The Minister of Transportation, Honourable Rotimi Amaechi has assurance Nigerians of the completion of Kaduna-Kano railway project before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.
Amaechi gave the assurance in kano during an inspection tour of the project ahead of his turbaning ceremony as the Dan Amanar Daura on Saturday.
He however lamented that due to the delay in accessing the Chinese loan, the project is currently being funded from the budget.
The Minister stated that the project when completed will boost commercial activities between Kano and Lagos as goods manufactured in Kano will be sent easily to Lagos, while goods imported through Lagos can be sent to Kano easily.
“Job creation as well as increase in the value of land within the area are some of the benefits for the people who lives along the route,” he said.
Amaechi explained that his motivation towards railway project is purely national interest, which he said are job creation and economic purposes.
“The rail projects have brought succour to travelers along Abuja – Kaduna, Lagos – Ibadan and Warri – Itakpe. Plan has been concluded to connect all regions of the country with rail lines”.
He however gave directives to the Chinese contractors to break the work into portions, have men working on all at the same time, bring in more machinery and make use of local content to make sure the project is delivered on or before May 2023.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS) on Thursday promised to sustain its synergy with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to boost food security across the territory.
The Mandate Secretary FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim disclosed this when the Abuja station representative/ project manager of IITA, Prof. Lateef Sanni led other senior officials on a courtesy visit to him.
Ibrahim said the secretariat was not unaware of the notable achievements recorded through the collaboration that started since 1991.
He hinted that the secretariat will continue to organize and mobilize the farmers to benefit from the programmes of the Institute which has the mandate of research on soya bean, Yam, cassava, maize, cowpea, Banana and plantain.
He promised to look into the challenges raised by the Institute especially fencing of the station, and also provision of adequate security measures.
He said, “We appreciate IITA for not only making the research findings available but also providing our farmers in the FCT with improved varieties of the aforementioned crops”.
Ibrahim stated that in recognition of the important role of research in boosting Agricultural production, the FCT Administration has continued to sustain its support to the Institute, describing the recent donation of a transformer and a borehole to the Institute in 2019 as another way of enhancing the activities of the Institute.
On his part, the IITA Abuja station representative Prof. Lateef Sanni appreciated the FCT Administration for always supporting the Institute to meet up with its mission to help resource-poor farmers raise agriculture production, as well as improve food security, and increase incomes in sub-Saharan Africa.
He further solicited assistance in the areas of completion of the Abuja perimeter fence of about 1,630meters, which he said exposes the station and all its assets to high security risks including land grabbing and encroachment.
Sanni also requested for an outreach and capacity building line budget to enable IITA to bridge the gap in Agriculture interventions in the Federal Capital Territory.
In her remarks, the Director Agriculture services in the secretariat, Mrs Francisa Ihekandu said the collaboration between IITA and FCTA will continue to yield positive results in the agriculture sector.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Musa Bello said the collaborative security efforts with neighboring states of the FCT is very effective.
He made this known at the expanded security meeting which was first in 2022, that brought all the 17 graded chiefs in the territory reviewed the 2021 and look at focus for 2022.
According to him, ” And this is one aspect that we will continue to improve upon because that is where all the security agencies within the FCT and their counterpart in neighboring which constitute the G7 states are the FCT, Benue, Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau.
” Overall also we appreciated the efforts of all the agencies and in spite of what happened here and there within the rural communities we are quite satisfied with the efforts.
” And we identified areas where we are going to give them additional support and we intend to do so,” Bello said.
In another development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that there are 593 polling units in FCT without registered voters, 1,328 polling units with between 0-50 voters and 546 polling units with over 1,000 registered voters.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure at the Federal Capital Territory Expanded Stakeholders Security meeting on, organised by the FCT Administration, on Thursday in Abuja.
The INEC boss was invited to the meeting by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, to enable him brief FCT stakeholders on preparations for the Area Councils Election slated for Feb. 12.
Yakubu said the commission had already informed political parties, Civil Society Organisations, the Media and Security agencies at the National level about the development.
He said that INEC had decided that no election would take place at the polling units without registered voters.
He added that no materials have been produced for those units and no personnel would be deployed to them.
Yakubu, however, said that voting would take place in all the other polling units, noting that for congested polling units, INEC would deployed more than one BVAS to facilitate a speedy accreditation of voters.
He also said that INE would deploy additional staff to those locations, adding that the commission agreed with the security agencies to deploy more personnel to ensure peace and order.
According to him, flor transparency, the commission is making the hard copies of the details locations to these polling units to all stakeholders at this meeting.
” In addition, soft copies have also been uploaded to our website. By doing, so, we want to achieve two objectives.
” First is to ensure that voters in the FCT and indeed all Nigerians are aware of these polling units and the arrangements made for them on election day.
” Secondly, to seek the support of all stakeholders to ensure that these polling units are populated ahead of the 2023 general election.
” We need the support of especially the traditional, community and religious leaders in this regard,” the INEC boss said.
Yakubu, who reiterated the importance of peace to the successful conduct of the area council elections, assured that INEC would protect the integrity of the process.
” Our eyes are on all our officials, be they adhoc or regular staff, to ensure that they strictly abide by the rules. All parties, candidates and their supporters should do the same.”
…Charge Beneficiaries On Proper Maintenance Of Projects
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu on Thursday reiterates her call to residents of benefiting communities to justify government’s investment in their communities by ensuring proper maintenance of these projects for the overall development of the areas.
This is as she inaugurates the peoples oriented projects and flagged off empowerment programme in Abaji Area Council of the Territory
Aliyu made this known during an inauguration of the projects, the minister said the All Progressives Congress governance mandate requires the FCT Administration to be in a hurry to add value to the lives of the residents of the territory especially those in rural communities.
She also, commended the chairman of Abaji Area Council for empowering numerous citizens of the council through the provision and distribution of motor cycles to Okada members, provision of speed boats to Kurege, Maniogi and Alu communities, purchase of irrigation pumping machines to farmers, and distribution of grinding machines to rural women, amongst other empowerment schemes.
The minister, however, assured that the Federal Capital Territory Administration was leaving no stone unturned towards ensuring that the less privileged are empowered, skills and job creation are not encumbered with business support challenges.
According to her, “To this end, we have strengthened our leading skills development agency, the Abuja Enterprise Agency, while our Youth Centre in Nyanya has been upgraded for skill acquisition training.
“We have also continued to fund free training for artisans and craftsmen towards building their capacity to innovate and ease of doing business. It is hope that through this, the agency will energize our youths into fulfilling their full potentials”, she stressed.
Earlier, Chairman of Abaji Area Council, Hon. Abdulrahman Ajiya, acknowledged the pragmatic role played by the FCT Minister of State during zero allocation to area councils, stressing that the minister’s efforts contributed to the provision of the empowerment programmes.
Ajiya revealed that as part of efforts to curb social vices in the area council, the administration has empowered about 1,000 youths and women in various skills acquisition, adding that the administration was able to execute these projects with the support of the FCT Administration.
Projects inaugurated include the Abaji Police Area Command office, 0.5km market junction road, 0.45km road along Baba Mai Lema, ongoing 1.2km road, Pipeline Agyana road amongst others.
The first accused person on the ongoing murder case of Miss Iniobong Umoren, Uduak-Abasi Akpan yesterday denied writing the confessional statement presented as evidence against him in court.
Uduak-Abasi Akpan told the Court that he did not see and also did not know the content of the statement, adding that he only signed the statement involuntarily., claiming he was just meeting ASP Kanu Ekpezu for the first time.
The suspect’s denial followed a testimony by a Police Officer attached to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department SCIID, Homicide section, ASP, Kanu Ekpezu, before Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo in the ongoing trial of Uduak-Abasi Akpan, his father, Mr. Frank Akpan and sister Anwan-Bassey Akpan
Ekpezu who appeared in Court as the 9th Prosecution Witness (PW9) told the Court that the Anti-kidnapping unit, Ikot Akpan Abia Uyo handed over Uduak-Abasi Akpan, his father Mr. Frank Akpan , first and second accused persons respectively to the SCIID, and both made their statements voluntarily by themselves.
He also told the Court that the Anti-kidnapping Unit also handed over to him, the following exhibits, a spade, a QLink stabilizer, and a piece of dirty clothe which were recovered from the scene of murder.
The witness who further testified that Uduak-Abasi Akpan, made his statement in the Senior Police Officers (SPOs) office, and not in an interrogation room, recalled that three other Snr. Police Officers including Inspector Ofonime Archibong were in the SPOs office when he (Uduak-Akpan) was writing his statement by himself.
“My Lord, the first accused person,(Uduak-Abasi Akpan) was handled over to me from the Anti-kidnapping unit Ikot Akpan Abia, on 2nd day of May 2021. I received him in the SPOs (Snr. Police Officers) office. The first accused person made his statement by himself in the SPOs office voluntarily, and not in an interrogation room.
“I gave him my table and Chair to sit and write his statement. I gave the first accused person a statement form and pen and asked him to write what happened and how late Iniubong Ephraim Umoren died in his house. I was not with a cane, nor with a machet, a gun a stick, or an Axe”, Ekpezu testified.
The Prosecution Counsel, Mr. Friday Itim tendered the Spade , QLink Stabilizer and piece of Cloth, which were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits 9, 10, and 11, respectively by the trial Judge, Justice Nkanang.
But, when the prosecution sought to also tender the confessional statement of Uduak-Abasi Akpan, his Lawyer Mr. Samson Adula raised an objection, arguing that his client did not sign the statement voluntarily.
Upon the insistence of Adula, that the statement allegedly written and read by his client should not be admitted in evidence by the Court until its voluntariness was determined, Justice Nkanang ordered that mini trial to be conducted.
During cross examination, PW9, told the Court that it is not true that the confeesional statement made by the first accused person were responses from the questions the police officers had asked him.
He further testified that the second accused person, Mr. Frank Akpan was not there in the SPOs office when the first accused person made his statement.
Asked if the accused was video recorded while he was writing his statement, PW9 simply responded, “No my Lord” “When they brought that sheet of paper which I did not see, or know what was inside, they now asked me to sign the statement. In order to avoid further violence on myself I signed it”.
Asked if he was blind folded when he signed the statement, Uduak-Abasi Akpan responded, “I was not blind folded” The trial Judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang adjourned the case till February 8, 2022 for ruling on the mini trial, and for continuation of hearing.
Recall that Uduak Akpan had confessed to the crime when he claimed to have used reversed psychology on his victim, when he was paraded by the police to newsmen. He had also pleaded guilty during his first appearance in court.
The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has received commendation over reduction of charges on Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Economic Rights (LIDER), which gave this commendation in Abuja, added that the development is an evidence that President Muhammadu Buhari has interest of the poor at heart.
The group led by Barrister Chisom Nduka Edede, in a statement, further said that the move by the CBN was also a way to identify an administration that is pro-people.
LIDER hinted that the reduction is one of the policies targeted at reducing the economic burden on the poor.
The statement by LIDER reads in part: “One of the ways to identify that an administration is pro-people is the kind of programmes and policies being put in place by the administration.
“The reduction of charges on ATM withdrawal is one of the policies that are targeted at reducing the economic burden on the poor.
“This decision by the CBN is therefore a confirmation that President Buhari’s administration has the interest of the poor at heart. It is a commendable decision.”
In an effort to accommodate some exigencies, which ultimate goals are to ensure maximal benefit to potential candidates, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has made adjustments to its examination timelines.
Given the breakdown of the adjusted timelines, the Board disclosed that the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) would be held from Friday 6th Monday to 16th May 2022.
With the new adjustment, the Mock-UTME exercise earlier scheduled for 2nd April 2022 would now be held on 16th April 2022, for candidates who registered early and indicated their willingness to sit the Mock-UTME.
The date for the commencement of sale of the 2022 UTME/DE application document, which was slated to start from 12th February to 19th March 2022 remains as stated earlier.
JAMB in the latest edition of its weekly bulletin explained that the review, as approved by management, is to ensure that the candidates who would be sitting the examination and others are not denied the opportunity to express themselves in other public examinations without forfeiting any examination.
The Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, while apprising his Management team on the compelling need for the adjustments, said, “As a responsive organisation, the interests of candidates and the general public alike would continue to shape our actions.
“In addition, the inputs of critical components of the society were sorted and factored into the planning process,” Oloyede added.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ha raised the alarm over plots by some people to scuttle the forthcoming Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.
This is coming days to the February 12th Area Council’s elections in the nation’s capital.
The Director of Publicity, PDP Chairmanship candidate campaign for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Emmanuel Inyang, while briefing newsmen in Abuja alleged that intelligence report has revealed that the rulling All Progressive Congress (APC) was working to scuttle the success of the polls.
He, however,called on the Police and other relevant agencies of government to nip the brewing trouble on the bud, to avoid any violence that could disrupt the arrangement already made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he alleged that certain governors of the ruling party had been drafted into the sinister plot.
Inyang hinted that there are plans to import thugs from neighboring states of Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi, for the purpose of disrupting the February 12, polls.
He also stated that the relevant security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must act fast so as to gain the trust of residents and genuine electorates in the forthcoming election.
He raises concern that should various relevant security agencies fail to stop the plot, residents and electorates may be scared away, thereby, recording a very low turnout on the day of elections.
Inyang alleged that plot to scuttle the success of the polls, follows the intra-party crises rocking the party which had put them at a disadvantage position.
He however, said that the FCT elections will serve as a litmus test for the off season elections and the 2023 general election, to be conducted by INEC.
According to him, “We are happy that FCT residents are really eager to vote.
“We are aware from security report reaching us that there are group of people planning to recruit thugs to ensure that on the day of election, after voting, people come in to disrupt the process.
“We want to plead with the security agencies to ensure that security is maintained on, before and after the elections.
“We don’t want anything that will bring the level of insecurity faced in other parts of the country to manifest in the Federal Capital Territory. We are happy with the security agencies haven’t kept the peace of this land and we want the peace to continue.
“President Muhammadu Buhari needs a legacy to take home. The legacy is to ensure that there is credibility in our elections. They should ensure that FCT election is free, fair and violence free, because we are aware that some persons have already planned that there will be violence on the day of election. We are appealing to Nigerians not to be intimidated by anybody. They should come out en mass and vote for the preferred candidate.”
Meanwhile, a Member of the House of Representatives AMAC/ Bwari constituencies, Hon. Jiba Micah said that no act of violence would be tolerated during and after the election.
Micah urged all stakeholders to comply with all the regulations already set by INEC to ensure that the elections were conducted according to international standard, upholding the tenets of democracy.
Federal Government has assured on completion of the clean up of Ogoni land while adding that the Muhammadu Buhari administration is setting up strong institution to ensure that the the exercise would be duly completed even after the expiration of the administration.
Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor in her Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja said a total of 5,345,766 cubic meters over an area about 314 acres.
The Minister, who briefed the press in company the Mohammed Yaya, the Nigeria’s Representative, United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP), Mu’azu Samboh the Minister of State for Works and Housing, and heads of agencies in the Ministry, noted that in 2019, contracts for 21 lots were awarded for remediation covering 12 of the 65 listed sites in the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report.
“These lots covered an area of 276 acres. To date 18 of these lots have been completed and certified by National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA). Three of the lots are currently undergoing certification process and one lot is still undergoing remediation” she said.
So, she stated, an additional 29 lots were awarded for remediation of eight sites in February 2020. The area covered is 289 acres. Six of these sites, according to her, have been completed and certified by NOSDRA while two outstanding sites at Bdere and Ogale are above 60 per cent completion.
According to Ikeazor, acting on the report of UNEP in 2011, the Federal Government flagged off the Ogoniland cleanup in 2016.
Her words: “The cleanup of Ogoniland was flagged off by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2016. The Governing Council and Board of Trustees of Hydro Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) (for the management of Environmental Restoration Fund for Ogoniland) were inaugurated in August 2016 and the project coordinator’s office was established in 2017.
“The ministry is accelerating the remediation project, expanding on the livelihood programme of the hydrocarbon impacted communities. Preliminary remediation activities had commenced in early 2018, and work is at various stages of the remediation processes, with successes despite delays encountered.
“The project implementation status is between 2019 and 2021 and covers three -core areas, which are contaminated soil remediation, sustainable livelihood programme and portable water supply” she said.
On government’s support for Ogoni communities, Ikeazor said that the government has provided alternative livelihood development for Ogoni youths, women and able- bodied men as well as the physically challenge.
“Both artisanal refiners and other youths are entitled to be given the opportunity to develop and expand their existing skills or acquire new skill sets to build their capacity and empowerment.
“In 2020, a set of 400 women commenced training in agribusiness at Songhai Farms in the areas of aquaculture, poultry, cropping and food processing. The plan is to train a total of 1,200 women in agribusiness” she assured.
Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu. Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Nigeria.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has distributed a total sum of N3,668,506,659.36billion to the Six Area Councils in the FCT and other stakeholders as its share of statutory allocation for the month of December 2021.
This figure indicates a decline in revenue from N3,726,007,503.49billion disbursed in the month of November to N3,668,506,659.36billion in the month of December, representing about 1.54 percent decrease.
FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, who presided over the 161st Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), commended all stakeholders for their cooperation, despite challenges recorded in the past.
The figures released also indicate that the sum of N1,615,340,273.24billion was made available for distribution to the six area councils, while the sum of N2,053,166,386.12billion was made available to other stakeholders, bringing the total sum to N3,668,506,659.36billion.
However, distributions to area councils show that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), received N328,034,790.92million, while Gwagwalada got N284, 273, 669.49million and Kuje received N259,674,786.45million.
Other area councils include, Bwari Area Council received N250,649,903.10million, Abaji got N250,646,804.73million and Kwali received N242,060,318.55million bringing the total sum to N1,668,506,659.36billion disbursed to the six area councils.
More so, distribution to other stakeholders include: Primary School Teachers which gulped N1,682,152,924.31billion, 15 percent Pension Funds took N226,478,989.57 million, One percent Training Fund gulped N36,685,066.61million, while 10 percent Employer Pension Contribution gulped N107,849,405.63million, bringing the total sum to N2,053,166,386.12billion.
Aliyu, however, used the occasion to harp on the ongoing FCT primary school teachers strike over the nonpayment of promotion arrears since 2013, stressing that the arrears predate the present administration.
She, however, assured members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) that a workable template has been put in place to offset the debts for over a period of time, adding that a 7-Man committee would be set up to look at the operation of the template.
According to her, “our primary school teachers are at home over the nonpayment of their arrears that predates this administration. However, the quality of a good leader is to take responsibility, and we must work out ways to resolve this protracted issue. Workable template to offset the debts over a period of time has been put in place, and a seven man committee to look into the operation of the template will be set up”.
She called for more commitment and synergy on the part of all stakeholders, the minister however commended them for showing understanding in the distribution of monthly allocation to area councils and other stakeholders.
Those present at the 161st Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), meeting include the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Adamu Mustapha, Mandate Secretary Area Council Services, Malam Ibrahim Abubakar Dantsoho, FCT NUT Chairman, Comrade Stephen KnabayI, amongst others.
