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FG Spends N49bn On 11 Roads …As Jonathan Seeks Financial Autonomy For PDP
The Federal Government, says it has spent over N49 billion to complete 11 federal road projects across the country in the last one year.
The Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, made this known yesterday while giving the stewardship of his ministry to newsmen in Abuja.
The briefing was in line with the ministerial platform approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to mark the 2012 Democracy Day as well as the one year anniversary of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Onolememen said that the 11 roads were part of the 168 road construction/rehabilitation projects inherited by the administration.
The minister said the completed roads had been provided with the necessary road signs and markings.
“The first on the list which is in the North Central zone is the construction of Bomp-Manchok road, the amount paid to date amounts to about N3.8 billion, still in the North Central, the Langtan-Tukur-Shendam road in Plateau State, the amount paid to date stands at N4.5 billion.
“The completion of the construction of the Gembu-Tongu road in Adamawa State and to date the ministry has paid about N4.6 billion, in the construction of Gombe-Numa-Yola road in Adamawa State, to date, the ministry has paid N3.8 billion.
“ The Gombe bye pass in Gombe State, to date the ministry has paid the sum of N2.1 billion, the access road to the Kaduna refinery, this project has recorded 100 per cent completion and to date the ministry has paid N800 million.
“On Kano-Kazaure-Daura-Yar’Ádua road in Katsina State, to date though the project stands at 100 per cent completion, the ministry has paid N3.8 billion.
“On the rehabilitation of the Aba-Owerri road in Abia and Imo States, to date the ministry has paid about N1.8 billion, on the rehabilitation of the Adaoru-Nsukka-Adani road in Enugu State, the ministry has paid the total sum of N1 billion.
“On the Onitsha-Owerri dual carriage road, to date the ministry has paid N19 billion, on the construction of Eleme junction fly over in Rivers State, to date the ministry has paid N5.6 billion.”
He said that the ministry was working assiduously to deliver on the roads based on available resources.
The minister said that government was also working to ensure that additional funds were accessed to complete other major road projects across the country.
On the provision of road signs and markings on major high ways, the minister explained that some of the newly completed roads had been provided with the necessary facilities, adding that the provision of road signs and markings was to ensure the safety of road users.
Onolememen, however, said roads that had been opened to users without road signs were not fully completed, adding that the Federal Government had decided to open such roads to ease the sufferings of road users.
The ministerial platform continues tomorrow with presentations from the Ministries of Water Resources, Agriculture and Environment.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to seek ways of generating funds internally to free itself from the influence of money bags.
The President gave the advice in Abuja at a forum with the new members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Jonathan noted that achieving financial autonomy would free the party from depending on donations from rich party members, who in turn, would influence its decisions in one way or the other.
“Members of the party must pay monthly contributions based on our guidelines.
“We must all work to create an avenue where the party will source for funding, so that if you are the chairman of the party, members of the working committee can manage the party without excessive influence from people.
“Even though we expect all money bags to be in PDP, but we don’t want the money bags to influence the activities of the party,’’ he said.
According to the President, the party must come up with programmes that would make it financially self sustaining.
Jonathan pledged to always carry the party along in the running and implementation of government policies and programmes.
“My cabinet is totally committed and we will not come up with any major programme without involving the party.
“Whether you are in the executive or parliamentary arm of government, we all belong to our party and we must project the agenda of the party.
The President urged the party leadership to feel free to request all cabinet members to brief them on the activities of the government.
He challenged the party not to shy away from its responsibility of giving direction to the government and the legislature, to enhance good governance in the country.
The president admonished the party to enforce discipline among members, irrespective of status, adding that the leadership must ensure that the party’s guidelines were followed and implemented to the latter.
“In South Africa, the ANC can admonish the President because the party is superior’’.
In his goodwill message, the pioneer National chairman of PDP, Chief Solomon Lar urged the new leadership of the party to remain united and make patriotism their watchword.
Chairman, Convention Committee, Chief Ojo Maduekwe and the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamangar Tukur, in their separate speeches, assured the President of their unflinching support.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cautioned parents to closely monitor their children’s craving for cookies and gummies, warning that some of the products may contain illicit substances being smuggled into the country.
In a statement posted yesterday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said recent seizures by the agency’s officers had revealed attempts by criminal elements to introduce prohibited substances under the guise of everyday snacks.
“As parents, if your kids and young ones always crave for cookies and gummies, you may have to pay a little more attention. There may be more to it than ordinary cookies and gummies,” Babafemi wrote, sharing images of seized packages.
The photos showed colourful pouches of “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies” in flavours such as Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango, labelled as vegan and hemp-derived, alongside the actual gummy products.
The warning comes amid a major interception by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Officers seized two 40-foot containers containing large quantities of cannabis-infused products concealed among legitimate imports such as used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics.
The consignment included thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, packs of cannabis-infused gummies and other cannabis-infused cookies, with a combined estimated street value of about ?373.8m.
The items were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA.
NDLEA officials described the products, which originated from the United States and were packaged to resemble ordinary vegan snacks with appealing flavours, as an emerging public health threat.
They noted that the attractive packaging could appeal especially to children, students and young people, raising the risk of accidental consumption of concentrated cannabis.
The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has announced plans to partner with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to strengthen efforts at combating illegal waste dumping and improving environmental sanitation across the state.
The partnership was unveiled during a meeting between officials of RIWAMA and the leadership of the Rivers State chapter of the PCRC in Port Harcourt, recently, where both organisations pledged to work together to restore the Garden City status of the state capital.
In his speech, the Supervisor of Market and Community Sanitation in RIWAMA, Mr. Omereji Ukoha, said the collaboration was in line with the vision of the agency’s Managing Director, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, and the Board Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
Ukoha described the PCRC as a strategic grassroots partner capable of mobilising communities and driving behavioural change through sustained public enlightenment on proper waste disposal.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of indiscriminate refuse dumping in parts of Port Harcourt, particularly in New GRA, where blocked drainage channels and illegal shanties have continued to contribute to flooding and environmental degradation.
According to him, the agency is determined to intensify enforcement against environmental offenders, warning that unregistered cart pushers and residents who patronise them would be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the RIWAMA Act, 2014.
The RIWAMA official urged residents to embrace proper waste disposal practices and patronise only government-approved waste operators in order to safeguard public health and protect the environment.
Responding, the Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee in Rivers State, Dr. Voke Emore, commended RIWAMA for seeking collaboration with the committee in addressing environmental challenges confronting the state.
Emore said the PCRC would deploy its community-based structures across the state to support public sensitisation and encourage residents to comply with environmental sanitation regulations.
He also called on local government councils to play more active roles in waste management, noting that they collect sanitation levies and should complement the efforts of the state government in maintaining a clean environment.
The PCRC chairman described indiscriminate refuse disposal as a serious environmental and public health concern, stressing that sustained collaboration among government agencies, community leaders and residents remained critical to achieving lasting sanitation goals.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the partnership would promote cleaner communities, reduce environmental hazards and strengthen public participation in efforts to ensure a healthier and more sustainable environment for the people of Rivers State.
King Onunwor
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly terrorising communities in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
The State Police Command disclosed this in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe, in Port Harcourt, recently.
The suspects were arrested during a coordinated operation at Oyigbo, following directives by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju.
Those arrested were Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44, from Benue State; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51, from Anambra State; Nicholas Diala, 65, from Imo State; Ndubuisi Uwakwe, 49, from Abia State; and Ifeanyi Nwakwo, 51, from Imo State.
The Command said the arrest represented another significant operational success in its ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the State.
According to the Police, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping operations within Rivers State.
The suspects, during interrogation, allegedly confessed to their involvement in kidnapping and further admitted participating in several operations carried out in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
The Command said investigation was ongoing, with efforts intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected syndicate who may be connected with the criminal activities.
The Police boss said the operation reflected the implementation of operational directives and the intelligence-driven policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc, NPM.
Adepoju reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain aggressive intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
He warned kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the State that there would be no safe haven for them, stressing that the Command would relentlessly pursue, arrest and ensure that those found culpable were brought to justice.
The Commissioner further assured residents of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies in the fight against crime.
He appealed to residents to provide the Police with credible and timely information capable of assisting security operatives in preventing criminal activities and apprehending suspected criminals.
The Command urged members of the public who may have useful information on the activities of the suspected kidnapping syndicate or other criminal elements to contact the Police through its emergency lines, assuring that such information would assist ongoing investigations.
King Onunwor
