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Osinbajo Flags Off N120bn Bonny-Bodo Road …Denies NNPC Contract Approval Report

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The Federal Government says it is a firm believer of the potentials of the private sector to deliver the infrastructure Nigeria requires.
Vice President Yemi Osibanjo stated this during the flag-off ceremony of the Bonny-Bodo Road project in Grand Bonny.
According to him, Government alone cannot plug the infrastructural deficit of the country, that is why the Federal Government welcomes the private sector to take the lead.
“We give them the assurance that we will be with them every step of the way as enablers,” he said.
According to him, the Bonny- Bodo Road project is a Public Private Partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) where the Federal Government is to bear 50% of the cost and the NLNG bears the rest.
He said the road will provide direct jobs for engineers, artisans, and labourers and indirect jobs for food vendors, suppliers, transporters, quarry operators and others in the construction value chain.
In his remarks, the state Chief Executive, Chief Nyesom Wike who spoke through his Deputy, Dr. (Mrs.) Ipalibo Harry Banigo said over the years, the people of Rivers State, other Nigerians and foreign nationals have continued to yearn for a road to lead to Bonny, a coastal city that hosts the NLNG which he described as a critical national asset.
While expressing the state government’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government, the NLNG and other developmental partners to carry out programmes, policies and projects that positively impact on the lives of the citizenry, Governor Wike said “We would like to use this opportunity to urge the NLNG to set up the necessary machinery in motion to kick off the NLNG Train 7 and also ensure that the dry dock that was taken to Badagry is brought back to Bonny to provide employment for our people and help curb youth restiveness”.
Governor Wike also expressed the need for the Federal Government to urgently complete the East-West Road which connects several states of the federation and also serves the Port Harcourt Refinery, the Petro Chemical Industry as well as the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone.
Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said the road will be beneficial not only to the Bonny people but also the Bodo people in Gokana Local Government Area. According to him, the construction of the road will also reduce the cost of basic commodities in the area.
In his remarks, the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple, Perekule XI said access to Bonny Kingdom has been a challenge over the years because of the terrain, stressing that with the flag-off of the road project, the NLNG has demonstrated its commitment to the development of the Kingdom and thanked the Federal Government and the company for this initiative.
Meanwhile, there is confusion in the Presidency over the alleged approval of $25 billion contract by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has denied the report that he approved the contract.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, had earlier in his tweets yesterday claimed that Prof. Osinbajo confirmed approving the contracts. But the Vice President has denied confirming or approving any such NNPC contacts, rather he clarified that what he approved was loans.
His aide, Akande had in a series of tweets on his twitter handle @akandeoj, yesterday claimed that Prof. Osinbajo confirmed approving the contracts after due diligence when he acted as President recently.
He said Osinbajo approved the recommendations for the contracts as part of necessary actions to deal with backlog of unpaid cash calls and incentivize investments.
The presidential aide had said that the clarification became necessary in view of media enquiries that followed NNPC’s claim that the contracts were indeed approved by Osinbajo.
The tweets stated: “In response to media inquiries on NNPC joint venture financing, VP Osinbajo, as Acting President approved recommendations after due diligence and adherence to established procedure.
Action necessary to deal with huge backlog of unpaid cash calls which the  Buhari administration inherited and also to incentivise the much-needed fresh investments in the oil and gas sector.” However, the Vice President has denied approving any contract, rather he said what he approved was two loans for NNPC.
In what appeared to be a u-turn, Akande in a statement said Prof. Osinbajo made the clarification in view of media enquiries that followed NNPC’s claim that the contracts were indeed approved by him (Osinbajo).
The Vice President who was in Bonny Island where he flagged off the Bonny-Bodo Road project in Rivers State yesterday said he only granted loans and not contracts. In a statement with the title, “NNPC: Acting Presidential Approvals Were for Financing Arrangements not Contracts”, Akande said the clarification was to correct his earlier tweet.
He said, “Approached by reporters after the ground-breaking multi-billion Naira historic Bonny-Bodo road project, in Bonny, Rivers State, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, explained specifically that the approvals he granted to the NNPC while he was Acting President were for financing arrangements for the Joint Ventures between the corporation and IOCs, and not approvals for contracts.
“These were financing loans. Of course, you know what the Joint Ventures are, with the lOCs, like Chevron, that had to procure. In some cases, NNPC and their Joint Venture partners have to secure loans and they need authorisation to secure those loans while the President was away.
“The law actually provides for those authorisations. So I did grant two of them and those were presidential approvals, but they are specifically for financing joint ventures and they are loans not contracts.
“Earlier today, I had tweeted on the same matter thus: In response to media inquiries on the NNPC Joint Venture financing arrangements, VP Osinbajo, as Acting President, approved the recommendations after due diligence and adherence to established procedures. This was, of course, necessary to deal with huge backlog of unpaid cash calls which the Buhari administration inherited, and to incentivize much needed fresh investments in the oil and gas sector.”
Recall that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu had recently in a leaked letter he addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, accused the Group Managing Director, GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Maikanti Baru of gross insubordination and taking unilateral decisions on award of contracts without recourse to the NNPC board.
The Minister accused the GMD of approving a contract of $25 billion without following due process. But Baru in his response denied allegation of not following due process in awarding contracts and even stated that he had not contravened any known law, describing the minister’s allegations as baseless.
On the allegations by the minister that major contracts were never reviewed or discussed by the NNPC Board, Baru said that the law and the rules do not require a review or discussion with the Minister of State or the NNPC Board on contractual matters.
He said, “What is required is the processing and approval of contracts by the NNPC Tenders Board, the President in his executive capacity or as Minister of Petroleum, or the Federal Executive Council (FEC), as the case may be.
“There are therefore situations where all that is required is the approval of the NNPC Tenders Board while, in other cases, based on the threshold, the award must be submitted for presidential approval. Likewise, in some instances, it is FEC approval that is required.”
The GMD’s reaction to the allegations which was signed by the NNPC’s spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu stated further: “It should be noted that for both the Crude Term Contract and the Direct Sale and Direct Purchase (DSDP) agreements, there are no specific values attached to each transaction to warrant the values of $10 billion and $5 billion respectively placed on them in the claim of Dr. Kachikwu. “It is therefore inappropriate to attach arbitrary values to the shortlists with the aim of classifying the transactions as contracts above NNPC Tenders Board limit.
They are merely the short-listing of prospective off-takers of crude oil and suppliers of petroleum products under agreed terms. “These transactions were not required to be presented as contracts to the Board of NNPC and, of course, the monetary value of any crude oil eventually lifted by any of the companies goes straight into the federation account and not to the company.”
The statement said that Dr. Kachikwu was expressly consulted by the GMD and his recommendations were taken contrary to the assertion that he was never involved in the 2017/2018 contracting process for the crude oil.

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Fubara Reassures Rivers People Of Completion Of PH Ring Road Project

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the completion of the 62.650km Port Harcourt Ring Road project, despite the setbacks that have slowed its progress.

 

The Governor gave the assurance during an on-site inspection tour of the project on Monday, where he emphasised that the state government remains resolute in its determination to deliver the massive infrastructure for public use.

 

Addressing journalists at the Eneka Flyover axis of the project, Governor Fubara stated that his visit was to verify the level of compliance and commitment shown by the construction firm, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.

 

Governor Fubara noted that discussions with the contractor had been ongoing to ensure that work resumes at full capacity after a period of financial challenges that affected the project’s continuity.

 

“You are aware that this project was, I won’t say abandoned, but somehow, for lack of funds, the contractor withdrew from the site. We have been discussing with them, and they gave me their word that although we have not finished all the discussions, they have already moved back to site, and I’m here to confirm that.”

 

The Governor described the Port Harcourt Ring Road project, which traverses six local government areas, as one of the most significant infrastructure undertakings in the state’s history, noting that its completion would not only ease traffic congestion in the capital city but also stimulate economic activities across multiple local government areas.

 

Governor Fubara reiterated his administration’s resolve to continue prioritising infrastructure development as a foundation for economic growth and social progress.

 

“I want to make this promise to our good people of Rivers State,” the Governor declared. “This project that we started, by the special grace of God, we are going to complete it. We owe our people a responsibility to deliver on our commitments, and this project will not be an exception,” he added.

 

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Use Service Year To Build Capacity, Fubara Urges Corp Members

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The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the 2025 Batch B, Stream II National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed to the State, to  use the NYSC skill acquisition training programme to build capacity.

 

Governor Fubara gave the charge on Tuesday when he declared closed, the 2025 Batch B Stream II orientation exercise in the State.

 

Represented by the newly sworn-in Secretary to the State Government and Chairman NYSC State Governing Board, Hon. Benibo Anabraba, Governor Fubara enjoined the Corps members to embrace skill acquisition wholeheartedly in order to elevate themselves as wealth creators and employers of labour.

 

“Take Rivers State as your home. Be assured of the warmth, hospitality, and accommodating disposition of the good of our people at all times.

 

“Take the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development post camp training very seriously and equip yourselves with the capacity to compete favourably in the nation’s huge economic space,” he stressed.

 

The Governor called on the Corps members to see their mobilization into the NYSC Scheme as a fundamental way to provide humanitarian services.

 

“Remember that you owe it to yourself, family, and the nation, the responsibility to serve selflessly and honourably,” he admonished.

 

In his farewell address, the State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr. Moses Oleghe appealed to the Corps members to use the opportunity of the service year to discover their true purpose.

 

He further encouraged them to embody selfless service and empathy in serving the people.

 

The colourful ceremony witnessed a vibrant parade.

 

 

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First Lady Charges RHI Beneficiaries To Build Foundation For Food-Secure Nigeria …As 800 Rivers Farmers Receive Agric Empowerment Support

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Nigeria’s First Lady and National Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on farmers in Rivers State to take full advantage of the agricultural empowerment support programme by growing their seedlings, nurturing livestock, and producing high yields to help build a food-secured Nigeria.

 

Represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, Senator Tinubu made the call during the distribution of agricultural support materials to 800 pre-selected farmers at the Government House Field in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

 

The event was organised by the Renewed Hope Initiative in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Rivers State Government, and the Young Farmers’ Club of Nigeria.

 

Delivering the First Lady’s message, Lady Valerie Fubara urged beneficiaries to take responsibility for their farms and contribute to national food production.

 

“Grow these seedlings, nurture these livestock, and turn them into good yields,” she said. “As you do that, you will also reawaken the entrepreneurial spirit that we are known for.”

 

Lady Valerie Fubara described the initiative as a practical effort to revive Nigeria’s agricultural potential, drawing lessons from past government programmes such as Operation Feed the Nation and the Green Revolution.

 

She noted that with the commitment to empowering Nigerians, the initiative reflects genuine love and dedication to the nation’s progress.

 

“This support programme is not just assistance, it is an investment that will lead to food surplus and help combat scarcity,” she added.

 

She also emphasised that the Rivers State Government, under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, is complementing the initiative with additional support for 400 farmers, which include 100 young and 300 older farmers, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 800.

 

“The First Lady of Nigeria is trusting you to make the best use of this opportunity,” Lady Valerie Fubara said. “The Rivers State Government believes in your ability, do not let us down,” she added.

 

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, praised the programme as a platform that promotes inclusivity and bridges socio-economic gaps.

 

“This initiative embodies the Federal Government’s commitment to improving lives through sustainable and inclusive development,” she said.

 

She also commended Lady Valerie Fubara for her leadership and passion in localising the Renewed Hope Initiative in the state.

 

“Beyond the immediate benefits,” she added, “this programme lays the foundation for a more prosperous and self-reliant Rivers State,” she said.

 

The Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr. Inyingi Brown, described the programme as timely and impactful. She urged the beneficiaries to become catalysts for sustaining the initiative, and appealed for future inclusion of civil servants.

 

“You are the first set of beneficiaries, please, show example so that the programme will be replicated. Let it not die in your hands,” she said.

 

The Supervising Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Victor Kii, commended the First Lady’s vision, describing the initiative as a key step toward food security, job creation, and inclusive economic growth.

 

He praised Lady Valerie Fubara for her role in ensuring the programme’s success in Rivers State, noting that it “uplifts women, creates jobs, and secures a sustainable economic future.”

 

In her welcome remarks, Rivers State Coordinator of RHI, Mrs. Tonye Briggs Oniyide, said that RHI pre-selected 400 farmers drawn from across the three senatorial districts, including members of the Female Farmers’ Association, the Young Farmers’ Club, and non-indigenes.

 

The beneficiaries received farm implements, seedlings, fingerlings, livestock, and starter packs, all aimed at boosting food production and encouraging youth participation in agriculture.

 

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