Headline

Reactions Trail $1.1bn Derivation Fund In Akwa Ibom

Published

1 year ago

November 21, 2022

The $1.1 billion (N600 billion) that was said to have been given to the Akwa Ibom State government as arrears of the 13 per cent derivation fund from the Federal Government has continued to generate heat in the state as the people have queried Governor Udom Emmanuel on what he used the money for.

It could be recalled that Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike had over the weekend revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the payment of arrears of the derivation fund owed since 1999 to Niger Delta states including Akwa Ibom.

Since the revelation was made, Akwa Ibom people have expressed shock that such huge income was received by the state government apart from the monthly Federal allocation and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) without their knowledge, and are demanding explanations of how the monies were expended.

The governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom State, Senator Bassey Akpan who reacted to Wike’s revelations regretted that despite the huge financial inflow, the state is still in a deplorable state even as he tasked the people to ask questions about how the money was used.

“When I said he(Udom) received N280 billion, they said it was politics. They said I was interested in finance. All the funds that were not paid to South-South states from oil proceeds put together was $2.56 billion. The one paid to Akwa Ibom was $1.1 billion (N600 billion). Udom has received over N3 trillion. But there is nothing to show for it,” he stated.

Also, the National Coordinator, Akwa Ibom Human Rights Community, Clifford Thomas (Esq) in his reaction said there was no justifiable reason why Governor Emmanuel never mentioned to Akwa Ibom citizens the amount he legitimately collected on behalf of the state as arrears of the derivation fund.

“It is just a matter of showing us how much you have collected. The fact that you did not disclose it to us means that you had the intention to steal. Proper disclosure presupposes that you are transparent and accountable to the people. Where a government is not accountable and transparent to the people, it thereafter means that there’s no probity in your council and it is against human rights,” he said

He said further: “Again, I know that the propriety of coming to disclose at this critical time is challenging but the fact remains that it was disclosed from credible sources that over $1.1billion was given to Akwa Ibom State as arrears of 13 per cent derivations from 1999 till now, then what is the propriety of hiding money that came to you legitimately.”

Commenting on the fund received, Professor of Economics, University of Uyo, Prof. Edet Akpakpan, said it was expedient for the people to demand from the government what the money received was used for, saying the question was a legitimate one to ascertain if the funds were judiciously used.

“I have heard the information that Governor Wike has given the whole world. What we in this part of the country should do is ask our government, if they received that kind of money, what exactly do they do with the money? I think this is a legitimate question to ask.

“I will not from my library conclude that nothing has been done. I have heard that they have done a number of things in some local governments, for instance, Onna, but we need to be concrete.

“Governor Wike has commissioned nine or 10 flyovers and these are fantastic things, when we talk of infrastructure, that is what it should be. I have seen a tower here in Uyo, I don’t know what the building will serve.

“I have not asked questions; any time I decide to do a research on the economy of the State, I will ask these questions. But as a private person, what we need to do is to ask the government what has happened, have they received the money, what have they done with it?” he stated.

Efforts to get the Commissioner of Finance, Mr Linus Nkan to comment on the receipt of the derivation fund failed as he was yet to pick up his phone calls at the time of filing the report.

It was gathered that the governors of Delta and Bayelsa states had since addressed the press, notifying their people of the received fund, but in Akwa Ibom State, the government is yet to speak on the matter, leaving the people in the dark.

Headline

VIDEO: Meet Nigerian Pastor Who Predicted World Will End April 25

Published

2 mins ago

April 25, 2024

Editor

An unidentified Nigerian pastor has stirred reactions on social media by following a prophetic revelation that the world would end on the 25th of April 2024.

In a video which has since gone viral, the pastor disclosed that God informed him of the end of the world during a prayer session.

The pastor emphasised that he clearly saw the date and that God mentioned it to him twice.

He said, “By the 25th of April, the world is going to end. If you like take this serious, if you don’t like don’t take it serious.

“But this is real, rapture is coming, on the 25th of April 2024, I saw it very clear, do you understand? I saw the date very clear and the lord ministered to me. He mentioned it twice, it has happened twice.”

Headline

Again, FG Talks Tough, Threatens To Revoke Lokoja-Benin Road Contract

Published

17 mins ago

April 25, 2024

Editor

The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has again threatened to revoke the sections I-IV Lokoja-Benin, Obajana Junction Benin roads in Kogi and Edo States should the contractors handling the project fail to sign the reviewed contract.

Umahi issued the fresh threat during a meeting with the contractors in his office, in Abuja, yesterday.

The Miniater had in March issued a similar threat during a visit to the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki. He had expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work earlier this year.

Representatives of the contractors messers Mothercat Ltd, CCECC Ltd, Dantat & Sawoe Ltd, CGC Ltd and RCC Ltd attended the latest meeting with the minister in his Abuja office, on Thursday.

The minister also directed staff of his Ministry to, within 7 days , carry out a comprehensive audit of the ongoing projects with a view to knowing the status of work done, the capacity of personnel and equipment being used by the contractors.

Umahi did not mince words when he expressed displeasure at what he described as the pranks being played by the contractors.

He noted that they were part of the process of re-scoping and reviewing the contract specifications but that they failed to sign the review contract documents after signing that they would do the job based on the new specification.

Umahi said, ”The project was initially N121 billion, but before the administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the project was already reviewed to about over N870 billion .

“When I came in as Minister, I saw that the project was over-bloated, and I refused to take the No Objection to FEC. I had to go through the road myself, and I realized that some sections of the road could not survive asphalt.

“So we started meetings that took us over five months with all the contractors, and in the meetings, we agreed to re-scope the project. So we re-scoped the project where we said okay, the new lanes should be done on concrete and the other ones done on asphalt.

“So, we kept the contracts up and we all signed the documents and based on signing the documents, we took it to BPP and from BPP we went to FEC, and before we went to FEC, we demanded for them to approve that they can do the job. They all gave us letters of approval.”

He wondered why contractors were given jobs without having the required manpower and equipment to execute, and warned that henceforth, any contractor signing a contract must sign alongside the basic rate and timeline.

The minister furthersaid, ”The position of the government is that if you are not signing the contracts between today and tomorrow, you will forgo the jobs. You can go to court. We will not enter into any condition for further negotiation.

“This contract is over N2 billion per kilometer. You don’t have equipment to do the work. Let me even assure you that if you are signing the contract, you will sign it alongside the basic rates.

“You sign it alongside the timetable, and you deploy in three sections, or I will terminate the job. Enough of playing with the psyche of the people.”

He declared that the Ministry would not allow any contractor to hold the nation to ransom or to impose their conditions on the Ministry.

Umahi said, “You don’t want to work, leave the job. It’s not compulsory that you must be the one to do the job. You can not be on site, and the people are dying.

“The vehicles are falling down, and you’re playing politics with the lives of the people. And we fold our hands and leave you for what? You can’t be on site….So if you are not working, pack your things out of that site.”

In his remarks, the Director, Highways (SP) South, Engr. C.A Ogbuagu gave account of the techinical processes undertaken by the Ministry before Federal Executive Council approved the augmentation of the project,
which the contractors accepted, and letters of award were given to them.

He expressed suprise that the contractors refused to sign the new document.

He said, “After the FEC’s approval of the argumentation, the legal department was brought in so that this new contract will now be executed so that work will continue on site. So, for about two weeks now, the draft addendum has been with the contractors, and none of them has positively responded, except RCC.”

In its response, the representative of the CGC said, “for our side, and firstly for our section, and currently we are seriously working. And secondly, we have a sent the draft to the Head Office And there there is any issue, we have answered them and may be later tomorrow morning, we can get the approval from them so we can go ahead.”

Headline

UK Slams Fresh Sanctions On Iran After Israel Attack

Published

2 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Editor

The UK on Thursday joined the United States and Canada in announcing a fresh set of sanctions against Iran’s drone and missile industries after its recent attack on Israel.

Tehran launched its first direct military assault on Israeli territory in retaliation for an April 1 air strike — widely blamed on Israel — that killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Damascus.

Iran’s large-scale attack involved more than 300 drones and missiles, most of which were shot down by Israel and its allies including Washington and London, causing little damage.

The United States and Britain announced widespread sanctions on Iran last week, targeting individuals and companies involved in the Iranian drone industry.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said the latest sanctions would target two individuals and four companies closely involved in Iran’s network of drone production.

Trade sanctions against Iran would also be expanded by introducing new bans on the export of components used in its produce of drones and missiles, it added.

“The Iranian regime’s dangerous attack on Israel risked thousands of civilian casualties and wider escalation in the region,” Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement.

“Alongside our partners, we will continue to tighten the net on Iran’s ability to develop and export these deadly weapons.”

The UK already has over 400 sanctions imposed on Iran, including designations against the  Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety and many of those responsible for the attack on Israel.

– ‘Facilitating and financing’ –

The US Treasury Department also targeted Iran’s military drone program on Thursday, sanctioning more than a dozen individuals, companies and ships it said played a key role in “facilitating and financing” clandestine sales of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the country’s defence ministry.

“Iran’s Ministry of Defence continues to destabilise the region and world with its support to Russia’s war in Ukraine, unprecedented attack on Israel, and proliferation of UAVs and other dangerous military hardware to terrorist proxies,” US Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.

“The United States, in close coordination with our British and Canadian partners, will continue to use all means available to combat those who would finance Iran’s destabilising activities,” he added.

Thursday’s joint sanctions come a week after Washington targeted 16 people and two companies involved in Iran’s UAV programme, as well as components for the drones used in the attack against Israel.

The UK government separately targeted seven individuals and six companies for enabling Iran to continue its “destabilising regional activity, including its direct attack on Israel.”

Alongside its sanctions against Iran’s UAV program, the US also targeted five companies providing parts for Iran’s steel industry, and an automaker involved in providing “material support” to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The European Union imposed its own set of sanctions on Iran on Wednesday during a summit in Brussels.