Just a few days to the end of 2014, Nigerian government has approved N430.5billion for the construction of 17 roads and bridges across 15 states of the federation.

The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, who briefed newsmen at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today said the projects would create about 13,600 jobs, improve economic growth and general lives of the people in the affected States.

“These new projects that have been awarded today, approved by the council, are all provided in the 2014 Appropriation Act of the National Assembly,” the minister said.

“Infrastructure projects will help to catalyse economic growth, because people must be busy. There are Nigerians who will be engaged to do these jobs and all that.

“The over 13,600 jobs that will be created from these projects that will last for up to a period of five years will employ these Nigerians; and if we get them busy, they should be able to put food on their tables,” the minister said.

He said that the projects would also improve the socio-economic activities in the affected communities, reduce operating costs, travel time and accidents on the roads.

Onolememen listed the roads to include the ones in Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Nassarawa, Abia, Niger, Kogi, Cross River, Lagos and Kaduna states.

He assured that the falling oil price would not affect the smooth execution of the projects, saying that already there were budgetary provisions of N11 billion in the ministry’s 2014 Appropriation and N10 billion from SURE-P for the projects, while the balance would be provided for in subsequent budgets.

According to Onolememen, the Bodo-Bonny road in Rivers State with three major bridges across Afa Creek, Opobo Channel and Nanabie Creek, will ensure that Bonny island that contributes the “Bonny Lite” to the Lexicon of the world’s oil market and a major economic island in Nigeria is finally linked with a road access for the first time.

“This will open this treasured island to many more Nigerians and reduce the high cost of living in one of the hitherto most expensive industrial towns in Africa.

“The new Ikom bridge will help to open up the Calabar Port for business to the people of the North-central and North-Eastern Zones of our country, as the old steel-trussed bridge has height restriction that does not permit haulage vehicles to go through,” he added.

He said the Agaie-Katchia-Baro road in Niger State would help to link Baro Inland Port to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), thus promoting inter-modal transportation in Nigeria, as envisioned in the National Infrastructure Master Plan.

“The novel use of rigid pavement design, also known as concrete road on this alignment and on the Ikorodu-Shagamu Road linking the NNPC Depot at Mosimi, will mark a new dawn in road construction, as the construction materials will be 100% locally sourced, with improved longevity and reduced life cycle costs.
According to him, the reconstruction and dualization of Aba-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Lokpanta sections of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway will not only ensure that the entire corridor from Enugu to Port Harcourt is reconstructed, it will also bring a new lease of life to the people in the areas.

Onolememen also expressed optimism that the rehabilitation of Damaturu-Biu road, and Gombe-Kaltungo Section of Gombe-Numan-Yola road would bring succour to the people of the North-East region, whom he said had witnessed wanton destruction of roads and bridges by the insurgency in the area. [myad]

Transparency International with a mandate to stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of society, has again, rated Nigeria as the world’s 136th most corrupt nation out of the 174 countries.

In its latest report released today, the good governance body ranked Nigeria below African countries like Botswana, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Ghana and Tunisia among others.

The TI’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.

According to the organisation, a country or territory’s score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). A country or territory’s rank indicates its position relative to the other countries and territories in the index.

In statement by TI’s spokesperson, Chris Sanders, the 20th edition of the CPI, scores for China (with a score of 36 out of 100), Turkey (45) and Angola (19) were among the biggest fallers with a drop of  four or five points, despite average economic growth of more than four per cent over the last four years.

“The 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that economic growth is undermined and efforts to stop corruption fade when leaders and high level officials abuse power to appropriate public funds for personal gain,” said José Ugaz, the chair of the global anti-corruption body.

“Corrupt officials smuggle ill-gotten assets into safe havens through offshore companies with absolute impunity. Countries at the bottom need to adopt radical anti-corruption measures in favour of their people. Countries at the top of the index should make sure they don’t export corrupt practices to underdeveloped countries.” [myad]

Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled its Presidential primaries for December 10, to be held in Lagos. This is even as former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and one of the leading presidential aspirants has accepted Lagos as the venue for the primaries. Atiku said in a statement by his Media Office in Abuja today said that he is confident that Lagos has all it takes to ensure that the event is successful. He looked at the be memorable the cosmopolitan nature of the Lagos and the famed easy going nature of its residents, pointing out that the city of Lagos is like a home to him. According to Atiku, he spent several years of his public service career there. “I’m not any less Lagosian than anyone is. I have a house in Lagos and a part of my large family lives in Lagos. I visit Lagos regularly so I’m not a stranger to the cosmopolitan city and what it represents as the melting pot of Nigeria,” Atiku said.

[myad]

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has said that the emerging campaing period for the 2015 general elections has been a big challenge to him.
“It has been a challenging period for me. I have been accused of so many things. I have been a victim of internet terrorism. What bothers me most is when people resort to violence to achieve their ambition.
“I want to appeal to political aspirants to ensure that there is no violence. Somebody must not die for you to get to any position.”
Governor Uduaghan, who spoke today when he received the Delta State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Gideon Oyibo, and his executive on a courtesy visit, advised political office seekers to pursue their ambitions peacefully and avoid desperation and acts capable of triggering crisis.
“You must not destroy lives, cars or properties because of political position.
“Remember it is only God that gives position and what he has ordain will surely come to pass.”
He said that aspirants if what political office seekers is the desire to serve the people, they don’t need to embark on do-or-die politicking.
“Aspirants should not see their ambition as a do-or-die affair. There is too much desperation among the political class today and most of them don’t care what happens to their political opponents or the people around them as long as they achieve their ambition.”
The governor commended members of CAN for their credible performance during the last local government election in the state.
He said that they added credibility to the electoral process and urged them to play similar roles in future elections.
He asked them to continue to pray for the nation to overcome the Boko Haram scourge, assuring that President Goodluck Jonathan is handling the insurgency with the seriousness it deserved.
Rev. Oyibo decried the attitude of political aspirants who are desperate for positions and use violence as a means to achieve their aims. He advised them to follow the stipulated rules and guidelines.
Meanwhile, an ultra-modern executive chambers inside the New Government House, built and furnished by the Uduaghan administration, was on Wednesday dedicated.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the South South, Bishop God-Do-Well Avwomakpa, led a team of men of God, including Rev. Oyibo, to perform the dedication ceremony.
Uduaghan; his wife, Roli; the Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN); commissioners; and top government functionaries witnessed the ceremony.
‪On Wednesday, December 3, 2014 4:20 PM, AREH SUNDAY

[myad]

Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed sadness over the death of the immediate past Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, which occurred Saturday, November 29, at the Muelmed Med-Clinic, Pretoria, South Africa.

Ashiru held sway as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2013. During this period, he deployed economic diplomacy as a way and means of lending support to the administration’s Transformation Agenda.

Under him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs undertook the compilation and publication of the ministry’s maiden annual report, amongst other milestones.

A statement by the ministry on Monday said: “The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Danjuma N. Sheni, and the entire officers and staff of the ministry extend their heartfelt condolence to the family and friends of Ashiru as well as pray that God Almighty grant him eternal rest.”

Ashiru was born on August 27, 1948 in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. He began his diplomatic career in June, 1972. [myad]