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Presidency fires back at Atiku over Lagos-Calabar coastal road award criticism
Presidency fires back at Atiku over Lagos-Calabar coastal road award criticism
The presidency has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of engaging in an idle talk for criticising the recent award of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to Hitech Construction Company Limited (Hitech) owned by Gilbert Chagoury.
In a statement issued on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Atiku did not get his facts right.
Atiku in a statement issued by Paul Ibe, his media adviser, had alleged that the 700-kilometre highway project was awarded to President Bola Tinubu’s business partner without any competitive bidding.
He claimed that the road construction was shrouded in secrecy and could cost N15.7 trillion.
Presidency’s statement
But reacting on behalf of President Tinubu in the statement on Monday, Bayo Onanuga said, “In his desperation to always want to hug the headlines as a self-appointed opposition leader, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has allowed himself to be led into a blind alley again by his poorly informed aides,” the statement read.
Onanuga said Abubakar made “false allusions” about the project in his “futile attempt to denigrate and find faults in the audacious and transformational” road construction initiative.
“To Atiku’s chagrin and utter disappointment, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway has been rightly praised for the huge economic impact it will create and how it will be a game-changer in improving the quality of life of Nigerians, especially the economy of the nine coastal states it will pass through. Importantly, the road will boost the agricultural and tourism economy on a grand scale,” the presidential spokesperson said.
“Seeking to be a killjoy, Atiku Abubakar engaged in red-herring by raising ill-thought-out allegations that only exposed his inadequacies and those of his team in getting the basic facts on an issue he badly seeks to nail the government.
“We owe it a sacred duty to ensure Atiku and his handlers do not continue to spread disinformation as they wallow in their politics of hatred.”
Onanuga said the administrations of Jonathan and Buhari never awarded the project to any company at any varied and revised amount as claimed by Abubakar.
He said Atiku was mixing up the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project with the Lagos-Calabar coastal rail.
“So the question of costs comparison does not arise,” the presidential spokesperson said.
He also said, “The contract that was awarded was that of Lagos-Calabar Coastal rail. The rail was designed as part of the standard gauge national rail network.
“The contract was awarded on August 4, 2021 by the Federal Executive Council presided over by former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN at the cost of $11.17 billion. The contract was to be completed in six years. The project didn’t take off.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal rail project has always been on the card. It was another testament to the failure of the previous PDP-led government that it could not get it off the ground in the 16 years it held sway.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway and Lagos-Calabar Coastal rail are two distinct projects. It is unfortunate that the former Vice President is confused about the two projects.”
Onanuga said Tinubu “should be praised for having the courage to embark on this transformative project and not vilified as Atiku Abubakar unsuccessfully sought to do”.
“We know there is nothing so sacred for Atiku Abubakar in the pursuit of his undying ambition to be President of Nigeria even in his advanced age,” he said.
“We, however, don’t expect a former Vice President of Nigeria to continue to fan ill-will and engage in divisive politics in his twilight.”
“President Tinubu as a leader and nationalist will continue to drive and propel national progress through infrastructural development across the country.”
The presidency urged Abubakar to “act his status as a presumed statesman and desist from engaging in fruitless exercise that does not add any value to nation-building”.
News
CBN in U-turn withdraws cybersecurity levy
CBN in U-turn withdraws cybersecurity levy
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has withdrawn the circular it issued to all commercial banks on May 6, 2024, directing them to implement a compulsory withdrawal of 0.05 per cent from every electronic transaction as cybersecurity levy.
The controversial directive for collection of the levy had attracted nationwide condemnation when the central bank introduced the policy last week, prompting the Presidency to immediately suspend the implementation of the Cybersecurity Levy.
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In a withdrawal circular that was issued by the CBN on Sunday night, it directed the banks not to go ahead with the initial directive, in line with the presidential directive. The apex bank authorities claimed it’s a sign that the present administration was a listening one that prioritises public good.
“Further to this, please be advised that the above referenced circular is hereby withdrawn,” CBN director in charge of payments system, Chibuzo Efobi, and the director, financial policy and regulation, Haruna Mustapha, said in the circular, adding that all banks should “Please be guided accordingly.”
CBN in U-turn withdraws cybersecurity levy
News
Minimum Wage: Labour returns for negotiation with FG Tuesday, looks beyond N100,000
Minimum Wage: Labour returns for negotiation with FG Tuesday, looks beyond N100,000
The oganised labour says it will honour the invitation by the Federal Government for Tuesday, May 21, 2024 to continue the negotiation for a new minimum wage.
Even as it has announced readiness to back down on its earlier N615,000 proposal, it vowed not to accept N100,000 as the new minimum wage.
The organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, pulled out of the negotiation meeting last Wednesday when the government offered N48,000 as new minimum wage.
However, Chairman of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, Alhaji Bukar Goni, in a letter to the organised labour calling a meeting to be held tomorrow, indicated interest that the government would shift ground and asked the labour to do so too.
A report by Vanguard quoted the NLC Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, as saying the organised labour would honour the invitation tomorrow but advised the government to be serious.
He said, “Our expectations are that government should be serious this time around. We expect them to take more seriously the issue of wages of workers.”
‘’So if the government is serious, it should not be thinking about N100,000. You know that when you create poor citizens, you create a poorer county,” he added.
News
I’ve never taken bribe since joining police in 2005 – Force PRO Adejobi
I’ve never taken bribe since joining police in 2005 – Force PRO Adejobi
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has boasted that he has never for once accepted a bribe of any kind since he started active service as a police officer.
Adejobi, who is an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), made this revelation in a post on his verified X account on Sunday.
The Force PRO, while responding to a netizen who asked if he had ever taken bribes before, said accepting bribes is a taboo for him as a royal prince.
According to him, accepting a bribe is not just ungodly but also affects someone somewhere anytime it is taken.
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He noted that the essence of life is to put smiles on the faces of others and not to be the source of their tears.
He further revealed that he has taken it upon himself to preach against accepting bribery to his fellow police officers and other people around him.
He wrote, “No. It’s a taboo for a royal prince to take a bribe. Taking bribe definitely makes someone somewhere cry for many reasons, and it’s ungodly to do so. Your main purpose in life is to put smiles on people’s faces. It’s Godly and rewarding. It’s my personal principle and a call to duty. I preach this to my colleagues and many others always. May we have the grace to remain steadfast and purposeful in life.”
Adejobi, who is a prince from Orile-Owu Community in Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State, was reappointed as the Force PRO by the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, in August 2023.
I’ve never taken bribe since joining police in 2005 – Force PRO Adejobi
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