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Fed Govt dismisses claims it’s overwhelmed says Terrorists suffered heavy casualties in Birnin-Gwari

Published

3 years ago

April 7, 2022

Trends Admin

Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed

•FEC approves contracts for Works, Aviation ministries

The Federal Government yesterday debunked insinuations that government had been overwhelmed by persisting insecurity.

Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, who said this while addressing State House correspondents, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, explained that terrorists who attacked a military base at Birnin-Gwari in Kaduna State on Sunday were successfully repelled and that many of them were neutralised.

There were reports on Tuesday about the attack, which was said to have claimed between 11 and 17 soldiers as well as three vigilantes.

Some military equipment, including two armoured personnel carriers (APCs), were also said to have been destroyed by the invading terrorists.

Mohammed said the details of the casualties suffered by the terrorists on Sunday were unavailable in the public space because the military have not been displaying details of their successes in the war against terrorism in the media.

He blamed the media for providing oxygen for terrorists by publishing their activities.

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“But clearly the last three, four, five days, the military recorded massive victories against terrorists and bandits, either in the Northeast or in the Kaduna, Niger axis.

“I know that on Monday, there was a very successful aerial interjection where scores, if not hundreds, of bandits/terrorists were eliminated. Even when we’re able to identify where the bandits are, sometimes, out of fear of collateral damage to the innocent civilians, you choose the time you want to strike.

“But I just want to assure you that the administration is not unmindful of your anxieties and your concerns. But probably because we are in charge, we can assure you that there’s really, really no cause to feel that the government is overwhelmed, not at all. We are not overwhelmed. The last few days, I think, have confirmed that.

“Unfortunately, when we inflict these victories on the bandits for many reasons, we do not come out and say we have killed so many because it’s continuous. But very soon, Nigerians will feel the impact of these victories,” he said.

The minister blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for laying the foundation for the currently hunger in the land.

Also, the FEC approved N36.1 billion for Keffi-Nasarawa-Toto Road in Nasarawa State.

Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola told State House correspondents that the council approved the contract for the rehabilitation of 118.9 Keffi-Nasarawa-Toto Road in Nasarawa State for N36.130 billion”.

Other memos were presented to council during the meeting for road rehabilitation projects and maintenance of airports across the country.

Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said council approved N5.65 billion for the maintenance of air terminals in Abuja and Port Harcourt for three years.

FEC also approved N469.6 million for parts of L3 x-ray machine for clinics in Abuja, Kano and Lagos airports.

Sirika said the approvals centred on the maintenance of infrastructure and improved service delivery

“In this case, it’s for two terminal buildings and for the total sum of N5,653,341,739.07. This will include, of course, the VAT, which is 7.5 per cent. It’s for a period of three years.

“The maintenance will run at the two airports and it’s awarded to Messrs. CCECC, who were the company that, in the first place, built those facilities,” he said.

THE NATION

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

12 mins ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

22 mins ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

47 mins ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.