SGF: Nigeria requires $2.3trn to bridge infrastructure gap – Newstrends
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SGF: Nigeria requires $2.3trn to bridge infrastructure gap

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Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), says $2.3 trillion is needed to bridge the infrastructure deficit in Nigeria over the next 22 years.

 

Mustapha said this during a town hall meeting organised by the Business Hallmark Public Policy Forum in Abuja on Thursday.

 

He said the 23-year national integrated infrastructure masterplan (2020-2043) is for the development of infrastructural projects, including roads, railway networks and the maritime sector.

 

“It is important that we appreciate where we are coming from, where we stand, what we need to do to get to our desired destination and most importantly, what government is doing to facilitate reaching that destination,” he said.

 

“At inception, in May 2015, President Buhari’s administration was confronted with a monster that is a huge infrastructure challenge, indicated by infrastructure stock that was estimated 35 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

 

“Conscious of the economic disruption caused by 2016 recession and COVID-19 as well as challenges of previous reforms, the Federal Government revised the 23-year (2020-2043) national integrated infrastructure masterplan that identified critical enablers.

 

“For the 23-year period, $2.3tn will be required, translating to about $150bn annually, and the private sector and other partners have to provide 56 per cent, while Federal Government and state governments will provide 44 per cent of the share of the investment.

 

“The Federal Government has made important strides towards providing much of our infrastructure and has, in recent years, conducted several infrastructural reforms.

 

“Specifically, we are extending and upgrading the nation’s railway network and introducing more locomotive couches. The port sector has been converted to a landlocked model and terminal.

 

“Similarly, Public-Private Partnership style infrastructure company with an initial seed capital of N1tn envisaging to grow over time to N6tn in assets and capital has been established and will soon commence operation.

 

“It will be one of the premier finance entities in Africa and will be wholly dedicated to Nigeria’s infrastructure development.

 

“The reduction in Nigeria’s infrastructural gap will also give the country a competitive advantage under the newly signed Africa Free Continental Area Trade Agreement.”

 

Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had said the country requires about N35 trillion worth of investment to attain double-digit growth in achieving the nation’s infrastructure master plan.

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Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

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Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

Members of the organised labour, on Friday, protested and shut down the headquarters of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) over alleged cut of workers’ salaries in the agency by the management of the fund.

The aggrieved protesters, led by the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo and executive members of the Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFE), started their demonstrations at about 11:00am.

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Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the protesters alleged that the management led by Mrs Maureen Allagoa, the Managing Director of the Fund, had made deductions of consequential taxes from their salaries to the tune of N2.1bn which were not remitted.

Addressing the protesters, Osifo said the protest and subsequent shutdown of the Fund became imperative after efforts made by the leadership of ASSBIFE to resolve the issue amicably with the management failed.

The protesters urged President Bola Tinubu to sack the MD of the agency with immediate effect to avert “looming crises” in the Fund and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe their claims.

Both the MD of the Fund, Mrs Allagoa and spokesman of the Fund, Mr Godson Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report.

Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

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How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

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Winifred Oyo-Ita

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

Hamma Bello, the eighth prosecution witness in the trial of Winifred Oyo-Ita, a former Head of Service of the Federation, has narrated how N3 billion was diverted to private companies.

The witness stated this while testifying before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday about how the defendant and her subordinates diverted public funds into their private companies.

Oyo-Ita, the first defendant, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, along with her special assistants; Ugbong Effiok (seventh defendant) and Garba Umar (fourth defendant).

Others are six companies: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Limited, Slopes International Limited, U and U Global Services Ltd, Prince Mega Logistics Ltd, and Good Deal Investments, on 18 counts bordering on misappropriation, official corruption, money laundering, and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of over N3 billion.

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The witness, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Faruk Abdullahi, and H.M. Mohammed, told the court that Oyo-Ita used Slopes International Limited and Good Deal Investments Limited – fifth and sixth defendants respectively, to fraudulently award government contracts to herself through the fourth defendant, Umar.

The first entry transaction of Good Deal Investment Limited. in February 2019 showed that N42,748,201.47 was paid into its Zenith Bank account.

Umar, the witness said, incorporated the company with Oyo-Ita’s full knowledge.

“We called for the account statements of these two companies, and upon analysing them, we realised he (Umar) was paid several sums of money from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, where he is an employee.

“And upon interviewing the fourth defendant, he admitted that he was also a contractor. He also admitted to have paid the first defendant on several occasions from the proceeds of the transaction,” the witness said.

On April 27, 2019, the witness disclosed that a transfer of N20, 2027, 142 was made in the name of Ibrahim Madu to the Zenith Bank account of Asanaya Projects Limited.

The mandate card of the account bears the signature and photo of the seventh defendant, Effiok.

Investigation, according to the witness, also revealed that the seventh defendant incorporated Asanaya Projects Limited in his name with the knowledge of the first defendant and that approvals were granted and payments made to the seventh defendant either through his personal account or to the account of the company.

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The witness said, “The seventh defendant, upon interview, confirmed he had never travelled for most of the funds he received and that the first defendant was aware of and benefitted on several occasions from the funds. The account of U and U Global Services Limited was also opened by the seventh defendant.

“In summary, from 2015 to 2018, U and U Global Limited received several payments in the form of Duty Tour Allowances and estacodes. Sometimes, payments from the federal government were made directly to the account, for instance, on March 24, 2016, he received N40, 313, 453. 58. This particular payment was from the federal government.”

Further in his testimony, the witness stated that, “Exhibit O is the Fidelity Bank account of Prince Mega Logistics Ltd. On March 27, 2018, and April 6, 2018, there were four entries, N4, 950 000; N3,946,000, N4,676,000 and N1,478,000, from Thomson Titus Okure, who used to be a colleague of the seventh defendant in the Account Department.

“There were also outward payments to Ignom, Minaro Blessing, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Olarenwaju Godman Olushola and the seventh defendant is the sole signatory of this account.”

Speaking further, he said, “I also want to add that we invited the first, second and seventh defendant at different times to our office and interviewed them. In the case of the first defendant, we printed chats from her phone and saw conversations she had with contractors, subordinates, and permanent secretaries. She also voluntarily made a statement to the EFCC.”

The matter was adjourned till April 30, 2024.

(SAHARAREPORTERS)

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

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Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace

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Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace

A statement by Stanley Olisa, the airline’s Corporate Communications Lead, explained that some minutes before landing, the Captain noticed a fire warning indicator in the cockpit.

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