Rehabilitation
Obudu contract debt: Appeal court reserves judgment against Cross River
The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by a private firm, Zedici Capital Ltd, against the Cross River State Government over a N3.8 billion contract debt. The appellant, Zedici Capital Ltd, is the firm that remodelled the Obudu Mountain Resort in Cross River State, now a subject of litigation. The three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, headed by Justice Peter Ige, reserved the date after counsel to the parties had adopted their legal submissions for and against the appeal, that is challenging the judgment of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which had in 2019, refused to affirm the arbitral award to Zedici Ltd over its investment of N3.8 billion in the resort. Justice Ige announced that a date for the judgment would be comm...
NNPC commits to ensuring energy sufficiency, wealth creation for Nigerians
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring effective stewardship of the nation’s hydrocarbon resources to guarantee energy security and drive wealth creation in Nigeria. The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, made this assertion while delivering the keynote address at the 2021 Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG 2021) on Tuesday in Abuja. Speaking on the topic: “Vision and Priorities for Nigeria’s Energy Transformation,” Mallam Kyari stated that for a nation with a teeming youth and a developing economy, Nigeria needed the right policies to unlock its huge economic potential, stressing that NNPC was working towards bridging the energy gap to multiply wealth for its varied stakeholders. “We see a nation that m...
Ethiopia urges Tigray rebels to join ceasefire, hostilities persist
Ethiopia’s government urged Tigrayan rebels to join a unilateral ceasefire in their conflict on Thursday as aid agencies struggled to reach hundreds of thousands of people facing famine. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the former rulers of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, said on Monday it was back in control of the regional capital Mekelle after nearly eight months of fighting. The government declared a unilateral ceasefire but the TPLF dismissed it as a joke. Hostilities persisted on Thursday and pressure built internationally for all sides to pull back. “Operations are under way … and the number of prisoners of war is increasing by the minute,” TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda told Reuters by satellite phone, with light artillery fire crackling in the background. “We are closing in on...
APC group commends President Buhari, security agents for ‘decimating’ IPOB
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Legacy Awareness and Campaign has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and federal security agents for decimating separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The group, in a statement issued by the quartet of Barr Ismail Ahmed, Lanre Issa-Onilu, Tolu Ogunlesi and Salihu Moh Lukman, claimed that the country will in the next few months witness even more progress on all fronts. ‘On security, the fear that has gripped the nation in recent times is receding while confidence is being renewed as the security agencies are chasing down the criminals, taking the battle to the bandits, unknown gunmen, kidnappers, and other criminal elements who have been holding the country by the jugular and turning Nigeria to a killing field,’ the group stated. ‘From the...
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold ruled out of Euro 2020
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out of the European Championship after suffering a thigh injury in Wednesday’s friendly win over Austria. The Liverpool defender limped off in the closing stages of the 1-0 victory, with Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate offering a grim prognosis immediately after the game. His fears were realised when scans revealed the extent of Alexander-Arnold’s injury – with the Football Association confirming his withdrawal on Thursday. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out of UEFA EURO 2020,” a statement said. “The Liverpool player sustained a thigh injury in the closing stages of Wednesday’s 1-0 win against Austria in Middlesbrough. “A scan on Thursday confirmed the 22-year-old will be unable to play in the forthcoming tournament so he has withdrawn from th...
Borno government shutdowns another IDP camp in Maiduguri
The Borno government has shutdown another Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp located at the state NYSC orientation camp in Maiduguri. Newsmen report that the closing of the camp, housing about I,464 households was done by officials of the state government on Monday in Maiduguri. The camp was the second to be closed by the government in three days in its bid to return all IDPs back to their communities. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Mustafa Gubio, the state’s Commissioner for Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, said the closing of the camp was to allow for renovation work to take place at the NYSC orientation camp. Also speaking, the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr Bukar Talba, said government has established mega farms in Auno and Damasak for allocated...
Imo governor dissolves executive council
The Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, on Wednesday dissolved his members of Executive council members. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, confirmed this to newsmen in Owerri. It was gathered by newsmen that the aim of the dissolution was to regig his administration to further achieve his numerous projects of the 3r, of rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery. Some of the ministries mentioned to newsmen that were not affected included; the Information and strategy ministry, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Finance, Ministry Health, Ministry Youth, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry Technology and Ministry of Women Affairs. However, when newsmen contacted the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, he also confirmed it and said: “The gover...
RCCG apologises to minister over Osun road project
File Photo Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), on Thursday, dismissed alleged payment of N151million to a firm for a road rehabilitated by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Osun State. Fashola in his submission before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, probing the allegation, said the claim by the church was untrue. He said the 15-kilometer road was awarded to Messrs Cartil Construction Nigeria Limited at the cost of N662.7million by the Federal Government in 2011. He said the Ministry paid N99million as 15% mobilisation fee and N52million to the contractor after the firm achieved 26.2 per cent of work done on the road in March and December 2011, respectively. He insisted that the award of the contract and the subsequent p...
House minority caucus flays $1.5 billion approval for rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives Tuesday described the approval of $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery as a huge scam and a ploy by unscrupulous elements to siphon public funds. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had recently at its virtual meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari approved $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the refinery. But, the caucus in a statement by its Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, while rejecting the amount, said the figure is outrageous and heavily inflated, demanding an immediate review of the cost. The lawmakers noted that while they are in support of any genuine effort to bridge energy deficit in Nigeria, such should not be used as a ploy by corrupt individuals to fleece the nation. The caucus called...
TUC opposes sale of Port Harcourt refinery
File Photo The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is opposed to the sale of the Port Harcourt Refinery as canvassed by many Nigerians, its secretary-general, Musa Lawan, has said. The Federal Executive Council last week approved $1.5 billion (about N600 billion) for the rehabilitation of the 210,000 barrels per day refinery. The FEC approved the amount at its virtual meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari. The approval came amidst a controversial price increase in the pump price of petrol that was later reversed. Although Nigeria has four refineries, all government-owned, it currently imports virtually all its refined petroleum products. The approval for the Port Harcourt Refinery was greeted with mixed feelings as the country in the past spent billions of dollars on refinery maintenance w...
Former Nigerian ambassador urges government to negotiate with bandits
A former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines and Algeria, Orefo Onochie, has told the federal government to consider the option of negotiating with the insurgents, currently terrorising Nigeria, if that would make the bandits to embrace lasting peace. Onochie who spoke newsmen in Abuja on Sunday said that negotiating with the bandits would prove a wiser option in the long run. According to him, there is nothing wrong in negotiating with bandits if that can end banditry, insurgency and kidnappings in parts of the country. The diplomat argued that Nigeria should not continue to be held hostage by terrorists, especially in the north. He also expressed worry over what he described as the persistent cases of kidnappings and killing of farmers by herdsmen in farming communities in parts of th...
Repairs: Federal government announces partial closure of Falomo bridge
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olukayode Popoola, has announced a six weeks partial closure of the Falomo Bridge in Victoria Island from Sunday for repairs. Popoola in a statement on Friday night appealed for understanding of road users promising that traffic regulatory and law enforcement agencies have been deployed to minimise gridlock “The Federal Government will be embarking on rehabilitation of Falomo Bridge for a period of six weeks starting from Sunday 14th March 2021. “This will require partial closure of one lane at a time. “The motoring public are advised to please cooperate with the traffic law enforcement agents, while the federal government will try its best to minimise the inconveniences this may cause,” he said. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to...
