News
Speaker Abbas Urges NWDC to Assess Needs Of North-West
…as he inaugurates house committee for oversight
The Speaker of House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has urged the newly formed North West Development Commission (NWDC) to carry out a thorough assessment of the region’s needs as it begins operations.
Speaker Abbas who stated this during the inauguration of the House Committee on the North West Development Commission on Wednesday in Abuja, emphasised the importance of exploring diverse funding options to effectively achieve the commission’s objectives.
He highlighted his personal connection to the initiative, and noted that, as a representative from the North-West and a key advocate for the bill that led to the creation of the commission, the moment was particularly meaningful to him.
Speaker Abbas emphasised the crucial role of the North-West geopolitical zone in Nigeria’s economy and society, ans described it as a historic hub of agricultural excellence, renowned for producing staple crops like millet, sorghum, and groundnuts in vast quantities.
With a population exceeding 47 million, he highlighted the region’s immense cultural and economic potential. However, he expressed concern that this potential remains hindered by significant challenges.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Chairman NWDC, Rep. Gumi assured of a transparent and results-oriented approach to tackling the region’s socio-economic and security challenges.
He underscored the urgency of addressing rising insecurity, economic stagnation, and infrastructural deficiencies, calling for immediate intervention.
“This is more than just a committee inauguration; it is a moment of renewed hope and determination. Our people have endured hardship for too long, yet they remain resilient. Today marks the start of decisive action to transform the North-West,” he stated.
Gumi outlined the committee’s broad mandate, which includes overseeing NWDC activities, fostering partnerships with development agencies, and collaborating with the private sector to facilitate rehabilitation, resettlement, and regional development across the seven states—Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
He also stressed that security was central to the Commission’s objectives, and noted that sustainable development cannot be realized in a region grappling with banditry, kidnappings, and economic distress.
To achieve this, he committed to rigorous oversight visits to NWDC projects across the seven states, ensuring that budget allocations align with regional development priorities. He also stressed the need to build partnerships with international development agencies and private sector players while implementing a quarterly review system to track progress, address challenges, and refine strategies.
Gumi highlighted the importance of learning from other regional development commissions to avoid inefficiencies and policy pitfalls.
Unveiling a proposed work plan, he described it as a blueprint for immediate action, with a focus on youth empowerment, infrastructure development, security enhancement, and leveraging the region’s agricultural and commercial potential for sustainable economic growth.
“Our approach prioritizes transparency, inclusivity, and measurable results.
“Policies must go beyond paperwork to deliver real, tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“With unity, dedication, and shared purpose, we will address the challenges, seize the opportunities, and create lasting change for the generations to come. Together, we will lay the foundation for a prosperous, inclusive, and thriving North-West,” he said.
He therefore called for collaboration among all stakeholders—federal and state governments, traditional institutions, civil society, and the private sector to ensure the NWDC achieves its mandate.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has called on African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race over a controversial $500,000 payment made to his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, during negotiations surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
The demand followed revelations from a final award issued by a three-member International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris in the long-running dispute between Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited and the Federal Government.
The tribunal ruled in favour of Nigeria, rejecting Sunrise Power’s claims and ordering the company and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse Nigeria for 75 per cent of its legal costs.
At the centre of the controversy is a $500,000 transfer made by Adesanya on January 30, 2003, through China Castle Investments Limited, an offshore company he controlled, into Douglas’s Citibank account in the United States.
The payment came less than four months before Sunrise was purportedly awarded a 3,960-megawatt Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract for the Mambilla project in Taraba State.
Tribunal Questions $500,000 Payment
During the arbitration, Adesanya told the tribunal that the $500,000 was part of a foreign-exchange transaction carried out on behalf of Atiku.
However, the tribunal did not accept the explanation, noting the absence of documentary evidence showing the underlying naira payment, exchange rate, instructions from Atiku or his aides, correspondence relating to the transaction or records establishing its commercial purpose.
The tribunal also noted that neither Atiku nor Douglas testified or submitted witness statements to corroborate Adesanya’s account.
It further questioned the explanation because the payment was made during the period when Sunrise was pursuing the Mambilla project and months before the company was purportedly awarded the contract.
The tribunal’s findings, however, concerned the evidence and claims before it in the arbitration; they did not establish in the award that Atiku personally received a bribe.
Mambilla Contract Controversy
The Mambilla project, initially conceived in 1982 as a 3,050MW hydropower scheme, later became the subject of negotiations involving Sunrise and its Chinese partner.
Sunrise expressed interest in developing the project from 2001 and subsequently submitted proposals to the Federal Government.
A technical committee eventually recommended Sunrise for the 3,960MW project in March 2003.
Former Minister of Power Olu Agunloye later issued a letter which Sunrise relied upon as evidence that it had been awarded the project.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, however, maintained that the Federal Executive Council never approved the contract and that he directed the withdrawal of the relevant memorandum.
The disputed letter subsequently became central to Sunrise’s multibillion-dollar arbitration claims against Nigeria.
APC Accuses Atiku of Conflict of Interest
Reacting to the tribunal’s findings, APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesman Dele Alake accused Atiku and Agunloye of working together to facilitate the disputed Sunrise contract.
Alake described the $500,000 payment as an alleged bribe connected to the Mambilla deal and argued that its timing raised questions about a possible conflict of interest involving Atiku, who was vice-president at the time.
The APC spokesman also criticised Atiku for not appearing as a witness before the tribunal, saying his testimony could have helped clarify the circumstances surrounding the payment.
The campaign council subsequently demanded that Atiku withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest.
Long-Running Mambilla Legal Battle
The dispute over the Mambilla project has continued for years.
Sunrise previously pursued billions of dollars in claims against Nigeria, alleging breaches relating to the proposed project.
A surviving miner has alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside a detention cell shortly before several suspected illegal miners began collapsing while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The survivor made the allegation while recounting his experience in detention during a visit to the state by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
According to the miner, detainees were locked inside a cell before an unidentified substance was sprayed into the facility.
He alleged that shortly after the substance was released, some of the detainees began experiencing difficulties before collapsing.
«“They sprayed something inside the cell after locking us in, and people began collapsing,” the survivor reportedly said.»
The allegation comes amid growing scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of suspected illegal miners who were detained by security authorities in Niger State.
The survivor did not identify the substance allegedly sprayed inside the cell, nor did he state who allegedly authorised or carried out the action.
He also did not provide details on the number of detainees who were affected or establish whether the alleged spraying directly caused any of the reported deaths.
The NSCDC and other relevant authorities have yet to publicly respond to the specific allegation.
The account is likely to intensify calls for a thorough investigation into the treatment of the detainees and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Establishing what happened inside the cell would require further investigation, including determining the identity of the substance allegedly used, who introduced it into the facility and whether there was any link between the incident and the subsequent collapse or deaths of detainees.
Enugu State politician, Prince Ikechukwu Oloto, also known as Okanga Moo, has reportedly been killed in an attack at his residence in Nsukka Local Government Area of the state.
Oloto was allegedly attacked by unknown assailants at his home in the Odenigbo area of Nsukka on Thursday evening.
According to reports by Daily Post, the attackers invaded the politician’s residence and killed him during the incident. The report further alleged that a knife was used in the attack.
The circumstances surrounding the reported killing remain unclear, while the identities and motive of the attackers had not been established as of the time of filing this report.
The incident was also reported on Facebook by social media influencer Sen. Chijinkem Ugwuanyi, who claimed that Oloto was killed at his Odenigbo residence.
The reported killing comes amid heightened political activities and preparations ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. However, there is currently no confirmed information linking the attack to Oloto’s political activities.
The Enugu State Police Command had yet to publicly confirm the reported killing or disclose whether an investigation had commenced as of the time of filing this report.
Further details are expected as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Just in: APC Demands Atiku Quit 2027 Race Over $500,000 Mambilla Payment
Niger Deaths: Survivor Alleges Substance Was Sprayed in Cell Before Detainees Collapsed
Just in: Enugu Politician Ikechukwu Oloto Reportedly Killed in Nsukka Home Attack
-
Metro18 hours agoOndo Poisonous Alcohol: Death Toll Increases To 49, Cases Spread To Neighboring Local Govt
-
News19 hours agoCanada Invites Senior Managers To Apply For Permanent Residence
-
Metro19 hours agoTragedy Hits OAU: Final-Year Engineering Student Dies In Suspected Suicide At Off-Campus Apartment
-
News19 hours agoFalconets Advance to quarter-finals of FIFA U-20 World Cup
-
Sports18 hours agoCarabao Cup Round of 16 fixtures confirmed [Full List]
-
News19 hours agoCustoms Intercepts N2.47bn Contraband, Seizes N417m Range Rover In Ogun
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login