Aso Villa Reads for 17/10/2019
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
According to BUSINESS DAY (Thursday 17, 2019 page 1), President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the engagement of a consortium of four firms to enter into a 20-year concession arrangement with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for a Customs modernisation project and establishment of digital and paperless Customs administration. The firms include Bionica Technologies West Africa Ltd as lead sponsor, Bergman Security Consultant and Supplies Ltd as co-sponsor, Africa Fianance Corporation, lrad sponsor, and Huawei, lead technical service provider. The firm are to establish a project special purpose vehicle (SPV) to implement the projects. This is contained in memo dated September 17, 2019 and signed by Abba Kyari, chief of staff to the president.
According to PUNCH, the Federal Executive Council has approved N5.4bn for the construction of oil and gas parks and indoor shooting range for aviation security. The Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, spoke on the oil and gas project while the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, talked about the aviation security projects. They spoke to State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting on Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Sylva said FEC approved N3bn for the oil and gas parks in the Niger Delta region, adding that the parks would create additional 1000 jobs and improve the security of the region. The minister said, “Today at the council, the Ministry of Petroleum presented two memos for the establishment of oil and gas parks. Two oil and gas parks were approved; one in Akwa Ibom, and the other in Bayelsa State. “These parks are to support the development and manufacturing of oil and gas tools. As some of you know, in some countries, service sector of the oil industry is sometimes even bigger than the oil industry itself.“In Nigeria, that sector has not really grown so much. Now, this administration is really committed to developing the service sector and that is why the oil and gas parks are being built. These parks will create a lot of jobs; we are looking at about 1,000 additional jobs. And of course, it will improve the security of the Niger Delta.”
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has challenged shareholders of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) to work very quickly towards expanding the production capacity of the company beyond Train 7 to take advantage of developments in the global LNG market. The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, gave the charge Friday in Abuja, during the signing ceremony of a $2.5bn pre-payment agreement between NNPC and NLNG for Upstream gas development projects to supply gas to NLNG Trains 1–6. Kyari said the agreement would help to resolve the issues around gas supply to Trains 1–6, stressing that there was need to fast-track action on the process of bringing more trains on stream. “Here at NNPC, we are thinking beyond Train 7; if your ambition is Train 7”, Kyari challenged the shareholders. He noted that though NLNG has been a huge success as a company, it must go beyond its current achievements and initiate other viable projects capable of generating better return on investment.” PM News Nigeria reports.
In a bid to curb leakages and ensure efficiency in the management of resources of government, President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved additional cost saving measures for immediate implementation. Daily Times reports that FEC approves N2.4bn for Aviation Security Shooting Range Mr. Willie Bassey, Director Information, office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, in a statement on Wednesday, said the decision was aimed at instilling financial discipline and prudence, particularly, in the area of official travels. “Henceforth, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are required to submit their Yearly Travel Plans for statutory meetings and engagements to the office of the SGF. “And/or the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation for express clearance within the first quarter of the fiscal year, before implementation,” he said. According to Bassey, MDAs are further required to make their presentation using the existing template and also secure approvals on specific travels as contained in the plan, from the appropriate quarters.”
The Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu on Wednesday approved N2.4 billion for the construction of an indoor shooting range for nation’s aviation security. The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, disclosed this when he briefed State House Correspondents at the end of the Council’s meeting held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to him, the aim is to further train the security personnel, who have obtained Presidential approval to start carrying arms, for improved security in the nation’s airports. “Today, in council two memoranda were considered for aviation. The first is construction of indoor shooting range for aviation security. “Recall some time ago Mr. President in conformity with the Act that established Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), had approved that aviation security carry arms for improved security. “You also recall that these aviation personnel were trained and still receiving training and profiling and all things that will make them efficient at the DSS and other sister organizations. “And adding to that, they need tools and equipment to play the role they ought to play to keep us safe and secure.” Daily Times reports.
According to DAILY TIMES, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday inaugurated the 2020 Emblem Appeal Launch for the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration with a donation of N10 million on behalf of the Federal Government. The president made the donation shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Buhari encouraged all citizens to donate generously in support of veterans and dependents of the fallen heroes. The president also called on Nigerians and others resident in Nigeria to procure and wear the emblem with pride, to identify with those who sacrificed their lives for the peace and security of the nation. He enjoined government agencies at federal and state levels to continue to patronise services of Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires in the provision of security services. “I am happy to note that the Legion has continued to be a rallying point of veterans and has done its part in catering for the welfare of their ailing members.”
Nigeria is to work closely with China for the production of Nigerian-made transformers by 2020, a top-ranking Nigerian official said on Thursday. Engr. Mohammed Haruna, the Executive Vice Chairman, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said that the partnership aimed to put an end to the power supply challenge in the country. According to him, the partnership with the Chinese government will witness the setting up of a factory in Nigeria for the production of transformers which will begin in 2020. He said that on that score, NASENI would look forward to launching made-in-Nigeria transformers soon. He said the partnership would see more than 307.5 million dollars used to implement three main projects critical to addressing Nigeria’s power needs, namely: electric power transformer production as well as the establishment of both a High Voltage Testing Laboratory and the setting up of Solar cell Production Facility (phase one and phase 2. He added that 60 Nigerian engineers and technicians are currently undergoing training in China to gain knowledge of transformer technology, production, installation, and maintenance.” PM News reports.
Fifty-four days after the closure of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu state, President Muhammad Buhari has announced his approval to the request made by the Ministry of Aviation for N10bn for repairs of the airport. Business Day reported that the president made this announcement on his official Twitter handle expressing the government’s commitment to fixing the nation’s infrastructure despite limited resources. His tweet reads,” I have approved the sum of N10bn for an intervention fund for the upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu” “I have the assurance of the Minister of Aviation that the work will be done speedily and to the highest standards. “Even as we have items competing for our limited resources, we will continue to pray it’s infrastructure investments in every part of the country. It is our responsibility to ensure Nigeria’s infrastructure is fixed; we will keep doing this,” tweet ends. Recall, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) announced the closure of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Runway in Enugu for major repairs and works on the airfield from midnight on 24th August 2019.”
