Projects
Northern elders restate total support for President Buhari, APC
Northern elders have restated their unflinching support to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC-led federal administration in the country. They have also appealed to Nigerians to be patient and believe in the Buhari government, saying the president was taking steps to addressing the current challenges especially insecurity confronting Nigeria. This came as they berated stakeholders in the region over what they described as their long silence in the face of unbearable criminal acts by herdsmen across the country thereby denting the image of the region. The elders under the umbrella of Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development, in a statement on Saturday, however, commended renowned Islamic Scholar and preacher, Sheik Abubakar Gumi for taking bold st...
Rivers governor seeks end to external influence on NDDC
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has regretted the continuous interference of external forces who are not from the oil-rich region on the activities of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, noting that the act frustrates programmes of the commission. Wike, however, condemned the posture of some ethnic groups in the region that behave as if the commission belongs to them, clarifying that NDDC was set up to cater for needs of the states of the region. The governor disclosed this in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, after the visit of the Interim Management Committee of NDDC to Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday. The governor said people are abusing the entire region because the commission has wasted trillions of Dollars without lifting the mass...
Group hails Enugu governor on rural roads
A social group, Ishi-Obere Brothers Club, IBC, in Amufie autonomous community, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu state has applauded Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s effort at ensuring rural access roads in every community in the state. This commendation was made in a statement signed and issued to pressmen in Enugu by the chairman of the group, Pharm. Ernest Odo and financial secretary, Mr Chinedu Adonu respectively. Odo while expressing satisfaction with the construction of Amufie-Ugbaike-Inyi rural road which links the aforementioned communities to Abuja through Obollo Afor-Makurdi expressway said it was a shortcut for those travelling to Abuja. He expressed the view that the road would boost economy of the state, adding that rural roads development is a sure way of attaining rap...
Ebonyi governor vows to prosecute officials linked to communal crisis
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has vowed to arrest and prosecute people, including government officials, linked to the communal crisis involving Effium and Ezza Effium indigenes of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state. Over 60 people have been arrested, according to newsmen. The police have confirmed that eight people died, while several houses have been razed in the crisis caused by a leadership dispute at a local motor park, newsmen reported. Even government officials involved in the carnage would not be spared, Mr Umahi said on Monday during a tour of the affected community. “All political appointments and developmental projects being executed in the crisis area should be suspended until permanent peace returns to the area,” the governor said, adding that a judicial panel of...
Delta government approves Kwale industrial park
Delta State Government held its first Executive Council (EXCO) meeting of the year at Government House, Asaba, weekend, announcing the approval of key infrastructural projects, including the full establishment of the Kwale Industrial Park in Ndokwa West. The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, disclosed these while briefing newsman on resolutions at the meeting presided by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. Aniagwu said approval was given for the establishment of the multi-billion-naira Kwale Industrial Park with 25 per cent equity for the state government, while private operators would hold the remaining 75 per cent equity. He stated that the approval was a boost to the industrial park, the process of which establishment was slowed down by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic last year. ...
Coronavirus takes toll on federal roads’ construction in Lagos
The ravaging effect of Coronavirus (COVID-19) was, perhaps, the biggest challenge faced by stakeholders in the road sub sector of the construction industry in 2020. As the virus gained ground, several contractors soon abandoned work and shut their operations, consequently, many hitherto gainfully employed Nigerians were thrown into the labour market. Even when the government later introduced partial lockdown measures, the number of workers on site was scaled down by many contractors in line with COVID-19 protocols, which slowed down progress of work. Virtually all road projects in Lagos State suffered the effect of the pandemic, with every project having its own peculiar challenge. The reconstruction of 46km Agbara-Seme section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway project awarded to CGC Nigeria...
Governor Wike: PDP‘ll rescue Nigeria in 2023
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said Nigerians have known clearly that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has their interest at heart with the commitment it has shown in fulfilling every promise made in ensuring an enduring improvement in their socio-economic situations. Governor Wike stated this at the commissioning of dualised Forces Avenue, Olumeni and Harvey Streets in Old Government Residential Area, Port Harcourt, by Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal on Friday night. Governor Wike said the administration of his predecessor under the All Progressives Congress (APC), deliberately ignored the roads in the Old GRA of Port Harcourt, thereby leaving the area in blighted condition. Governor Wike stated that his conviction in developing the city and building it into world class sta...
Nigerian government begins three-month special public works scheme in Jigawa
The federal government on Friday inaugurated the Extended Special Public Works (ESPW) programme in Jigawa with 1,000 unskilled youth benefiting from the 27 local government areas of the state. Each participant will receive N20,000 monthly for three months for the duration of the programme. The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, who made this known at the ceremony in Dutse, said that the extended programme was an outcome of the pilot SPW in rural areas approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020. Mr. Adamu said that the programme was introduced following the emergence of the novel COVID-19 pandemic, as a measure to cushion the adverse socio-economic effects on citizens. “It aimed at shielding the vulnerable from the ravaging effects of COVID-19 pandemic which included, but are ...
Sokoto border communities warned against aiding smuggling
Border communities in Sokoto State have been warned against aiding the smuggling of illicit items into the country. The Area Comptroller of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdulhamid Ma’aji, gave the warning at Illela during a sensitisation meeting held Tuesday with youths and community leaders at Illela town, a border community in the northern state. The border post was among four major international borders announced for reopening by the Federal Government in late December 2020. Ma’aji, while officially reopening the border’s gate, described the event as a remarkable day, urging the people to observe all the guidelines layout by the Ibrahin l Government. According to him, ‘now that these borders have been reopened, I want you to note that those illicit items that have been prohibited rema...
Bauchi government commences construction of N7.3 billion road projects
The Bauchi State Government on Tuesday commenced the construction of three strategic roads with the sum of N7.3 billion in the state. Newsmen report that the new roads include a 13.5 kilometres road from Warji in the state to Gwaram in Jigawa. Others are 11.6 kilometres road from Bogoro to Lusa and Malar communities as well as 11.2 kilometres road from Boi to Tapshin, communities in Bogoro LGA bothering Plateau State. Speaking during the event in Warji Local Government, Gov. Bala Mohammed, said the roads were carefully selected in order to deliver a well thought-out project to the teeming populace. He said the state had already made 30 per cent advance payment and the roads were to be completed within 24 months. “The roads where constructions are flagged off today were carefully selected i...
Millions of Americans risk losing jobless benefits as Donald Trump refuses to sign aid bill
Millions of Americans are about to see their jobless benefits expire on Saturday as U.S. President Donald Trump has so far refused to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, insisting that it did not do enough to help everyday people. Trump stunned Republicans and Democrats alike when he said this week he was unhappy with the massive bill, which provides $892 billion in badly needed coronavirus relief, including extending special unemployment benefits expiring on Dec. 26, and $1.4 trillion for normal government spending. Without Trump’s signature, about 14 million people could lose those extra benefits, according to Labor Department data. A partial government shutdown will begin on Tuesday unless Congress can agree a stop-gap government funding bill before then. Af...
Report highlights impact of coronavirus on graduates
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted 47 per cent of graduates and their activities (including job search), a report has stated. Also 17 per cent of graduates lost their jobs due to the pandemic, a research by the Knowledge Exchange Centre (KEC) and BudgIT revealed. The Executive Secretary, KEC, Aghogho Akporido, disclosed this during the virtual graduation ceremony of 43 students in its Graduate Advancement Programme (GAP) network, recently. He said the programme was extended to three months as opposed to the previous six weeks. He also said during the selection process, training session, career counselling and mentoring session and even in some cases, the internship was done virtually (online). Akporido said for the first time there were participants from eight states and volunte...
