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East-West Road Completion To Cost N70bn -Reps

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Head, Financial Inclusion, CBN, Mrs Akin-Fadeyi Temitope, fielding questions from journalists at the end of the workshop on Financial Inclusion organised by CBN in Port Harcourt recently. Photo: Chris Monyanaga

Head, Financial Inclusion, CBN, Mrs Akin-Fadeyi Temitope, fielding questions from journalists at the end of the workshop on Financial Inclusion organised by CBN in Port Harcourt recently. Photo: Chris Monyanaga

The East-West Road, a major link road in the Niger Delta region, will cost the Federal Government another estimated N70billion to be completed, the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs said yesterday.
The Chairman of the committee, Warman Ogoriba, who gave the figure in Abuja, explained that after a series of meetings with government officials and the contractors handling the project, it was clear that poor funding had remained the key factor delaying the completion of the strategic road.
The project is divided into five sections, beginning from Warri in Delta State, and cutting through Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and ending in Cross River State.
However, work is currently progressing on only sections I-IV of the 338-kilometre road, with a 79.42ý per cent completion rate.
Annual funding of the project is said to be short by N36.6bn, leaving contractors grumbling owing to unpaid certificates.
But Ogoriba noted that despite the funding challenges, the committee was optimistic that the road could be delivered by December 2015.
Ogoriba, who is from Bayelsa State, said, “We will again look at the reports submitted by the contractors, such as Setraco, RCC to see what updates they have.
“But for the budget, I think what we need to finish the East-West Road in 2015 is about N60billion to N70billion. And it depends on how much we get from the budgetary allocation for 2015 as well as SURE-P intervention. That is when we will know if the road will be delivered by then, but besides that, work has gone very far and we believe it will continue like that till the end.”
Only in September, the Minister of Niger Delta Ministry, Steve Oru, had disclosed that N268.4billion had been paid to contractors working on the road, out of a total contact sum of N349.8billion.
Government has been inconsistent on the completion date of the road. The ministry initially assured the stakeholders that the road would be ready by December this year.
But, during a meeting with the House committee in September, Oru made a U-turn, saying that at best, portions of sections I-IV would be ready before Christmas, and not the entire road.
He declined to make a commitment to a new completion date.
Oru told the committee, “Initially, we looked at December, but the contractors have told me the challenges they are facing.
“Work is rapidly in progress, but December will not be possible.
“What will is that a good section of the road will be made useable ý before the Christmas period.”

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NAFDAC Alerts Nigerians To EU Ban On Dex Soap

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The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has alerted Nigerians on the ban on Dex Luxury Bar Soap (No 6 Mystic Flower), by the European Union (EU).
The notification is contained in a public alert with No. 012/2024, signed by NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, and issued to newsmen in Abuja yesterday.
“The product does not comply with the cosmetic products regulation; it also contains Butyphenyl Methylpropional (BMHCA), which is prohibited in cosmetic products due to its risk of harming the reproductive system.
“It also causes harm to the health of unborn children and may cause skin sensitisation.
“It is as a result of the defective nature of the product that the EU banned it.
“The products is not in NAFDAC database; importers, distributors, retailers and consumers are to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain,” she said.
NAFDAC boss urged marketers and consumers to avoid the importation, distribution, sale and use of the product, stressing that product’s authenticity and physical condition must be carefully checked.
She enjoined members of the public in possession of the product to discontinue sale or use, and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.

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Communities, Volunteers Ready To Face Upcoming Floods – Red Cross

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The Country Manager of the British Red Cross in Nigeria, Karsten Voigt, says communities and volunteers are ready to face the challenges expected with the upcoming floods.
Voigt said this at the sidelines of the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Lagos Branch.
The Tide’s source recalls that the British Red Cross donated resilience items to some communities in December 2023, to help mitigate the effects of flooding.
The items included cash, rain boots, rain coats, mosquito nets, handheld flashlights, solar powered lights with radio, USB chargers and a bridge to link the communities.
The communities that benefited included Agboyi 1, Agboyi 2, Agboyi 3 and Odo Ogun in Kosofe Local Government Area of the state.
Voigt said the Red Cross had measured the impact of the project in the communities and noticed that a lot of progress had been made.
According to him, apart from the cash and items given to the communities, simulation exercises have also been carried out to prepare the volunteers ahead of the floods.
“We have seen that people used the cash to address immediate needs they have after floods.
“Many households have used part of the cash to build up businesses.
“The solutions we have given to them are not only addressing their immediate needs after the disaster but actually building family income for their future,” he said.

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Nimet Forecasts Three-Day Sunshine, Thunderstorms

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The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and thunderstorm from Monday to Wednesday across the country.
NiMet’s weather outlook released yesterday in Abuja, forecasts sunny skies on Monday with a few patches of cloud over the northern cities and prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Taraba later in the day.
According to the forecast, sunny skies with patches of clouds are expected over the North Central region with prospects of morning thunderstorm over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kogi and Kwara States.
“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi and Benue States.
“The southern region is expected to be cloudy with spells of sunshine with prospects of morning thunderstorms over parts of Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo and Lagos States.
“ In the afternoon/evening periods, isolated thunderstorms are expected over parts of Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Ekiti, Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, Lagos and Bayelsa States,” it said.
NiMet also anticipated sunny skies on Tuesday with few patches of cloud over the northern states with prospects of isolated thunderstorms envisaged over parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and Kaduna States during the afternoon and evening hours.
It envisaged the North Central region to be sunny with patches of cloud during the morning hours.
The agency also envisaged isolated thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, Kwara and Niger States, later in the day.
“Cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is expected over the inland and coastal areas of the South, with chances of morning thunderstorm over parts of Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
“In the afternoon/evening periods, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers and Bayelsa States ,” it said.
It predicted a sunny atmosphere on Wednesday, with patches of cloud over the northern region, during the forecast period.
“Sunny skies with patches of clouds are expected over the North Central region with chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Plateau, Kogi, Nasarawa, the Federal Capital Territory and Benue States, during the afternoon/evening periods.
“ Cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is expected over the inland and coastal areas of the South with prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia.”
Other states to experience cloudy atmosphere, are “Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa States, later in the day.”
NiMet urged the public to take adequate precaution as strong winds might precede rains in areas where thunderstorms were likely to occur.
The agency also urged airline operators to get updated weather reports and forecasts from its office for effective planning in their operations.

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