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Bad Roads: FG Gives Contractors 14-day Ultimatum

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The Federal Government has given contractors handling road projects that have been abandoned, a 14-day ultimatum to return to sites or face revocation of the contracts.

The government also threatened to drag contractors ganging up against the use of concrete for road construction to the anti-crime agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related offences, ICPC.

The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, disclosed this after meeting, behind closed-doors, with President Bola Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

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Umahi, who vowed not to succumb to the gang-up and blackmail from contractors, said President Tinubu had given him the support for the use of concrete in reinforcement.

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Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting with the President, Umahi said some contractors had keyed into the policy, just as major cement producers had agreed to discount prices for such government road builders.

He also highlighted the advantages of cement roads over asphalt/bitumen, including cheaper costs and the need to encourage local production of cement against importation of bitumen.

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Umahi further warned contractors against the dodgy attitude of securing about 20 projects but deploying as few as two units of equipment to site.

On the agenda of the meeting with the President, he said: ”I came to Villa to see Mr. President to discuss about road infrastructure. I want to thank God because Mr. President approved all my requests. And these requests will renew the hopes of Nigerians on our road sector development, the approvals will rejuvenate proper road construction.

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”But let me clarify a number of issues, especially for the benefit of Nigerians and our stakeholders. There has been a kind of campaign by some quick fix contractors and some elements you know, within who do not wish us well, who want us to continue with the old order.

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“But we can’t continue to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. The truth is that our roads are not good. The truth is that the past government earmarked a number of roads, which Mr. President inherited, close to about 18,897 kilometer of road to the tune of N14 trillion.”

Asked how the projects would be funded, he said: “By the mechanism of funding, by the ingenuity of our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are sure of funding of about N5.1 trillion, leaving N6 trillion gaps. And this N6 trillion funding gap is as May 29, 2023.”

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JUST IN: Convicted Kidnap Kingpin Evans Re-arraigned, Opts For Plea Bargain

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Convicted billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, and his co-defendant Joseph Emeka, charged with murder and attempted kidnap have opted for plea bargain.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state lead counsel, Mr Yusuf Sule, informed the court about the plea bargain option on Thursday when the case was called for re-arraignment.

The case was called for re-arraignment before Justice Adenike Cokers of an Ikeja High Court.

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NAN reports that Evans and his co-defendant were to be re-arraigned on an amended five-count charge bordering on murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy to commit felony, wit: kidnapping and attempt to murder.

Sule informed the court that the case was for re-arraignment but he was aware the defendants have applied for plea.

The prosecutor, however, said the plea bargain terms were being considered by the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN).

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JUST IN: Collapsed Roof Injures OAU Students During Lecture

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A torrential rainfall of early Thursday morning, accompanied with a whirlwind has injured students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

The rain which started when the students were having a lecture, SER to be precise, in the Amphitheatre of the Oduduwa Hall, affected the ceiling of the Amphitheatre as it fell off and injured a few of the students.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire led other principal officers to the Medical and Health Centre of the University, and ensured that the injured students were given adequate medical attention.

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A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the Vice-Chancellor also followed two other students, whose cases demanded more medical attention to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), where the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor John Okeniyi, physically supervised the proceedings.

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The Vice-Chancellor has, therefore, appealed for calm and urged students and staff to go about their academic and administrative activities without any form of untoward action.

Meanwhile, the management of the University, has sealed off the amphitheatre, the venue of the unfortunate incident, until further notice.

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Edo Guber: Those Leaving PDP Are Disgruntled; We Need People With Value – Campaign DG

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Matthew Iduoriyemkewen, the Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council for the September 21st governorship election in Edo State says persons who defected from the party to other parties are disgruntled.

Iduoriyemkewen made this assertion on Thursday in Benin during a familiarisation visit to the leadership and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State council, where he solicited for a partnership and cooperation from media practitioners.

According to the DG, the PDP is interested in persons of value, adding that those that are in the party are assets to the party and that many persons are still coming.

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Most of the people moving out of the PDP have become disgruntled, and they feel they must have it all. I don’t know who gave them that kind of entitlement that PDP is theirs, and it must be theirs, and that when they need anything in PDP, and they don’t get it, nobody else can get it, and that the roof must be brought down,” he added.

He continued: “I can tell you that people we have in PDP are those that are asset to the party. Those that are assets to the party, we do not allow them to leave. More so, those that we are bringing into the party are those that will add value to the party. You will start seeing them very soon.”

Iduoriyemkewen, who said Edo needs persons with value and substance, stressed that his party candidates – Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie – are the rights persons Edo needs to move to an enviable heights.

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Further speaking on activities of the campaign council, the DG said the party campaign would be issue-based, adding that how to move Edo forward is his party concern and not frivolous issues.

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He said: “Our campaign would be issue-based. The campaign would be where we met Edo people and where we intend to take them to. Our campaign is going to be a realistic one, the steps we intend to take to solve the numerous challenges facing us.

“What we are going to be telling Edo people is the process of taking them from where we met them to where we are taking them to.”

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Responding, the chairman, Edo NUJ, Comrade Festus Alenkhe, assured the DG of members of the council unbiased, apolitical stance as far as politics is concerned in the state.

The Edo NUJ chairman who said the union as a professional body frowned at fake news and unverified information, described the NUJ secretariat as a freedom ground where anyone can come to express his or mind on issues.

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