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Senators shock as Minister of powers allocates 20 projects to his local govt.
Members of the Senate Committee on Power on Wednesday expressed shock to discover that Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh, and the Rural Electrification Agency for lopsidedness in citing projects across the country.
The lawmakers, who expressed dissatisfaction during the budget defence of some agencies under the Ministry of Power, questioned why only the Minister’s Local Government should have 20 projects when some others didn’t get any.
The Senate Committee resumed its budget defence session with the Rural Electrification Agency on Wednesday with the lawmakers picking holes in the budget.
The lawmakers were also taken aback that some projects were nonexistent. They, however, asked the agency to go back and rework its N17.8 billion budget before further work can be done.
October 28, 2020
U.S. Says It Won’t Back Nigeria’s Candidate for Top WTO Job
The World Trade Organization’s effort to name a new leader hit a new roadblock Wednesday after the Trump administration said it won’t back the appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to be the WTO’s next director-general.
The U.S. could not support a consensus decision to appoint Okonjo-Iweala, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Dennis Shea said during a meeting of WTO delegates in Geneva, according to three officials who were monitoring the proceedings.
All WTO decisions are taken by a consensus of its 164 members, which means the U.S. move will act as a veto that disrupts the process.

A WTO official said work would continue to reach a consensus ahead of meeting of the General Council tentatively set for Nov. 9.
The development came after Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former finance minister, received a key endorsement Wednesday from the WTO selection committee, which moved her a step closer to becoming the WTO’s first female director-general.

Shea said the U.S. disagreed with the way in which the process was being carried out, according to the people.

If it’s not possible for the general council to agree on a consensus candidate, WTO members can consider the possibility of recourse to a vote as a last resort by a procedure to be determined at that time. Such a development would be unprecedented for the WTO.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has pushed for South Korea’s candidate, Yoo Myung-hee, even though Okonjo-Iweala gained U.S. citizenship in 2019.

Sources close to Lighthizer say he views Okonjo-Iweala as being too close to pro-trade internationalists in Washington like Robert Zoellick, a former USTR who worked with Okonjo-Iweala when he was president of the World Bank.

An impasse in the WTO leadership race wouldn’t likely bother President Donald Trump, who has blasted the Geneva-based organization as a tool for globalists who allowed China’s economic rise to go unchecked.

If Trump wins the U.S. election next week, his aides have indicated they plan to continue to reshape the WTO with a narrower scope to resolve trade disputes.

Okonjo-Iweala, 66, twice served as Nigeria’s finance minister and has experience working at international governance bodies as a former managing director of the World Bank and as a chair at the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.

Okonjo-Iweala campaigned as a WTO outsider and a reformer who told Bloomberg she plans to bring a “fresh set of eyes” to a deeply dysfunctional organization.

The Trump administration has played a key role in the the WTO’s descent into disorder. In December, the U.S. precipitated the the paralysis of the WTO appellate body, which has the final say on trade disputes involving the world’s largest economies.

The U.S. said appellate body members had exceeded their mandate and as a result the WTO had emerged into a forum where nations could obtain trade concessions from the U.S. through litigation rather than negotiation.
October 28, 2020
Kaduna Electric to commence metering next month – MD
..Defence alleged over billing
By Ujah Simon, Kaduna
Kaduna Electricity distribution company (KADECO) said it’ll commenced the metering of consumers any moment from month, November 2020.
The metering exercise which will be done in phases would begin with 800 consumers upwards.
The Managing Director and Chief executive officer of the company Engr. Garba Haruna made the promise on Wednesday why defending the general outcry over alleged over billing in September Electricity bills across the state. He said 80 Percent of kilowatt of the power consumed in the country comes from gas exploration in Niger Delta and other sources required payment.
The MD, during a interactive chat with journalists, said they’ve no intention to increased electric bills adding that the hike in Tariff was due the cost of services including generation, transmission and distribution of gas and energy.
On what could be done to down the tension over the increased, the company said Electricity is a business requiring better tariff for quality services.”Electricity Tariff is the cost of service of a unit electricity generated, transported,retailed and serviced to a consumer.
“Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO), is a methodology used by the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) as a unfiled way to determine total industry Revenue Requirement (RR).”It enables recovery of costs and allows reasonable profits to Genco, Transmission, Discos, Regulators, Bulk Trader and other licensees and participants”, they said.
During power point presentation, KADECO, said the “Rationale for the Price Change -Cost-Reflective Tariff required full efficient cost records mandated by the $76, of the EPSR Act, 2005.
According to him, quality of power supply suffered if deficiency occurred within the production generation and distribution chains in terms poor payment.
October 28, 2020
End your attempts to cover Lekki Massacre – Amnesty international warns FG
Rights organisation, Amnesty International, has asked the Nigerian authorities to stop trying to cover up the killing of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos on October 20.
AI in a series of tweets on Wednesday said many questions remained unanswered and government’s position has continued to change regarding the incident.
The tweets reads, “The Nigerian authorities’ must end their attempts to cover up the Lekki Toll Gate massacre, Amnesty International said, as it released a new timeline investigating the atrocity one week later. #LekkiTollGateShooting
”Nigerian authorities still have many questions to answer: who ordered the use of lethal force on peaceful protesters? Why were CCTV cameras on the scene dismantled in advance? And who ordered electricity turned off minutes before the military opened fire on protesters?
”The initial denials of the involvement of soldiers in the shooting was followed by the shameful denial of the loss of lives as a result of the military’s attack against the protests. #LekkiTollGateShooting
”Many people are still missing since the day of the incident, and credible evidence shows that the military prevented ambulances from reaching the severely injured in the aftermath. #LekkiTollGateShooting
”Amnesty International is still investigating the shooting, and the reported removal of bodies of those killed by the military in an attempt to remove evidence. #LekkiTollGateShooting.”
October 28, 2020
Fulani man in Plateau goes missing after conversion To Christianity
lkassim Adams, a Fulani man, who converted to Christianity in Plateau State, has gone missing days after visiting his family house in Rankum Village.
Adams went home for the first time in months for the burial of his father on Monday, October 5, 2020, along with two of his friends and fellow Fulani converts but never returned.
The three were abducted and threatened with death to renounce their faith.
When they resisted, the two were shot on the spot while Adams was taken away.
Adams, a student of COCIN Bible School, Zaria, Kaduna State, has however remained in captivity and is only likely being spared for being a native.
His lines were only reachable for the first two days and the police are yet to trace his whereabouts nearly two weeks after his disappearance.
Officials of the COCIN Bible School in Zaria said before he vanished, Adams took permission to attend his father’s funeral.
They added that in the early days of his conversion, he was almost lynched — only narrowly escaping death.
This is not the first time the herdsmen will attack one of their own for converting to a different faith.
A young man was abducted and killed in Rankum Village about five years ago for converting to Christianity.
October 28, 2020
35 tractors, others recovered from looters in Adamawa
Over 35 tractors, customs fatigue, and vehicles have been recovered following the directive by the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, giving looters 12 hours to return all stolen items.
The items were carted away in the unrest that followed the #EndSARS protest against police brutality.
The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adeyanju, said 184 out of the suspects were apprehended for breaking in and looting of both government and private warehouses and homes.
While 54 were arrested for violating the curfew put in place by the state government.
The commissioner said “so far 35 tractors, 22 hand tractors, 28 hand tractors hoes, ejection sprayers, 142 bags of fertilizers among, others have been recovered” through the effort of the police and other sister security agencies.
Other recovered items according to Adeyanju, include nine vehicles and 12 tricycles.
The CP further said that they are still recovering more looted items and apprehending more suspects.
Adeyanju also warned against the purchase of looted items, saying anyone found in possession of looted properties will be arrested and prosecuted.
October 28, 2020
3,000 refugees seek govt, donor agencies’ intervention in A’Ibom
By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
Conditions for more than 3,000 refugees displaced by rival cult clashes in Inen community , Oruk Anam local council of Akwa Ibom have worsened following a lack of intervention from the state government and donor agencies.
The refugees most of whom are resident at the Internal Displaced person camp at Ikot Ebritam and other locations in the local government headquarters in the State it was gathered are passing through untold hardship with basic amenities lacking in their different abode.
It was gathered that they have continued to feed themselves with little or no support from government or donor agencies with many of them taking the risk of venturing into nearby farmlands in search of food.
One of the refugees identified as Aniema Etuk reportedly left the IDP camp on Tuesday for the deserted village to bring food items from her farm to feed her children but was intercepted by the cultists who inflicted matchete cuts on her.
Narrating her experience , the victim now in an undisclosed hospital in Uyo said she was caught by cultists at Inen Junction and beaten up severally leaving her half dead before she left in the pool of her blood.
” On Monday my children were very hungry and were crying for food. I asked myself what I have done to deserve this kind of condition? Then moved to the village at about 10am to bring food items from my farm for my children.
“As I arrived Inen Junction close to my house, the cultists numbering 20 shouted me to stop. They came in group and slapped me one by one. Two of them brought out machete and cut my back , leg, hands and all parts of my body.
‘ I don’t know how my children are doing to survive in the church premises now. Here I need money for food and drugs and to pay for my medical bill here .” Etuk narrated.
The Public Relations Officer of Inen Stakeholders Forum Mr Anyanime Umoren said the only form of assistance recieved so far was from indigenes of the community in diaspora who contributed money to buy food items at the IDP camp.
He added that the chairman of the Forum.Barr Akpan Brown with other people bought some bags of garri and other foodstuffs to share for displaced persons in the camp but the items were grossly inadequate.
” We discovered that the food items could not go round for about 3,000 refugees in the camp including women and children . We decided to stop sharing to avoid uproar in the camp.”
” Right now we have levied our people so that we can raise money and buy more foodstuffs for the people. We are pleading with donor agencies and government to save this displaced persons from hunger and starvation while government is tackling the wave of cultism occasioned by killings and all forms of hostilities in the area.”
” The widow now in the hospital needs more than three million Naira for treatment and we don’t know how the money would be raised to save her lives. The children she left are now stranded in the camp . It is terrible situation. We need help.” He said.
Umoren urged the state government and the wife of the governor Mrs Martha Udom Emmanuel to visit the vulnerable women at the camp and extend helping hands to the needy.
In a telephone interview, State Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Mcdon said the command is tackling cultism in the area as there is an on going special operations to bring pepetrators of the nefarious acts to book.
“There is a special operations in the area to fish out the cultists terrorizing the community.” Macdon said.
October 28, 2020
Gov Zulum awards scholarship to children of killed civilian JTF
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved scholarship for children of Civilian JTF, hunters, and vigilantes killed while fighting Boko Haram in the last seven years.
This was contained in a statement by the state government titled, ‘Fighting Boko Haram: Zulum approves scholarship for orphans of Civilian JTF killed since 2013’.
The statement quoted the governor as announcing the scholarships while addressing a gathering of about 9,000 volunteers who have been fighting alongside the Nigerian armed forces to contain Boko Haram insurgency in Borno.
He said, “Our indomitable men and women of the civilian JTF, hunters and vigilantes, the people of Borno State are mightily and gratefully proud of each of you. Nothing can compensate for the sacrifices you are making. This is particularly so for many of our fellow compatriots who have died on the battlefields.
In the last seven years, we have recorded instances in which volunteers in the civilian JTF have intercepted suicide attackers and in the process lost their lives. We have recorded more instances of many killed in major battles after they also succeeded in our shared victories over Boko Haram at different encounters.
“These volunteers fought and died with no death benefits, no pension, and no gratuities. As we should expect, orphaned children and widows left behind by these fallen Civilian JTF and hunters have been struggling whether to feed, to access medical services, or to access basic and secondary education.
“It is my honour to hereby announce that Borno State Government will award education scholarship to the most vulnerable orphans of Civilian JTF who have been killed at battlefronts.
“This scholarship will be awarded in phases, starting with the youngest and most vulnerable families of the earliest fallen volunteers, down to the most recently killed.
“The parents of these children died fighting for all of us, the people of Borno State, the very least we can do is work towards the future of their children.
“For widows left behind, we shall today release some social intervention packages to them, especially food.”
October 28, 2020
FEC approves N4.5bn for exams papers printing, FCT rural roads
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a total of N4.5 billion for projects in the Ministry of Education and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
FEC at a virtual meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, approved a sum of N2.9 billion for the printing of both sensitive and non-sensitive examination materials.
Addressing State House Correspondents after the meeting on Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was accompanied by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, said the contract was awarded to a group of eight printers.
The materials are for the Basic Education Certification Examination, the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and the National Common Entrance Examination.
“Today Council approved the award of contract for the printing of examination materials both sensitive and non sensitive and the contract is worth N2.9 billion. It was awarded to a group of eight printers.
“The materials are for the Besic Education Certification Examination, the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and the National Common Entrance.
“As you know because of the recent disturbances, we have postponed the examinations that have not taken place”, the Minister said.
Also speaking, the Minister of the FCT, Bello, said the Council approved the sum of N1.619,701,391.14, for the rehabilitation and upgrade of some selected roads in the satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
He explained that council approved the sum of N900,294,304.75 to fix the roads in Gwagwalada Area Council.
The contract, which is for the duration of six months, was awarded to Messrs Teleview International Nigeria Limited.
He said Council also approved a total sum of N719,407,086.38 for the Kwahi Area Council Rural Roads.
The contract is in favour of Messrs Sahabi Liman Sons Nigeria Limited for the duration of six months.
October 28, 2020
Gov. Ganduje Presents 147.9bn 2021 Budget, Promised Full Implementation
By Jabiru Hassan, Kano.

Kano state governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has presented 147.9bn naira to the state’s House of assembly Tuesday and assured full implementation of the budget tagged ” Budget for economic progress and development”.
Presenting the budget, governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje disclosed that this year’s budget is a little bit lower than that of the 2020 due to some issues related to global economy, where he emphasised that his administration is trying to transform kano to an exemplary state in the present democratic dispensation.

He urged the state assembly to study the budget proposal for speedy passage so as to enable the executives to execute more meaningful projects for the benefits of the electorates at both rural and urban areas, where he thanked the members of the state assembly for maintaining good relationship between the executive and legislative arms as usual.
Responding, the speaker of the kano state House of assembly, Rt. Honourable AbdulAzeez Garba Gafasa assured that the parliament would study the budget and pass the bill for the development of the state, and commended the governor for executing developmental projects across the state without bias.

The education sector received the largest share of the total budget where it receives 37.8 bn representing 25 percent of the total budget, while works ministry receives 118bn which shows that the 2021 Budget is carefully earmarked for the development of kano state respectively.
October 28, 2020