News
Court hears suit challenging Lagos-Calabar highway contract Jan 14
The Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, adjourned the hearing of the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway Project over environmental impact to January 14, 2025.
A former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Lagos State, Funsho Doherty, had dragged the Attorney General of the Federation, Bureau of Public Procurement and HiTech Construction company before the court over open competitive bidding.
He alleged that the Federal Ministry of Works violated the Public Procurement Act 2007 by awarding the first two phases of the highway to Hitech Construction through a single-source procurement process, bypassing the required open competitive bidding.
Doherty is accusing the Federal Ministry of Works of unlawfully awarding the highway’s first two sections to Hitech Construction without adhering to Nigeria’s public procurement laws.
In his originating summons, Doherty argued that the ministry’s decision bypassed the open competitive bidding process mandated by the Public Procurement Act 2007.
He claimed that the construction began without the required Environmental Impact Assessment, which breaches the Environmental Impact Assessment Act 1992.
The plaintiff is asking the court for a declaration that the award of the first two sections of the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway Project by the Federal Ministry of Works to the third defendant without subjecting same to open competitive bidding was unlawful and void, being in breach of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
He also asked the court for a declaration that the commencement of construction of the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway Project without first undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment was unlawful and a breach of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, 1992.
He further sought a declaration that the Federal Ministry of Environment and the second defendant failed in their statutory duties of ensuring compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act and the Public Procurement Act.
Doherty asked the court for an order setting aside the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to the third defendant.
“An order of court restraining the Federal Ministry of Works and the third defendant, by themselves or through their agents, from further construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway until compliance with the Public Procurement Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment Act.
“An order of court directing the Federal Ministry of Works to subject all other sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project yet to be awarded to open competitive bidding as contemplated under the Public Procurement Act.”
When the case came up on Monday, the plaintiff’s counsel, D. D. Duru, informed the court that the matter was coming up for the first time.
He informed the court that the defendants had been served and had responded with counter-affidavits and a preliminary objection, making the matter ripe for hearing.
But the first and second defendants counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), who announced his appearance for both defendants, was opposed by Duru, for representing the second defendant, arguing that the second defendant’s separate counsel should appear as it is an independent institution.
Owonikoko, in his reply, said the process referred to by the plaintiff’s counsel was only brought to his notice on Monday.
“The process referred to by my learned friend was only brought to my notice today.
“I asked if the counsel who filed the processes was in court but it appears he was not,” he said.
Owonikoko then asked that the process filed by the second defendant should be struck out.
Duru, in his response, said,” It will be improper for the SAN, to say he was instructed to ask for the striking out of the second defendant’s application.
“It is either the lawyer who signed the processes that come to withdraw or the SAN files for change of counsel.”
The third defendant’s counsel, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, sought an extension of time.
She said the application was filed on November 15, 2024, adding that the application was supported by an 11-paragraph affidavit.
Badejo- Okunsanya, moved the application in terms, which the court granted.
Justice A. O. Owoeye adjourned the case till January 14, 2025, to regularise the processes and scheduled the hearing for January 27, 2025.
A tragic plane crash in the city of Gramado, southern Brazil, has claimed the lives of ten family members of influential businessman, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi.
The crash involved a private plane piloted by Brazilian businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi. He, along with his wife, three daughters, and other family members, died in the crash, according to a statement from his company.
The small aircraft reportedly struck a building’s chimney, as well as a house and a shop, before crashing. Local authorities confirmed that 17 people on the ground were injured, with two in serious condition.
Mr. Galeazzi, 61, was reportedly taking his family on a trip to Jundiaí, São Paulo state. All ten victims were members of his family, as confirmed by the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite.
The plane had taken off in poor weather conditions. The aircraft flew for about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) before crashing into the urban area just minutes after takeoff on Sunday morning.
An eyewitness, Nadia Hansen, described hearing the plane revving up before it hit the building. “At the time, it was revving up. You could see that it was accelerating a lot,” Hansen said. “Then there was a bang as it hit the building and then it passed close to my house and then it fell, and I thought it had dropped in front of the house.”
Emergency workers were seen at the crash site, attending to the wreckage and debris from damaged buildings. Galeazzi was the CEO of Galeazzi & Associados, a corporate restructuring and crisis management firm based in São Paulo. His company expressed its condolences in a LinkedIn statement, honoring Galeazzi’s dedication to his family and his professional legacy.
The crash occurred near the center of Gramado, hitting a house, furniture store, and hotel. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa). Governor Leite assured that the state was mobilized to provide necessary assistance.
Gramado, a well-known tourist destination, has recently been hit hard by devastating flooding earlier this year, which caused extensive damage and displaced thousands of residents.
The Federal Government has allocated a total of N6,364,181,224 billion for the renovation and rehabilitation of the residential quarters of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and some of their aides in the 2025 budget proposal.
Sunday PUNCH’s analysis of the proposed allocation, contained in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, showed that the annual maintenance of the Presidential Villa would gulp N5.49bn.
According to the proposed budget, N765m will be used for the renovation of the Vice President’s quarters and guest house.
The renovation of the president’s quarters at the State House will cost N6.39m, while the renovation of security quarters, auditorium, gymnasium and presidential aides’ quarters will cost N49m.
In addition, the renovation of Prescott barracks at Maple State House officers’ mess building and signal office in Asokoro, Abuja will cost N51m.
Further analysis of the budget revealed that Tinubu and his vice are also expected to have N87m as honorarium and sitting allowances, while N127m was allocated for the procurement of SUVs.
Also, N3.66bn was budgeted for the purchase of State House operational vehicles and N1,09bn will be spent on replacement of SUV vehicles at the State House.
Under the budget of the State House Lagos Liaison Office, there is an allocation of N14.72m for the routine maintenance of State House Lagos facilities (Dodan Barracks, Vice President guest houses at Ikoyi, among others).
Another N140.10m was allocated for the completion of renovation and furnishing of the State House annex (Dodan Barracks), Lagos.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is planning to spend N1.83bn on converting forfeited properties from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission into State House quarters.
The plan to convert forfeited houses from the EFCC comes in the same month that the commission disclosed the recovery of an estate in the Lokogoma District of Abuja, measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 units of duplexes and other apartments.
The commission described this as its “single largest asset recovery” since its inception in 2003.
The estate rests on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09 of the district, and was forfeited in a ruling on Monday, December 2, 2024, by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
(Punch)
WHEN we look at this month, USD was traded at ₦ at the beginning of this December on Monday, December 2, 2024. As at today with USD being traded at ₦1,655 we see a % for United States Dollar to Naira exchange rate for this month.
On this page, we are primarily focusing on the Black Market Dollar To Naira Exchange Rate Today, the USD to Naira currency pair are the most traded currency in the FX market.
Black Market Exchange Rates
Buying Rate
Selling Rate
Dollar to Naira 1655 1640
Pounds to Naira 2150 2000
Euro to Naira 1730 1700
Canadian Dollar to Naira 1146 1135
Rand to Naira 52 43
Dirham to Naira 0 0
Yuan to Naira 62 62
G.Cedi to Nair 70 50
CFA F. (XOF) To Naira 0.83 0.81
CFA F. (XAF) To Naira 0.74 0.74
READ ALSO: INSIDE LIFE: 26-Year-Old Lady Died In Bangladesh With No One To Claim Her Body, She Is A Nigerian From Enugu (SEE PHOTO)
Having full knowledge how much USD to NGN black market exchange rate today will give you a better opportunity to plan and make informed decisions.
Nairatoday.com
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