Aso Villa Reads for 07/11/2019
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
Punch reports that the Federal Executive Council has approved the sum of N58.48 billion for the Bida-Saachi-Nupeko Road project and the Nupeko-Pategi Bridge project, which links Niger and Kwara states. The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said it was an old contract, which was terminated and reviewed. “You heard the project involved, the Bida-Saachi-Nupeko Road and we have attached bridge — the Nupeko-Pategi Bridge across the River Niger, to link Nupeko in Niger and Pategi in Kwara State together. “And also facilitate connectivity from South West to North Central and North of Nigeria. “It is an old contract, actually. It was awarded in 2013, terminated for non-performance, re-evaluated. “It didn’t have a bridge then; we have added a bridge now; approved now for N58. 488 billion; and it is expected to take 30 months.’’ Fashola, who fielded questions from State House Correspondents on the state of roads across the country, said that the rainy season hampered road construction and rehabilitation.
According to Punch, the Federal Government has ordered the immediate termination of cash payment in offices of the Nigeria Postal Services across the country. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, who gave the order on Thursday, said it has been discovered that the cash payment system was aiding corrupt practices. Pantami spoke in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Uwa Suleiman. “It has come to the attention of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, that some unscrupulous elements have been taking undue advantage of the cash payment system under the Nigeria Postal Services to engage in corrupt practices. “In line with the anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, and the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the Minister hereby directs the Post Master General, to, with immediate effect, suspend all existing cash payment plans within its establishments nationwide,” the statement said. The Post Master General was directed to ensure that all NIPOST offices immediately revert to Point of Sales and bank teller transactions. In the same vein, members of the public and all customers of NIPOST were encouraged to insist on PoS or bank teller transactions when conducting business with the postal service.
Vanguard reports that Nigeria is well into the process of diversifying its economy, with emphasis on sectors such as agriculture, mining, solid minerals and manufacturing, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday when he received at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Nicaraguan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Denis Moncada Colindres, and the Nicaraguan Minister for Special Delegation of the President for Africa, Middle East and Arab, Mohamed Farrara Lashtar. Receiving on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari a special message from the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, Vice President Osinbajo noted that Nigeria and the Republic of Nicaragua share the same view on the need to strengthen existing bilateral relations and expand economic ties. Noting the efforts of the Nicaraguan President on the country’s economy, the Vice President stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria regards its relations with Nicaragua as valuable. Prof. Osinbajo noted that both countries should explore all areas of cooperation for improved relations. “We (Nigeria) are in the process of diversifying our economy, from dependence on oil. Now, we are diversifying into different fields; agriculture, agri-business, mining, solid minerals, manufacturing, technology and innovation.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said the ongoing crisis in the North-east demands unprecedented collaboration between the military and the humanitarian actors. He said this will remove fiction between the military and humanitarian actors and will subsequently bring succour to the people of the sub-region. According to This Day, the president, who was represented by the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd.), at the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop on Civil-Security Summit, organised by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in Maiduguri on Wednesday, however lamented that: “The relationship between humanitarian and security actors responding to the humanitarian crisis is always fraught with mistrust in many theatres of conflict globally. “In the North-east of Nigeria, the tension between the CSOs and the security apparatus deteriorated into a full-blown impasse this year, which ultimately resulted in the suspension of activities of some NGOs by Operation Lafiya Dole Theater Command. These challenges have had an adverse effect on humanitarian response.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the House of Representatives have assured Nigerians that there will be no fuel scarcity during the upcoming Christmas period and even the New Year. The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Mele Kyari, and the Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Hon. Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya, gave the assurance yesterday in Lagos during an inspection tour of the newly rehabilitated Ijegun-Egba access road. This Day reports that the road project was funded by the petroleum product depot owners operating in the community to help alleviate the plight of the residents and also ease movements of petroleum products in and out of the community. Speaking to journalists at the tour, Kyari who led the inspection team to the area, said over 2.6 million litres of petrol was available to carry Nigerians throughout the festive season. He, however, allayed fear of any scarcity of fuel arising from distribution glitch, saying the corporation has a robust supply plans to make sure such does not occur.
For federal government workers, including academic staff in universities, who risk non-payment of salary for non-enrolment on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), now have relief as the deadline for enrolment has been moved from October 31 to November 30, 2019. The acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, in a circular dated October 29, 2019 and marked HCSF/CSO/HRM/M.1278/I/95, sighted by THISDAY, gave this window of compliance, stating that the civil servants now have up to November 30 to complete the enrolment process. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been at logger-heads with the federal government over a presidential directive that all federal workers must migrate to the IPPIS platform by October 31 or risk their names struck off the payroll. The National Universities Commission (NUC) is expected to conclude negotiations with ASUU today over the dispute that federal government has refused to compromise. This is according to This Day.
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has assured customers including those of recently licensed Payment Service Banks (PSBs) of adequate coverage in the event of failure. Speaking at the NDIC special day, at the ongoing Lagos International Trade Fair, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of NDIC, Ibrahim Umaru, said the corporation had taken steps towards securing depositors’ funds as it strives to encourage financial inclusion in the country. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently granted Approval-in-Principle to some firms to operate as PSBs, as a way of taking financial services to rural areas where financial exclusion is high and banking penetration is low. Owing to this, Umaru who was represented by the Director, Special Insured Institutions Department, Joshua Utopidok, said following the issuance of the “framework for the Licensing and Regulation of Payment Service banks (PSBs) by the CBN which stipulated the extension of Deposit Insurance Coverage to the depositors, the Corporation has designed an appropriate Differential Premium Assessment System (DPAS) Matrix for Premium computation/payment as well as set an Insurable Limit to the Depositors in the event of failure. This Day reports.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to resolve issues of illegal data deduction and review downwards, the price of data in the country within five days. This Day reports that the minister gave the directive during the presentation of Barrister Adeleke Morofolu Adewolu, the new Board Member/Executive Commissioner by the Chairman of the Board of Commission at NCC, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja recently. He pointed out that there were numerous complaints from Nigerians regarding illegal data deduction and high price of data adding that he had personally experienced illegal data deduction. He charged NCC to facilitate the penetration and expansion of 3G and 4G and urged the Commission to design a target on how mobile operators can expand penetration of 3G and 4G in the country.
The Nation reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), on Wednesday in Kano, indicated its preparedness to explore the possibility of accessing the $70 billion package of the Nigerian Communications Sector market, so as to improve the competitiveness, which abounds in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), initiative. In his speech, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, represented by the Director, Policy Competition and Economic Anylysis, Alhai Mohammed Baba Jika, at a two-day Stakeholders Sensitization workshop, on the implications of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), initiative for the Communications Industry, held in Kano, said the process is to be in conformity, with an initiative of the African Union (AU) of creating a single Continental market for goods and services. During the workshop, with the theme: ’’Improving Nigerian Communications Industry Competitiveness For the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) initiative, organized by the NCC, in collaboration, with the Nigerian office for Trade Negotiation (NOTN), Danbatta, said, the Government’s institutional framework is to drive Nigeria’s trade policy initiative that will facilitate free movement of investment and people across the entire African Continent.
As a way of integrating the maritime sector into rail master structure, the ongoing linkage of standard gauge railway line to Apapa port will make movements of goods to and from the ports more effective and boost economic growth, the minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has said. According to Leadership, the minister who made this known in Lagos recently during the “World Maritime Day” also said that it is a policy of government that all seaports in Nigeria must be connected by rail adding that “We have put in place a 25-year modernisation programme for the rail system. With the master plan, we have taken rail from where the past government stopped into the seaports.”
Federal Government has announced plans to partner private sectors for a successful hosting of the 2019 Abuja carnival. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mohammed Bello, said this Tuesday when Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja. Bello, while noting that funding is a challenge for the success of the carnival, tasked the Information and Culture Minister to approach private sectors for the partnership to address funding in exchange for various benefits such as advertisement. The FCT Minister said the carnival will not only showcase and cement the unity of the country but will automatically create social and economic activity, adding that it will generate movement of resources and upgrading of facilities. He also tasked the Minister to incorporate fishing festival in 2020 saying Abuja is home to large water bodies. The Minister of State for FCT, Ramatu Aliyu, who is directly in charge of the carnival on behalf of the assured the visiting Minister of full cooperation towards a successful hosting of the 2019 carnival. Business Day reports.
