21032019 - PDP, Atiku in post-election trauma, depression — APC

FEC approves N27.4bn
for states affected by
flooding, conflicts
By Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
A BUJA—THE
F e d e r a l
Executive Council, FEC,
yesterday, approved
N27.4 billion for
intervention in states
ravaged by flooding and
conflicts.
Vice Chairman of the
National Food Security
Council and Governor of
Kebbi State, Atiku
Bagudu disclosed this
while briefing State
House correspondents
after the weekly FEC,
presided over by
President Muhammadu
Buhari at the Council
Chamber, Presidential
villa, Abuja.
Governor Bagudu
explained that N8.558
billion was for
intervention in states ere
affected by insecurity
that led to their
displacement, while
N18.94 billion is for 14
states ravaged by
flooding.
He said that the
intervention will take
form of seedlings,
fertilizers among other
items and that 163,117
beneficiaries will be
covered in 14 states.
According to him,
“FEC considered and
approved two memos
from the National Food
Security Council. First it
approved the
intervention in states
that have been affected
by conflicts and
insecurity, where many
have been displaced
from their homes and
some are living in
Internally displaced
persons camps.
“While support had
been given in terms of
accommodation, food
and welfare, the
National Food Security
Council considered the
Naira down to N358.2/$ in
parallel market
By Elizabeth Adegbesan
The naira yesterday depreciated to N358.2 per
dollar in the parallel market after being stable at
N358 per dollar for four consecutive days.
According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange rate
platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change
Operators (ABCON), the parallel market exchange
rose to N358.2 per dollar from N358 per dollar on
Tuesday, translating to 20 kobo depreciation of the
naira.
Similarly, the naira yesterday depreciated by 27
kobo in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window
due to a 53 percent decline in the volume of dollars
traded.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative
exchange rate for the window rose to N360.40 per
dollar from N360.13 per dollar on Tuesday,
translating to 27 kobo depreciation of the naira.
The volume of dollars traded on the window
dropped 53 percent to $ 129.18 million from $277.11
million traded on Tuesday.
vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
importance of helping
them restore their
livelihood activities,
particularly agricultural
activity.
“Council approved the
memo by Mr. President
and approved
N8,558,529,755 for
intervention in
Adamawa, Benue,
Borno, Plateau, Taraba,
Yobe and Zamfara. The
beneficiaries are
estimated about 69,872
people.
“The intervention
include provision of
fertilizer, seedlings,
chemicals, poultry and
animals to enable them
resume economic
activity.
“Secondly, council
considered and
approved the submission
which originated from
National Food Security
Council on states that
have been severely
affected by flooding. It is
not an exhaustive list
because the National
E m e r g e n c y
Management Agency
statutorily provides all
states that experience
one emergency or the
other.
“Last year, there was
unusual flooding in
some states, 14 of them
and the national food
security council
considered the impact of
that flooding on the
agricultural sector, food
security, animal
husbandry and fisheries.
“And so, today the
council approved an
intervention totally
N18,942,818,912.14.
Contracts would be
awarded to 15 companies
to provide seedlings,
agro chemicals and
fertilizers to 163,117
beneficiaries located in
14 states.
“The states are
Adamawa, Anambra,
Beyelsa, Benue, Delta,
Edo, Jigawa, Kebbi,
Kogi, Kwara, Niger,
Rivers, Sokoto and
Taraba.
“As part of the work of
national food security
council, other
interventions have been
considered and are being
worked upon by the
beneficiary community
and also the livestock
sector.”
Also briefing, the
Minister of Environment,
Suleiman Hassan said
that FEC also approved
another tranche of five
contracts totalling N3.09
billion for continuation
of remedial work on
Ogoni
land
environmental
reclamation project.
The reclamation project
is sequel to the United
Nation Environmental
Programme, UNEP,
report, for which Buhari
flagged of the project in
2016. Sixteen contracts
Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019 — 41
had earlier been
awarded for the project.
He explained that the
five lots were brought to
the FEC because it was
above the threshold of
the tenders board unlike
the first 16 lots that
passed through the
tender board.
Other approvals by the
FEC include a
TETFUND intervention
contract of N613.3
million for the
construction of Faculty of
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Arts complex at
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Nigeria’s signing of the
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make schooling and
education safe on the
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A
contract
augmentation was
approved for the
completion of Enugu
water supply scheme,
thus increasing the
contract sum from N985
million to N1.15billion.
Evil doers won’t go unpunished, Dogara
warns election riggers
...As Secondus, Obi, Saraki score 2019 elections low
By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA- Speaker of
the House of
Representatives, Mr
Yakubu Dogara, has
cautioned the
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, against setting a
dangerous and evil
precedence in the
political history of
Nigeria by declaring
elections inconclusive.
Dogara stated this
yesterday, while
addressing the 85th
Emergency National
Executive Committee,
NEC, meeting of the
Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, which held
at the national
secretariat of the party in
Abuja.
Calling on INEC, to go
about its job in
S a t u r d a y ’ s
supplementary elections
with a sense of
professionalism, the
Speaker expressed
worry that Nigeria was
gradually becoming a
ready example for the
outside world to cite in
matters of poor conduct
and behaviour.
He said: “What has
happened (the 2019
elections) is pure evil.
Our consolation as
members of this party is
that evil doers will never
escaped punishment. If
they do what others have
done before, they will
see what those who did
evil saw. Definitely, they
cannot escape from it. It
is a law of nature and it
is in the scripture of
God, that whatever you
sow, you shall reap.
“I want to use this
opportunity to remind
INEC that we should
escape the trap of always
getting Nigeria to be
slanted as bad when
they are looking for
example of a bad
precedent.
“Elections are done all
over the world. Elections
are conducted in Africa
and at no time have we
heard of these
inconclusive elections in
other jurisdictions.
“It is very unfortunate
if INEC which is led by
a first class Professor set
PDP, Atiku in post-election trauma, depression — APC
Continues from Page 5
courts — PDP
Responding to the
charges against it, the
PDP speaking through
its National Publicity
Secretary, Kola
Ologbondinyan vowed
that the party would
reclaim what it
described as its stolen
mandate through the
courts.
this very dangerous and
unacceptable precedent
in our political history.”
Also speaking, Vice
Presidential candidate
of the party, Mr. Peter
Obi said “As for me,
while we blame the INEC
and the security
agencies, the biggest
shame goes to those who
are directing them to do
the wrong thing. If you
choose to be a leader,
especially with All
Progressives Congress,
APC, that claims
integrity, the biggest
corruption and the
biggest show of a
government that does
not believe in integrity is
to rig election. Because
the process through
which you come into
office, is far more
fundamental than what
you do thereafter.
“What did they mean
by PDP slipping into
depression and
hallucination? We are
telling them that we will
retrieve our stolen
mandate whether they
like it or not.
“We will go the whole
hog to take our states
which they declared
inconclusive. They know
that we won those states
and come Saturday, we
“I think we should hold
them responsible for
what is happening in
this country now. The
examples we are setting
for the young ones, I
don’t know what they
will tell a young man
who is cheating in an
exam in this country
after seeing the ways our
elections are conducted.
I don’t know what they
will tell those who are
robbing banks and
kidnapping people,
because we have seen
the biggest of it with this
election where people
are happy after robbing
the nation and their
states.”
On his part, Senate
President, Bukola Saraki
said, “Let me commend
members of our party
because it is rare that
after a presidential
election that a party
begins to build
momentum.
will claim those states.
“We don’t want to say
much about the
Presidential election
because Nigerians knew
what happened. They
should not grandstand
because at the end of the
day, we are confident
of victory. No matter how
far a lie travels, truth will
eventually catch up with
it.”