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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014
News Extra
Deplorable condition of federal roads worries motorists in Yobe From Uche Uche, Damaturu
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otorists in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital has called on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), to, as a matter of urgency, give attention to the deplorable conditions of some federal roads to reduce the hardship of commuters. A truck driver, Mohammed
Lawan who spoke to Peoples Daily in Yobe, blamed the deplorable condition of the roads decried the impact of such bad roads on motor tires and breaks, which has led to several accidents.. Also commenting on the situation, the state chairman, National Union of Road Transports Workers, Abdu Saleh said they are deeply worried over
the deplorable condition of some of the federal roads especially Gujba and Potiskum roads which he said requires urgent attention by the authorities concerned. He however regretted that the presence of FERMA is not being felt in the state capital and in the rural areas where their services are needed in order to ease transportation of goods
and services, thereby affecting economy of the state. A visit to FERMA office in Damaturu by Peoples Daily revealed that most of the officials were not on seat. This, a source said could be reason for the temporary suspension of road maintenance activities in most of the dilapidated federal road projects in the state.
Photo: Joe Oroye
Court did not sack us, says Nasarawa APC chairman T
he All Progressives Congress (APC), in Nasarawa has denied that a High Court in the state had sacked the interim chairman of the party, Arch Stanley Buba. Arc Stanley Buba, at a press briefing in Nasarawa, made the clarifications yesterday while briefing the press in his office, saying the state interim committee of the APC is still intact. The APC state interim chairman explained that the injunction pronounced by the High Court 3,
headed by Justice Aisha Ahmed, was issued to restrain the APC from constituting, recognising and inaugurating the proposed APC state harmonization committee. He dispelled claims by the state chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yunana Iliya, to the effect that as a result of the said injunction, the APC has been technically knocked out of the forthcoming local government elections. Displaying a copy of the court injunction before journalists, Stanley assured supporters of the party that there was never an
injunction restraining the affairs of the interim management committee as it is been bandied by the PDP. “I want to say that this is most unfortunate, I see it as the cry of a sinking person”, Stanley said. Arc Stanley described the PDP as an undemocratic party, urging its members to decamp to the APC, warning that as long as they remain in the PDP there is every possibility they may not fulfill their political aspirations. “PDP did not conduct any primaries for the council election. Candidates were merely
handpicked, with the national assembly members decamping to the party promised automatic tickets when we are in a democracy”, he stated. Recallings the injunction dated February 17, in a case instituted by one Nurudeen Umar as plaintiff, with the APC, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, Stanley Buba and two others as defendants, Arc Stanley said aside the matter being blown out of proportion, the plaintiff, Nurudeen Umar has no legal basis to institute a case against the party because he is not a registered member of the APC.
NEDEP: FG to disburse funds to first batch cooperatives From Ayodele Samuel and Zainab Yusuf, Lagos
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he Federal Government has disclosed that the first batch of cooperative bodies set up under the National Enterprise development programme (NEDEP), will get approved funding before the end of February. The Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, Bature Umar Masari, while speaking with newsmen
Minna: General Hospital extension worth N1.4bn to be completed on schedule From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna
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L-R: Professor Obaro Ikime, Professor A. E. Ekoko, and Professor. Mahmood Yakub, members of Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN), during their visit to President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.
From Ali Abare ubakar, Lafia
BRIEFS
in Lagos, yesterday said the approval for award of funds was obtained after the cooperatives’ business plans successfully passed the requisite assessment and evaluation of SMEDAN and the Bank of Industry (BOI). He added that the NEDEP programme entails the implementation of the One Local Government One Product (OLOP) programme which is based on a borrowed idea from Japan which has seen them developing economically and otherwise.
“And so far, we have been able to cover 22 states within a period of three months and we have also formed as at the end of December 2013 20, 111 cooperative bodies all over the country who are now very busy being guided by SMEDAN to come up with bankable business plans.” “We have received and handed over those business plans that are ready to BOI which is a collaborating partner of the NEDEP programme with a view to providing financing for the enterprise of their choice
along an identified product’s value chain. And I believe that before the end of this month these ones that have qualified will start getting financing from BOI,” he said. Masari stated, that the rate of lending shouldn’t be a problem as BOI is ready to lend at one digit as they have different products under cooperative funding and that the rate of lending in some areas could be as low as five per cent where there are matching funds from state governments but never up to ten per cent.
he delay in the completion of 134 bed capacity neonatal General Hospital extension in Minna, Niger state has been attributed to the muddy nature of the area, discovery of 58 soakaways and four wells which stalled progress of work. Director General, Niger state Public Private Partnership, PPP, Alhaji Shehu Kudu Mohammed gave the explanation while speaking with journalists in Minna. He said that the developer had to excavate the land, cover all the soakaways and wells before the proper construction could commence. Kudu however, assured that the 8 months completion period as contained in the MOU will be achieved despite the challenges. He disclosed that the developer has not reached the required 36.6 percent as stipulated in the MOU to enable his agency direct the bank to release the N500 million irrevocable payment standing order IPSO and subsequent N180 million monthly release of funds.
NHIS requires N48bn for pupil’s enrolment in Nigeria- says E.S By Abbas Aminu Bamalli
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he Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas says the scheme requires N48 billion to implement its proposed coverage for all pupils in public primary schools in the country. Dr. Thomas disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti, during an advocacy visit to the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu. A statement issued to pressmen in Abuja, signed by the Head of media and public relations, NHIS, Ayo Osinlu, said the advocacy visit was part of a working tour of the state to assess the structure and progress of the scheme’s interventions in Ekiti state. According to him, 40 per cent of the required fund for the programme had been set aside by the scheme, adding that the balance was expected to come from benefitting states and other stakeholders. He called for the deepening of NHIS Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Maternal and Child Health (MCH) project in the state, commending the release of its counterpart fund for the programme as a sure footed step in the right direction.