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2nd Abuja Airport Runway contract revoked over N532bn variation request – Minister

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The Minister of Aviation and AeroSpace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, on Wednesday revealed how he rejected an outrageous contract variation of N532 billion from the original sum of N90 billion, for the 2nd runway of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Keyamo made the disclosure when he appeared before the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, saying the Ministry has since revoked the contract to pave the way for fresh bidding.

He said: “After the N3.4 billion post contract consultancy fee paid to the contractor handling the project in May 2023, N90 billion was later paid in the same year for the whole contract out of which N30 billion was released.

“The contractor, after receiving the N30 billion and joining the Federal Capital Territory Administration to compensate some settlers on the affected land, left the site.

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“All efforts made thereafter to get the contractor back to site proved abortive on the grounds of unacceptable contract variation being demanded.

“The contractor in question is demanding a contract variation of N532 billion from the original sum of N90 billion the contract was awarded for.

“To us in the Ministry, the said variation is nothing but fraud, leaving us with no option than to cancel the contract and call for fresh bids.”

Members of the committee asked the minister why the N36 billion owed workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways was not reflected in the Ministry’s 2025 budget for required payment.

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The minister in his response said payment for the N36 billion has been shifted to the Ministry of Finance since the money is not meant for capital projects.

“The affected pensioners would soon get their dues from the Ministry of Finance and not from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development. I met with leaders of the joint unions on this in November last year and they agreed to an arrangement put on ground”, he said.

He however disagreed with suggestions made by some members of the committee that establishment of Aerospace University across the six geo-political zones should be discontinued since there is one in Zaira, Kaduna State, already.

According to him, as the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, was established in 1964, so also was the Nigeria Law School established in Lagos.

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“While the Nigeria Law School has been decentralized, the Aviation College in Zaria has not properly followed suit, which the Aerospace Universities are aimed at.”

He thereafter presented the 2025 budgetary proposal of the Ministry to the committee which according to him, is N71.13 billion, out of which N69.2 billion is earmarked for capital projects, N1.147 billion for personnel cost and N745.7 million for overhead.

However the joint committee through its Chairman, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (APC Oyo North), told the minister the budget proposal would be given the needed approval after submission of full details on the state of 124 projects being executed by the Ministry.

“Historical background and current status of all the ongoing projects being executed by the Ministry are needed as requested for by this committee, latest by next week, for approval of the presented budget proposals,” he said.

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BREAKING: Jubilation As PDP Wins All 30 LGs In Osun State(See winners)

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won all the local government and councillorship positions in the just concluded local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Hashim Abioye, made this announcement via a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday evening.

Abioye stated that PDP candidates secured all the councillorship seats in all 332 wards in the state, as well as the chairmanship elections in all 30 local government council areas.

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The names of the PDP chairmanship candidates and their respective local government council areas:

Babalola Wasiu Kayode – Boripe

Okunade Oluwafemi Adesanya – Egbedore

Adeyenuwo Rotimi John – Ife Central

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Agboola Francis Olajire – Obokun

Azeez Lateef Adeniran – Isokan

Aina Abayomi Adesina – Boluwaduro

Sodiq Samuel Oluwapelumi – Ola Oluwa

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Ajibade Oluwatoyin S. – Irepodun

Adebanjo Oladiti Tunmininu – Ilesa West

Ibironke Alade Adegboye – Atakumosa East

Aroke Muyiwa Aderemi – Ife South

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Kolade Obafemi Kolawole – Olorunda

Moshood Adekunle Kabiru – Iwo

Awotunde Abiodun Sarafadeen – Ifelodun

Akande Taiwo Adekunle – Osogbo

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Dada Feyisayo Ajibola – Atakumosa West

Amodu Taiwo – Ede North

Atolagbe Kayode Olayinka – Ifedayo

Akande Michael O. – Ife North

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Adeyekun Taiwo Adebayo – Oriade

Adeniran Adenike Felicia – Ayedaade

Afolabi Oyekola Lukman – Ede South

Odunyemi Haruna Bukola – Ife East

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Jooda Ambali Babajide – Irewole

Adewale Adeyinka Oluwaseun – Odo Otin

Ogunbiyi Solomon Akinyemi – Ayedire

Raimi Adenike Nafisat – Ejigbo

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Adebisi Jayeola Nasir – Ila

Ilesanmi Taiwo Sunday – Ilesa East

Alade Aderemi Fatai – Orolu

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DSS arrests three for assaulting operatives during LSHA crisis

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested three persons linked to the alleged assault on its officers during the crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal Mudashiru Obasa, as Speaker

Apparently sensing danger, some lawmakers had mobilized their supporters to the Assembly Complex, but these supporters allegedly attacked some DSS officers who were invited by the Assembly leadership to secure the facility. Security sources revealed that “after extensive analysis of CCTV footage, we were able to clearly identify three of the suspects”.
“The suspects, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer and two others attached to the Assembly’s Seargent at Arms, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh, a lady, were consequently tracked and arrested during the week in different parts of Lagos,” The trio have since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court, the source said.

It would be recalled that the Lagos Assembly had in a leaked memo dated 14th February, 2025 and addressed to the DSS Director in the State, and Heads of other Security Agencies in Lagos State, told the Security Agencies in Lagos that, there was credible information to the effect that, Obasa had planned to forcefully reinstate himself today, February 18, 2025.
Accordingly, the Assembly management, held the view that, the development posed “a potential security threat” to it and its members.

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Police seal OSSIEC office, officials nabbed, says chairman

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has claimed that the police have sealed off the headquarters in Osogbo.

In a video post on the OSSIEC X handle, Abioye accused the police of also arresting election officials and blocking journalists from covering the local government election.

According to him, several OSSIEC officials were detained while on their way to polling units on Saturday.

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Attempts by our correspondent to reach Abioye for further details proved abortive as his telephone line was switched off.

The OSSIEC chair, in the post, assured voters that materials had been deployed to affected areas.

So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct has been very smooth and peaceful as against the false alarm raised by the police. Everywhere is calm,” Abioye said.

“The only thing is that in some of the areas in which materials are supposed to have arrived for voters to cast their votes, we had reports of police arresting our officials.

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“I don’t know on whose order because there is no court order that warranted the arrest of officers of our officials.

“As it is, we have deployed materials to those units because we have enough on the ground.

For our people in the media community, I want to apologise for the inadequacy of the tags and the jackets because we have enough but the police sealed our office and that was not warranted at all.”

Abioye’s comments come after police had called for the local government election to be called off by the state government, citing a security threat.

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In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday, the Police said it received credible intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned elections proceed.

The police explained that reports gathered from joint intelligence gathering revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, are mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace and undermine the democratic order.

However, the Osun State government acknowledged the police’s advice but insisted on going on with the election.

Channels Television reports that the election eventually went on as scheduled on Saturday.

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