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THE NATION WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21, 2013
NEWS
Assembly not probing Jang over SURE-P, says Speaker
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HE Plateau State House of Assembly has said it is not probing Governor Jonah Jang over the Subsidy Reinvestment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) fund. Assembly Speaker John Clark Dabwan spoke yesterday in Jos, the state capital, when he was reacting to reports on the alleged probe. He said the Assembly was investigating the status of the SURE-P funds as well as its level of implementation at both federal and state levels. Speaking through the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Diket Plang, the Speaker said the Assembly was not in doubt about the ability of the Executive to ensure a prudent management of state’s funds. Dabwan said: “The action of the House in finding the status of the SURE-P in the state was to ensure we protect the interest of the state in the Federal Government’s programme. Indeed, we need to commend the state government for the transparent manner it has pro-
‘APC will rule Nigeria in 2015’ From Dele Wnofi, Abuja
•ALGON: our SURE-P project ’ll take off soon From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos
tected the fund it received from the Federal Government. “We are aware of various kinds of SURE-P projects going on in other states, being sponsored by the Federal Government. We need to know why nothing of such is happening in Plateau State. “The Ad Hoc Committee of the House has not concluded its assignment. It has only submitted an interim report. The committee will go to Abuja to make more enquiry from the relevant federal agencies. “So far, we are satisfied with what we got from the Plateau State government concerning the state’s share of SURE-P. But we have to also know what the Federal SURE-P will do for Plateau and how soon we expect that. “So, our overall interest is to make sure we protect the
interest of Plateau State both in state government’s and Federal Government’s programmes.” The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Davo Mang, told the Ad Hoc committee that the N5 billion received by the state was intact. Mang said: “It is true that the cash has not been spent because it has not been appropriated by the House of Assembly. While the SUREP cash is kept in normal current account of the state government, that of the local governments goes to their accounts.” The Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Paul Wai, explained why the funds had not been spent. He said: “The delay in the take-off of the SURE-P programmes at the local government level is due to late submission of the programme’s outlines by the committee of the local governments. “All the local governments
were asked to submit project plans that are peculiar to their communities. The implementation of the SURE-P in the local governments is largely dependent on programme outlines of the local governments. “The SURE-P funds are controlled by the Joint Account Committee of the state and would be managed the way any state fund is managed. That is, it will be used for all sectors of the state’s economy.” The state Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Emmanuel Loman, gave reasons for the delay in the implementation of the SURE-P in the local governments. He said: “The local governments would not rush into wasting public funds carelessly. We have to plan for it; we are still planning for it. “We have identified various programmes, such as youth empowerment, wom-
•Jang
en’s programme and others that majority of our people will benefit from. I mean, there must be the right reasons to spend this money. We don’t want to waste it. The identified projects will soon take off in all the local governments as soon as all arrangements are concluded. “In any case, this fund is for the state to spend on areas of needs. Besides, Plateau State’s major need is security. The state could have spent this fund on solving its security problems but the government is very cautious in spending public funds. That is why the cash remains intact, until government finds the right reason to apply it.”
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) will take over the mantle of leadership in Nigeria in 2015, House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader Suleiman Kawu Sumaila has said. Sumaila spoke yesterday in Ciromawa, Kano State, when he led leaders and supporters of the party to welcome former governor and APC chieftain, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, to the state. He said Kano residents were ready for change in 2015 because the people have suffered for too long. Sumaila said: “Change is already done in Nigeria with the coming of the APC. As you can see all over the country, Nigerians have responded positively to the emergence of the APC. The cloud is here; very soon, there will be a downpour of change in this country. APC: one Nigeria, one Kano State! “We have to thank God Almighty because people have responded to our call. God is intervening in the affairs of Kano State, and its people. This is because we handed over everything to him and, as you can see, he is with us...”
Group congratulates Lagos FRSC chief
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HE Board of Trustees (BoT) of Automobiles and Road Safety Initiative, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has congratulated Mr. Nseobong Charles Akpabio, the Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on his promotion as Assistant Corps Marshall. In a statement by its President, Mr. Samuel Oloyede Oriowo, the organisation
noted that Akpabio deserved the promotion, having been working hard in his previous positions. It said through motivation, Akpabio had reduced accidents on Nigerian roads, especially in Lagos State, which accounts for about 55 per cent of traffic in the country. “It’s no surprise that he got this promotion. It’s extremely a great news to us,” the NGO said.
NAN acting MD is NGE fellow
T •From left: Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar; Vice President Namadi Sambo and Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, during the inauguration of the Force CID building complex in Abuja...yesterday PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN
NANS passes vote-of-no-confidence in Wada
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HE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has criticised Kogi State Governor Idris Wada on the state of the education sector in the state. The association said it has passed a vote-of-no-confidence in the governor for his alleged inconsiderate attitude to the sector. In a statement yesterday by its National Welfare Director/Kogi State NANS Coordinator, Miss Blessing Alaofin, the association rated the level of attention given to the education sector in Kogi State “very low”. It added: “We have confirmed that the reports, which said Kogi State earmarked over N100 million for scholarship, are false; they are mere facade. “It has been noted that ever since the present administration started in Kogi State, there has been no development in the state’s edu-
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‘Why we lost confidence in Education Minister’
HE National Association of Nigerian the matter. Students (NANS) yesterday explained He said: “...NANS is worried by the current why it returned a vote-of-no-confidence unpleasant academic posture of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the counin the Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu try. Our decision was motivated by persistent Rufa’I, following a similar vote-of-no-confi- complaints from our members via the social medence in President Goodluck Jonathan. dia and through their Students’ Union Presidents In a statement yesterday, NANS Public Re- and other individuals who were calling for lations Officer Comrade Victor Olaogun said urgent federal intervention to save the he received several calls threatening him on institutions from imminent collapse...”
•Governor’s spokesman: Allegtions ridiculous cation sector. “It is believed that education is a right and not a privilege, but the reverse is the case in Kogi State. The people voted the governor in and it is time he showed them they did not make a mistake doing so. A lot of hardship has been put on parents in sending their children to primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state. Parents can no
longer afford to send their children to school because of high school fees. “We wonder if the governor, during his time as a student, paid one-quarter of what he expects the students to pay now. The common student welfare package by the government (bursary), which students enjoyed in past years, is no longer in place; he has totally neglected the students.”
But the government said the allegations were false. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy Mr Jacob Edi said the Wada administration placed emphasis on the education sector. He saidthe first place the governor visited when he assumed office was a school, adding that there has not been a strike in Kogi State since Wada became governor.
HE Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has conferred its fellowship award on the Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chief Jide Adebayo. A letter by the General Secretary of the Guild, Mr Isaac Ighure, conveyed the decision of the guild to Adebayo. The letter said it was part of the Guild’s efforts to accord recognition to “editors who have distinguished themselves” in journalism. It said the decision to honour Adebayo, along with some other senior editors, including the past NAN Edi-
tor-in-Chief, Mr Segun Aribike, was taken at a recent meeting of NGE’s Standing Committee. “A committee set up this year to identify personalities who have made a mark in the profession, selected you as one of its fellows,’’ the letter said. The investiture, according to the letter, would hold on Saturday in Asaba, the Delta State capital. Adebayo, whose journalism career spanned over 30 years, had been the Commissioner for Information as well as Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Culture in Kwara State.
Building collapse: Fed Govt unveils new building code
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From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja
HE Federal Government will, tomorrow, unveil a new building code to address incessant building collapse across the country, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Amma Pepple, has said. Ms Pepple spoke on the new building code yesterday when she briefed the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the activities of her ministry at the party’s secretariat in Abuja. The minister explained that although the building code ought to be reviewed by the Federal Government every three years, the existing one was last reviewed in 2006. She said the non-enforcement of existing laws caused building collapse, contrary to the belief that there were no laws regulating the activities of professionals in the building sector. Ms Pepple warned that the Federal Government has put in place measures to prosecute violators of existing laws in the building sector. “The the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has been mandated to sanction any of its erring members involved in the collapse of buildings anywhere in the country,” the minister stated.