THISDAY Newspaper From Juliana Taiwo in Abuja, 06.19.2008
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, has approved the revised master plan for the construction of Abuja Boulevard.
When completed, the boulevard will be like Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, United States, and is expected to boost tourism in the city.
The boulevard will have a cluster of highrise buildings, hotels, conference centres and parks, in a bid to modernise the nation’s capital.
Briefing State House Correspondents yesterday, the FCT Minister, Dr. Aliyu Moddibo-Umar, in company with the Minister of Information, John Odey and his Minister of State, John Akpanudoudeghe, said the new arrangement would see the upward review of the new development levies payable by allottees in the Boulevard area from the prevailing rate of N2,000 per square metre to between N50,000 and N70,000 per square meter.
This means under the new arrangement, a plot of land in the planned boulevard will cost over N500 million in the 6.5 kilometre stretch of the new downtown facility.
Already, N250 million has been provided for in the 2008 Budget of the FCT as seed money for the planning, engineering design and similar preliminary works/services for the project.
The Boulevard, he said, is contained within four major axial roads which are Road B06, B08, B10 and B12, adding that the FCTA administration resolved to embark on the development of the Axial roads B08 and B10 into world standard similar to other popular boulevards substantially through private partnership.
According to Modibbo-Umar, the boulevard would make Abuja a more befitting town comparable to its peers around the world.
He said when completed, “it is expected to attract and facilitate 24/7 commercial activities complemented by 24/7 vehicular and pedestrian movement.”
“There are three categories of plots in the proposed Boulevard area - they are the undeveloped, partially developed and fully developed. Out of the plots, 71 plots have been fully developed, 72 have been partially developed while 132 have not been developed at all.
“Some of the developed and partially developed structures are not in conformity with the boulevard concept. They shall therefore require some upgrading for integration into the boulevard scheme or shall need to be removed subject to compensation,” he said.
The FCT Minister said current allottees within the Boulevard area would be given the right of first refusal to reacquire the Boulevard plots “for which they will pay the revised development levies failing which they will be considered as having opted out of the scheme. They will be relocated to other plots outside the Boulevard area”.
The minister who said government had not fixed any time frame for the commencement of or the cost of the project said: “We are not sure of the estimate though we are working towards getting the correct estimate but the original estimate just for that 6 kilometres will cost N50 billion to build it.
“That is why we believe the time is over where government will build infrastructure and develop it and give to somebody who paid N2000 per square meter only for him to resell that plot for N300 million and put into his pocket. At the moment, a plot of 5,000 square metres is selling for between N100-150 million and it is not fair on government and people of Nigeria, where some people by virtue of their privilege will take this land and wait for government to take this precious money that could be channelled to other use to develop the area for you only for you to resell. When there are even institutions like MTN and Globalcom waiting for us at the Boulevard even with the new rate,” he said.
Modibo said the project “is expected to pay back its cost through payment of development levies or premium by allottees of the plots within the boulevard area. To facilitate the private finance arrangement for the project to pay back its cost, allottees of the plots will be required to pay in full the new development levies.”
“Similarly, properties in the central area which may benefit indirectly from the development of the boulevards will be required to pay betterment levy for the increase in value of their properties,” the minister said.
He said talks would be held with owners of plots in the planned boulevard, as there are fears that many of the present owners would lose their plots due to the new development rate of between N50, 000 and N75, 000 per square metre to be introduced by the FCT administration.
“We don’t want to bulldoze people based on our new mantra of the rule of law. We want to respect the rights of our citizens to fair hearing. If a tenant decides he does not want, he will first go to the FCT Land Use Act Tribunal and if he is not satisfied, he will go to the Abuja High Court, then the Appeal Court. And we are willing to go all the way because one way or the other the Boulevard will have to be built. This is very clear, is either the government does it long time or government gets money to do it because it is already in the master plan,” he said.
“Under the Land Use Act we have the right to change that plan but the tenants have the right to seek redress and the Land Use Act is also clear about the rights of the sitting tenants. In the next one or two weeks we are going to publish in the papers. We are going to discuss with the owners. The key word there is the right of first refusal because we are not going to say move… if you are going to retain your plots this is the new development levy. We are going to exercise that right,” he said.
The FCT Minister assured Nigerians that the FCT authorities “are going to follow due diligence” in all the activities concerning the new project.
The new boulevard, according to him, would stretch from the Eagle Square to the National Hospital, all in the central business district of the FCT and is contained within four major axial roads (which are roads BO6, BO8, BO10 and B12) - also constitution avenue, hospital avenue north, hospital avenue south and independence avenue respectfully.
He said the FCT administration resolved to embark on the development of the axial roads “into world standard boulevards similar to other popular boulevards in the big cities of the world substantially through public private partnership”.
He explained that the “status of the city of Abuja has informed the strong desire of the FCT administration to embark on the development in the central area to provide Abuja with a downtown and make the city more befitting of its status as a world class city”.
Other decisions taken by the council were for the construction of six recreational parks and gardens in the FCT.
The parks are to be constructed by some corporate organisations such as banks, construction companies and other service providers.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Latest On The Death Of 46 Nigerian Soldiers
Nigerian Army, UN Disagree
·Grants At The Centre Of Feud By Sani Mohammad
The last may not have been heard of the unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of 46 Nigerian Soldiers returning from peace-keeping operations in Darfur-Sudan.
The Federal Government, a source told FRESH FACTS, has since commenced investigation into the circumstances that led to the accident that claimed the lives of the soldiers.
Informed sources hinted that, the Yar’Adua administration was jolted to commence the investigations following a complaint lodged by the United Nations which insisted that it had made adequate provision and paid for comfortable transportation of troops returning to their units in their respective countries.
It could be recalled that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Luka Yusuf had earlier accused the UN of not adequately providing the funds needed to transport such returning soldiers back to their respective formations. But in a swift reaction to that allegation, the United Nations sent details of the payments made to all the troops in Darfur for the peace-keeping mission including Nigeria which received almost more than what other countries received. It could be recalled that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Luka Yusuf had earlier accused the UN of not adequately providing the funds needed to transport such returning soldiers back to their respective formations. But in a swift reaction to that allegation, the United Nations sent details of the payments made to all the troops in Darfur for the peace-keeping mission including Nigeria which received almost more than what other countries received. Sources told FRESH FACTS that, the authorities of Nigerian Army had been paid by the United Nations to transport the returning troops from the Abuja Airport to their base at Mongonu, Borno State in air-conditioned luxury buses, but the soldiers were being transported in rickety army trucks when the accident occurred.
The aim of the Federal Government’s probe is to unravel the mystery behind the violation of the UN provisions to comfortably transport the troops back home, and also establish what happened to the huge funds disbursed to the Nigerian Army by the UN. Already, a source disclosed, fears and apprehension have gripped the top brass at the Army Headquarters in Abuja because the investigation as they had reasoned, may unearth more damaging financial infractions inflicted on Nigerian troops by their superior officers, especially as regards the payment of requisite duty-tour allowances and other entitlements due to the troops. Prior to the coming of the Yar’Adua administration and the appointment of Mahmud Yayale Ahmed as Nigeria’s Defence Minister, troops on peace-keeping operations had consistently had their entitlements either arbitrarily reduced or outrightly denied by senior officers at the Army Headquarters.
For example, soldiers on peace-keeping operations during that period, were paid only $400 instead of the $1,200 as provided for by the United Nations Peace-Keeping Headquarters.
Similarly, in the past, many soldiers who traveled for various peace-keeping operations were made to return to Nigeria without their entitlements paid and such payments were made quarterly in peace-meal, many months after the troops have returned to base in Nigeria.
However, after the discovery of this gross-injustice by the Yar’Adua, administration the Army Headquarters was ordered to rectify the anomaly, as such Nigerian soldiers on peace missions are paid their monthly $1,200 while the troops are at their respective frontlines.
It was based on this submission from the UN that President Yar’Adua set up the investigative panel to establish the true position of things.
However, when FRESH FACTS contacted the Army Public Relations Officer, Brigadier-General Emeka Onwuamaegbu he reacted to
·Grants At The Centre Of Feud By Sani Mohammad
The last may not have been heard of the unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of 46 Nigerian Soldiers returning from peace-keeping operations in Darfur-Sudan.
The Federal Government, a source told FRESH FACTS, has since commenced investigation into the circumstances that led to the accident that claimed the lives of the soldiers.
Informed sources hinted that, the Yar’Adua administration was jolted to commence the investigations following a complaint lodged by the United Nations which insisted that it had made adequate provision and paid for comfortable transportation of troops returning to their units in their respective countries.
It could be recalled that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Luka Yusuf had earlier accused the UN of not adequately providing the funds needed to transport such returning soldiers back to their respective formations. But in a swift reaction to that allegation, the United Nations sent details of the payments made to all the troops in Darfur for the peace-keeping mission including Nigeria which received almost more than what other countries received. It could be recalled that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Luka Yusuf had earlier accused the UN of not adequately providing the funds needed to transport such returning soldiers back to their respective formations. But in a swift reaction to that allegation, the United Nations sent details of the payments made to all the troops in Darfur for the peace-keeping mission including Nigeria which received almost more than what other countries received. Sources told FRESH FACTS that, the authorities of Nigerian Army had been paid by the United Nations to transport the returning troops from the Abuja Airport to their base at Mongonu, Borno State in air-conditioned luxury buses, but the soldiers were being transported in rickety army trucks when the accident occurred.
The aim of the Federal Government’s probe is to unravel the mystery behind the violation of the UN provisions to comfortably transport the troops back home, and also establish what happened to the huge funds disbursed to the Nigerian Army by the UN. Already, a source disclosed, fears and apprehension have gripped the top brass at the Army Headquarters in Abuja because the investigation as they had reasoned, may unearth more damaging financial infractions inflicted on Nigerian troops by their superior officers, especially as regards the payment of requisite duty-tour allowances and other entitlements due to the troops. Prior to the coming of the Yar’Adua administration and the appointment of Mahmud Yayale Ahmed as Nigeria’s Defence Minister, troops on peace-keeping operations had consistently had their entitlements either arbitrarily reduced or outrightly denied by senior officers at the Army Headquarters.
For example, soldiers on peace-keeping operations during that period, were paid only $400 instead of the $1,200 as provided for by the United Nations Peace-Keeping Headquarters.
Similarly, in the past, many soldiers who traveled for various peace-keeping operations were made to return to Nigeria without their entitlements paid and such payments were made quarterly in peace-meal, many months after the troops have returned to base in Nigeria.
However, after the discovery of this gross-injustice by the Yar’Adua, administration the Army Headquarters was ordered to rectify the anomaly, as such Nigerian soldiers on peace missions are paid their monthly $1,200 while the troops are at their respective frontlines.
It was based on this submission from the UN that President Yar’Adua set up the investigative panel to establish the true position of things.
However, when FRESH FACTS contacted the Army Public Relations Officer, Brigadier-General Emeka Onwuamaegbu he reacted to
Vision 2020 to gulp N12tr
By Adeyemi Adepetun (The Guardian)
THE financial outlay for Nigeria's Vision 2020 development agenda has been unfolded by the Federal Government: It will gulp, at least, N12 trillion or $100 billion.
The money will be spent in the next 12 years in four sectors, which the government identifies as the pivots of the country's drive to join the top 20 global economies in 2020.
Without any derailment from the set objectives, the government will on the average spend N1 trillion yearly in the former sectors.
The Minister of National Planning and Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), Senator Sanusi Daggash, who unveiled the expenditure pattern at the weekend in Lagos, said the money would be spent on power, railways, roads and the oil and gas sectors.
Even though, he recognised that agriculture needs special attention, Daggash did not disclose the amount the government would spend on the sector during the period.
Daggash said the power sector needs between $18 billion and $20 billion to be revived. The railway line needs about $10 billion, the roads require about $15 billion, while the oil and gas sector would gulp $60 billion investment.
He spoke in Lagos at a dinner organised by the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria (HBSAN) to mark the silver jubilee of and the centenary of the body and the school, located in Cambridge, United States with the theme: "2nd Ball and Black Tie Dinner."
Daggash, who spoke on "infrastructural development in Nigeria,", noted that electricity was yet to reach over two billion people worldwide and invariably, the much-expected output from mostly developing economies is stunted.
He added that on the average, 40 per cent of the power generating capacity in developing nations is unavailable for production.
The Senator said based on the constraints experienced by poor economies due to power crisis, they had to resolve into looking for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to augment their meagre budgets for infrastructural development.
The minister said that for most countries, the bulk of FDIs would remain concentrated on resources - based industries, with Africa capturing about three per cent of the total global FDIs compared with developing countries in Asia, which receive nearly 25 per cent of the funds in the last one year.
He said Nigeria like most developing nations suffers acute infrastructural deficiency in all critical sectors of the economy.
This, he said, had become a threat to the government's aspiration to make the country one of the top 20 economies in world by 2020.
"Perhaps, the most threatening is the chronic lack of power," he stated.
Daggash said the World Bank believes that the power problem in the country holds back the country's Gross Domestic Products (GDP),by as eight per cent.
He added: "It will interest you to know that the electricity consumption at the Harvard campus in Cambridge is about 100mw, which is the same amount of electricity that is supplied to about four states in the North, with a population of about 16 million people.
"This is in spite of the huge amount of money that has been directed to the sector in recent time through the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) and other initiatives.
Daggash however, said those were the bad news, "the good news is that Nigeria has began to see the light at the end of the tunnel because there is now an economic renaissance going on in the country."
He remarked that the international community had started noticing the success of the government's reforms, anchored on the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS), the Social Economic Regeneration Agenda implemented by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
"The implementation of NEEDS move the country from a stagnant economy to a vibrant and robust nation. We have witnessed high level of dynamism and activities in the policies environment in our country with the increasing engagement and deliberation between government, civil societies and the industrial sector aimed at putting the country on a higher pedestal of growth", he stated.
Daggash said the present government is now committed to moving the nation to a level where it would be able to compete globally.
The government, he added, was working on a Private Partnership Project (PPP) to accommodate the private sector to chart a new course for the development.
The minister disclosed that the government is developing a 15-year national infrastructure master plan to improve investment in infrastructure.
Daggash said: "We are also working in a collaboration effort with the private sector for the West African Gas Pipeline project, a 681km onshore and offshore that will transport natural gas from the western Niger Delta to selected consumers in the Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana.
"The pipeline project obtained the financial guarantees of the World Bank and is currently being considered for support by the European Investment Bank.
"It is believed that the project will contribute to the harmonisation of regional, institutional vigour and regulatory framework in the participating West African countries in the context of World Bank within the West African Regional Integration Assistance Strategy", he said.
THE financial outlay for Nigeria's Vision 2020 development agenda has been unfolded by the Federal Government: It will gulp, at least, N12 trillion or $100 billion.
The money will be spent in the next 12 years in four sectors, which the government identifies as the pivots of the country's drive to join the top 20 global economies in 2020.
Without any derailment from the set objectives, the government will on the average spend N1 trillion yearly in the former sectors.
The Minister of National Planning and Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), Senator Sanusi Daggash, who unveiled the expenditure pattern at the weekend in Lagos, said the money would be spent on power, railways, roads and the oil and gas sectors.
Even though, he recognised that agriculture needs special attention, Daggash did not disclose the amount the government would spend on the sector during the period.
Daggash said the power sector needs between $18 billion and $20 billion to be revived. The railway line needs about $10 billion, the roads require about $15 billion, while the oil and gas sector would gulp $60 billion investment.
He spoke in Lagos at a dinner organised by the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria (HBSAN) to mark the silver jubilee of and the centenary of the body and the school, located in Cambridge, United States with the theme: "2nd Ball and Black Tie Dinner."
Daggash, who spoke on "infrastructural development in Nigeria,", noted that electricity was yet to reach over two billion people worldwide and invariably, the much-expected output from mostly developing economies is stunted.
He added that on the average, 40 per cent of the power generating capacity in developing nations is unavailable for production.
The Senator said based on the constraints experienced by poor economies due to power crisis, they had to resolve into looking for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to augment their meagre budgets for infrastructural development.
The minister said that for most countries, the bulk of FDIs would remain concentrated on resources - based industries, with Africa capturing about three per cent of the total global FDIs compared with developing countries in Asia, which receive nearly 25 per cent of the funds in the last one year.
He said Nigeria like most developing nations suffers acute infrastructural deficiency in all critical sectors of the economy.
This, he said, had become a threat to the government's aspiration to make the country one of the top 20 economies in world by 2020.
"Perhaps, the most threatening is the chronic lack of power," he stated.
Daggash said the World Bank believes that the power problem in the country holds back the country's Gross Domestic Products (GDP),by as eight per cent.
He added: "It will interest you to know that the electricity consumption at the Harvard campus in Cambridge is about 100mw, which is the same amount of electricity that is supplied to about four states in the North, with a population of about 16 million people.
"This is in spite of the huge amount of money that has been directed to the sector in recent time through the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) and other initiatives.
Daggash however, said those were the bad news, "the good news is that Nigeria has began to see the light at the end of the tunnel because there is now an economic renaissance going on in the country."
He remarked that the international community had started noticing the success of the government's reforms, anchored on the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS), the Social Economic Regeneration Agenda implemented by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
"The implementation of NEEDS move the country from a stagnant economy to a vibrant and robust nation. We have witnessed high level of dynamism and activities in the policies environment in our country with the increasing engagement and deliberation between government, civil societies and the industrial sector aimed at putting the country on a higher pedestal of growth", he stated.
Daggash said the present government is now committed to moving the nation to a level where it would be able to compete globally.
The government, he added, was working on a Private Partnership Project (PPP) to accommodate the private sector to chart a new course for the development.
The minister disclosed that the government is developing a 15-year national infrastructure master plan to improve investment in infrastructure.
Daggash said: "We are also working in a collaboration effort with the private sector for the West African Gas Pipeline project, a 681km onshore and offshore that will transport natural gas from the western Niger Delta to selected consumers in the Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana.
"The pipeline project obtained the financial guarantees of the World Bank and is currently being considered for support by the European Investment Bank.
"It is believed that the project will contribute to the harmonisation of regional, institutional vigour and regulatory framework in the participating West African countries in the context of World Bank within the West African Regional Integration Assistance Strategy", he said.
Vision 2020 to gulp N12tr
By Adeyemi Adepetun (The Guardian)
THE financial outlay for Nigeria's Vision 2020 development agenda has been unfolded by the Federal Government: It will gulp, at least, N12 trillion or $100 billion.
The money will be spent in the next 12 years in four sectors, which the government identifies as the pivots of the country's drive to join the top 20 global economies in 2020.
Without any derailment from the set objectives, the government will on the average spend N1 trillion yearly in the former sectors.
The Minister of National Planning and Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), Senator Sanusi Daggash, who unveiled the expenditure pattern at the weekend in Lagos, said the money would be spent on power, railways, roads and the oil and gas sectors.
Even though, he recognised that agriculture needs special attention, Daggash did not disclose the amount the government would spend on the sector during the period.
Daggash said the power sector needs between $18 billion and $20 billion to be revived. The railway line needs about $10 billion, the roads require about $15 billion, while the oil and gas sector would gulp $60 billion investment.
He spoke in Lagos at a dinner organised by the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria (HBSAN) to mark the silver jubilee of and the centenary of the body and the school, located in Cambridge, United States with the theme: "2nd Ball and Black Tie Dinner."
Daggash, who spoke on "infrastructural development in Nigeria,", noted that electricity was yet to reach over two billion people worldwide and invariably, the much-expected output from mostly developing economies is stunted.
He added that on the average, 40 per cent of the power generating capacity in developing nations is unavailable for production.
The Senator said based on the constraints experienced by poor economies due to power crisis, they had to resolve into looking for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to augment their meagre budgets for infrastructural development.
The minister said that for most countries, the bulk of FDIs would remain concentrated on resources - based industries, with Africa capturing about three per cent of the total global FDIs compared with developing countries in Asia, which receive nearly 25 per cent of the funds in the last one year.
He said Nigeria like most developing nations suffers acute infrastructural deficiency in all critical sectors of the economy.
This, he said, had become a threat to the government's aspiration to make the country one of the top 20 economies in world by 2020.
"Perhaps, the most threatening is the chronic lack of power," he stated.
Daggash said the World Bank believes that the power problem in the country holds back the country's Gross Domestic Products (GDP),by as eight per cent.
He added: "It will interest you to know that the electricity consumption at the Harvard campus in Cambridge is about 100mw, which is the same amount of electricity that is supplied to about four states in the North, with a population of about 16 million people.
"This is in spite of the huge amount of money that has been directed to the sector in recent time through the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) and other initiatives.
Daggash however, said those were the bad news, "the good news is that Nigeria has began to see the light at the end of the tunnel because there is now an economic renaissance going on in the country."
He remarked that the international community had started noticing the success of the government's reforms, anchored on the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS), the Social Economic Regeneration Agenda implemented by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
"The implementation of NEEDS move the country from a stagnant economy to a vibrant and robust nation. We have witnessed high level of dynamism and activities in the policies environment in our country with the increasing engagement and deliberation between government, civil societies and the industrial sector aimed at putting the country on a higher pedestal of growth", he stated.
Daggash said the present government is now committed to moving the nation to a level where it would be able to compete globally.
The government, he added, was working on a Private Partnership Project (PPP) to accommodate the private sector to chart a new course for the development.
The minister disclosed that the government is developing a 15-year national infrastructure master plan to improve investment in infrastructure.
Daggash said: "We are also working in a collaboration effort with the private sector for the West African Gas Pipeline project, a 681km onshore and offshore that will transport natural gas from the western Niger Delta to selected consumers in the Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana.
"The pipeline project obtained the financial guarantees of the World Bank and is currently being considered for support by the European Investment Bank.
"It is believed that the project will contribute to the harmonisation of regional, institutional vigour and regulatory framework in the participating West African countries in the context of World Bank within the West African Regional Integration Assistance Strategy", he said.
THE financial outlay for Nigeria's Vision 2020 development agenda has been unfolded by the Federal Government: It will gulp, at least, N12 trillion or $100 billion.
The money will be spent in the next 12 years in four sectors, which the government identifies as the pivots of the country's drive to join the top 20 global economies in 2020.
Without any derailment from the set objectives, the government will on the average spend N1 trillion yearly in the former sectors.
The Minister of National Planning and Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), Senator Sanusi Daggash, who unveiled the expenditure pattern at the weekend in Lagos, said the money would be spent on power, railways, roads and the oil and gas sectors.
Even though, he recognised that agriculture needs special attention, Daggash did not disclose the amount the government would spend on the sector during the period.
Daggash said the power sector needs between $18 billion and $20 billion to be revived. The railway line needs about $10 billion, the roads require about $15 billion, while the oil and gas sector would gulp $60 billion investment.
He spoke in Lagos at a dinner organised by the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria (HBSAN) to mark the silver jubilee of and the centenary of the body and the school, located in Cambridge, United States with the theme: "2nd Ball and Black Tie Dinner."
Daggash, who spoke on "infrastructural development in Nigeria,", noted that electricity was yet to reach over two billion people worldwide and invariably, the much-expected output from mostly developing economies is stunted.
He added that on the average, 40 per cent of the power generating capacity in developing nations is unavailable for production.
The Senator said based on the constraints experienced by poor economies due to power crisis, they had to resolve into looking for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to augment their meagre budgets for infrastructural development.
The minister said that for most countries, the bulk of FDIs would remain concentrated on resources - based industries, with Africa capturing about three per cent of the total global FDIs compared with developing countries in Asia, which receive nearly 25 per cent of the funds in the last one year.
He said Nigeria like most developing nations suffers acute infrastructural deficiency in all critical sectors of the economy.
This, he said, had become a threat to the government's aspiration to make the country one of the top 20 economies in world by 2020.
"Perhaps, the most threatening is the chronic lack of power," he stated.
Daggash said the World Bank believes that the power problem in the country holds back the country's Gross Domestic Products (GDP),by as eight per cent.
He added: "It will interest you to know that the electricity consumption at the Harvard campus in Cambridge is about 100mw, which is the same amount of electricity that is supplied to about four states in the North, with a population of about 16 million people.
"This is in spite of the huge amount of money that has been directed to the sector in recent time through the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) and other initiatives.
Daggash however, said those were the bad news, "the good news is that Nigeria has began to see the light at the end of the tunnel because there is now an economic renaissance going on in the country."
He remarked that the international community had started noticing the success of the government's reforms, anchored on the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS), the Social Economic Regeneration Agenda implemented by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
"The implementation of NEEDS move the country from a stagnant economy to a vibrant and robust nation. We have witnessed high level of dynamism and activities in the policies environment in our country with the increasing engagement and deliberation between government, civil societies and the industrial sector aimed at putting the country on a higher pedestal of growth", he stated.
Daggash said the present government is now committed to moving the nation to a level where it would be able to compete globally.
The government, he added, was working on a Private Partnership Project (PPP) to accommodate the private sector to chart a new course for the development.
The minister disclosed that the government is developing a 15-year national infrastructure master plan to improve investment in infrastructure.
Daggash said: "We are also working in a collaboration effort with the private sector for the West African Gas Pipeline project, a 681km onshore and offshore that will transport natural gas from the western Niger Delta to selected consumers in the Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana.
"The pipeline project obtained the financial guarantees of the World Bank and is currently being considered for support by the European Investment Bank.
"It is believed that the project will contribute to the harmonisation of regional, institutional vigour and regulatory framework in the participating West African countries in the context of World Bank within the West African Regional Integration Assistance Strategy", he said.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Military, No Threat to Democracy, Says Army Chief
From Imam Imam in Gusau, 06.15.2008
The military institution in Nigeria is no longer a threat to the survival of the nation's democracy, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Luka Yusuf, said yesterday in Gusau, Zamfara State.
The Army chief, who gave the assurance while on a “thank you visit” to the government of Zamfara State for its decision to build a new ammunition depot in Gusau, said the military has now become the bastion of democratic governance in the country.
He warned against continued incidents of internal political wrangling witnessed in some parts of the country and said: “Army will not tolerate any form of political disturbance in any part of the country.”
Yusuf said unlike the previously held view that the army has been an impediment to the development of democracy in the country, everyone is today aware that "the Army is the pillar of Nigerian Democracy and we will always be there to safeguard the system. We will always be there to make sure that Nigerians understand and appreciate the country better," he added.
He said the Nigerian Army is currently undergoing transformation that would make its personnel to be more professional in the discharge of their duties.
"We are transforming the Nigerian Army so that Officers and Soldiers would understand their duties well and be more professional. We are training very hard so that we can address any form of internal security problems and as well we are training very hard on peace support operations for which we are the fourth most contributing country in the world,'' he said.
The Army boss disclosed that the service is earning some money for the country through the peace keeping operations contrary to the belief by Nigerians that the country is wasting its scarce resources on the operations.
He however failed to say how much the country is earning from the operations. He only said "the amount is substantial but I cannot give the specific amount because I am not an accountant."
While commending the Zamfara State Gover-nment for its decision to construct a new ammunition depot for the army to replace the existing one, Yusuf said the gesture will go a long way in cementing the already existing cordial relationship between the state and Nigerian Army.
In his response to the army chief’s remarks, Governor Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi extolled the role of the Nigerian Army in nurturing the country's democracy.
He identified poverty as the bane of security in the country and ephasised the need for all stakeholders in the country to work towards reducing poverty in the country.
Shinkafi, who said the Nigeria Army is among the highly skilled forces in the world, pledged that his administration would continue to support the service whenever the need arises.
The military institution in Nigeria is no longer a threat to the survival of the nation's democracy, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Luka Yusuf, said yesterday in Gusau, Zamfara State.
The Army chief, who gave the assurance while on a “thank you visit” to the government of Zamfara State for its decision to build a new ammunition depot in Gusau, said the military has now become the bastion of democratic governance in the country.
He warned against continued incidents of internal political wrangling witnessed in some parts of the country and said: “Army will not tolerate any form of political disturbance in any part of the country.”
Yusuf said unlike the previously held view that the army has been an impediment to the development of democracy in the country, everyone is today aware that "the Army is the pillar of Nigerian Democracy and we will always be there to safeguard the system. We will always be there to make sure that Nigerians understand and appreciate the country better," he added.
He said the Nigerian Army is currently undergoing transformation that would make its personnel to be more professional in the discharge of their duties.
"We are transforming the Nigerian Army so that Officers and Soldiers would understand their duties well and be more professional. We are training very hard so that we can address any form of internal security problems and as well we are training very hard on peace support operations for which we are the fourth most contributing country in the world,'' he said.
The Army boss disclosed that the service is earning some money for the country through the peace keeping operations contrary to the belief by Nigerians that the country is wasting its scarce resources on the operations.
He however failed to say how much the country is earning from the operations. He only said "the amount is substantial but I cannot give the specific amount because I am not an accountant."
While commending the Zamfara State Gover-nment for its decision to construct a new ammunition depot for the army to replace the existing one, Yusuf said the gesture will go a long way in cementing the already existing cordial relationship between the state and Nigerian Army.
In his response to the army chief’s remarks, Governor Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi extolled the role of the Nigerian Army in nurturing the country's democracy.
He identified poverty as the bane of security in the country and ephasised the need for all stakeholders in the country to work towards reducing poverty in the country.
Shinkafi, who said the Nigeria Army is among the highly skilled forces in the world, pledged that his administration would continue to support the service whenever the need arises.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Yar’Adua Sets December 2009 for New Electoral System
(THISDAY From Juliana Taiwo in Abuja, 06.14.2008
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has set December 2009 as target date for the introduction of the electoral reforms promised by his administration to ensure long-term political stability in the country.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Olusegun Adeniyi, Yar’Adua also disclosed that within the context of the electoral reforms, his administration will consider measures to ensure that the estimated five million Nigerians in the diaspora are able to vote in future elections.
Yar’Adua made the disclosure while addressing Nigerians resident in France at the residence of the Nigerian Ambassador to France in Paris, during his state visit to the country. He said that the National Electoral Reform Committee was working very hard to conclude its work by the end of this year.
“We are hoping that by the end of 2009 we will have an electoral process that will provide Nigeria with what it requires to establish long-term political stability and entrench a culture of democracy and the rule of law.
“We are absolutely committed to the quest to imbue the nation with real democracy and the rule of law, and we will do whatever is necessary to succeed,” he said.
President Yar’Adua said that the country had the resources and capability to achieve the objective of becoming one of the twenty most developed economies in the world by the year 2020.
all Nigerians must identify with the vision and commit themselves to attaining the political stability, peace and security needed to make it realisable.
The President also spoke of his Administration’s determination to reform Nigeria ’s petroleum and gas sector to ensure that the downstream sector is well established and becomes self-sufficient in the processing of the country’s oil and gas resources.
He said that the Federal Government’s objective in this regard was to make the sector a key “enabler” for rapid industrialisation of the country and to make Nigeria the leading producer of petrochemicals in Africa .
President Yar’Adua also told them that his delegation had had “very fruitful discussions” with the French authorities in the course of his state visit, saying that the talks had laid the foundation for a new effort to confront the developmental challenges facing Nigeria and other African nations.
At talks with the President of the National Assembly of France, Mr. Bermand Accoyer, President Yar’Adua had called for greater foreign investment in Africa .
“What we want from France as a country is more investment. We are grateful for all the assistance by way of aid. Aid is good but trade is far better. What we need in Africa is investment. For Africa to attain the Millennium Development Goals, we have to improve in the area of infrastructure. We will require the partnership of our friends, especially France, for the attainment of this objective, he told Mr. Accoyer.
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has set December 2009 as target date for the introduction of the electoral reforms promised by his administration to ensure long-term political stability in the country.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Olusegun Adeniyi, Yar’Adua also disclosed that within the context of the electoral reforms, his administration will consider measures to ensure that the estimated five million Nigerians in the diaspora are able to vote in future elections.
Yar’Adua made the disclosure while addressing Nigerians resident in France at the residence of the Nigerian Ambassador to France in Paris, during his state visit to the country. He said that the National Electoral Reform Committee was working very hard to conclude its work by the end of this year.
“We are hoping that by the end of 2009 we will have an electoral process that will provide Nigeria with what it requires to establish long-term political stability and entrench a culture of democracy and the rule of law.
“We are absolutely committed to the quest to imbue the nation with real democracy and the rule of law, and we will do whatever is necessary to succeed,” he said.
President Yar’Adua said that the country had the resources and capability to achieve the objective of becoming one of the twenty most developed economies in the world by the year 2020.
all Nigerians must identify with the vision and commit themselves to attaining the political stability, peace and security needed to make it realisable.
The President also spoke of his Administration’s determination to reform Nigeria ’s petroleum and gas sector to ensure that the downstream sector is well established and becomes self-sufficient in the processing of the country’s oil and gas resources.
He said that the Federal Government’s objective in this regard was to make the sector a key “enabler” for rapid industrialisation of the country and to make Nigeria the leading producer of petrochemicals in Africa .
President Yar’Adua also told them that his delegation had had “very fruitful discussions” with the French authorities in the course of his state visit, saying that the talks had laid the foundation for a new effort to confront the developmental challenges facing Nigeria and other African nations.
At talks with the President of the National Assembly of France, Mr. Bermand Accoyer, President Yar’Adua had called for greater foreign investment in Africa .
“What we want from France as a country is more investment. We are grateful for all the assistance by way of aid. Aid is good but trade is far better. What we need in Africa is investment. For Africa to attain the Millennium Development Goals, we have to improve in the area of infrastructure. We will require the partnership of our friends, especially France, for the attainment of this objective, he told Mr. Accoyer.
•36 states approve N585bn for projects
(THIDAY) From Juliana Taiwo and Kunle Aderinokun in Abuja, 06.14.2008
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua yesterday in Paris, France announced that his administration would formally declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s power sector next month.
The 36 states of the federation have equally agreed to withdraw N585 billion (the equivalent of $5 billion) from the excess crude account to support the financing of power projects across the country during the emergency period.
A statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Communica-tions, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, said Yar’Adua, who was on a visit to France, disclosed this while responding to concerns expressed by prospective French investors over current power supply problems in Nigeria.
The President said under the emergency which would be in force for three years, the federal and state governments would set aside $5 billion for the rehabilitation and expansion of Nigeria’s power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.
The President told the gathering of French businessmen that after the three-year emergency period, Nigeria’s generation and distribution infrastructure would be privatised while its transmission infrastructure will remain under the control of a state-owned company.
He said Nigeria would seek additional financing from international finance institutions for the rehabilitation and expansion of its power infrastructure, adding that his administration intends to establish a proper framework for the incremental increase in Nigeria’s power generation capacity to about 50,000 megawatts by the year 2020.
President Yar’Adua invited the French businessmen to take greater advantage of the immense investment opportunities thrown up in all sectors of the Nigerian economy by the deregulation and privatisation policies of the Federal Government.
Before leaving Paris for Abuja, President Yar’Adua met with African Ambassadors to France.
He told them that as Africa’s representatives in one of the world’s major economies, they have a duty to make the continent’s case for equity to its development partners and to present its perspectives on the critical socio-economic, developmental and political issues in a fast-globalising world.
The President said: “In the reality of today’s world, you have a responsibility and obligation as Africans to form yourselves into a functional, pro-active and effective synergy to drive our continent’s quest for regeneration.”
In the meantime, as the Federal Government is concluding arrangements to declare a state of emergency in the power sector, the 36 states consented to withdraw N585 billion from the excess crude account to support the financing of power projects across the country.
The total amount in the excess crude account stood at $18 billion as at May this year.
Although details of how the funds will be withdrawn were not disclosed, the amount for each state will be released to the Federal Government for the projects according to the revenue sharing formula.
The Federal Government will meet with the 36 states of the Federation on June 19 and unveil the framework and the financing details for the much-awaited state of emergency in the power sector.
Finance Minister of State, Mr. Remi Babalola who disclosed the consensus reached by the states after the monthly meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) held in Abuja yesterday, said the state governments unanimously agreed to withdraw the money from the account and such will not repaid, until the proceeds which will be shared according to the revenue formula after the assets are privatised.
“We are going to take $5 billion from the excess crude account. It has been approved by theFAAC that it should be put into power projects based on the inputs that will come from Mr. President and if that is done, the three tiers will own a substantial part of the power infrastructure according to their share of the revenue formula.
“There will be no repayment. But once those assets are privatised, the proceeds will be shared according to their revenue formula.”
Babalola also said the 36 states and the Federal Government unanimously agreed that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Federal Inland Revenue service (FIRS) should not debit the Federation Account with bank charges charged them.
Meanwhile, the three tiers of government shared a total of N436.51 billion for the month of May as against N431.75 billion distributed in the previous month.
A communiqué signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ibrahim Dankwambo stated N316.73 billion was shared as statutory revenue allocation and N31.90 billion as value added tax (VAT) while N87.87 billion was used as budget augmentation for the month.
(THIDAY) From Juliana Taiwo and Kunle Aderinokun in Abuja, 06.14.2008
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua yesterday in Paris, France announced that his administration would formally declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s power sector next month.
The 36 states of the federation have equally agreed to withdraw N585 billion (the equivalent of $5 billion) from the excess crude account to support the financing of power projects across the country during the emergency period.
A statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Communica-tions, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, said Yar’Adua, who was on a visit to France, disclosed this while responding to concerns expressed by prospective French investors over current power supply problems in Nigeria.
The President said under the emergency which would be in force for three years, the federal and state governments would set aside $5 billion for the rehabilitation and expansion of Nigeria’s power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.
The President told the gathering of French businessmen that after the three-year emergency period, Nigeria’s generation and distribution infrastructure would be privatised while its transmission infrastructure will remain under the control of a state-owned company.
He said Nigeria would seek additional financing from international finance institutions for the rehabilitation and expansion of its power infrastructure, adding that his administration intends to establish a proper framework for the incremental increase in Nigeria’s power generation capacity to about 50,000 megawatts by the year 2020.
President Yar’Adua invited the French businessmen to take greater advantage of the immense investment opportunities thrown up in all sectors of the Nigerian economy by the deregulation and privatisation policies of the Federal Government.
Before leaving Paris for Abuja, President Yar’Adua met with African Ambassadors to France.
He told them that as Africa’s representatives in one of the world’s major economies, they have a duty to make the continent’s case for equity to its development partners and to present its perspectives on the critical socio-economic, developmental and political issues in a fast-globalising world.
The President said: “In the reality of today’s world, you have a responsibility and obligation as Africans to form yourselves into a functional, pro-active and effective synergy to drive our continent’s quest for regeneration.”
In the meantime, as the Federal Government is concluding arrangements to declare a state of emergency in the power sector, the 36 states consented to withdraw N585 billion from the excess crude account to support the financing of power projects across the country.
The total amount in the excess crude account stood at $18 billion as at May this year.
Although details of how the funds will be withdrawn were not disclosed, the amount for each state will be released to the Federal Government for the projects according to the revenue sharing formula.
The Federal Government will meet with the 36 states of the Federation on June 19 and unveil the framework and the financing details for the much-awaited state of emergency in the power sector.
Finance Minister of State, Mr. Remi Babalola who disclosed the consensus reached by the states after the monthly meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) held in Abuja yesterday, said the state governments unanimously agreed to withdraw the money from the account and such will not repaid, until the proceeds which will be shared according to the revenue formula after the assets are privatised.
“We are going to take $5 billion from the excess crude account. It has been approved by theFAAC that it should be put into power projects based on the inputs that will come from Mr. President and if that is done, the three tiers will own a substantial part of the power infrastructure according to their share of the revenue formula.
“There will be no repayment. But once those assets are privatised, the proceeds will be shared according to their revenue formula.”
Babalola also said the 36 states and the Federal Government unanimously agreed that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Federal Inland Revenue service (FIRS) should not debit the Federation Account with bank charges charged them.
Meanwhile, the three tiers of government shared a total of N436.51 billion for the month of May as against N431.75 billion distributed in the previous month.
A communiqué signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ibrahim Dankwambo stated N316.73 billion was shared as statutory revenue allocation and N31.90 billion as value added tax (VAT) while N87.87 billion was used as budget augmentation for the month.
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