Business

Chime Presents N93.29bn Budget To Assembly

Published

13 years ago

December 13, 2013

The Enugu State Governor, Barrister Sullivan I. Chime, last Tuesday presented to members of the State House of Assembly the 2014 Draft Budget of N93,287,000,000 for their consideration and approval.

Governor Chime explained that the amount was presented in order to consolidate on the gains of his administration in the past six and half years, so as to maintain effective service delivery to the people and lay a solid foundation for the next administration.

According to him, this is higher than the 2013 budget size of N83,773,203,408 by N9,513,796,592 representing 11% increase.

The budget, he further said, is made up of N39, 342,549,163 as Recurrent Expenditure, which is 42% of the budget, while N53, 944,450,837 is for Capital Expenditure, representing 58% of the entire envelope.

He maintained that government also expected a Recurrent Revenue of N57, 490,114,000, adding that government also intends to realize this amount through internally-generated revenue which is estimated at N9,190,114,000) representing 16% and the state share of Federal Revenue put at N48,300,000,000, which is 84%.

“ I want to emphasize that our priority will be to complete on-going urban and rural roads, some of which we are doing in partnership with the affected local government councils on a 70:30 ratio.

“Today, our destination is in sight and as we take a long view at our 2015 transition, I am proud to say that we have done our best to uphold the terms of the social contract with our people”, he said.

On security, Governor Chime said: “To ensure safe neighbourhoods and security for lives and property across the state, this administration has always endorsed giving the law-enforcement agents the tools to combat crimes. Only recently, Government donated another set of one hundred security vehicles fitted with communication gadgets to the Nigerian Police for intra-city surveillance and inter-city monitoring”.

Other priority urban roads to be executed include the dualization of Nike Lake road and the rehabilitation of Abakpa-Nike Road and Ugwuaji-Awkananaw by Kenyatta.

The on-going construction of the new ultra-modern State Secretariat complex, he said the project has reached an advanced stage, pointing out that work has also started on the new Governor’s office (Lion Building) and “is progressing steadily”. Government aims to complete and equip these buildings in the coming year.

His words: “To accomplish these lofty goals, the sum of N15.623 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure in the 2014 budget”.

Governor Chime said that the Ministry of Agriculture was allocated the sum of N2.401 billion with a lot of emphasis on the sustenance of the San Carlos Pineapple programme and the completion of work at Heneke and Adani farms as well as the development of the 17 green cities in the 17 local government councils.

“As we reform the education sector, rebuild infrastructure to create the right teaching and learning environment, ensure stricter supervision and sustain the free education policy, we will keep alive the dream to offer functional and qualitative education to our wards at different educational tiers.

The education sub-sector has a total allocation of N5.78 billion in the 2014 budget. This covers allocations to the Ministry of Education, State Universal Education Board, the Post-Primary School Management Board, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), College of Education (Technical), State Scholarship Board and the Science & Vocational Schools Management Board”.

Business

Pipeline Explosion In Abua Odua, LGA Chair Calls For Calm

Published

3 days ago

July 3, 2026

The Tide

Fresh explosions have hit oil and gas pipelines in Odau Community, in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, triggering a major security and environmental crisis that has forced residents to abandon their homes.

The first incident occurred along the Kolo Creek – Rumuekpe crude oil pipelines, operated by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.

This was followed by a gas pipeline explosion on the Ogboinbiri – Obirikom Gas Pipeline, operated by Oando Plc, in the same week.

In a statement by the Abua/Odual Council Chairman, Hon. Owolobi Michael Ofori said the blasts, suspected to be the handiwork of militants, have unleashed persistent gas leakage in the area, raising fears of fire outbreaks and toxic exposure as residents of Odau have largely deserted the community due to the dangerous situation.

According to him, some residents of the area have been hospitalised after inhaling the leaking gas, adding that the impact has spread to neighbouring communities, including Obedum, Emirikpoko, and Anyu in Abua/Odual LGA, as well as Oruma and Ibelebiri in Bayelsa State.

Hon. Ofori expressed deep concern over the plight of the affected residents and urged the operating companies to act swiftly.

The Council expressed its deepest sympathy to all affected persons and communities and remained gravely concerned about the safety, health, and welfare of residents whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted by these incidents.

“We call on Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and Oando Plc to immediately deploy all necessary technical and emergency response resources to contain the fires, halt the gas leakage, secure the affected pipeline corridors, and mitigate further environmental and public health risks.” the Council Chairman Said.

The chairman also appealed to the two oil firms to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and relief materials to the displaced residents while work continues to restore normalcy.

The Council Chairman said he is working closely with security agencies and emergency responders to monitor the situation and coordinate necessary interventions.

The Council Boss advised Residents of the Local Government Area to remain calm, cooperate with authorities, and adhere strictly to safety directives.

Ofori further called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Rivers State Government, and other relevant bodies to intervene urgently to prevent loss of lives and environmental damage.

Hon. Ofori assured that the council remains committed to the protection and welfare of its people and will continue to engage all stakeholders to resolve the crisis.

Enoch Epelle

Business

Fidelity Bank Collaborates YEIDEP To Empower Nigerian Students

Published

3 days ago

July 3, 2026

The Tide

Fidelity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship through a strategic partnership with the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalization Programme (YEIDEP), a Federal Government-backed initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with the skills, support and opportunities needed to build sustainable livelihoods.

Under the partnership, the bank will support the enrolment of students and young people into the YEIDEP programme, which is designed to tackle youth unemployment, promote enterprise development and expand economic participation among Nigeria’s growing youth population.

The next phase of the initiative is scheduled to end today at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, where the enrolment exercise for students and youths across the South-East that started since July 1st would be concluded at the university’s Convocation Arena.

The exercise is expected to reach more than 60,000 regular undergraduate students.

Speaking on the partnership, Fidelity Bank’s Divisional Head, Product Development, Osita Ede, said youth empowerment remains central to the bank’s vision of building a more inclusive and prosperous society.

He noted that Nigeria’s youths represent the country’s greatest asset and stressed that providing them with the right skills, opportunities and financial support is critical to unlocking their potential and driving national development.

According to Ede, the bank continues to provide young Nigerians with tools for success through its digital banking platforms, financial literacy initiatives, youth-focused products and strategic partnerships.

He added that Fidelity Bank recognises that limited access to funding, mentorship and business development support remains a major challenge for many aspiring entrepreneurs, and is committed to creating pathways that will help them overcome these barriers.

The bank said its support for YEIDEP aligns with its longstanding commitment to empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which it described as key drivers of economic growth and job creation in Nigeria.

Interested students and youths have been encouraged to open Fidelity Bank accounts and register for the programme through the bank’s dedicated online portal.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NPA Launches Multi-Agency Taskforce To Combat Apapa Traffic Gridlock

Published

3 days ago

July 3, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has launched a multi-agency task force to combat the resurgence of traffic gridlock choking the Lagos Port access roads, in a fresh push to restore seamless cargo evacuation and sustain recent gains in Port efficiency.

The intervention followed a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Managing Director of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, on June 23rd, 2026, where security agencies, freight forwarders, truck operators and representatives of the Lagos State Government agreed on coordinated measures to eliminate the bottlenecks disrupting cargo movement.

At the meeting, stakeholders identified illegal extortion points, overlapping responsibilities among security agencies and other operational distortions as major factors responsible for the renewed congestion along the port corridor.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the NPA’s General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemakara, said the Authority’s overriding priority is to guarantee the unhindered movement of cargo to and from the nation’s seaports.

According to him, the task force comprises the NPA, the Police, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO).

“The responsibility of the task force is to monitor truck movement on the Port access roads on a regular basis, identify any disruption capable of causing gridlock and immediately resolve such challenges,” Onyemakara said.

He stressed that members of the task force would not establish checkpoints along the corridor but would maintain strategic presence at designated locations to ensure compliance without obstructing traffic.

To enhance rapid response, Onyemakara disclosed that the task force has created a dedicated WhatsApp platform through which members can instantly report infractions or emerging traffic issues for immediate intervention.

On the long-delayed renewal of the Electronic Truck Call-Up (ETO) system contract, the NPA spokesman said the Authority is reviewing the terms to ensure a more robust contractual framework before awarding a fresh agreement.

He explained that although the previous contract had expired, the ETO platform remains operational under the management of the Truck Transit Parks (TTP) pending completion of the procurement process.

He expressed confidence that the renewal would be concluded soon.

Reaffirming the Authority’s commitment to maintaining free-flowing Port access roads, Onyemakara said efficient logistics remain central to the NPA’s drive to improve Nigeria’s Port competitiveness and preserve its growing international reputation.

“We are more interested in the free flow of logistics into our ports than anyone else because it is in our own interest,” he said

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos