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Senate set to probe abandoned projects in Nigeria

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The Senate on Thursday constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate the number of abandoned projects in the country.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC- Ondo) on the need to look into the 11,856 mega projects abandoned by the federal government.

Presenting the motion, Ibrahim said that in 2011, former President Goodluck Jonathan set up a Presidential Committee on abandoned projects in Nigeria.

He said the committee visited the 36 states in Nigeria and identified 11,866 projects abandoned since Nigeria’s independence.

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He said that the reports indicated that 63 per cent of the entire projects since independence were abandoned.

He said that even when a project was successfully delivered, it usually presented an overrun of about 40 per cent, with most delivered projects recording 10 per cent underperformance.

Ibrahim said that the 63 per cent of projects abandoned in Nigeria was worse than any country under comparison.

“The abandonment of the project is of significant concern because of project costs which constitute a significant part of the GDP.”

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He said what was key was the need to look inward at the infrastructure development as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) declined from 8.8billon dollars in 2011 to 3.3 billion dollars in 2019.

He said that government had the responsibility to set up a professional system that would deliver the critical value from major infrastructure development for its citizens.

He said that for 66 per cent projects to be abandoned since 1960 was nothing less than a calamity that reduced Nigeria’s pride as a ‘Giant of Africa.

Ibrahim said that projects like the National Library, Lagos Badagry Express Road, Calabar Power Plant, Zungery Dam, Mambilla site, Otiukpo Dam, Nigeria Satellite, Nitel, Calabar Sea Port, Abuja mass housing project to mention but few has remained abandoned till date.

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The senator said project abandonment was a syndrome of national development particularly when it was centred on basic infrastructure as over 66 per cent of the government projects had been abandoned since Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

In his contribution, Sen. Orji Kalu (APC -Abia) said Nigeria cannot industrialise without steel production.

“We should face steel production, If we don’t face it, we are wasting our time, if you check our debt repayment, it is coming on this project.

“Why would Nigeria be suffering on what ought to have been done? We are supposed to convert that our money and build these industries for debt repayment on them and save the the interest we pay.

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“We should appeal to President Bola Tinubu, may be in 2026, 2027 budgets, we dedicate it to all these industries.

”They are our own. If we do not do it we will not move forward,” he said.

Senator Isah Jibrin(APC -Kogi) said the abandoned projects should be properly profiled and the viable ones be sold to bring return on investment.

The Senate also in its resolution recommended appropriate actions to be taken to reduce project abandonment in Nigeria and how most of the projects can be recovered.

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President of Senate Godswill Akpabio in his remarks, urged the committee to turn in its report in one month.

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Rupture In PDP Governors’ Forum deepens

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By Ojomah Austin.

 

The evolving fall-out, which comes barely days to the contentious National Executive Committee (NEC) of PDP, followed a back and forth between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike and the Governors forum, who declared support for Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara to be made leader of the party in the state.

After a meeting with some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in Bauchi on Wednesday, Governor Mohammed, said “According to our party’s constitution, any leadership vacancy should be filled by someone from the region where it originated,” stressing that Damagum would be replaced soon considering that he hails from North East and not the North Central.

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Same day, Makinde, during the groundbreaking of the upgrading of Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, to an international airport, which was attended by another set of NWC members, led by Damagum, said he would support whatever decision the Damagum-led NWC would take to reposition the party.

Damagum, who is considered a close ally of Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, was appointed acting national chairman after the removal of Iyorchia Ayu in June 2023.

Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP led by Senator Adolph Wabara, met with members of the National Assembly caucus in Abuja.

The close door meeting comes barely hours after the BoT met with Wike in Abuja.

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While Wabara refused to comment on the essence of the meeting with the lawmakers, it was noticed that most of the lawmakers didn’t honour the invitation.

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Tears As Man Takes Own Life Over Tinubu’s Govt Hardship

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By Mario Deepromoter

Sad development in Marika village, Kiyawa Local Government, Jigawa, where a 40-year-old man, Jibrin Adamu, committed suicide by hanging himself.

According to eyewitnesses, Adamu’s lifeless body was discovered in a classroom at Miftahul Khairat Islamiyya and Primary School Gurdiba on Thursday.

Police spokesperson DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam confirmed the incident, stating that preliminary investigations revealed Adamu had struggled with mental health issues.

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“Police received a report on Thursday that at about 1830hrs, a tragic incident was reported at the Command headquarters that one Jibrin Adamu ‘m’ age 40yrs of Jigawar Maroka village, Kiyawa LGA has committed suicide by hanging himself over the ceiling at Islamiyya school,” the Police spokesperson told Daily Post.

The Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, CP AT Abdullahi, has instructed officers to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

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Just in: Dangote Petrol Now Available at N765.99 Per Litre

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By Mario Deepromoter

11plc, Total Energies, AA Rano, and other marketers have begun lifting Dangote Petrol through Nigerian National Company (NNPC) Trading Limited for N765.99 to retail outlets nationwide.

Findings showed some petroleum marketers who were able to complete their payment process on the NNPC trading payment portal commenced the lifting of petrol earlier this week under the existing agreement between marketers and the refinery.

Tunji Oyebanji, managing director, 11Plc confirmed to BusinessDay on Thursday evening that some marketers have started lifting the products at N765.99 from Dangote Refinery through NNPC who remain the sole off-taker of product.

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“We were among the first marketers to complete the payment on the NNPC portal. We have no direct arrangement with the refinery,” Oyebanji said.

It was gathered that NNPC Retail, 11plc, Total Energies, A.A Rano are among the marketers that have picked up products from the refinery.

He added, “We don’t know the contractual financial arrangement between NNPC and the refinery but what I can confirm is we are buying at N765.99 from NNPC to lift Dangote petrol”.

Efforts to get the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to confirm if its members have picked up products at the Dangote Refinery proved abortive at the time of writing this report.

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See also Nigeria’s Petrol Landing Cost Revealed
Adedapo Segun, executive vice-president, downstream at NNPC said marketers cannot purchase petrol directly from the refinery because the product is still sold at a subsidised rate.

“That is the same thing happening with Dangote. I said earlier that Dangote is a company and it is going to sell at market price,” he told Journalists.

According to Segun, “The market value of PMS is still higher than what N766 or N765 or N799 that NNPC is selling.

“The situation has not changed there. So, NNPC’s off-taking is only because the others would not buy at the price Dangote will be willing to sell, which is reasonable.

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“As soon as the price allows for it, you will see the marketers go to Dangote and buy.”

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