News
FEC approves 14 road construction in flood affected states
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the construction of 14 roads and bridges, which were badly affected by floods, in Ekiti State, Adamawa, Kebbi and Enugu States.
Works Minister David Umahi said this while addressing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting.
He said the others are in Cross River State, Ondo State, Osun State, Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states.
He said the roads were awarded, in addition to a contract for the repair and rehabilitation of Gamboru Bridge along Gambor-Ngala/Kala-Balge Road in Borno.
The minister said FEC also approved a new contract for the rehabilitation of Maraban-Kankara/Funtua Road in Katsina State and construction of 258 kilometer three-lane carriageway, a component of the 1,000 Sokoto/Badagry Super-highway, Section 2, Phase 2A.
Likewise, he said FEC approved the contract for the construction and dualisation of Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe Road in Ebonyi, Abia and Imo States (Section 2).
He said FEC similarly approved the contract for Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers, to be executed by Julius Berger.
“FEC approved additional N80 billion to complete that project, bringing the total cost to N280 billion.
“The next is the Third Mainland Bridge, which was executed under emergency work,” he said.
He said at the time the present government assumed office, the Third Mainland Bridge was a nightmare.
“The deck had pavement differential of over one foot; that was causing a lot of accidents and hold up, and constituting dead load to the Third Mainland Bridge.
“So, that has been done and it also extended to Falamo and Queens Drive. It came with solar light, CCTV cameras and relief stations, to eliminate road blockage,” he said.
He explained that when he came on board, Julius Berger sought to review the entire projects.
“Don’t forget that the initial cost of the projects was N155 billion and the past administration reviewed it to N797 billion.
“Berger insisted that the reviewed contract sum should to N1.5 trillion. We didn’t have that money and the Coordinating Minister for the economy and myself went through the road and had strategic meeting with Berger,” said Umahi.
He said he eventually sought the approval of the President to break the projects into three so that two sections could be done on tax credit and Julius Berger could do one.
“So, the first section is 38 kilometer, it has not been brought to Council. It’s to be done with on concrete.
“The second section is to be done by Berger and that is 82 kilometers by two, and it’s to be done with asphalt that they have been working with and the third section is, which is just 17 kilometers is to be done on concrete,” he said.
He said FEC approved that of Julius Berger for a total contract sum of N740 billion. However, he said the other two were not presented for approval.
“If you remove approximately N400 billion paid by the last administration, then what is left is about N340 billion. That is what the contract sum for the 164 kilometer will be and that’s what FEC approved today,” Umahi said.
The minister said the service lane on Lekki Deep Seaport road was approved for construction by FEC.
Lastly, he said he discovered that over 3,000 of fuel trucks queuing to the lift fuel at Dangote Refinery were all parked on the newly constructed Lekki-Calabar coastal highway.
“Technically and by design, the roads were never built for static loads, and so it has a lot of effects,” he said.
He said FEC approved that the Federal Government land in the area should be concessioned , so that concessioners could build a park.
“It’s a park that will be tolled, so that all the trucks can safely parked over there and the pavement of such a park is quite different from the pavement of the road,” said Umahi. (NAN)
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
Less than 24 hours after former Kaduna Central Senatorial District lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, openly declared support for Governor Uba Sani’s re-election bid, former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Sources reveal that the recent return of prominent politicians such as Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, Senator Danjuma Laah, former Governor Ramalan Yero, and others to the APC has unsettled El-Rufai.
Senator Shehu Sani, in his declaration, stated that his main political objective for 2027 is to ensure Governor Uba Sani’s re-election.
Unwilling to face the emerging political dynamics, El-Rufai announced his resignation from APC in a Facebook post, stating:
“Today, 10th March 2025, I have submitted my resignation letter to my ward in Kaduna, effective immediately. Before this decision, I consulted extensively with my mentors, colleagues, and loyalists across the country about the future. I have now decided to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the platform for our future political engagements.
“As a member of the SDP, I will focus on engaging and persuading other opposition leaders and parties to join us. Together, we can unify under a strong democratic platform to challenge the APC in upcoming elections and by-elections before 2027, by the grace of God.
“I, therefore, call on all our supporters and those concerned about Nigeria’s future to join us in SDP as we work towards making Nigeria a beacon of hope for Africa and the Black race.”
In reaction to El-Rufai’s defection, Shehu Sani dismissed the move, saying it would have little impact.
“Leaving APC for SDP makes no difference for someone with no political relevance anymore. But one thing is certain—President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani will be re-elected
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
Former governor of Sokoto State and now Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal while flagging off distribution of ramadan fast assistance to the people of the state, Monday reassured that, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will Reclaim their mandate come 2027.
Tambuwal, who divulged that the Ramadan gesture is targeted at 30,000 households in the state, added, “‘it is aside the thousands of other foodstuff and multiple assistance given by all lawmakers elected under the platform of the PDP in the state”.
According to him, the PDP lawmakers both at he state and federal levels are equally flagging off the distribution of thousands of bags of rice and other grains to all youth and women led organizations to help compliment their ease of fasting.
“”As you aware, many people have lost their lives and they are no more with us. It is by His grace that we are alive and here observing another Ramadan and witnessing the distribution of foodstuff to our people once again.
“We continue to pray to Allahi to grant us continued good health and longevity, for us to witness many more of this blessed month.l of Ramadan. I also would like to take disadvantage of this opportunity to thank our chairman and the leaders of our party in the state for their continued hard work in organizing the party, in mobilizing the people and making sure that our party remain strong and united in Sokoto
“”We are one big united family. And we shall continue to work together towards reclaiming what has been taken away from us. As you know, in the last elections, our mandate was forcefully stolen. But now, we are restrategizing and organizing.
“”And by the grace of Allah, what has been taken away, will be given back to us by come 2027″”. Tambuwal assured.
Speaking earlier, Sokoto state PDP chairman, Comrade Bello Goronyo expressed heartfelt appreciation to all members of the PDP in Sokoto for keeping hope alive and faith with the party, saying the PDP is the only party that truly meant well for the generality of Nigerians.
This according to him could be proven by the current hardship been experienced by Nigerians which where hitherto not the case when the PDP held sway.
Comrade Goronyo therefore appealed to the people of the state and Nigerians to liberate themselves from the grip of APC’s mis- governance come 2027.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said on Monday that the United States was cancelling 83 per cent of programmes at the US Agency for International Development.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January demanding a freeze on all US foreign aid to give his administration time to assess overseas spending, with an eye to gutting programs not aligned with his “America First” agenda.
“After a six-week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programmes at USAID,” Rubio said on social media platform X.
“The 5,200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” he added.
USAID distributes US humanitarian aid around the world, with health and emergency programs in around 120 countries.
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The State Department, which oversees USAID, announced on February 26 its intention to cut 92 per cent of the agency’s program funding, identifying 5,800 grants to be eliminated.
Rubio on Monday notably thanked the Department of Government Efficiency, which billionaire Elon Musk is leading in a drive to slash costs and cut jobs across government departments.
Trump and his allies have argued that foreign assistance is wasteful and does not serve US interests.
But aid groups argue much of the assistance supports US interests by promoting stability and health overseas, and warn that cutting aid threatens the lives of vulnerable people.
AFP