is back on site. The contract of the consultants representing us has expired and so we are extending his contract to cover new period of completion.” he said

    Another contract on power, which he said was approved by FEC, is the power sector recovery programme.

    He said “It’s a programme that comprises many policy actions, operational and financial interventions that needs to be carried out by government to improve transparency, service delivery, performance of DISCOS, Transmissions companies, the entire value change in order to create more viable power sector that is private sector driven.

    “Some of the highlights of the programme is how to simplify and reduce the cash deficits that have accumulated ?as a result of previous unilateral reductions of tariff by the last administration during the running of the elections, how to make the DISCOS viable, accountable, responsive to customers, ensure stability of the grid and expansion of the grid and transparency and communication within the sector.

    “And also processes for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) debts? and how to improve sector governance, our roles in the business, the quality of personnel on the board of the DISCOS, it addresses access to renewable energy especially in rural areas using mini-grids and stand alone solutions and how we are going to carry out the solutions that have been developed for 37 federal universities and seven tertiary hospitals.

    “And how to solve the Niger Delta problem and also how to ensure there is a stable and predictable foreign exchange policy for the sector so that it is somewhat protected from sudden head winds of the volatility of the foreign exchange market so that they can plan and deliver.

    “Also how to address the issue of vandalization at consumer and production levels of pipelines and so on as this will help bring confidence to the market and stimulate the appetite that currently exists globally for Nigeria’s power sector.

    “We see a lot of people who want to invest but some of them are tied to what other international financial institutions do? and the institutions are also waiting to see us commit to these things.” he said

    The FCT Minister said the Council approved three key projects for the FCT.

    He said N2.454 billion was approved for 5 kilometre road to link Ring Road III to Wasa Junction with Karshi -Ara-Apo Road.

    Approval, he said, was also given for the award of contract for Phase 2 of the Abuja Mass Transit Lot 1B (26.77km) which is from Ring Road I, passing through Area 10 beside Wuse Market, Berger Junction, Jabi Motor Park, through Life Camp to Gwagwa and also covering the remaining part of Lot 1A (5.76km).

    He said the contract also included rolling stocks, workshop equipment and three years management contract.

    He said that FEC also okayed the$1.79 billion contract awarded to China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC) yo be funded by China EXIM Bank.

    The Minister said that FEC approved development of infrastructure at Jahi District at the amount of N19.473 billion

  • NCDMB benchmarks deepwater projects on Total, LADOL record

    NCDMB benchmarks deepwater projects on Total, LADOL record

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB), has directed international oil companies (IOCs) and promoters of new deepwater projects in Nigeria to exceed the benchmark attained by Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited.

    Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), is fabricating and integrating part of Total Egina field’s floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO)  vessel at its yard in Lagos.

    The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, who spoke in Lagos after inspecting facilities of Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), the main contractor for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) of the FPSO scope on the Egina project at LADOL base, said IOCs and promoters of new deepwater projects in Nigeria should deliver Nigerian Content milestones that would exceed in-country integration of FPSO platforms. This is because Total Nigeria’s Egina deepwater project, which will be integrated at the LADOL Free Trade Zone, has become the benchmark for Nigerian Content on deepwater projects, hence forthcoming projects have to break new records, he added.

    He said in-country integration of the FPSO and fabrication of six modules of the vessel created, 5000 direct jobs and 5000 indirect jobs. Increased domiciliation of future FPSO projects through the fabrication of more modules would create additional jobs, estimated to reach 30,000, he added.

    According to Wabote, the Board would not rest on its oars with regard to the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act, adding that “new projects must look at doing FPSO integration and more; we must add something to our achievements.”

    Six modules of the Egina FPSO were fabricated in-country across some yards, whereas 12 modules were welded at Samsung’s base, Geoje, South Korea. He stated that “for next FPSO, more modules must be fabricated locally.”

    Wabote expressed satisfaction with level of investment and the utilisation of local workforce at the LADOL base, describing the project as an example of possibilities, and assured that the Board will continue to work with industry stakeholders to develop new projects and domicile more work in-country.

    The Chief Operating Officer, SHI Nigeria, Mr. Frank Ejizu, explained that the Quay side was ready to receive the FPSO, noting that the tracks have been certified. On the workforce, Ejizu stated that 364 Nigerian welders have been qualified and awarded international certifications with which they can work anywhere in the world.

    The NCDMB chief also visited the facilities of Dover Engineering, JC International and Thompson and Grace Limited, all located at Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He explained that his visits to oil and gas facilities across the country were aimed at assessing capacities and confirming that Nigerian companies have firm footing in their  areas of operation.

    According to Wabote, information and observations gathered from the visits will be used during tenders and in planning for capacity development. He also promised to enlighten IOCs and project promoters on existing in-country capacities and ensure their utilisation during projects.

    At Dover Engineering, Wabote noted that experts in offshore designs, FSPO designs and detailed engineering were in high demand and engineering companies must develop strategies to retain them so their competences will not be lost. He praised the company for forming a consortium with other engineering firms to deliver major projects, charging other service companies to emulate the model.

  • ‘Buhari executing projects dear to Ndigbo’

    ‘Buhari executing projects dear to Ndigbo’

    Nwabueze Onwuneme is the Director-General, Buhari South-East Youth Movement (BUSEYM). In this interview, he speaks on variety of national issues and how his organisation has been championing and promoting the programmes and activities of President Muhammadu Buhari in the zone. Excerpts

    Shortly before his return, your group, the Buhari South-East Youth Movement, held a prayer session for the quick recovery and return of President Muhammadu Buhari. Did you have privileged information on his return or what informed the move at that time?

    To us prayer is the only key and warfare tool we have and it has never failed us whenever we deploy it. So when all the issues and rumours about the President’s health dominated the public domain, most especially here in the South-East, where the son of a former governor of Abia State was fueling and sponsoring the rumour of the death of President Buhari, we had no other choice than to seek the face of God concerning the President’s health. And to God be all the glory, He heard us as usual and today the President is back in good health and bubbling with life.

    How has it been for the group championing the acceptance of the President in a zone believed to be marginalised by the President?

    I wouldn’t say it has been easy but we have recorded tremendous success against threats and intimidations by some persons, most especially the son of a former governor of Abia State, who has vowed that the zone must be anti-Buhari but in all, the programmes, policies, projects and actions of the President has been a very good selling point. Just the other day, after we appealed to the President to use the dry season to effect repairs on the highly deplorable South-East roads, the President not only obliged but sent the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who came down personally to supervise ongoing works in the area, like the 2nd Niger Bridge, Enugu-Onitsha high way, Aba-Ikot-Ekpene road, Port-Harcourt-Enugu highway, Umauahia-Ikot-Ekpene road, etc. These are projects dear to Ndigbo, which the President has not just paid lip service to but has matched words with action by embarking and funding the projects against all mudslinging and campaign of calumny meted against him during the electioneering campaign of 2015 by the PDP-dominated South-East zone. It is a known fact that the President, notwithstanding his status as a former Head of State, was almost denied the right to campaign in the zone as exemplified by the way the government of the then Abia State locked him out of the Enyimba Stadium. But all these are in the past and we thank the President for his large heart and good intentions. However, we appeal to Mr. President to correct the imbalance in his appointments to accommodate Igbos, more especially the youths and women of the zone who have really supported him and are the real custodians of political power in the zone.

    Of recent, there have been lots of defections of Igbo leaders to the APC fold and just of recent, in a meeting in Owerri, some Igbo leaders threw their support for President Buhari to go for a second tenure; what is your take on that?

    I am delighted that the blindfold of the PDP on Igbos has dropped off and Igbos have come to realise that our biggest political misfortune was supporting the PDP whole heartedly as we never reaped from that support. The 2nd Niger Bridge was the most sought after project by Igbos and for 16 years, the PDP never gave it to us but today, the President Buhari-led APC is giving to us just barely two years in office. I am happy that our leaders today are seeing the light and now know that the Igbo Presidency project is more realisable under the APC than the PDP. If you recall, on the 20th of December 2015, rising from our deliberations as a group, we had called on President Buhari to prepare for a second term in office to be able to properly clean the Augean stable and put the country on the path of glory after which it will be ripe for Igbos to now take its shot on the presidency. Thank God today that our leaders have seen reason and have also declared that too. At least, by 2023, we will have well qualified Igbos like Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu, Senator Chris Ngige, Dr.Ogbonnaya Onu, Senator Ken Nnamani and even my humble self, etc, can all now come out and slug it out.

    Two years after the governorship elections, your state, Abia, is still in court over who should be the governor; don’t you see that as a distraction for the governor, a reason for not delivering dividends of democracy to the citizenry?

    It’s quite unfortunate that Abia State today is still in court over who should be it’s governor but I don’t see that as a distraction for the governor not to deliver on his campaign promises, after all, he does not go to court but his lawyers do that for him. No governor in Nigeria underwent what former governors Chris Ngige, Rotimi Amaechi and Orji Uzor-Kalu went through in terms of political persecution but in all, they still did very well in office. At some point, Ngige was even kidnapped but today his works in Anambra State celebrate him any day any time. So, I don’t see litigation or political persecution as a criterion for a governor not to deliver. In Abia, what we are seeing today is a seed of discord being sown by one man and his family in order to perpetuate them in power. How do you see a situation where from one kitchen you have a senator and a Majority Leader of a State House of Assembly? All these have greatly divided the state but I believe the judgement of the learned Supreme Court justices will bring forth peace in the state and restore the people’s confidence, most especially the crux of the litigation, which is the area of tax payment.

  • NCDMB, IOCs pledge to fast-track projects execution

    NCDMB, IOCs pledge to fast-track projects execution

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the country have made commitment to fast-track execution of oil and gas projects. This will lead to an increase  crude production and create opportunities for the growth and development of Nigerian Content.

    The IOCs gave the assurance when the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Kesiye Wabote visited some IOCs in Lagos to seek collaboration and get their commitment to support upcoming projects.

    Wabote visited Chevron, Total Upstream and Shell with top management of the Board and confirmed that NCDMB had adopted mechanisms that accelerate processing time for Nigerian Content plans, technical and commercial evaluation and issuance of Nigerian Content certificates.

    He urged other entities involved in the contracting cycle to adopt similar strategies for the sector to achieve the six-month contract processing target set by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. He also expressed the Board’s readiness to partner various stakeholders in resolving challenges they have in executing their projects.

    According to him, the visits were conceived to engage stakeholders, and explain strategies adopted by the NCDMB to foster projects and ensure domiciliation of work scopes and maximisation of in-country capacities.

    One of those strategies is the categorisation of service companies by their capacities, which he said, will be used in the contracting process.

    He stressed that all new projects must comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010 and urged the operating companies to ensure that their contractors and sub-contractors remit one per cent of their contract value to the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) as required by law.

    The NCDMB chief praised the establishment of pipe coating facilities and steel pipe mills in-country and directed operators to patronise the facilities. He said the Board would sanction operators that award contracts without approved Nigerian Content Compliance Certificates (NCCC).