News
Jonathan Promises Steady Power By June 2013 … Woos Foreign
President Goodluck Jonathan has said that several cities in
the country will enjoy steady and uninterrupted supply by June 2013.
Power which remains one of the key sectors the Goodluck
Administration has taken as a priority to fix has become very vital to the
economic and technological advancement of the nation, and the recent process of
privatisation of the sector, lays claim to another phase the sector is about to
experience.
He made this statement while fielding questions in
Islamabad, Pakistan during the D-8 summit of Leaders.
He said, ‘We have power projects that are going on, so
before the end of the second quarter, that is middle of next year, most of
these projects would have been inaugurated and we will be evacuating and that
time; quite a number of cities will begin to have 24 hour power supply’.
“When we get to that point, you will see that small scale
enterprises will begin to make returns, and that is the way we can create
jobs.”
“Currently, we are generating more than what our
transmission capability can evacuate. We have over 1,000MW of power that we
cannot evacuate because of the transmission infrastructure that has been weak
over the years, and very recently, the government started the intervention.”
“We have intervened robustly in the power sector, and if you
call back home, they will tell you that power is improving, and we have
promised that we will stabilise power supply.
Various surveys on business growth in Nigeria have linked
the slow pace and potential of small medium enterprises to epileptic power
supply, most multinationals especially in the oil and gas and
telecommunications sectors have complained of spending huge budgets on
generating their own power supply.
President Jonathan also in a meeting with Nigerians living
in Pakistan, regretted the devastating floods that hit some parts of the
nation, stating that it had impeded economic development, but was optimistic
that Nigeria would bounce back.
Ever since the roadmap summit on power held in Lagos State
in 2010 with President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Fashola in attendance,
the Federal Government has engaged the private sector and also through the
Lagos State initiative designed a framework to unbundle the sector to ensure
efficiency.
With these statements, it is believed that if 24 hour steady
power supply is achieved in some cities in the country by mid 2013, Nigerians
after many years of groaning in darkness and poor power supply, will begin to
move from cynicism to the hope that things can start working in the country.
Also President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Islamabad
called on investors from D-8 member countries to take advantage of the friendly
investments climate in Nigeria to invest in the nations economy.
he President made the call in his address to the summit of
the Heads of State and Government of the Eight Developing Nations (D-8) held in
Islamabad, the capital of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Nigeria values its membership of the D-8 as a platform for
economic cooperation and promotion of trade for sustainable development.
“We, therefore, welcome investments from D-8 Member
Countries in our economy in furtherance of our organisation’s lofty goal to
promote solidarity and joint efforts in economic and trade activities.
“As you may well know, the Nigerian economy is not only
expanding at a fast rate but also offers very high rate of returns on
investments.
“Only recently, we adopted more investor friendly measures,
such as a new long stay visa policy for investors and businessmen and women
wishing to do business in our country.
“We have also strengthened the Bureau for Public
Procurement, to ensure transparency in the tender process for contracts,” he
said.
The President said the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce,
Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in June, embarked on a Trade Mission
to explore opportunities for joint venture cooperation to three D-8 Countries.
“I believe this is a cooperation model we can all build on,
not just to increase D-8 intra-trade volume, but to make our organisation a
major actor in the global economic system,” he said.
Protect The Poor, Amaechi Charges Judges …Condoles With
Sam Dede On Mum’s Death
Kevin Nengia
FRONT PAGE
Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has
called on judges in the state to ensure they protect the rights of the less
privileged in society.
Governor Amaechi gave the charge on Wednesday in Government
House, while swearing-in two new judges, Charles Ndudi Wali and Iheanyichukwu
Wodi into the State High Court in Port Harcourt.
“I think that in carrying out your assignment you should
have at the back of your mind that there are poor people who are out there on
the street who may not have anybody to protect them and only the Judges can
protect them…Whatever you do you should be satisfied that before God you can
defend yourself ”, he said.
“The God we worship will certainly hold you to account if
man cannot hold you to account. That should be what should be at the back of
your mind when you are giving your judgment”.
He commended the judiciary for being transparent and linked
his Supreme Court victory of October, 2007 to the transparency in the judicial
system.
Meanwhile, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA), Barrister Lawrence Oko-Jaja has called for the appointment
of more judges into the state judiciary to meet litigation challenges.
Speaking briefly with newsmen after the two new judges were
sworn-in on Wednesday, the NBA Chairman observed that the current number of
judges put at 35 was not sufficient to tackle the swelling cases.
He said, “if you look at the course list of the average
judge in Rivers State, you have 20 at times 30 matters on the course list.”
Meanwhile, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has offered his
condolences to popular actor and current Director-General of Rivers State
Tourism Development Agency (RSTDA) over the death of his mother, late Madam
Elsie Godpower Dede.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.
Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.
The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.
Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.
On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.
“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”
He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance
“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.
“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.
Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.
He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.
The Rivers State Government says it will ensure the smooth and successful takeoff of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), in Ogoniland.
This commitment was made yesterday by the Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), during a courtesy visit by the university’s Governing Council and Management team at the Government House, in Port Harcourt.
The high-level delegation was led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Professor Don Baridam and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu Mmom.
In his address, Administrator Ibas warmly congratulated the pioneer council and management on their appointments, describing their task as both a recognition of individual accomplishment and a historic call to duty.
“This is not just a recognition of your personal achievements but also a call to history to shape an institution that will have a profound impact on Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and indeed our country,” he stated.
The Administrator commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of the specialized university in Ogoniland, describing the initiative as “timely and strategic.”
He emphasized that the university’s presence offers a critical opportunity to drive research, innovation, and community-focused solutions to the region’s pressing environmental and developmental challenges.
He further noted that the university’s core focus aligns perfectly with the priorities of his administration.“We consider this university not merely as another institution of higher learning but as a strategic partner in our collective effort to rebuild Rivers State under the ongoing state of emergency and beyond,” he affirmed.
Responding to specific requests presented by the delegation, Administrator Ibas assured the university of immediate support in critical areas essential for the its commencement.
These include the provision of operational vehicles, key facilities, and the completion of the access road to the campus, adding that other vital needs, such as perimeter fencing, refuse disposal, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, would be addressed within the framework of the state’s broader infrastructure and support programmes.
To ensure swift action, the Administrator directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work closely with the university’s Governing Council to prioritize the sequence of requests, particularly those tied to the commencement of academic activities in September 2025.
“Let me assure you that Rivers State Government will stand as a dependable partner to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We see this university as part of our long-term investment in knowledge, innovation, and the future of our youths,” he emphasized.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community development.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has directed the institution to formally commence its academic session in September 2025, adding that preparations are in full swing to ensure a smooth take-off with adequate infrastructure and resources in place.
“Today’s meeting marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Rivers State Government and FUET, envisioned to establish the university as a premier hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta”, he said.
