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N260bn NDDC Budget Tears Reps Apart
Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, yesterday, expressed disgust over the sitting of most of the agency’s projects in the constituency of the Chairman of the committee, Nicholas Mutu.
The commission’s Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, had presented the 2016 budget based on a projected revenue of N260billion to the committee for approval.
The figure was short of the 2015 projection of N300.1billion by 15.4 per cent.
It was a session where Semenitari also complained that due to funding challenges, work had yet to start on 788 out of the 867 projects awarded in different sectors in the region.
“Different reasons could be adduced for this setback, but a possible reason may be that contractors are not too sure of payments as the commission has some financial challenges.
“However, 46 of the projects are ongoing, out of which 35 have been completed and commissioned,” the former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, told the committee.
Semenitari stated that all the 2015 projects were “rolled over” to 2016.
She added that the 2015 projects brought the total stock of NDDC’s projects to “over 7,000.”
But, drama started when lawmakers picked quarrels that most projects were domiciled in Mutu’s Bomadi and Patani Constituency in Delta State.
They also criticised the crowding of projects in the Isoko Constituency of the Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Leo Ogor, in Delta State, to the exclusion of other communities.
One embittered member from Ugheli-West/North, Solomon Awhinawhin, pointedly accused Mutu of influencing the projects to his area.
He fumed, “We cannot pass this budget. I hope we are not saying that the budget will pass today? It is full of fraud.
“The chairman has up to 90 per cent of the projects; the Minority Leader too has his own share of many projects.
“Ugheli-West/North produces the largest gas resources in the whole of Africa if not the entire world. There is no single project in this budget for them.
“Let me tell you, this neglect of Ugheli was why Niger Delta Avengers emerged. We are not passing the budget today because we have to represent all the communities in the Niger Delta adequately.”
Another member from Ondo State, Akinjo Victor, also protested that his Ileja area was not adequately captured in the N71billion voted for regional projects.
He observed that while projects were duplicated in other areas of the Niger Delta, his own community had no projects.
“There is so much duplication of projects, which makes the whole exercise fraudulent,” he stated.
Mutu kept mute and never addressed any of the allegations.
The Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Mr. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, cited a particular road in Abia State, where he alleged that it had been duplicated in the sum of N1.7bn.
“They did this road and the asphalt overlay; I have seen another N1.7bn, it is for the same portion on the same road by another contractor,” Nkem-Abonta added.
However, Semenitari calmly explained to the angry lawmakers that there was no deliberate decision since he assumed office this year to sideline any community.
She noted that the alleged lopsided projects were actually inherited and that the commission had to keep funding them as rolled over projects.
For states like Ondo, Imo and Abia where members also raised complaints, the MD gave the assurance that efforts would be made to “streamline” some of the projects in a bid to spread them.
Giving the highlights of the budget, Semenitari said in 2016, the NDDC budgeted N231.2billion for capital development projects, down from the N271.4billion budgeted in 2015.
“The 2016 figure represents 89 per cent of the total revenue of N260.1billion. The commission has given priority to adequately providing for ongoing projects”, she said.
On the recurrent component, Semenitari told lawmakers that the commission would spend N17.56billion on personnel cost, up from N16.13billion in 2015 to cover for staff promotions.
“Overhead for 2015 was N10.55billion. In 2016, we are proposing N9.98billion. The decrease by 3.6 per cent against 2015 is as a result of the commission’s resolve to efficiently manage its processes”, she informed lawmakers.
The committee later asked journalists to leave the venue so that members could discuss more freely with the NDDC’s officials.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.