LAGOS—IN order to actualise the Ikeja Model City Master
Plan, Lagos State Government, has vowed to relocated the largest
Information and Communication Technology, ICT, hub in the country
popularly called Computer Village, to another location in the state.
The state government declaration came amid controversy
surrounding existence of the market with over 1,000 traders and
companies.
According to the government, relocation of the market to
Katangowa in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, was part of
the strategy aimed at addressing infrastructural challenges within the
state capital. computers
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve
Ayorinde, cleared air on controversy surrounding the relocation in a
statement made available to newsmen yesterday.
Ayorinde stressed that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led
administration was desirous of making Ikeja a model city and would leave
no stone unturned in actualizing the dream.
He said: “The Ikeja Model City Master Plan designated the
present Computer Village for residential use and that the government
will adhere to the plans to make the area more organized, serene and
habitable.”
Ayorinde also hinted that the State Government has not
issued permit to any individual or organization for construction of an
ICT specialized mall directly sited beside the newly built Ikeja Bus
Terminal.
The commissioner added that such move is not in line with the state government’s regeneration plan for the capital city.
Hinting on plans already embarked upon to ensure quick relocation of the market,
lagos—SOUTHERN leaders yesterday invited their colleagues
from the North to renegotiate Nigeria, saying the country was
approaching a terminal crisis from which it cannot recover unless it is
restructured along the paths of the 1963 Constitution.
Noting that the National Assembly’s rejection of the
proposal for devolution was against popular demand, the southern leaders
vowed to press on with their demand until the issue was brought to a
conclusion. Arewa youths, Ndigbo currently in meeting In Kano over quit notice
The leaders, drawn from the three geopolitical zones of the
South, also berated security agencies for threatening to deal with
agitators of the country’s restructuring describing it as empty and
ineffective threats.”
Adebanjo raps Yemi Osinbajo
Also yesterday, Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo flayed
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo over his comment that agitators for
restructuring were those looking for appointments.
The Southern leaders who met under the aegis of the Southern
Leaders Forum, in Lagos, included among others, Chief Adebanjo; former
Director General of the Department of State Service, Chief A.K Horsfall;
former President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof Joe Irukwu; Gen Ike
Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide;
Afenifere chieftain, Dr Amos Akingba and erstwhile chairman of the Niger
Delta Development Commission, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw.
Knocks for National Assembly
Flaying the decision of the National Assembly to shoot down
the proposal on devolution of powers during the recent constitution
alteration exercise, he said: “Their decision reflects the deepest
disregard for the popular demand for the freeing of more powers to the
federating units from our shocking central government. Instead of
devolving power, the National Assembly has now given us a stronger
centre that will now conduct elections in local governments against
extant provisions of the federalism.”
“It is obvious that the National Assembly has taken itself
out of the resolution of the Nigerian crisis by foreclosing devolution
of power.
Unknown to the lawmakers, they have unwittingly given more
ammunition to self-determination forces by attempting to collapse the
restructuring column in the battle for the soul of Nigeria.”
“It would, however, be short-sighted for the National
Assembly and their sympathisers to think this is the end of the matter.
The demand for restructuring cannot end with their decisions as Nigeria
has reached a terminal crisis from which it cannot recover except it is
restructured.”
Vowing to continue on its insistence for the restructuring
of Nigeria, the leaders said “for emphasis, the restructuring we demand
is a return to principles of federalism in Nigeria as obtained in the
1963 Constitution, which allowed the federating units to have autonomy
over their local affairs to create a Nigeria that sustains the
principles of fairness, equity, respect for all constituent units of
Nigeria.”
“We restate in clear terms that this country has gone
through war once and it is not likely to survive another one. The only
way therefore to have a peaceful Nigeria is to have a country based on
justice and equity for all Nigerians. In order to achieve the above,
there is need for sacrifices on all sides as the only insurance for
peace and justice is equity.
Saving Nigeria from destruction and crisis
“We, therefore, call for immediate meeting of well-meaning
leaders from the South and the North to find a way to save Nigeria from
destruction and crisis. An urgent return to the principles our founding
fathers agreed as the basis for our independence is the only way out for
Nigeria as most sectors of our country have lost faith in the
provisions of the 1999 Constitution.”
On the threat to deal with agitators of the country’s restructuring, the forum chided the security operatives, saying:
“Lastly, we are aware of the threat issued from the recent
security meeting in Abuja where operatives of the government were
issuing threats against agitators for renegotiation of the polity. We,
therefore, say that such threats are not taking into account the
realities on the ground,” the forum said.
Reacting to the Acting President’s remarks that
restructuring agitators were looking for appointments, Adebanjo who
spoke on the sidelines of the meeting said: “That is a very unfortunate
statement. I would not like it to appear that we are attacking our
acting president. The Acting President was born on the principle of
restructuring. Myself and his father were followers of Awolowo since the
1950s.”
Speaking further, he said: “He cannot say we are looking for
appointment, is it me or Horsfall or Gen. Ike Nwachukwu? It just shows
someone in position, but does not understand the problem of the people
he is leading. It is an unfortunate statement to make, I am not going to
engage in a brickbats with him, it shows the limit of his knowledge of
how the country came together. I think he should know better. He is not
only a lawyer, he has been an Attorney-General and Vice President.”
….Will resume after assurance, clearance from military
..We can’t confirm rescue of our workers from Boko Haram terrorists
By Michael Eboh and Ifeoluwa Mic-Braimoh
ABUJA — The Federal Government, yesterday, said it has
suspended crude oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin following attack
on personnel of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Borno
State by suspected members of Boko Haram terrorist group.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Minister of State for Petroleum
Resources and Chairman of the NNPC Board, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, declared
that NNPC would only resume production if it got sufficient assurance
and security clearance from the military authorities, guaranteeing the
safety of its personnel and operations.
He said, “Whether we will resume, obviously, will depend
again on what security clearance is given. Certainly, we will not go
back unless they give us clearance; just like we did not go in before
they gave us clearance. Provided they are sufficient security clearance,
I don’t see why we would not continue to push.” THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PETROLEUM RESOURCES, DR EMMANUEL IBE KACHIKWU
He described the incident as unfortunate, lamenting that the
attack still occurred after over six months in that area and despite
the fact that there were over 200 security personnel protecting the oil
exploration team, comprising members of the military and the Civilian
Joint Task Force, CJTF, and others.
He said, “The lessons we are going to take away from this
incident is that we are going to look at the security apparatus and find
out whether they are a little bit more we can do. I know that they were
over 200 security personnel, between the military, the CJTF and others.
They were very well protected, and as I said, the activities had been
going on for over six months.”
He stated that adequate security clearance was obtained from
the military authorities before exploration work resumed in the Lake
Chad Basin, adding that the day of the attack was supposed to be last
day of the operation of the team. Yet to confirm rescue
He further stated that the NNPC is delighted by the report
of some rescue of the victims, noting, however, that it cannot actually
confirm the rescue.
“We await official confirmation from the military authorities in line with established protocols,” Kachikwu noted.
He further stated that the military is still collating data
concerning the attack and cannot confirm the actual number of people who
died.
Governor Nyesom Wike of
Rivers State and Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, his predecessor and Minister of
Transportation, were seen together in public, yesterday, with acting
President Yemi Osinbajo, who visited the state to commission a world
class fertilizer plant at Indorama, Eleme Petrochemicals Limited in
Eleme LGA of the state, as he noted that the Federal Government remains
committed to developing the private sector.
Incidentally, it was about a year ago since Wike and Amaechi were last seen together.
Speaking at the event, Osinbajo noted that the plant will
produce 1.5 million metric tonnes of Urea per annum, adding that the
development was a reflection of the success of the Federal Government’s
privatisation programme. Wike, Osinbajo & Amaechi in Rivers during commissioning of fertilizer plant
The acting President also handed a certificate to the
management of the fertilizer plant, formally discharging it from the
mandatory five year monitoring programme of the Bureau of Public
Enterprise, BPE.
He said that the Federal Government will continue to support
the growth of the fertilizer plant, noting that it had also taken steps
to encourage the needed atmosphere for the growth of private
businesses.
“The plant commissioned today (yesterday), I am told,
is one of the largest in the world, designed to produce 1.5 million
metric tonnes of Urea fertilizer per annum for domestic and foreign
markets. I have been informed that Indorama will this year alone
supply about 360,000 MT of Urea to Fertilizer blenders, who will
in turn produce NPK fertilizer for the benefit of farmers
across the country,” he said.
He further charged management of the fertilizer plant not to
compromise on best practices even though it had been discharged from
the mandatory monitoring programme of BPE.
Chairman of the fertilizer firm, Mr Sri Prakash Lolua, said:
“I am pleased to report that with the start-up of this plant, Nigeria
is now more than self-sufficient in urea and has now become a net
exporter of urea to the world. This enables Nigeria
to save valuable foreign exchange on urea imports and
receive foreign exchange from urea exports.”
Governor Nyesom Wike, in his remarks, assured that his
administration will continue to support the fertilizer plant, assuring
that the state was conducive for investment.
ABUJA— THE Senate, yesterday, approved the
$1.806 billion Federal Government 2016-2018 external borrowing (rolling)
plan for Lagos-Kano railway modernization project and
reconstruction/rehabilitation of the North-East.It also approved the $750 million medium term external loan
requests for six states, out of the Federal Government ’s request of
$1.49 billion for 10 states.
The breakdown of the utilisation of the $575 million World
Bank loan includes $125 million for polio eradication support and
routine immunisation project, $75 million for community and social
development project, and $125 million for Nigeria States Health
Programme Investment project.
Others are $100 million for State Education Programme
Investment project, $100 million for Nigeria Youth Employment and Social
Support Project and $50 million for Fadama III project.
Further breakdown of the approved loans are $70 million from
African Development Bank (ADB) for Ebonyi Ring Road Project (to be
co-financed by Islamic Development Bank), $200 million ADB facility for
Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) in Abia State, and $200 million
IDB loan for Kano State Integrated Agricultural and Water Resources
Development.
Kaduna—The governors of 19 northern states
said, yesterday, that the region was not opposed to the restructuring of
the country, contrary to widely held views by some persons and groups.
In an address at a meeting of the 19 northern states
governors and traditional rulers in Kaduna, Chairman of the Northern
States Governors Forum and Governor of Borno State, Ibrahim Shettima,
said any restructuring should be done within acceptable criteria and
must be fair to all component parts of the country.
He said a final decision on the position of the north would
be taken today when governors of the 19 northern states meet in Kaduna. From
left: Governors, Tanko Al-Makura of Nassarawa State; Gov. Mohammed
Abubakar of Bauchi State; Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State; and Gov.
Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, at the meeting between the Northern
Governors and Traditional Rulers in Kaduna State on Thursday
He said: “It is also my expectation that at the end of this
meeting today (yesterday) and, God willing, tomorrow’s (today) meeting
of the governors, the forum and our esteemed royal fathers will adopt a
consensus position on restructuring of the country that will be
reflective of the general overall interest of the people of Northern
Nigeria and which will attract popular acceptance.
“It is of vital importance to arrive at such consensus
position because it is crucial to dispel the erroneous impression
created and disseminated by certain interests in this country that the
North is opposed to restructuring.
“Secondly, it is important to do so not only to accommodate
the mainstream of Northern public opinion, our primary constituency, but
to also counter the specific versions of restructuring, which generally
seek to place the North in a position of strategic political and
economic disadvantage, but portrayed as the only versions that can work
for the nation.
“Without pre-empting the outcome of our interactions over
the next two days, however, permit me Your Excellencies and Your Royal
Highnesses, to embark on a short reflection on the matter before hand.
Agreed that being citizens of a democratic country, Nigerians are
entitled to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech
and association, and the clamour for the restructuring of the country
falls within the purview of these freedoms. However, the exercise of
such rights outside the confines of responsibility is not acceptable. Condemn hate speech
“ The resort to shenanigans, hate speech, and sometimes,
incitement to violence by organisations such as IPOP and MOSSAB must be
unconditionally condemned as they are inimical to national unity,
stability, peaceful coexistence and national security.
“In this regards, I call on all constituted authorities and
responsible leaders of thought in the South-East and other parts of
Nigeria to rise to the occasion and call these purveyors of hate speech
and inflammatory and provocative statements to order.
“These elements must be encouraged to pursue their
agitations within processes enshrined in our constitution and with the
full and willing participation of all parts of our nation.” Call for reinvention and redirection of nation’s politics
The governors called for a reinvention and redirection of
the nation’s politics in order “redirect the energy of our youths so
that we exploit the great potential, which God in His mercy has bestowed
on us. The system can be provided with the much needed
policy-framework, funding, energy and direction to set up urban and
rural agro-based industries to raise our productive capacity, keep our
youths busy; after some of the countries we admire and frequently
visit did just that to be the shining light that they are today.
“We need to task our intellectuals, our political class, our
clergy and our traditional leaders to create the necessary synergy to
work assiduously to meet targets that will put us back on the path of
progress. We can’t afford to fail, we have all we need to succeed. All
we require now is the political will; the will to change our ways, the
will to re-invent our politics, the will to re-engineer our society and
focus on the next generation rather than the next elections.” On farmers, herdsmen clashes
Speaking in the incessant clash between farmers and
herdsmen, the governors said proactive steps must be taken to check the
issue.
They said: “Another no less important issue on the front
burner of national discourse, which by far impacts more on the
socio-economic lives of the people of the North than the rest of the
country, is the continuing, and in some cases, worsening, conflict
between farmers and herdsmen.
“Although the struggle over grazing land is a recurring
phenomenon in many African countries south of the Sahara, the case in
Nigeria has come to assume a dangerous and worrisome dimension in terms
of both its massive scale and widespread scope, and the ethno-religious
colouration it has been so cynically given.
“I dare to say that unless we are ready to cast aside all
sentiment-laden approaches to tackling this monstrous problem, it is
capable of consuming the very social fabric of the North and even
condemning the entire country to unwarranted destruction.
“It, therefore, behoves on us, our political leaders, royal
fathers and elders, to here and now embark on the serious search for a
viable, sustainable and lasting solution to this admittedly difficult to
resolve but not insurmountable quagmire.” Insecurity in the north
In his speech, Governor Nasir el Rufai of of Kaduna State
called for more attention to be paid to the issue of insecurity in the
north.
He also expressed concern on the continued insecurity in
north, noting that the meeting was coming at time when there is dire
need to restore peace in the north.
El-Rufai noted that in place of strife and division, there
was the dire need of the regional leaders to create economic
opportunities for the north to move forward.
Some of the traditional rulers that were at the meeting
included the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad AbubakarIII; Shehu of
Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai El-Kanemi; Emir of Gwandu,
Maj.Gen Muhammad Iliyasu Bashir; Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II; Emir
of Bauchi, Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu; Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini
Usman, Emir of Zazzau, Etsu-Nupe, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar, the Top Tiv,
Professor James Ayatse, among others.
ABUJA – ACTING President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has sworn-in
Prof. Stephen Ocheni from Kogi State and Alhaji Suleiman Hassan from
Gombe State as ministers of the Federal Republic. Prof. Stephen Ocheni from Kogi State and Alhaji Suleiman Hassan from Gombe State as ministers of the Federal Republic.
Prof. Ocheni who is a professional accountant and member of
Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN is occupying the
slot of Kogi State which became vacant after the death of James Ocholi
who until his death was the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
Alhaji Hassan from Gombe State and a former Registrar,
Association of Surveyors is replacing Hajia Amina Mohammed that was in
the Environment Ministry but was appointed as the Deputy Secretary
General of the United Nations.
The Acting President who charged the two ministers to key
into the change agenda of the government said that their portfolios
will soon be assigned to them.
Traditionally, after the swearing in of new ministers there is always minor cabinet reshuffle.
Details latter.
